My goal at the start of the year was to try and get the best age category time for the Perth marathon, for my age group ( 55-60) it was just shy of three hours, 2:59:09 to be precise. To this end I trained very hard for the Bibra Lake Marathon in July to use as a yardstick to see how close I was , or would be, in October. At Bibra I managed a respectable 3:04 hanging onto the sub3 bus for 26 kilometres before cruising home at a reasonable pace. This gave me a lot of confidence that with two more months training I could find that four minutes or so I needed to break the record in Perth.
Unfortunately I had the small matter of a backyard ultra booked in for August and inbetween recovery and tapering and then racing a BYU my training went to pot in August. This gave me a four week window but after a poor showing in the BYU , and inclement weather, my training was poor, consistent, but poor. By poor I mean I ran most days but no real marathon specific sessions. I also noticed my quicker pace was slower than pre-Bibra and I could feel my marathon fitness ebbing away. Truth be told I really gave up chasing sub three hours at Perth as soon as I made my mind up to race Birdy’s backyard in August. There wasn’t time to do both well and my marathon training suffered.
Unperturbed I did enough to give me confidence I could run three hours and ten minutes or quicker and it would be a good exercise to check out the course for another attempt next year, being 58 in 2025. What could possibly go wrong ? As it was it seems a lot can go wrong when you run to a time you have no right to run to, that’s marathon running. !
Number 1 by association, not talent. I’m a friend of the Race Director.
Back in the day I had managed to grab a few number one bibs for the City to Surf marathons and normally from the same Race Director, who now organises the Perth Running Festival. I managed to pull a few favours and had the honour of running one more time with the number 1 pinned to my chest.
With my good friends getting changed in the car park, me not them.
Getting changed in the car park before the event I bumped into Johannes, Jon and Adam. It was marathon number 100 for Jon which is an incredible achievement and more so as he’s still running sub three hour marathons and chasing PB’s. He would run 2:52 , a great time. Adam was running his first marathon for six years and ran a 3:08 suffering with cramp later in the race, he’ll be back to running sub three and beyond in no time. Johannes is chasing Ironman glory in December and is racing often and well, he ran a 3:10 .
Me and Jon and some fast Africans at the start.
Jon and I tucked up behind the Africans at the start, managed to keep them honest for a hundred metres or so and then left them to their own race while I freewheeled waiting for the three hour bus to catch me up. As it was the three hour bus caught me up around nine kilometres into the event and then rolled over the top of me pretty quickly. This was not a good sign as my legs were heavy and I watched the three hour bus disappear around twelve or thirteen kilometres, this left me in no mans land with a long way to go to the finish. From the start I knew I was in for a long day at the office. I was reminded of Melbourne in 2022 when the same thing happened, dropped from the three hour bus early and then staggering to the finish. I was hoping I could do better this time and up until half way I was still ahead of Melbourne pace.
Hamming it up to the crown with my best Lleyton Hewitt. C’mon !
The course is all on road closures which sounds good but it did lead to some wide open roads and little crowd support in some areas. Although the day was warm and humid there was little wind to talk off, which was a good thing. I couldn’t image a head wind for any part of the course as you’d be totally exposed. As it was I was searching out shade when I could but for the most part was unsuccessful. That being said the course is flat enough to be a fast option but also there’s enough undulation to keep most muscle groups firing. Overall I think the course is good for a fast time but the weather conditions are the limiting factor, the last two years it has been humid and running an event in October you are always playing with the weathers gods. Funnily enopugh the week prior there was thunderstorms and torrential rain, with wind, that would have been unpleasant?
