February Fighting Fit?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I arrived in Adelaide last Friday morning in the middle of a heat wave, with daily maximums around 42 - 43 degrees C and overnight lows in the 30s (one night was a record 39 degrees, the highest minimum ever recorded). It wasn't until 10 pm last night (Monday night) that the temperature finally dipped below 30 degrees C. A cool easterly kicked in around sundown bringing cooler air down from the hills. When the temperature dipped down to 29 degrees at about 10pm I changed into my running gear and hit the streets: bliss!

It was a fab run - I felt good from the outset and felt strong and smooth the whole way. Even the 2.3km hill from the 6km mark didn't trouble me much. In earlier times when I ran these roads regularly, this hill was a bit of a nemesis, an enemy out to kill all enthusiasm for this running nonsense, but on this occasion it was more of an old friend.

In the end a sedate but very solid 10.5km in 67 minutes, and in these conditions I'm happy with that.

Earlier in the day I also did 30 minutes swimming in the pool so I'm keeping up the cross-training even if I'm not getting in as much running as I entirely need.

I'm still puzzling over how to fit in all the training I need to cover before the April 19 race, but I am slowly getting there I think. If I can just get my long runs up to 20km fairly soon, I think a couple of 30km runs in the last few weeks will see me through. As I'm only aiming to finish the thing rather than set a time per se, I'm still hopeful of being OK on the day.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

It's undoubtedly true also that we are all facing a significant year. Some things, such as the global financial crisis hit us all more or less equally. Other things such as climate change affect us all, but perhaps in different ways. The recent heatwaves here have yielded ferocious bushfires, unsurprising in one sense, yet devastatingly shocking in their savagery, given this is a country well used to them and very well prepared for such catastrophes.

As I write, 130 people have been confirmed dead in this week's fires, and the photos and videos show just how incredibly different the world's climate now is. Ferocious firestorms hurtling across flat terrain like flamethrowers faster than you can drive, and tornados of flame spawned by hellish storms of fire generating their own lightning have all been well documented, at considerable cost to the people on the scene. I work for the government broadcaster here and we came close to losing two journalists and a technician to the fires. A now retired newsreader and his wife both did perish in the flames.

Every year we experience terrible bushfires, but this is like nothing ever seen before. We're talking about communities who know and understand bushfires - where to lose one or two lives to carelessness or extreme bad luck may be expected, but no more than that. For 130 people to die in a well prepared state with properly equipped and highly skilled personnel just beggars belief.

I honestly don't know what else to say.

Unbelievable.

[El Gordo]

Ah, I just referred to this in another message before I'd seen this. Yes, the pictures look truly shocking. The fact that it's fire makes it even worse somehow. The thought of being consumed by flames without warning, is terrifying.

Like you, I feel speechless about it.

[Antonio247]

I´ve seen the images on TV. It must have been terrible. I´m very glad you are safe, MLCM. When I watched the news on TV, I thought about you and your family because some fires must have been near where you live now.

All the best

Antonio

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Not too many weeks now to the Canberra marathon on April 19, and my training hangs in the balance. At best I'm getting out twice a week, but my long run (such as today) is no more than 15km, which is not enough. I do have a couple of options further out than April 19 should Canberra fall through, but it's a race I'd really like to run, so I'm not quite giving up just yet.

Actually, today's 15km really wasn't too bad, so if I can ramp up the long 'un fairly soon to 20 - 25km I may still be OK. But two runs per week really isn't cutting it I'm afraid. Still, there's 9 weeks to go and I'm still quite fit aerobically, so maybe it'll be OK on the day.

The weather here is phenomenally weird. Terrible bushfires to the south (still burning - 181 confirmed dead so far with many people missing presumed dead), and terrible floods to the north. Here in Sydney we've been inundated with several days of soaking rain, but nothing too severe. Not good running weather however, so today's run was done on the treadmill.

I do think though that I could probably run better if I had one of those spiffing RC running vests... you listening Sweder?

And remind me to keep my running shoes away from this guy... why do you suppose he does this?

[El Gordo]

Not too many weeks now to the Canberra marathon on April 19, and my training hangs in the balance.

You and me both, MLCM. But I am not giving up, and nor are you. If I'm going to mess up my mind and body over the next 9 weeks, at the very minimum I can demand that someone plods alongside to share the burden.

