Now then! UNDER two weeks until the start! Damn, now it's really getting close. Now moving into the last phase of the running program - moving into the phase where the profit will be collected. Then up to the exam on Sunday 4 December: 42.2 km in Valencia! Fast censorship, for approx. 3 hours later, I get an answer to what the results of all the training have been!
Had to pull the trigger!
In the previous post, I told you about leg/hamstrings that lugga. I was anxious if I had pulled on a little stretch, or if they were just tired. I had a good break! Took a couple of days off running (did strength training instead), cycled for a short and very easy ride on a roller and then a couple of very short and quiet runs. Worked well. Looked like testing. Put on a pair of good carbon shoes (Nike Vaporfly) and went to Nadderud Stadium to test the legs on a controlled interval. 3000m + 4 x 1000m + 3000m flew by without a squeak here or there! Talk about huge relief! Then I could return to the marathon program again, but with better control of the throttle this time! No time to stumble anymore!
Jessheim winter marathon
The next milestone in the program was a hard long ride on Sunday. We then talk about the trip 3 weeks before the start in Valencia. What could be more perfect than taking part in the Jessheim Winter Marathon on Sunday 13 November. Taking part in a race in preparation for a (more important) race is pure gold. As described last, I signed up for "only" a half marathon, so as not to push my legs too much. We were a big group there from RunAgain - so it was really great!
The plan was to run at marathon speed and rather run a bit longer (eg one more lap, i.e. an extra 10 km). Before the race, I got into a conversation with someone who had run a little before... and apparently had far more merit than the vast majority (including me)... her name was Ingrid K. When Ingrid recommends running the half-marathon "all in" - that it gives better stimuli for the legs and at the same time a better indication of form - yes, I struggled to cough up arguments against it. So that's how it turned out. And very happy with that choice! Ran a perfectly even race of 1:22:20. Good conditions: 0.00 m/s wind and 3-4 degrees. Top track! I knew my legs were a bit stiff in the last 4km, so nothing extra gives me to push on this time. A long way from my best times, but now without any form of peaking and in the middle of a training week. So happy.
The third last week
The following three days were completely calm runs, naturally enough! On Tuesday, there were four of us from RunAgain (Lauren, Marit, Richard and me) who participated in Tuesday training with RunnersWorld at Voldsløkka in Oslo. Marit is a regular blogger there, so she took the rest of us along. It was a nice and pleasant running meeting with us ambassadors, other happy runners and coaches! Will be more like this!
On Thursday, the body was ready for a bigger session again. Out in "my local" 5.1 km hilly round. Run 2 and 2 laps, then 10.2 km long drags. 150 sec break between. The trail starts/stops at the garage, so I have drinks standing there. Ran evenly the first 10.2 km + the first 5.1 of the second stretch (4:25/km), while I increased my speed a bit on the last lap (4:15/km). By running sessions progressively, you train for strong finishes in competitions. BUT, it requires that you don't start the session too hard! Remember: don't leave the session with the taste of blood in your mouth!
The last (and first) big long trip
On Sunday, I was to carry out what was probably the most important training session in this entire 11-week marathon preparation program. The biggest long trip. Since I "lost" two weeks in relation to tired hamstrings, and where two long rides with a pace of 30 and 34 km were actually planned, Sunday's long ride became even more important. It had to be good!!. Here is a brief description of how I planned this session.
Inspired by the long ride that was suggested in the podcast "Breaking Marathon Limits" last week (for Fredrik in his run-up to the Valencia Marathon), I set up a long ride of 36 km there: the first half should be hilly and a little calmer, then the last half flat and gradually up to marathon speed/intensity. One challenge I "had" to solve was how to secure drinks along the way. To run pace with a camelback or drinking belt I don't like. Solution: in my flipbelt I can fit a 2 dl smoothie bottle both in the front and back. Six gels in the side pockets – took one every 5km. Took a RedBull at the start. I put the hilly part of the track as a round trip in my local area so that after 13 km I could stop at the garage to "refuel" (=change for new smoothies). Pour another RedBull. Then ran further down to Lysaker and arrived at Frognerkilen at 19 km. Average pace so far 4:35/km. The next 17 km went at a faster pace along Frognerkilen: 19-30 km at 4:20/km, then 30-35 km at 4:15/km and the last km at 4:10/km. The average was 4:27/km, which is about 90% of marathon speed, and which is often considered a good training pace for marathons. But I was most pleased with the fact that the legs were far from stiff - something I had actually expected! THAT was very uplifting! Didn't run out of nutrients either, and the stomach was top notch, thumbs up! So the session was as good as it could have been!
All in all, these two weeks were very uplifting. This is mainly due to the fact that I was able to prioritize enough calm training in the two weeks beforehand, so that I got my legs in good shape again! So now I'm on track again - it feels great!
Finally, a little about my thoughts about race time and plan for pace in the competition
I have a stated goal of running a sub 2:48:48 marathon, i.e. sub 4:00 min/km. I think it might be tough to take it now on the first try (because if you ignore the three marathons I ran in 2005-2007, I'm a damn much better runner now!). In order not to spoil what could be a good time, I think it is better to start out with a slightly slower speed and rather hope for "2 hours and low 50". Therefore considering an opening speed of 4:05ish, which gives 2:52:18. If I manage to do that, I'll be very happy. That corresponds to this year's half-marathon times'ish x 2 + 10 min.
BUT I also know: with a better peak of form towards Drammen ½ or Copenhagen ½ in September, I would have been closer to (or under) 1:20:00. And with that time as a starting point, I am close to 2:48:48 being within reach anyway. Hmmm... But if I run in 4:05, for example, for 30 km, and it flows "too easily", then it will clearly be far too much time to catch up (2m30s) in order to manage 4:00/km in mean … Thinking, thinking …
For the time being, I have decided that I will not be too greedy this time and rather get a good run to see how I cope with 42.2 km. AND: the most important goal is anyway sub 3 hours! It can easily break if I'm too hot on the porridge and hit the wall both muscularly, nutritionally and in terms of heart rate (fitness) - then many extra minutes of race time will come very quickly! And: maybe 4:05/km is too hot too..., but I'm willing to take that chance! Have good faith that it should work.
It is often wise to take one step at a time. That probably also applies to a marathon!
