Okay, here's the story: I have been running for just under 2 years (I am F, 26). Prior to that I was incredibly overweight and inactive. I started with the Couch to 5K and ran my first race a year ago (about 9 months after starting). My progress has been remarkable and fast (if I do say so myself! ). My first race I did 5K in 27:36, my second race was a week later with a 10K in 52:06. My next race was 4 months later with more miles under my belt (I had worked up to an 18 miler and registered for a marathon) and I did 10K in 45:17. I added miles slowly and, even with 2 injuries a month before the race and food poisoning 2 days before, ran my first marathon in 3:59:18 (January). Since then I have done one half marathon (woke up the day before and just decided to do it. Who knew?) in 1:50:16 and one 10K in 49:59. Neither of those were 'raced', but instead just because I could. I want to do the Pacific Shoreline Marathon in Huntington Beach in February. I also want to qualify for Boston. I am fairly confident that I could do it, I just need a plan and strategy. My running has been more sporadic so far this year than I would like, and I am just now trying to consistently get in 30 miles/week. I will slowly be increasing that until I am averaging 35-40 by the time actual training starts in August. BTW, all of my running progress has been made on 30-40 miles/week, never more, with no real plan. I make up my mileage and what 'type' of run it will be when I get on the treadmill. Whatever I am in the mood for is what I do. My intervals are sporadic and dependent on my mood. I have 2 young boys and a teenager at home and I don't have the time to run several hours each day. I normally do 5 runs a week, but my younger sister just moved in with us (hence the teenager) and wanted me to do the Couch to 5K program with her. So 3 nights a week I also do slow intervals with her. (Don't tell her I said they were slow! ) I should also mention that I suffer from bad knees. It's from an old surgery, but my miniscus' are shot. My right knee started hurting last summer, and my left knee started hurting in Feb of this year. I am pretty good about taking it easy when I should, although I probably still push myself more than is wise. I am kind of on borrowed time (as my Doc explains it), as both knees are already arthritic. I can't take anti-inflammatories, but I do take supplements that are supposed to help ease the pain and symptoms. I am fanatical about replacing my shoes and do what I can to make the degeneration slower. Okay, too much information I know, but I figured I'd answer as many question up front as I could. Now that it's out there, here are my questions: Do you think I could BQ? Do you have a preferred running plan that fits into (what you know of) my schedule? Do you have any suggestions about how many interval/fartlek/tempo runs I should do, and at what pace? {Oh. Also, I do all of my runs except Saturday long runs on a treadmill. I am faster outside than inside, so any predicted paces would have to be lowered to account for that.} Do you have any advice/words of wisdom/etc that you'd like to share? Thanks for any and all help. I really appreciate it! ~Callie

Do you think I could BQ?

Yes. Based on your track record and improvent curve, definitely.

Do you have a preferred running plan that fits into (what you know of) my schedule?

Keep doing what you're doing only gradually do more of it. Seriously, it doesn't need to get much more complicated than that. You probably want to put a few races on the calendar in the interum, to check your prgress and to give you intermediate goals.

Do you have any suggestions about how many interval/fartlek/tempo runs I should do, and at what pace?

That stuff is really details that you don't need to worry too much about to run a 3:40 marathon. Keep it simple. If you want, for example, once a week do something like 8 x 2 minutes fast / 2 minutes easy and another day do 3 x 8 minutes at "tempo" with 3 minutes easy. Something like that. Everything else, easy pace.

Do you have any advice/words of wisdom/etc that you'd like to share?

Keep the love. Look forward to the time you get to run, cherish it. Use it as time to meditate on all that you have to be thankful for. Keep the external goal separate from that--you have to love the work or its not worth it.

Thanks for any and all help. I really appreciate it!

No, thank you. Sincerely.

Mikeymike, what about some Yasso 800s?

I don't see much value those as a workout or as a predictor. I could run 10 x 8 in 2:45 with 2:45 rest right now without much trouble. That woudl be a pretty easy workout. I couldn't run a 2:45 marathon right now to save my life.

