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Sub 3h15
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It looks like London haven't cancelled my place, I'd have been in blue wave 1.
Ticked along this week with sports massages Monday and today. Work has been manic and home stuff so not had much time.
All packed and ready for the off in the morning. Weather conditions look good still.
If you're staying there for a bit I recommend the River Spree boat tour on the Monday. A good way to see Berlin on knackered legs, and they sell beer on board!
Just the minimum 4m commute home here, been coughing a lot again and the mucus has got into my stomach and upset it a bit. Still got a week to improve further, probably won't get to 100%, but we'll see. It's an uncontrollable, just got to see how i feel at 1/2 way and adjust accordingly.
A rather stressful journey as my flight to frankfurt was delayed 70 mins so landed with 45 mins to take off to Berlin.
Thanks to brexit I wasn't able yo use the biometric passport machine so joined the non EU queue. Turns out there was a separate EU queue and anyone who popped into that queue had complete priority over non EU. Good through 15 mins before flight. A mad sprint across the terminals got me there just in time.
Just back from dinner and broke form by having a beer, just needed to take edge off. In bed now just in time to catch end of footy. Can have a good lie in tomorrow then slowly make way to expo.
Sbd, I hope you are well?
Thanks for the tips, ouch ouch. Will defo bring toilet roll!
Final run of any significance today. 13 chatty miles with a mate that came out at 7.38 pace. Nerve issues a little worse but that will hopefully improve with exercises and stretching during the week.
Just a couple of short and easy spin- overs during the week and that's me cooked.
No idea where that came from , the course and weather were favourable as proven by kipchoge, but first 5k in 20.10 and it not feeling very easy left me worried. The pen situation was mad. Pen b was supposed to be 2.40-2.50. I joined the middle of it and was jammed so tight I couldn't move then the sub 3 pacers came in right at the front. Took me 5m to pass them then after, it all just unfolded favourably.
Might have some time tomorrow to write a report, before we have allvthe London reports.
Hope you're recovering well and basking in shiny new PB glory. Must be interesting knowing you have another on Sunday? I'm sure OO can give you some tips after his back-to-back heroics last year.
Off to the Expo later, get it out of the way. Won't be buying much, if any, merch as I expect some bargains to come up on the Sportsshoes website quicker than usual what with London happening again so soon.
The Berlin marathon has been something I had been trying to run since 2017, missing out 3 times in the ballot, then having a charity place in 2020 to be cancelled for covid of course, then eventually with the passage of time to age 45, a GFA place.
The training went well and I no doubt benefitted from two spring marathons. It became apparent that we were going to luck in with the weather, which was the biggest concern and when you have the world record holder publicly saying he was hoping for a pb then you know it’s fast.
My journey to Berlin was rather stressful having opted for the connecting flight out of Frankfurt. I was delayed over an hour leaving Brum and landed in Frankfurt with 45 mins to spare. Ended up sprinting across the terminal to make it. I eventually made my hotel at 8.30 and had a dinner reservation for 9.30, so quick shower and out. Decided to take the edge off with a pilsner over dinner then back for an early night.
Saturday was spent at the expo and a casual wander around the finish area, just getting an idea of the last 1k, then an afternoon in bed. Saturday night was the usual anxious and disturbed sleep then down for an early breakfast.
My stand out observation for Berlin over London was the truly international feel of things. Huge groups of Americans in particular all in Boston jackets, but also Mexicans and Argentinians etc. And they were all obsessed with the souvenir kit, in particular the race jacket.
I followed the crowd from the tube to the start and it was a pretty long walk around the park. The weather was perfect. So still, overcast with the odd break and cool. I made my way to the start line and sat on the periphery as I was an hour before the start. About 25 mins before, I applied my foot cream, chafing cream etc then needed the toilet. Following the comment by Ouch ouch I had toilet roll and wet wipes so just went into the woods. It was somewhat bizarre with people kneeling down everywhere, without shame doing their business. In fact I shared my wet wipes with a guy trying to use a leaf!
I then walk the 25 metres back to the start line and it’s about 9am and it’s suddenly carnage, queueing to access the pen. I eventually get in, in the middle section and can’t move. There’s no prospect of me making it further forward. Pen B was for 2.42-2.59 runners, so guess what happened, the sub 3 pacers joined the pen right at the very front! Surely they needed to be at the back or the front of pen c, where the aspiring sub 3 runners who needed them would be.