I ran through half way around 1:35 but by then all dreams of sub3 were well and truly over. The wheels started to fall off pretty quickly between 21k and 32k , although in my defence this was on the Kwinana Freeway which is a very long section of open road with little to look at apart from more open road, not the prettiest scenery although it was cool getting so close to the trains that were still running in the middle of the freeway. When we came off the Kwinana freeway and headed towards the Nedlands turn around , running past the iconic Swan Brewery, the wheels disappeared completely. Due to lack of proper marathon specific training , heat and humidity I hit the marathon wall right on cue, virtually 32k on the button. I have highlighted this on many occasions in my previous posts but this was the first time since my first marathon, in 2002, that I had succumbed to the wall. A part of me found it amusing that even after 48 marathons I can still make rookie errors albeit I also understood what was coming my way over the next ten or so kilometres. I thought back to the fist time I had hit the wall in the 2002 Perth Marathon and the feeling of not understanding why my legs just wouldn’t move, it was surreal being mentally fine but physically the body had checked out. I always remember the encouragement from the crowd being more out of worry and the looks on their faces was telling a different story to the encouraging ‘you can do it‘ , ‘looking good‘ and ‘nearly there’ . I had seen this before but only when the runner looked like they were about to implode, today I was ‘that runner’.
I moved into damage mitigation for the last ten kilometres , walking though every other aid station to make sure I got a good cup full of Gatorade or water. My times didn’t blow out and I managed to hold sub 5min/k pace to the finish. My final goal was to finish ahead of the 3:15 bus which ran over me with the finish in site. This did inspire me to speed up and I managed to break 3:15 by three seconds, finishing two seconds behind the bus drivers.
Made it by a few seconds.
So marathon number 48 done and dusted, I’ll take some learnings from this one and that’s the point , to continue to enjoy the event but also take something from each one. You never know I may even improve and take out that elusive sub three age group record in 2025, funnier things have happened ? Major learning is respect the distance and set your achievable pace early, don’t assume all will end well with experience. I knew I was never going to break sub three hours but was hoping for maybe a sub three hours ten minutes ? The extra four or five minutes doesn’t sound a lot in the scheme of things but trust me , at ten kilometres to go with nothing in the tank, that extra five minutes is bloody hard.
One for the pool room, just need to buy a pool room !
Post race I stumbled back to my car parked a few kilometres away and couldn’t then get back up to the start to celebrate Jon’s 100 marathons. with the crew. I felt guilty but I was in no state to drink and even walk, it was all I could do to drive home and stumble into a hot bath which was better than my first marathon when I called my Wife from the car port to be helped out of the car and then persuaded my neighbour to let me use his bath, happy memories. (maybe not so happy for my neighbour at the time?)
The gangs all here bar me, I was away getting changed and couldn’t manage the walk back.
Finally another big shout out to my good mate Jon Pendse who ran his 100th marathon at Perth, which includes over 50 sub three marathons and many marathon victories. He is the Duracell bunny of marathon running, he just keeps on keeping on. Next on his radar is 100 sub 3 marathons and that’s take him to legendary status and then who knows, he could even look at 100 ultra marathons, the sky is the limit for Jon. Well done buddy, we are all very proud of you.
100 marathons and counting… even finished in the top 20 with a 2:52 time.
So what’s next ? No rest for the wicked of course, in less than four weeks I’m taking on the Feral Pig 100 miler , racing on the bibbulmun track. ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ). I think there’s still a few spots left if you want to join me ? ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) This is one of my favorite events but also one of the hardest. A midnight KO Friday night means two nights with no sleep which makes for wicked hallucinations on Sunday morning. The course also runs through the finish line with a further forty or so hard kilometres to go, it’s a big mental effort to run past your car and continue and head out to the ‘death loop‘ . The course itself it mainly brutal single track and add in the temperature, which is either hot or really hot, and it’s one tough mother of an event. Need to pull my finger out and get onto the trails or I’ll be facing another long day at the office albeit on the trails this can also be a good thing ?
From https://readysetmarathon.com/hitting-the-wall-in-a-marathon-why-it-happens-and-8-tips-to-prevent-it/
Hitting the Wall in a Marathon: Why It Happens and 8 Tips to Prevent It
One of my non-marathon running friends recently asked about “hitting the wall” in the marathon wondering if it’s a real thing. (Where you feel the sudden onset of fatigue.) I told him that unfortunately, it is very real. I’ve spent time strategizing the best ways to avoid this from happening, and want to share it with all of you. Because hitting the wall is not fun! So let’s find out why hitting the wall in a marathon happens and what steps to take to prevent it.
