PredictMyPace | Portalnd Marathon Training

In this week's episode I will focus on five goals that I've encountered in my running years leading up to my marathon experience. These goals are very common among runners of various levels. Goals: 1. "Running My 1st Marathon",
2. "Running to improve my PR",
3. "Running for a Cause",
4. "Health Reasons",
5. "Future Running"
What are your goals?

Goal #2 "Running to improve my PR"

So you think your Boston Qualifier is within reach?:

Once you've completed several marathons you will know or have a good idea where you are with respect to your marathon finishing time. If your ultimate destination is Boston then your equation is simple: your age, marathon completion time and a certified course. Although this might sound pretty simple and straight forward, but acheiving this goal is no walk in the park. For some of us running a BQ time is a huge hurdle to over come, for others its just a matter of getting those mile under our legs.

If in your previous marathons you came close to qualifying, I recommend a simple evaluation on how you've prepared for previous marathons. Several items to take into account are your milage, are you not doing enough or are you doing to much. Consider your training routine, are you running with a partner or a team. Running with a partner can help reduce mental futigeness and on the physical side you'll defenetley see an improvement. If you can't train with a partner everyday at least consider it for your long runs.

Finally when considering qualifying for the boston marathon keep your schedule in mind. Give yourself enough time to recover between your qualifying marathon race and the Boston Marathon. Try to give yourself at least 6 months of rest in between marathons. You qualified and you earned it, make sure you have the best Boston Marathon experience by arriving injury free!

Understanding your current conditions will help you to better select a training program that will fit your needs as well as get you to the finish line injured free. The most important factor is staying injured free.