Marathon Training Update

I’m one month away from running my first marathon. It’s been a journey and I think that I’m adapting to endurance running well.

Last Saturday was my longest run yet—a 19.6 miler (31 km) along the Riverfront Trail near downtown St. Louis. It was a stellar run that I really should be thrilled about (I think at the end I was too tired to be thrilled). The first seven miles were supposed to be relatively easy, followed by another seven-ish miles at marathon race pace. The remaining miles were easy again.

The first seven miles featured some of the breeziest sub-8 minute mile running I’ve done. I felt light and lithe, and the running felt effortless, like I didn’t have to force anything. That’s the best feeling; it erases all mental stress of “hitting a pace right.” As a swimmer, it’s what you hope to feel during warmups before any big race. Thanks to my swimming days, I know that this typically means I’m due for a good day. Note that it isn’t always the case, but it does tend to be.

The seven miles at marathon pace were difficult, and I may have overstrained a little in an attempt to keep the pace under 7 minute miles. However it was also less strenuous than the week before, which is a good sign because the duration was also longer. The week before I had about 4 miles at marathon pace. Next week I should dial back the effort on marathon pace so that it actually resembles my marathon pace. Note to self.

The run took me all the way to the Riverfront park, approximately 9 miles north of my apartment, before I turned around. I was alone on the trail with the exception of a few cyclists. The sun was surprisingly strong, which I didn’t fully grasp until my sunburn settled in afterward.

One thing noteworthy about this run was the accumulated fatigue that became more noticeable in the final miles. Although the final miles were supposed to feel easy, my legs felt heavier and their joints more strained. If I felt like a spring for the first seven miles, I felt like a dump truck full of bricks on the final 5. To me, this is the point of these long runs: to adapt the legs to these distances. The final miles hurt, at least for me. I was a swimmer and before last year, I had never completed a run of more than 5 miles. With each of these long runs I’m literally entering uncharted territory.

The good news is that with each long run, the fatigue hits me at a higher mileage. The first long run introduced me to “leg shutdown” around mile 10. Then 12, then 14, and now 16. So it seems that with each successful long run, I’m afforded an additional two miles before extreme fatigue settles in and slows my pace to a halt. With only a month left, the final two miles of the marathon (26.2 miles) will probably hurt no matter what I do.

The other purpose of these long runs is figuring out how to fuel. I’m a hair shy of 6’5”, which means that I inevitably need more fuel than most people. I’m pretty sure the average marathon runner is a good deal shorter than me. My plan on that last long run was to attempt to digest five gels, as well as about a liter of water. I find that whenever I take more than three gels on a run, the gel’s substance seems to stick a little in the back of my throat, which forces me to cough. On this run I was coughing every minute for the final 9 miles of the run. That’s pretty damn annoying and a sign that I might need a different brand of gels.

The morning after that long run, I had an easy 10-mile jog with my running group. I held pace with little strain, which is also a good sign; it means I rebounded pretty well. I then took Monday off and on Tuesday had a high-intensity session. The main part of that “high intensity” workout involved two 10-minute threshold runs, a recovery, and five 2-minute fast runs. I hit my highest speeds yet. As in, the highest speeds I’ve ever hit in my life. Pretty cool for a dude turning 38 this year. Again, it means I’m not too broken down from endurance running six days per week. I’m in a good position for being a month away from the marathon.

Marathon training has to be a personal journey. The motivation has to be internal because truly I’ve found that people around me generally don’t really give a damn about it. Even if they do, they probably don’t understand the magnitude of what it requires. Most don’t know how many miles a marathon actually is. Some people do care I guess, but really, you have to prepare for a marathon because you love running or it won’t be sustainable.

“Oh, you’re running a marathon? Well don’t get hurt.”

“Why do you want to run that many miles?”

“I can hit that mileage in my car.”

These are the sorts of responses I often get. I could lash back, which the athlete in me often tells me to do. “Don’t get hurt walking up the stairs, wuss.” “I want to run that many miles because I know you can’t.” “Have fun sitting in your car for a lifetime then; I’m sure that’ll keep you healthy.” However to do so would be petty and pointless.

I look to role models like Tom Brady and how he handles his critics. Brady handles every criticism with grace. He shirks off their condescending remarks with a smile and continues doing what he enjoys, critics be damned. He responds with class and consideration. It’s a brilliant way of interacting with opponents. Brady knows that the best way to lash back at an opponent is to show that you aren’t phased by that person. Happiness is the ultimate weapon, and that’s one of the many reasons why Brady always seems to win. Brady’s enemies just can’t bring him down to their level.

One more month and I’ll be scratching “ran a marathon” off the bucket list…