Four Tweaks

The next marathon is 2011-04-02, so we need to start thinking training strategy. I crossed the finish line in Detroit thinking that I would only change a few things about my preparation. I've decided that I will use the same mileage schedule with a few tweaks. I've been thinking about it for about a month, and here are the four tweaks:

1. Overall Conditioning. During the end of the race, I was convinced that if I had more general fitness and strength in my non-running body I would have done much better. That means core muscles, arms, back, and general cardiovascular fitness. Bottom line: three days per week at the gym with an overall strength training routine.
   
2. Lose 10 Pounds. At the finish line, I had the sense that if I had managed to lose 10 more pounds that the entire race would have been easier. I read once that each lost pound should reduce your marathon time by about one minute. Bottom line: eat better during training and don't use the extra calorie burn as an excuse to indulge!
   
3. Race Simulations. Just before running the marathon, I read a few articles about race simulations. The folks at Marathon Nation are big into this. Part of this tweak includes going faster on my long runs. I just wasn't prepared to keep a pace in the 9:00/M range by the time I got past 15 miles. Bottom line: devise some scenario-based race simulations around your long runs.
   
4. Shallow Water Running. Because I am a member at Genesys again, I can use the pool. Believe it or not, the pool has empty lanes before work, so it's perfect for SWR, or Shallow Water Running. I ordered a pair of water running shoes. I think this could be the secret weapon as long as I can combat the boredom. Bottom line: do every Wednesday run in the pool and really crank up the cardio intensity.
   

All four of these require some fairly serious commitment over the next few months. I am convinced that these will make a great deal of difference.