Tri4Kona2014: Post 76 - The London marathon

After last week’s tough training left me unable to complete a longer turbo session last Saturday, I made it my priority this week to be able to do a good 4-hour turbo on Saturday. This would be my key session for the week. I need to do a couple of 4+ hour bikes in the next few weeks before the 100-mile time trial event in Norfolk on 16th May. So everything else this week was ever-so-slightly toned down to try to make sure that I still had decent legs by Saturday.

Tuesday’s turbo was a “hard” hour, but I kept it under control and wasn’t hanging off the bike by the end. On Wednesday I did a shorter fartlek run. In recent weeks I’d been doing 40-50 minutes, but this week I only did 30 minutes. On Thursday I did some high-wattage intervals on the turbo. Although this sounds tough, I was only maxing out for around 20-30 seconds in every 5 minutes. By “maxing-out”, I mean hitting around 500 watts or so – the wattages still had to be sustainable to repeat these intervals for an hour and a half. For each interval of 30 seconds, I used the first 10 seconds to build gradually and work through the gears. The middle 10 seconds were sustaining the high output, and the final 10 seconds were trying to hold it. So although it was tough, it wasn’t leg-shattering. I didn’t follow either my Tuesday or Thursday turbo sessions with runs, again to try to preserve the legs.

On Friday I did my first “critical swim speed” session of the year. These are tough sessions mentally and physically, based on swimming threshold swim speed intervals with minimal recovery time. For me, my critical swim speed is around 1:30 per 100m, so each 200m interval had to be done in 3 minutes, with 20 seconds of recovery between each of the 10 intervals. Last year, my legs used to cramp up when doing these critical swim speed intervals, I think mostly brought on by pushing off from the walls so hard.

Critical swim speed intervals, based on 1:30 per 100m pace for me

Anyway, the idea is that the intervals are done at even pace. I was able to glance at the timer on the wall during each repetition. The first hundred metres of the first repetition was 1:25, and the overall 200m was 2:55. Too fast. The next couple followed a similar pattern, before I settled into a good pace, but by then the damage had been done and the final couple of repeats were horrible, 10 seconds off pace. Must pace better. I keep saying this and keep trying to pace better in the pool, but still keep starting too fast. Next week…

On Friday evening, mindful of wanting fresh legs for a long turbo the next day, I decided not to do my single-leg turbo drills, and I rested instead. On Saturday, I got set up for a big session in the “pain cave”, with lots of liquid, gels and bars at the ready. I fired up the laptop, and mostly watched snooker (some would say that 4 hours on a turbo trainer with only snooker for company is the worst kind of torture imaginable, but I like the snooker!) I also took in a documentary about Paula Radcliffe, with the London marathon taking place the following day. I was happy to get through the turbo session still feeling strong by the end.

Pain cave ready

The 4 hours was split into blocks of 15 minutes, with resistance increasing every 15 minutes for an hour, and then dropping back at the start of each new hour, but not dropping back as low as the previous hour had started. So each hour got progressively harder until by the final 15 minutes, I was pushing something like 280-290 watts after 3:45 already behind me. Every ten minutes on the bike, I stand up on the pedals for 60-70 seconds, it helps to stretch the body out, keep the blood flowing, stop numbness, and I think it also helps the legs later in the session to maintain a good power output and not fade away. I did follow this long turbo with a run and felt surprisingly good, fairly effortlessly knocking out a few miles at around 6:45 pace. I ran for 25 minutes, and I wish I had some way to know how many miles I could have sustained at this pace…

I knew the London marathon was the next day. The weather forecast wasn’t great, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to see Paula Radcliffe. After an inspirational competitive running career with higher highs and lower lows than most, she had managed to drag her now-battered body to the start line of the London marathon for one final fling. I wanted to see her run – she’s very arguably the world’s best sportsperson, ever, with only a very few others I’d put at her level. She was and is a massive trailblazer, with a huge work ethic and ridiculous determination. People like this don’t come around very often, and as a sports fan, I wanted to get a glimpse.

Buuuut, I also had training to do. I’m usually in the pool at 10:15am on Sunday morning. The marathon started at 10:10am… A phone call to the pool established that lane swimming ended at 2pm, so to get a decent swim, I would have to be there at 12:30pm. That would give me time to see the early part of the marathon and get my swim done as well. This would lend itself to avoiding the maddening crowds in the later stages of the marathon. So I planned to go to a spot between mile 7 and mile 8, not far from a train station on my line into London. At the latest, I’d have to be on the 11:53 return train to make it to the pool in time, any later and I wouldn’t get my swim done. I didn’t expect to stay too long at the marathon and didn’t think I’d be catching a train as late as 11:53.

