My Boston Marathon 2026 Quest Blog

Recovery Run Image Attribution:  https://hungryfaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/easy004.jpg 3.10 Miles 42:39 13:44 pace 331 foot elevation change 5K of Perpetual Suffering Course 81°, Humidity 68%, winds 7mph Weight 174 This was an easy recovery run after my long run yesterday.   My legs feel tired. I have my first try at 800’s tomorrow.  

July 28, 2024  There are some days I feel more grateful when I run and today was one of those days.  On those days I feel a general sense of gratitude but then there are specific things and people that the gratitude attaches itself to. Maybe it was easy to be grateful today.  The sky was cerulean blue.  The temperature felt cool and the air light compared to recent days.  And physically I felt pretty good.  I have no current injuries and even with increasing my mileage load I don't feel exhausted. And maybe I was primed to be grateful.  I've been listening to a couple of blogs about Zen.  I listened to a few podcasts from Mark Devine (Devine Inspiration) who is a pretty interesting character himself.  He was a Navy Seal and now studies and talks about Zen, fitness, gratitude and similar topics.  I've listened to a podcast from the Cambridge Zen Center. And I found that when I felt more grateful for the day and the run as I was running I ...

New Gear Saturday Run Taking the advice of some of the people on the Boston Marathon Facebook page, I did my first run with my Coros Pace 3 Watch.   I had been using my Apple Watch Series 8 but I found that it had these limitations: It stopped recording when it thought that I had taken the watch off because the watch seemed to leave my wrist when it was bouncing around.   This led to too many runs where I had incomplete data. The battery began to run out on long runs when I was using the watch both for music and navigation.   Two hour runs are the maximum and given that I’m starting to do longer training runs this is a non-negotiable. The Coros has 3 weeks of battery power.   The GPS is better than the Apple Phone, or at least the program uses the GPS better.   It has seemingly infinite flexibility about display of running metrics.   So far I like it. Second, I did my first run with my Puma Deviate Nitro 3.   I got these in 9.5 which is a half size lar...

  7/26/2024 - Zone 2 Run Distance: 4 Miles Time:     56:24 Pace:     14:04/mile Climb:     471 feet Conditions:     70 degrees, 74% humidity Weight 173 Easy run.  I listened to Stuff You Should Know Podcast on Killdozer.  Fascinating story about Marvin Heemeyer and his rampage in Granby, Colorado using an armored and armed Komatsu Bulldozer/Tank.  The things you learn while running...  Tomorrow... Easy 5K on the 5K of Perpetual Suffering Route. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/Killdozer.jpg

 Goal: 3 Mile Tempo Run at 9:09/mile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Metronome_M%C3%A4lzel_1.jpg FAIL On the heels of yesterday's speedwork, today's goal was to run three miles at marathon pace of 9:09 per mile.  I selected what I thought was the flattest part of my local run.   Actual miles were 10:03, 10:34 and 10:39.  Total elevation climb was 322 feet.  Grade adjusted pace was 9:57. Obviously, this isn't going to do it.  Part of this, I think, was trying to maintain tempo while gaining 110 feet per mile.  Part was still accommodating to increasing mileage.  Most of it is because I'm actually slow.   Plan Swap the route to the Carnegie Route Swap the day for Tempo Run to Friday.  I don't know why I decided to put speed work and tempo runs back to back and then do two easy days back to back prior to my long run but this doesn't make sense.

 This is a list of the milestones to qualify for Boston. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46925 Getting a BQ consists of three domains.  The primary one of course is running at BQ pace for 26.2 miles but there are subdomains of lowering weight in order to run more efficiently and running longer.  I have started by knocking off running at BQ pace for short distances and then I reduced my time in the 5K.  I have knocked my weight from 184 to now 173-174 but plan to bring it to 155.  I'm 6 foot 0 inch so that is still well within the normal range.   I'm using the Luke Humphrey/Hanson's Marathon Training Plan for the first time.  This is really different from my prior plan which allowed for fewer runs per week (3) but longer runs on the weekend (up to 20 miles versus 16 miles maximum now).  I get the idea of training to simulate the final 16 miles of the Marathon and not the first 20.   Milestones Done: Run...

 Wednesday 24 July 2024 Speed Training https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/pfft-wording-comic-speech-bubble-burst_13577336.htm 84 degrees, Humidity 56%.  174.9 pounds.  Saucony Triumph.  Lebo Track. After warming up, did 1/4 miles at 8:07, 8:25 (success) and then a 1/2 mile at 9:30 (Fail) and a quick cool down before back to work.  I think the heat and humidity held me back.   I plan to do larger volumes of speed and I read about Yasso's but I have to read about these before I do them. Also, obviously, I began this blog.  Interestingly I thought the only person that was going to read this was me, but apparently other people have read it. Tomorrow: Pace Run either on the 5K of Perpetual Suffering Course or the Hyperloop of Boredom Course.