Will I BQ this year?

Oh, raced the 3:40 at 5-foot-9 and about 160.

Maybe.

if u can stay healthy I think you'll slam into it, biggest risk probably injury

With a 19:47 5K you sure can run in the low 3:10 if you train properly. No need to hammer intervals, you already have the "speed".

Try to get consistent at 60/65 mpw first with a two hour-long run (~20-22K), for six weeks, then introduce a weekly session below marathon pace like 4 x 4K progressive from 5:00 to 4:30/km pace (90 to 100% goal pace) for six additional weeks. Then you are ready to start some canned schedule.

Since that's probably the first time you will follow a structured plan for the marathon (I guess from your previous times, well off your short distance speed), expect large gains.

Not 'several weeks at 70' give me 8 - 10 weeks at 65 - 70. Then enjoy your BQ.

PHilopshy Export wrote:

Not 'several weeks at 70' give me 8 - 10 weeks at 65 - 70. Then enjoy your BQ.

Right. That's what I was thinking in the range of when I said "several." A couple months worth of 70s.

Don't be too proud to Rossi it if needed.

I started back to running 2 miles about 3 time a week about a year ago. In the summer I ran 35 to 45 mpw. Most runs were 5 miles with some several 12+ mile runs on weekends. At 51 I BQ'ed at my first marathon in Sept with a time of 3:24 and went for a 2018 BQ in November and got a time of 3:10. I am 6'0" and weigh 165. My speed work was limited to running 5 miles with a local running club at 7:02 to 7:10 pace once every week or so. I followed no marathon training plan. I only attempted a BQ after running a 10 race at a pace that indicated I had a shot at a BQ. I ran my longest run of about 16 miles on a group run 6 days before the first marathon to see if I could run 16 and keep a on pace that would give me a shot at a BQ.

Now that I am training for Boston I have upped my mileage to 70 mpw on two different weeks and hit 80 last week. I don't have the time to do much over 50 mpw every week and my body thus far cannot maintain the higher mileage without pain coming back to areas where I have injuries in the past so I back down the mileage for a week or more after a high mileage week.

So I don't think everyone needs sustained high mileage or needs to follow a marathon training plan to BQ. It probably helps but I somehow did it with less. Just may sure you pick a marathon that is flat and where you have a shot at decent weather. My first marathon was on a warmer and more humid than normal day for that time of year. Only about 30% BQ'ed rather than the prior year's 60%. My 2nd marathon started in the upper 30s and ended in the lower 60s.

I ran a 5K in the spring in the 20s in the spring and 19:15 in the fall.

I'm thinking most mile at 8/mile, with 1-2 workouts a week to develop some speed. That seems to be the going philosophy here.

Is it advisable to occasionally do a LR at marathon race pace? I feel like I should for confidence if nothing else.

A key part of my marathon prep has become a 17 depletion run at MP. No fuel, water etc. This is much easier when it's not over 60 degrees outside.

The depletion run for me approaches some of the fatigue levels I'll feel in a marathon while still in a training cycle.

I'm 35 now, but in my younger days I never attempted this sort of thing. Wish I had as it's paid off a couple of times with some nice negative splits.

Some say it will be a hot summer. I recommend doing a BQ in the spring because then the coals will not be so hot. But yes you can BQ anytime of the year!