My Treadmill is My Most Prized Possession

Welcome to the blog!

4:23 5 months after a C-section in bad weather is good.

Base mileage is much more important in the marathon than speed work. In fact, speed work is a waste of time if you are running less than 60 miles a week because you will not be able to use the speed that you develop if you manage to develop any that you do not already have. This is not to say you should jump straight into 60 miles a week, but rather, work on building your base until you are running 60 miles a week, then start thinking about speed.

Having said the above, I have never seen a runner that needed to do interval speed work to qualify for Boston. If such a case exists, it would be a person with some form of muscular or neurological disorder.

Welcome to the blog! That was an interesting race for sure huh!? In a way I am baffled at how you guys put up with it for so long. Im not trying to brag or boast here but it was simply miserable that day and to be in it just makes me cringe. You did good. Dont let your time reflect your disappointment. Everyones time was not on. Keep up the good work.

Sasha,

This brings me to some follow-up questions if you don't mind...

1. If I just increase mileage, won't I build endurance but not speed? It seems like at some point, I am going to have to start running faster. Right now I am prety comfortable at a 9 minute mile and I know more mileage would probably make me more comfortable running longer, but how is it going to increase my overall speed? Sould I do any speedwork with my mileage or just get the miles in?

2. Do you have a training program you recommend following for 16 or 20 weeks before the marathon? I have done Hal Higdons which I know is not very well liked on this blog.

3. As a mom with 2 young kids, getting 10 miles in 6 days a week probably just isn't feasible at this point in life, so if I do have to go with less mileage, should I try to do 4 longer runs per week (like 8-12 miles each) or shoot for running 6 days a week even if some days are only 3 or 4 miles?

Hope you don't mind all the questions.

P.S. Just FYI...I am Luz's running partner and she finally convinced me to sign up for the blog. She has nothing to say but great things about the website and the running advice she has gotten from you.

Hi!! I've heard a lot about you from Luz. I've run with her a bit during my pregnancy. She and my old running partner Amanda ran together too! Welcome to the blog!

Cathy:

1. You say 9:00 pace is comfortable. Running a marathon at 9:00 pace will produce 3:55. So your comfortable training pace is your marathon PR race pace, which you could not achieve in your current condition. This indicates your aerobic base and fuel storage are lacking, not your speed. For a comparison, when I ran my best marathon it was not comfortable from mile 1. For the first 23 miles it felt like a sprint. It required 100% concentration. I could not possibly run more than 20% of my training mileage at that effort, and I definitely would not be talking. I was able to run at that intensity because of having a large aerobic base and a decent gas tank. Most of it came from a lifetime of consistent mileage.

As I said earlier, I've never seen a Boston Qualifier missed purely due to the lack of speed without some serious aerobic or fuel deficiency being a major factor. If you want to be competitive at a higher level, that is a different story, but not if you just want to get a Boston Qualifier.

2. The first step in the 20 week training program before a marathon is to cancel your entry and ask the race director to change it to next year :-) Proper marathon preparation takes years, not weeks. You could, of course, finish a marathon with no training at all, but it is very painful and the time is very slow. You do only slightly better with 20 weeks of training. You do a lot better when you train as a lifestyle rather than just train for a race.

3. Have a minimum daily quota for the mileage. When you have extra time, go more up to the optimal distance. When you do not, run faster. On a short day, a second run could help - e.g go out for a 2 mile jog with a stroller to put a kid to sleep. Do not overdo it. Avoid the temptation to become a workout hero. Steady beats heroic. Back off the pace on most of your runs, and do not feel like you have to overachieve on the mileage either. Just make sure to get out 6 days a week and do something reasonable. Right now probably 4 miles a day will do with a long run of 8. Easy pace. Increase as you get used to the training volume. Err on the side of caution.

Sasha,

Thanks so much for the additional feedback. This is a total change in the way I have thought of running and training for the past 4 years, but I am excited to try it out.

Right now I am recovering from minor foot surgery post-marathon so it will be another week or so before I start training again, but I will work for that goal of 60 miles a week and am shooting for running the Ogden Marathon next Spring and St. George again next fall so hopefully that will give me enough time to get in shape for Boston.

Thanks again so much for the advice and for putting together this blog. What a great resource for all of us! THANKYOU!

Oh my Gosh, you are officially an FBR running geek! In a word....Awesome. Welcome to the blog!

Welcome to the Blog! I have definately had off races, way frustrating. It sounds like Sasha gave you some optimal advice. Good luck with your running goals.

Welcome to the blog! That is one amazing race coming off of a c-section! Impressive! I have had 3 and i still get phantom pains every once in a while, it is odd!

And can I just say you are my kind of runner?!? I ditto everything you said---I hate the first 3 miles and want to quit, the next few are bearable and I start to find a rhythm, and by 5-6 I am good to go forever (well, not forever, but for a while!) I think every race I run is a negative split of some kind.

Good luck to you and your training!!!

Welcome to the blog!!! I'm super impressed that you ran a marathon only 5 months post pardom. goodness! My daughter is 10 months old and there is no way I'm ready for a marathon (and I didn't have a c-section). You are amazing!

You are a tiny little birdy these days! Please remember your avacado and almonds this week! I had a great run yesterday, thanks for taking it easy on me. I'm hardly in any pain at all today. Well, a little sore. But not bad.

Catherine, I hope you'll start blogging your runs-- especially your race report from Saturday (July 4th)! I wish you would have blogged all of your training since March. Whatever you've done since then has really paid off!!

Don't make me hijack your blog and start reporting your races on your behalf. You ran a good one again today girlie! Hope you're snapping back. Thanks again for letting me tag along today with you and your girls!