2008 Spring Marathon and Half Marathon Training
by Paul Mancuso (co-manager of Spring Marathon
training with Joe Perdicaro)
As most of you know the training for the spring
marathons and half marathons starts on Jan 6th.
Although the training run starts at 8:oo am, it is
important to arrive in the vicinity of the Curley
Center by 7:30 am to ensure a parking spot
This year because of the difficulty parking in the
South Boston area it is suggested to car pool
whenever possible.
You
must provide the motivation and the discipline- and
the L street running Club will provide the
organization which will include a training schedule,
guidance, and camaraderie. Each member (or proxy)
must do a water stop or act as a course
monitor. The training will consist of three types of
running: the long slow distance, hill training, and
speed training
.
Your dedication to do a marathon or half marathon
will be tested when you find you cannot party or
drink too much on a Saturday night. It will also be
tested when you have to get to bed earlier,
especially on a Saturday night before a long run.
The final gauge of motivation is when you are on the
road doing an 18 to 20 mile run and fatigue sets
in. Along with the motivation, you will need mental
toughness when you hit the wall at mile 20 or 21l.
.
If it is so much work why do it at all?
One of my favorite mentors in relation to running
is Dr. George Sheehan who wrote:
“Finishing a
marathon leads to increased energy, dedication,
discipline and a belief that you can make a
difference. It is easy to see why. Getting ready for
a marathon is like getting ready for combat. Its
preparation is basic training.
Marathoners begin their training as raw recruits,
then emerge, still untried, at the top of their
physical powers. This is where dedication and
discipline are born and energy results. They have
gone through the purification. They have attained
dominance of the body.
The first- time marathoner may be combat-ready
but has no concept of how tough the combat will be.
The veteran runner knows the body will be brought to
the limits and beyond. Pain and fatigue that the
newcomer has never before felt or even imagined is
in store. And both the veteran and the first-timer
worry that they won’t have the mental toughness to
carry it off.
But if the runner does, a new self is born. By
enduring this 26.2-mile trial the runner brings
forth virtues that previously were only potential in
one’s being. These virtues are the physical, mental,
and spiritual strengths that make a runner
a successful player in life.” Or
in short, it will boost your self- image and help
you deal with the daily challenges of life.
If you choose to run the Boston Marathon, you have
picked one if the toughest marathons in this country
to do. But if you are dedicated to your training,
you can do it. Will you “hit the wall”? Yes, you
will but you will have the mental toughness to run
through it. Will you be able to run up the infamous
heartbreak hill? Yes you will; with proper training,
you will overcome all the hills on the course. Some
of our training courses are on the hilliest terrain
in greater Boston. I would like to emphasize one
more thing about our Sunday training runs: each run
completed is an accomplishment in itself. Each
training run is something to be proud of.
Although some people say we make our own luck, I
want wish you the best of luck in your training.