This weekend was quite possibly one of the biggest weekends in the marathon calendar. Many athletes fled to Valencia in search of quick times, and in some cases, Olympic qualifying times, at one of the quickest marathons in the world and an IAAF Gold Label event, The Valencia Marathon.

The women’s race was stacked with competition as the GB women came out in full force. It was Clapham Chaser’s Steph Davis that had the race of her life, finishing a fantastic 13^th in the women’s elite field in 2:27:40. Davis smashed the Olympic qualifying time by nearly 2 minutes, putting herself in contention for those three marathon spots at Tokyo.

“’The focus was to have a fun run in the sun.” said the marathoner, “I felt in good shape and hoped to PB but did not expect to run that time at all! It’s still sinking in!’. Hopefully you’re still smiling for a long while with that one Steph. 

Steph Davis at 25km. Photo: Tom Craggs

Second brit across the line in 19^th place, after pulling out in Frankfurt, was Hayley Carruthers. Carruthers secured herself a marathon personal best of 2:32:42, improving on her time from the London Marathon back in April. Shortly behind Carruthers in 21^st position with a cracking time of 2:33:24 was Preston’s Eleanor Davis. After a strong year with personal bests over road 3k, 10k, and half marathon, Davis now adds a marathon best for the year.

Fourth Brit with yet another strong performance in Valencia was Elinor Kirk. Kirk secured herself a finishing time of 2:34:36, a PB by just under 2-minutes! With yet another impressive performance over the marathon distance was Georgina Schwiening (Cambridge Runners) with a time of 2:35:22, another PB of the day by over 2 minutes. 

Shortly behind Schwiening in 29^th place was Emma Mitchell with a strong 2:36:47. The Northern Irish athlete made her debut performance in the event and proved her strength after an impressive run at the Valencia Half in October. Unfortunately, after a tough year battling against injury, Lily Partridge pulled out at around the 25km mark after having gone through half way in 74:09. 

Fast running’s own marathoner, Gill Bland also headed to Valencia to complete the 26.2-mile distance. After a tough race, Bland had a strong finish and crossed the line in 2:55:31. 

Olympic qualifying time for Pollock

The men’s race did not disappoint either with some speedy marathon times secured. There was an outstanding run from Paul Pollock with an impressive Olympic qualifying time of 2:10:25. This will not be Pollock’s first Olympics after he finished 32^nd in Rio.

Liverpool athlete, Charlie Hulson had a strong debut performance crossing the line in 40^th position with a time of 2:14:23. Just 16 seconds behind Hulson was Andrew Davies with a lifetime best and UK40 record of 2:14:46, a 25 second best time.

Ben Johnson also gave a big PB performance after just missing sub 2:20 in London to finish with a time of 2:17:34. Other men contributing to the strong British and Irish field were Gary O’hanlon (2:20:07), Lloyd Biddell (2:20:49), Kev Quinn (2:22:12), Karl Welborn (2:22:57), Ben Shearer (2:23:23), Jo Turner (2:23:37), Paul Piper (2:23:43), George King (2:24:00), and Nick Bowker (2:24:16). 

Charlie Hulson with a fine debut. Credit: Tom Craggs

Barlow finishes 3rd in the 10km

The men’s world record fell in the Valencia 10km with Joshua Cheptegei running a stunning 26:38. Josh Grace (AFD) had a PB run, securing himself an 8^th place finish in a rapid time of 28:59! Tom Craggs coached athlete, Tracy Barlow had a powerful race, securing herself a 3^rd place finish over the 10k-distance with a time of 33:44. Some confusion with chips means we don’t have the full rankings just yet.

Fast 10k running at home too

At another 10k event, the Wesham 10k, athletes took to the roads in the North West over a slightly undulating course, running around the lanes of Salwick and Lea Town.

The winner of the entire event was Chris Livesey of Salford Harriers in 31:54, just eight seconds outside of his seasons best. Next was Wesham Road Runner, Robert Danson, in 32:03, followed by Matthew Laior (Ribble Valley Harriers) in 32:44. For the women it was Toni McIntosh (Ayr Seaforth) who ran a strong race to finish first, clocking 37:13. Second place went to Catherine Carrdus (Lytham St Annes) in 40:46 followed by Sue Coulthurst.

Wesham 10km. Credit: Dave Biggs

At another of the Sri Chimnoy London Marathon Events race was the Grizzly Bear 10k. These races provide yet another opportunity for athletes in search of pure racing without all the added extras. Podium finishers are presented with a piece of fruit and cereal bar, proving it is all about the element of racing in a fast environment.

All of the top three women came across the road in under 39 minutes. The winning fruit went to Rebecca Piggott of London Heathside who ran a solid 36:19, a 25-second personal best. Second female home in a time of 38:08 was Matilde Lomba and in third was Evangelista Divetain (London Heathside) in 38:20. 

In the men’s race it was Alix Ramsie who landed himself the top place on the podium. Ramsie of South London Harriers crossed the line in 32:28 in what was a close race. Only 4 seconds later, Tom Goulding of Birtley AC finished the race. It was Serpentine Andrea Fraquelli who rounded off the men’s podium with a finishing time of 32:36. Impressive running! 

British Ultra running in good health

Over the much larger 100km distance, the 100km Ultra Trail Cape Town race occurred. Salomon runner Beth Pascall secured herself an impressive win with an even more impressive top 10 overall finish. A sub 11 hour finish, less than an hour behind US men’s winner Cody Reed, meant a course record for the medic, who caps off an excellent 2019 that included top five positions at Western States and the UTMB. 

Over the impressive 300km distance, the Algarviana Ultra Trail race took place in Portugal. Paul Giblin was the well-deserved winner and beat the previous record by around three hours with a time of 38 hours and 6 minutes.

Paul Giblin training in the Swiss Alps in 2018. Photo: Robbie Britton

The modest athlete was taken outside of his mountainous comfort zone and tested with some flatter patches of running but did not disappoint. Despite stomach problems early on he kept relaxed and had an incredible race. 

It was Scotland-based athlete, Patricia De Carvalho, who was the winner of the women’s race in her 3^rd time doing the event. Carvalho finished in a time of 64 hours 47 minutes.

High standards at Podium 5k as usual

Over the shorter, but speedier 5k distance was the Podium 5k road race. The podium race’s offer the perfect, true racing experience without the added frills, but with a tried and tested fast course. The podium 5k race series is the perfect opportunity for athletes to test their fitness and chase after PB times.

