I was really thrilled with my time in Tokyo, especially when six weeks ago I was concerned about finishing. The groin was under control with the Tylenol and now I had a plan to deal with the groin and the races going forward (if it didn’t heal).  Coming back to Miami, the idea for week 1 after the race was to simulate the Boston/London marathon – which are 6 days apart.  I hoped to run a 20 miler on the Sunday after the Tokyo, at a tempo pace as long as I could handle it.

Unfortunately, I gave it a good effort but it wasn’t going to happen.  I did 15 miles but was really tired – the time changes really bothered me and wasn’t really over it.  8 mpm pace….but it was good enough to think I would be able to at least finish London after Boston if I dialed back my goal time in Boston.  Maybe go for a 3:25 finish and then 3:40s in London.

I had seven weeks between Tokyo and Boston, so I planned a reverse taper of three weeks (which coincided with a family vacation on Royal Caribbean (with a Flowrider……))

Week 1: off except for a 20 miler the Sunday after Tokyo (did 15….)

Week 2: 40 miles easy (instead did 53, with a 21 miler, because I felt ok and weather terrific)

Week 3: 60 miles, with a long run of 26 miles, 4 weeks before Boston (did the 60, and the 26, but there was a hammerheads triathlete club event at our house so I did 20, hung out and cleaned up and then did another 6 after the breakfast event – 7:40 pace for the 26 in perfect weather, with some water breaks)

Week 4: easy 45-50 miles (ended up being 45, with 16 the day before we left on the cruise).  Went back to PT this week because of soreness on the top of my foot – PT finds some tightness causing one of the tendons in foot to be pulled.  We work on loosening the muscle and tendon next two weeks and it becomes a non-issue.

Week 5: 40 miles (cruising, not sure how many miles I ended up doing, probably closer to 35, with 12 on the Sunday we got back)

Week 6: 35 miles, including 10 tempo run the Monday before Boston (hit 35 + 10 on Monday before Boston, taper in the books)

Total miles for March/April training: 285, including the 26.2 at the Tokyo Marathon (because each marathon is a training run for the next marathon…..).  Total running miles since I left Chicago: 1,020 miles more or less.