View Workout (Joe Zewe)
(Untitled)
April 18, 2022 (Morning)
Exercise Type: Run
Comments:
Boston Marathon race plan coming!!!!
Ok my friend, ... you have to know that you have come a very long way these 24 weeks. I think running wise you are truly the fittest you've ever been for any distance!! I think you have countless workouts to look back on, to know you are more than ready to tackle a race like Boston on a good weather day.
Besides a great race at nYC half, I think we can look at workouts prior, like the hard 55 min of fast, slow running on 3/9, like the 7 mile treadmill tempo on 3/2 and then after the race, the 22 miles on 3/26, the 3x 3 mile on 3/31. The recent mile repeats… and so many more.
Also I think if you combine the 18 and 20 mile long runs over hills with all your fast repeats and interval sessions at sub 6 and sub 7 from February, it’s safe to say your endurance and also your speed has sky rocketed!!!
Now as we discussed before .....you can be confident but still need to be humble. This is a hilly marathon and you need to start slow!!!!!!
The first 10k especially has to feel easy. We know the course. It’s very easy to go out too fast, but you must stay steady and try to save those quads as much As possible.
Woth the downhills, Run smart. Be light and quick on your feet. Lead with your hips. Control your arms with efficient circular motions. Be smart in that first mile as you assess what you feel like. Minimize the pounding by Keeping the cadence high.
I think you can go out in 6:30 to 6:40 ish pace for the first 10k and feel pretty comfortable. Don’t fight the downhill by pushing hard at all. The crowd will be crazy so don’t let them take you out too fast. They will be there the whole way!
Either way, you have to think of the first 10k more like a warmup than Nything.
From miles 6 to about 13, let’s really move forward and start to put some work in. You will start to get some flatter ground and hills. This is where We really want to get in a groove. This is where you can Start to increases effort and believe you are fit enough to knock off some faster miles in the low to mid 6’s.
Focus on racing and passing others.
Mile splits will vary with wind and hills so please don’t worry too much about the split of each mile. Your gps will be different then their mile marks so you want to run by feel more than anything. Just run relaxed, steady and controlled.
13 to 20 is a time where you must know 2 things. You may have highs and lows during these miles. You may run a slow mile uphill and against wind but then you may have a mile that is more even and with wind.
The lows will makes you think twice about everything (believe me I know!), .... but just keep putting one foot in front of the other. At some point, The glycogen will kick in or the wind will be with you or you will catch up to some people who went out too fast! If your mind has doubts, know it’s normal.
The low won't last forever.
I highly suggest taking at lest 4 to 5 gels throughout. Whether it's the chews or a gel, your body will need the energy for the later stages of the race.
I suggest miles 6, 12, 17 and 21 or 22 or around there.
You don’t need as much drink if it’s cold but you still need fluids but especially when taking gels.
The Last 6.2 - will be a fight. But If you latch on to the idea that it is in your body to do this that will help. All you can do is your best every step, and the hurt will be doable. This is the mental part.
I always say that it's just temporary pain that you are used to in training. You have to keep remembering that your body can handle more than your mind wants to.!
There really is no pressure at all and should enjoy the scene no matter how you feel. You are well prepared and Just finishing with no regrets is all that matters! Even on a bad day, you can run this race well, so remember that!!!
It’s been awesome watching you improve.
You are a talented runner and a hard Penn state mentality athlete, so focus on all you’ve done to get to this point!!!