9.15 and we were off, taking about 1.40 to cross the line. Initially there was reasonable space then after 1k there was a big roundabout and the left and right starts merged and there were now 4 sub 3 pacers in front of me!! I struggled with the early pace, it just would not come comfortably despite running down a long straight road. However I’d done my research and I have never run an opening mile in a marathon faster than 6.34mm. Not being my first rodeo, I had prepared myself to be patient and let it come as the same thing happens every marathon and trying to force the pace or let doubt creep in are not the way forwards.
Mile 1 popped up in 6.31mm so not too bad, but of course I am chasing a bigger number than previously. The first 4m were spent dodging people, eventually passing a the sub 3 pacers in mile 5. To my surprise mile 2 popped up at 6.20, then 6.21 and 6.20 so average pace was coming down. The course just kept going with long flat straight roads and not knowing Berlin I cannot provide any touristy analysis of where I was, it was just roads.
There was then a marked difference in my space from mile 5 onwards and I was able to spend huge periods of the race on the blue line, albeit I was still eating up runners and I just longed to get to a point where there were runners at my pace. The water stations were chaotic, largely because water was given in cups so there was a degree of throwing it at your face and hoping some went in. At mile 7 I hadn’t realised that at the end of the station they were giving out maurtens drink. I didn’t need a drink at this point so grabbed a large cup and tipped it over my head with somewhat regrettable consequences! It could have been worse, I could have grabbed a cup of tea which was also routinely available!
I had discussed with Lewis pre race about 5k splits and he said as long as I am 19.30-19.59 I am in the zone. First 5k split in 20.10 therefore was annoying, however I knew I could make it up.
There was a change in pace from mile 5 due to the new found space with 6.14, 6.13, 6.10 (slight panic now I’m performing a schoolboy error), 6.20 (just in case!) going though 10k in 39.58, pulling me back in to the right zone.
My head was now focused on the halfway split, which we discussed as being around 83.30. A 6.16, 6.16, 6.10, 6.11 and 6.09 got me through in 83.40. OK, so to get anything out of the day I need a big 2nd half. I’m chasing 3 times all in a very narrow margin (sub 2.45, 2.46.07 (club v45 record) and 2.47.08 (pb)) and I am on for none right now!
I was however in cruise mode now, comfortable at 6.10 pace. The roads kept coming, long straight and flat and I was beginning to find myself with others at a similar pace. I was just working to 5k points now and counting down the 1k markers (which I quite liked as they kept appearing and being ticked off every few minutes). In a sense of vanity I knew people would be watching the tracker and what they’d see was my 5k times so I was determined to keep that data solid.
I kept rolling on and feeling at a consistent level of effort posting a 6.13, 6.12, 6.08 and a 6.07. I had a wobble at mile 18, things suddenly felt quite laboured and I was feeling drained. I had missed the previous water station as people were in the way and luckily another at this time popped up so I made sure I grabbed a cup at the start of the station and another at the end and that I got plenty down me. This made an immediate impact and despite this I was enthused when mile 18 popped up at 6.07.
At this point, almost like someone was trying to help me out, we turned a corner and the course took a quite apparent downhill. Not a big hill but a long straight continuing decline and it was just what I needed. Lets just sit at 6.10 here and take the less effort….nope 5.58 for mile 19. Please don’t get greedy and cock this up, there’s still 10k to go! However once you get in that rhythm it’s hard to stop.
The course seemed to continue interspersing flat long roads with some long gentle downhills and I was lapping it up now. Through 20m in 6.08 and that was my queue to let go. The crowd support was picking up and the field had thinned significantly so I had a clear blue line run. The next few miles just flew by with a 5.58, 5.58 and a 5.55. By this point my average pace was faster than my overall average pace for London and I was going through the km markers with my gps much closer to actual distance.
This was now just about managing out the last few miles, I didn’t even need to run faster than 6.20 to get my goal. The last few miles has you back into the central area and at this point the sun came out. It was hurting now and my left hamstring was tightening, nothing of concern but my rhythm was harder to maintain. It was 1 mile at a time just trying to stay under average pace and getting to the 40k marker in tact.
A 6.03 and a 6.02 for miles 24 and 25 took me through 40k and I was only measuring 400m over on my watch, in contrast to the 26.90m in London. I was trying to do some maths but it was futile at this stage, I just had to keep pedalling as we zigzagged around the centre hoping each time we turned a corner it would be the road with the Brandenburg gate. We pass 41k and we still haven’t made the left turn. Having walked the road the day before, through the gate to the finish I begin to panic as it seems I’ve more do than I thought.
