New to MFP, not new to distance running
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MobyCarp
Posts: 2,927 Member
I started testing MFP this week because it seems to have a more robust (not necessarily more accurate) link to Garmin than SparkPeople does. I may or may not stick around; if I do, it will likely be for an active running community and because I was able to make the food tracking work with an acceptable level of effort.
My big goal at the start of 2015 was the Four Seasons Challenge, a series of 4 half marathons. How could I resist a half on January 10, at 12° F with 25 mph wind? The spring half had near-perfect running weather. The summer half was a warm and humid nightmare where I fell apart around mile 8 and finished more than 6 minutes slower than I hoped. The fall half is on September 20, and I'm hoping the summer weather is gone by then.
Along the way, I set out to build a base of long run mileage to work toward an eventual marathon in 2016. Got up to 22 miles, and my running buddies pushed me into running the Buffalo Marathon. I did pretty well for an old fart running his first marathon. I'd like to run a fall marathon to see if I learned the right lessons in Buffalo, but I can't fit one into my schedule around 4 seasons and the fifth half I committed to later on. So my second full Marathon will be Boston 2016.
In spite of the solid BQ time at Buffalo (it helps that old farts get a generous BQ target), I very much feel like I have a lot to learn about proper preparation for a marathon. I expect to be much more intentional training for Boston than I was when I was building mileage before Buffalo.
My big goal at the start of 2015 was the Four Seasons Challenge, a series of 4 half marathons. How could I resist a half on January 10, at 12° F with 25 mph wind? The spring half had near-perfect running weather. The summer half was a warm and humid nightmare where I fell apart around mile 8 and finished more than 6 minutes slower than I hoped. The fall half is on September 20, and I'm hoping the summer weather is gone by then.
Along the way, I set out to build a base of long run mileage to work toward an eventual marathon in 2016. Got up to 22 miles, and my running buddies pushed me into running the Buffalo Marathon. I did pretty well for an old fart running his first marathon. I'd like to run a fall marathon to see if I learned the right lessons in Buffalo, but I can't fit one into my schedule around 4 seasons and the fifth half I committed to later on. So my second full Marathon will be Boston 2016.
In spite of the solid BQ time at Buffalo (it helps that old farts get a generous BQ target), I very much feel like I have a lot to learn about proper preparation for a marathon. I expect to be much more intentional training for Boston than I was when I was building mileage before Buffalo.
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Congratulations on your BQ. It is such an experience to go there. So emotional. Just want to encourage you to do everything possible to get there healthy. The training program on the Boston Athletic Association Web sight is definitely worth taking a look at. Start your hill work now and cross training for leg strength now.
Make a hotel reservation if you are going to need one when you register for the race... The best hotels in town don't raise their rates as ridiculously as the moderate ones for that weekend.0 -
Hotel is already booked. Can't register for the actual race till Monday, but I was coached about the hotel by a buddy who's been there.
Hills . . . I always run some hills, will continue to do so. The new route for the Rochester Half on 9/20 says it has a climb of 759 feet. It starts on top of the Niagara escarpment, runs down not quite to beach level at Lake Ontario and then back up, with a couple of dips down and back up to cross the Genesee River on a foot bridge near Seneca Park Zoo and again at Middle Falls. I expect to be ready for that one, and I've previewed most of that course.
Time will tell whether the local races with hills are enough to prepare me for Boston.
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Welcome to MFP! You're actually not that far from me, I'm in the Utica area. I only started running last December so the idea of BQ is something I can't achieve in my wildest dreams so Congrats on that! That's quite an accomplishment.0
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Hotel is already booked. Can't register for the actual race till Monday, but I was coached about the hotel by a buddy who's been there.
Hills . . . I always run some hills, will continue to do so. The new route for the Rochester Half on 9/20 says it has a climb of 759 feet. It starts on top of the Niagara escarpment, runs down not quite to beach level at Lake Ontario and then back up, with a couple of dips down and back up to cross the Genesee River on a foot bridge near Seneca Park Zoo and again at Middle Falls. I expect to be ready for that one, and I've previewed most of that course.
Time will tell whether the local races with hills are enough to prepare me for Boston.
Congrats on your BQ- registering on Monday means you probably had a massive cushion
That is awesome work for your first marathon- Very impressive!
With 760 feet climbs in a half marathon near where you live- you should be training on good terrain. I am from the midwest, and I found the Boston course to be unlike any terrain we have here. I felt really good until I reached the top of heartbreak hill. The constant up and down hills slowly caught up to me (which everyone warns about). I slowed my roll the last 4 miles, but I still ran an okay race. Either way- Boston is a great experience you will love it!
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FitFitzy331 wrote: »Welcome to MFP! You're actually not that far from me, I'm in the Utica area. I only started running last December so the idea of BQ is something I can't achieve in my wildest dreams so Congrats on that! That's quite an accomplishment.
But on the other hand, you can run the Boilermaker without worrying about motels all being booked full! The Boilermaker will probably find its way onto my bucket list, but so far the lead time needed for planning has kept me out of it.
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Congrats on your BQ- registering on Monday means you probably had a massive cushion That is awesome work for your first marathon- Very impressive!
Massive cushion, because I will turn 60 near the end of the year. That makes my BQ target 3:55 based on the 60-64 age group; I ran Buffalo in 3:21. If I were a year younger, I'd have to wait till Wednesday to register. If I were 16 years younger, that wouldn't have qualified at all.
But yes, I'm quite happy with how I did at my first marathon. I made a couple of rookie mistakes, but avoided the worst of the classic rookie mistakes. I attribute this to spending most of a year doing long runs in a pace group full of marathon runners. You can't pay for what you can learn just listening to guys who run 2 to 4 marathons per year chat.
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Congrats on your BQ- registering on Monday means you probably had a massive cushion That is awesome work for your first marathon- Very impressive!
But yes, I'm quite happy with how I did at my first marathon. I made a couple of rookie mistakes, but avoided the worst of the classic rookie mistakes. I attribute this to spending most of a year doing long runs in a pace group full of marathon runners. You can't pay for what you can learn just listening to guys who run 2 to 4 marathons per year chat.
Isn't that the truth! The advice I have gotten from the experienced runners on this site has been invaluable to me. Congrats on your BQ! That's quite an achievement (and most people half your age would kill for that time!). Running Boston is on my bucket list. Slowly working my way towards it thanks to the advice of these good people. Hoping I can get there before I turn 45, but knowing that extra ten minutes is just around the corner does help, just in case!0
