Training Log Archive: USKiwi

Hampstead Heath urban. Much further than I should have gone. Legs felt ok for the first third or so, then just heavy, lifeless and sore for the rest of the way. Very slow

C • You and me both pal 2

Mens Open - Splits

Recovery continues. I'd like to say this was comfortable, but it wasn't

And we're back. Sort of. Bit of a shuffle over to get a massage

Recovery plan called for 4 miles. No way

Second rest day. Legs not feeling as bad as the tuesday after last time. Toes still brutal

Event: London marathon
 

Well, job done. Now to see if I can remember anything about it.

Morning prep all pretty good. A bit of a panic over the heart rate strap meant I took the second train rather than the first one I was aiming for, but I had just the right amount of time to get to the start and do my thing in a nice and relaxed time. We seemed to wait ages in the start box, but it was just the right temperature to be pleasant.

Start was great. Took 34 seconds to get to the line, but from there the Fast Good For Age crowd all took off running at a decent proper marathon race pace, unlike the usual race crap with the fatties, smurfs and other dickheads. It felt really really easy to get into my race pace interval of 4:08 to 4:22 / km right off the bat. In fact I was at the 4:08 end, but no faster.

Pace all felt good over the early miles. Somehow I was slightly ahead of Ben and Dan for the first mile, but I took it easy and they gradually pulled ahead and gathered up Tom. A few undulations on the way to 3 miles came and went, had to dodge a few people on the decent. No way I'm going to waste energy actually holding back down an inline. Took water prior to 3 miles. Glad I knew that it was before the marker, around the corner.

On the run into Greenwich, everything felt pretty comfortable. Stayed at the fast end of my pace interval and banked a bit of time. Got through 6 miles and took my first gel. Realised something I'd not thought of: because I didn't know exactly where the water stations were going to be, and couldn't see them more than 100m ahead, I had to gulp down the gel, and wait for the water. In training I was able to take water immediately after the gel. That and the additional pace meant my gel wasn't settling as comfortably as in training. In fact I was burping a little at times.

I looked for familiar faces in the crowd past the Cutty Sark, but didn't see any. Lots of unfamiliar faces calling my name which was great, and I slapped plenty of kids hands as I passed. Then settled in for the next 6 into home territory at Tooley street. Caught up with Tom somewhere before Surrey Quays. Was good to see him and have a chat, confirming I was still achieving a comfortable "conversational" pace. After he'd rested up a bit he pulled away again and I let him go. We noted that I was about a minute up on my pace at this point, and I didn't need to get any further up than that.

The run into Tooley street seemed to go by pretty quick. Don't recall where the 9 mile mark was where I look water. Went past Bermondsey tube and took another gel, then seemed to wait an eternity for he water station after mile 12. Great to see the support crew just before Tower Bridge Road. Big thanks to Amanda and the kids, Mike, Jo and Rebecca for the effective gel handover and the great support.

On over Tower Bridge and down the Highway I was still feeling good. Starting to talk to myself at 14 about "now comes the hard part", "make sure you get the water right" etc. Looking at my splits, somehow I dumped a bunch of time on the 25th km, after getting ahead by a couple of minutes by 24. Maybe it was just a GPS thing going under Westferry Circus, because I was back on track again after. Turned the corner at Island Gardens and saw Paul and Pete. Thanks for the support guys. Up a small incline here I noticed I was running a lot stronger than I was two years ago, when I started scuffing my feet at this point.

By mile 18 by quads were starting to give some grief. Here through Canary wharf was where I started thinking about just keeping the pace up for one more mile, and counting down the remaining miles, and comparing against the remaining minutes, and calculating the minutes per mile and km that I needed. The twisting back and forth through Canary wharf seemed to take ages. THen it was down to Poplar and I felt like I was picking the pace up a bit, so had to dial it back a little.

