Training Summary 7/5/17

Random moment of the week: Some kind soul left a chair by the side of my local track. Every time I pass, it is a reminder of the two options, are you going to run? Or are you going to quit and sit down? It’s great motivation to keep pushing when I’m tired. 

Song of the week: A classic from LL Cool J kept me moving this week (Mama Said Knock You Out) “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years…”

Marathon training overview: Following my half marathon PB, my mind and body were fatigued for a couple of days afterwards. I had a recovery run on Monday, but it was one of those runs where every step felt tired and weighty.

So I took Tuesday off to recharge. It was a stuttering start to resuming training on Wednesday, but once I started it actually turned into a good run.

For double Thursday my legs felt better for the marathon pace run in the morning. It was quicker than my recent half marathon time. I still have a lot of work to do to get closer to my marathon targets but this gave me a good confidence boost as I’ve gone through my fair share of ugly runs in the buildup to this point. In the evening I ran an easy paced recovery run.

Friday to Saturday were fairly standard runs to build my aerobic side, and Sunday was my long run based on the methodology from the Hansons Marathon Method. And post run I’m like Craig David chilling on a Sunday.

So this week (Mon-Sun) I’ve run in seven sessions logging in over 60 miles.

Nutrition: Before I was an ambassador for Science in Sport I used the gels from my early races. And it’s great to have them supporting my nutritional needs today, as I’ve been able to learn more about their sports nutritional range, combined with a balanced diet. 

Post training I’ve found that the Rego recovery and the overnight protein shakes have helped me massively with my recovery for training for the following day.

General thoughts: This week was inspired by Nike’s Breaking 2 hour marathon attempt. Eliud Kipchoge crossed the line first in 2:00:25. It is more than two minutes faster than the standing world record of 2:02:57, set in 2014 by Dennis Kimetto. Kipchoge’s time will not count for record-keeping purposes, one reason is due to pacers utilised throughout the entire race, who formed diamond formation of six interchangeable pacers to shield the three elite runners from wind, which violates IAAF regulations.

In the post race interview Kipchoge was asked how close he was to breaking the record and responded humbly “I was aiming for 1.59, but I’m happy to run two hours…I think the world now is just 25 seconds away.”

Although sub 2 wasn’t achieved, I think the project was a success because the feat was almost achieved, and despite the controlled conditions, no one can deny that the idea of the sub-two-hour marathon is out of the realm of possibility any longer. 

Often limits and barriers hold people back, until someone steps up and shows it can be done. For example when Bannister broke the mile record, countless others followed and broke the 4 min mile target.

This attempt is a great reminder, that perceived barriers may be overcome. Whether that’s an sub 2 hour marathon for the elites, or achieving a good for age marathon for a non elite athlete, or being able to run a set distance for someone starting out.

Whatever your goal, this project has shown the importance of raising your own personal standards and aiming to achieve your own goals.