Hitting the wall in the marathon happens because the body can only store 2,000 calories of glycogen (the fuel you use to run) which is usually used within 20 miles. Being that the marathon is 26.2 miles long, for 6+ miles your body has to use fat for fuel which is a much less efficient process.
Luckily there are ways to train your body to push through the “wall” or even so you never feel it at all. Here you’ll learn more about what hitting the wall (also known as bonking) in a marathon feels like, why it happens, and this good stuff:
8 tips to implement to avoid hitting the wall from happening including:
Run higher mileage in training.
Incorporate at least 3 long runs of 20+ miles during your training.
Put medium-long runs into your training.
Try running “carb-free” on your easy runs.
Practice your mental game.
Carbo-load before your marathon.
Don’t go out too fast.
Follow a proper fueling/hydration strategy during the marathonthat includes carbs.
Hitting the wall can be overcome!
Hitting the Wall in a Marathon: Symptoms and What it Feels Like
Though you can certainly feel exhausted in lots of sports or after a hard workout, it’s not the same as the wall that endurance athletes refer to. So it’s not to be confused with being tired and it isn’t something you’re most likely going to experience in shorter races. It COULD happen in a long training run, but isn’t likely to happen for most people in the 16 and below mileage range.
So, if it’s not just about getting tired when you run, what does hitting the wall feel like exactly?
Here’s how you know you’ve “hit the wall” or “bonked” in your race or long run:
You’re in the 18-22 mile range
You’ve been feeling good or great up until that point and suddenly you don’t anymore.
You have a strong urge to walk
a feeling of “dead legs”
dizziness
Negative thoughts and doubt creep in
Both your mind and your body want to quit
You feel completely depleted (and that’s because you are! Read on…)
This is different from being ready to quit after an intense speed session when you feel like your heart might explode. Rather, this is a pace you’ve been able to carry for maybe 20 miles or more when, with almost no warning, you feel like you can’t run anymore. And it sucks. Yet, it’s completely normal.
Why Marathon Runners Hit the Wall
Though “the wall” or “bonking” are just coined terms for this feeling, there’s actually a scientific reason behind it all.
Fortunately, it’s actually pretty easy to understand.
Your body needs energy and for most people that comes from tapping into glycogen stores. It’s essentially our fuel reserve found in our liver and muscles. Your body can also metabolize fat, but unless you’ve trained your body to do this, it’s a much slower process than using glycogen stores.
The problem is that, in general, a body can only hold about 2,000 calories worth of glycogen. Perfectly fine in everyday life, not so much for a marathon runner. Once that glycogen’s used up, your body has to start the much less efficient process of burning fat. This quick math shows where the problem lies:
2,000 calories stored up divided by (an average of) 100 calories burned per mile = hitting the wall at mile 20
If only our body stored 2,620 calories that would be so much better, right?! Darn. And some people store closer to 1,800 or so, making the bonk come that much sooner.
So many people wonder what the hardest mile of a marathon is, which I discuss in this article, and for most, it’s wherever hitting the wall decides to show up. But does it show up for everyone, or is there a way to avoid it?
Is it Possible to Avoid Hitting the Wall in a Marathon?
As a marathon runner, if you’ve ever hit the wall, then you’re in good company. According to this study of over 300 marathon runners, 43% of them reported common symptoms of hitting the wall. But common or not, it’s an encounter we’d prefer to skip if at all possible.
Top 8 Tips to Avoid Hitting the Wall in a Marathon
Run higher mileage in training. Being able to run farther, longer, and faster is the name of the game when it comes to marathons. High mileage is a large contributing factor in how well your body can maintain your goal pace for the duration of the marathon since its purpose is to build your body’s aerobic engine. Getting in goal pace miles is important, but note that optimal long-run pace is generally about 55 – 75% of your 5k pace (as stated by Coach Jeff here on Runners Connect.)I love using the Mcmillan calculator to figure out what paces I should be running, by the way!
