2012 Virgin London Marathon
Race of the year for everyone, the Olympic marathon trial! The big aim for Daz Man - sub 2.45. Plan B - sub 2.45. Everything else is failure.
...or so I though. The skinny is that I started too fast, held pace, pushed on for a few miles and stumbled in.
The final thought though is that I worked bloody hard to keep things respectable. Once you start too fast there is not a lot you can do about it. Unless you stop for a good while you are not going to get that wasted energy back. I got myself into trouble by 9 miles and switched to Plan B. I felt good up until 10 miles, from there I was desperate to get to half way. From 12 miles I was in trouble and by half way I felt worse than I should have felt at 20. I had been running for 1.20:44 and it felt like a lot longer. the pace ebbed away and the thought of keeping a 7.xx off the scorecard was all that was keeping me going.
By 16 miles I was doing mental maths to break 3 hours. With a 6.59 for mile 21 I knew I was cooked and managed 2 more miles before I briefly stopped to walk for maybe 10/15 secs. Gathered myself to 24 miles still on for a pb and sub 2.50. Then I told myself to forget the race, milk the crowd and enjoy the experience. I airplaned and cupped my ears to the finish winding the crowd up and spraying the charity supporters with water!
So a finish time of 2.50:50 and 563rd place was to show for my efforts BUT I am proud that I kept it together for so long and a mistake that I promise I will NEVER repeat again!
Splits-
1./ 6.06
2./ 6.00
3./ 5.40
5k in 18.21. Started slow at the back of Green pen 1. Once we were clear (400m) pushed on. Was far too fast for the last 3/4 of a mile. 2nd mile at race pace - fine. 3rd mile way to quick for my legs even downhill.
4./ 5.57
5./ 6.04
6./ 6.16
10k in 37.23. Need to relax now. Last 3 miles fine but feel I am working after a fast start.
7./ 6.13
8./ 6.09
9./ 6.15 (driving the train last 2 miles. Tell DC I am on plan B)
10./ 6.10
11./ 6.12 (uphill feels easy but quickly start feeling bad now)
12./ 6.22 (where is that fu*king bridge!!!)
13./ 6.34
Halfway in 1.20:44. Pretty respectable. Doing maths for times now!
14./ 6.22 (surprised so quick as I feel slow)
15./ 6.25 (probs 10 secs slower)
16./ 6.41 (probs 10 secs faster, blue line way out last mile)
17./ 6.44
18./ 6.51 (3 hour pace at 18)
19./ 6.47 (just under 2 hours on the board, see Ian D)
20./ 6.47 - 2.06:xx at 20 miles
21./ 6.59 (pass Steve from Nene Vally)
22./ 7.05 (really struggling here, want to walk)
23./ 7.18 (like running through treacle)
24./ 7.24 (10 seconds walking here)
25./ 7.12 (Going to enjoy last 2 miles! Relax and forget a time)
26.2./ 8.09 (Sub 7 pace last bit!!!)
Few good pints and giggles in the pub afterwards so day not a total disaster!
After thoughts....
After the race I had 'never again', 'pussy', 'idiot' etc. etc. racing around my head. I started too fast, worked too hard to get to pace, drove the train when it was windy at 8 miles. Lots of things I know I shouldn't have done.
But, what does stand out for me was that I never ran a mile slower than 7.24. That shows I have some strength.
Also, I was able to keep going at a string pace (sub 6.30) to 15 miles even after running at tempo pace avge for the first 8/9 miles.
So it wasn't actually terrible all around, I just made some basic mistakes that cost me the 2.43 / 2.44 that I was probably capable of had all gone well.
Will I do another one? Yeah, I am sure I will.
What now? Recover first. Legs actually feel better than ever after a marathon. Still doing the shit myself walk down the stairs but it's only really the quads that are sore. Hammys, hip and calves are all a-o-k.
Have 2 10k's coming up and then Southern league just before my hollbobs. Hopefully be back to decent running by Sunday and nail at least 1 pb before I go.
Looking for an entry into Berlin marathon, if that comes off I may actually stay in marathon mode through summer and improve my training plan. the only thing that was missing was the longer tempos - 18 miles at 6.30 pace - type run.
I'll play from now until 27th May by ear training wise and see how it pans out. Really enjoyed being fit enough to run sub 6.10 pace for 6/8 miles feeling comfy and 5.3x pace tempos so I hope I will be back there soon.
