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Talkback: Physio Clinic: Marathon taper
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I have a question. Could you please tell me the common cure for walking during a marathon race.
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Why are you walking ? Gone out too fast ? Run out of energy ? Cramped up ? Not used to the distance ? Ipod run out ?
I dont know what the cause of the problem is, this is the first time I ever experience something like this, I guess I lot my mojo.
Cramped Quads and then calf spasm on the ground to get streched out
I tapered for 3 weeks...
I ran the Bonn marathon on Sunday and was never out of breath, HR never above 165, did 1st half in 1:47 then completly imploded at 33k mark started walk / run strategy; was hydrated / taking gels / energy, my walks became longer in time than my runs etc then guts it out for last 3km walk / run and then finished 3:59 but not out of breath but physically my quads felt like glass shards inside them and was waddling, painful every step, some forums (similar cases to me) say it must have been my core failing (i did no core work) and then i may have an overstep hence more pronounced / bad biomechanics, am 82 kilos 5 ft 10 inches solid build (not runners build!) and am strong on 10kms runs (under 45 mins etc)
I was shocked as thought i was going to run out of breath but instead i ran out of legs...i reckon i would have got a 1:35 half marathon time and was like i am trained for half marathon....maybe not enough long hard miles (longest run was only 16 miles)
Any advice would be appreciated and i think i need to see a sport physio to get a check up on style etc
Check out Jeff Galloway's Marathon book. (I have it on Kindle) There are many great stories of runners doing speedy marathons, (under 3 hours) breaking long standing PBs etc with starting to take regular walk breaks, with negative splits and loads of energy left. Don't think of walking as giving in, but getting it strategically right (ie early enough) that in the last 8 miles you are speeding up not slowing down and feeling bad!
I'm with Jeff, walking is getting to be about macho, (both female and male!) not about optimising all the strategies at your disposal to run as quick as you can.
Reply to Ali Gates - I'm no expert but I am completing my 9th marathon on Sunday (hopefully), i'd suggest you have already figured it out. In my mind it's the long runs, they weren't long enough. The last 6 miles can be bad enough and the experts seem to advise on getting one or two 20 milers in the bank. Your time was solid and under 4hrs, they reckon most runners will add on at least 20 minutes once they have multiplied their first 13 miles by 2!