Marathon Training to BQ

I have no idea if you'll be able to BQ. It's too early and you offer few details about your aerobic fitness. My advice would be to bump up your mileage to around 50-55 mpw between now and the end of the year. This could consist of 2-3 runs of 45min, 2 runs of 60minutes, and a long run of 90-120minutes. Don't worry about pace so much. Easy runs of 7:15 for a 3:05 marathon are on the faster side. Many target easy and long run pace as MP + 1 min or even slower. Build mileage it slowly. No more than 3-5 miles per week to make sure you don't get injured. Do some shorter races between 5k and 10k from now to Thanksgiving. Run easy through the holidays to recover. For winter and spring I would plan on maintaining at least 50mpw and if that feels easy try to build to 55 or even 60mpw if you can. Race a half all out in the spring and see how you do. Recover easy for a few weeks and then start planning for your fall marathon. Think of it as a process.

You can close this thread out, because this poster pretty much nailed it in the first response. I would especially focus on the advice given regarding your pace on distance runs. Being at 7:15 pace on easy runs is way too fast given your current fitness; you are essentially running your marathon pace on easy distance days.

Also, this sounds like it will be your first marathon. So I agree with the other guys, but would add something about the goals. It would probably be good to through fall and into winter with lots of smart basebuilding and aerobic work. Then for your spring marathon, shoot for a BQ, but be happy running a 3:15, and also just be happy if it means you need to finish your first marathon.

At 30 yo, you've got plenty of time to BQ, and your first marathon (or first marathon raced) is always a learning experience. Go into it with that kind of broad, relaxed mindset.

It wouldn't be my first marathon. I completed a total of 5 marathons. My best is 3:26, but that wasn't full on racing as it was 85 degrees that day. The others was a first time marathon, and also just pacing friends around 3:30 range. T. I only recently got the urge to really start training again. I figured building more base was better, and racing to test fitness and build speed. I just wanted some advice from more experience runners if it would be better to stress a spring or fall marathon. If I aim for a spring marathon as a test, I'm setting myself up for failure to qualify in the fall.

There's no easy answer to goal setting, but if it were me, I would look beyond spring for your 3:05. Don't take this the wrong way, but there is nothing in your history that indicates a 3:05 will be a walk in the park. You may need to build to it and it may take a few attempts. There's nothing wrong with that. The marathon is a beast and you really have to nail your training, pacing and fueling to get it right. Give it some time. That's why I suggested racing halfs in the spring - you can really work on your aerobic and lactate thresholds and push your marathon potential forward, especially if you include some longer runs of 2 hours or so in your training to keep up leg strength. You'll have a far better idea of where your fitness is and you'll recover faster and be ready for the fall. And for the fall, don't stress if you're not ready for a 3:05. If your half time suggests a 3:15, maybe aim for a little faster than that and build each cycle. Then maybe the following year run both a spring and fall marathons as you get used to the increased training load and workouts. Remember it's a process. 30 may sound old but potentially you could have several years of improvement ahead of you. IMO, far better to build smartly than try to rush for a goal time you may not be ready for.

I am more optimistic than the others.

2mi in 12:15 on trail is around 12:00 on road.

12:00 on 2mi should be 19:15 on 5k (6:15/mi pace).

At 30 yo, with the decent experience you have, you could get below 18:00 on 5k in 3 months. That's a good sign of BQ.

Then you can have December, January and February to increase the mileage.

On 1st of March you can run sub 3:00.

In April 2017 you can run the Boston.

Is not easy, but it depends on your discipline, how much you want it and how much you believe in yourself.

Not time on trail, time trail...typo.

George Ilie wrote:

2mi in 12:15 on trail is around 12:00 on road.

12:00 on 2mi should be 19:15 on 5k (6:15/mi pace).

.

George, I love your optimism, but I am not with your analysis in this case.

I know English is not your first language, so it was intuitive to you to think he did his 2 miler on trails, but it was a typo meaning "time trial."

That equates to a mid-19's 5k. Saying that you can go from there to sub 18:00 in three months is aggressive.

Also, to run Boston, you will have to have qualified already (or soon - not sure when the exact cut off is, but I know that the Chicago Marathon in mid-October is too late).

I will say that the VDOT conversions for OP's 2 miler and half marathon PR make sub 3:05 a reasonable goal, with the biggest issue being that the 1:29 was years ago and training since then has not been good and the 5 previous marathons of the OP were not close to the goal time.

"Trial" changes the equation a bit.19:30-19:45 for 5k would be more appropriate then.But how aggressive is to cut from 20:00 to sub 18:00 in 3 months?I worked with a 37 yo person this spring who did this and had no problems. He did 5k trials every month, ran a 10k race and after 4 months ran 18:20 without tapering, in the middle of the training.But for Boston qualifying:

Registration for the 2017 Boston Marathon will open on Monday, September 12, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. ET.

...

For the 2017 Boston Marathon, qualifying times must be run on or after Saturday, September 19, 2015.

The problem is that the registration will close pretty fast, so he may qualify, but miss the registration.

Personally I would start training for 2017 BQ and take it easy if the registration closes and are no chances to get in.

OP said he was looking to qualify for 2019. Shouldn't be much of a problem if increase mileage and follow the advice given here for 2 years.

It seems to me that 2019 was the alternative if he doesn't qualify.

But anyway, he doesn't seem to hurry :)

Smoove wrote:

You can close this thread out, because this poster pretty much nailed it in the first response. I would especially focus on the advice given regarding your pace on distance runs. Being at 7:15 pace on easy runs is way too fast given your current fitness; you are essentially running your marathon pace on easy distance days.

The problem is the 9:00min/mile long runs. That's 90s training advice. "You can't do your long runs too slow". Well, he's doing his long runs too slow if he can handle 7:15 pace on regular runs or easy even.

you can do long runs too slow wrote:

Smoove wrote:

You can close this thread out, because this poster pretty much nailed it in the first response. I would especially focus on the advice given regarding your pace on distance runs. Being at 7:15 pace on easy runs is way too fast given your current fitness; you are essentially running your marathon pace on easy distance days.

The problem is the 9:00min/mile long runs. That's 90s training advice. "You can't do your long runs too slow". Well, he's doing his long runs too slow if he can handle 7:15 pace on regular runs or easy even.

Yep...

OP said " My long runs have been pacing friends though, with the pace being around 9/9:15 pace.".

Tough love advice follows.

Two options.

1) Find faster friends

B) Train alone.

Thanks for all of the great advice and information everyone providing. It's all been very helpful. I think I'm going to aim next fall, but really use the time before for base building and speed building. Do anyone have additional strength programs that could help.

There is such thing as too slow for a long run, but that leaves plenty of room to run slower than marathon pace on recovery days. If your getting your heart rate up to about 70% of your max heart rate, then your achieving the goal of an aerobic workout.