2010 Boston Marathon Training - How are you preparing?

I am starting Pfitz's 18/70 plan from the second edition on Dec.14. Since I am 42 and need a little extra rest I'm skipping the Sat. recovery run for the first six weeks.

Good luck!

Yep, I'll be following the same plan, including the Saturday run because I'm 29.

I've never followed any plan, but I have a friend of similar ability who improved by 8min following this plan.

If this thread doesn't survive, maybe we can start a Boston-Pfitzinger thread in Dec.

I'll be following (for the most part) the Pfitzinger 18/85 plan for Boston. I'm shortining it to 16 weeks, but will be following it pretty closely otherwise.

Anyone have any advice on how to prepare for the hills? I'm on the praries so finding anything similar to the Boston route will be difficult!

Maybe try doing some longer runs in racing flats (if you're not injury prone). I noticed my legs feel beat up when I run long in flats the same way they do after a lot downhill running. It's really just the increased pounding that you have to get used to for Boston. The uphills are only an issue because of the damage the early downhills do.

You could also just do some weight training to build up the quads.

But..I think race specific training doesn't matter as much as just being in good shape. If you're feeling good at 18miles, you'll have the energy to get over the hills whether you did hill work or not.

BostonBound wrote:

Maybe try doing some longer runs in racing flats (if you're not injury prone). I noticed my legs feel beat up when I run long in flats the same way they do after a lot downhill running. It's really just the increased pounding that you have to get used to for Boston. The uphills are only an issue because of the damage the early downhills do.

You could also just do some weight training to build up the quads.

But..I think race specific training doesn't matter as much as just being in good shape. If you're feeling good at 18miles, you'll have the energy to get over the hills whether you did hill work or not.

Great advice.

For races, there're 2 halves - Hyannis and New Bedford that I'm considering.

I'm doing 6-weeks of HADD base training into Pfitz's 18/85+ plan. This will be my 3rd consecutive Boston. I'm 37 (38 come Aprili 19th) and hoping to go sub-2:50. I basically did Pfitz's 12/70-85 for Chicago and want to see if even more mileage + loosing 5-8 lbs can get me those extra 5 minutes.

I wouldn't worry so much about the hills. I don't have any big hills. Did barely any hills training (maybe 3-4 runs on a TM) and didn't find the Newton hills too daunting.

This hills start @ mile 16 after a wicked big downhill.

Oh and if you haven't registered yet, do so or you won't be running Boston 2010.

Can you sum up the HADD base training program or drop a link to more info? I'm trying to figure out what to do until Week 18. I was just going to do the first few weeks of Pfitz a couple times or make so stuff up.

I have never run Boston, but I have coached a few successful runners on the course. The key to running Boston is to run perfectly even mile splits!

This is completely bizarre if you think about it. One would think that he should run by effort... i.e. if you think you're in 6:00 per mile shape on a flat course, the first 17 miles or so are downhill, so run by feel. That may mean that your first mile is 5:45 and your first half is 1:13. The logic? 1:13 first half FEELS like a 1:18:45 on a flat course, and you're going to need that time when you hit the hills later in the course.

This logic is sound logic for a course where there are a few hills (like NYC. Run by effort on the bridges, not time, because it will net out even). In Boston, though, there is too much downhill for too long for it to make sense.

It sounds strange, but if you want to run 6:00 pace, or roughly 18:30/5k, then run your first 5k in 18:30. The effort won't be 6:00 pace. The effort is probably more like 7;00 pace!

But you won't beat up your quads NEARLY as bad and when you hit heartbreak and the long 2 mile uphill stretch late, you will be able to maintain that 6:00/mile clip.

Look at past results. The people who performed optimally ran remarkably even. Look at the 5k split and think. For a guy running 2:35, let's say, 18:30 5k and 37:00 10k DOWNHILL seems like a poor strategy. It ends up being the best strategy! The guys who do that, and are in 2:35 shape, run 2:35. The ones who run by feel end up running 2:40+!!!

I basically follow Joe's Schedule for 2 3-week periods, then jump into Pfitz. I do a lot of HR training.

What 2 mile uphill stretch late? There is none... Last "hill" is HB @ 21. And yes your first half should be fairly close to your second half times, but I wouldn't say run each mile the same, you do have to take into account elevation. Since each mile is very different at Boston.

Not to completely turn the thread, but I noticed most people are using Pfitz plans to get ready.

I qualified this year in Chicago (barely. Like a 3:09 and change) using the Daniel's plan (which ya'll on letsrun recommended). At a peak of 84 miles/week, the training was really tough on me - I'm a 190 lbder - and I'm wondering if I should switch to a different type of training.

Thoughts?

Captain Beefheart wrote:

Not to completely turn the thread, but I noticed most people are using Pfitz plans to get ready.

I qualified this year in Chicago (barely. Like a 3:09 and change) using the Daniel's plan (which ya'll on letsrun recommended). At a peak of 84 miles/week, the training was really tough on me - I'm a 190 lbder - and I'm wondering if I should switch to a different type of training.

Thoughts?

Which Daniels plan did you use? I've used both the Elite and the "regular" plan and found the Elite to be very tough...probbaly because I'm not elite! Anyway, Daniles and Pfitz's plans aren't all that different...a long run plus one other workout per week with easy miles in between. Where they do differ, and where I think people gravitate more toward Pfitz, is that Pfitz tells you exactly what to do on the easy days whereas Daniels leaves it up to the individual for the most part. People like a plan that tells them what to do every day. Not that this is neccesarily a good thing, but I think that's why Pfitz may be a bit more popular.

My choice in using Pfitz is just for "something different". Like I said, I've used both Daniels plans as well as some self-made plans...figured I'd give Pfitz a try this time around since I've heard good things about it.

This will be my first Boston and second marathon. For my last two marathons I made up my own training programs. My first marathon time was 4:19. This last one my training consisted of three runs a week - one 6 miler, one 8 miler and then a long run, increasing each long run by approx. a mile from 10 miles to 20. I qualified as a 27 yr. female (barely and shockingly) at 3:38. I'd like to take my training for Boston a bit more seriously, since everything I've read about the course describes it as difficult. We don't have hills on the prairies as someone else mentioned so that will be difficult to train for. I'm lost as to all the different training programs - advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

It happened 8 years ago, so I stopped prepping 8 years ago bro.