Berlin Marathon - Race Report

The Berlin Marathon. This was it. My own stupid bet made with myself was back to bite me on the arse big style! Luckily eatingtrees was kind (stupid) enough to come along and put himself through the joy (pain) of 42.195km as well. For fun.

At least we picked a good'un. Berlin. One of the big 5. In one of my favourite cities and it's flat to boot. It'll be fine right? Well it should be. I followed an exact training schedule. When I say exact I didn't bother with the sprints after week 7 of 16. I didn't enjoy them. In fact I didn't bother with the mid week medium runs after about week 4. I didn't enjoy them either and I'm lazy. So in essence, my training was based on the tried and tested (well it is now) of one long run a week on a Saturday morning and a bit of cycling during the week. The training was quite frankly, monotonous, tedious and dull and this was one of the only ways I could get through it and that's the main reason I won't be attempting another one in the near future.

But to the weekend. A trip to Berlin with the family and eatingtrees with an apartment booked and the whole thing still not feeling very real. That was a good thing really. Even getting to the expo and collecting my race number and chip etc didn't get me. I mean I knew it was happening but I wasn't nervous and don't think the concept of running a maraton had quite sunk in yet! Until I put The Boy to bed on Saturday night and that was it. I could hardly eat, I kept running through everything in my head and realising that THIS WAS REAL NOW!!!

NUMBER COLLECTION AT THE EXPO

I did manage to sleep quite well though (without the aid of wine I might add) and when the alarm went off at 6am, my only thoughts were... it's time. By that evening, I would have either a Marathon PB or a DNF. As this was my first, there was no other option and to be honest, major injury was the only way there would be a DNF. The start/finish/baggage/toilet area is all around the Tiergarten so we headed there, dropped the bags off, and due to the differences in our numbers, lost each other for the first time before a race. Not really a problem as we run different paces anyway but would have been nice.

I knew the pace I had to stick to and with the aims of 'Under 4:30, I'll be happy' and 'Under 4:15 I'll be delighted', I set off enjoying the crowds, the bands and the steady pace. Mrs HMC and The Boy were waiting for me at the 11km (7m) mark and it was good to see them but as expected, all was good and I was having fun.

11km DONE AND STILL SMILING 

 I was OK for the next hour and a half but at around 28km (17m) I started feeling a bit of pain in the ball of my left foot. Nothing completely unusual but I'd generally only felt this after my long runs, not during. Essentially, it's just a bit of bruising caused by the impact of a 14 stone bloke thudding against a pavement for long periods (you should have seen the roads, they came off worse).

At around 34km, the pain was steadily getting worse and the ibuprofen came out and did absolutely nothing to help. It was painful but I did the best I could to not change my running too much knowing that that can generally cause an injury elsewhere. I have to admit, I wasn't loving this bit. But, the thing that kept me going was that you hear so many stories of THE WALL at 20 miles and while I wasn't bounding like a gazelle, I certainly wasn't dead on my feet and while I was OK, I just carried on.

At 37km,  a friend who was out there supporting another runner SCREAMED my name at the top of her lungs. This lifted me no end and a blown kiss and a thank you and I was on my way again. 4:15 was still achievable if I just didn't crash and burn. 

At 40km, I knew Mrs HMC was going to be waiting somewhere around there so I just kept an eye out and eventually saw her and stopped for a kiss to let her know I was OK. I couldn't actually speak to tell her I was OK but did have to stop her wanting to run along with me. She was 29 weeks pregnant after all! She did take a short cut though which meant I saw her again 3/4 minutes later and before I made my final turn towards the Brandenburg Gate.

THE GATE AS WAS 41.5km BEFORE

At this point I just put my head down, concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and not bursting into tears. Through the gate an into the final 200m stretch completed with a sprint. OK, more a slightly faster amble than the last 8km had been done in but it felt like a sprint. The watch stopped and a big smile crossed my face as I looked at the watch. I'd done it. The stats can be found here for anyone interested.

