Preparation, Planning and Performance (#2)
Gear Checks, Spreadsheets, Supplements & More
Piss Poor Planning leads to Piss Poor Performance.
The goal has been set, qualify for the 131st Boston Marathon (2027) at the Mesa Marathon in February 2026. The goal is so large and daunting, it seems almost impossible. It’s exciting and intimidating to set such large goals, but simply stating the goal, talking about it or writing about it is not enough. Having the passion for success is not enough. Passion without action is pointless. To meet this goal will take decisive action through the execution of the plan.
Let’s not confuse movement for progress.
Simply moving a lot and expending a lot of energy doesn’t mean you are moving towards your goal. Taking action to achieve a goal requires a plan to maximize efficiency in execution. A plan with implicit intentions and explicit details. Life is short and the older I get the more valuable my time becomes. I’ve made the decision to commit my time towards this goal and I’m not about to waste my time.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
My Mesa Marathon Build starts in 14 months and will only be 20 weeks long. I simply can’t wait until then to start executing the plan. I’ve got to shed approximately 20% of my body weight, get stronger, leaner and faster. My Marathon PR is 4:19 and I need to drop that to 3:10 in 19 months. That’s a drop of 69 minutes over the course of 26.2 miles or 2min 38seconds per mile. That’s not possible in 20 weeks. The process must start now and the process starts with a plan.
PTC / PTI
It’s a take on an old Army acronym for ensuring equipment is present and ready for combat. Pre-Combat Checks (PCC) and Pre-Combat Inspections (PCI) were a daily part of my life during operations in Iraq and training stateside. It was an effective and efficient way to ensure what we needed for mission success was ready.
This week and next I’m conducting Pre-Training Checks and Pre-Training Inspections. Training commences on Monday, July 15th and I plan on being as prepared as possible for Day 1.
Here’s the checklist:
Training Excel Spreadsheet Updated to this build. (Thanks Robert)
Access to VO.2 to get the training plan from Coach Brown.
COROS Pace 2 and COROS HR Monitor and all charging cables.
Nathan Handheld Water Bottle.
OSPREY Running Vest.
Protein Powder Shaker Bottle x2
BPN Whey Protein for Post-Workout Nutrition.
Brooks Running Shoes (x3)
Elastic Bands
Foam Roller
Percussion Gun (Massage gun)
Electrolytes (BPN & Liquid IV - Sugar Free)
Sunglasses (Oakley)
Running Hats (Multiple)
Towels
Baby Wipes
Flip Flops
Running Shorts and Shirts. (Summer)
Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Barbells & More.
In addition to the above items, I’ve got my own fully loaded garage-gym and a pool in the backyard for recovery swims during these warm summer runs. Here in the south, just because you’re done running doesn’t mean you’re done sweating. The humidity keeps that going until you get in the shower. That’s why you see a towel and baby wipes listed above.
Nutrition & Meal Preparation
All the gear and training plans are pointless if my nutrition isn’t aligned with my goals. I’ve been trying to out-run a bad diet for 25 years and I’ve learned over a quarter-century, it’s impossible. It was easier when I was younger, but now it’s downright impossible. I drive past McDonald’s and I gain another 2 pounds.
My plan for this training cycle will be similar to the last.
More Protein, Veggies, Nuts and Fruit. Increase protein and fiber intake through primarily natural sources like fish, chicken, spinach and veggies while supplementing with Whey Protein. I plan on eating little to no sugar, decreasing my sodium intake and reducing carbohydrates to as little as possible.
The mental side of this nutrition plan isn’t that I’m restricting myself. In fact, I am fueling myself to become a Boston Qualifying Marathoner. The nutrition plan is to fuel athletic performance while reducing bodyfat and increasing strength.
We have meal-prep containers ready to use and with access to Costco, I have the ability to purchase chicken breasts and fish in bulk and freeze them.
Or course I plan on having treat-meals throughout training, but that will simply be one-meal, not a day of indulgence. Life is short and I do love food, so I will enjoy a heavy meal once in a while.
My intent is to use this publication as an accountability mechanism for training and nutrition during the buildup.
Strong Runners are Strong
And it’s never wrong to be strong!
