Boston Downhill Prep

Workout - Boston Downhill Prep

• 15min @ 6'30''/km
• 4 lots of:
  • 45s @ 5'00''/km
  • 45s @ 6'30''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 2min @ 6'00''/km
  • 2min @ 6'30''/km
• 15min @ 6'30''/km

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A breakdown of Strength Running’s video on common Boston Marathon errors. Here are the highlights so you can apply them. Watch the full video for context.

Key points:

• Hill training: work both uphill and downhill. Downhill running develops eccentric strength and prepares you for Boston’s mostly downhill course.
• Downhill workouts: start with 30-sec to 1-min downhill repeats, build to 2-minute repeats 4-8 times at 5K/10K pace, and if you have a 3-4-mile downhill, run it near marathon pace or around 10 seconds per mile faster.
• Race-day pacing: don’t hammer the early downhills. Run miles 1-3 a few seconds slower than goal to reduce impact damage.
• Fuelling: 60-90 g of carbs per hour (2-3 gels plus a sports drink). Practise the strategy on long runs.
• Logistics: run early-morning long runs and simulate the pre-race wait to train the stomach and mental side.

Workout:

1. Warm-up: 10 minutes easy on varied terrain.
2. Downhill strides: 6 x 30 seconds downhill, quick cadence.
3. Downhill repeats: 4 x 2 minutes downhill at 5K effort, jog uphill to recover.
4. Long downhill: 3 miles on a steady downslope at marathon pace or around 10 sec/mile faster.
5. Cool-down: 10 minutes easy.

Adjust paces to your training zones in the Pacing app.

Closing note: work these hill sessions and pacing adjustments into your plan and modify mileage and speeds to fit your situation.

References

• Biggest Boston Marathon Mistakes (Training + Racing) - YouTube (YouTube Video)