Fast Running Blog

I am pretty new to the blog and this is my first post on the forums.  I am looking for some feedback in regards to a BQ attempt (3:05:00) I will make on 5/20/12.  Please check my blog for lists of PRs and detail on my recent runs.  I am pretty closely following the 55 to 70 mile per week training schedule from the book Advanced Marathoning (currently in week 3 of training).

I know I need to make some significant improvements in my times over the next four months and I am wondering if I am reaching to far for a BQ goal.  My wife will be expecting our first child in July and I don't know if I will be able to devote as much time to training in future marathons once the child is here, so I am going all out for this one.

This will be my 3rd marathon and I have been running consistantly for about 3 years.  In past training for marathons, I have never trained more than 50 miles a week or more than 5 days per week, but over the last few months, I have gradually been increasing my weekly base and now feel comfortable running 6 days per week.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hey Jon- is your blog private?  I'm trying to go to the js site, and it doesn't work.  We can give you a lot better advice if we can look at your blog for history.

Thanks Jon.  The blog is set up for public view.  I changed the url name the other day and I am afraid that may be causing the issue.

It looks like it is viewable now.  Let me know if you still cannot view it.

You'll definitely see some gains from getting in that extra volume as long as you are staying healthy. It looks like your tempo run the other day was at a faster pace than some of your PRs at shorter distances, so your fitness is probably already at a better place than it has been in the past.

What have you got to lose by going for it? Maybe its a reach right now - but if you can hit that 1:30 goal at the DC half, then you definitely have a shot. Then you'll have 2 more months to translate that into an even better marathon.

I say go for it. You never know what you are capable of until you give it a shot.

Thanks for the encouragement Jake.  I feel like my fitness has improved since my races last year and I have also lost some weight which I think has helped.  The DC Half will be a true test to see where I am at from a fitness level and I am really looking forward to it.  I will keep you posted with my results.

Jon-

Long tempos are definitely helpful.  Good luck with the DC half- I would suggest going into it slightly fatigued rather than tapered (i.e. go slightly higher mileage than usual 2-3 days that week, then very short the last few days pre-race) as a better marathon simulator and to keep your expectations slightly more reasonable :)

Good luck!  Work hard and get your goals. 

So my time at Pocono was 3:25.  I gave a detailed race report that you can view on my page.  In short, I kept the BQ pace for about 10 miles then things went downhill due to a lack of a larger mileage base I believe.  Looking back, my avg mpw was probably in the mid 30s running 4-5 days per week.  I have signed up for the Philly marathon in mid November.  I plan to still run 5 days per week for this one but plan to have avg mpw around 50-55.  I don't want to set unrealistic expectations to run more than that as I will be a new dad in Jul-Aug.  Assuming i can safely increase my base and nail my key workouts each week, how much more time do you think I can shave off my PR?