This weekend’s runners were faced with chilly, yet speedy conditions. It was Andy Smith who was first male across the line in a rapid 14:52 for Pudsey & Bramley AC. In a close finish it was Matthew Crehan (St Helens & Sutton) who landed the silver medal in 14:54. Preston Harriers’ Kian Davis took the bronze medal position in 15:08. 

Ciara Mageean (Team NB Mcr), European Bronze medalist in 2016 and 2019, did the women proud with a speedy, sub-16, 15:48 finishing time. The second female finisher with a time of 16:52 from Manchester Harriers was Rachael Franklin. Completing the top three women was Leeds City’s Alice Leake in 17:25. 

Andy Smith & Ciara Meagaan Photo: Podium 5k Twitter.

Also over the 5km distance was the Croft Circuit 5km. It was North Belfast Harrier’s Andrew Milligan who was the first male to cross the line in 15:06. The U23 athlete ran himself to an impressive 21 second personal best. Closely behind Milligan in 15:20 was Joe Armstrong of Morpeth Harriers & AC, another U23 athlete. Completing the top 3 male finishing positions was David Green in an extremely close 15:23. The race boasted a total of 6 men running under 16-minutes.

Following on from an impressive win for England at the Rennes 10k last month, Danielle Hodgkinson of Wallsend ran a cracking 16.30 for a first-place finish for the women and an incredible 11^th overall. Second woman across the finish line was Gateshead Harriers & AC’s Gillian Manford in 18:08 followed by Georgia Campbell in 18:09. A very close race! 

73rd year for Victory 5 miler

In its 73^rd year was the Victory 5-mile race. Matt Bergin landed himself the win in a time of 23:40, a close 5-seconds outside of his personal best. In second place was U20 athlete, Henry McLuckie with a time of 24:18 for his first ever 5-mile race. Third place was secured by Joe Wade in 24:31. 

The winner for the women was Tonbridge AC’s Lucy Reid. Reid matched her personal best of 27:05 exactly. Following shortly was Maisie Trafford of Arena 80 in 27:35. The final woman on the podium was AFD’s Emily Wicks in 28:02 who came 65^th in the World Cross Country Championships back in 2013. 

Over the 5-mile distance again, but this time through the mud, was the Midlands 5-mile cross country championships. It was Gemma Steel who took home gold for the women. We’ll include more results if we can find them.

Festive marathoning in Nottingham

Also over the marathon distance this weekend, was the Nottingham Christmas Marathon. The overall win went to Loughborough Student, James Ford, in a finishing time of 2:42:37. The second finisher was Ben Harris of Retford AC in 2:44:16.

An impressive third overall and first woman was Johanna O’Regan of St Neots Riverside Runners in 2:45:24, just 3-minutes outside of her lifetime best set earlier this year in Manchester. It was fellow clubmate Caroline Brooks who secured herself the silver woman’s medal in 2:49:32, in a solid 5^th place overall. 

As part of the same event was the shorter distance 10k race. Euan Wilson ran an impressive race, finishing in a time of 33:07 for first place. 1^st female finisher, in third place overall was Johanna Gurney. Gurney stopped the clock on 34:24. 

The RunThrough Lee Valley Velo Park Race saw athletes race over various distances including that of 10-miles. Victory for the men went to Stephen Fabes in 57:44 and it was Sally Svenlen who ran herself to the top of the women’s podium in 1:12:09. In the half marathon event, Ben Toye secured himself the gold medal in 1:15:41 whereas Katie Brown obtained the woman’s first-place finishing position in 1:23:52. 

There were some extremely noteworthy performances in the mud as well as on the road. In the Alton Sports Hampshire Cross Country League, Aldershot & Farnham District AC dominated the men’s race, however it was Reading AC that secured the women’s team gold. Jess Gibbon ran a storming race to secure herself the position at the top of the podium with a 32-second lead followed by AFD’s own Steph Twell. Third through the mud was Annabel Gummow of Winchester. The men’s results are yet to be uploaded. 

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Traditionally, Autumn marathons such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Chicago, Amsterdam and others have been popular among the UK’s elite and club runners.

However, in more recent years, a lot of that attention has moved south towards the fast-paced race in the Andalucían city of Valencia. With a flat course and well-organised event, its popularity does not come as a surprise and the number of UK athletes making the trip has been increasing year on year. 2019 is no exception.

British women targetting Olympic standard

Lily Partridge, who has had a tough year with injuries will be hoping to build on her 71:58 at the Valencia Half in October to secure an Olympic qualifying time. After impressive performances from Charlotte Purdue, Steph Twell and Jess Piasecki the standard and depth of UK women’s marathon running looks good at the moment and it will be great to see Lily back over the 26.2 distance.

Having had to pull out of Frankfurt Marathon after 30km Hayley Carruthers will be another athlete looking to run the Olympic standard. After clocking 71:03 at the Great North Run the Birchfield Harrier will be hoping to significantly improve on her PB set in London this year. Currently the selection policy allows for two athletes to be pre-selected with the London Marathon providing another potential spot for the first Brit provided they have the qualification time secured (2:29:30).

After an impressive 2:32:38 at London to finish 2nd off the mass start many eyes will be on Stephanie Davis who comes into the race in fine form after winning Oxford Half Marathon in October in 72:57. The Clapham Chaser will be another athlete likely targetting the Olympic standard.

Steph Davis will be joined be Elsey Davis who clocked 72:34 at Tamesna Half Marathon earlier this month and is another British woman who is a 2:30 marathon contender after fantastic progression under the guidance of Helen Clitheroe. World 50km record holder Aly Dixon was set to race but after a virus will be giving herself more time to recover before looking to racing goals in 2020.

Valencia Half Marathon saw a break through performance from Emma Mitchell who ran 72:28 to finish 12th after wins at Bangor and Laganside 10kms in September. Mitchell will be eyeing a strong debut performance over the marathon distance.

One to watch could be Elinor Kirk who boasts PBs of 15:37 for 5000m and 32:17 for 10000m. After finishing 3rd at Manchester Half in October the Swansea athlete will be looking to improve on her PB of 2:36:21 set in 2017. After wining the Town and Gown 10km in 34:02 a month ago Georgina Schwiening comes into the marathon in good form has good experience on the Valencia course having set her PB of 2:37:43 there last year.

Hayley Carruthers Photo: Stephen Lee

Davies, Overall and Mellor on the elite start list

On the elite men’s side, Liverpool Harrier Jonny Mellor is the man to watch. Currently ranked 4th in the UK after this 2:12:29 in Berlin the Team New Balance athlete is among a number of leading contenders for a 2020 Olympic marathon spot with pre-selection taking place in December. We have heard Mellor is out to help fellow Team NB teammate Andrew Davies with pacing duties. Good stuff Jonny.

