Boston planning for an injured old guy who hasn't run in 3 months

I would be sure to do a few heat adaption runs for good practice.

I did 5-6 easy runs over dressed on the treadmill and outside to spend 1 hour getting really really warm. I kept the pace easy ...but definitely felt fine at Boston and plenty of people didn't prepare for the heat.

As a Floridian, I have that moderately well covered. My workout on Wednesday was done in temps in the low-to-mid 80s. Of course, I fell apart during it, but that's another issue

Hello, was just wondering your opinion on diet.

I am 5'9" and weigh 155-160 and 53 years old.

I have always ate poorly and just wonder if a diet change would really make a difference.

Typical day is banana or fruit breakfast, lunch a few bologna sandwitches or slices of pizza, dinner anything from pork chops to hotdogs and hamburgers. While watching tv at night go to snack and during the day is sourdough pretzels.

I avoid McDonald's and donuts ,but that's just a mental thing. When I eat dinner I definitely over eat and normally have 2 beer's.

At this stage in my life you think diet would make a difference in my running, I have a lot of milage on these legs and stay pretty healthy.

Just wondering your opinion, thanks.

I honestly don't know whether to be appalled at or impressed by your diet!

I think that diet is an important part of overall running fitness. I would rank it as a one of the key elements, after training volume, efficient training intensity and sleep. I would put it above stretching and strength training absent a tendency toward injury.

That being said, I ran all of my PRs in college essentially eating a diet like you describe above. But my subsequent resurgence as a masters runner has been, at least in part, fueled (pardon the pun) by a good diet. I still eat bad foods (pizza every Friday night with wife and kids, wings and fries every Saturday afternoon for lunch, occasionally throw down a big bag of potato chips, drink too much beer, wine and whiskey for sure, eat a couple of hundred calories of chocolate every day), but the core of my diet is balanced and nutritious. It started off as part of a need to lose weight in order to have a viable comeback, but over time it transitioned into something that I have to do to feel good most days. I just feel like crap when I eat crap. And I think our margin for error as we mature gets narrower.

I figure that about 95% of running success comes from running miles, getting in good and efficient workouts, getting enough sleep and eating well. The other 5% comes from the other things I mentioned - strength training, stretching, drills, massages, etc. Of that 95%, I cannot say what percentage I attribute to a good diet, but the more overweight you are, the higher that percentage is. You are a fine weight for your height generally speaking, but for a marathoner you are probably on the high side of your acceptable range. A good diet that helped you get to a leaner body composition would probably go a decent way.

My typical day (probably 4-5 days a week of this):

Breakfast - yogurt and a hunk of cheese.

Lunch - Sandwich (usually chicken, ham or turkey) with no dressing, soup or salad, iced tea.

Snacks - Fresh fruit (usually berries or grapes), pretzels, almonds, raisins, chocolate.

Dinner - Lean meat (chicken or pork), whole grain, steamed fresh vegetables.

Of course, I am lawyer and not a nutritionist or dietitian, so what do I know?

You seem to know enough that I would respect your opinion. Funny you mentioned weight training and stretching, every time I tried mixing it in with cycles I would end up injured, now all I do is run. After reading your diet I don't feel all that bad. I might try to control my portions a little more for the next few weeks and see if I could drop a few more pounds before the 17th, nothing drastic I will just deal with being hungry a little longer.

Thanks for the response.

Smoove,

Are you ready?

I was wondering if you had a good last weekend?

I am ready. Last week went well.

Wednesday I did a nice 6 mile progression (6:20 first mile, dropped steadily to 5:22 for the 6th), followed by 2 miles easy, followed by 2 miles at tempo pace (58:00 total for the 10 miles).

I struggled a little to lock into marathon pace on Saturday on my 10-miles-at-marathon-pace run (5:36.7 average for the 10 miles). Was trying to lock into 5:40-5:42 pace, but ended up running the first five miles in high 5:20s to low 5:30, before settling into high 5:37 to 5:41 for the last 5 miles. It sounds great that I was able to run faster than marathon pace, but you know how it is - the purpose of the workout is to build muscle memory of the right pace. So I really didn't manage to do that until the end of the workout. And by that point, since the first few miles were at closer to tempo pace than marathon pace, and since I was doing the workout solo on a morning in the mid-60s, the perceived effort was a bit tougher than marathon pace. So an imperfect workout when you view it in the context of those goals, but a great workout if I view it as a confidence builder.