20 miles came and went, and I believed I could really do it. Then by 21 it started to get really hard. Getting onto the Highway seemed to take longer than expected, and as I was getting there the opposing voices started. On one shoulder was an aggressive little man saying "You have to do this, you're on track, you've just got this one shot, this is why you suffered back from injury". On the other shoulder the defeatist was saying "You can't keep this up the rest of the way, you're in uncharted water now that you're past 20 miles, the compromised training wasn't good enough, but don't worry, you've given it a good go"

Then it all went really wrong somewhere about 22 miles. My left calf cramped up completely. I took about 5 paces, but just felt with every pace that my stride got shorter and soon I'd be on my arse. I've never experienced cramp like that while running, either in a race or training, so I didn't know what to do. Fortunately made the right decision and actually stopped and stretched it out for a few seconds. I figured I was still up by about 1:20 or so I could afford it. Then I had to start running again, which somehow I managed.

Now the voices were really going at each other. I was just totally distracted by the state of my legs and whether the cramp was going to come back, whether something else was going to go etc, and knowing that I still had 4 miles to go. Then 3 miles to go, and then I saw the support crew on Upper Thames street, then stumbled my way onto 24. I think it was coming up the incline after the Blackfriars underpass that the 2:59 pace guy passed me, and I was engulfed by the pack following him.

I'm not sure what happened first, getting passed, or suddenly my right calf cramping up! This time however I didn't think I could afford to let the pacer go, and tried to shift my balance and run through it. Then the left one went again as well! Fortunately, I did manage to back off a little and it mostly subsided after 15-20 paces or so. At least the cramp went, but the calves were still pretty sore. Signs at this point all said about how pain was temporary etc, which was helpful, but the defeatist voice in my head was saying it wasn't the pain, just the physical inability of my muscles to carry for another 2 miles behind the pace.

I focussed here on just clocking off the bridges, and staying close to the pacer. I run along the embankment all the time, so I know it very well. Waterloo Bridge, Hungerford, then finally Westminster and the 25 mile mark. It's impossible to describe the mental anguish going on at this point. "24 miles, need to have 16 minutes remaining, 25 need to have 9", "You'd feel like a real idiot if you fail at this point" "You don't need to stick right with the pacer, you've got a minute after him". Coming through Parliament square, knowing I still had a mile to go it was "You know it's always shorter up Birdcage to Buckingham Palace than you think it should be", "No, not at the end of a marathon, it's a long, long way!" Then I saw the 800m remaining marker, "Just get there with 4 minutes to go and you're fine", then the 600m "Oh god, there's still 600 to go!", then 400m, "1:45 to go, oh no, that's a whole lap around the track, and that takes you 1:15 on good legs!", then 200m "Wait was that 200?" (looked back over my shoulder to check...). Then my legs just went out from under me, and suddenly I was worried about actually making it the last 150 to the line! I've never felt physical exhaustion like that before, and really thought I might collapse. Heard the announcer say that all of us at that point were going for sub-3, and although it was chip timed, wouldn't it be nice to have a 2:59 on our finishing photo. I thought "Yeah, it would, and I'm going to". And that was just enough to carry me over the line!

I staggered right after the line, and someone from St Johns (I think) had to help me to the medal station. Then, to my surprise, as I was limping to get a photo, I turned around and saw Dan behind me! Apparently while I was focused on keeping behind the pacer, I had passed him without seeing him, and also Tom apparently, despite is very distinctive 30th birthday vest. I really just can't think how that happened. But apparently, while I was thinking the wheels were completely falling off, I was really just managing to keep it together. Tough luck for Tom with his 2:59:70, but big congrats to Dan on successfully pulling it together for 2:59:50.

Wow, what a race. I'm totally elated and relieved to have succeeded in my life goal of a sub-3 hour marathon, and also that I know I gave it absolutely everything and everything was just enough. It's unbelievably close, knowing how much training i missed in the middle. Another week off and I might not have made it. Or if I hadn't flown out to Florida a week early and put in some good warm miles. Or if I hadn't spent an hour and a half watching Premier League Darts while on the elliptical machine. Or if I hadn't dropped a ton of cash on 12 massage sessions...

Congrats to everyone for the great performances. Particularly to Bendover for winning our little SLOW battle!

Out

C • The little voices 9