Another man on the start list who raced Berlin Marathon is Scott Overall. 2019 has been a strong year for the Alan Storey coached athlete with a win at Reading Half Marathon in 63:50 before going on to run 2:14:40 in Berlin and 48:26 at the Great South Run. We’ll have more strikethrough than normal text at this rate, Scott has also informed us via Twitter that he’ll be pacing. That’s some high quality British pacing and a good sign that we can all work together to get better. Nice one Scott.

Also on the start list is Welshman Andrew Davies who will no doubt be pushing for the Olympic standard of 2:11:30 after his 2:15:37 in London in April. Davies was 15th at the World Trail Running Championships in June. He will be joined by Paul Pollock who will be looking to make another Olympic Games after finishing 32nd in Rio.

Bristol & West runner and debutant Dan Studley will certainly be aiming for another strong performance on Spanish soil having ran a sub-64 minute half in Barcelona in February. Another debutant is Liverpool Harrier Charlie Hulson. Fresh off the back of winning Brampton to Carlisle 10 in 47:24 Hulson will be looking to convert his fine 64:28 at Cardiff Half Marathon into a strong first marathon.

Irishman Gary O’Hanlon is on the start list but it remains to be seen if he will run following his 2:16:29 performance at Dublin Marathon a month ago.

British club talent out in force

Valencia also offers a sub-elite division which offers athletes a cash bonus of €2,000 provided they run a sub-2:20 PB (men) or sub-2:45 PB (women). Further bonuses are offered for faster and Olympic qualifying times. This has seemingly caught the eye of plenty of UK top 50 marathoners.

Two twenty something guys Jonathan Poole (Serpentine), Ben Johnson (Southport Waterloo), Nick Samuels (Sale Harriers), Ben Shearer (Cambridge Harriers), Ewan Cameron (VPTH), Kevin Quinn (South London Harriers), George King (Winchester & District) and plenty of other UK based athletes will be making the trip this year.

Johnson finished 3rd from the mass start at London and agonisingly missed out on sub-2:20 by 4 seconds. He has clipped off two HM PBs in recent months (and a storming run at the Leeds Abbey 9.977 km Dash) and looks set to make it a hat trick this Sunday under the orange trees of the Spanish City.

Poole, who won the Abingdon Marathon and Ealing Half in his preparation will no doubt be seeking to build on this form and improve on his marathon PB set in Berlin in 2016. Strava would suggest that Ben Shearer, who also cracked out a 2:30 in the Jersey marathon in his build up, has been excelling in his training and will be confident of shaving some time off his 2:25 marathon PB.

Victoria Park’s Ewan Cameron has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Having taken over 30 minutes off his marathon PB in Valencia last year, he stormed to 2:25 at London in April and will certainly be targeting something quicker in Spain. George King ran 50:38 at the Great South Run in October and will also be looking to get close to the 2:20 mark.

The inspiring Kevin Quinn, who set his 2:24 PB just over 12 months ago in Frankfurt, is also rumoured to be training very well and could be in the mix for a low 2:20 run too. Some speedy runners from Fulham, Clapham Chasers, Milton Keynes and Run Fast will also be lacing it up.

Cheruiyot and Negasa the quickest in the field

Herpesa Negasa (2:03:40) is the fastest man in the field with fellow Ethiopians Leul Gebresilase, Getaneh Molla, Guy Adola and Tsegaye Kebede all having broken 2:05 with change and will be battling it on the approach to the breath-taking Valencia finish setting.

Kenyan Auhustine Choge will make a second attempt at the 26.2 mile distance having DNF’d at Chicago in 2018. Choge has broken 60 minutes for the half and was part of pacing team for the Ineos 1:59 challenge in Vienna in October. With the speedy course and conditions looking fairly good (arguably a touch warm), the winner might need to better last year’s winning time of 2:04:31 to secure victory

On the female side, Olympic marathon champion, Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot (2:18), is understood to have recovered from an injury and will be lacing up on Sunday morning. Ethiopians Roza Dereje (2:19), Birhana Dibaba (2:19) and debutant Zeineba Yimer are likely to make the women’s elite race an interesting one.

You can follow the race this Sunday 1st December (9:30 UK time) and track the runners on the Maratón Valencia App.

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Gary O’Hanlon ran 2:18:15 to finish 31st overall and also won the M40 category at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday (December 2).

The Clonliffe Harriers’ athlete was back to racing over 26.2 miles little over a month after running a personal best 2:17:11 in Dublin.

It was the 44 year-old’s sixth marathon of the year after runs in London, Cork, Longford and finishing 22nd in September’s Berlin Marathon.

Eoin Everard of Kilkenny City Harriers and Finn Valley’s Teresa Doherty were the winners of a quality – and sell-out – Jingle Bells 5k held in Dublin Phoenix Park on Saturday (December 1).

Everard finished in 14:37, while for second place, Clonliffe junior Efrem Gidey out-sprinted Colin Moore of Ballyfin AC with the pair given times of 14:44 and 14:46. Fourth in 14:50 was William Maunsell of Clonmel AC. First home for the host club Donore Harriers was Ray Hynes in fifth place with a time of 14:52.

Fresh from her win at the British and Irish Masters International, Doherty was a clear winner of the women’s race with a time of 16:13.

Congratulations Teresa Doherty on a brilliant new pb 16.15 at the Jingle Bells 5k in Dublin. We love the tee-shirt Teresa!!! @CaniceNic Teresa with Fionnuala OConnell, Sligo AC and Breege Connolly City of Derry Spartans – regulars at the Cara Challenge each year. Photo Sligo AC. pic.twitter.com/XqSAaqdlwD

— Paddy Donoghue (@Paddyrun1) December 2, 2018

In what was perhaps her first official road run, Blackrock junior Sarah Healy warmed up for next weekend’s European Cross Country Championships by finishing second woman in 16:28.

Finishing third woman was Sinead O’Connor of Leevale AC with a time of 16:49; a strong woman’s team from the Cork club had travelled for the race.

Kilcoole’s Una Britton in 16:53 was fourth woman, while Olympic marathon runner Breege Connolly of City of Derry Spartans was fifth woman in 17:02.

Finishing lucky 13th and first M50 was Shane Healy of Metro St Brigid’s, who on Tuesday (November 27) had set a new Irish M50 indoor record of 2:01.37 for the 800m at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.

With the festive season fast approaching, the race attracted a full house of almost 1,200 starters, many dressed as Santas, elves and snowmen.

St Malachy’s Ben Branagh and Letterkenny’s Nakita Burke won the Seeley Cup 10k titles in Belfast on Saturday (December 1).

