Training for the Boston Marathon is unique on three distinct levels. First, it’s typically your second marathon training cycle within a 12-month window. This brings some complications and opportunities that we’ll explore later in this article. Second, everyone wants to perform at their best (of course!). And finally, the bulk of your training will take […]
Getting ready to run — or race — a marathon is an undertaking of significant effort. Having miles in your legs isn’t the final arbiter of race day success — or performance. Here are some critical points to consider as you prepare for the final push to your marathon.
Lining up just before starting gun goes off is a moment of extreme tension. Months of training and focus have brought you to the precipice of race day. In a few minutes, your body and mind will be put to the test. You are ready to go, but there’s just one problem: every fiber in […]
The Wall is defined as that period in a marathon when things transition from being pretty hard to being really, really hard. It is the point where your body and mind are simultaneously tested. It’s the perfect intersection of fatigue and diminished mental faculties. Or as you most likely remember it, it’s the exact point […]
Join Coach Patrick McCrann for two brand new race-specific webinars. Information and registration instructions are below; seats are limited and you are racing in about a week (!) so don’t miss out. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Marathon Race Execution Webinar: Boston Marathon Edition Join Coach Patrick from Marathon Nation for this race preparation webinar. Patrick is a […]
photo credit: teddyb Good luck to everyone racing the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend. I went 3:07 there in 2004 for my first Boston Qualification, and remember a few key things about the race that may/may not help you out. Here’s what I can recall: The first half is slower than second, so if you are […]
The Marine Corps Marathon is the fall highlight for thousands of runners every year. The timing is perfect for conditions, the course is predominantly flat and the on-course motivation is quite high. Despite this, thousands of runners fail to meet their pre-race goals…and we want to fix that!
This weekend marks the 2010 edition of the Chicago Marathon, the unofficial start of the fall marathon classics. Chicago is one of the more popular US events with close to 45,000 athletes participating each year. Whether you are looking to finish or have your hopes pinned on a qualifying time for Boston, getting the inside […]
There’s just racing, there’s racing with a plan, and then there’s being able to adapt what you’ve got to meet where you’re at. In terms of experience level, know that anyone can register and show up on time for the start of an event. Few will actually have a plan based on their training, as […]
There comes a time when you are so close to your race that there’s seemingly nothing else to do. You can’t train anymore and your taper is done. The race outfit is picked and your are glued to the local weather forecast. With less than 24 hours to go, you might feel like it’s time […]
This was to be my first “real” race back post the bike crash of May 2011, when I broke my hip. I had qualified in 2009 with a 2:59:42, so my dream goal here this weekend was to go sub-3. At the end of the day, I fell short by about a minute but I […]
With the Boston Marathon mere days away, there are few things left to remember (including the sneakers above!). As you get ready to face the journey from Hopkinton to downtown Boston, you have undoubtedly spent time planning out how you will pace your day.
A well-executed marathon is the intersection of three key variables: fitness, strategy, and race execution. You could also argue that a solid dose of good fortune can also help, but experience has shown that even perfect temps and a slight tailwind can’t compensate for not being in shape, having no plan, and making poor in-race […]
This weekend marks the 17th running of the Philadelphia Marathon, the final installment of the US fall marathon classics. The Philly Marathon is not as popular as some of the other big marathons, but that means you get a world-class race in a great city without all the craziness and crowds! Fall in Philadelphia is […]
This weekend marks the 35th running of the Marine Corps Marathon, another one of the US fall marathon classics. Marine Corps is one of the more popular US events with tens of thousands of avid marathoners making the trip to the Nation’s capital for the 26.2 mile journey. With the Boston Marathon closed out for […]
Getting ready for the big dance, the full 26.2 miles, is a huge undertaking. As the day approaches, the true significance of the event becomes readily apparent by virtue of just how panicked you become. Not all of the worry is necessarily bad, but it can lead you down the path to some poor deciscions […]