BEAUTIFUL

Completely surrounded by other finishers and all the marshalls and quite frankly, I felt alone. It was strange but that was it. I was delighted but completely drained and I just wanted to get some food and drink inside me. The one thing I have to recommend to everyone out there was something that proved vital. Around 6 weeks before the day I looked up what energy drink they would have on the day and then trained with nothing else. By the time I finished the marathon, I had consumed 5 bottles of the stuff and it proved vital to me.

I finally met up with Mrs HMC and The Boy and we waited for eatingtrees who was making his way round. While we were waiting, I received a congratulatory call from my Mum and Dad but who unfortunately had some bad news. My Grandad who had turned 100 only 3 weeks before had passed away the evening before. This added to my emotions of the run and meant the tears well and truly flowed for a minute or 2 but a glass was raised that night in his honour. To Grandad. This one's for you. Cheers.

MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS

Longest yet

Today was the longest training run I've ever done. I've never been one for running the distance before a race so I have never gone over 17km while training when I've done Half Marathons. Today's schedule says 19km. As I may have mentioned, I wasn't quite prepared for this marathon training and have struggled with most of the runs so far. Today though, was much better. I felt stronger and just plodded away to try and tried to keep the pace under the time set by the magic spreadsheet! I came in 2 mins and 40 secs under the required time over a distance on 19.47km. Much happier. 


I have a couple of sessions this week (6x800m on Monday and 11km on Wednesday) before I'm forfeiting next Saturday's 21km to do the Dunwich Dynamo. 193 ish km through the night from Hackney to Dunwich in Suffolk on a single speed. I did it and loved it last year (report is here) and quite frankly, I think cycling nearly 200km is a good substitute for a 21km run.


One thing I noticed on today's run though, I got bored. Is it time to start listening to music or audiobooks again...

Marathon training week 1

Firstly, apologies for the spelling, layout, font and any other errors that appear in this post. It's being written on a phone in the Loire Valley in France which means it may not be up to the usual 'standard'. The errors in the writing and English language are as ever, all mine!
This was my first week of training for the Berlin Marathon and in the interests of honesty, I may be well and truly fudged!
However, all have been completed and have consisted of 8x400m sprints, a 5km and today, a 16km. All designed to be run at different paces, they certainly have been and all have hurt a lot. There is no doubt in my mind, I'm a tad underprepared. SHOCK! I have one plus point.... I've bloody well completed them! In 2 days time, week 2 starts so forgive me but I'm off to find the wine, pate and french bread.

Bits and PC's

So looks like I may have got a partner in crime for next years marathon. I don't think he wants to do it but I think he'd dislike it more if he knew I had and he hadn't. Now we've got the small matter of agreeing on the location. Simple right? I think not. Watch this space.

Going through the 2011km mark last week, mainly due to the regular cycling commute I have now, means I needed a solution to how do deal with my clients when on the bike. Not in the sense of having to give them rides anywhere you understand but more about being in contact. The easy answer was a bluetooth headset but then the problem comes of which phone to connect it to. I have an HTC Desire S for personal use and a Nokia E72 for work. What if the client needs something and the Wife needs me to pick up dinner on the way home? The solution is this little Bluetooth headset . The little genius connects to 2 phones at once (unlike my old one) so now it doesn't matter who try's to call an out-of-breathe, cold and wet man on a bike. I have the ability to [talk] answer.

Wednesday's thunderstorm and torrential downpour (06:55am to 07:30am in case you're interested. All but 5 minutes of my commute) meant that the waterproof ability of my lovely Carradice 18oz Cotton Duck was tested fully. JUSTIFICATION!!! Everything inside, absolutely bone dry. And that's without mudguards! Mind you, I've even ordered those now. I need to be dry through the winter so my beautiful Yolkey is slowing becoming an old commuting workhorse. I already can't wait until next summer when I can strip off all the extras!!! For now I'll accept being seen, being able to see, being dry and therefore being warm, as the way forward!

Changing the subject back to running, November's race is Survival of the Fittest which will be cool but a bit unknown at the mo. It's also my first wedding anniversary on the same day and we've booked a lovely hotel for the night away from The Boy but that means if I'm given a late start time, I'm going to bail. When I signed up, it had a start time like 10am or something but basically they're going to release waves of starters for the best part of 5 and a half hours!! I'm not going to waste my entire day on it.