Branagh won the men’s race in a personal best time of 30:29, while Burke won the women’s race in a PB of 34:57 (CT:34:54).

Photo: Keith McClure

Despite not hosting the NI & Ulster 10k Championships this year, the prestigious road race, once again welcomed the strongest depth of any 10k in Northern Ireland with 23 men finishing under 33 minutes and seven women under 37 minutes.

A full report from the Seeley Cup 10k can be found here.

Freddy Sittuk of Raheny Shamrock and national marathon champion Lizzie Lee of Leevale were the winners of the Waterford Half Marathon held in ideal weather conditions on Saturday (December 1).

Sittuk led home 2,338 finishers in a time of 68:01. Just four seconds behind for second was Tomas Fitzpatrick of Tallaght AC in 68:05, while third was Thomas Hayes of Kilkenny City Harriers AC in 68: 12.

Lee finished best of the women in 78:45, followed by Ruth Fitzgerald of host club, Waterford AC in 78:42 and Kilmore’s Fiona Keogh in 82:01.

Lisa Madden of Sportsworld AC and Rathfarnham WSAF’s Mitchell Byrne were the winners of a well-supported Dublin Intermediate Cross Country Championships held in Tymon Park, Tallaght on Sunday (December 2).

In the women’s 5km race, Madden took the lead after the opening lap and finished comfortably clear of Louise Gaffney from Rathfarnham WSAF and Ciara Brady of Sportsworld. With three finishers in the top 10, Sportsworld finished best of the teams ahead of Rathfarnham WSAF and Clonliffe Harriers.

Mitchell, who has returned to Ireland after three years on scholarship in the USA, was the class of the field in the men’s 8km, although his clubmate Robert Murphy did his best to narrow the gap and finished second. Third was Adam O’Brien of Clonliffe Harriers.

In a closely fought-team competition, Brothers Pearse AC were the winners on countback from Rathfarnham WSAF. Just eight years ago, Brothers Pearse had joined the world of club athletics by entering a team in this very race and finishing last.

Third team was Donore Harriers, with Sportsworld, who had 26 athletes running, finishing fourth.

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Steph Twell ran a superb 2:30:12 on her debut over 26.2 miles at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday (December 2).

British international Twell said before the race that at this stage of her career “it just feels right to finally step up” and challenge herself over the marathon distance, and after running the second fastest time in the UK this year, the 29 year-old certainly has a bright future over the distance.

On route to her top performance, Twell ran an ideal negative split, going through the first half of the race in 75:32 before clocking 74:40 for the final 13.1 miles to finish in seventh place.

Prior to the race, Twell, who now ranks fifth on the Scottish all-time rankings,  said: “With two years to the Olympics, I’m aware it is no easy task to tackle the marathon (and qualify) but I have hopes to make my best impact at Tokyo 2020 and the marathon might be one of the ways I can reach this goal.”

After her showing in Valencia and the valuable experience gained, few will be surprised to not see Twell make an impact over the distance at the next Olympic Games in 2020.

In the men’s race, Highgate Harriers’ Chris Rainsford was the first British athlete across the finish line clocking a fantastic 2:21:45 debut, while Brighton and Hove’s Kevin Rojas posted a strong 2:22:43.

Fast Running‘s Robbie Britton was also racing in Valencia, and over the last couple of months had been sharing his journey towards his sub 2:30 marathon goal.

Ultra runner Britton, who was coached by Tom Cragg on his endeavour to step down in distance, achieved his target with a great 2:29:32 clocking.

Robbie Britton @ultrabritton you bloody star. Gave me the fright of my life going through 10k in 33 mins but held it together beautifully 2:29:32 @FastRunning_ very proud of you Rob

— Tom Craggs (@thomascraggs) December 2, 2018

Meanwhile, at the very front of the Valencia Marathon, it was an Ethiopian double, with Leul Gebrselassie claiming the men’s victory in 2:04:30, while Ashete Dido won the women’s race in 2:21:14.

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The taper is a dreaded thing for many. Less running, more time indoors and many feel the opposite of getting faster. Why do we even taper eh? Yet it works. Tapering has some decent science behind it too, like this meta-analysis by Bosquet et al. Why do endurance runners fear or question it so much then?

As I’m tapering for Valencia on Sunday it might be worthwhile to talk about the process as a case study and possibly help others in the same boat. So, what is my taper all about and why?

Reduce Volume 

This is the one that most people understand and see the point of. Marathon training is hard work on the legs and the body so reducing volume of training the closer you get will mean fresh and lively legs on the start line. 

How much you reduce is down to the individual. The study linked above has some nice analysis of tapering across three sports, cycling, running and swimming. There was a linear and step progression of tapering examined across all three and the impact it had on rested muscles, but also maintaining fitness.

The idea that if you reduce your training too much you’ll lose fitness, but not enough and you’ll be knackered on the startline. Many a coach has said “better to be 5% under prepared than 1% overcooked” and for the vast majority of us it’s not worth the risk to go too hard.

We’re not suggesting you just take two weeks off, but if Carlos Lopes can get hit by a car the week before the Los Angeles ’84 Olympics and still win the marathon with a week off, then we can err on the side of caution in our tapers. 

Personally I’m coming from around 12-13 hours in my peak weeks to 10 hours a three weeks out, six and a half hours two weeks out and around three hours before race day. I use time as my running isn’t on flat roads and the time can be transferred to anyone’s training. 

Maintain Frequency 

One of the issues many have with tapers is missing out on the thing they love. Running. 

A way around this and to keep the body from going soft is to maintain normal frequency of running. You might reduce the volume so instead of 10 x one hour of running you have 10 x 30-40 minutes (this is obviously rather simplified) but you maintain the frequency.

Even if you add in a couple extra rest days in the two-three weeks before the race, well worth doing, you can keep your double days or normal routine as much as possible, as long as the overall volume is reducing.

Same could be said for any quicker sessions or long runs too. Married to the church of the Sunday long run, well get out for 70-80 minutes but don’t go wild.

Maintain Intensity

This is an interesting one. With the reduced volume of a taper some people start to feel brilliant. Then they have a simple track session to see the legs ticking over and they smash it right out for the park. 

“Fastest track session EVER! Certainly going to PB this weekend”

Unfortunately there’s a chance you just left your best performance out on the track in training. You may be feeling fresh and fast, but it doesn’t mean you need to run faster to prove it. We want to keep the muscles firing at a quick pace to keep the sharpness and maintain fitness, but we do not want to over work the muscles, just because the cardiovascular system is feeling perky. 