My race is a day after yours. Yes, I had a decent run-up to my training, through Novmber and December, but it's gone wrong since Christmas, and now it's time to make a decision. I've made mine -- I'm doing Boston. I just need to plan a path between here and there. I'm having to rethink my schedule over the next 9 weeks. Will let you know the plan later, and see how it compares with yours.

Hang on in there.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

You and me both, MLCM. But I am not giving up, and nor are you. If I'm going to mess up my mind and body over the next 9 weeks, at the very minimum I can demand that someone plods alongside to share the burden.

My race is a day after yours. Yes, I had a decent run-up to my training, through Novmber and December, but it's gone wrong since Christmas, and now it's time to make a decision. I've made mine -- I'm doing Boston. I just need to plan a path between here and there. I'm having to rethink my schedule over the next 9 weeks. Will let you know the plan later, and see how it compares with yours.

Hang on in there.

Indeed, and now I have extra incentive with two support crew volunteering their efforts for me on race day, in the form of Mrs MLCM and #1 MLCM Jr.

So.... deep breath.... in we plunge.

[marathondan]

Great effort both of you. You may not end up with quite the race you imagined four months back, but who does? Best of luck for the next few critical weeks.

And your example will no doubt be worth an extra 10 sec/mile to us London boys and girls the weekend after.

[Sweder]

Great effort both of you. You may not end up with quite the race you imagined four months back, but who does?

Dems wise words MD.
I'd say both these RCers are in for some tough mileage, but also they'll be surprised at what can be achieved with minimal preperation. On the upside low mileage means less injuries, less wear and tear and more rest. Whilst ideally you'd want to be out more than twice a week it is still possible to get round the 26.2 on that. It'll mean a change in raceday strategy - almost certainly more frequent walk/ rest breaks . . . bit it's doable.

I'm backing both to win their respective struggles.
And I'm never wrong. (Don't tell Mrs S I said that :o)

[El Gordo]

Great effort both of you.

That's undeserved for me.

As for Sweder's note -- I'll be getting out more than twice a week. Have had two short runs in the last two days, though their main use was to tell me just how much difference a couple of weeks off makes. I was knackered, and even had to walk for some of the 4th and final mile of yesterday's effort.

As mentioned, we have 9 weeks which (if it stays uninterrupted) should be enough for me to claw back to where I was. I still have high hopes of getting round without killing myself. The disappointment is that my training was going so well pre-Christmas that I was telling myself all sorts of silly things about how I would do in the race. That said, I have 2 consolations -- 1) Because the training did start off well for the month or two before Xmas, I do at least have a base. I've managed about 5 or 6 double-digit runs, so I have something under my belt. And 2) The two gaps that have hampered me were largely beyond my control. I'd have felt gloomier if I'd just lost interest for a while, which is what's happened in the past.

Tonight I'm back to the gym to run some intervals. Tomorrow some general cross training and Wednesday I'm having a go at a 7 or 8 mile tempo-ish run. Then an attempted long run at the weekend. By then, I'll have a good idea of where I am.

I've given myself a target, and have entered the Finchley 20 on March 15. That gives me 4 weeks to work up to 20. If I can do that I'll be happy.

[marathondan]

That's undeserved for me.

I was looking for a quick riposte to your modesty, but for some reason only inappropriate comments came to mind:

"You've talked the talk, now show you can walk the walk." Um no, not really what we want to see.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Hmm, could be some undesirable connotations in there as well.

Anyway, I believe the fighting talk is worthy of praise, and the resulting display of guts (there I go again) will be all the more so.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Anyway, I believe the fighting talk is worthy of praise, and the resulting display of guts (there I go again) will be all the more so.

Not sure it's quite as gutsy as your effort with the tutu though mate!

[El Gordo]

I was looking for a quick riposte to your modesty, but for some reason only inappropriate comments came to mind:

"You've talked the talk, now show you can walk the walk." Um no, not really what we want to see.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Hmm, could be some undesirable connotations in there as well.

Anyway, I believe the fighting talk is worthy of praise, and the resulting display of guts (there I go again) will be all the more so.

Thanks for the encouragement, Dan.

