Marathon training question (Read 77 times)

Wondering if this senerio is possible or if it is smarter to take more time

My goal is to Boston Qualify. The past two years (2017-2018) i was dealing with a bad hamstring, so lots of rehab and easy running. by the end of 2018 I was consistently running 30-35 miles per week and feeling really good. 2019 started off great and i was building in some miles, not a lot 35-40 miles per week, but i felt like i had a good base and was ready to marathon train again. my last marathon was in 2014 and i did run a BQ time but we weren't able financially for me to actually register and go to Boston. If i can run a BQ before next Sept then i could run Boston as a 40th birthday present to myself, and I would love to do it. I started marathon training in May and everything was going really great until July when knee pain made me take time off. Three weeks of dr's apt and PT finally isolated the problem to a minor no big deal ankle thing but I felt off of things and decided then that the marathon was off (was planning on running Twin Cities) PT also encouraged me to take the time to change my stride from heel strike to forefoot strike, which i have spent the past two months doing, and which dropped my mileage significantly, im finally around 25 miles per week and feeling great.

so i've found a spring marathon that looks doable in early May. and I think i can continue to build my base this fall and start training in January, but i'm not sure this is smart. I could also target a fall marathon next year and just wait to potentially run Boston a year later and give myself more time. I am not interested in running a marathon for the sake of running it, my goal is 100% to qualify, and since i want a cushion i am thinking a 3:30 time. I just don't know what to think of all of this time off this summer and light running. I am in the camp where i feel like i need a year of good miles to establish enough of a base to start training. so are the miles i accumulated earlier this year worthwhile? or with this huge three month break should i assume i need to kind of start the process over?

thoughts??

 

 

so i've found a spring marathon that looks doable in early May. and I think i can continue to build my base this fall and start training in January

This sounds achievable, assuming you have some solid running history and were at a reasonable level of fitness before the break. Build up with easy miles to about the weekly mileage you’d be starting your plan with, and if you’re feeling comfortable, go for it. Doesn’t mean you’ll be able to run a qualifying time; you might still need that fall marathon after all. But at the very least, the spring cycle will be a good test of where you’re at.

I was dealing with some stuff last year, and ended up taking 4 full months off from May to Aug. It was super rusty starting back up again, but I did just what you’re talking about, and was fully ready for an April marathon the following year. Which happened to be my first Boston.

Good luck!

Sounds like you have a perfect approach: building easy base mileage for a few months before getting into marathon training. The biggest mistake people make coming back from injury is trying to rush back into quality days, but you are taking the right approach.

Good luck!

I thought your qualifying time depended on your age on race day.

Yes.

Go for it as long as your health is good. Now is the time. You will also have a Fall fall back plan if your fitness isn't quite where it needs to be in May.  After age 40 things will start slow down a bit. You have some months to build mileage, base ( your bank) before training starts. Also focus on resistance work that will keep you strong. In about 4-6 weeks I would start mixing in some varying paces in smaller quantities so that when the true program starts these tempo and interval paces aren't such a shock to your body. Have a plan in place that will stress you but also allow proper recovery. Staying healthy with no set backs will be so crucial for you. You have a smart approach.