Incorporate at least 3 long runs of 20+ miles during your training. The long run is probably the single best indicator of how you’ll fare in your marathon. That’s not to say that quality workouts and the rest of the mileage through your week isn’t important, but safely building those long runs week to week is what really prepares you for the main event of 26.2 miles. Though long runs should be run at much slower pace, these 20+ miler runs are like a dress rehearsal.
Try running “carb-free” on your easy runs. Training without consuming carbs before or during an easy run will help your body adapt to utilizing more fat for fuel. I personally would never try this on a quality/speed workout or long run, but I do it pretty often for those easy runs of 7 miles or less.
Practice your mental game. Yes, the physiological component of hitting the wall comes from a depletion of glycogen in your body. But, you CAN overcome it with sheer will and grit. Remember that your mind will try to give up long before your body actually would need to. The trick is to learn how to just.keep.going. Practice your positive mental strategies in your long runs and these will pay dividends in your marathon. Promise.
Carbo-load before your marathon. You should be getting as much glycogen stored in your body (without overdoing it) in the week before your marathon. This is not the time to feel guilty about consuming those extra carbs! Your body will rely on it more than you can know. Need more info about how to go about the carbo-load? Read: The Carbo-Load: Why do marathon runners do this?
Don’t go out too fast. This is one of the top mistakes of new marathon runners. It’s even tough to do when you know better – I’ve been there and it’s hard to pull the reigns in when you feel so good. But this will matter big time later in your race. Don’t go any faster than your goal pace in the beginning, and staying on the conservative side for the first 10k or more is a smart racing strategy. “Banking time” won’t be your friend, and you can read more about that here.
Follow a proper fueling/hydration strategy during the marathonthat includes carbs. A simple electrolyte isn’t going to cut it. You have to make sure you’re ingesting approximately 30 – 60 grams of carbohydrates every 45 minutes to 1 hour in a marathon. This can come in the form of gels, liquids, or solids – depending on what you prefer. But it needs to be easily digestible, so be sure you practice your fueling strategy during long runs before the big day. My go-to is the Sword Endurance drink. And start this early on in your marathon – do not wait!
Make sure you do at least 2-3 long runs of 20 miles or more to prepare for your marathon to avoid the “wall.”
Overcoming the Dreaded Wall Even When You Can’t Avoid It
Ultimately, there will be times when you hit the wall even when you’ve tried to do everything you could to keep it from showing up. Here’s the thing – just because it rears its ugly head, doesn’t mean you have to succumb to it. And a lot of that comes from how you choose to mentally cope with it.
In this Runner’s World Q & A with sports scientist Tim Noakes, he states that he believes the brain directs exercise performance as a way to save ourselves from overexertion by strenuous exercise. What this means is that though you may feel like you’re going to die, you’re actually not. You have to train your brain to be able to overcome the physical pain that comes with hitting the wall. You can go so much farther than you could ever imagine.
So what should you do if you’ve hit the wall? Is it possible to push through?
Unless you’re feeling dizzy or disoriented (in which case you’ll want to assess if you’re in danger with a possible visit the medic tent), you can absolutely get through bonking.
The best thing to do at this point is distract yourself in any way that you can and stay positive. Tap into your mental training that you utilized during all of your long runs. I highly recommend choosing a mantra or two you can run through your head over and over when the going gets tough. “The body achieves what the mind believes,” was mine in my last race. I probably said it to myself at least 100 times. It works!
And if you have to slow the pace down, then do so! But if you never intended to walk in your marathon, I would strongly urge you to just keep running for as long as you possibly are able.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
My first sub 3 marathon was 2009 , the Perth City to Surf marathon, it’s inaugural year. These were the days of compression tights and Asics Gel-DS trainers , the light shoe of choice. Actually compared to the training shoe of choice, the latest Kayano, a pair of boots would have been considered light. At the time I was convinced the Skins Compression tights were a big help (the Nike Alphafly’s of the day?) and I wore them for a few marathons and Comrades in South Africa funnily enough, got a few stares there as they weren’t as popular. In their defense I ran a Comrades PB in them and always did well in the marathon with them on. Over time people just stop wearing them but the science behind them was solid, helping the blood circulation by compressing the legs, thus helping to keep fatigue at bay for longer ? They became more popular with injury avoidance over time and useful for long flights to prevent DVT. I have a pair which I put on sometimes if I feel a niggle coming on, more a placebo probably.
