Are you seeking some spring marathons 2022 tips to help get you a significant personal best? If so, I am fired up you have made it here to RunDreamAchieve, the home of running tips. I have run numerous marathons around the world and hold a PR of 2:19:35. Of course, we all come from different backgrounds and have different abilities. That being said, my goal is to share with you some of the tips that helped me the most in my own career. I also create new videos each week at the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel you are welcome to check out at your leisure. Remember, to run fast over the marathon distance it isn't just about working hard.
There are many runners who work hard who never reach their goals. That being said, there are far more who do by working smarter. So, it isn't about the volume of running you are doing as much as it is the quality. Yes, we hear quality over quantity all of the time. It is a much bigger task of actually following the advice. I got up to 142 miles a week training for my marathons. I broke the 2:20:00 marathon barrier on 85 to 90 miles per week.
Are There Marathons in the Spring?
Of course. My favorites are the Grandmas Marathon usually held in June along Lake Superior. I ran a 2:40:02 there back in 2007 and the race volunteers are always nice. In addition, they have a great expo as do all major marathons around the world. The course is flat too. Of course, just because a race course is flat doesn't guarantee a super fast time. I hit the first half in this race in a then personal best time for the half marathon in 1:10:31 and ran very poorly in the second half. So, you have to be very mindful of your pacing early in your future marathons. I made the mistake of getting too hyped up and simply was not prepared to handle the paces I was going for.
It took me several months later to run 2:19:35 at the 2007 California International Marathon. I placed 4th overall and top American on that day. I am a big believer in training at, near and far below goal marathon race pace. Of course, this is not easy. You already know it takes time and effort to get the marathon down correctly. So, do expect some challenges along the way. Be persistent and tenacious about what you are doing and you will succeed. Also, find the courses that are going to give you the best chances of success. Rotterdam, Chicago, Berlin or London are also great options. I also recommend the Monumental Indianapolis Marathon which is held in November of each year. I finished 5th there in 2011 with the second fastest marathon I ever ran (2:26:43).
CHECK OUT OUR RUNNING COURSESBest Spring Marathons 2022
If you are going for a spring marathons 2022 PR my recommendation is to start running your long runs at faster paces. I was able to drop my 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 using this tactic. The issue I see for many marathons is not being able to sustain race pace for the entire duration of the race. Remember, our goal here to is to help you improve your lactate tolerance. The problem is it is a painful process to do this. Yes, it takes time as you already know there are no short cuts to performing well at the marathon distance. You are either trained or you are untrained, period. I have created running courses and training plans here to help you take your training and racing to the next level.
I have been competing for the past 30 years and have worked with some world-class coaches and athletes. What I teach was what was taught to me. One of the best ways to run a faster marathon is to train at, near or far. below your goal marathon race pace. I would focus on doing about 40 to 45 percent of your weeky mileage at these intensities. Yes, you first need to build a strong base of easy, relaxed mileage first. No speed training or hard tempo runs during this period. I am fine with you doing strides 2 to 3 times per week before, during or after your easy runs though. Remember, you are going to be racing at or slightly above your anaerobic threshold.
How Can I Increase My Marathon Speed?
So, it is also important to start doing longer tempo runs. A big mistake marathoners make is doing tempo runs too short. Yes, you can still get a big physiological boost doing a 3 to 4 mile tempo run. That being said, this is the marathon we are talking about here. So, you have to spend more time training at your AT effort. The result will be your ability to sustain race pace longer than your competition. You also need to be doing 1, vo2 max workout per week. These workouts are so fast you can only spend a few seconds to minutes at the intensities. Again, the goal is always to get marathon goal race pace to feel easier and less demanding on the athlete.
The process of getting this physiological adaptation to occur is not easy. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks for your body to adapt to any stress load you are placing upon it. So, the benefits of the hard training you are going to be seen many weeks from now. Focus on getting plenty of sleep each night and hydrating before, during and after your workouts. Remember, it isn't just about the physical training you are doing but what you are doing the other hours of your day that counts. The best middle to long distance runners are always look at all variables to outsmart their competition. We have three choices in this life. Be good, average or great. It is a personal decision only we can make.
What is the Fastest Marathon Course to Qualify for Boston?
Here are my top picks for spring marathons 2022 you may want to consider
- Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI
- Grandmas Marathon
- Chicago Marathon
- Rotterdam Marathon
- Berlin Marathon
- Monumental Indianapolis Marathon
- Columbus Marathon
- Houston Marathon (be mindful of the concrete race surface)
- London Marathon
- New Orleans Marathon
These are very flat courses will help set you up for success. Again, if you are training too slow no course is going to be fast. The reason being is you will not be able to sustain race pace for the entire distance. So, yes, there are “fast” courses but it is the athlete that makes these courses fast. The goal is to get that goal marathon race pace to feel more in control and less taxing on the body. I have built this method into the training plans and running courses that I have created here at RunDreamAchieve.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSWhat is the Hardest Marathon to Qualify for?
I would say the hardest to qualify for are the New York City, Berlin or London Marathon. These marathons have more stringent times the athletes needs to hit in order to qualify to compete. Boston, of course, is not easy either. There are some marathons in Japan where males need to run 2:30 for the distance and females under 3 hours. So, it just depends. My goal is to get you to run so fast you will never have to worry about this in the first place.
Of course, the tips discussed in this post can work over any distance and any year you are planning to race. We are discussing the spring marathons 2022 races but you could be reading this post in 2024 or later. The same mindset of racing still applies. You need to be jogging on easy days to ensure you are recovering from the hard workouts you are putting in too.
A big mistake far too many runners make is running too slow on hard days. In addition, running too fast on easy days. So, you have to start being mindful of your tactics in training to get the best results. I would also recommend subscribing to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new videos each week sharing tips and strategies to help you get the best results in your training and racing.
Closing Thoughts
I hope this post on how to run your 2022 spring marathons faster has been helpful to you. Visualize success too. Remember, mental training is a tactic that most marathoners neglect. We all focus so heavily on physical training and seem to bypass what matters most, mental preparation. Mental training is often times even more important than the physical training. Of course, if you don't train for your race it will be difficult to get a new PR. That being said, the best middle to long distance runners know mental training is a key strategy that matters. It will take you from being average to great in no time.
Please keep me posted on your progress at our RunDreamAchieve Youtube channel. You are also welcome to learn more about my background if you wish by visiting the about page.
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