Over do the intensity and your muscles will get faster, but probably after the marathon. Which is zero use to you on race day, when they’ll still be recovering from Tuesday’s track run.

The taper is not the time to show off

Now Tom Craggs, my coach, and I both had the same thoughts on this. We knew that I’d be moving faster than ever before and there’s a fast man hidden inside this ultra runner who’d want to come out in taper week. He’s well fast.

So with that in mind we were a bit stricter with paces for the final two-three sessions. We wanted to keep the fitness going, so there was a 20 min tempo nine days out, a 6 x 800 session six days out and a cheeky wee 3 x 3 minutes four days out. None of these were overall fast though.

Plenty of my training had previously been done at the speeds of 5:20 and 5:40 per mile. The 5:40s were specific to my marathon goal and the 5:20s were around threshold effort (plus on a 300m track it’s exactly 60s a lap so is nice and tidy). We knew my muscles were good with these paces.

So the tempo was at 5:20s, the 800s were at 5:20s and the closest session, the 3 x 3 minutes, was 5:40s. All controlled and sensible. Yes, I could have gone and done the 800s really quick and for 3 x 3 minutes could probably break the speed of light. Probably. But that would not have helped on Sunday.

Save it for the big dance

It’s exciting times ahead and I’m confident. The questions I’m asking myself are not whether I can break 2:30 or not, but by how much. That’s something I’m aware can be a dangerous game. Just how quick should we run the first half?

Logic might say 75:00 bang on and go for a negative split, like at the half a few weeks back, maybe 74:30 and expect a little slow down or just go totally on feel and see what happens. Why limit your possibilities with a time?

Well we had a mission and that’s been clear all along. Sub 2:30 is the name of the game so that is goal number one. Hopefully we can stretch that a little and maybe post an even quicker mark, but it can equally all go tits up if I go too fast. A PB should be assured though (famous last words), with 2:59 the time to beat…

Whatever happens I’m excited to find out. All the hard work has gone in, the ups and downs have been part of the ride and it’s up to me to perform on the day. All I can say now is that I’ll give it my best shot.

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

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The post Chasing Sub 2:30: Explaining the joys of the taper appeared first on Fast Running.

Training for a marathon is hard. Not just the sheer miles on the tarmac, but the fatigue, the sessions, confidence going to and fro and finding the right shoes – mainly finding the right shoes. To do it all alone would be a bloody difficult task. 

The pack

The most obvious members of any team might be those sharing the miles on the road. Having a good training group can make a huge difference to anyone’s training. A small group of running peers with the same goal should make you all dangerous threats to your PBs.

For those in the UK, that is where the club system comes into its own. Two or three times a week you can meet up for club sessions and push each other to complete the key sessions building up to your goal. Sharing weekend long miles and making those tougher sections easier through laughter or shared pain can be golden. 

It’s not just clubs, but training groups too. The Cottage group in Battersea Park, AB Training in Brighton, Team New Balance Manchester and the Dublin Track Club in Ireland, to name but a few. Having others around with a shared goal and dedication needn’t just be from your club.

Just being part of a club like the North Norfolk Beach Runners, even if I’m miles away, makes me feel part of something bigger. Hearing about their races, sessions, tough times and successes, encourages me to continue working hard.

Be it Tony representing GB at duathlon, everyone setting new half marathon PBs or Smarty actually making it to the finish of a race without cramping. We’re in it together. 

Outside of the club

For those living more remotely or working long, unsociable hours it doesn’t even need to be a group. Just two people can spur each other on, keeping a friend accountable on their tougher days.

Having my friend Majell join on the first few long road runs and sessions made a big difference, as well as chasing Ben Riddell around our loop of doom near his house. Athletes of a similar level can bring the best out of each other.

Training in a group doesn’t even need to be all of the same pace. Just having Nats join me on the bike (and wondering why I’m not going as fast as I’m supposed to), Jamie getting on the bike to pass bottles and listen to me whining, Sarah driving us all to Martigny to race or Sophie doing a speed session alongside taking alternate laps. We’re all working together and it helps. 

Rosa (our dog) helps on the easy runs too, although she’s rubbish on any road sections. 

Away from training

Then there are the sacrifices from the ones we love that don’t even have much to do with running. Could we do this all on our own if there wasn’t someone to pick us up after the blow ups, make dinner after long runs and take the Instagram pictures when you’re in the hurt locker. 

By just being there to support me on this endeavour my wife Nats has played a huge part in getting to the start line. From dealing with a tired and useless partner, cheering me on at races to coming to Valencia just to support and hand me a bottle halfway along. Her support has been invaluable.

Having Tom Craggs as a coach has been a big help too. It’s not just the simple setting of training day to day, but explaining everything, discussing training, kit, confidence and pacing. Having a good coach to work with makes sure I do enough, but also not too much. It can be a fine balance.

The support of the running community online is there too. Be it the great responses to these blogs or the questions answered by more experienced heads in groups like IWOAAR or on a LetsRun forum. Strangers all joined by a love of running and helping each other succeed. 

How’s it going?

The last blog spoke about how it was all starting to click. A new half marathon PB was followed by great session after great session. Even another race PB at that iconic distance of 7.8km at the Corrida d’Octodure in Martigny, Switzerland.

It might not be a recognised distance but running 22 seconds per mile quicker and losing to the Swiss 1500m silver medallist in a sprint finish seemed like a success to me.

Then came one of the big ones – 32km with 6 x 3km at marathon pace off two minute rests. 

On paper, I have run quicker in a tempo without the breaks. The half marathon was longer than all the efforts combined and over 10 seconds per mile faster. It was certainly doable.

Nerves are a funny thing though. They’re not always logical. My stomach was acting like it was a race day and it was looking like it might be a lonely solo effort until Jamie B stepped up and offered to ride alongside. Not just the company, but having drinks and food on hand was a blessing. Chasing the bike in the tougher sections was an added bonus.

I won’t lie. It wasn’t easy. The loop we use is about one of the only flat loops in Chamonix that isn’t the track. It’s half road, half trail and goes uphill alongside the river. Eurus, the Greek god of the unlucky east wind, decided to make the slightly uphill trail a little harder, but it all means better training for race day, right?

Highs and lows

The session was done, albeit with a little bit of slowing down for the final two efforts. Coach Tom pointed out it was an improvement on past long runs and on a tough loop. Plus it was only two days after some fast running at the 7.8km race. I knew I should be happy with it.

The next couple of days, a rest day and two easy runs after that, were tough. A malaise set in and not everything felt as fast. Logically my mind looked at the race and the long run, but confidence is a fickle thing. 

