Race Prep - HIS 220a - History of Race Success and Training

HIS 220a is obviously a history course reviewing your previous race successes. I believe it is important to review your previous positive race outcomes to prepare for your upcoming race. I like to go back and think about a few races where I was pleased with my overall performance and review the things that I did that helped me acheive my goal. This is best done if you keep some kind of training log or journal (or blog!).

I will focus on my two fastest marathons, but I think it is just as important to review any shorter races that also were positive. At this point, I try to only focus on the positive. If there was a race that was extremely difficult, but turned out to have a positive outcome, I still limit the amount of time that I think of the difficult parts.

St.George 2005 - Training and Race History
Trained in the summer of 2005. It was a hot summer. June 143 miles, July 174 miles, August 159 miles (IT band issues), September 147 miles. (4 months exactly of training = 623 total miles, longest long run was 21 miles, 2 runs 20+ miles) I felt very successful with this group. The mood was fun at each workout and the workouts seemed reasonable. Racing felt easy. I felt mentally and physically prepared to be there. I ran strong most of the way and then coasted the last few miles because I knew I was going to smash my goal time by a lot!

Boston 2006 - Training and Race History
Trained in the winter/spring of 2005-2006. I started the season recovering from IT issues following St. George. Last 2 weeks of December 55.2 miles, January 157 miles, February 186 miles, March 234 miles, 2 weeks in April - 77.5 (4 months prior to Boston = 709.7 total miles, longest run was 24 miles, 6 runs 20+ miles) I was the slowest person in this group, but felt like I definitely gained a ton of fitness. The workouts were very difficult. Racing Boston was a blast. I definitely went out fast and paid for it in the hills, but I purposely ran my race that way. I felt very successful at the finish and felt like if I could PR on that course, then I was definitely in great shape. I persevered through some of the mental challenges on the marathon and felt great about the result.

Present Day- Training Comparison
May 153 miles, June 146 miles, July 164 miles, August 203 miles, September 132 miles in first 2 weeks + approximately 90-100 miles in the taper weeks.
(4 months prior to St.George 2008 will be approximately 735 total miles, with longest run of 24 miles and 3 runs 20+ miles)

I am excited that I have more miles under my legs going into this marathon than I did in either race in 2005-2006. I am not concerned that I do not have as many 20+ runs as before Boston because that season I was a pacer for the marathon...I had to run the RunTex 20 miler and the marathon that winter. 20 milers in the summer are much more difficult.