pickupthepacepaul

On my Road to Boston there are bound to be ups and downs. This week hasn’t been the best to be honest. Work has been extremely busy and I haven’t found the time for structured training. But thats OK, not every week will be perfect. For a bit of motivation I’m posting my next blog for running motivation on the Road to Boston.

Ian Coxall (@icoxy_marathon_runs) is 47 years old, and has run 40 marathons including 5 world majors of the 6, just waiting for Tokyo to complete the set. Ian is an England Masters marathoner and has ran 6 sub 3 marathons, his aim is to run 50 marathons for 50 years young.

1) Tell me about the first time you broke sub 3

The first time I broke sub 3 was in London 2014 it was on my 5th marathon after running Berlin in 3;04 the previous September.

2) What does it take to be a sub 3 runner

For me it involves a lot of dedication and commitment, my PB is only a couple of minutes under the magic 3 so I have to be on the top of my game. Ian said “the hardest thing is maintain this standard”.

3) What tips would you give for people trying to aim for a Boston Qualification

Practice running at the desired qualification time and pace in training, you must be able to run that pace comfortably for at least a half marathon in training.

4) What is your PB, and how did your training change to reach this goal?

My PB is 2:56:59 and to achieve this I needed to focus on the marathon distance only, forget all other races and ignore other peoples paces and training, you have to be selfish and focus on number 1.

5) If you could give me one tip what would it be

If you get into Boston which I hope you do, practice running on the downhills a lot!!! The course is savage on the quads especially when you hit the Newton hills.

I hope to be joining Ian one day soon in Boston, and I’m sure he has more to give. I’m looking forward to sharing the journey with him.

What journey are you on? What is your target, are you aiming for a BQ, or have you achieved this already, I would love to hear and share your stories.