Here is an interesting bit of information on the Boston Marathon;
Since the first Boston Marathon in 1897, Man has invented airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and the Internet, but modern day runners have been able to shave only forty-eight minutes off of John J. McDermott's winning time of 2:55:10.
Here are some ideas on training for a marathon.
For general marathon training, you can follow a three week, rotating schedule similar to the program laid out by Ed Sheehan, coach of the B.A.A. Running Club. Use weeks one and two of the program to build up strength and endurance by increasing your mileage; use the third week to recover by decreasing the mileage, but increase the intensity level of the shorter runs to improve race pace.
A good rule of thumb to follow for safely building weekly mileage is never increase the volume more than 10% from the previous weekly high. For instance, if the most you've run in a week is 35 miles, you can increase the next week to 38 or 39 miles. You can increase your long runs by adding one mile or seven to ten minutes of running each time you increase. Your long run should never consist of more than 30 to 40 % of your total weekly mileage - if you're running 50 miles/week, your long run shouldn't exceed 20 miles.
A pace workout is one in which you warm up with some easy running, then hold marathon pace for 3-10 miles, depending on the length of the run, then cool down with additional easy running.
Tempo workouts include interval training, mixing periods of easy running with "pick-ups" or faster running. As in pace training, you should always warm up and cool down with periods of easy running
Cross training can include biking, swimming, cross country skiing, weight training, dance, aerobics, etc.
Try to get one to three runs lasting three hours or more, or between 18 and 22 miles before the marathon. Your longest run should never be closer than 14 to 21 days before the marathon.
Use the final two weeks before the marathon as a tapering or recovery period, by rapidly decreasing your mileage. Try to keep your intensity levels up.
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