Planning Ahead for Another Marathon (or two).

We're two months into "Social Distancing", and it's three months since I ran a Boston Qualifier at the Napa Valley Marathon. I'm lucky to be able to run at the time of "shelter in place", as there is a wide trail in my town that is open, and has room to support safe running.

However, after 13 months of marathon training over three buildups, I've decided to rest for a few weeks. I have a strained left Achilles tendon and a strained hamstring. Time to heal up, and ruminate.

While I do hope to run the Boston Marathon, it's more important to me to try to improve while I am still able. Having run a PR two weeks prior to my 63rd birthday, you can appreciate that my time for improvement is sooner than later!

Having attended high school in Eastern Massachusetts and watched the Boston Marathon growing up, I relish the idea of running this historic race. Only I don't really think it will be much of a chance to race, or run a great time, rather it will be an "experience" to be relished, a running parade.

That being the case, I'm hoping that regular racing returns before too darn long, and I can select a fast marathon to race. My most recent build saw me complete twelve weeks out of 16 total at 50 miles-per-week or more. I believe that slowly building to a volume of 60 - 65 per week for my next marathon should allow me to PR.

I don't worry too much about speed, as a former middle-distance runner I have decent leg speed. My hard workouts tend to be tempo runs and fast finishes to long runs. In truth, my main problem is to limit the frequency of my hard workouts!

I'm writing this all down to remind myself how to do it! I've tentatively selected the California Internation Marathon in Sacrament this December to put my ideas into action. Of course under COVID-19 everything is provisional, but does feel good to have a plan!

Got My Boston Qualifier at the Napa Valley Marathon

Got my BQ March 1 at the Napa Valley Marathon, 3:33:29 chip time (needed 3:50, male age 60 – 64 to qualify for Boston). I came fourth in my age group. This is a dream come true for me.

OUCH! The Finish Line

I was going to run with the 3:40 group, but the pace leader stood there looking around with his thumb up his rump when the race started! Major fail.
  
So I eased into my rhythm. At 2 miles I noted the 3:35 pace group about 100m ahead, and kept my eye on them. Around the 6 mile mark, a group of 6-7 runners formed and we discussed: What the heck happened to the 3:40 pace leader?! I made a plan with three other runners to gradually catch up to the 3:35 group.

After the race, thrashed but happy!

Feeling good after a water station, I floated away from the chase pack and caught the 3:35 pace group at 13 miles. The groove, the cohesion of this new pack was fantastic with 10-12 runners locked in. I had good stretches and not-so-good-stretches, but kept a positive attitude. I think "this is a dream come true. DON'T LET UP!"
Taking Gatorade at aid stations, and an energy gel every five miles stoked my engine.

I strode in front of our 3:35 group after a drink station with 3 miles to go, feeling good, and threw it down. With two miles to go, I dueled with a women who had also broken away from the pack. She wouldn't let me draw even with her, then I felt an uncanny lift in my stride -- this is the return on all those tempo runs, all those long runs, a sudden burst of effortless pace that took me away from a tough competitor!

Haha, the last mile was dicey as heck but I kicked myself in the butt to keep it rolling. See you at the Boston Marathon in April 2021!

St. Valentine's Update

Yes, I am just over two weeks out from the Napa Valley Marathon. My goal is a BQ, at my age I need a 3:50. I plan on running with the 3:40 pace group, if all goes well I'll kick it in over the last six miles.
Of course, the marathon should be approached with due respect, so I'm not going to get cocky. But I do have the confidence instilled by averaging over 50 MPW for 12 weeks of my four-month buildup. Oh, I did take a three week taper / rest break in the middle to run a PR 1:36:48 half marathon, and a 20:50 5K, my best in several years.
According to a range of performance equivalency tables, I'm good for somewhere around a 3:20 marathon based on those remarks. Well, like I said, I'm going with the 3:40 group and we'll take it from there!

Meanwhile, in real life, I'm having a pop-up Valentine's Day graphic novel sale! Check it out at my website and get yourself some superb graphic novels.
There is Death Plays a Mean Harmonica, my "Oaxaca" graphic novel, as well as my BugHouse and Dog Boy collected works.