This is my training spreadsheet leading upto sub3 number 1.
My training was sporadic, as the extract from my training spreadsheet , above, shows. Remember these were the days before Strava, my spreadsheet starts post Comrades 2009 and I’ve recorded every run in it since. Runners and numbers , it’s a thing you know. Looking at the extract you can see that although I didn’t run that much I was still knocking out PB’s (PR’s for my American cousins) most races. This is a wonderful time in a runners career, where every time you put a bib on your chest you expect to run faster , over that distance, than you have ever ran before. My training consisted of three to four midweek runs with my mates at lunchtime at work and then a long run on the weekend. That about sums it up. All my tempo or threshold runs were races, so I tried to race often. I was forty two years old and had just started running, well competing, although I had ran Comrades in 2008 but didn’t record my runs until week 22, 2009.
Over the next four years I got my marathon time down to 2:41:14 at the City to Surf marathon and then 2:41:44 in 2016 while wearing the number one bib. (You got this by entering for preferred start first , not by merit.) I ran the City to Surf marathon ten of the eleven times it was on and all bar one was sub 3. My only time slower than three hours was 2010 when my watch died on the start. I was dropped by my group at around 17k into the race and then ran alone until the finish. With no idea of how quick I was running I finished in three hours and three minutes. I know I could have found three minutes. For many marathons after this I ran with two watches.
Hamming it up for the crowd. You’d be mad not to. City to Surf 2016, 2:41:44 , 5th place.
As you can see from the extract below from my training spreadsheet in 2016 (seven years after my first sub3 marathon) I was running a lot more, by this time double days were the norm and 100 mile weeks were not uncommon. I was still dropping my PB’s in most races and this was a wonderful period in my running career. I was even starting to win a few races and regularly podiumed at the local running club events. The numbers in red numbers in brackets where kilometres of the total that were sub 4minutes, I was running quicker and wanted to record the faster portions, these days I don’t bother. Unfortunately in 2017 I had my first major injury , a 5cm calf tear that put me out of action for three months. ( I came back too early and tore it again , rookie error) 2018 was a similar story but this time I was out for three months with plantar fasciitis. I don’t think I ever ran as quick as I did in 2016, injuries and age conspired against me. I only ran six more marathons after 2016 instead moving into ultra marathons, running thirty five over the last seven years and counting.
A different story in 2016.
2019 was the last time I ran a sub3 marathon, a 2:55 finish at my 10th City to Surf marathon and 10 years from my first. It was sub three number 32. In those ten years I have so many great memories and it’s one of the main reasons I bang out these posts on an irregular basis. I’m trying to help other runners get better and experience what I have from basically running , racing and just having fun with your mates, which in essence is what running is. Will I run sub 3 again ? I’m not sure. I ran a 3:04 at Bibra Lake marathon earlier this year and I’ve got the Perth Running Festival in a few weeks so I’ll see if I can go quicker. My training has been sporadic since Bibra and I also threw in a Backyard Ultra to break things up, probably not a good idea.
My last sub3 , Perth City to Surf 2019. Ten years after my first and number 32 SUB3.
So to the point of this post. I have to go over my history to give myself some credibility and with that I’m hoping you, the reader, will take my advice onboard , in the end this is why I do what I do , to try and get you to the finish line quicker. Right my marathon tips , in no specific order.