I got up early on Sunday and after a train ride and a short walk, I was on the course by about 10:30am. It was a very quiet part of the route. No major landmarks nearby, not many spectators, no barriers. Just what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was wearing waterproofs and I was cold. It wasn’t a great day for running. There had been quite heavy rain earlier in the morning, although it did seem to be easing as the morning wore on. The elite women and wheelchair racers had already passed through (Paula Radcliffe was starting with the masses this year). I expected the elite men to be through at around 10:45am, and then the crowds would follow.

Almost exactly at 10:45, the vehicles ahead of the lead group came through, followed by a group of about 10 elite marathon runners. Floating along, silently, almost effortless. Not at jaw-dropping pace – if I’d wanted to, I could have ran along with them. The jaw-dropping bit comes when you realise that they maintain their pace for 26 miles. They are averaging under 15 minutes for each 5km that they run, for 42km. Impressive. But then, these guys are the best in the world.

World's best marathon men (and pacemakers)

A few more elites came through, then the top amateurs and club runners. These guys were still running at between 2:20 to 2:30 pace. Greg, a guy I know from City of Derry, came through in a group of about 6 or 7. Greg would have been hoping for something around the 2:20 mark. He breezed past, looking good, but still with 19 miles to run… I gave him a big shout. He finished in 2:24 – still a hugely impressive time in the damp, windy and chilly conditions.

I couldn’t help but wish that I was out there gunning for sub 2:30 as well. Since I’ve been doing triathlons there has always been an element of frustration that my running has taken a hit. It might sound obvious, but to do an Ironman, you don’t have to be the best runner, cyclist or swimmer that you can possibly be. You have to be the best Ironman, balancing all three. You have to compromise performance in each individual discipline for the bigger picture of an overall Ironman performance. Ironman marathon running is like no other kind of running. I find this frustrating, as I want to be the best swimmer I can possibly be, and the best cyclist, and the best runner. But to be the best I can be at each individual discipline, I’d have to give up triathlon and focus on one specific discipline.

Then the star of the show came through, surrounded by a fairly big group f maybe 10 runners – I’m sure everyone would have wanted to run with Paula so it’s no surprise that she was surrounded. I had thought that she would be running alone, with maybe a couple of other runners just ahead or just behind, and maybe a TV camera motorbike with her. I had visions of sticking my hand out and getting a high-five. No chance. The group piled through, I gave her a shout, took some photos, and that was it. Great to see such a superstar doing what she does best. Although I have to say she didn’t look too comfortable, and I later heard that she had felt her Achilles’ giving her bother at around the 7 mile mark, right where I saw her. She still finished in 2:36. Not bad for a 41-year-old "unfit" (in her words), recently injured, recently unable to walk female... Still well inside the qualifying time for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Impressive stuff.

Paula Radcliffe, in the middle

#ThanksPaula - the previous day's paper

I thought after this I would head off and get myself into the pool, but the weather was gradually improving and the trickle of runners had turned into a steady flow. I ducked across to a traffic island in the middle of the road where I got chatting to a girl named Yen, who said she usually watched the marathon from this point. The traffic island turned out to be probably the best place in London to watch the race. Just a few short minutes later and the flow of runners had turned into a tidal wave, and we were cut off in the traffic island in the middle of the road. Literally stranded. The atmosphere was amazing. Electric. It made for some incredible photographs, with runners streaming towards the traffic island and parting at the last minute.

After a while, the 3 hour pacemakers came through – all of the people who had already passed were hoping to be sub-3! The depth of the field was amazing. In any other smaller marathon, there might be a handful of sub-3 runners. Here, there must have been thousands of sub-3 runners. 37,000 people would pass, in a continuous mass of ambition, emotion and sweat. Most people were still looking good and positivity was radiating, given that it was only 7 miles in. I stuck my hand out – everyone wanted a high-five. After a few minutes, my hand was almost literally in pieces. It was cold anyway, and combined with hundreds of enthusiastic slaps, it felt like my hand was going to shatter. So I had to give up on the high-fiving.

I was able to pick out some familiar vests, and give shouts to Metro Aberdeen club runners and Northern Ireland club runners. It was brilliant. The 3:15 pacers came through, then the 3:30 pacers. It was just a solid mass of runners. Surely the ultimate people-watching exercise?! I’m sure I saw every expression under the sun – determination, disbelief, thrilled expressions, pained and strained expressions, the “long-way-to-go” expression. What a position I had to view it all. So, so cool.

This went on for hours...

