So... no long run is complete without a recovery run the following day in my opinion. So whilst it was great to do the 21 miler on Saturday, it was equally important (as far as I'm concerned), to make sure I did a 7 miler on Sunday. I so didn't want to. Not because I couldnt, but because I couldnt be arsed. You feel pretty chuffed with yourself when you've done a good run like I did on the Saturday, and going for another one on the Sunday is just plain stupid in most people's eyes... but out I went for my usual 7 mile loop around Balmain at a very steady pace. I went round in 60 mins, which on a normal day I would have been horrified at, but it was a nice even steady pace, which equates to roughly 8min 32sec miles... so all in all not bad. Plus I even managed to do the last 2 miles doing intervals. Admittedly not at full tilt like I normally would, but it's a good sign that I can alternate my pace like that in the final 2 miles of a recovery run the day after a 21 miler.
So all in, a shade under 54 miles for last week, so nearly hitting peak milage. I've now got 7 weeks of intense training to go before the big one on April 11th. I've got another 52 mile week planned this week, with a 17 miler on Saturday as the long run, before I'm having a lighter week the week after (around 30 miles). Then it's five weeks of going for it. I'm alternating my long runs every other week like I mentioned before. So one week 20+ miles for the long run, then the next week the long run will be at 17 miles, and so on... so all in, 3 more 20+ miles, peaking at 23 miles I think for the longest run... the last 3 miles will be pure dogged determination me thinks for the actual race!
This kind of pattern I think I'll keep for the next 6 months leading up to October, and then it's ramping up time for the final six months leading to March 09. When I got back from the long run on Saturday, I actually broke out in hysterics because I realised that whilst I'd done 21 miles, this is essentially what I'll be doing everyday for 6 days, with a full backpack on, and another 20 degrees of heat throuwn in for good measure. I'm really happy with my progress to date, but there's an awful long way to go.
It also makes me wonder what it is I'm looking for from this race. Initially I was purely after a finish, make sure I complete. And to be honest this has to be the goal first and foremost. However I think I also went into this a little blind in terms of the amount of training that I had to do, or to put it correctly, the amount of training that I would be doing. If I'm honest, when I first started training, never in a million years did I think I'd be training at the level I am right now. I honestly thought that I'd probably peak at around 50-60 miles a week, but then I had the mentality of 'just finishing'. Whilst I always remind myself that this has to be the be all and end all, part of me wants to make sure I do this to the best of my ability. And I'd be lying if I said that I didnt want to finish top 300/top 250. I'm a competitive little sod, and seeing how others have trained (Lloyd that includes you!), has really pushed me on harder than I thought I would do - so it's all really positive. However, I dont know how realistic a top 250 place is. For instance I had a very good friend do this last year. He's a 3hr 15min marathon runner and he finished 399, a great achievement, but I want better. Yet I hear other stories of what we would regard as normal people like you and I, who finish top 150. It's strange and I guess there are loads of factors to consider, like the heat, how I will react to that, will I get blisters (something I seem to escape at the moment), and all sorts of things. However I have to stay focused on finishing this damn thing first and not get ahead of myself. I think the best lesson to learn initially is to respect the desert and what its capable of, then when you've sussed it out, that's the time to see if you can push it further. I read an account of one guy who was a top 50 runner first 3 days, and then suffered from a 'mysterious bug'. Morelike he ran too hard too soon and suffered through heat exhaustion I think... so you always have to respect the desert. Anyway's far too much ramblings from me...
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2 comments:
Wouldnt use me as inspiration...
The position thing in the MdS is quite interesting. A few days ago I had a look at the top 10 MdS UK runners and tried to find whether any are on the UK Marathon Rankings list over the last 3 years. There are about 1,500 people ranked each year and to be ranked you have to run sub 3hrs. I was surpised to see that only a couple of people each year were on the rankings list, but there did seem to be a very rough correlation with marathon time and MdS position. Of course there are loads of reasons why most of the top ranked runners are not on the list - e.g. triathletes, other sports, different training strategy - but I also suspect that many were not quick enough to beat the 3hr mark as the best runners ranked well inside the top 50 were only running 2.50 ish.
As for the Ahansel brothers I had a look at their marathon time from New York in 2000. To be honest their times considering their reputation were nothing spectacular. Lahcen Ahansel did 2.34 from memory and Mohammed Ahansel did 2.26. The former time would only rank him 60th in the UK (so still bloody quick and a damn sight faster than me, but not international time) whilst Mohammed would be around 11th so is borderline national standard. The major caveat is that I'm sure a cold winters day on road is about as foreign to them as the sahara is to us! Interesting none the less.
As a result I wonder whether you might be able to go one better than top 250 - I wonder whether sometimes you dont think you are as good as you really are? The main issue for me I think will be the state of my feet - I agree the best tactic is first and foremost to complete, position comes second. I've got this feeling that my feel are going to get destroyed...
As for my mara, everyone at work is down with a cold, if I miss it all it'll be a bloody miracle!
It's cetainly a tough one Lloyd. There are so many things to consider when doing this and yes feet is the biggest thing. I dont suffer from blisters at all, I'm amazed if the truth be told. I may get a little hotspot once I've changed trainers, but that's it. But I do also have very hard feet too, and this worries me. I've actually started to moisturise my feet every night now, and will do this every night until race day in an attempt to soften them up, because I've heard of so many people who go through there entire training without any blisters and then bang! Race day comes and the feet fall apart.
As for the times, again they are interesting. I read a blog of a guy who was a 3:15 marathon runner and he suffered badly in the mds, came in the 500's or something. And I think the reality of all this really hit home after my 21 miler on Saturday... I was literally in hysterics thinking... "now go and do that 6 days on the trot, but double one of the days! Add 20 degrees and 5more kgs" That's when you think, Jesus... But it's all a learning curve and one step at a time. I guess I have the added bonus of being able to train in some sort of heat. For me, training in 20 degrees is nothing now, but it's very tempting to look at all the rankings and stuff and see what might be!
Interesting on the Ahansel brothers marathon time though, I would have thought they'd be up in the 2:15's... but then again, they are ultra runners. Lance Armstrong ran the New York marathon a few years ago and didnt break 3hrs, missed it by a couple of mins, and he used to be a decent runner... so I dont think there is much of a correlation... what will be will be... but yeah, I'm secretly hoping for a 250... but I caveat that on with the ability to throw that out of the window on day one :
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