The good news is that the workout on Saturday gives me a goal for my last couple of workouts - to lock in some muscle memory for 5:42 pace.

So I am not worried about my fitness, I am just worried about everything else - an off day, a dumb in race decision on my part, cramping, bon king, tripping, pooping, etc. The marathon is a finicky bitch, and of the two I have run, neither has gone perfectly.

Well it sounds like you've come a long way from the original post...and are certainly on track for a great attempt in Boston...now you just sit and wait for good weather and don't get hurt.

I think your better off with those faster splits since your probably gonna blast the first half of Boston anyways. I predict you run 1:14 at the half .....I would rather have the ability to run 5:35s in my legs just in case you get in a group that is rolling.... your going to have to slow yourself down regardless. Slowing down to 5:43's is easier than speeding up to 5:30.

Nice 10 miler at 5:36 pace solo' that isn't easy.

Your ready.

Goal is to run 1:14:30 or so through the half (if you do decide to run - you are welcome to join us), maintain pace until the Newton Hills, give some time back up the hills while maintaining close to the same effort, then see how I feel and what I have left in the tank at the top of Heartbreak Hill.

Fortunately, I have a group of a few guys with experience at Boston who are shooting for that pace; so I have a decent chance of staying under control.

I'll look for you. I just Bought a plane ticket after my 5x2 yesterday went pretty decent.

Optimistic.

Bib #128 drop me a note on strava with bib. I might be silly and go out a smudge quicker or not... going to just see what weather and legs feel like. Last year I felt I would have been better off with a 1:13:ish first half then hold on. It was windy and warm so maybe this year Cooler and Calm.

Bib #148 (who are we kidding here - anyone who cares to know who I am can figure it out based on my various posts; plus, I will need to post my results anyway after the 6 month buildup).

Hiya, younger runner here- still doing 3k/5000m, hoping to do some 10,000m and halfs and marathons a ways down the road. Just wanted to express my support! Ur dedication as a runner is admirable and I hope to be as knowledgeable and fast as you when I'm ur age ^.^ Much props to setting long terms goals and not losing sight, the runner is strong in you!

Present track racer

Future road racer ;)

:) see you in Boston should an interesting day.

Now all we have to do is sit around for 14 days and re-charge...I noticed most guys running around 2:30 did 8+ mile tempos this weekend so looks like most people are on the same page. For me I just have to minimize impact the next few weeks so my legs are fresh.

For CIM I mainly nordic skied endurance and treadmill.... and had stellar legs for what's it worth.

I'm doing maybe 2 more quality runs.

6x1 or 3x2

And a 10k tempo or 2x5k

Smoove how are your legs feeling?

Healthy?

Ready to rumble?

Smoove = smooth, gonna flow just like water.

Yeah, I am feeling fairly healthy and ready to go. Struggled a little yesterday with 10 miles with miles 5-8 at marathon pace, but I was hung over and running into a headwind, so that isn't too much of a concern.

Honestly, it is down to how things go on race day. I am really happy with how I feel: I am healthy with no appreciable aches or pains, my mileage was solid, I got in almost all of my workouts, my legs feel relatively fresh, my weight is in the right range, etc. But the marathon is a long way to go and lots of things can happen. I have controlled all that I can control, and now I just have to hope that I don't do anything dumb on race day and that nothing unexpected happens.

Pretzel Man wrote:

Smoove = smooth, gonna flow just like water.

Unfortunately, water doesn't flow up hill, nor do I. That's what I am most worried about at this point.

Smoove wrote:

I was hung over

I though you were booze-free til Boston? Focus!

Well, I don't want to shock my body too much! It was just a few glasses of wine with dinner and a scotch as a night cap, but my tolerance is down, so I felt it a little on Sunday.