Running as One For Boston

[alaskaguy]

Ever since the Boston bombings, my goal has been to run the Boston Marathon.

I'll be there racing in just 22 days starting in the second wave. From Hopkinton to downtown Boston, we'll be defending the very right of people to run, to gather, and to cheer each other on.

 

[resident]

Nice. Did you qualify or fund raise? I'm training to qualify right now and would really like to run it in 2015 if everything works out.

 

[Rabbuk]

How fast do you need to run a marathon to qualify?

 

[resident]

It varies by age and gender. For 2014, you actually had to be about 5 minutes faster than these times due to popularity.

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec

 

[GMackey32]

Nice. My goal is to qualify someday. My cousin qualified this past fall at the Des Moines Marathon. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy the history!

 

[alaskaguy]

I ran fast enough to qualify from the Salt Lake City and the Tucson Marathons. I ran the Phoenix Marathon on March 1, 2014 and was approx. 10 minutes under my qualifying time which I'll use to register for the 2015 Boston Marathon.

 

[resident]

I ran fast enough to qualify from the Salt Lake City and the Tucson Marathons. I ran the Phoenix Marathon on March 1, 2014 and was approx. 10 minutes under my qualifying time which I'll use to register for the 2015 Boston Marathon.

Wow, sounds like you are an extremely experienced marathoner. What plan do you typically use? I made an abbreviated plan based on Jack Daniel's "A" plan for my current training and have used Higdon and Hanson's in the past. I'm not really a Higdon fan but Hanson's was interesting until I had to pad a bunch of extra weeks and got injured significantly increasing my peak mileage for no rhyme or reason.

 

[GMackey32]

Not to hi-jack the thread, but for you marathoners, what plan do you suggest for training? I'm currently doing Hal Higdon's half-marathon plan for the Lincoln Half on May 4th, but want to run a marathon as my next goal.

 

[alaskaguy]

I don't follow any specific training plan; I just run a lot of miles and run an occasional half marathon for speed. I take most of the summer off from running and ride my bike instead.

 

[tigershoops31]

I don't follow any specific training plan; I just run a lot of miles and run an occasional half marathon for speed. I take most of the summer off from running and ride my bike instead.

Do you live in Alaska and do all of this?

I ran my first marathon at the DM Marathon last fall and just followed a plan I googled that seemed doable. I was pretty strict in following it for the first couple of months and then had some minor injuries as it got closer so I tapered off a couple miles from the long runs and had a few weeks where I eliminated a shorter mid-week run to heal up. I was satisfied with my time (3:49 and my goal was 3:30-3:59) but as bad as the last 8 miles hurt I kind of wish I'd have stuck to the longer runs to prepare better.

 

[alaskaguy]

Do you live in Alaska and do all of this?

I used to live in Alaska but moved to Colorado in 2008.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

My sister qualified for her first Boston Marathon this year.

 

[tigershoops31]

I used to live in Alaska but moved to Colorado in 2008.

Good deal, I was thinking you were crazy if you take the summers off from running when you live in Alaska!

 

[resident]

Not to hi-jack the thread, but for you marathoners, what plan do you suggest for training? I'm currently doing Hal Higdon's half-marathon plan for the Lincoln Half on May 4th, but want to run a marathon as my next goal.

I'd just recommend Higdon Novice 1 for your first marathon if you aren't already an accomplished distance runner. If you are confident you can finish it and have a specific time in mind, then maybe check out the intermediate plan. When you get to the point that you are running 50+ mpw for a base I'd recommend checking out Jack Daniels Running Formula or Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoner. All of the sub 3hr marathoners on another forum I frequent use Daniels.