Fast forward to Thursday and another big session of marathon pace work on the track. Our 300m loop might get a little dizzy at times, but if you can get it done on tight bends at 1000m altitude, then that’s got to be a good sign. Confidence is bouncing again. 

The team comes through

That’s where once again you need your team around you. Nats coming along to do a session alongside, the friends that drop a message to see how it went and even the kudos, the comments on Strava and words from your coach. The team picks you up and keeps you on track. 

Despite doing a large amount of this marathon block alone, it’s felt anything but. The team isn’t always some big fancy sports set up, but sometimes just the friends and family around to share the good times and the bad.

They’ll all be with me on race day. 

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Chasing sub 2:30: The importance of teamwork appeared first on Fast Running.

It was a mere two weeks ago that the question I asked was ‘should marathon pace feel this hard in training‘. The goal of hitting 5:40-43 minutes per mile for 26.2 consecutive miles seemed a world away and my last blog asked for the advice of those more experienced.

The response was excellent. Those who have been in the same situation or were currently experiencing it themselves were quick to get involved. It was encouraging to know I wasn’t the first or last athlete to find marathon pace difficult amongst the high mileage of the build up.

The likes of England marathoner Aaron Scott commented that he struggled to hit marathon pace until four weeks out and even then only 10k at a time. Then Aaron goes and smashes it out of the park with a 2:16 at Frankfurt marathon. Seeing the great British performances at Frankfurt was a real inspiration for my own training. It helps you believe. 

Starting to click

I love to race. Preferably ultra distance, but it all scratches that itch. Last weekend was the Lausanne marathon and I raced over the half marathon distance. The goal was to get out and see how running faster for a prolonged period of time felt. Was the training sinking in?

Coach Tom Craggs spoke about being controlled, how I’d be running on tired legs and it was not the be all and end all of my marathon training, but I was confident of a new PB. My last half marathon had been 74:27 back in 2017. Two weeks ago I would have had 73-74 as a goal, but training had picked up.

All it took were a couple of key sessions to go my way. Confidence is a fickle thing and understanding that can help in the highs and lows of a marathon build up. The run that felt like it had started to ‘click’ wasn’t even that fast. It just felt fast. 

A 35km point to point long run in the Swiss Valais seemed wise. It was flat (even ever so slightly downhill), there a cycle path the whole way and we were returning from Nats’ race in Italy. We had not counted on the headwind though. In my face for every single footstep of that long run and when the steady 15km effort started, it felt like the wind picked up. Yet my confidence grew from that challenge. It was free extra training in my mind. 

The half marathon

Toeing the line at a half marathon I was confident. The nerves that normally crop up were there, but only quietly. Whilst I knew that a quicker half would be a good sign for Valencia, all I could do was try my best. If I tried my best on the day then the time would look after itself. Chasing numbers doesn’t help anyone. 

Setting off, the plan was to not go any faster than 5:25 per mile. Not having a lot of half marathon experience (I think this is my third) there were some concerns I would start too fast. How hard should the start of a half marathon feel?

I was a little alarmed when the Kenyan and Moroccan runners didn’t instantly disappear off into the distance. We ran in a sizeable lead group for the first three or four kilometres, but this was down to the wind and the fact that those more experienced were just easing in. The fastest athletes knew what they had to do and a controlled start it was. Bang on 5:25 for the first mile was probably more down to the group’s pacing than my judgement.

When the lead group accelerated I had to decide whether to go with or hang in no man’s land. There was a chasing pack but as I eased off the concern came that they would just breeze past because I had started too fast. 

What happened was a couple athletes bridging to me and then one in particular pacing in the most peculiar way. Every minute or so he seemed to surge. I sat in behind and every time I tried to take my turn in the wind, he would surge and see it as a challenge. Even suggesting we work together didn’t work.

The final miles

The hard work continued, but gradually the finish got closer. It never felt easy in the second half, but it also didn’t feel like I was working too hard any point. My mind was very much accepting of whatever time would appear, knowing I was pacing pretty well.

The final miles I usually kick up in a race, chase down whoever is ahead and generally bury myself. With the marathon training in mind the urge to kick was resisted. Even with another runner just ahead, the difference between seventh and eighth wasn’t worth the extra recovery time. It might be in Valencia.

I crossed the finish line in a new personal best 71:53 and it was a very pleasing result. Well over two minutes quicker than my old best and en route to sub 2:30 in my books. More training and tapering to be done, but confidence is high.

Managing the chaos 

The more organised amongst you might notice this blog is a few days later than normal, but marathon training and writing blogs can all be affected by life.

Having recently written about ‘orchestrating the chaos of training’ it was appropriate that my own training became more complex. After a successful bit of steady running to pace on some intervals with my wife Nats and our friend Sophie, all seemed well, until Nats missed a chain between two posts and hit the ground hard. One x-ray and a broken pinky finger later surgery was planned for the next day. 

This is where adaptability is key with marathon training and your coach. Moving Wednesday’s key session wasn’t the end of the world. Our training needs to fit around our lives and sometimes you just have to change plans. 

Instead of doing 5 x 2km on Wednesday, it moved to Thursday and I appreciated that I was a little more tired because of everything going on. It took a little while longer than usual to get into my stride, but mental tiredness can affect your running too. 

Then came missing the race planned for the weekend, which has been set for a marathon pace effort. But changing plans doesn’t have to mean that it’s less ideal. The opportunity came to do a tempo and long run session with a friend (and faster runner) Ben Riddell. All of a sudden a problem becomes an opportunity. 

Turning problems into opportunity

This is one of the things I have learned about marathon training, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Doing the best you can is great. If the day arrives and sub 2:30 is not to be, but I’ve given it my best shot, then I’ll be happy.

Hitting set paces, key sessions and times in races might be good for Strava and social media, but it needn’t define your marathon training. Do the best you can and be the best athlete you can be. That’s enough.

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Chasing sub 2:30: marathon training starting to ‘click’ appeared first on Fast Running.

It’s been a big two weeks. Really big. In terms of training, but also because I got to marry the wonderful Natalie White whilst surrounded by friends and family in the Chamonix valley. Not surprisingly that was a rest day, but my legs got a bit of a workout on the dance floor.

So how is life as a married man? Not much different really, just seems the volumes picked up a little in training and I don’t think that’s related.

Fitting training in around a big life event like a wedding wasn’t easy, but it was doable with a bit of planning. Coach Tom Craggs also front loaded the week a little as we knew it might be a little busy. The beer kilometre race on the Sunday was a good little interval workout too.

Enough about our wedding though, you’re here for some running chatter.

