Boston On My Mind

Some weeks just don’t play out in your favor, but some weeks really do … and they are great. Running wise, of course. I had three solid weekday workouts this week. They weren’t easy by any means; they were challenging and trying. But I did them, finished strong (enough) and am ready for a successful long run tomorrow. Lately , I’ve found myself typing “Boston Marathon Training Tips” in the Google search bar partly because I’m eager and obsessed and partly because I want to make sure I’m getting the most of out of my training program. The last thing I want to do is qualify for Boston and go through the motions of training – I want to kick butt too! I’m discovering a lot about the marathon and what to expect, which has in turn changed my perception of how I should train.

Everyone has heard of Heartbreak Hills. If not, it’s the series of hills during the Boston Marathon that start at mile 17 and continue until mile 21 or so. Apparently, they aren’t steep and wouldn’t rattle any typical run. The catch? Yes, there’s always a catch. The first 17 miles are downhill, with small rolling hills here and there. Wouldn’t your muscles go into shock after changing what you were doing for 17 miles? That’s what I hear happens. The change from downhill to a steady incline is what gives the hills the infamous name. On the flip side, I’ve even heard quite the opposite. After mile 21 the course is dominantly downhill, which set some people’s muscles off with the drastic change from up to down.

So how have I changed training? HILLS! I’ve said it before, that I want to incorporate hills, but I haven’t quite challenged myself like I should. This brings me back to my workouts this week, which starts with my long run last weekend. I finished a tough 14 miles last Friday. I faced a lot of hills, the height and duration I think Boston will prove to be. After that run I realized that I am not prepared for a hilly course. Even though I felt heavy and slow for a majority of the run I still averaged an 8:30 pace, which is perfectly acceptable in my book. I have been very sore all week and mostly as a result of that run but what better than to keep pushing and fighting when you’re preparing for one of the biggest sporting events. Whoa. Tuesday I ran about six and a half miles and made certain to squeeze as many hills as I could. It was a difficult run but I felt good and light. I didn’t have my GPS watch but I would bet my pace was much faster than my long run pace the weekend before. Wednesday and Thursday weren’t as hilly of runs because I had to make friends with the treadmill but I hit my numbers, four and six, and ran hard. It’s much more satisfying when you completed a workout knowing that you put everything you had into it and probably even became a better runner because of it. I can tell I’m becoming a “runner” – I’ve stopped running just to run and finish a workout and have started thinking strategically in how I can best prepare my body and mentality for this particular race.

Tomorrow I scale back to 11 miles. My knees are looking forward to a bit of a break. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy running! :-)