I'm reasonably pleased with progress. I did manage the intervals and x-training and 7 miler, as planned. The intervals and 7 miler didn't have quite the intensity I might have expected a few weeks ago, but no matter. I was happy that they took place at all. It's important just to get back into the routine again, and the 7 miles was much stronger than Sunday's effort. It's good to be able to see progress so quickly. Had a rest day today, so may try my long run tomorrow -- depends on work. Failing that, I'll aim to get out and do something at least, if only for 40 minutes or so.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well if I can just steal my thread back for a moment...

10km kayak today in lieu of intervals (old friend came in from out of town and wanted to go kayaking, so I did cross training instead today).

House renovating tomorrow, then 20km on Sunday.

OK, you can have my thread back now EG.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A good day today, with a half marathon completed and a further 10km of kayaking, just to round the day out.

My scheduled run was 20km, but it's hard to do 20 and not push on that little bit further for the 21.1km half marathon distance, which I duly did. Not a rapid time, but a steady training pace, and I was able to semi-sprint the last kilometre, so not such bad form really.

After a well-earned carbo-rich lunch, #1 son persuaded me onto the water for more gratuitous torture in the form of a 10km kayak outing - made all the more difficult by us getting the tides exactly wrong, thus ensuring we had an outgoing tide to fight on the way upriver and an incoming flood tide battling us on the way back downriver. At least it's all good cross training.

I was thinking however at the end of my run how I'd react if I was told to go out and immediately do it again. Could I run the full distance? How will I feel on race day when I hit that half-way point knowing I've got to do it all again AND that it includes the dreaded glycogen-depleted last 10km? And can I do it inside the cut-off time of 5 hours? All these thoughts gang up on me, but the simple truth is that despite a very disrupted and minimalist training schedule I'm travelling well; and I've still got 8 weeks before race day and I'm injury-free. This has therefore got to be the best shot I've had yet at the full marathon distance.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty good about things right now. Stay tuned, MLCM-watchers.

[El Gordo]

I was thinking however at the end of my run how I'd react if I was told to go out and immediately do it again. Could I run the full distance? How will I feel on race day when I hit that half-way point knowing I've got to do it all again AND that it includes the dreaded glycogen-depleted last 10km?

A frequently asked question, but here is my stock answer: When you set off to do 10km, you start with your 10km head on. For a half marathon, you have your half marathon head on, and marathon, your marathon head. It makes all the difference. When you reach the halfway point of any race you know what you still have to do. You don't reach halfway in a marathon feeling the same way as you do when you're finishing a half marathon. You know you still have plenty left to do and your attitude is quite different. You just don't feel as tired either. Weird but true.

Congratulations on a great day's work. 13 miles is good going. I need to get out and try something similar very soon.

[Sweder]

A frequently asked question, but here is my stock answer: When you set off to do 10km, you start with your 10km head on. For a half marathon, you have your half marathon head on, and marathon, your marathon head.

And if you don't yet have a marathon head fear not; for you will grow one during your inaugural race. Start slow, get slower; after half-way push on as and when (if) you feel like it. EG's right, you can't think of it as two halfs, it doesn't work.

Congratulations on a great day's work. 13 miles is good going.

Ditto. Impressive work from a man who, by his own confession, has missed plenty training. Sounds like you're in fine fettle.

[Antonio247]

Well done, MLCM! A half marathon and 10 km in kayak afterwards must be nearly like a marathon.

I haven´t run many marathons, just three and the last one nearly five years ago, but you shouldn´t worry much. As the Chinese more or less say "the longest journey starts with the first step". Once you get started, as you know where the marathon ends, your aim is to be able to run, jog, walk so that you can reach the finish.

Best of luck, MLCM!

[marathondan]

Fabulous work, MLCM. For someone who is struggling to find time to run, you seem to be doing great.

How will I feel on race day when I hit that half-way point knowing I've got to do it all again AND that it includes the dreaded glycogen-depleted last 10km?

Make sure -- as I'm sure you are already doing -- to read up on carb-replenishment during the race. I think most will agree it's the key to avoiding the wall.

[stillwaddler]

when you come to run your marathon, you'll feel just nicely warmed up by the half marathon mark :-) Heed ElG and Sweder's wise words, it's weird what the running brain can accomodate.