New Goal: Boston Marathon
I decided not to run the December marathon here in Sacramento, because my mileage is not quite where it should be, and decided instead to set a longer term and more audacious goal: run the Boston Marathon in April 2010 and finish it in under 3 hours. That will be very hard to do. I completed a half marathon in good conditions in under 1:30, so I will have to train to double the distance that I can run that pace.
I believe I have the raw ability to achieve this goal. The key is going to be sticking with the training and preparation plan. The key components:
1. Lose 10 pounds. According to my body fat measurements and my eyeball appraisal of my waist line I can lose 10 pounds around my midsection without compromising strength or speed. After a 10 pound loss my body fat percentage will probably be somewhere around 12 percent, which is low for someone my age but not ridiculous. The weight loss should enable me to run significantly faster over distance: I’ve read the difference can be as much as 2-2.5 seconds per mile per pound. Assuming 2 seconds is right, that means a 10 pound loss would result in a drop in time in a 5K of one minute. Over an entire marathon it would mean a difference of 8 minutes and 40 seconds. Since by my estimate I am in shape to run a 3:10 to 3:12 marathon right now, weight loss alone can get me close to my goal. The key to losing weight is a very careful diet, which I have begun.
2. Increase mileage. I’ve never been able to sustain really high mileage because of injury. My plan is to get my mileage up to 40 miles per week by early December, from a current level of 26-30 miles per week. I will try to achieve as much as 55 mpw during the peak of my training in February and early March, before tapering. The most important component of training is continuity: steady running results in steady progress. If I do nothing more than increase my mileage in small increments and run 5 days per week between now and April 2010, I will significantly improve by then.
3. Protect against injury through strength training and stretching. I need to do core work and various exercises that strengthen the muscles around my ankles, calves, knees, hips, and abs. I’ll continue doing lots of pushups to maintain upper body strength and definition while I lose weight.
4. Speedwork. I intend to follow a modified Daniels plan, with 4 phases of run training. Phase 1, 8 weeks, will consist of increasing mileage, not running too much speed work, but throwing in some assessment runs, like time trial for one mile and 10 x 800 meters (Yasso 800). Phase 2, six weeks, will emphasize improving my aerobic capacity and building leg strength and speed. Emphasis will be on aerobic max intervals and some hill training, with an increasing emphasis on tempo runs as the phase enters its later weeks. Phase 3, six weeks, will be the hardest, with an emphasis on tempo runs, long tempo runs, and goal marathon pace (6:52 min/mile) runs. Phase 4 (five weeks) will consist of more speed work to stay sharp, but decreased mileage to make sure I am rested and fit for the race.
The all important key to success is simply this: stay healthy. Right now my body feels as healthy as it has since I started running again three years ago, with no pain in my Achilles tendon when I run and no pains anywhere else. To stay healthy I need to build slowly and listen to my body.
November 18, 2009 at 8:14 pm
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