Boston Marathon Qualifying, What to Do When Life Gets in the Way! Week #15

Posting Weekly Updates of My Marathon Training.

Welcome to Week 15 of my Boston Marathon qualifying training program. I've been documenting my journey weekly, sharing tips and insights that can help you on your path to marathon success.

Today, let's tackle an important question: What happens if you miss a workout during the week? What should you do? This topic resonates with me this week because unexpected events led me to miss my workouts, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to discuss it.

Your Training Schedule: Setting Up for Success

If you recall our session last week, we focused on scheduling your runs throughout the week. Typically, you should aim for three to five runs per week, with weekday runs serving as recovery sessions. These are essential for preparing you for that all-important long run over the weekend. The key to weekday runs is maintaining an easy, conversational pace, ensuring you're in your zone two range or following your Maffetone heart rate zone. This structure is in place to help you get ready for the marathon you're training for.

When Plans Go Awry: Missing a Workout

Despite the best intentions, life can sometimes derail our plans. What should you do if you miss a run? First, remember that we're 15 weeks out from the marathon. At this stage, we're in the base training phase rather than specific race training, which begins around ten weeks out. The focus now is on building aerobic capacity and strength, allowing for comfortable long runs. It's a period of low-intensity training, and maintaining your base helps you handle future challenges.

My Experience: A Real-World Example

Let me share what happened this week as an example. Mondays typically see me running five miles, but this week, a dental appointment for crowns knocked me out for the day. I was physically and mentally drained from the procedure, so I skipped my run. Tuesday went better, with a successful eight-mile group run. However, Wednesday brought another challenge. I was at our beach property, hauling dirt to backfill a retaining wall, providing a full day of strength training through farmer carries up and down a hill. This work really beat me up. For a 71-year-old guy like me, rest is crucial, so I skipped my run.

This Thursday is my trail running group four-mile run, while Friday remains a rest day, though I may run depending on how I feel. Saturday, I’m doing a 15k race (about 9 miles) as part of a series I entered. While I won't be in competitive shape just yet, I need to decide whether to rest the day before the race or fit in a light run.

The Lesson: Don't Sweat a Missed Workout

In this base training phase, it's more important to focus on overall consistency rather than making up for a missed run. If you're replacing a workout with a physically demanding activity, like I did, there's no need to stress. As your marathon goal is still weeks away, prioritize rest and recovery, ensuring you don't overtrain or overextend yourself. Remember, the objective is to maintain your energy for the long run on the weekend. Stay relaxed, and don't get bogged down by a rigid schedule. Progress gradually and avoid burnout.

That's it for this week! I'm looking forward to sharing how I fare in my race next week and diving into another aspect of marathon training. If you're finding these updates helpful, don't forget to subscribe. Until next time, keep running strong!