Valencia Marathon 2024
PRE-RACE
I’ve not posted an entry on this blog for a long time. I guess it got to a point where I didn’t really feel like sharing my thoughts and running life any more. Partly because the writing inspiration wasn’t there anymore but mostly because I didn’t think I had anything of value to share.
I thought maybe I can bring it back for one last post. One last story. The only running story I feel I can talk about. The story of how I finally managed to fulfil a (running) life long dream; breaking 2h30m for the marathon. I hope you’ve got a bit of time…
The alarm goes off at 5:50am. I am confused as to where I am. I turn the alarm off but it takes me a couple of minutes to realise it’s race day. Our hotel is right in the middle of the city centre and the balcony overlooks a narrow busy street. It’s been far from an ideal night with locals walking and talking loudly as they go from bar to bar until 3am.
The marathon starts at 8:15am, only 2 hours and 25 minutes to get myself ready for the most important race of my life. The first thing I do is make myself a coffee in the room followed by a first toilet visit. Then another coffee followed by an apology for finishing the only two coffee pods we had in the room. I had ruled out the hotel breakfast option the minute I decided to set the alarm that late.
I prepare my bagel with jam whilst flicking through the TV channels looking for some inspiration. I typically like to put on local news and weather there morning of the marathon but this time I don’t want to hear about the weather. I don’t want a single seed of doubt in my head. I settle for a Spanish league basketball game, although I’m hardly watching.
After half a bagel I already feel full. I’ve been proper carb loading since Friday morning and have clearly reached my limit. I force myself to finish the bagel and even manage to squeeze in half a flapjack and a banana. That’s it, I really can’t eat anymore.
I go to the bathroom and make my carb mix drink. Half for now, half to take with me in a soft flask during the first 10k of the race.
I settled on what I’d be wearing for the race only a few days ago. In both Tokyo and Chicago I wore my club vest and shorts. It’s a combination I know well but it doesn’t really lend itself to carrying my race drinks/gels. I always end up having to tuck the gels under my arm warmers which means finishing the race with my arms covered in scratches.
No, for this race I decided to buy and test out some half tights with big pockets. I need to carry 5 gels and a 250ml soft flask. They worked really well in training so I’m very happy with the decision. To go with the half tights I wanted a top I was comfortable with that wasn’t the club vest. In the end I settled for a sleeveless blue Adidas top. It’s a bit thicker than most racing vests but I’ve never had a problem with it. This means no arm warmers in this race. Just another session… The mantra I’ve been repeating to myself since Chicago 7 weeks ago. I’ll come back to that.
The shoes… Well, I decided straight after Chicago that I wanted to race Valencia in a pair of ASICS Metaspeeds. I spent weeks looking for a pair and when I thought I would have to settle for my old NB elites I seemed to catch a bit of good luck by securing not just one pair, but two. One pair of the Edge and one of the Sky. After testing both pairs on a couple of marathon sessions I decided to run on the Edges. Don’t ask me why. They just felt right.
Another trip to the toilet. I take my time showering. I think about Des Linden’s book and how she talks about her thoughts during that pre races shower. So I tell myself a similar thing: “in less than 4 hours you will be here again telling yourself well done, reflecting on a race well executed”.
I get dressed and start sipping on my carb drink. It’s time to go.
I jog down to the start from the hotel. It’s still dark but the streets are filled with life. I come across some locals still on their way home from a very long night but it doesn’t take me long to spot the first runner. And within no time the entire road is full of joggers doing the same thing. The noise of all those running shoes hitting the road is both exciting and calming at the same time. It’s a familiar sound.
The hotel is only about 1.8km from the start, perfect for a little warm up. I have left plenty of time to get myself to the green pen. I am race ready. I don’t need to leave a bag and I’m only wearing a long sleeve on top of my running vest. It’s not cold, or at least I don’t feel cold. Perfect temperature if you ask me. I don’t like it cold.
I get to the first bib check point, I show my green bib and they let me right through. No words spoken. I keep reminding myself it’s just another hard session. Good thing because I’m running in training gear, no fancy race kit. Just me with my soft flask and the best shoes I can afford.
I get to the warm up area and stop my watch. 1.5km already and it’s still 7:30am, still 45 minutes to go. I sit down on the side of the road and try to relax. I hear a familiar voice. I look up and recognise the face. I spend a few minutes chatting which helps pass the time. I sense my voice is trembling from the nerves, it really can’t be from the cold as it’s around 10 degrees Celsius already.