Hope the day went well for everyone else!
...or so I though. The skinny is that I started too fast, held pace, pushed on for a few miles and stumbled in.
The final thought though is that I worked bloody hard to keep things respectable. Once you start too fast there is not a lot you can do about it. Unless you stop for a good while you are not going to get that wasted energy back. I got myself into trouble by 9 miles and switched to Plan B. I felt good up until 10 miles, from there I was desperate to get to half way. From 12 miles I was in trouble and by half way I felt worse than I should have felt at 20. I had been running for 1.20:44 and it felt like a lot longer. the pace ebbed away and the thought of keeping a 7.xx off the scorecard was all that was keeping me going.
By 16 miles I was doing mental maths to break 3 hours. With a 6.59 for mile 21 I knew I was cooked and managed 2 more miles before I briefly stopped to walk for maybe 10/15 secs. Gathered myself to 24 miles still on for a pb and sub 2.50. Then I told myself to forget the race, milk the crowd and enjoy the experience. I airplaned and cupped my ears to the finish winding the crowd up and spraying the charity supporters with water!
So a finish time of 2.50:50 and 563rd place was to show for my efforts BUT I am proud that I kept it together for so long and a mistake that I promise I will NEVER repeat again!
Splits-
1./ 6.06
2./ 6.00
3./ 5.40
5k in 18.21. Started slow at the back of Green pen 1. Once we were clear (400m) pushed on. Was far too fast for the last 3/4 of a mile. 2nd mile at race pace - fine. 3rd mile way to quick for my legs even downhill.
4./ 5.57
5./ 6.04
6./ 6.16
10k in 37.23. Need to relax now. Last 3 miles fine but feel I am working after a fast start.
7./ 6.13
8./ 6.09
9./ 6.15 (driving the train last 2 miles. Tell DC I am on plan B)
10./ 6.10
11./ 6.12 (uphill feels easy but quickly start feeling bad now)
12./ 6.22 (where is that fu*king bridge!!!)
13./ 6.34
Halfway in 1.20:44. Pretty respectable. Doing maths for times now!
14./ 6.22 (surprised so quick as I feel slow)
15./ 6.25 (probs 10 secs slower)
16./ 6.41 (probs 10 secs faster, blue line way out last mile)
17./ 6.44
18./ 6.51 (3 hour pace at 18)
19./ 6.47 (just under 2 hours on the board, see Ian D)
20./ 6.47 - 2.06:xx at 20 miles
21./ 6.59 (pass Steve from Nene Vally)
22./ 7.05 (really struggling here, want to walk)
23./ 7.18 (like running through treacle)
24./ 7.24 (10 seconds walking here)
25./ 7.12 (Going to enjoy last 2 miles! Relax and forget a time)
26.2./ 8.09 (Sub 7 pace last bit!!!)
Few good pints and giggles in the pub afterwards so day not a total disaster!
After thoughts....
After the race I had 'never again', 'pussy', 'idiot' etc. etc. racing around my head. I started too fast, worked too hard to get to pace, drove the train when it was windy at 8 miles. Lots of things I know I shouldn't have done.
But, what does stand out for me was that I never ran a mile slower than 7.24. That shows I have some strength.
Also, I was able to keep going at a string pace (sub 6.30) to 15 miles even after running at tempo pace avge for the first 8/9 miles.
So it wasn't actually terrible all around, I just made some basic mistakes that cost me the 2.43 / 2.44 that I was probably capable of had all gone well.
Will I do another one? Yeah, I am sure I will.
What now? Recover first. Legs actually feel better than ever after a marathon. Still doing the shit myself walk down the stairs but it's only really the quads that are sore. Hammys, hip and calves are all a-o-k.
Have 2 10k's coming up and then Southern league just before my hollbobs. Hopefully be back to decent running by Sunday and nail at least 1 pb before I go.
Looking for an entry into Berlin marathon, if that comes off I may actually stay in marathon mode through summer and improve my training plan. the only thing that was missing was the longer tempos - 18 miles at 6.30 pace - type run.
I'll play from now until 27th May by ear training wise and see how it pans out. Really enjoyed being fit enough to run sub 6.10 pace for 6/8 miles feeling comfy and 5.3x pace tempos so I hope I will be back there soon.
Hope the day went well for everyone else!
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