Training Log for a 2:30ish Boston Marathon 2018

I'm going to follow along with this thread and chip in where I can. Plan is to run Boston 2018 but I'm not sure if I'll be shooting for sub-2:30. I'm going to be doing marathon workouts of course, but lower mileage than I was running when I PR'd (~70).

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3048246

Logs are there for 2:28 (Sept 2016), 2:33 (Feb 2017), 2:32 (Nov 2017), 2:31 (Dec 2017)

I am here:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/1112056

Starting to get the speed while holding 140mpw now.

Did a couple of short workouts midweek getting sub 6 for a few miles. The big test is tomorrow when I am attempt a 12M MP session - shooting for 6:05 pace.

Remember the goal for me is earlier (LA in March) and slower (2:37)

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BouldeRunner wrote:

I've been lurking on this thread since it started and think its one of the best threads on letsrun in quite some time, so I'll jump in late and hopefully post some training updates. While I won't be attempting sub 2:30 at Boston, I ran 2:39 last year and am hoping to be a bit faster in what will hopefully be better conditions. Sub 2:30 is in my head as a long term goal. I'm on Garmin Connect but maybe this will motivate me to import everything to Strava and share.

Background:
PRs of 15:18 and 32:19 as a freshman in college, but was never able to stay healthy enough to PR again. Graduated in 2008 and raced bikes through 2010 when I grew up and got a real job. Life and work got the best of my fitness and I was pushing 200 lbs in 2014, I probably averaged less than 10 miles per week for 6 years (although was fit from cycling for the first part of that) and got sucked in to doing Portland with 12 weeks to train.

Marathons:
Portland 2014 - 2:57 (4 min positive split) - peak 75 mpw, 50 average for 12 weeks, long runs, tempos and fartleks
Chicago 2015 - DNF with stomach flu - peak 85 mpw, average 70 for 20 weeks, similar workouts
Des Moines 2015 (one week after Chicago) - 2:59 (11 min positive split)
Boston 2016 - 2:54:30 (9 min positive split) - peak 90 mpw, average 65 for 15 weeks, Modified Daniels Plan A (2nd ed)
Philly 2016 - 2:42:37 (even splits) - peak 100 mpw, average 75 mpw for 24 weeks, Modified Daniels Elite Plan
Boston 2017 - 2:39:32 (3 min positive split) - peak 95 mpw, average 80 for 18 weeks, Modified Daniels Elite Plan, was running workouts 20 seconds faster than before Philly and felt 2:34 was in reach on a perfect day, went out a bit easy with reduced expectations in heat but not quite enough and faded after 20.

Current Training:
I bought a house that needed a lot of work and skipped a fall marathon to dedicate my time to the house, I'm definitely a bit behind where I was a year ago but seem to be catching up quickly. I tried to start rebuilding the base I lost over the summer in October but have had multiple sicknesses including pneumonia that have set me back. I got my mileage up before thanksgiving and in early december but had to take time off both times. Fortunately I've been able to hover around 90 for close to 4 weeks in singles. I'm starting to catch up to where I was a year ago fitness wise.

Mileage:
26 weeks out - 25
25wo - 53
24wo - 65
23wo - 75
22wo - 59 (sick)
21wo - 29 (sick)
20wo - 57
19wo - 59 (sick)
18wo - 31 (sick)
17wo - 83
16wo - 91
15wo - 90
14wo - 48 through 4 days

Key workouts so far (I'm at 5400 feet):
12/9 - 17 easy hilly @8000 feet
12/16 - 20 easy (bonked pretty hard)
12/20 - 8x800 with 2' rest, first workout since Boston '17, rough, averaged 2:56
12/21 - 17 easy
12/23 - 23 easy (loop I like a lot that has 1000 ft of elevation change with a big climb at about 15 miles followed by a multiple mile screaming descent.)
12/26 - 18 easy
12/28 - 8x800 (2' rest) averaged 2:46
12/30 - 19 with 13 marathon pace and 2 threshold pace mixed in (Daniels MTMTM), averaged 6:35 on hilly dirt course
1/2 - 17 easy
1/4 - 4 x 2 mile at threshold (2' rest) on rolling dirt, averaged 6:07
1/7 - 22 with 3 threshold early and 3 late, bonked on 2nd threshold averaged 6:10s for threshold miles
1/9 - 18 easy
1/11 - 6 x 1000 (2' rest), 4 x 400 (400 jog rest), averaged 3:25 for ks and 77 for 400s

Training philosophy:
I'm a fan of Daniels training paces. I recognize that the adaptations can come between these defined paces but one of the benefits I find of the set R, I, T, M paces is that they quickly expose which systems are lagging. Having studied Daniels a ton, I think of I/VO2 Max as being 10 minute or close to 3k pace, T/Lactate Threshold as being 60 minute or close to 15k pace. Could I benefit from doing work at 10k pace, absolutely, but if I struggle, I dont know if thats because Im lacking at VO2 Max or Lactate threshold. I also recognize that the T and I paces may be a bit off from their true physiological target, but theyre close enough to create the right adaptations and pinpoint systematic weakness.

