My 2023 New York City Marathon Training Plan
Prologue
When I think about Mile 16 of the 2019 New York City Marathon, I remember feeling like I wanted to quit. It’s a feeling I’ve only had a handful of times in my running career. By Mile 21, I was walking – the first time I’d done that for a marathon.
What happened after included multiple doctor’s visits, broken fingers and toes, and a COVID-19 pandemic that left me heartbroken over two race cancellations and postponements – the 2020 Boston Marathon and the 2020 London Marathon.
And then, finally, last September, qualifying for the Boston Marathon at the 2022 Erie Marathon.
By May, I was ready to train for the New York City Marathon, but I used the month of downtime to run some consistent mileage and some 5Ks.
Long-term Goals
This time last year, my long-term goals were to return to the Boston and New York City Marathons, and I’ve achieved both!
My new goal is complete my post-2019 New York City Marathon comeback and qualify for the Wanda Age Group World Championships in 2025. My guess is that I will need a sub-3:40 (8:24 pace) to get an invitation. (The automatic time qualifier is sub-3:21.)
Self-assessment
Strengths
- Nothing to prove. With my 3:49:36 at the 2023 Boston Marathon, I have time qualifiers for next year’s Boston Marathon (BQ-5) and New York City Marathon (assuming I can register in time).
- Health. My blood pressure is under control, and my broken toe has healed.
Weaknesses
- Confidence. The 2019 New York City Marathon is a touchstone for me – there is my running life before and after. Naturally, I’m nervous about returning. (I want redemption simultaneously, so I’m not entirely sure this is a “weakness.”)
- Time. Carving out training time has been increasingly hard as my life gets busier – my boyfriend, work, and dog.
The Plan
Choosing or Designing a Plan
For the 2023 Boston Marathon, I used Hansons Marathon Method. I was successful – I was requalifying for next year’s race, but I felt 3:49:36 wasn’t much of an improvement, given my 3:52:29 at the 2022 Erie Marathon.
Until yesterday, I was planning to go back to my tried and true: Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. But running long runs with marathon-pace miles in the heat and humidity of July and August seems like a recipe for disaster. So, I will follow Hansons again but with additional mileage for the long runs.
Setting a Start Date
The 2023 New York City Marathon is on Sunday, November 5th. Eighteen weeks from that date is Monday, July 3rd.
Arranging workouts
The Hansons plan has three “something of substance” or “SOS” workouts a week.
Long Runs. I will run these on Sundays. I’ll also put two 20-milers in the schedule. Hansons says long runs should be 25-30% of weekly mileage, so I’ll put these in the weeks when I hit that mark – 6 or 7 weeks and 3 weeks out from the race.
Speed Runs. Unlike the Pfitz plan, in Hansons, the speed workouts come early in the plan. I’ll run these on Tuesdays.
Strength or Tempo Runs. These runs are at marathon pace. I’ll do them on Thursdays, when I telework, and have more time in the morning for running.
That’s the plan. However, I have a new boss starting the day I start marathon training and I’m not sure if that will impact my schedule. I am also going out of the country (The Netherlands) for 10 days in August, which will considerably disrupt that part of the schedule.
Establishing training paces
I will use broad suggested training paces from the McMillan Pace Calculator based on my 2023 Boston Marathon time and my goal finish time for this fall.
| Recovery | Long | General Aerobic | Marathon | Threshold | 5K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No faster than 10:50 | 9:30-10:40 | 9:15-9:30 | 8:30-8:40 | 8:00-8:10 | 7:20-7:40 |
Contemplating a race goal
I tend to run better in New York than in Boston – the rolling hills are kinder on my legs than the net downhill. Shaving five minutes off my 2023 Boston Marathon time would be ambitious but achievable. My goal will be sub-3:44 (8:33 pace).
Selecting tune-up races
The Hansons plan doesn’t have races in the schedule, but I intend to run these:
- 2023 George Washington Patriot Run (10 Miler), Sunday, September 10th.
- 2023 Army Ten Miler, Sunday, October 8th.
I may also do a few local Parkrun 5Ks early on to get a sense of my fitness.
My Racing Schedule
Other Considerations
Supplemental Training
I’d want to do some strength and stretch workouts on Peloton App and have an occasional massage.
Summer Training
I will run indoors on my treadmill on hot (over 80 degrees) and humid days. I’ve never hated the treadmill, and now that I’ve discovered Zwift, I look forward to running inside.
Final thoughts
In this training cycle, I’m mentally preparing myself to run hard and with joy. It seems like the right word. Being healthy again is “exceptionally good.” And I’m elated that I’m returning to my favorite race – the New York City Marathon!
