Thursday 22 November 2012

Maraton Divina Pastora Valencia


It's done now. My first ever road marathon (mountain marathons are in their own category). And with a decent time too! While reading Helen Palmer's blog about New York marathon about a year ago I got this stupid preoccupation in my head that I'd like to do one too. I was stupid enough to tell Helen about it and so it was soon decided that we would do Divina Pastora Marathon in Valencia. The decision was made long before Jungfrau and I couldn't back off from it even if I wanted to. For those of you who haven't done a marathon but dream about it, I can only tell that do it once but don't try to do it twice within a few months. It can be pretty overwhelming, both physically and emotionally.



After Jungfrau I was really fed up with all marathon training and everything around it. I had no interest in gathering any more tarmac miles and I wouldn't have trained anything if I hadn't got back to trails and saddle. I had a relatively easy marathon program attached to the fridge door but I think I skipped more than half of the trainings. My weekly mileage was everything between 0 and 50. I was just too bored to do any more marathon miles. Instead I did everything I found amusing (like riding my new road bike!) and managed to do only a couple of real marathon trainings. Pace runs are said to be important, so I did one, the Birmingham half marathon. It went quicker than planned but it was an excellent training and mimicked the last half of a marathon due to tired legs from a long ride on the day before. And long runs are equally essential, so I did one long run too. But that's about it. Naturally I had more on my belt from the summer when I trained for the Jungfrau.



So to the race day.. I was feeling humble and slightly horrified but also cheerful. Helen was wonderful company and made me smile. I think that's important. To feel good when you're about to race for 3h or more. Leave the worries behind and try to enjoy it. There are a couple of other things a novice should pay attention to: hydration and nutrition. Do your homework and do a drinking plan. That's quite important. I didn't have one in Jungfrau and suffered therefore more than needed. And train how to drink too. Find out how much you sweat per hour and train how to drink when running. It's not as easy as it sounds. At least for me it's one of the hardest things in marathon. To stay hydrated. It's not easy to drink when running fast if you haven't trained it. So in comparison to Jungfrau my training was shit but otherwise I was much better prepared.



1K - It was very crowded at the start. We were somewhere in the middle of the masses and the first kilometre was quite stressful with lots of accelerations and braking. My first lap was nearer to 5min and I was running together with the 4:30 pacer (4h30min finishing time).

2K - "Don't get stressed, just keep it relaxed" I kept saying to myself as I passed the 4:00 pacer. "Finish is at the end of the race, there's plenty of time, no need to hurry!

3K - I get a glimpse of the 3:45 pacer. At least the hours are right now. There's a bit more room and I can smile again.

5K - Someone shouts my name and I turn to look back. How did he know my name? Only then I remember that it stands on my bib number. It's fantastic to hear the crowds to shout your name.

9K - I am just passing a random runner when she suddenly yells "Hey you, you're English!" Is she talking to me? "Ehm...not really but I do live there" I answer. Weird, how can she know? "I knew it, I've seen you" she says and continues with chatting. I remember Helen saying something about focusing on your race and not to talk with all random English or Finnish runners you may meet. So I wish her good luck, lengthen my stride and leave her behind. Focus, focus..

10K - 42:37. A few minutes ahead of my target but slower than in Jungfrau. It should be good. I take my first sip of sports drink and feel great. Now it's more relaxed and I'm running with people with approximately same pace. It feels mentally great to run just a bit faster than the folks around me. Somewhere here I pass the 3:30 guy.

12K - We've just come to the old town and it looks brilliant. I ingest everything around me and give a high five to a few guys with stilts. Only then I remember Helen warning me about being too enthusiastic and going along with all hype and high fives. Oh no I've done it again (broken another of what-you-are-not-supposed-to-do-when-running-your-first-marathon rules).

15K - 1:04:01. I realize that it's going faster than planned. But I've taken it really easy and feel great. I know I'm supposed to run smart the first two thirds of the race but as far as it goes fast without effort it should be okay. I pass the 3:15 pacer and take my first gel. It's one of those that can be taken without water. It's easy to swallow and it even tastes good. Why didn't I take more of these??

20K - I hear lots of "MUY BIEN RIINA!" and "ANIMA ANIMA!". The last one sounds funny. I have no idea what it means but they keep yelling that a lot. I cannot help but smile every time I hear it. It sounds like "animal" and imagine being a cheetah..

21.1K - Half way in 1:30:00. Oh my, it's 5min too fast and I'm running at 3h pace! A thought of breaking 3h hits me but I try to ignore it. Not possible, don't even think about it! Far too early to start to race! Just keep it relaxed, enjoy the flow and don't start to race before the final 10K!

25K - I'm getting nervous just before the drink station. I'm supposed to swallow this highly concentrated sodium gel that I've picked at 20K. I'm very near to vomit but also quite determined to get it down into my throat. If I fail in this my run will certainly fail at the end. I have to pause for a second to get it down with some water but I succeed. Done, now I can enjoy the next 10K before taking another.

27K - I feel suddenly amazingly good. Music is loud and drums are even louder when we accelerate down towards a tunnel. I had no idea there was a tunnel but it's exciting. I think I experience a marathoner's high somewhere around 27-30K. How can it be this easy?

30K - 2:08:20. I try to do some calculations in my head. It feels I've kept the pace pretty well. How much time I have? Can I still do it? I give myself a few kilometres time to do the maths and a permission to try it when at 32K.

32K - 3h seems perfectly doable. My legs are getting tired but I decide to ignore it and push forward. I'm feeling a lot better than I ever imagined feeling at this phase.

35K - 2:30:09. Elasticity seems gone now and I need to work to keep the pace. This can be suicidal but 7k in half an hour seems fully possible. It's the pace I've been running the last 35k (well, I'm skilfully ignoring a few vital seconds and not quite sure how long the last kilometre is). I swallow another concentrated gel and start to wait for a miracle..

37K - Oh my god, my quads are really killing me now! They've stopped working and running gets complicated. My try to break 3h was totally suicidal. I hope I can run the rest of the race but I'm having my doubts now. It's only 5k left but it's awfully long without working quads. Keep running, this is nothing compared to Jungfrau! (and that's true!)

38K - My first kilometre that takes over 4:30. Pace is definitively dropping now and there's nothing I can do. A few girls who I passed some kilometres ago overtake me. One looks like an Ironman, other is very anorectic. I'm nothing like either of them. They both seem so professional.

40K - The longest kilometre of all. Reality strikes, I know I've missed the magical 3h. I see many runners around me who've missed it too. Many of them plod forward like they had nothing to give anymore. I force myself to continue.

41K - My slowest lap but still under 5min. Okay, I've missed it but it's still going way better than I ever thought. Only 1k to go. It's nothing! Run run run, it's almost over now!!

42K - I feel dead and my legs are in agony but suddenly I see the finish line just in front of me and feel better than ever. I increase my stride, pass the line, and fall into tears. I get very emotional. My finishing time is 3:03:21. I never thought I could run this fast this far! I've totally smashed my target (3:15) and I'm extremely satisfied but it still strikes me: Oh my god, I have to do it again. 3h was so near that I just need to try to break it.

Once you've done it you're hooked, they say, and I start to understand why...