Showing posts with label Boston Marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Marathon. Show all posts

workouts

Did you get a workout in yesterday, in honor of the Boston Marathon?



YAHOO! headlines this morning had this to say about yesterday's winner:
Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever on Monday, finishing the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds. Despite the blistering time, Mutai's mark isn't being recognized as a world record.
Why not?
Even though it's considered one of the most challenging marathon courses in the world, the Boston Marathon is run on a net downhill, making it ineligible for world records. USA Track and Field only recognizes courses that meet specific criteria about elevation changes as record-eligible. Those courses must drop less than one meter per kilometer to fit the standard. For a 26.2-mile race, that's about 137 feet.
The Boston Marathon begins at 475 feet above sea level and drops all the way to 16 feet by the end. The total drop of 459 feet is well past the record-eligible specifications. That means Haile Gebrselassie's time of 2:03:59, set in Berlin in 2008, will remain the world record.

I feel bad for the guy! I understand the reasoning...but even so, a 2:03 finish time is amazing!

So yesterday I logged 5 miles on the TM...and then eagerly caught up on as many Boston Marathon recaps as possible!

I got to thinking about training...and how these marathoners are marathoners by trade. They work 40+ hours a week, training for their "job".
On average, how many days a week do you workout? How many hours?

Which leads me to my next question...when do you prefer to workout - morning, afternoon, or evening?



Before I was married, I worked out in the early mornings. I was at the gym by 5am, and then to work by 6:30am (Remember, I don't care what I look like at work - I did re-apply the deodorant though. Considerate, huh?) I loved working out early in the morning. I prefer working out on an empty stomach, and this allowed me to do that. There's still a lot of controversy about working out on an empty stomach versus eating first...so I'm not saying that one way is better than the other. I firmly believe it's dependent on the individual & what they're body can handle. I also liked that my workout was done for the day - I didn't have to worry about having to skip a workout due to plans for the evening.

Presently, I workout in the evenings. I'm at work by 6am, I have a 30 to 40 minute commute pending traffic, and I live with a man that is not an early riser. Ultimately, it's that last fact that prevents me from early morning workouts. It's unbelievably hard to get up in the morning when someone is laying next to you out cold. Plus he's a night owl...and in order to get in some quality time, I stay up later with him. (Before we were married, I was waking up around 4:30am, and going to bed by 8pm). I'm lucky if I make it to bed by 10pm.

For me, I feel like morning workouts are so much more productive for my day. Evening workouts sometimes interfere with our social calendar...and some days, I'm totally un-motivated to do anything once I leave work - including working out.

What are your thoughts???

boston on the brain

Today is the 115th Boston Marathon! I've got the Boston site bookmarked to track the day's progressions. I can only imagine how much adrenaline is bouncing around that city right now! It's really making me want to be there :)

If you're interested here is a link to the course route.

Pictures of the 3 different bibs used today...which determine wave & corrals




Red bibs start at 10am, white 10:20am, and the blue at 10:40am

Naturally, I was looking for the finisher's medal, race pack goodies, and tshirt information. Why can't I ever find the important information???

And I just pulled this off the Boston site....here are the qualifying times in case you've got your sites set on Boston:

2012 Qualifying Times (effective September 25, 2010)

Age Group   Men            Women


18-34      3hrs 10min      3hrs 40min


35-39      3hrs 15min      3hrs 45min


40-44      3hrs 20min       3hrs 50min


45-49       3hrs 30min      4hrs 00min


50-54       3hrs 35min      4hrs 05min


55-59       3hrs 45min     4hrs 15min


60-64      4hrs 00min      4hrs 30min


65-69      4hrs 15min      4hrs 45min


70-74      4hrs 30min      5hrs 00min


75-79      4hrs 45min       5hrs 15min


80 and over 5hrs 00min    5hrs 30min


*An additional 59 seconds will be accepted for each age group time standard. For example, a net time of 3:50:59 will be accepted for a 42-year-old woman.


For the 2013 Boston Marathon, qualifying times are more stringent, and must be run on or after September 24, 2011. Like the 2012 registration process, the acceptance of official race entrants will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full. All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)
AgeGroup    Men                   Women


18-34    3hrs 05min 00sec    3hrs 35min 00sec


35-39    3hrs 10min 00sec    3hrs 40min 00sec


40-44    3hrs 15min 00sec     3hrs 45min 00sec


45-49     3hrs 25min 00sec    3hrs 55min 00sec


50-54     3hrs 30min 00sec      4hrs 00min 00sec


55-59     3hrs 40min 00sec    4hrs 10min 00sec


60-64    3hrs 55min 00sec      4hrs 25min 00sec


65-69    4hrs 10min 00sec     4hrs 40min 00sec


70-74    4hrs 25min 00sec    4hrs 55min 00sec


75-79    4hrs 40min 00sec     5hrs 10min 00sec


80 and over 4hrs 55min 00sec  5hrs 25min 00sec


*Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard.


Notice the time changes between qualifying for 2012 & 2013?
I'm really wanting to branch out in to the world of marathons...and gain the title of "marathon-er"...but I find it so flipping intimidating, to the point that I have yet to really start training for any. I know that I should probably just register for a half, that way it's on the calendar, I have a specific date & just need to get on the ball!

Have you completed a marathon or a half? Any tips for a newbie?

In other news...I'm still a very red shade of...RED. In case you missed it...here is the post from Saturday.

I plan on getting a longer run in today, in honor of the Boston Marathon...cheesy? Maybe. Make sure to do some sort of exercise today! Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of activity. Your body will thank you!