Run Hard: Boston Marathon Training -- Week 12 Wrap-up

It's hard to believe that with yesterday's 21.7 mile long run that my training cycle for the 2016 Boston Marathon is nearly complete. I still have several runs of substance remaining, with a final 12-mile time trial set for this coming Thursday on a flat 2.8 mile run loop around Seattle's Green Lake, but I am otherwise proceeding into taper mode letting my body heal up after what's been nearly continuous marathon training since Labor Day 2015 over 7 months ago. In fact as I was running yesterday, I realized that since last October 30th, I've done runs of 20 miles or longer 8 times (including the December 2015 Honolulu Marathon) with the Boston Marathon in 2 weeks being my 9th.

I designed yesterday's run route to try and simulate the Boston Marathon course through the first 22 miles. If you've been reading my blog posts for this training cycles, you know I've been battling a lower right leg tendon stress injury to my Peroneus Brevis which has taken me out of my normal training cycle that would've included weekly strength intervals (6 x 1 mile, 4 x 1.5 mile, etc.) including virtually no hill training since around week 4.

I first ran the Boston Marathon in 2012 (qualifying in the 2011 Scotia Bank Vancouver B.C. Marathon with a 3:20:30) on an 88 degree Patriot's Day -- and was absolutely crushed by the heat and then just destroyed over the course of the 4 Newton Hills that begin from mile 16 and end with Heartbreak Hill just past mile 20 finishing in an abysmal 4:27:00. I'd resolved at the start of this training cycle to incorporate hill intervals as well as hills during the end of a few of my longer tempo and Saturday long runs so as to run the Newton Hills with strength and confidence -- and even more importantly be able to take advantage of the downhill finish from Boston College through the end of the race on Boylston. Normally, Seattle is such a hilly place to run this wouldn't be much of a challenge, but I found after sustaining the tendon injury that any sort of hill work (uphill or downhill) aggravated my pain so I was forced to run on mostly flat, asphalt surfaces.

The picture below is the elevation map of my course yesterday in Seattle that begun on top of E. Madison (near the entrance to Broadmoor) heading steeply downhill towards the water before making a turn to the south and following Lake Washington 7 miles out to Seward Park and around before heading back and hitting the first 1/2 mile long hill at about mile 14. The climb back up E. Madison is brutally steep (guessing around 5%) and was nearly 1/2 mile and occurred at mile 16. I then proceeded to run a brisk downhill into the Arboretum and then climb up through the Interlaken Hills before getting to mile-19 and turning around and hitting the same hills in reverse with the final climb back up E. Madison and into Madison Park at mile 20. This is about as close as I can get to simulating the Boston Marathon Course.

The Boston Marathon's Newton Hills are as follows: Hill 1: Mile 16 .64 length 2.83% incline; Hill 2: Mile 17.6 .34 length 4.4% incline; Hill 3 Mile 19.3 .47 length 3% incline and Heartbreak Hill 4: Mile 20.2 .48 length 3.96% incline.

Yesterday's run went exceedingly well. I was a little worried given I'd traveled out to Virginia and back from Monday through Wednesday last week, which most often saps the intensity from any runs that follow for a couple of days. However, I was able to get onto the Alter-G treadmill Thursday AM (after returning at Midnight Wednesday) and knock a run out that was painful, but got me out of the post-cross-country-flying physical funk which afflicts me these days.

I covered the first 8 miles in 8:17, miles 9-16 in 8:10 before slowing for the hills from miles 17 - 20.5 and a final closing .8 miles in 7:55 pace or so. After yesterday's run which leaves me completely confident for Boston in 2 weeks as I got through the entire run very comfortably, I believe my strategy for the Boston hills will be to simply run even effort with my emphasis being to accelerate out of each hill into the downhill keeping my leg turnover high. This takes a huge amount of concentration and commitment during the later stages of a Marathon. That I was able to do this comfortably yesterday is a good sign for race day.

This will I will meeting with my running coach reviewing my first draft of my race day strategy and fueling plan. Once I get through Thursday 12 mile time trial, I will have a final idea on how to approach Boston on April 18 and what my A and B goals are for the race. Stay tuned.