Boston Marathon training - change it up or stay the course?

This is very Hanson's-style training. It can get you fit, but as I have gotten older Ihave personally had more success with higher mileage than that (average ~75).

This includes going to one workout a week (Weds) but making it longer and harder often including up to 15-16 total miles of work, then a hard long run that usually includes some pace changes.

Everyone is different, but you may want to take a look at this-

https://www.finalsurge.com/TrainingPlans/PlanDetails/NAZELITE/Plans/5030

I'll second that advice. Up the mileage. Do one mid-week workout and incorporate some quality on most long run days.

You've had some success for 7 years, but that's also a long time. I'd go for the change. If you had just done 2-3 marathons on that schedule, I might say stay the course. But it's been a while and you've got a really solid base going.

One thing, though, how old are you? Depending on age miles and harder/longer workouts might not be the best way to go.

I've raced 3 marathons under this approach, 3:07, 3:09, 3:03 over a year and a half with this coach. I am 37, started at 30 with long distance running.

Hmm, is it a coach you work with in person? Or a plan you just follow? If it is the former it'd probably be good to sit down and chat about the plan and ask what their thoughts are regarding progressing to something a little different/bigger/whatever.

But when you lay out the three races like that, you are steadily chipping away at things. Still, at 37 and a good base, I do think this could be the time to bump it up a tad.

I got to 2:58 training like what you outlined in the first post. I ran 2:44 this month with more mileage, and emphasis on one very solid weekday workout and a hard long run.

I do a similar training regimen with Tuesday speed workouts, Thursday tempos, and one weekend long run(I don't do that Saturday workout like you do). I also cross train 2-3 times a week with Orange Theory Fitness HIIT training for strength/core work and to building running speed. I would recommend adding more easy mileage like on your rest day, extending your easy runs, or adding easy doubles after workouts. Getting your peak mileage to 70-80 miles a week will help you get that sub-3 IMHO. Make sure to incorporate some hill training (both up and down) for Boston as well. Good luck!

For the progression from 2:58, to 2:44, what was your avg mileage then, and what did it change to for the 2:44? Since I have been consistently avg 50-55, is it that big of a risk to try to get up to 70-80 by April?

2500 in 2 years is less than 3.5 a day. Do more miles.

Don't take Friday off. Do an easy 4 to 6 at least.

Start training now, don't wait for 1/1.

Good luck!

2500 per year...not over 2 years.

I am slowly building back up after MCM, hoping to be near 50-55 MPW by end of Dec.

Runfar262 wrote:

For the progression from 2:58, to 2:44, what was your avg mileage then, and what did it change to for the 2:44? Since I have been consistently avg 50-55, is it that big of a risk to try to get up to 70-80 by April?

Ok, I went and looked it up, using 16 weeks out to average miles including week of marathon (except Boston which is a Monday). So this includes build up and taper weeks. Example this fall averaged 64, but there were 9 weeks in there where the average was 72.

Progression:

2011- 3:38 no specific training, just went out and ran

2013- 3:20 51 mi/week, peak 63 (hansons) - broke down @ 20 mi

2014- 2:58 57 mi/week, peak 78 (modified hansons) - even pace

2015- 2:57 59 mi/week, peak 80 (modified hansons) - Boston cramping at 35k

2016- 3:08 62 mi/week, peak 80 (switched to NAZ plan - one workout per week, better long runs) Boston melted in heat

2016- 2:52 53 mi/week, peak 77 (coming off injury, limited training, last 7 weeks were 65 mi average)

2018- 2:52 62 mi/week, peak 74 (tried a full off day per week) Boston wind/rain/cold

2018- 2:44 64 mi/week, peak 81

2019- Boston 2019- maybe I'll try and hit some 85 mi weeks just by adding easy mi or some doubles

Not OP, but thanks. That's awesome. Cool to see you equaled your PR at Boston last year. Clearly you were more fit than that.

I'm curious, how old are you? And have you stuck with the NAZ plans since 2016? Or pieced together your own stuff? Other?

My stats are basically the same as yours & I’m running my first Boston next year too. My sub-3 plan will be 70-80mpw. The “speed” on Tuesday’s will be 10K-1/2 marathon paced intervals of up to 2miles each. The tempo workouts will be at marathon pace running long intervals totaling 60-90 min of quality.

Let’s see how it goes...

Good luck!

36, didn't run for about 9 years after high school. I stayed pretty true to the NAZ plan this fall, with some small changes, followed it in spring of 2016, but also have merged some Pfitzinger-type training to build base farther out.