It’s a new year, it’s time to start a new training program! This is wonderful time of year that everyone is planning their spring and summer races, setting goals for the seasons.
With my mom going to Boston this Spring, and I will turning 30 next year I really want to focus on my running. I want to turn my running fantasies into realties. I am making this year of running. It is going to be biggest personal priority of the year and I am really excited about it. I have also discussed this with husband to; that I really want to focus on running goals this year and I am going to have run after work some days and say no certain social events, thankfully he is super supportive of my goals. Also he faster than me so it he will be super helpful when I’m trying to nail down my tempo and interval runs.
The major goal of the year is running Boston. First I need to qualify! To do that I need to take at least 15 minutes off my last spring’s marathon time, to be safe I am aiming for 18 minutes. Yes this is very healthy amount of time to take off in a single season. I wonder at times if it is even possible to do. I think that it is but I am going to have really focus. The overall impacts are 30 seconds per kilometre off my previous time- it works out to be a 4:50min/km pace. The minimum I need to do is run 5min/km pace to get the 3hr30min qualify time. Yet as all you runners know the qualify time does not mean you are getting in, you need to be faster. Last year the cut off was over a minute faster than the qualifier.
I am registered for the Vancouver BMO race at the beginning of May I am also hoping to do the Tunnel Run in Washington in June as well. I have raced Vancouver before so I generally know the course, it is also sea level which I hoping will give me a boost, as the Tunnel run is know to be fast course and I have heard a lot of people take big chucks of time off there overall time.
The plan consists of doing my long run at comfortable 5:40 pace, having my steady comfortable pace a 5min, doing multiple long tempo runs at race -4:50 pace. With my schedule I am going to aim to run 5 times a week, be happy with 4 and on rough work weeks settle for 3 really good workouts. I keeping my goals this way to stay positive telling myself that it will be okay if I have to miss run because I work 3 night shifts in one week.
I also plan to really work on my strength through hill work outs early in the training cycle and then switching into more speed training.
Durning the first month of training (January) I am really hoping I can also fit in two cross training workouts throughout the week; one yoga and one strength base workout. I am also factoring my fun cross training work outs such skiing, and winter hiking, both great for the legs. I believe these different styles of workouts will keep me injury free and build strength allowing me to able to run faster on race day. As the workouts in the cycle get longer and harder I know that cross training will take a back seat to the running, as it becomes more important to have really solid training runs.
I have also been considering getting a running coach to present new ideas and training plans. I know I can create a pretty decent training program however because this goal seems just out of reach I think I might need some help. I am hoping to learn new ways to train and achieve my goal. There is also benefit that will be able to fit my training schedule in around my crazy shift work schedule.
The other part to my running goals is to run the major 6 (Chicago, New York, Boston, Berlin, London and Tokyo). I currently have done one (Chicago), working on Boston and otherwise the next one I am hoping to do is New York. I am putting my name in the lottery for New York this year. From what I have heard it can take a few years to get by the lottery, might as well start now. I am totally okay with it taking time this is my life time running goal; it is a lifestyle.
“Nearly all runners know the voice in their heads that tells them to back off when the going gets tough. Part of training is to help you get better at ignoring this voice and continuing to push even though the voice gets louder and louder as you get more and more fatigued..Don’t hope the race feels easy. Expect it to be hard and know that you’re going to have to repeatedly challenge yourself to ignore the voice in your head that wants to you to slow down” – Greg McMillian