I'm all about current fitness when it comes to paces. I might run workouts at a 60 vdot now and at a 65 in March. The term "goal pace" isnt in my vocabulary when it comes to training, its just current R, I, T, M paces.

I like front loading some VO2 work early in the cycle because it seems to bring my fitness up so that I can do a lot of M and T work in the last 10-12 weeks at a much higher level.

The biggest change Ive made this cycle is to try and consolidate some of my easy mileage into a medium long day. I'm liking it so far as it takes a lot of the pressure off to get 12-13 mile runs in throughout the week by getting 18 in on Tuesday.

I've incorporated more and more hills in my workouts since Boston '16 at the expense of hitting defined paces with a lot of success. Similar to what Sage was suggesting, I'm planning to do some steep uphill VO2 work, gradual downhill marathon pace work and probably some threshold runs up Lookout Mountain.

Keep up the good training and discussion, looking forward to seeing how everyones training plays out.

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BouldeRunner wrote:

Chicago 2015 - DNF with stomach flu - peak 85 mpw, average 70 for 20 weeks, similar workouts

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Wrapped up my week with a tough one this morning. My best race relative to my fitness was definitely Philly and I did a few run/hikes up 14ers early in the training cycle. Decided to do something similar today with the nice weather. Ran/hiked 20 miles with 6,400 ft of elevation change (S Boulder Peak, Bear Peak, Green Mountain.) Took 4:50 to get it in, but it was worth the effort.

Warning for those who have never run Boston, my quads are less sore from this run which included trying to run down 1.5 miles of 27% grade than either time I ran Boston. That's how brutal Boston is on the quads. Do not undervalue hill work or underestimate the quad pain.

87 miles for the week

Also congrats to Smoove and AndyDufresne2 on nice races at Houston.

Andy ran really well. Saw him inthe coral before the start and he called his race - moderate start and building momentum. Generous young man - he tried to pull me, but I couldn't roll with him.

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BouldeRunner wrote:

Also congrats to Smoove and AndyDufresne2 on nice races at Houston.

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Meanwhile I had a half empty / half full kinda workout on Saturday.

Was shooting for 12.4M @MP (out and back) - went out at 5:59 pace (a big step forward for me - and target pace for LA), but it was slightly too fast and I bailed a few miles into the return after slowing to 6:10s.

Not too disappointed - I am more confident in extending the pace further than I am in going faster, so the improvement in speed makes me happy.
Short tempo planned for tomorrow and a workout (either tempo or MP) on Wednesday, before trying that 12.4M MP session again next Saturday.

But my target pace is 5:59 - I can now do that *almost* within HR range and have 2 months to extend it out. So far, so good. Even starting to wonder if I can go sub 2:35 if everything continues to progress.

Race conditions were great, and the course was great. Met up with Jewbacca in the coral and ran with him until about the 6 mile mark. These are my Garmin splits - not a ton of clocks on the course, so I never lapped my Garmin - splits won't be exactly right, but should be some indicator.

5:24, 5:17, 5:18, 5:19, 5:18, 5:21 through 6. At this point, I knew that holding that pace would be bad, so I bid Jewbacca adieu. 5:23, 5:24, 5:27. Went through 15k mat in 50:08, which was faster than my time in my last 15k by a few seconds and 17 seconds off of my PR. Miles 10 through 13, per Garmin, were 5:28, 5:26, 5:30, 5:30, then 5:15 pace to finish (.17 per Garmin). Watch time matched chip time. AndyDufresne2 rolled me up somewhere between 10 and 11 and tried to encourage me to go with him, but I just couldn't quite hang. I thought I had sub 1:11, but I obviously didn't. It was an honest effort though, in that half marathon way - it was never an intense pain, but I was lightheaded walking to get my gear with AndyDufresne2 and Jewbacca and when I was talking to Slo-Twitch after, so I know that's all I had.

End result was I ran a 6 second PR, got beat by some masters guys I could just never beat, and gave it an all I had. That takes most of the edge off of the inability to crack 1:11. Plus, I learned that sub 1:10 is definitely not in the cards.

nice work to those who raced.

my week wasn't terrible although I was sick for 2 days and couldn't run.

52 miles in 5 runs with a 17mi/2.5hr trail run (2800' climbing). did the 4x1600 on thursday, the same workout I did last wednesday but in slightly better conditions. averaged 5:23s instead of 5:26s, although last week was with GPS so less accurate anyway.

no other workouts because I was sick Tue/Wed.

next week, it would be great to get in two workouts plus a long run. not sure what the workouts will be, but probably a tempo one day and something around 5k pace. I'm not gonna do the 30k I had planned for Feb 3rd, going to do a 10k on Feb 4th instead as speed is my weakness.

Nice thread! One more here aiming for a 2h30ish time.
Ran 2h39:10 in Florence last November, averaging 70mpw for no more than 10 weeks, not an ideal preparation. My goal marathon was actually Lausanne one month before, but awful course and weather conditions made me change plans halfway through and jog for the last 15k, finishing in 2h46. Also ran Frankfurt to pace a friend a week later on a slow and painful 3h40 so yes... 3 marathons in one month... I guess that 2h39 could've been better I guess, also considering the pouring rain in Florence that day.

