Boston Marathon 1 week to go

46 miles for the week, with 3 x 1600 at 5k pace on Wed and a 13 miler yesteday including 5 miles at MP. Feeling good, speed is coming back, hard not to run too fast.

I'll take this week easy and make sure I get enough sleep, since this is my biggest problem since the birth of my second child...

I'm also nursing a cold, so I want to err on the easy side.

For the shoes, I'm planning to use the DS racer with around 40 miles on them, I need all the cushioning the can give on the downhills, and my previous pair started to feel spent at around 100 miles.

This is only my second post. Excited for next week, I'm pretty new to the distance. I'm a female, my goal is 2:55

Last week's training, 60 miles:

Monday: easy 6 miles

Tuesday: 11 miles, 75 minutes

Wednesday: 10x1,000m with 2.5 minute rest starting in 3:25 working down to 3:15

Thursday: easy 6 miles

Friday: easy 6 miles

Sat: 15 miles at race pace, 1 hour 40 min, (felt very comfortable)

Sun: easy 6 miles

QUESTION: What shoes do you recommend. I understand needing really light shoes if you're running under 6 minute pace. I have a few flats, I'm leaning towards the Zoom Elite, I think that's actually a lightweigh trainer. I also have the Zoom Marathon but they seem like they might be too light. Any suggestions from you experience marathoners?

Update: I have to go to Seattle after all. Last minute shenanigans at work. The worst of it is I'm taking a 8:15pm tonight out of Boston getting into Seattle at 2:15am. Fun.

After a pretty rough last weekend (10K race on Sat, 17-mi. progression run on Sunday) I was feeling sluggish all week. Hips and knees pretty sore throughout but nothing beyond normal tapering discomfort.

M: Rest, save for a little core strength work.

T: (800 @10K, 1600 @MGP) x3, no recovery. Nice workout, makes MGP feel easy.

W: 5 easy

T: 9 easy - meant to do striders but felt too stiff.

F: Rest (wasn't planned, got stuck at work)

S: 8 w/striders + 30-min. swim

S: 14 @ 7:00, managed to get a bad sunburn.

This week probably 4-5 easy runs 30-40 mins. And some swimming just to burn a few calories.

Ditto regarding the thanks to stuart. This thread kept me going during the two different weeks I had to take some time off due to injury. Still not 100% but pretty close. If I can keep my calf together and get my back/hammys to loosen up I should run a good one.

Rancho..following Pfitzinger plan???

41 mi last week

S-6.5mi

M-13mi LR

T-day off

W-8mi

T-7 w/4 at MP pace 5:50-6min felt smooth

F-6.5 recov

S-off

This week

S-4.5 mi w 7x100m striders

M-10 mi w/last 5 at MP + 10 sec

T-Off

W-5 easy

T-7 w 2 at MP

F-4 easy and eat tons of carbs

S-Travel, off and eat tons of carbs

S-Pre race, and load up one final time on carbs

Good luck to everyone. Any meeting place for this group afterwards. It would be fun to meet and talk about the experience.

Not too many miles, but they were all pretty solid. I was recovering froma nasty cold that sidelined me for a couple days. My thinking is better to rest now a few days and be ready for the marathon than to push it now and possibly still feel like shit for the marathon.

Still optimistic about my goal [3:00 - 3:05]. I'd like to think I can go sub-3, but I'm not trying to think about it...if it happens, great. We'll see how I feel when the gun goes off.

Good luck everyone.

bleachrbum2000, yes, I am following Pfitzinger's 18 weeks/70 mile plan almost to the letter (I had just to scale down one week due to injury), even if at much slower pace than you, I am shooting for 3:05.

I really like his approach, I have been following his plans for the last 3 marathons, all of them BQ and below 3:14-including Boston 2003-, while all my previous ones were all above 3:30....

What plan are you following ? With what adjustments ? More MP stuff ?

72 miles for last week & was feeling good....but....then tragedy struck. During a routine run got a sudden cramp in the hamstring & ripped some muscle fibers. Ran easy for the next two days, then attempted a workout. The leg felt it would snap if I continued, so I bailed on the workout & ran easy.

Yesterday ran 13 easy...seems to be getting better. I'll try two more days of easy running, then a progressive run Thursday w/3 miles at MP. If I make it through that, I'll be good to go. Don't think I'll lose any fitness at this point, just need to hold the ham together. Luckily I'll be busy pounding the quads on most of the Boston course!

See you next week...regardless because I'm there on business anyway.

Brian

Mass Man---How was your trip out to Seattle? I give you a lot of credit for your travel this week.

I did all of my flying for work last week and then have to a week of recovery before heading out again.

Have a great week;0

Hey just a question for you experienced boston guys/girls -

How difficult would it be to get fairly close to the front at the start. I am a 1:09, 24:40 guy but just had no way to qualify for the race, so I'm interested in hopping in as a bandit, mainly for the experience of the whole thing. Is this feasible?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

bspang: Hopefully you are getting plenty of therapy and some massage on that hamstring this week. With as much mileage as you do week in and week out, having a really light week and taking a couple of days off this week may be a blessing in disguise. You certainly won't lose any fitness. Good luck and keep us posted.

I ran this morning painfree, my legs feel great, as long as my tendon doesn't act up during the race my goal is now down to 2:51. The long distance has helped me so much.

After the race I am heading to the Purple Shamrock

http://www.irishconnection.com/purplesham.html

wstuart - if you are around your first beer is on me.

That sounds cool Spizzot. I'm out there with my wife, 1 y.o. boy and in laws, so I'll need to coordinate with them. But if I can swing it, I'd be up for meeting at the Purple Shamrock.

Spizzot, I'll definitely have to take you up on that! I'll be staying over at the Park Plaza hotel. Does anyone know what the post-race party is like? Pretty lame, or worth going to?

Stick with the shoes you have used during most of your training. Lighter shoes can be used for the race, but not if you haven't used them for long runs (preferably with some hills) previously. Good Luck

DMoney wrote:

How difficult would it be to get fairly close to the front at the start. I am a 1:09, 24:40 guy but just had no way to qualify for the race, so I'm interested in hopping in as a bandit, mainly for the experience of the whole thing. Is this feasible?

Certainly doable -- there are corrales for every 1000 runners and it is not TOO hard to jump the barriers and get in the corrales since there are only a dozen or so volunteers per corrale whose job it is to keep bandits out. You've just got to watch out for the registered runners from calling you out.

I recommend going to the bottom of the first hill (on the left, where there is a lawn where you can stretch and sit) and jump in. If you're unofficial anyway, who cares if you jump in 0.15mi into the race?

So long as someone like myself doesn't ask an official to remove you, you'll probably be fine. But seeing as how the rest of us took the time/effort to qualify and pay the entry fee, maybe you could show a little respect and stay on the sideline.

DMoney wrote:

Hey just a question for you experienced boston guys/girls -

How difficult would it be to get fairly close to the front at the start. I am a 1:09, 24:40 guy but just had no way to qualify for the race, so I'm interested in hopping in as a bandit, mainly for the experience of the whole thing. Is this feasible?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Where's the official Letsrun post race party on Monday night guys?

Dicks Last Resort. They have cheap beer and don't care how drunk you get.

Dmoney, how do you plan to get to start? If you plan to drive there yourself it is a pain in the ass since you cannot get that close to the start line unless you get there really early. If you plan to take a bus they do check for numbers.

The do a pretty good job with the first corral of kicking people out who don't belong there.

I suggest you run a qualifying time in a certified marathon and then do Boston in 2006