How Do I Shave 30 Minutes Off My Marathon Time?

Ok, the first Marathon challenge is over and it's time to look to the future. Given my eventual goal to run the Six Foot Track I need to work towards an improved Marathon time (their cut off is 4:20)......I would be grateful for any more experienced long distance runners to give me any advice they can....

Should i run longer distances?
Include speed training ?
Lose abit more weight?

Any advice welcome?

Canberra Marathon Race Report: Laughs, Tears and Success

Yes, its done, my first Marathon completed with my two incredible partners Gabby and Christine. After 4 months of hard training and many long runs we finally crossed the finish line in the nations capital.

We all went down to Canberra with seven kids in tow between us and partners and started the process by carbing up in beautiful Manuka, home of the cafe before a restless nights sleep. I had a pretty weird dream where the whole group of us got washed away by a Tsunami and i was left stranded on top of a rock while everyone else drowned, so even though i didn't feel nervous i obviously was freaking out in my subconscious!

We woke to a freezing 10C day and downpouring rain that lasted the whole run.

The first loop was 11kms of chatting and even fun, where generally talked about the wierd people in the crowd and had a laugh (including onereally nice guy thought he had run 24kms when the sign read 8) and one very annoying support woman on a bike who took her job WAYYYY too seriously, handing out neurofen to her friends (which is highly dangerous).

The next loop of 16 kms was also pretty relaxed, we held on to a 6.5 pace, slowed down by my 6 visits into the bushes ( I had overloaded on fluid for a cold day)...I even got to piss right on Capitol Hill!

After the second loop we started to split up and five kms later (32kms) things started to really become challenging...no more fun..no more talking.....we entered gradually over the next 2-3kms into our own private hell......this is where it becomes a solitary sport

At km 38 I started cramping in my calves, stretched a few times but NEVER walked.....perhaps trudging at an 8min/km pace is really what was happening...

At km 40 things became even more intense and I simply put one foot in front of the other like a zombie....its hard to describe the feeling 500 metres from the finish when i heard all of our families cheering...I confess to crying quite uncontrollably at this point..

Then just when you think crossing the line will bring relief you realise the pain sets in..along with beautiful blue lips from running in the rain..

Then it dawned on me what I'd done and more emotion when the medal is placed around my neck..this time happiness

Thankyou Gabby and Christine for being such fantastic partners....this is a bond that only suffering together and discovering our abilities can create!!!!

Here's Gabby finishing

...and Christine

Now to plan the next one!!!!!

Shoe Porn

Some people sit on the net looking at real porn my hobby has gradually become looking at shoes, specifically trail running shoes..it's incredible how beautiful they are to look at...like this..

or this...

this..

See what I mean.......the most frustrating thing is the fact that trail shoes seem virtually impossible to buy down under...at least when your Size 13 Wide and an overpronator...I nearly had some through the net on Eastbay but chickened out at the last minute becuase i really wanted to try some on....

Back to looking.

When Tapering....Shop!

Taper week this week for the Canberra marathon, a process i really dont like much as i focus in on all my niggles and generally miss running like it's been months....it really makes you think what you'd be like if you were seriously injured and couldnt run again....bereft...I have a friend who this happened to and she still cant run after six months

Rather than succumb to the blues Ive taken to online shopping and have managed to score some great purchases on Eastbay for virtually nothing.....here's what i got..

Trail shoes....my current ones are more for fastpacking and too stiff..


Some arm-thingies to stay warm....



Some compression tights......shiny blue..



Shorts red....



Head torch...


All up I spent $150.00.....the shoes alone would have cost $260 if i'd bought them locally...thank God for the excahgne rate at above parity at the moment.....it's almost as exciting as running!

