Lace ’em up: Jamie’s Boston Marathon Training Plan

Helloooo! Happy Friday! Today my sweetest husband Jamie is guest posting about marathon training.

I may be biased, but he’s a very credible source regarding road race preparation. He wouldn’t tell you this himself, so let me brag on him for a quick minute! He’s completed five full marathons, two 50ks (31 miles), and one 50 miler. Kind of a beast! I’m excited for him to share his passion today, so without further adieu…

Hello to all of you in Whimsical September Nation! It’s been quite a few years since I’ve written an entry for this blog (you can find my last two posts here and here), but I’m really excited to bring this one to you today. My excitement stems from my love of running and for the marathon.

Now, I know what you’re saying: There is no way that I will ever run 26.2 miles. I understand that mindset because I was there myself more than a few years ago, and that mindset is perfectly normal. What I will tell you is this…YOU, yes YOU can run 26.2 miles! How do I know? Well, how do you know you can’t? As with everything in life, the marathon takes time to work towards, but the reward of crossing the line is worth the hard work.

Having run several marathons to include Boston 2014 with a personal best of 3:02:39, I can tell you that finishing a marathon is a feeling unlike any other in the world. I want that feeling for others, so here is a training plan that helped me especially for Boston.

Before even looking at a training plan, the first step is selecting which marathon you want to run. For you military wives out there, the Marine Corps Marathon in DC is definitely the most patriotic. If you want scenic and fast, then the Savannah Rock n’ Roll Marathon is your race. No matter where you choose, it’s always an adventure. Check out this list of some of the best marathons in the North America. You may not have to even look too far. Chances are there’s a race just around the corner from your house!

After selecting a race, you have to have a plan. Without a plan, you might as well not race because your body won’t be ready. The training plan I have below is your standard six month plan, and six months is recommend by Runner’s World to safely prepare your body to run the distance. If you’re a more advanced runner and this isn’t your first rodeo, then you can get by on four months of focused preparation.

Looking at this plan, you’ll notice certain common workouts throughout every week, with intensity and length increasing during the course of the plan. Your key workouts will be intervals (track, road, hills), tempo runs (the fastest pace you can keep for that specific distance without completely burning out) and the long run. Each of these workouts is geared to developing foot turnover, new muscle fibers, and overall endurance. Specifically, this plan is geared for a more advanced runner who already does about 30-35 miles per week.

Not to fear, there are plenty of beginner training plans out there to include those from Runner’s World and Running Times. This plan timeline is perfect if you’re looking to run a race in the springtime.

I’ve helped to develop a few beginner plans for some friends, and I’m more than willing to develop a plan customized to anybody out there. Running is my passion and I love to help others realize their dreams in completing the greatest distance know to man, the marathon.

In case you missed the link above, here’s my training plan from last year. Feel free to tweak it for your next marathon.

Send me a message on FB or find me on Twitter (@JamieDeSpain) if you want me to develop a personalized plan for you.

See you out on the roads,
Jamie

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