“I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we’re all cowards”. Alberto Salazar.
Running, being in general an individual sport, means that things can be
quite lonely. Compared to other sports I have played, e.g. rugby, I find from
time-to-time I have a certain yearning to share the highs as well as lows of
what my training has been like or how a certain race went. This is probably the
reason for this blog, is that I like to share what I have been through even if
it only helps one other person in their running journey; but also to record how
I felt at a particular time or what I have learnt from training. In this post what
I am beginning to understand is that tapering is as much a mental battle to
believe in the goals you have set yourself for the marathon, as well as being a
chance to look at what you have achieved through training and how you will run
the race you have prepared for.
Like anybody else tapering my mileage has become drastically reduced
and has led to quite a strange feeling of emptiness. Where each day during my
training I had to prepare for some sort of running activity, this is now been
replaced with stretching or non-running activities. My response to this has
been to become quite nostalgic. Have started looking back at old photos of
races I have done and even after visiting an old race website –the Swanbourne Endeavour-
to find some photos I did not know about. At the moment I feel like I am caught
between all the training I have done and the approaching physical storm of the
marathon.
My mind is reflecting on how I am feeling at the moment- that I suppose
is no surprise really- swinging back and forth between the sheer terror of
pushing myself at a pace that I have never done before to the excitement of the
challenge ahead. It may sound silly but I am trying meditation to keep myself calm,
physically relaxed and in a positive state. For some reason I keep imagining
myself finishing Brighton in under 3 hours with a time of 2hrs and 57 minutes,
even though I have not matched my pace per mile to that time. I think somewhere
deep down I have an idea that there will be some Rocky style ending (the
first Rocky mind you), but I know I just have to focus on the best I can give
on the day. It may sound child-like but, I cling to that image/ending to keep
me going through this tapering week.
Besides daydreaming about how I will do at Brighton Marathon, I have
tried to be as honest as possible with myself about how I will do on the day. I
have reviewed my last 20 mile race and half marathon; both were personal bests
and could place me under the 3 hour mark for the marathon. Though I know I am
doing these calculations in the luxury of my chair and not in the hard last six
miles of the marathon, where I know this goal will be won or lost. Have been
weighing up whether I should write a letter to myself about doing the marathon
in less than 3 hours. I think I will
save that for my next serious marathon attempt, as this feels like a letter to
myself already.
Looking back on all the training I have been doing, I know within my
heart that I have the ability to finish in under 3 hours; my determination, my preparation
for this race and the ability to pace myself well throughout my last two
marathons. This gives me the confidence to go out there and attempt this time.
I know what my race strategy will be; start off at a 06:50 minutes per mile for
the first half of the race and then review this at mile 13. If I am still
feeling okay, keep going but if not then back off; once I get to between miles
18 -20 I should have a rough idea of where I will finish and how much energy I
have got left in the tank. Then I can decide if I can go for it. What I
definitely do know is that within the time I joined the club I did everything I
possibly could to train for the goal I have set myself. See you on the other side.
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