Now not a total beginner. Did my first marathon in Berlin 2011. Looking forward to 2012 with more races lined up!
Berlin Marathon 2011
Berlin was fantastic!. Stayed for a week with the race in the middle. Spent much of the time before the race thinking about it and prepping. And the excitement and the build-up gave the whole trip it’s special atmosphere. Not to forget the post race soreness and staggering, but of course with great satisfaction.
The expo was also a thing to experience. This is at the old Berlin Tempelhof airport. A huge sales venue is packet there. Picked up the race materials in a neat bag. Therein a number, chip, a couple of useful things, a sponge, a timing bracelet to keep track of your splits, a couple of samples for powerbar energy products and the rest was a heap of ad-brochures.
On raceday I was up at around 6 in the morning, the race started at 9. Fast shower, light breakfast, an egg, vitamins in water, a couple of small yogurts, banana, with of course a hugely nervous stomach. Taped my legs with the kinesio and put on the gear.
I had a minor injury in the weeks before the race, that I suspect was a touch of IT band syndrome. I had completely stopped running the last 10-12 days before the race and was nervous that it would reoccur during the race like it did in my last long runs in the tapering period. Do deal with it I used Kinesio tape to give support.
The gear was from bottom up: Adidas adizero adios shoes (with about 500 km/300 mi on them ) ehhm. Falke socks (really good those) Micoach stride censor on the right foot and the timing-chip on the left. New Balance shorts. Gore running short sleeve and a nike running singlet over with the number pinned to. I chose to have two shirts on because of the cold morning and then I would have the possibility to toss one if it got to hot later on. I had a pouch around my waist with my iphone and my micoach pacer. I only took my phone with me to be able to rondezvous with my family afterwards. Inside also were a couple of patches for the feet. Also around my waist was a belt for 8 gels. (Torq gels, pretty happy with those!) Last I had a nike cap on my head.
Outside it was dawn, still dark but the streets totally empty. On my walk to the u-bahn (the underground system) I soon started to see other people with the same white and blue plastic-bag over their shoulder. It was exciting! People emerging from everywhere and collecting in the underground to take the train to Alexanderplatz. There I changed trains. The train was full of people going to the starting line although some were obviously going home from a long night partying. Got of the train at Friedrichstraße with a large stream of people heading towards the Reichstag were the starting-area was. There you met a gateway with a check-point were you showed your race number. Inside the area people were everywhere, changing and getting ready. I got my change of clothes stored away and headed towards the my starting block, H.
‘H’ is the last starting-block. It’s for newcomers and previous marathoners with times above 4h if I remember correctly. This was my first marathon so. The race was started at 9 with Haile Gebrselassie and Patrick Makau and other elite runners at the front. About 25 minutes later I stepped over the starting line and my chip started counting. The race started off well and I was running a starting pace of about 4:14 min/km. and aiming at finishing in 4h:00m. So my strategy was to run a positiv splits from 4:14/km and to 5:42/km gradually slowing during the race. I took it easy and was cautious because I worried that my knees would start to hurt. Luckily my knees never really bothered me during race. At one time I took a painkiller(paracetamol) when I felt a discomfort building up but otherwise it was a relatively smooth sailing. I engulfed all of my gels as well as energy drinks at the water stations, though mostly water. Always took two cups, one I drank and the other I flushed into my cap and down my back. The weather was cold in the morning, but as soon as the sun was high in the sky it got pretty hot and it was always a relief to get some water on you face or run under the water hoses in the last stretch of the race. This race is a 42km parade. It was huge fun to be a part of. There is not a single gap in the people cheering along the course. And I remember countless bands playing live music.
I finished in 4h:09m:10s
I have learned a lot from my first marathon experience. First, I think the training should not be underestimated. You really get the results of what you put in it from the start. I had periodically slacked at times and I can say that I could maybe have done a little better in the race. But as a first marathon I’m not that hard on myself. Other things were that I over-did/thought things a bit. I had too much clothes on, too much gear. I could easily have lived without my gels, my phone, my pouch all together, one of two short shirts that I had on. The water/energy stations are plentiful to keep you alive, to have 8 gels strapped to you is a little too much.
But I must state that this has been an overall the years best experience. And got me hooked. I have two more marathones lined up for 2012, Copenhagen in May and Berlin again next fall.
129 days to go.
Hey people.
Back full speed after a couple of slow weeks.
