Forums > Racing > 2010 Goal of Sub 4:00 Marathon
I'm in. I've got to break 4 hours this year. Maybe Vermont...
I tried to send you a message... but am too stupid to figure it out. You talking about the Vermont Marathon in May? Do they have pace groups? If not, I'll be there running for fun and can help pace if you want.
Welcome, Jill_B. If you ran the Flying Monkey in 4:12, I bet a sub-4 is a cakewalk on a sane course.
I fly.
Thanks, here's hoping!
Bring it on.
Where's Waldo?
Sara
MM #2929
Extremist
Half marathons are more fun and 10% as much pain. (Spaniel)
Giddyup.
I won't say 'cakewalk', but my experience with monkey is that I took a 10-15 minute penalty for the hills. ymmv and it depends on how you ran monkeymonkeymonkey (and your training since), but my point is that this seems totally doable.
Ultima tastes like failure.
I'm not the most consistent runner when it comes to marathons.
I trained pretty well for The Asbury Park Relay Marathon, which was in October of last year. Then I "tapered" for the Monkey (I didn't run more than 8 miles at a time for the next 5 weeks). I never did any hill work either. I think that my memory from the previous Monkey actually made it easier than it otherwise would have been (in my mind the hills were worse). Also, I wasn't sure if I would finish, so I had no real expectations. So, what does that mean for me and Vermont? Well, I've been training for a May 2 marathon (it was supposed to be the Flying Pig, now it's NJ), but with less gusto than my training for the APRM, in part because training through the winter stinks, in part because my hip has been bothering me on and off. Although, to be honest, my hip bothered me last summer too. But, I'm hoping that my plan of running back-to-back marathons pays off with a faster time in Vermont.
Regardless, I don't think that the Monkey is the best guide for how fast I can do another marathon...
So my plan now - 17 miles this weekend. 22 next weekend. Taper taper taper. Run NJ. Go to Disney for a week. Run a 15 miler. Taper taper. Run Vermont.
Welcome, runningmomofboys and LedLincoln!
RMoB, like you I have a spring marathon in June, but I know a sub-4 is not in the cards (even though it's a sweetheart course). **If** I continue building my mileage through the summer, I should be in the best position for a sub-4 in October.
The latest issue of Running Times profiles some people who did PRs at Boston. They all had quite high mileage going into it. (sigh)
On the road back
Was hoping for a sub 4 at Boston but a sucky, injury-riddled training cycle has me planning on 4:15 - 4:30. Thought about trying again for a Fall marathon but I may spend the summer improving my 5k and 10K paces instead.
Well, people who PR at Boston are freaks exceptional, which is why the RT article had a good angle on it. Go & have a blast, EGH3; forget the sucky training cycle. Report back, too.
yapper, do you talk during races?
I actually think Boston is a pretty fast course. After all, it is net downhill, and really there's not that much uphill. The only problem is, because of where the hills are, it's a very, very easy course to massively screw up. I've had the best luck there (including a 5-minute PR) by using a negative-split pacing plan. It sounds crazy, with the hills in the second half, but if you save your energy for the hills, then you can fly in the last 5 miles.
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasn't tired and kept running anyway" -- Ennay's 7-year-old daughter
Yup. And yeah, I've read your previous posts on the negative split strategy. My plan is to start real slow @ around 9:30 to 9:45 pace and slowly creep that up. During my one 21 miler, I ran a negative split: 9:25 or so for the 1st 12, 9:09 for the last 9. It was almost a progression. I was sore and my hip flexors were hurting but I felt like I could've run more if I had to. And I included some tough hills in that run, much tougher than Newton's (though earlier in my training run). I've run the Newton Hills 3x in training so at least I have some familiarity and will hopefully I stay within my fitness level to get through the hills and not have the last 5 miles suck.
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