Marathon training is generally a long endeavour. The recommended minimum amount of time is usually 16-20 weeks with 3-5 runs per week, and includes running up to 32km in one hit. I did none of that.
Signing up for a marathon wasn’t on the agenda this year but then I listened to some David Goggins books (Can’t Hurt Me and Never Finished – if you haven’t read or listened to them DO IT!!!), and had conversations on Instagram with some people and realised, why the hell not? Why shouldn’t I run a marathon this year?
I couldn’t find a good enough reason not to, so I said, ‘why the hell not?’ and signed up.
Running a marathon is no laughing matter. It’s 42.2km. On your feet, heart rate up, pounding the pavement, pushing through stitches, cramps, muscle aches, joint niggles, self-doubt, boredom, broken toenails, chafing, and fear. Who wants to go through all that?
You bet I do.
Because in between all that there are the more powerful and important consequences – joy, euphoria, accomplishment, discipline, happiness, strength, inner power, and so much more.
My Marathon Training Recap
My marathon training took a less conventional road this time around. I’m older and hopefully a little bit wiser. I was definitely more aware of the risk of sustaining and injury and not being able to run the marathon at all. I even had nightmares I didn’t make the race in time. Yikes!
At the start of the year I wasn’t even thinking of running the marathon. I hadn’t run regularly for years, just on and off, here and there. A piss poor effort on my part but sometimes life happens and priorities shift. In hindsight I should have stopped making excuses earlier.
January and February were mostly about getting back into regular fitness. Walking, weight training, a bit of running, a few swims, and some indoor cycling.
It was in these two months that I noticed a change in my body composition by doing two to three 20 minute weight training sessions.
Thanks to my trustee Garmin Fenix 6s, that last six months leading to the marathon looked like this:
Run: 21.9km (Jan), 34.1km (Feb), 50.6km (Mar), 52km (Apr), 83.8km (May), 92.9km (Jun)
Cycle: 36.3km, 0km, 126.7km, 146.4km, 156.3km, 97.8km
Swim: 1km, 1.075km, 0km, 1.325km, 2.95km, 0km
Walk: 20.9km, 34.9km, 18.3km, 4.5km, 5km
Weights/Yoga: 3.02hrs, 6.35hrs, 1.29hrs, 3.44hrs, 3.05hrs, 1.47hrs
So as you can see, running wise, there was nothing incredible about the mileage. What business did I have signing up for a marathon? I like a challenge.
I figured, I could get by with cross training. Cycling, swimming, walking and weights or yoga. I’m older, so the risk of injury is higher, and if I get injured recovery time is likely to be longer. So with cross training, I’m still building endurance and strength while minimising the risk of injury – at least that’s my theory.
Something surprising happened though. I signed up for the Mother’s Day Classic (8km) and the GC30 Main Beach (15km) and my pace was faster than I could have hoped for. Both runs I finished between 10-20% faster than anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. Could my cross training had something to do with the outcomes?
I don’t know. I can only assume that is the case.
Tomorrow, I’m testing it out at the 2023 GC Marathon.
What are my GC Marathon 2023 goals?
It’s impossible for me to enter a race without a goal. I thrive on the numbers and competing against my personal best. When I run, I want to improve in various ways, whether it’s finishing faster, quicker recovery, a negative split or maintaining a pace for a longer time.
I’ve run the GC Marathon two times before (2011 – 4:04:53 and 2012 – 4:20:05). Since then, I’ve been running on and off, I’ve done a few triathlons including a 70.3 Ironman, have had two kids, and reached the 40+ age category.
This year I’m aiming for:
- Crossing the finish line of the 42.2km… feeling good.
- Finishing in sub-4hr (or at least beat my Garmin prediction of 4:07:25)
- Maintaining a 5:30-5:40 pace for the majority of the marathon (the last 12km is unpredictable territory!)
- Having fun and enjoying every moment, even the painful ones!
Do you run marathons? How do you train?
