Treadmill Simulation of the Boston Hills

Here is what week #12 on the Road to Boston looked like:

3/1- 24 miles
2/28- 8 miles
2/27- 16 miles (4am/12pm)
2/26- 10 miles (6am/4pm)
2/25- 15 miles
2/24- 11 miles (6am/5pm)
2/23- 10 miles (6am/4pm)

Total: 94 miles

I had a great workout today and a great week of training! I need to reflect on where I stand right now with 7 weeks to go until Boston. I'm definetly in position to run a sub 2:40 but I need to make sure I'm doing the right things to get to the start line in great running shape and injury free. I just ran my first ever 90+ mile week and I feel pretty good. I'm hitting my workouts with this higher mileage, but I'm definetly feeling like I need those recovery days. My fitness is getting so good that I have to make a conscious effort to run slow on the recovery days. It's hard to run over 7 min. pace, but I need to know that it's in my best interest to do so.

My legs are feeling really well, with the exception of my feet. My feet feel like that have been taking the biggest toll with this new mileage. They ache a little in the evening and when I wake up. I almost need to warm them up before I begin running. I'll roll them a little on a can of corn in the evening and morning to get them loosened. Once I'm warmed up they feel a lot better.

I just finished Mesocycle 2 (Lactate Threshold + Endurance) in the Pete Pfitzinger "Advanced Marathoning" program. Next in Mesocycle 3 is considered "Race Preparation". It lasts 4 weeks with a total of 4 VO2max workouts and 2 8-15K tune up races. I planning on running 10K's for both of them. I'd like to set them up in the dome.

Today I had a 24 miler. I did the first 15 miles outside. I ran the south loop w/service extention and added on 3 miles at the end. Lots of hill on this route. I quickly changed clothes and hopped on the treadmill for the last 9 miles. I ran 1 mile pretty easy then I did the Treadmill simulation Boston Hills workout. I found this on the internet. Here it is:

Treadmill equivalent of Boston Marathon Hills.

Hill 1: +96 ft, 0.6402 miles long~ 2.83% Grade (use 3%)
Hill 2: +78 ft, 0.3363 miles long~ 4.39% Grade (use 4.5% or 5%)
Hill 3: +75 ft, 0.4698 miles long~ 3.03% Grade (use 3% or 3.5%)
Hill 4 (HBH): +100 ft, 0.4788 miles long,~ 3.96% (use 4% or 4.5%)

Between hill 1 and hill 2 the distance is about 3/4 mile

Between hill 2 and hill 3 is slightly over 1 mile. Like 1.1

Between hill 3 and hill 4 (heartbreak) is about 1/3 to 1/2 mile

The last 4 miles I gradually picked up the pace and was at 6:08 pace when I finished. My legs were a little tired, but I felt great. I wasn't wearing a heart rate monitor, but I felt like I was barely breathing. I finished the workout with a nice 12 minute Ice bath. 7 more weeks until Boston!