Thinking Way Ahead

Quick log, for my own sake really, thinking about plans for the long term is occupying my mind, just firming them up abit....cant get anywhere unless its implanted in my frontal lobes

2011

9 April Canberra Marathon finish

Training: Night bush running

Training: Long runs under 6mins per km

7 August: Jabaluni 26km trail finish

19 September Sydney Marathon Under 420 (six min kms)

2012

9 April 2012 Canberra Marathon Under 420

18 June Coastal Classic 29kms

23 August Mt Wilson to Bilpin 35kms

27 November Glenbrook Trail 42kms

2013

Six Foot Track Ultra 45kms

Post-Marathon Planning

One week to go to the Marathon and I'm planning what to do after, as a way of taking a little pressure off the big one and making sure there is no post-Marathon anti-climax...

The next challenge will be the Jabulani Challenge, a 26km trail run around the bush in Northern Sydney, a charity event for South African Schools, also offering a marathon size run...

Im almost as excited about this as the marathon, given my ultimate dream is to run the Six-Foot Track 45km race in the Blue Mountains..this is a perfect stepping stone...

Also in May I will walk the Six-Foot track and camp with the boys..a friend has done this many times and will be interesting to see the gradient on the second half...this time we'll take Scotch though to keep us warm in our tents...

One of the problems will be training in the bush for the Jabulani, will need a head lamp given its dark morning and night thru winter

Something else to strive for should be just the remedy for the post-Marathon wind-down...a cople of weeks slow and then back to training for this and also later the September Sydney Marathon...

Feelin' Alright: Ten Days To Go

Wow, after four months training its only ten days left til my first Marathon in Canberra....over 500km run in training, 48 gym workouts, 10 swims, plenty of carb loads and it's all finally coming to a head....

The good news is my ankle problems have all been resolved, not even a niggle for four weeks and Im feeling pretty strong at the moment...

The next few days will involve a few ten km runs and core workouts, then one very small run with a complete seven day taper next week.....then my family and my two partner's families are off for the weekend to Canberra, staying in Manuka 1km from the start line and 500m from the best cafe strip in the city!

Wet Dreams

Me and my two Marathon training partners did 34kms last night while the rain came down in torrents....massive puddles, soggy shoes, cars splashing showers...the weather cleared after 17kms or so leaving us with some wet feet blisters but it meant we stayed cool the whole time and much less in need of litres and litres of drink...

Im amazed by the fact that no matter how far we go it's always the last five kms that hurt...Km 17-28 were actually the best, I felt really strong and confident and the fear of the Marathon was really knocked on the head.....one of the problems is our route has hills right at the end which really test you when the rest is flat and your in uncharted territory....

This morning I weigh 1.5kgs less than the day before....legs doing Ok..only normal pain, no niggles..now I get on a flight for a week of work in New Zealand

Eat Sleep Run?

One of my biggest challenges in preparing for my first Marathon has been sleep....Ive done every training run, lost a few kg's, changed my diet, done my core training but Im still getting only 6 hours of sleep a night.Im pretty sure on my last long run i actually drifted off while running in the last five kms....

In Running Times there's a great article on how important sleep is:

Studies specifically linking sleep deprivation with performance in endurance events are scarce, but in one of them, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, researchers found that a period of decreased sleep lasting only a few days interfered with glucose metabolism and raised levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress that may interfere with athletic recovery at high serum concentrations. The study suggests that glycogen synthesis is impaired during periods of reduced sleep, meaning an athlete in these conditions is operating with less than a "full tank" and may "bonk" earlier than a well-rested

Last night i woke as per normal at 430, knowing i am doing my 34 longest run this avo and dreaded the idea of only getting 5 and a half hours but thankfully drifted off again.....thank goodness..I wonder how I'll go the night of the Marathon? Any hints?

Suffering on the Streets?

With four weeks to go until my first Marathon (Canberra) I am wondering just how much suffering will be involved on the actual day...so far we have done a max 30km long run and while the last five kms hurt i wouldnt say we really suffered...we do 34 this weekend and i feel pretty good about it..the last five k's of the longs runs has hurt but the only bad experience was when we tried to run 30kms in 32C and konked out at 24kms due to dehydration

Will there be mental anguish? If so, Ive read that it's better to focus on external dissociation than internal...looking around you, running to the next tree, talking to your partners, rather than focus on a mantra or switch on the music.....I plan to test this on the 43 coming up this weekend..