We’re leaving together
But still it’s farewell
And maybe well come back
To earth, who can tell?
I guess there is no one to blame
We’re leaving ground
Will things ever be the same again?
It’s the final countdown
Europe there, with some of the worst lyrics ever written. But with their penchant for pink lycra and big hair, the band’s look is strangely appropriate to my forthcoming marathon.
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Forgive me brethren, it’s two weeks since my last confession.
I’ve reached taper time in inglorious fashion, first skipping my 14-mile step-back long run, and then a truly horrible 20 miler that stopped 0.4 miles short.
Week 14, and the 14 miles were scheduled for Sunday night, to round off the chaos of Luke’s birthday party. But I was really drained, and felt that it would be a bridge too far. With a 20-miler scheduled for the Friday night, I didn’t feel that postponing till Monday was an option, so for the first time in the campaign, the sacred long run was dropped.
The Week 15 20-miler, the last truly long run of the campaign, was mapped out as 4 x 4.9 miles plus a 0.6 mile micro-lap, to tip the scales over the 20. The first two laps felt OK, although even after 10 miles I could see that my pace was slipping. Well before 15 miles were up, I was reduced to a pitiful shuffle; the last lap contained a few walk breaks, and the final 0.6 was thrown out without a second thought. 19.6 miles completed at a very disappointing 4:14 marathon pace.
Now, I know long runs aren’t meant to be done at race pace. But I’ve been consistently clocking them around 3:57 pace, only a couple of minutes outside my target finish time. I haven’t been working to achieve this pace; I’ve been running at a comfortable pace and that’s been the result -- which of course has been hugely encouraging for a sub-4 marathon. So on the face of it, it’s not a terrible result, but it was the nature of the capitulation that was the cause for concern: it wasn’t the legs, it wasn’t the heart and lungs, I just ground to a halt.
I can point the finger at various culprits:
- lack of carbs: I just nibbled half-heartedly at a few fruit jellies, rather than the steady and controlled injection of carbs that is, in my experience, needed to avoid glycogen depletion.
- over-confidence: after successive comfortable long runs, I was feeling that a sub-4 finish was as good as in the bag.
- overall, the training campaign has been very successful: I was probably due a random bad ‘un.
- and of course it was two weeks since my previous long run, which wouldn’t have helped.
So here we are in Week 16 of 18, the first taper week (12 mile long run). The lessons learnt are:
- carb replenishment is VERY important, don’t neglect it (a new box of gels arrived over the weekend)
- sub 4 hours is by no means in the bag -- stay focused for the remaining 19 days
- there’s little I can do to improve now. Good eating, and in bed by 10.30 as often as possible, would help
- don’t skip any of the remaining runs -- but don’t overtrain!
In fashion news, the wig has arrived, and the tutu is roughly constructed. I need another stab at it, then I might share the full horror with you. I’ve come to the realization that I’m going to have to road test this bloody thing; leaving it till the day won’t suffice.
Maybe I’ll have to forgo one of those early nights so I can go out around midnight…
April 2009 The Final Countdown
