Three Training Tips for the Boston Marathon

Krysta Gunvalson March 6, 2017 Boston Marathon, Marathon, Marathon Training

Congratulations, Boston Marathon Qualifiers, we did it! We worked hard, trained diligently, and somehow managed to squeak into the race, but the work isn’t over yet. We’re officially 6 weeks out from race day, and it’s time to buckle down on marathon training!

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I’ll be honest, training for the 2017 Boston Marathon hasn’t been going so smoothly for me. I pushed myself pretty hard in two marathons last year (PRing and BQing in both), and expected to have a low-key build up for Boston, but low-key has been an understatement. Rocky is the best term to describe my current training cycle, but I am still determined to get to the start line in one piece!

Three Training Tips for the Boston Marathon

Good training cycle or bad, it’s important to try and show up on race day as prepared as possible. Here are three things you can (and should) incorporate into your training for the Boston Marathon:

Hills, Hills, Hills

The Boston Marathon course is notoriously hilly and grueling, and so it’s important to regularly add hills into your training. Hilly training runs and hill repeats can be tough, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. For starters, hills improve running form and economy, plus they build strength and power where it counts: in the legs. Since you’ll want to be prepared for the start in Hopkinton, and for those late-race Newton Hills, make sure you add running up and down hill to your workouts. Boston is considered a net-downhill course (re: running downhill), and could burn you late in the race if you’re not prepared.

Since training has been a little bit of a disaster, I’ve skimped on hill repeats. Instead, I try to add a hilly route to my runs once or twice a week, and registered myself for a hilly 15k tune-up race.

Related: Twin Cities Hills Map

Mind the Weather

Like any race, the Boston Marathon will go on rain or shine, but unlike any race the Boston Marathon is historically frigid and stormy, or sunny and blistering hot. The best way to prepare for such a swing in weather conditions is to train in all types of weather. Don’t plan your runs around those rain clouds! Cold and pouring? Get out there and run. Windy and freezing? Get out there and run. Sunny and hot? Unlikely this time of year, but you should still get out there and run!

I’ve completed more than my share of runs in cold downpours (thanks, Pacific Northwest), even when I could have bumped my run to another time or day. I may not be 100% physically prepared, but I will be mentally prepared for whatever the weather throws at us on race day!

Delay the Long Run

Boston is a special race for many, many reasons, but it’s also one of the only races with an unusually late start time. The race officially starts at 10 A.M. (elite men and wave one), but only the lucky and the speedy get to start so “early.” If you’re a mortal runner, like me, you’ll likely start around 10:45 a.m., 11 a.m., or even later; that’s a long time to sit around and wait! For this reason, many runners find the Boston Marathon difficult to navigate in terms of sleeping, eating, and drinking. To prepare, wake up early-ish on long run day and run later in the morning or afternoon to simulate race day. Practice your eating strategy (will you eat a big meal first, then snack? Only eat a big meal? Eat a couple small meals? Stick with a few snacks?) as often as possible!

If nothing else, I’ve got this late morning start time nailed down. I try to wake up around 7 a.m. on Saturdays, and wait until 11 a.m. or noon to run. Yes, sometimes this strategy eats up my entire Saturday, but you know what else will do that? Running a marathon.

Related: How to Prepare for a Long Run

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I’m not kidding myself, I won’t be PRing at the 2017 Boston Marathon, but I will still be prepared for the notoriously harsh conditions on the course. Boston is a unique race, and so your training should be unique, too. Running hills, tackling all kinds of weather, and adjusting your long run timing will all benefit you for any marathon, but especially for Boston!