Looking forward to run much faster but still unsure where. Paris and London are sold out and the three other best marathons all happen in the same day (April 8) which is too early.

Ideally will run the half in either Valencia (World HM Champs) or Milan end of March, hoping to run as close as possible to a 1h10 (1h11/1h12 are more realistic though).

And then will see... would love to travel to the US and run Boston one day, but it won't be this year. Need to find a good marathon on May - possibly Prague, Copenhaguen or Stockholm...

will follow this thread... good luck to all sub 2h30 contenders!!!

https://www.strava.com/athletes/2471292

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Smoove wrote:

End result was I ran a 6 second PR, got beat by some masters guys I could just never beat, and gave it an all I had. That takes most of the edge off of the inability to crack 1:11. Plus, I learned that sub 1:10 is definitely not in the cards.

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Mostly age and opportunity. I just turned 46, so my window of improvement is pretty narrow. The only reason I am able to still set any PRs is that I never really raced above 10k until I became a masters runner, so those PRs were still within reach in recent years. But as I get closer to 50 than 40, those times start to become more and more difficult to challenge. And now that I am shifting to Boston mode, I will likely only race one half marathon between now and then (Gasparilla) other than at marathon pace. And I take a while to recover from my marathons, so to get back into top form will take some time, and at that point, I will be in the throes of the Florida summer. So by the time I would be in a position to take a real shot at another peak half (other than Gasparilla), I will probably me a month or two shy of 47.

Plus, there is a big enough difference between 1:09:59 and 1:11:04 to have made it a stretch goal n the first place.

I do expect to get a new 15k PR this winter/spring though.

I wasn't really sure what kind of shape I was in and I didn't get a very solid warm-up so I took the first mile as a slow ramp-up with the goal of running 5:20s after that. If I could have managed that and picked it up in the last 5K I would have gotten under 1:10, but that was an ambitious goal.

So, 5:30 first mile felt great. Started ratcheting down and ran a 5:22, 5:16, and 5:18 before I settled in with two elite women and another man (5:20, 5:21) . After 10k they were falling apart and I was too, just not quite as severely. I recognized that sub-1:10 was completely out of the question and if I kept trying to run 5:20s sub-1:11 probably would be as well, so I decided to try my best to keep under 5:30. My watch splits for 7-13 were 5:24, 5:23, 5:23, 5:24, 5:22, 5:28, and 5:28, but I was doing the math when we passed by the clocks and those were all about 3-4 seconds under the real time so I was close.

In the final stretch I was pulled along by Becky Wade and Smoove from 10-12, and there was a Peruvian woman out front who kind of dragged me through the finish. I sometimes forget how much benefit there is to running in a deep field like Houston, without the various packs I would have been 30 seconds slower no doubt.

There was a snafu with my timing and my finishing time wasn't recorded. I was listed as DNF at first, then 1:11:01 which was not adjusted for my net time, but this morning they fixed it so I'm "officially" under 1:11 and can get those sweet sweet free entries to Rock and Roll races.

So, I'm curious what type of training you all would suggest to try and maintain fitness over the next 3 months. I am running both Tokyo (6 weeks away) and Boston (13 weeks away). I'm not keen on running 100+ right now, but would like to basically stay in the 60-80 range with a good diet so I can maintain fitness along with maybe a higher peak in March. Goal would be to run both of these marathons around 2:32-2:34.

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AndyDufresne2 wrote:

So, I'm curious what type of training you all would suggest to try and maintain fitness over the next 3 months. I am running both Tokyo (6 weeks away) and Boston (13 weeks away). I'm not keen on running 100+ right now, but would like to basically stay in the 60-80 range with a good diet so I can maintain fitness along with maybe a higher peak in March. Goal would be to run both of these marathons around 2:32-2:34.

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feels weird to be the only person posting updates basically...cmon people! Less than 13 weeks til Boston!

seeing that we have 13 weeks to go reminded me to go see where my fitness was 13 weeks before my last serious marathon in December 2016. 15 and 14 weeks out I ran 47 miles both weeks (recovering from a ragnar-style relay race, Hood to Coast). 13 weeks out was just 36 miles because I took a few days off for an injury flare. I did do a 5mi tempo at 5:40 pace that week, so that's my point of comparison plus the mileage. I should be in the 60-65 mpw range this week with 2 workouts, one of which will be a 24min tempo Friday morning, so I'll have a pretty good comparison to the 28:20 5 miler I did last time around. One thign to consider is that all my workouts this winter are in the dark on roads, and for my last marathon I was able to do workouts in daylight.

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AndyDufresne2 wrote:

I'm going to follow along with this thread and chip in where I can. Plan is to run Boston 2018 but I'm not sure if I'll be shooting for sub-2:30. I'm going to be doing marathon workouts of course, but lower mileage than I was running when I PR'd (~70).

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3048246

Logs are there for 2:28 (Sept 2016), 2:33 (Feb 2017), 2:32 (Nov 2017), 2:31 (Dec 2017)

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