I don't see much value those as a workout or as a predictor. I could run 10 x 8 in 2:45 with 2:45 rest right now without much trouble. That woudl be a pretty easy workout. I couldn't run a 2:45 marathon right now to save my life.

I read the article and did some additional research. Doesn't the use of Yasso 800s for marathon prediction also assume you are properly trainined for a marathon. E.g, if you had been doing 20-mile long runs and upped your mileage, you don't think you could run a 2:45 marathon?

I read the article and did some additional research. Doesn't the use of Yasso 800s for marathon prediction also assume you are properly trainined for a marathon. E.g, if you had been doing 20-mile long runs and upped your mileage, you don't think you could run a 2:45 marathon?

There have been times (and there will be times in the future, I hope) when I have been fit enough to run a 2:45. But there's no relationship between that and being able to do a bunch of 800s in 2:45 with equal rest. There have also been times in my life when I have done 10 x 800 in 2:20 with equal rest. And there's never been (and never will be) a time when I can run a 2:20 marathon. Yasso's are pure snake oil, it's a get-rich-quick scheme. Just look a this quote from the article: And now you've got an easier way: you've got Yasso 800s. Want to run a 3:30 marathon? Then train to run a bunch of 800s in 3:30 each. Between the 800s, jog for the same number of minutes it took you to run your repeats. Training doesn't get any simpler than this, not on this planet or anywhere else in the solar system. Sound too good to be true? There are no short cuts for racing the marathon.

Wow. Thanks for all of the info and encouragement. You guys are awesome. I like that you guys encouraged me to do what I've been doing; it's a relief. I know that what I've done in the past obviously worked out well, but I also expect that my progress will likely not be as dramatic this time around. I'm moving into my third year of running, and I can't expect to continue to have those huge 'beginner gains'. This may be a no brainer, and I've already read much on the subject, but here's a question about long runs. Now that I have some long miles under my belt, and I do at least 10 every Saturday, do you think it would be okay to add in one 20-miler a month between October and January? Most marathon programs only do 1-2 prior to the race, but I wonder if incorporating one each month would help my confidence as well as my body. Second question is the pace. I have a habit of pushing myself on long runs more than I should, and only recently have I really started taking "easy" seriously. One treadmill run each week is at ~6.3mph, a very easy pace for me. Last week I finally carried that over to the long run, where I kept my HR at a consistent 155 for the entire run. That's pretty low for me (in races I aim for 170, and my 10K PR was run at about 180-185). My 12 miles last week came in at 9:08/mile and I finished feeling as though I could have kept going. I plan on continuing that plan and seeing how it goes, but do you think it would be beneficial to run some of my long runs at marathon pace (8:24/mile)? Is it better to train my body to run that fast for, say a 15 miler, or is it better to take it easy and do speed work only on my lower mileage days? I know what 'conventional wisdom' says, but I have to wonder if I can really trust race-day adrenaline and endorphins to carry me through if I haven't done some long runs at my goal pace. Thanks again for all of the information.

Callie... I agree with everything Mike says....being an ultrarunner my training revolves around my long (s)...but I've been running for over 30 years and have calloused my body to take on everything I throw at it. The past two weekends I've run over 40 miles in two workouts, tomorrow I'm running 40 miles in one workout while sweeping a 50 mile race. It's all what you can gradually build up to do....running a long run (20 miles) will give you confidence that you can go at least that far....and a lot of what we do here in LD running is mental. I'll throw in another thing and say why not run for time and then you won't be racing yourself...if you think you would like to run a 3:45 marathon, then what time do you think you would safely feel confident that you can go the rest of the way? 3 hours? maybe you need 3.5 hours for that confidence...go out for time instead of trying to find a 20 mile route to run....you'll never know how fast you've run it, but it should be comfortable anyway if it's your long run. And like mike said as you get closer to the end, pick up the pace and finish strong. You mentioned HRM and heart rate, you might want to check out the new Low HR Training group.... http://www.runningahead.com/groups/LOWHRTR

Callie, I'm seconding the Glucosamine advice from Steve. I can't take NSAIDs either, and a few years ago I rescued my knees from the brink of not being able to run ever by taking that daily. You might already take it, but if not, it's worth trying out for a month!