First of all distance is king. Running is the most honest sport there is bar the super shoes of the last few years ? You rally do sow what you reap , you get out what you put in, you get the general idea. The more you run the better you get. I’m a big Maffetone ( https://philmaffetone.com/method/ ) and Fitzgerald 80/20 fan. ( https://www.8020endurance.com/ ) (80% training slow and steady, 20% tempo/threshold/race) If you can add double days all the better and before you say it you can always find time for two runs if you really want to. Back in the day I’d be up at 5am and back before the family work, then cycle to work (on my Elliptigo ( https://www.elliptigo.com/ ) ) before a lunchtime run with the boys and cycle home. Two runs and two cycles and the family were none the wiser. This allowed me to regularly hit 100 miles a week in training. I was never as fit or as fast as when I could run ten to fourteen times a week and over 100 miles.
My good friend Jon Pendse is a classic example of train easy to race hard. Jon will run at over 5min/k average pace on 90% of his training runs and usually over a hundred miles a week, his only speed work is a park run 5k every Saturday, here he’ll run sub 17 minutes. This approach has worked well for Jon who is running his 100th marathon in a few weeks with an average finishing time of close to three hours. He is still chasing a sub two hours forty minutes finish and has come close , and still comes close, on a number of occasions. He also races often sometimes as many as right marathons a year as well as a smattering of shorter distances. Jon is basically running what I use to in 2016 and achieving the same results.
Midweek medium long runs at close to Marathon Pace. I use to run home from work twice a week and this started as a leisurely 16k commute before morphing into a 22k MP tempo session. I’m convinced this was the run that allowed me to drop my PB significantly over a couple of years. I also started to run at MP pace or better more regularly after reading a article on a training plan where you would run at Marathon Pace all the time so when you actually ran the event you would just revert to your training pace. It worked for the runner in question and certainly helped me run faster for longer ?
Do not get injured. Because if you get injured consistency goes out the window and if you want to improve as a runner you need consistency. There’s no point running a 100 mile week in training and then doing nothing for weeks, of course you are allowed the odd ‘down week’ but that’s normally planned and every four to five weeks, this also helps your body recover, which in turn helps to avoid injury.
Race often at all distances. You never run as fast as you do with a bib on your chest and competition at your heels. As you can see from my training extract in 2016 I was racing every other weekend, normally on tired legs but when the gun went off it’s all forgotten and it’s on like ‘donkey kong’. You need to embrace racing, it’s the icing on the cake , it’s why you do what you do, all those early mornings and time in the pain box is for racing success. Of course you could substitute racing with tempo or threshold sessions but the racing is also part social, and lets face it running is normally a solitary sport. When you get down to a race you are surrounded by like minded individuals all doing what they love, what is there not to love about racing ? Also don’t just race the marathon, you’ll get confidence from indicator races. I’m a big believer in your best half time , doubled and add ten minutes gives you a good marathon indicator time. For a sub3 marathon I’d say you’d need to be running a 1:28 half minimum and more likely a 1:25. (Which would relate to my half time , double and add ten minutes) Of course this also depends on the runner and some runners can hold 4:15min/k pace all day long but go no slower or quicker., compared to others who go out quick and hang on. Racing often is good for confidence. I’m won 4k races and placed in 200 milers, I just love the racing part of running and truth be told without it I’m not sure I would continue running.
Cross training, Strength work and rest. This is a case of do what I say not what I do truth be told. I did use to ride my Elliptigo ( https://www.elliptigo.com ) to work back in the day and this definitely helped, if you can get yourself a stand up bike I’d highly recommend it. I’d call this type of exercise cross training. I was also a big fan of circuit classes. Lately though I have not been as active as I should have been with my strength and cross training but I understand I need to make more of an effort in these areas and will, promise ? Rest is also an underrated addition in the marathon runners arsenal, sleep is so important for injury avoidance and body (and mind) rejuvenation. What other sport can you improve by taking a mid day nap, running is the sport that just keeps on giving ?
