Start of the 6 months quest for BQ...

My only running goal for 2012 (and 2013 if I dont make it this year) is to qualify for Boston. My qualification time in the 50-54 years age group is 3:40 - I probably need to do a sub 3:38:30 to assure entry. And this needs to be done between September 2012(after the registration for Boston 2013 closes) and September 2013(before registration starts for Boston 2014). And to achieve this I need to shave over 11 minutes of my previous PB - a real daunting task indeed!! Nevertheless, if I can't do it in the next 12-18 monthls then it is unlikely that I will be able to BQ in this lifetime! While I have been steadily improving my FM timings over the last 6 years and in theory the human body can be pushed much beyond one's imagination ,in my case I expect age to catch up soon resulting in plateauing of my performance.

After a 7 weeks break from running and cycling I started my quest for BQ with a 6Km/36 minutes training run on 1st April. And two weeks later did a 16.5Km run at the RFL run at EGL today. Though I have been stretching and strengthening during my break and have added just about 2Kgs to my (optimal) weight of 60Kgs it has been quite challenging to get back to running and the first couple of runs have been bit of  a struggle. Right now completing a 42Km run looks very daunting - leave alone completing it in under 3:40.  My left glutes and left calf  feel slightly stressed during and at the end of the run. In fact, the left glutes now hurts even when I am siting in one position for a couple of hours. Based on Dr. Rajat's advice I consulted Dr. Thomas Kishen of Sparsh Hospital. He advised X-ray and MRI of lower back for suspected pinched nerve. I have decided to park this for now and see how the training goes for the next few weeks.

I intend to build the base mileage by the end of May. This includes getting to 45Km+ per week and at least one run of 25Km. I will start my 16 weeks Full marathon training using the Furman 'Run Less, Run Faster' program starting 11th June. I have registered for the Mohawk Hudson River marathon on October 7th.  I do not intend to race in the TCS world 10K this year - will run it at a moderate pace to try and do a sub-50. I probably will try and race a HM in early September and am targeting the Swanzey Covered Bridges Half marathon.  Assuming it is good to do a fast HM 4-5 weeks before the FM  - I need to confirm this with my coach.

It is going to be an arduous 6 months which I am sure will have its share of ups and downs. The key will be to stay mentally(more on this in a future post)  and physically strong and injury-free. I am looking forward to some serious training starting 1st May - after returning to Bangalore from  10 days vacation starting 18th April; will need to be careful not to put on weight during this period of low training and unbirdled eating/drinking! Not so coincidentally this post is being written less than 48 hours before the 2012 edition of Boston marathon.