S/o BQ...

[ebeth]

Apr 8, 2014 8:50:26 GMT -5 chw57 said:

Apr 8, 2014 8:43:02 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

Interesting. I will definitely check out his book. I like the two rest days. I just have to figure out how to fit in 10+ mile runs mid-week working full time and with two kids.  I mean who needs sleep?

I know it's not ideal, but I sometimes broke that up and did 5 before work and 7 after

I did this from time to time too.  and the miles after work were usually a tempo or intervals

ETA: to be clear, this was not a regular every week kind of thing, but sometimes life happens and you have to get the miles in somehow.

[skwcm80]

This thread is so inspiring. My plan to BQ is as follows:

Keep running
Live until 80
Age in.

Solid plan, no?

[jordylee]

I would say that aside from higher mileage and speed work, the things that helped me most were training faster (most of my long runs were pretty darn close to MP) and Losing weight. I weighed 150 (5'8", so not overweight or anything) for the longest time, but between marathons 3 and 4 dropped to 125. I think the weight loss was HUGE in making me faster.

[fryjack2]

Apr 8, 2014 5:55:40 GMT -5 cinco said:

I have always been a runner, but I didn't start running races until after college. I ran my first marathon at 22 to impress a boy. It totally worked (although he didn't put a ring on it for another 5 years ). I trained with a group, so I can't say I was ill prepared, but I focused on the long runs only. It was painful and I finished in 5:30ish. I stuck to shorter races and was consistently in the 10 min/mile range for all races. I raced for fun and did not have a competitive bone in my body.

After I had my second child, I started running a little more, pushing that double jogger in my hilly 'hood, and I bought a Garmin. All of a sudden I had all this data, and I started to get a little competitive with myself. I ran a half less than a year after DS was born and finally broke 2 hours (1:58), after being in the 2:10-2:15 range forever. I started to train faster, added in more miles, and a few months later I ran a 1:48. I decided to give the marathon another try and finished my second in 3:50. From there I got hooked and have signed up for 2 a year, with the exception of pregnancy years or time off for injuries. It took a *this close* attempt in Shamrock where I finished less than a minute off a BQ for me to decide to train for one. I switched from a Hal Higdon plan to Advanced Marathoning (Pfitz 18/55), and it made a huge difference for me. I went down to a 3:28, and then a 3:21, and was able to finish strong. Since baby #3 I've been working to get back to those times, and it takes mileage in the 50+ range, speedwork, a little bit of weight loss (I struggled with it post baby), sleep (also, no surprise, a struggle post baby). I'll also need a bit of luck on race day with weather/crowds. It's important IMO not to have just one end game of a BQ or a PR in a race. You are training months for one day and you need to be okay with the fact that the weather could be crap, or you could be sick, or it may be on off day.

This story is inspiring me. 

I used to be so much faster.  I had a half PR of 1:39 in my mid 20's.  Then I ran my first marathon poorly trained and came in just under 5 hours.  I ran NYC 3 years ago and all my training was set to finish in 4:15 or faster.  I was not prepared for the hoards of runners and finished in just under 5 again. Chicago in October was better, but it was my first post twins.  I ran in 4:30.  I could have run faster but stayed with my training partner the whole course. Boston in a couple weeks will be tough for me, but I'm hoping to finish in 4:45 or less.  I have no expectations except to finish.

My running partner runs slower than I do. I haven't trained to run fast in years, just slow distance.  After Boston, I'm sticking to shorter distances to work on speed again. Then when I run London (in a few years,  I can't train again for a full with toddlers that don't sleep) I hope to PR by a lot.  

Maybe one day I will BQ without the intention of ever running Boston again.  I've run the course enough times already this winter

[shelbyann]

Late to the party but wanted to say that these stories are so fun to read! And good luck to the OP.

I qual'd in 2011 (3:29 at CIM) and ran Boston last year. I ran a 3:44 (missing the then-standard by 4 min) at my first marathon. I didn't have any clue about that at the time, LOL. Over the next ten years I ran several more marathons in the 3:40s and 3:50s. So I don't know that I have any great advice to add; I think higher mileage (50-60 MPW on the regular and peaking around 70 that training cycle) is what finally gave me enough endurance to get through a whole race at <8 min pace.

[jamalynn]

These stories are great! I loved reading them. I ran my first marathon in March (3:47). I did an aggressive training plan for someone who had never run a marathon but I had run several halfs and knew I wanted to train properly and do well. I have 2 small children so I probably can't really train well for more than 1 a year. I am hoping to BQ in the next year or two. I am under 8 minutes away. I think experience plays a big part. Before this marathon, my longest race was only half that distance. So it's hard to know how you will those last few miles. I think upping the mileage is important too. The most I was scheduled to run was 51 but I only ran 48 that week. I did several 47+ mile weeks but never over 50.

I followed a plan I got from the Runner's World Magazine. Next time, I plan to follow a Pfitz plan and get his book.

[ebeth]

Mi