When I think about it now - damn how quickly time has passed from my season finale at the Jessheim winter marathon in 2022 to my opening race for 2023; Marathon Barcelona. Yes, winter can seem cold, dark and brutal, but when you look back, time literally runs with us. I think it's always good to have a little break without races in the calendar, and in winter I really like to go skiing. Thank God for that and especially this year when I have contracted something that hurts my left hip, seat or thigh. Sometimes it can be hard to tell exactly where it sits, but it seems muscular and it seems like something I've come across before. I have trained alternatively, and tried to be good at doing some strength exercises at home on the floor, but here there is clearly potential for improvement.
With this starting point, I was very excited, and didn't feel confident about how I was going to tackle a marathon now. The thought even crossed my mind about running a marathon, but I quickly swept it under the rug. I would rather slow down my pace, I thought, and accept that this might be a marathon where I put all time focus aside, and just enjoy the course. It sounds so nice, but it's difficult for someone who still allows himself to be motivated by breaking his own times.
I got on the plane with my lovely and fit friends Nina and Kine. Another girl's trip to a cool destination to run a marathon and otherwise enjoy a trip. It is a gift in life to be able to do that. This time it was extra nice to leave winter for a while, and come to sun, palm trees and bare asphalt.
We went to Barcelona on Friday. On Saturday, we had planned to take part in the morning run, but to get the most out of the day, Nina and I did our own run a little earlier. Nina knows her way around, so she took me on a real sightseeing tour. We were really only supposed to run 5 km, but it ended up being 8. There is so much to see. I have only been to Barcelona once before and that was 10 years ago. We took it calmly and cautiously. After breakfast, all three of us went to the expo to pick up start numbers, feel the atmosphere and, not least, meet Ine, Marketing Manager at RunAgain, and Tanja, who is also an ambassador. It was a great honor. Saturday evening we had dinner together. Tanja with her gang, Ine, me and mine. There were 11 of us. Super nice.
MARATO DAY
The race started at 08.30. You just have to get up early. It is better to get up so early that it hurts a little than to be time-optimistic on such a day. It wasn't bad in Barcelona. At 05.20 I jumped up and straight into the shower.
I have some rituals when I'm going to run a marathon:
I have to shower in the morning and wash my hair (On a race, it's no use doing it the night before for me)
I have to put my "Norway" hair bows in the wet hair so that it is completely tight.
As in all other races, I must wear my perfume «Joy»
3 cups of coffee in addition to breakfast
This helps to ensure that it will be a good day.
Nina and I had ordered breakfast packages for 6 at the hotel. Driest slices of bread in the universe, but they worked.
X number of times to the bathroom before we could take the subway to Placa d'Espanya where the marathon took place with start, finish and expo. We arrived, went straight to the cloakroom before it was just a matter of queuing again. We had an hour from the time we arrived until the race started. You have to have that. We could have had an even better time, because at 08.25 we were still standing in the queue. I was stressed, because I felt that I had to have that trip - although it is possibly mostly psychological. We just made it. I jumped into my pool. Live music, flames and enormous excitement at the starting line.
THE MARATHON RACE
We move forward towards the starting line and calmly run across. Still my strategy for the day is not completely clear. I almost just have to feel how the body responds when I get started. Very strange feeling. After all, it is 42 km. The legs go. The first kilometer goes at the pace I would run if I were to bet on a new pers. So do other kilometers. I have signed up for the pool I belong to, and there are only people around me who are running at the pace I would without a doubt bet on if I had no flaws. Hard to calm down then. You get so motivated.
The pace on the clock lived a life of its own. It jumped up and down from 8 min per km to 4 min per km and everything in between. Difficult to be your own speed controller then, so just had to try to keep the drive. Every single kilometer pass, I followed the watch to keep control. Here it went at full speed and it looked good. It almost got me backwards. Don't want to be taken by lactic acid either. Tried to brake again, but it's strange how difficult it is to take it easy at the start when you feel healthy and well - and then and there the pain was blown away. Whether it is the adrenaline that acts as a pain reliever or whether all that rest and alternative training beforehand has helped is a good question, but the biggest question along the way was – how long can this last? Ok, I decide to bet without being foolhardy if only the pace on the clock can quicken. It was completely lost, at least for the first 15 km.
I knew that Ine would be cheering at the Sagrada Familia around 13-14 km. I looked for her because I wanted to tell her that "now I've made a bet, but I don't know if it was such a good idea". The fact that you share all your thoughts and feelings before a marathon on Instagram and with "Gud og Hvermannsen" means that at least I can get a little weird in my head. I knew I had a digital audience on the app, and I thought to myself that they must think I've lost my mind! I didn't see Ine and didn't feel relieved about the running madness, but I thought to myself that she would surely cheer me on and say "go on" Haha 😊
In contrast, I saw the Sagrada Familia. I got goosebumps. I managed to enjoy the moment. I've seen it before, but this is a masterful building that is great to see. Barcelona is beautiful. This is the speed sightseeing of the ages.