Finally we make the left, I feel like I am just shuffling now, mile 26 comes in at 6.12, I’m relatively pleased as it’s not as slow as it feels. The gate is like a mirage on the horizon, it just doesn’t seem to get closer. Suddenly we are under it and I know it’s a gentle downhill for the last few hundred metres so I just keep moving, waiting to release the sprint finish that I normally make after that final right on the Mall. I can see the clock ticking through 2.45.xx, I know I have chip time on my side but don’t look at my watch as I can do anything about it yet, eventually I judge that I am close enough to go, look at my watch and see it on 2.43.xx and I know there’s no more than 200m and I’ve got the legs to sprint (relatively) so the stress levels reduce considerably, I know I am soon to be a sub 2.45 guy so I relax and enjoy the run in, posting 6.06mm for the final 0.6m on my gps for 2.44.32. The 80.52 second half would be my 4th fastest half.
I was buzzing and at the same time borderline emotional about it all! I managed to get myself to the massage tables before any real queue developed and had a pretty decent 10 ish min free massage, then grabbed 2 of the alcohol free beers and sat on the grass in the sunshine.
I then headed to the u bahn and as I arrived at my stop (which was 120m from my hotel and a road I had walked several times a day since arriving inc that morning) I was somewhat surprised to see the marathon running up it as the 4.15 paver went by. I asked a marshal and she told me it was pretty much the 35k point. I don’t understand how I never noticed it in the race!
I went back to my room and had a shower, stretch and a massage ( I took my massage gun) and my recovery drinks all with one eye on Chester this weekend then headed out for beers. By the station was a currywurst stand that I had promised myself one of them as soon post mara as I could, so I stood there in the sunshine with a wurst, a beer in my finishers t shirt and medal watching the race go by. Then headed back towards the gate and met a mate and we sat in a café just down from the gate watching the race end, including the sweeper buses slowly edging closer to a group as the final 1k went on.
I haven’t felt I’ve been able to train quite bang on this year, starting with the hamstring tear in January. With foreign holidays in February, June and August, plus recovering from Milton Keynes, plus an illness in March and covid mid-May, I’ve felt like I have been back pedalling all year. I go away for half-term in 4 weeks then after that my next holiday is when I travel to Boston to run a marathon so feel (injury and illness permitting) this could be a really promising 5-6 month block.
That said I had 4 targets this year being a parkrun win, 80% wava, England masters vest and a sub 2.45 mara and all have been met so I can’t complain.
Just don't try 3 in a row though 😆
6 soggy miles this morning. Definitely an autumnal run!
Got an easy 5 miler in on Tuesday where I threw in 7 x 20 sec strides to keep sharpness. Hamstrings sore all the way. Had a good massage on Monday and the physio gave me some good exercises to do this week. Also doing stretches specific to the injury areas every day and will do a final short shake-out tomorrow.
I turn v55 today so only need a 3.20 on Sunday!
Got my number last night. Very disappointing Expo. Old NB merch from last year rebadged but still as expensive, some regular stands not present. Didn't stay for long.
Breaking my old no beer in marathon week rule again tonight and will sink a couple as we go out for my birthday. I did the same last year and I got a PB on the Sunday. If it ain't broke...
Happy birthday Dawg, enjoy those beers. Defo too far away from Sunday to be an issue.
Ouch ouch, yes that long run up to it then out the otherside is quite iconic. I think it's important to remain focus and with the plan in a mara. A Ill disciplined few miles in the first half can ruin it all!
Tr, yes I might look elsewhere. I've no chance I think with valencia as that falls around my wife's birthday and she won't entertain a birthday weekend away dominated by marathons.
As for Sunday, had sports massage this morning and run earlier felt OK. Lewis wants me to go out at 7mm and let the body decide from there, but just to go there and enjoy it like I did Manchester, a free hit with no expectations. I dont think mentally I could face going full tilt again, I'll be pleased if I can run 2.55ish.
Good luck to OO and G-D for Sunday - conditions looking pretty good.
I still have a London number waiting to be collected from the Expo but won't be making the trip. It's been a bit up and down for me since May. After managing a 68 mile week at the end of August including a 13 mile long run I half fancied my chances of making it to the start line and trying for the GFA time but I didn't quite have enough time. So just focusing on building back the fitness for Manchester next year.