And then I hear the first announcement over the tannoy system. I can’t make out what they’re saying but it’s clear they’ve just opened the starting pen as runners begin to look at each other nervously. I make my way to the start area and find another spot to sit down on the side of the road, this time only meters away from the start mats.
I look around and I find calmness in seeing other runners’ faces. I realise I am possibly one of the runners here with highest number of marathons under my belt. A lot of young faces. A lot of unnecessary movement. I am surprisingly relaxed.
Maybe it’s the familiarity of the race, the city and language. Maybe it’s age and experience. Maybe it’s just confidence in the training I’ve completed over the past few months, I can’t really be sure why but I feel underwhelmed when the music starts to play with only minutes to go. My heart rate feels the lowest it’s ever been.
I do some light stretches whilst I take my first gel. Only 5 minutes left. I’m in touching distance of the plastic strip preventing us from joining the elite women. I take a caffeine chewing gum when the national anthem is playing, discard my long sleeve top over the heads of other runners and suddenly a lot of movement… They’ve just removed the barrier in front of us and everyone’s running to position themselves amongst the elite women. It’s happening!! Here we go…
THE RACE
The starting gun is not a starting gun, I know we’re off because the people next to me are moving. It takes me about 3 seconds to cross the starting mat. I start my Garmin and try not to step on other people. It’s absolute carnage!
Scenes from a zombie apocalypse movie. People running for their life! I kind of knew this would happen. I guess knowing about it doesn’t really prepare you for being able to manage the situation. I try to stay calm and stay on my racing line but it doesn’t really help, lots of bodies keep running past me and crossing in front of me looking for gaps where there are none. I’ve never experienced anything like this.
I try to remain calm, look at my watch and it’s saying the pace is 3:50/km, I really can’t believe it. First bit of decision making already, stick or twist!
I decide to stick. It will open up, I’m sure. First kilometre in 3:42/km. About 7 seconds slower already than intended.
I had discussed this with my coach only a few days earlier. “Don’t worry about losing time early on, you will make it up in the second half”. I remember Chicago and how it was a similar start, not as frantic and busy as this but I still had to deal with the situation.
At least some gaps appear and I can stretch my legs a bit. It feels ok. I get to a pace closer to what I think the effort should feel like. The average is still not right but at this point I’ve decided to ignore pace and focus on managing the gaps in front of me whilst conserving as much energy as possible. I convince myself the first 5km split is going to be slow. My race plan is for that first 5km to be around 17:55. It feels like forever to get to that first timing mat. I feel good but I’m a little uncomfortable with so many runners around me. I don’t feel like I’m running my own race yet.
5km — 17:58 (3:36/km)
I’m pleased with that. Just about bang on what I was hoping for. The wide road is still absolutely rammed. It’s insane to see so many runners at that pace.
At around kilometre 6 I realise I have not been drinking from the soft flask. The plan is to drink the 250ml by km 10, I’m already behind! I reach onto the back pocket of the half tights, get the flask out and take a small sip. The flavour of the sugary drink transports me immediately to my training runs. Although the drink itself is not that nice, right now it’s having a calming and comforting effect. Good.
I hear a familiar voice shouting my name. It’s a good feeling. I raise my arm to to acknowledge it (still holding my soft flask) and keep focus.
I think about how the first 20km should be an absolute breeze. I do an internal check and the sense is that I’m not really free flowing. I’m having to work for the pace. Although I’m prepared for this I don’t like how the effort is translating into a very modest and dangerously slow pace if I’m serious about breaking 2h30m.
Again I decide to take it as it is and not force the pace. I need to be patient. Easier said than done when the second 5km mat is nowhere to be seen at the time I was hoping for. My Garmin has been giving me a pace of 3:34/km but still no 10km mark.
10k 35:58 / 5km — 18:00 (3:36/km)
I’m still not panicking but I’m not happy about the difference between effort and pace. I thought I was doing 3:34/km but the GPS has clocked the 5km split 40 metres before the timing mat. I do some quick calculations and realise I’m already 8 seconds behind the intended time at the 10k mark. This is 8 seconds on top of the 20 seconds I am hoping to make up in the second half. 28 seconds in total so far to make up in the second half of the race. Hmmm… I don’t feel good about this.
I’m still drinking from the soft flask. I finally finish it at km 12 where I discard it by throwing it on to the pavement. I have ignored the two water stations so far. I feel that I will need to start taking on some water from now on.
The roads are still very busy although some groups are starting to form. I will take a gel in another 3km so I switch off for a bit. Until I hear the same voice again. I try to signal whilst conserving as much energy as possible. It’s really comforting hearing a loved one shouting my name. It really helps me relax. I think it’s come at a really good time since for the first time I start thinking about how many kilometres I’ve got left to run. Just about under 30km. Very doable. I tell myself I need to get to the last 3x5km + 2.2km as intact as possible.