Got some more High5 powder mix again, Had been surviving on random homemade energy and day to day gels. That resulted rather limited recovery and it did’t help with keeping up the running-rhythm either.
On the gear front.. My hunger for trying new shoes is growing. I was trying hard to get my hands on a pair of New Balance Minimus trail shoes. But unfortunately they won’t be available in europe until late summer at first. So I directed my attention to (the next big thing, or?) the Vibram Fivefingers KSO. I’ve had my eyes on those strange shoes for a long time, very intrigued. So a week ago I decided to go and try them on for the first time. Surprised by how incredibly light and snug they felt test-running on the treadmill, I ended up taking those home with me.
Haven’t had the Adidas on since, not that I’m planing on deserting them. But these Fivefingers are very exciting to move in. Taking it easy though, been taking some short 15 min runs in them this week and sunday I took them on a hour long-run. They make you feel more agile and sharper on your feet. I surly felt some muscle ache in my calfs after the second run but nothing bad. Could also be the cause of not being active for a couple of weeks. They really let you know when you stride out of pose because they don’t come any closer to running barefoot; meaning landing on your fore/mid foot.
Other than shoes, I bought a hydration belt from Nathan Sports called Speed II. Tried it out today for the first time. Can’t complain. Wasn’t a long run though so it haven’t been but to the test yet. Pretty good quality materials and looks like it’s will have a long lasting life. Pocket just big enough for the iPhone (though I seldom run with the phone anymore), but fine for a 3 og 4 gels, keys etc.
150 days to go
Monday long run
distance: 20 km <—> 12.4mi
ave. pace: 5:26 min/km <—> 8:45 min/mi
playlist: Radiolab—->
These past weeks I’ve been skipping a few runs in the middle of the week. Only been doing my long runs. I enjoy them alot. My perception of distance has really begun to shift, 20 km is not as fearsome as it was maybe a couple of months ago. I will gradually go up to 30 km and stop there. After that just improve the pace.
I’m also looking forward to go run in the woods soon. Been looking at some footwear. I’m trying to get my hands on the New Balance Minimus trail shoe. I’m totally sold. Really hard to get though. Been hammering the net for stores that sell them online. Those few that do don’t ship them internationally. They will first arrive in stores here in Denmark early July.
Ran out of energy food to take with me a few weeks back. Improvised with some homemade stuff (Tahini, sirup, honey, salt, water, vanilla-sugar). Works ok while running. Not the greatest taste and zero help with recovery. Going to order more proper stuff soon. Any recommendations?
159 days to go - 11th week of training.
My sunday long ‘got lost’ run.
Ran 19.7 km / 12.2 mi. Ended up taking the bus home. Drew in the route after memory and to my surprise I had gotten very lost. I didn’t expect to be so way down south. Good thing that I didn’t keep on running 10 more minutes like I had considered, I would have ended up by the shoreline. Then I would had been scared!
But overall good. I had with me a homemade energy gels made from Honey, brown sirup, tahini, vanilla-sugar for flavor and some salt and water.
Feeling pretty ok the day after. So looking forward to increase the pace next weekend!
This map shows Copenhagen, Denmark.
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dark line: heart rate
light line: pace
In the Running - Radiolab
A short story from Radiolab, about a woman who takes up running at 28 and becomes a top ultra-marathoner. Big like!!!
167 d.t.g 11th week of training
Long run today.
time: 2h20
distance: 22.8km <——> 14.2 mi
pace ave: 6.08 min/km <——> 9.52min/mi
Sunny, time for shorts. Nice long run besides that my micoach pacer decided to die on me after a couple of minutes (getting more and more annoyed with this adidas micoach setup) Didn’t have a watch so I had to ask people along the way what time it was so I could finish the run on the right time which was supposed to be 1h40m. Overshot it a little. Found out that I had run 22.8 km/14.2mi when I drew in the route afterwards. My longest run to date. Used two gel packs from High5. They kick in real good. After finishing I’m feeling ok, a little sore in my legs but otherwise fine. We’ll see how it will be to wake up tomorrow.
171 d.t.g
time: 45 min
distance: 9.29 km——-5.77 mi
ave.pace: 4:54min/km——-7:53 min/mi
no music.
no fuel
———-?———-
Two of my friends that run each use different setups. One uses Nike+ with his iphone no shoe-insert nor heart monitor. The other has gone from RunKeeper to micoach then to jog-log on the iphone with dailymile account. I myself use micoach with pacer.
What running setup do you guys have?