Should marathon pace feel easy?

The one thing that I’ve started to notice more and more is that my goal marathon pace of 5:40-43/mile still feels pretty tough. Running at that pace isn’t impossible, but it certainly doesn’t feel like my “marathon pace” yet.

So should marathon pace ever feel easy? If it felt like I could run 26.2 miles at that pace now, still six weeks out from race day, would my target be a little too soft?

With plenty of big sessions and key long runs to come, I’m certainly feeling fitter, but it isn’t the quality sessions that this comes through in, it’s the easy runs. Ticking over at a comfortable easy effort is suddenly getting a little quicker. That’s a good sign I hear.

The sessions are getting quicker, but feeling harder too. This is likely down to the fact I’m in a bulky part of my marathon training, otherwise referred to as ‘the grind’.

Wise words

There are plenty of people out there with better marathon experience than I so I reached out for advice. The wise words come in from all directions.

“With the volume of training you’re doing in the peak weeks nothing will feel easy” said 2:27 marathoner Paul Navesey. “Imagine you’re doing the last 20-25km of your marathon as you’ll be starting the race on fresh legs. You certainly shouldn’t have fresh legs now.”

“It’ll come, don’t worry” were the first thing 2:19 runner Carl Hardman said. “I remember going out for a five or six mile tempo early in the build up and being 10 seconds off marathon pace. I thought “how the f**k am I going to get around this marathon when I can’t even hit MP”. Then in one session it clicks and all is forgotten”. 

The coach just says that “little by little we’re nudging towards where we want to be” and that’s a key point.

There is no magical marathon session that gets you ready, but weeks and weeks, month and months of solid, consistent work get you to that start line ready. Patience is key.

A little help from my friends

In recent weeks I’ve been fortunate to have friends help out on some of these tougher sessions: Majell Backhausen, my wife Nats, Ben Riddell and Tom Payn have either kept me company, kept me honest or just shown me how fast a road runner can go. 

The power of the group is something that comes through a lot when reading about running fast. Whether it’s American colleges, the running community in Iten or just groups of runners working together across the UK, having others around to push you is a good thing. 

This is one of the reasons Valencia marathon was an easy choice for a goal marathon. The depth between 2:25-30 at the Spanish marathon is great, with 40 runners coming in in the five minute gap. This year 23 runners did the same at the much bigger London marathon. 

The goal is to use the groups around, with hopefully a bunch aiming for sub 2:30, to achieve my best on the day. Some people train well and race badly, but I’m definitely the other way round, finding a little something extra on race day.

So what is next

Coming up are some bigger weeks still, with key sessions and races mixed in with a few races. The Lausanne half marathon, Geneva 10k and Martigny’s seven kilometre night race are all good markers of where I’m at. They could be a good confidence boost if they go well, but good experience if not.

Not only will they be fun to race, but also good opportunities to practice race day build up.

Certainly for Lausanne I will prepare my food, rest and everything else in the same way I will for Valencia. Practicing these beforehand might make all the difference on the day.

With a track session of 3 x (1200,1200,400) done today, it’s another great one in the bank. My calves are even starting to get used to the faster work. Kind of.

This next fortnight sees more threshold and steady running built into big weeks. Fuelling and recovery will be really important. 

Hopefully that marathon pace feels easy for at least the first half of Valencia…

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Chasing sub 2:30: Does marathon pace ever start to feel ‘easy’? appeared first on Fast Running.

Since announcing on Fast Running my goal of running under two hours and thirty minutes for the Valencia marathon in December the advice has been plentiful.

It’s mostly been about not taking my hiking poles to the super flat Spanish marathon, but some has been useful.

Specificity

The specificity of marathon training has meant many more flat miles. Living in Chamonix, France, is fantastic for mountain running but the vert-less options are limited. The wonderful track is 300m long and the one mile Valencia loop has been christened. They are already close friends. 

Working with Tom Craggs we are both learning about marathon training in the hills. From the front door, there isn’t more than a few hundred metres without a hill. The local carpark is great for drills and strides though and finding a hill for short 8-10 second sprints is easy enough. Long runs need imagination. 

In previous years the Round Norfolk Relay (RNR) is a club experience at the end of the mountain season for me. Every year my legs doth protest that they are not ready for the roads. The conditioning needed for miles and miles of rolling Norfolk tarmac is hard to come by in the Alps, but this year I hoped it would be different. 

Instead of coming straight from the mountains to the road, there have already been several flat sessions in the bank. Strangely seven miles of tempo running at 5:45s hurt my legs a whole lot more than 100km of Polish mountains, but the body always needs to adapt to new challenges.

The key sessions before the 19.7 mile leg of the relay this year certainly made a difference. Instead of third or fourth on my stage, a win was possible. It might only have been flat six-minute miles, but the 1:45am start time might have a slight effect on speed too. 

The difference felt like efficiency. In years gone past the gait would become more labourer as the miles ticked past, rather than the lungs or energy levels dipping. The fitness was always there, but the legs just weren’t prepared. 

Comfortable being uncomfortable

Another element of marathon running is being comfortable in discomfort for over two hours. Marathon pace certainly feels easy enough at the start and doesn’t hit you like a bus if done right, but discomfort certainly builds.

In the mountains, you always know there’s a hill to hike up soon, or a downhill to cruise down. The effort may well be consistent but the stress on the body and mind changes constantly. 

In marathon running, you get to that place. Where it hurts, you’re working hard, but it’s just about achievable. You want to slow down but know that you can continue if you choose to. You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

This thought kept running through my mind in the second half of my stage. Dodging the surprising amount of roadkill on the beautiful A1066, keeping a consistently high effort starts to get harder past 14 or 15 miles. Maybe even 12 or 13 miles. The mind wants you to forget. 

Yet the thought of relishing the opportunity to hurt kept me going. Thinking of form, fuelling and chasing the clubs ahead. Head up, arms driving back, jump over that pheasant. 

The plan for RNR was to finish strong, to up it a gear. Finding a that “critical power” level for a marathon is important and the drive to the finish for my club is clear from the Strava HR data below. If Valencia looks a little like this, maybe a bit higher throughout, then I’ll be happy.

Getting used to the pace

And then the thought of running 20 seconds a mile quicker, for longer, comes to mind. Marathon pace keeps popping up in training. Sure, I can run at 5:40s, my half marathon time can attest to that. Yet it doesn’t yet feel like marathon pace.

Such is the patience needed. Nine weeks to go still. You wouldn’t even want to be ready yet, but that doesn’t stop a little panic in the mind. Should I be working hard to hit that exact pace or just doing the work at the right effort?