15km 53:51 / 5km — 17:53 (3:35/km)
This time I’ve gained 2 seconds. I think that I need to start picking up the pace slightly but in not really feeling it just yet. I’m still trying to get the pace to feel right for the effort. I take my first gel and that seems to have a good reaction almost immediately. I start enjoying myself a little bit more.
I now realise I’m feeling more in control of the pace and in fact I seem to be leading a rather large group of runners. I look back and see a long line of runners just following my strides. I signal to the guy just behind me to come and run next to me instead. He quickly moves and we start running side by side. The rhythm is now feeling a lot more natural. We go through a water station and the runner next to me grabs a bottle and offers me some. I happily sit on the middle of the road, accept the bottle, take a couple of sips and return it before he takes a final swig and throws it over a parked car on the side of the road.
I start counting the kilometres before getting to the final 5km split of the first half. I really can’t wait to get to km 20. I’m really close to my 3x5km + 2.2km.
This is a mental technique I used in Chicago and it worked really well where a big chunk of distance is broken down into manageable blocks, so kilometre 20 (22.2km to go) becomes 5k to go before a session of 3x5km and almost ignoring the final 2.2km as I don’t see myself not finishing at that point. And 3x5km is definitely doable and very not scary! It’s a Norman Park session where I would do the first set slightly slower and then make up the time in sets 2 and 3. Just about under an hour of running. Easy!
That seems to work. I am able to stay in the moment and get to kilometre 20 feeling positive.
20km 01:11:46 / 5km — 17:55 (3:35/km)
I take a second gel immediately after crossing the 20km mat. I am switched on. I think about what time I will be running the half in, I know it’s going to be slower than I had planned. I entertain myself doing the mental calculations before getting to the half way point. I see the clock in the distance and speed up a bit just to get me there a couple of seconds quicker. Great… The clock is not working! I am manually splitting every 5k but now I want to know my half marathon time. I change the screen on the Garmin before running over the mat and hitting the lap button again… 01:15:41!!
It’s a pleasant surprise. I expected to be closer to 1h16m. I think about it for a bit longer and for the first time in the race I get a bit anxious. I have a big job ahead of me! I don’t think about what that half marathon time might mean in terms of trying to go sub 2h30m, I just know I’m going to have to work hard the second half. I only think about running and forget about target times.
Going through those thoughts and mental calculations means I’m very close to the 25km mark. That’s the point of no return. That’s when I need to start making up time and go for the final 15km (still neglecting the final 2.2km) of my life.
25km 01:29:41 / 5km — 17:55 (3:35/km)
The race starts! Kilometre 25!! The 5k splits so far have been slower than I really wanted but I am not allowing myself to stress about it. All I need to do now is start picking it up. The race plan calls for a 17:45 split (GPS 3:32/km and 3:33/km real pace).
I have my 3rd gel and as I move to discard the plastic I realise there’s this female elite athlete next to me who seems to be running effortlessly with a beautiful style and cadence. I decide to stay on her shoulder for a bit and make the most of not having to work any harder than I need to. For the entire 5k split she is metronomical about her pace. It’s clear we have picked it up big time. I am now really working. I have gone from averaging around 3:35/km to a more demanding 3:30/km.
I am aware that it is the first 5km of my final 3x5km and that I can’t use all my reserves this early but unfortunately I don’t have much choice. I have been rather conservative in the first 25 kilometres and it is time to start pushing. And so I push. I stay with this little group until I notice I have kept on pushing and now I am on my own. I am having a great moment, the pace is strong, I feel good and I’m approaching 30km. I am riding a proper runner’s high wave.
And as I approach the km 30 mark I hear Kate shouting: “YOU’RE DOING IT!!” I look up, clench my fist and make strong movement with my arm. I am doing it. The time is now. I can’t have any weakness from now on.
30km 01:47:13 / 5km — 17:32 (3:30/km)
I am still going strong. I take my 4th gel like clockwork. My watch, now on a new 5km lap is showing me 3:28/km for the first 2 km. I am flying! I am barely noticing the course’s only uphill inclines. I am too much into my groove to notice.
And at the 33 km mark, I hear Emma and Olivia who are with my parents and sister on the side of the road. I signal to them that all is good and that I feel great. I turn right just before kilometre 34 and it hits me… What goes up must come down. I start noticing the efforts. I am having a bit of a wobble. I’m finding it hard to stay at the crazy pace I’d been doing and decide to relax a bit. I still have a full 5km split to complete plus the 2.2km I did not want to think about. It’s too early for celebrations.
