Back From Obscurity: Gettin’ Ready for NYCM

Hi All! Contrary to popular belief that I fell into a ditch on my long run over the weekend and didn’t get discovered by a runner until a few days later, I am actually doing quite well out here in the borough of Queens, thanks to the cable guy who took pity on me and actually called to announce his impending arrival just as I was about to leave for my daily run a couple days ago. A high five to him! Now, I have high-speed internet, HDTV with cable/DVR and home phone service and am once again a happy man. Okay, not entirely happy yet, since I still have no desk, no chair, and barely any furniture to feel comfortable in my new place. But I know they will come, so I’m not stressing about it.

Instead, what I’m stressing about currently (stressing maybe too strong, more like passionately thinking) is my training strategy for the next marathon adventure, namely the New York City Marathon, on November 1st. In the blink of an eye, the 16 week countdown to race day has already begun. (BTW, is it just me, or doesn’t it seem like the Boston Marathon just happened a week ago?) Although I was somewhat diligent in running right around 30 miles per week since my late spring/early summer racing season ended a few weeks ago, I wished I could have pushed up the mileage numbers and turned down the speed dial just a bit to build a stronger base. But with the address change and other unavoidable stresses in my life, running extra miles was just not feasible for me. As such, I will count my lucky stars that I am fresh, fully recharged and recovered, and totally energized to embark on yet another strong training program in preparation for arguably the most prestigious marathon in the world!

I had initially intended to strictly follow the 18/55 Pfitz plan as the template for my own training plan for the fall, but after further review of the weekly details and what I’ve learned about marathon training in the past several months, I recognize that an average of 40 miles and a peak of 55 miles may be not sufficient volume for my purposes. As such, I will modify the plan and incorporate 5-10 extra miles per week to bring the training totals to a still practical but more beneficial range for me. Aside from the harder speed days and sporadic races where I’m expected to push the pace to a higher intensity, I will concentrate on running my general and longer runs at a steadier but slower pace to enhance consistency and build my endurance. I will also schedule longer tempo runs and more marathon-paced exercises to practice LT pacing and improve my running economy. Finally, I plan to incorporate the Queensborough bridge into my long run consistently to prepare my legs for the long, steep, and quiet climb up that famous incline at mile 15 of the marathon. I never practiced running this section prior to race day in any of my previous NYCM attempts. This time, when extra seconds on the clock may be the ultimate deciding factor, I will train to become better adept at running that specific section of the course which is notoriously treacherous for every NYCM runner past and present, including me.

That’s all the musings I have about my training strategy so far. Further details to come, I’m sure, once my ultimate training program is constructed and analyzed. For now, enjoy these views from out on my balcony.

USTA National Tennis Center

Manhattan Skyline at Sunset

CitiField: Home Of The N.Y. Mets