The big question is really how much difference it makes doing your workouts on a 300m track? I like to think it’s worth two to three seconds a lap, with all those small bends. Doing 400m reps you actually have three bends on most of the efforts. Maybe it’s worth five or six seconds a lap… only kidding.

The real tests are still ahead. Taking to the roads for the Lausanne half marathon at the end of October will be a marker for progress and road running on a flat, fast surface that isn’t above 1000m of altitude. Full of excuses aren’t I?

Finding fast

The legs keep responding well though. Aches and pains are a little different to the mountains, but that could be because I’m falling over less. The easy runs still see me getting onto trails and hiking up some hills, but hopefully, the conditioning from the long runs and hard sessions is enough.

Each week you feel the sessions past making you stronger. The joy of hitting a session spot on becomes easier to achieve and that memory of being a road runner starts coming back. I’m starting to feel like a 24hr runner again, that efficient shuffle on flat ground returning.

The next two weeks hold some big days, not least Nats and I’s wedding in a couple weekend’s time. The blocks of marathon pace get bigger and bigger and hopefully start to feel a little easier. Watching Kipchoge’s marathon record he never really looked to be striving, so hopefully, that will come. I can certainly smile as much as the big man, just not run as fast…

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Chasing sub 2:30: Getting comfortable with uncomfortable appeared first on Fast Running.

Throughout his build-up to the Valencia Marathon, Robbie Britton will share details about his training, and the trials and tribulations as he attempts to find some leg speed to break 2 hours 30 minutes.

Along the journey, the ultra distance international will be assisted by Running with Us coach Tom Craggs, Sports Dietician Renee McGregor and other experts in the field of endurance running. Every fortnight Britton will update us in his progress, and hurdles on the road to Valencia.

In this first blog, he talks about his motivation for turning to the roads and why everyone should challenge themselves within their running.

What doesn’t kill you…

Whenever you say you’re a long distance runner people always ask “what is your marathon time?”. The circumstances don’t matter (it was a hot day in Chennai, India and I had the s***s). It’s just the numbers that count. 2:59 isn’t a bad marathon time, but it’s far from what’s possible. It’s definitely not the best I have in me.

Yet every year the world of ultra marathons throws up new challenges. New races emerge, the temptation to keep doing what you’re good at and hide away from empirical evidence of your own ability is there. If I race an event in some far flung country, that no one has heard of, then no one will know just how quick the result is.

With the marathon there is no hiding. Generations before have tried and tested the ultimate long distance event. Everyone in the 1980s runs under 2:30 just in training.

Finding speed

Often discussed is the relevance of marathon times in ultra running. Several have said to me that it just doesn’t matter. It has no relevance. What a load of rubbish!

Whilst the marathon PBs of the runners on an ultra distance start line might not determine the finishing position of the runners, it does signify each runner’s potential.

If you have a greater physiological ability then you can be a better ultra runner. Yes, I have beaten many a faster marathoner over 100 miles or 24 hours, but surely a faster Robbie would beat me (and I don’t just mean Robbie Simpson).

Hence we find ourselves reading a blog about my journey to Valencia Marathon. Working alongside my friend Tom Craggs, who has taken on the task of getting some road speed into these ultra distance mountain legs, I hope to document the challenges that lie ahead on this journey.

The aim is to break 2:30 and, in the process, become a better ultra runner. Increase my potential at every start line. The other main factors that determine ultra running ability, pacing, eating, drinking, are all things I’m happy with. So let’s increase the speed.

The journey begins

With a comfortable win at the Gorce 102km race in Poland in August, my mind was satisfied to get into marathon training. The final mountain race of the season, the 40km MCC of the UTMB festival, was seen as a long run in the process, if a little unsuitable. I’ll never race easy, so it wasn’t like I wouldn’t give it my best.

Tom Craggs is on the same MSc Performanc Coaching as I at the University of Stirling, so I have seen his fastidious, diligent approach to coaching and wanted to improve my own knowledge by working with someone who knew the marathon world inside out. As an ultra distance coach, I don’t coach marathon runners, but my athletes often want to try a marathon for similar reasons as I do, so it is a good opportunity to learn.

Using the Training Peaks platform, Tom has started setting my training. Living in a place without any flat running from the door means we have to adapt a little, so flatter trails down the valley will have to do.

First comes the speed

The first thing Tom wants me to work on is the leg speed. This sounded like it was going to hurt. Never before has a session included so little volume. Surely this was a typo? 3 x (3 x 200m) and 10 x 150m sounded like a sprinter’s workout? There was even some 6 x 80m hill efforts on some days.

Before we got into the bulky marathon sessions, my coach wanted me to get faster. Improving the leg speed would make the 5:40min marathon pace seem more comfortable. Apparently.

Never did I imagine how exhausted I would be after these shorter sessions. A 40 minute uphill tempo never left me as exhausted as the 1800m worth of efforts in that first track session. Do something that is out of your comfort zone and you’ll see some of the biggest improvements. That’s what I told myself when the burn set in each lap.

The muscles took a little convincing, but each time they seem happier with the workouts. The 300m reps are great on Chamonix’s 300m track, Takes a little bit of thinking out and you can always tell yourself you’d be faster on a normal 400m loop. There’s just a lot more time on the straights, not those pesky bends.

What comes next

After the speed, comes the speed endurance. The reps will start to get longer, 800m, 1km and maybe even more. Loops will be the flavour of the season as there isn’t much in the way of flat running in the valley. It can help to have your tried and tested loops though.

A one-mile loop near a friend’s house will be a major part of preparation too. Not only because said friend, Ben Riddell, is faster than me, so a great rabbit for hard sessions. Gauging improvement and getting used to the accelerated pace will be a large part of the next few months.

Fitting some races in too will hopefully help. This weekend is the annual Round Norfolk Relay, where I will be running a 19.4 mile leg for my club, the North Norfolk Beach Runners. Normally this is done solely on mountain legs so it will be interesting to have some road mileage in beforehand this year.

Then there will be events like Lausanne Half, Geneva 10k and maybe even a parkrun or two. Racing can be a great way to see your progression, but also great fun too. I run because I love it and the motivation might be a little harder on the roads this autumn.

Focusing on improvements, shorter races and the longer term goals will help keep motivation high throughout this training block. Writing a blog alongside should help too. Or at least provide some laughs.

Robbie is sponsored by Odlo, Profeet Sports Lab and Precision Hydration. If you want to follow his training chasing sub 2:30 you can also see it here on Strava or the highs and lows of Twitter and Instagram.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Chasing sub 2:30 at the Valencia Marathon appeared first on Fast Running.