As time passed, more and more costumed runners came past – rhinos, beer bottles, a girl in a wedding dress (who got married on the way round), a phone box, a portrait, a guy bouncing two basketballs. A blind runner tethered to a guide. There were lots of charity vests, and obviously a lot of money was being raised. I had managed to take some super photographs. Someone had ditched their running gloves on the traffic island just behind me – I had no hesitation in grabbing them – they looked brand-new and I’ll put them to good use… I’m sure whoever ditched them would be glad that they’ve found a good home… I hadn’t expected to stay so long, but I was really enjoying it. I was mindful that I had to swim, and that time was getting tight. So I said bye to Yen and the only way to get across the flow of runners was to run with them, and gradually dodge my way over to the pavement.

Being charged at by a giant beer bottle

I made it to the swimming pool, and battered out a continuous 4.1km swim. I felt reasonably strong so I was happy with this. Normally on a Sunday after my swim, I would do a tough run: either a long run, a tempo run, or repetitions. Then the next day (Monday) would be a rest day, since tough runs for me require the most recovery time. This week was to be 14 hill sprints of around 70 seconds each, jogging back down to recover. On this occasion, I decided to put the run off for a day, because next week is an easy week and I can afford to “lose” a day. I thought I would get more benefit out of the run if I left it a day and did it on slightly fresher legs on Monday evening. Although I’ll still mark it down as part of this week’s training cycle.

So I got home from work on Monday and did my stretching and jogged down to the hill about a mile away. I wasn’t looking forward to the session. At all. 14 hills of pain. In previous sessions on this hill, I had been averaging around 70-71 seconds per hill, and I had it in the back of my head that from now on, I didn’t need to be absolutely on the limit, as the focus of my running has changed from wanting to perform well at shorter, faster running races earlier in the year (the NI/Ulster cross-country and the Garioch 10k in Aberdeenshire), to having an eye on the longer, slower Ironman marathon. Also, really tough running training can take time to recover from and carries a bit of injury risk. And I really don’t want to pick up an injury. Ironman race day is getting closer, and the margin for error gets tighter and tighter.

So I thought that repeats of around 71-73 seconds would do the job. It was a nice enough evening and I was out in my shorts and compression socks. The first repeat was a fraction under 70 seconds. Too fast, I told myself. But I felt good enough, and the next few were even faster, stabilising at 68 seconds. I just kept battering on, hoping I could sustain the pace for 14 of the repetitions. And I got even faster, averaging 67 seconds for quite a few. Although they were tough, and no doubt I looked a mess during the first minute of the jog-down (and sounded terrible too), I still felt strong and kept ticking off the hills. After having done 11 hills, I knew I wasn’t going to slip to beyond 70 seconds, and sure enough, I kept it together. A really good session. Really tough though, perhaps one of the toughest and best training runs I have ever done. And that’s saying something.

I was knackered when I got back to the house and had some protein and milk as soon as possible. I had averaged 3 seconds per hill faster than when I did the session in early March. Granted, conditions were probably a bit better this time around, and the extra day of recovery did me good, but there’s no doubt my fitness is coming along. There was a bit of frustration mixed in there as well, because I’m now very sure that I am in 32-minute 10K shape at the minute, and maybe even sub-32. I’d really like to get out there and do a fast 10K, and have something to show for all this training. The last 3 years have been frustrating in that I’ve put in so much time and effort and hard work, and have very little to show for it all. Ironman is tough, it’s not like a 10K where you pay £10 or £20 to enter and you can run loads of them every year. If a 10K goes wrong, for whatever reason, you can literally try again next week. If an Ironman goes wrong, a year of work and effort and sacrifice (not to mention a small fortune) is wasted, and there aren’t many alternatives. All the eggs. One damn basket.

But, I have to keep a focus on the bigger picture, and believe that this will be the year I qualify for Kona. After that, I can re-assess, and when my triathlon/Ironman career is over, I can hopefully look to resume my running career and beat my PBs from years ago. Sub-9 3K? Sub-15 5K? Sub-32 10K? Sub-70 half marathon? Sub 2:35 marathon? Hmmm… Hopefully by the time I call an end to my Ironman career, I won’t be too old and decrepit to achieve these running times…

Let’s get Hawaii done and dusted first…

Training done this week was as follows:

Mon 20 April: Rest
Tue 21 April: 1:15 turbo (1 hour hard)
Wed 22 April: 30 minute fartlek run
Thu 23 April: 1:30 turbo (16 x 30 second reps at approx. 500W)
Fri 24 April: Swim 3.1km (with 10 x 200m in approx. 3 minutes, 20 second recovery)
Sat 25 April: 4:05 turbo, 25 minute run
Sun 26 April: Swim 4.1km
Mon 27 Apr: 14 hill repeats: 70, 69, 68, 68, 68, 68, 67, 67, 67, 67, 67, 67, 67, 68

Totals: Swim 7.2km, Bike 150 miles, Run 15 miles