After the first 15 km I had time to think about hamburgers, cava and that I started to feel that I had two legs. Started to gradually increase the mental workload even then. Some stanzas I say to myself:
- Think only positive thoughts. Negative thoughts are forbidden.
- Pain is only temporary (if it gets bad later in the race I tend to remind myself that I have given birth to children who can qualify for 100 mile races)
- When I reach the finish line, I can eat and drink as much as I want. I think a lot about hamburgers even though it's not my favorite dish. I also think a lot about the champagne I will celebrate with at the finish line (Or cava since we were in Spain)
- In 1-3 hours (depends on when the thoughts have to take effect) I can lie on the lawn at the finish line with a medal around my neck laughing about it all
Yes, these are just examples of what I can think of.
It still went well. I loved the track and the crowd. I'd say it's about at Berlin level, and there's no downside to being called Maria in Spain either. I heard my name the whole time, and of course that's also because I'm not the only Maria on the trail. There are actually 55 items on the results list that have Maria as their first name. It's nice to have the Norwegian flag on your chest, because then all the Norwegians, Swedes and Danes cheered extra hard, but I also heard a lot of "Vamos Noruega" along the trail.
Twice on the trail we had a few km of round trips. Both times I got to see where the 3.30 pacers were in relation to me. Even though I had control over the clock, it was incredibly nice to see it visually as well, because now my thoughts had turned to whether I was going to stiffen or have problems with my aches and pains is not important, but it would have been incredibly cool to continue to stay under 3.30. I finally broke sub 3.30 last year, and it's a goal in itself to manage to stay there.
I pass the half marathon. Then my head says: Perfect, now we can count down instead of counting up. I promise, anything helps! And starting at 20 km, I always set intermediate goals. Every 5 km should be a fun run. Now I'm going to enjoy myself until 25 km, then I'm going to enjoy myself until 30 km and I'll continue like this until I reach the finish line.
In Berlin in September, which was my best marathon in every way, I surfed my way through this way without encountering any particular problems. Now, on the other hand, it started to cost extra between 25-30 km, but I worked hard on my mental business. I couldn't quite tell whether it was pain or lactic acid knocking on the door, but it was almost as good not to know. I don't quite remember when, but starting with the drink station at 27.5 km I think, I quickly went through the rest of the drink stations to shake my legs a little and breathe out extra while drinking water. I also had to take a few such walking steps elsewhere on the trail. There is nothing dangerous about walking, but for me in some races in the past it has led to difficulties in getting going again. Here I was determined and steadfast. I got going again and oddly enough the pace didn't slow down very drastically. It went a little slower. I mentally waved goodbye to the press, but it was fine. It was this 3.30 limit that was the main goal.
The heat took its toll during the race, and it was something I had been looking forward to beforehand because I don't enjoy running in high heat. The marathon day was of course the nicest day we had in Barcelona in terms of weather, but even though it was hot it wasn't devastating for me as there was plenty of shade and there was a lovely light wind almost all the time. It was lovely to come down along the lake on the trail, and another goosebump moment was when we ran through Barcelona's triumphal arch of 36 km. A little while before we passed it, between 34-35 km, we could again see directly at the Sagrada Familia from a distance.
This time I didn't find it particularly tough around 37-39 km, as I have experienced a few times before. After all, every 5 km should be a goal in itself, also 35-40 km. It has helped me to think like this, and then the last little race from 40-42.195 will be the charmer stage itself. A lot often happens in the last two km. I don't know how many portals we ran through that I thought might be long range targets, but it was fun. Life and excitement among the audience. Somewhere the audience had gathered so that I felt we were running on a narrow catwalk of a rock stage. Indescribable. And when we finally rounded the bend onto Placa D'Espanya and saw the real finish line - yes, another marathon was done and I could get marathon medal number 10 around my neck. I also managed what became the goal along the way, to come in under 3.30. That feeling. I love it!
I was so satisfied and happy. I cheered inside, and at the finish I could celebrate with Ine, and eventually we met the other marathon runners - fit Nina, Kine, Tanja and her friends. It was absolutely raw! Which we enjoyed.
And yes – it eventually became a cava celebration in the sun, and a delicious long-awaited dinner in the evening. An absolutely wonderful celebration!
What did I eat during the race? I have started sticking to Maurten gels. I consume gel just before the drinking station at 10, 20 and 30 km. I also have gel if I need around 35-36 km, but this time I stocked up on the energy drink at the stations after 35 km. I also take a sip of coke if it's offered towards the end. Small prize for yourself. They didn't have that in Barcelona. I have completely stopped eating bananas and bars. I spend too much energy chewing and getting it down.
Which shoes did I run in? Adidas Adios Pro 3. My sunny favourites. Never in my entire life had better running shoes.
I have bought and paid for both the Maurten and Adidas shoes myself, but happily advertise these products which contribute to an even better running experience for me.
Wondering where to start the running season in 2024? Go to Barcelona 😊
