As well as for my previous marathons, total of 4 so far, the current training plan for Boston marathon called for several long runs. I decided to do 3 runs of at least 20 miles each and one half marathon race between the second and third long runs. In the past, I considered runs of 18 miles or even 14 miles as sufficient. Yet after my last marathon, MCM, in October 2011, I realized that a distance of 20 miles is preferable in my case. From my first participation in the Boston marathon in 2010, I was aware that it was preferable to train running downhill to running uphill. The hamstrings get a lot of pounding while running downhill and they are much weaker than quads.

I ran 2 long runs (see the map) in two consecutive weeks, then the half marathon, AHEPA Suffolk County, and the following week the last long run. On the 1st run, the temperature was 55° which was very comfortable. I planned to run 21.5 miles but for the lack of time I had to abort after 20 miles. My final pace was 7:35 min./mile. That wasn’t anything special, but it was the 1st long run after the winter break.

The 2nd run was only a little faster, 7:34 min./mile, but the temperature was 62° and I ran 21.5 miles. The following week came the half marathon race and a week after that I ran the last long run before the Boston marathon. The pace 7:30 min./mile over the distance of 20 miles made me happy. The temperature was again lower, 45°, but very comfortable. So as always, I think that, if everything goes fine on Monday, April 16, I should be able to run the Boston marathon under 3 hours. But that I thought already 3 times previously.