London Marathon Training Week 4 of 14
Where The Rubber Meets The Road
On Friday I give a talk to the psychology students of the excellent Born To Run semester, Bangor Uni, about mental tools that can help them prepare for and execute a marathon.
We cover Self Talk, Power Posing, Understanding Pain and Visualising. An excellent lecture, if I do say so myself. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll put it up here.
The main message I was trying to get across to the students was that, with all these techniques, you have to take them out for a spin. As powerful as the mind is, it can only work in synchrony with the body. There is no point sitting at home in a dark room, doing hours of visualising, if you are not prepared to get out and do the training. Take those tools and practise using them whilst running, that’s where the real learning happens. Where the rubber meets the road.
After pontificating about all this, safe and warm (it was quite chilly actually) in a classroom, I had no idea I would have to take my own advice quite so soon.
Village Bakery Half
Six miles in. I’m clinging onto the back of a big group of runners, with two pacers leading the way. I’m hanging on for dear life. I don’t use heart rate whilst racing, but one of the measures I do use is breathing. I always tie my breathing with my steps. When I’m running easy, the rhythm is: 4 steps breathing in, 4 steps breathing out (4-4). When I’m racing, it is 2-2. But, right now, I am at 2-1, my breathing is out of control.
I really don’t want to get dropped. The gravitational pull of this group has sucked everyone up. There are big stretches of empty road on either side of this pack. If I fall off the back now, I will likely be facing a very long and lonely second half.
Also, last year I did this race and finished 2nd. A hamstring tear later, and now I’m outside the top 20 and fading. Ego crusher.
Not even halfway, hurting, way off PB pace. There are people ahead of me I would usually expect to beat. We are near the car park now. Come on, let’s call it a day. I’ve had a go. Stop this pain, get in the car, go home, regroup for next time.
I have to very quickly find a way to employ the techniques I had been prattling on about on Friday. Positive Self-Talk is one thing, but Positive Self-Talk in the face of another 7 miles of pain and fatigue, all just to get your arse kicked and run a slow time, is quite another.
I have a crack anyway. It goes a little something like this:
You have zero pain in your hamstring. What would you have given for that two months ago?
You are improving. You have just run 10k at a faster pace than 5k parkrun a fortnight ago
You came into this race with a goal of 71min, and you can still totally achieve that
Drop the ego, let the group drop you, and run your own race
Just get to mile 7 and you are more than halfway there
Although the negative chat is still shouty and rude, I keep to the script. Repeating these thoughts to myself. And the positive chat starts to get through.
Break it down
Get your breathing back under control
Let the group go, find your own rhythm
A few hundred meters down the road they are playing the song;
I Gotta Hurry Hurry Hurry Now
Quick Quick Quick
I think the organiser, Mike, plays it every year cos he thinks it’s funny. And it is.
It reminds me of my sister telling me how she would sing those lines to her kids when she was a Primary School Teacher, and they were tidying up their desks before going out for play. I think to myself, isn’t it amazing how quickly a fully-formed memory can pop into your head, even while running through a substantial amount of discomfort.
And then I think to myself. Isn’t it funny how I can notice how quickly a fully-formed memory can pop into your head, even while running through a substantial amount of discomfort.
At mile 7, I have been dropped, am running solo, but coming past lapped runners. A lapped woman shouts at me;
I could smell you coming a mile off!
Best heckle ever.
Mile 10, I am still actually on pace for a sub 70min half, but know the toughest 3 miles are to come. My pace is slipping, I don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. Then a runner catches and overtakes me. All of a sudden, I am finding it very easy to match his pace and so latch on to the back of him.
I sit behind him for the last mile and kick past at the end for a time of 70:48. Very happy with it. A step in the right direction. Much better than DNF at mile 6. Thanks RunCheshire, brill event.
Anyway, the whole reason I am writing this, is that after the race, a runner, who has just beaten me, introduces himself and says some very nice things about my blog. I feel bad for not having kept it up more regularly. Thank you for your incredibly kind words and for sharing your inspirational story. Sorry for being generally rubbish and monosyllabic that day. My head was still in a fog. Well done on a massive PB and I look forward to seeing you at Trafford 10k.
Analysis Paralysis
The race was quite a weird experience for me, because whilst I was trying my hardest, I also had a ring side seat to watch one of my athletes have the race of his life. In fact I wanted to run those last miles as fast as possible just so I could hear what result he had achieved.
The sharper your body gets, the sharper your mind gets. The two are inextricably linked. When you are in great physical shape, your mind is also highly tuned in to what you are capable of. You don’t need to worry so much about pacing strategies, Rate of Perceived Exertion etc. We can get bogged down in the metrics and measurables. There’s a time and place. But, when you are in great shape, they can confuse and limit. You don’t need a strategy, or a coach, just go out and race on instinct. Your body and mind will know what to do.
And that’s what he did, executing a near perfect race, smashing his PB, after four years of patient, consistent work.
I know! So much insightful wisdom inside one blog. How do I do it? If you want to follow my London Lean In, subscribe below, and get loads more geniusness direct to your inbox. Tell all your friends, blogging is back.
Or, if you are a runner, who needs a brilliant coach, you’ve come to the right place! I also offer consultancy calls. As much knowledge as I can throw at you in an hour to get you running (with perfect poise) towards your goal.
Check out my coaching page here.
Check out my sponsors; I use them constantly, putting them through hell, they are the best there is.
One thought on “London Marathon Lean In 2023 – Village Bakery Half”
Comments are closed.