My Training for Boston Starts Now

Helen and I at the Runner's Refuge in 2010

On Monday December 12 my training officially starts for the 2012 Boston Marathon. This will be the 7th time I have set out on a 16 week journey to prepare myself to run 26.2 miles.  The last time I did this was in 2008/2009 when I ran he 113th Boston Marathon.  I trained hard for that race and it certainly paid off.   I achieved one of my life's goals to run a 4 hour marathon.  I have heard that less than 5% of all marathoners can break the 4 hour mark.  Although I am not certain of this fact, I do know that for a middle of the pack runner like myself breaking that barrier makes you feel like you have moved into a more elite group of runners.  It is a mark to be proud of and I have to say I am proud to say I am among those runners who have reached that mark.

This year I am going to still train as if I were going to try for that 4 hour mark again.  But, it is really more to make sure that I am fully trained to be able to run and coach my friend Helen to her marathon goal of breaking the 5 hour barrier.  My hope is that my fitness level on race day will be such that the 11:25 per mile pace will seem easy for me.  This should allow me to be able to focus on what Helen will need as we travel those 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.  I need to be in tune with her body and what she needs mentally to reach her goal rather than worrying about my body and mental needs to run a marathon.

What Helen and I need to do over the next 16 weeks is communicate where we are in our training each week.  The bottom line is make sure I have set her up for success on Patriot's Day.  I know Helen wants to run a sub-5 hour marathon.  But, it doesn't mean that it is a guarantee.  Her training times will let me know whether or not it is a realistic goal on race day.   If for some reason Helen is not able to do the tempo runs that teach her body to run at an 11:25 per mile pace, then we cannot expect a different result on race day.  We need to make sure that we know where she is in her training to ensure that we come up with a good plan on race day.  The race plan is as critically important as the good training leading up to the race.

Over the next several weeks, Helen and I will be logging miles to make sure we are in peak condition when we arrive in Hopkinton for the start of the race.  My initial race plan is for us to start out a little slower than the 11:25 per mile pace.  The most successful strategy is start slow. I know we are going to be excited and we will be feeling strong and confident, but I need remember to hold back at the start.  Since the Boston Marathon course is mostly downhill at the beginning, we need to go out at between and 11:30 and 11:45 per mile pace for the first 2-3 miles.  Then we can pick up the pace to try and run the next 23.2 miles at an even pace of 11:25 per mile.  I know that our pace will naturally slow slightly during the race.  This means I need to keep the goal in mind and if Helen is feeling good in the early miles we can try and push the pace slightly. 

However, the best laid plans can be waylaid due to conditions outside of our control -- like weather.  The Boston Marathon has had major variability in weather conditions in the last ten years, from over 80 degrees in 2004 to a windy chilly rain drenched race in 2007.  The most important thing I need to do with Helen on race day is to make sure she does not lose sight of what brought us to the starting line in the first place.  I need to keep her focused on the hard work she will have done to prepare for the race.  We will try and stay as close to our original race plan as possible because this is what we prepared our bodies to do.  What we will keep in mind as we set out on our journey is what Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ said:

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."

Nov. 13 – 8.10 miles (1:12:00, 8:53 pace)

Nov. 14 – 6.10 miles (57:20, 9:24 pace) – Speed Work

Nov. 15 – 3.20 miles (25:19, 7:55 pace) – Speed Work

Nov. 21 – 6.20 miles (56:11, 9:04 pace)

Nov. 22 – 3.20 miles (24:57, 7:55 pace) – Speed Work

Nov. 24 – 5.10 miles (38:57, 7:44 pace) – Whiten 5 Mile Race

Nov. 25 – 6.20 miles (55:12, 8:54 pace) – Tempo Run

Nov. 26 – 10.10 miles (1:29:30, 8:52 pace)

Nov. 27 – 8.50 miles (1:16:32, 9:00 pace)

Nov. 28 – 6.10 miles (57:02, 9:21 pace)

Nov. 29 – 3.20 miles (25:15, 7:53 pace) – Speed Work

Dec. 1 – 6.20 miles (49:43, 8:01 pace) – Tempo Run

Dec. 2 – 6.10 miles (54:41, 8:58 pace)

Dec. 3 – 9.20 miles (1:18:27, 8:32 pace) – Mansfield, TX

Dec. 4 – 7.10 miles (1:01:27, 8:39 pace) – Mansfield, TX

Dec. 9 – 5.10 miles (47:28, 9:19 pace)

Dec. 10 – 10.10 miles (1:32:32, 9:10 pace)

Total Miles: 109.8 miles

2011 YTD Miles: 1,537.8 miles