I made a massive error during my last Marathon build. It’s the essential element that separates a good marathon from a great marathon. It’s the catalyst that transforms your running from good to great. That is strength training!
It was a decision on my part not to do strength training. Not because I don’t love lifting weights, because I really do. I’ve been lifting longer than I’ve been running and have dabbled in CrossFit since 2008. I really do enjoy it.
But I hate running on sore legs. I mean, deep down inside I will avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately the cost of not doing strength training during the build was that I crashed hard on mile 20 and all my hopes and dreams of finishing a sub 4-hr fell to the pavement, encapsulated in my tears. It was heartbreaking, but truly a self inflicted would and a cost I could have avoided.
This time, things will be different. My plan will include strength training / H.I.I.T 2-3x a week. I will absolutely leave my comfort zone and run on sore legs, working out the soreness with every step. I know in the moment it will not be fun, but the results will show in November.
“Reinforcing Habits”
Are those habits that provide a benefit to prolonging life and assisting in reaching my goals. Specifically, habits that will help me get to the 131st running of the Boston Marathon.
Preparation also requires an inspection and an evaluation of my daily habits that need developed, altered, changed or disrupted to support this Marathon build. I’ve identified a handful of habits that need to be addressed, habits that I’m sure many reading this can relate to.
Morning Coffee: I usually drink 1 or 2 cups in the morning. I will be cutting this out 100%. I usually use a French vanilla creamer in these, which is added sugars.
A decrease in caffeine will decrease my risk of dehydration and losing my socks. Combined with lowering my sugar intake will assist in controlling my blood-glucose levels which affect a myriad of energy pathways and homeostasis.
Post-Run Beer: Almost always after my weekly run with the club I’ve enjoyed a beer. While I’ve never been a big drinker, this habit means I’m drinking 8-12 beers per month. This is easily something I can stop without issue. I also feel no social pressure to have a beer in order to be accepted in the club, so this should be relatively easy to implement.
Post-Run Protein: Out with the beer, in with the Whey-Protein. Now after my weekly club runs, I’ll be following this up with whey-protein and water. Increased protein will help with my energy pathways along with propagating muscle gain and mitigating muscle loss.
Morning Workouts: Like most, my life gets busy and busy quick. I’ve found that if I don’t work out in the morning, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find the open time to workout as the day progresses. Making the AM workouts a habit will be a must-happen during this build.
Hydration: I need to create the habit of drinking water throughout the day, not just at the calculated times before a hard run, but throughout the day. Hydration will consist of water with intermittent.
Stretching & Warmups: I’m going to make it a priority to do some pre-run stretching and warmups before stepping off. I’ve made a bad habit over the past 5 years of generally not warming up and doing minimal stretching.
Publishing and Accountability
I started this publication in 2022 when I began training for my first Marathon. I found writing about my experiences in training to be therapeutic and kept me accountable. My intent is to capture training, in all of it’s colors and attributes, highs and lows, conveying the realities of training through the prism of the mental, physical, emotional and social constructs of my being.
Keeping this publication on a schedule is the best way to reach each of you. I’m hoping by the time you experience the first few weeks of training, you’ll be hooked and will be looking forward to more every Sunday evening.
The publishing schedule will be every Sunday by 8pm (EST).
Each post will contain the following elements:
Pictures from my weekly training.
An outline of my training plan and a summary of how well I followed the plan.
An accounting and summary of my nutrition and hydration.
Total Miles Planned vs Total Miles Ran.
Each runs Avg Pace, Best Mile, Distance and how I felt about it.
Tidbits about my friends and training partners.
An analytical breakdown of the numbers.
A rich and vivid accounting of my activities in a truthful and descriptive collage.
The format of each post will follow my week, starting with my first training run on Mondays, through the peaks and valleys of strength training before landing on the weekend Long Run. Sprinkled throughout the weekly post will be my real life experiences, from setting new PR’s to losing my socks and the experience of forging new friendships and fortifying old ones.
Two Weeks To Start
I’ve got two weeks in July to get everything in place, prepped and ready to begin the build on July 15th, 2024!
My hope is that my training is inspirational, enlightening, raw and truthful. That through the long-format written word, we can make a connection and maybe you find the inspiration to begin training for your Long Run.