I start thinking about my last split and how I must have made up a big chunk of time. By my quick and confused calculations the sub 2:30 is possible but I am still playing catch up. As I settle into a more manageable pace, around 3:31/km-3:32/km. I tell myself to maintain for a bit, no need to get too ambitious too soon.
35km 02:05:00 / 5km — 17:47 (3:33/km)
I take a bit of a mental hit when I see the 5k split on my watch. I wanted to make up a bit more time but managed to drop 2 seconds from the 5k average needed for sub 2:30 (17:45 for the 5k).
I have one final 5km to run. I take my last gel and decide that this has to be it. Just a parkrun to go (plus the 2.2km we don’t speak of). I need to get to 40k. That is my only job. The plan was always to average 3:30/km or faster in this split. I realise I will need to go faster.
km 36–3:28/km; I mean business. I leave my feelings a side and just push as hard as my body will let me considering I have to complete a 5k. I notice the downhill has started. Ever so gradual but I can tell.
km 37–3:29/km; The effort feels manageable but my right hamstring starts hurting. About time! Welcome to the party!! I genuinely was waiting for this so it does not come as a surprise. I want to get to 40k. That is where the hotel is and from there it’s down all the way to the finish. I am familiar with that street, parallel to the river bed. Just make it to 40k!!
km 38–3:27/km; I am fully committed to this. I look at my watch and I like what I see. I feel horrible but I think I can maintain this effort and the pace is good. Just don’t get slower, I tell myself. Keep this going for as long as you can!
km 39–3:30/km; I am struggling. I’m finding very hard to maintain the pace. It is time to get help. I think about the girls. About all the sacrifices we’ve made as a family to give me a shot at this. I think about Kate and I think about my sister and the strength they both have had to show over the last few months. Surely I can ignore the pain I push on. What pain!!??
km 40–3:28/km; I have made it to km 40! I am finally where I need to be. Where the last 14 months have led me to. Only 2.2km to go!!
My body is now really hurting. Back, hips, shoulders… Every part of my body is working harder than ever. At this point I realise I don’t know what time I am in for. I decide to look at my total time when I get to 40.2km so I can hopefully do some easy calculations. I check my watch and it reads 2 hours and 23 minutes. I need to complete the final 2km in under 3:30/km. For a moment I get confused and think that I still have the final 195 meters to run on top of the 2km I have just calculated. I panic. I am not going to make it!! 200 meters is about 40 seconds, I am going to miss out by half a minute!
I try to move my body forward as fast as possible. I increase my cadence and try to use the downhill, now more prominent. I am overtaking runners like they’re walking. Actually, they are walking! Some have stopped, some are cramping… It’s an absolute blood bath. A true battle!
41km — 3:25/km; One kilometre to go!!! I don’t understand how my body is running so fast. It doesn’t feel that way. It feels like I am jogging. I want to move faster but I can’t. The pain is unreal. Just keep going!!
800 meters to go; Two laps of the track. I forget the watch and focus on maintaining effort. I want the suffering to stop. I bargain with myself not to run another marathon ever. Just run for the last 800 meters and you can stop running for months if you want!! I am really struggling to keep the pace going.
400 meters to go; I hear Kate shouting on the top of her voice. She is screaming at me. It’s only 400 meters! And then it hits me… How bad do I want this? Do I want to miss out by 2 seconds and regret it forever? No!! I am doing this! Here and now! I lengthen my stride and give it everything I’ve got.
I get on the blue carpet as it bends to the left and it reveals the magical clock.
I can see it in the distance… 02:29:05… 02:29:06…02:29:07… OMG I’m going to make it!! I keep pushing as hard as I can but the clock doesn’t seem to get any closer. What is happening!!?? How far is the finish line? Why am I not there yet??? I am not going to make it!!!! Push push push push!!!! Collapse at the line if you have to!!!
The final 100 meters are the longest 100m of my life! The clock is now showing 02:29:39… 02:29:40… I think I’m going to make it!!! I am rocking side to side, it’s not pretty! I am using every part of my body to generate as much power as possible.
02:29:44…02:29:45…02:29:46…02:29:47…02:29:48… 02:29:49!!!!!!!!!
69 second lap! 2:55/km for the last 400 meters.
I cross the finish line and I can’t stop running. The legs won’t let me. The finish area is busier than a London tube platform on a Monday morning. Where do all these people come from!?
I look at my watch and it reads 02:29:47!!! I have done it!!!
Valencia Marathon 2024 Chip Time 02:29:46
