The 2015 Boston Marathon is rapidly approaching. I haven’t moved into full training mode yet – still a little early for that. I have started to increase my volume gradually, though. Coach Kyle also has me running by time instead of distance.

An example of a workout would be:

EZ30, MOD15, EZ35

Translation: 30 minutes running at an easy pace, 15 minutes at a moderate pace and finish with 35 minutes at easy pace, for a total of an hour and twenty minutes. EZ and MOD paces are based on my personal fitness level, so they would vary from one runner to the next.

Coach Kyle’s Reasoning:

Remember, you can’t go hard all year long if you want to truly peak for events. This is periodized training with highs and lows in intensity and volume. The farther you are away from a race, the easier/lower intensity your training will be. November and December are fairly far away from Boston, so December will primarily be a re-introduction of intensity and we’ll try to get your volume up while the intensity is on the lower side.

I also am doing some cross training using a rowing machine and jumping rope. I plan on working on strength training and will have a professional Functional Movement Screening done soon. This will help me work on my physical weaknesses (hips, knees, balance, etc.) PLUS I really need to build upper body strength for when I try out for American Ninja Warrior.

I have set an aggressive goal for Boston, so training will be tough. I will keep the Marathon Training section up to date with my progress. Coach Kyle will also help provide some of the reasoning and strategy of my personal training plan. If you have questions about any of the techniques I use, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

I’m ready to tackle the Boston Marathon in April 2015 head on.