With this in mind, I've found another race to do. The Old Deer Park Richmond 10k. On my birthday. Not too far from home. On a quick and flat course. Therefore, for the first time ever, I'm going into the race with a mindset of getting a PB. It's always been during the run that I've felt it was possible and then pushed on but not for this one. PB is 49:03. I want it to read 48:xx. That will be the perfect end to the year but obviously as it's planned, watch me crash and burn!!

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And now for the bad...

I left the last post on a high but all in all, there's some bad news too. It all started back in May when I ran the BUPA 10k in under 50 minutes. I was utterly knackered and beaten (unlike a smiling fresh faced eatingtrees that crossed the line only a few seconds behind me) but also delighted. It was like I'd finally sped up after 2 and a half years of pretty much the same speed. I was overjoyed and did something stupid.

In 2010, I had a goal of running a Half Marathon in under 1:50:00. I failed miserably! Didn't even come close but totally unexpectedly, I acheived it on Sunday and this has triggered my something stupid.

I told myself that if I ever ran a half in under 1:50:00, I owed it to myself to try a full Marathon. The whole 26.2 miles. Every single one of the 42.2 km. I also said I had to do it in the following calendar year which means 2012 will be the year of the big one. Ah Crap!!

I have never wanted to do a full marathon. I don't have the dedication in training or ability to deal with that much pain. I also suspect I never will again but for one day only (although I hope it doesn't take the whole day) I will attempt to do a Marathon. No time limit, just completion. No word of a lie, I AM ALREADY NERVOUS ABOUT IT!!! The thought of it fills me with fear but by putting it on here, it makes it a lot more difficult to back out.

But I need your help. I need ideas of a great marathon to do. If I'm only going to do it once, I want it to be great. I want the event itself to numb the pain! I will consider any but be nice to the beginner please... the less hills the better. A few thoughts strike me... Berlin maybe? Rotterdam? What about around the lakes in Switzerland? Like Lausanne? What do you think?

Is running the new tube journey?

Well I'm back from my weekend in Essex visiting the parents and have now taken off the white stiletto running shoes and am back in the world of the antipodeans that is SW London.

One of the best things about living round here is the routes along the river and the feeling that you're still in the countryside whilst being in an awesome city. Mind you, running back around where the parents live this weekend was an interesting change... For a start where are all the bloody pavements?? I forgot they don't exist in the countryside just south of the middle of nowhere!! I mean I should be trying to figure out whether I'm on course for an 8:45 minute mile, not whether I'm going to be sprawled over the bonnet of a 18 year old's Peugeot 106 with go faster stripes! Saying that though, it was lovely and quiet. On my 6.1 miler (bloody lightweight i hear you cry) I saw 2 other runners. 2!!! I reckon I see more than 100 on my normal route. The whole of South West London's just a very public running club where every one's invited on either a Saturday or Sunday morning as long as there's no eye contact. It's like being on the effing tube. Hot, sweaty, crowded and you're not allowed to talk to anyone else but you still have to pretend you're cool!!

One argument that quite often gets directed at me is that I may be a little competitive... OK very competitive and annoying to boot. Now I have to admit that there may be a slight element of truth in that but it's only slight. No really! Saying that though, I did discover something when training for my first HM last year, it just doesn't apply to running. I just don't care where I finish in relation to any one else. Friend, foe or complete stranger, I just don't care. I race against me, my watch and my iPod shuffle playlist (it's 52:32 secs and i turn it on with 6 miles to go on any run). That's it and I love it. That's all the motivation I need and so far, it's worked just fine!!

As a final note, I had a Facebook email from a mate today. He's just found out that he's been given a last minute place in the London Marathon '09. Unfortunately for him, he only ran his first mile today. Fuck that!! I reckon he may well be collapsed on the side of the road somewhere along the route on the day but fair play to him, he's giving it a go and he's got my support. However, he will now go to the top of my list of disturbed people I know that run marathons!