How to train to run a faster Marathon in the off season?

I am planning on running my second marathon next October. I would like to come in at 7:10/ mile to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I just ran a 9:59/mile at the Mount Dessert Island marathon in Bar Harbor Me. The hills(mountains) were unbelievable!! Those who run it, say the overall incline towers that of Boston and the heartbreak hill. Only 10 people would have times that would have qualified for Boston. I know I need to work on my speed and work in some long runs, but how much and how often? I want to try to save my knees while keeping the endurance and working on the speed at the same time.|||Okay you have a whole year ahead of you.


Lets start with the pyramid: 1.Building endurance/strength.


Usually I say run based on time, but if you are training for a marathon, you want base your runs on a weekly mile basis. Starting at fifty-sixty miles a week is okay(below average) but that should be where you start.


Could winters(Nov-Dec) getting a lot of snow. Stick to training just with the bare limits, as in run outside only on good days, get to a gym otherwise. Use this time to work more on your oxygen in-take, and your abs. Remember form is a key essential, for it will effect your stomach.


Next on the pyramid: The Ladder(Jan). Time to really transition your body, prepare it for the training you will have ahead of you. Already gone through tough ab workouts and perfecting the stomach. So now you can do training that involves more of the stomach, like eating and running, running then coming home to a quick meal, also now you should start getting urself use to eating specific meals, water intake, and all those little details that will effect you in the long run. The Ladder time is to focus on you(find out about your body) as to how you should train, eat, stretch, and run, you will know what you will have to do to improve to better times.


Next step: Hell(Feb-May) for the next four months you should go through hills, building your miles up. Doing these miles on hills in higher altitude, that way it will help your lungs(once again oxygen intake) keep it simple with exercise of other parts of the body(as in weights if you do them, ab workouts, swimming). The key here is to never push yourself 100% in anything. Do it at a safe 70-75% ratio.


Next pyramid step: Speed! Rocky Speed!(Jun-July) Miles are up, feeling strong, but are you that fast. Time to find out if all that work has come to do you good. Your body should be well ready for anything u throw at it(BRING IT ON!!!) I know ur probably impatient by now...these timed speed drills start with just doing 100m sprints, 100m cool and easy, and work urself all the way up to one mile. Then just do mile run times. Find out ur weakness, then find out about your race.


Next step: Qualify(Aug) Find out before hand, do a race(doesn't have to be a marathon, training marathon - 18 miles...around there) and work from that. See what your times are, see where you had your problems. Did you push too hard on a hill, you didn't stick with that guy when he pushed and now u r three minutes behind him! Use it to focus as to where u will be in a big race, its always crowded, so try to relax and remember you've done ur work - you are ready.


Final step: Showtime(Sep-Oct) september u should be running three times a day if possible. Run in the morning, in the afternoon, at night. Run a half-hour to an hour each run. If you can't then save them for days off, and work more on your speed combined with your pace. Just how long you can manage this pace. Yeah Boston is famous for the heartbreak hill. You ain't scared, you're gonna show the hill whos boss. Time to start running with some friends and get the bravery in your heart. Whenever ur down in the race rub your heart(where ur wings are) and become the brave runner u always wanted to be. Time to find spots on the boston course where you will pick up - slow down. Obviously run the course to be ready for this.


Then...October....show time.|||Keep in touch with your doctor about your knees:





Proper Diagnosis


The type of care you receive depends on what kind of problem you have with your knee. To reach the right diagnosis, your doctor will ask about your activities and assess the alignment of your knee, its soft-tissue flexibility, muscle strength, coordination, and the location and tenderness of the pain sites. Often times, x-rays can confirm a diagnosis.





Participants in virtually every fitness and sports activity frequently experience what is called anterior knee pain. A syndrome of overuse, this is a kneecap tracking or alignment disorder that often occurs secondary to a weakened inner thigh muscle. Most sports build up the quadriceps in the outer thigh, but do little for the inner thigh. Over time, the stronger muscles pulls the kneecap slightly out of place. Descending stairs, squatting or sitting in movie theaters may bring on the discomfort: a ache under your knee cap.





Conversely, a more serious syndrome that occurs with trauma is a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The staple movements of our games--cutting, pivoting, stopping on a dime--all hinge on an intact ACL, a ligament deep within the knee that keeps the joint from buckling or "going out of place."








Running your Marathon:





Don't run a marathon without the proper training. Unlike many activities, training for a marathon is serious business. Fail to train properly, and you not only risk failing to complete the race, you also risk seriously injuring yourself.





But, that doesn't mean that training for a marathon shouldn't be fun-because it is.





Keep in mind the following:





The biggest question most beginning (and many experienced) marathoners have is: how long should my training runs be and how many times per week should I run?


The answer, of course, varies for the individual person and their goals, but there are some general rules and suggestions. While an elite marathoner might run two workouts per day and over 100 miles per week while training for a marathon, the body of most mortals could not take such pounding (and who can find that time anyway?). In general, the important components in developing a marathon training program for most people are these:





Gradually increase the overall weekly distance until two to three weeks before the marathon.


Include two long runs spread across the week, perhaps one midweek, the other on the weekend.


Include one day of faster running and/or integrate pickups into your regular runs.


Try to run six days per week.


The runs between your long runs do not need to be any longer than 3-6 miles.


Okay, that was a mouthful.


The longer runs:


The point is this: Your body won't get used to running long distances, unless it has run those distances on a regular basis. But, the body needs rest between those runs, which is why we suggest no more than two long runs per week and moderate distance on the other days. At the beginning of your training program, those long runs could be 6 miles each. Then, as the weeks go by, gradually increase them. Perhaps week two would see the long runs as 6 %26amp; 8 miles, week three 7 %26amp; 9, week four: 7 %26amp; 10, etc. Gradually increase these until your two runs are closer to 12 and 18 miles. At this point you have built an excellent base. And, remember, the other runs are there to serve a different purpose.