Mental strength is as important as physical in the last 10k. The human body can get to 32k in a marathon before it needs outside assistance, be that hydration and nutrition. You’ll see this on Strava in 90% of runners , the splits are metronome like up to 32k and then it all starts to go south very quickly. Around the 32k mark in a marathon is where you need to tap into the 60% you have left (according to Goggins) At the heart of Goggins’ narrative lies a guiding principle derived from his extraordinary experiences — the 40% rule. This principle posits that when the mind signals fatigue, exhaustion, and the desire to quit, it’s merely scratching the surface, indicating that only 40% of one’s true potential has been tapped into. Personally I have only ‘bonked’ once in my 47 marathons and that was on the first one when I was totally unprepared and had little or no nutrition or hydration on the course. Virtually dead on 32k into the race my legs just stopped and I slowed considerably. I remember at the time thinking to myself to run faster but the legs were gone. It made the last 10k a challenge to say the least. Ever since then I’ve always finished strong and look forward to the 32k mark as I switch to finish mode with the finish line within striking distance. I’ve changed my mentality to look forward to the last ten kilometres and feel my mind understands the end is in sight and gives me some more juice to get there quicker, thus putting an end to the suffering.
If you need any more tips or tricks on running marathons just type in the terms in the search bar and over the years I’m sure I would have written about it, remember the next best thing after running is writing about running.
My last attempt at a sub3, Bibra Lake marathon, 3:04. July ’24.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
The original carbon plate and magic foam racing shoe. The Nike 4%. I still have a pair.
I’ve ran 47 marathons and always chased a sub two hour forty minutes finish. In total I ran sub two hours fifty minutes seventeen times and ran two hours forty one minutes three times. Could I have run quicker in the new ‘super shoes’ , 100% yes. Easily worth three to five minutes depending on how super the super shoes are. Am I bitter, hell yeah ! I’d loved to say I was a sub two hour forty minutes marathon runner and I would have , easily, in the new super shoes with magic foam and more carbon plates hidden in the them than a Chinese gymnast.
Funnily enough I was an early adaptor of the carbo plates showe grabbing a pair of Nike 4%’s when they first came out. I still remember putting them on for the City to Surf marathon fresh out of the box, untried or tested before I hit the start line for a warm up. (Don’t judge me) Runners have pivotal moments in their running careers and the feeling they get from wearing their first pair of super shoes is one of them. I could not believe the difference these shoes made, it was incredible. The only downside was they came a few years too late. I was already ‘over the hill’ when it came to chasing PB’s and I knew , even with the shoes, my days of a sub 2:40 marathon was beyond me.
If you’re a running skeptic, there’s a chance you look at Nike’s Vaporfly 4% shoes with some suspicion. In early tests, research has shown that these shoes can improve running economy by 4 percent, but the $250 shoes continue to be put to the test in labs to find out how they make runners more efficient and faster.
And ever since the 4% shoes made their debut for Nike’s Breaking2 project, runners have wondered whether they are only made to help the likes of Eliud Kipchoge set world records, or if they can help the average Joe for every type of pace.
So for all the skeptics out there, here is a look at what we already know about the biomechanics of the Vaporfly 4% shoes, along with the latest answers to your most burning questions.
The early evidence
One of the first studies that looked at the Vaporfly 4% was done in 2017 and published by the journal Sports Medicine. In the study, every one of the 18 runners tested at the University of Colorado Boulder’s “Locomotion Lab” had better running economy in the Vaporflys than when they ran in two other racing shoe models (Nike Zoom Streak 6 and Adidas Adios Boost 2). Some runners’ running economy—or the energy needed to run at a given pace—improved by as little as 1.59 percent, while others improved by as much as 6.26 percent. That means, you guessed it, the average improvement was around 4 percent.
But a question remained: How do these shoes work in the real world with real runners? One of the more comprehensive analytical deep dives was done by The New York Times in 2018. In their analysis of half a million marathon and half-marathon race times posted to Strava (along with the shoes the runners were wearing), reporters Kevin Quealy and Josh Katz confirmed the 4 percent claim. Also, runners of the same caliber were more likely to hit a PR wearing the Vaporflys than other shoes.
“We found that the difference was not explained by faster runners choosing to wear the shoes, by runners choosing to wear them in easier races or by runners switching to Vaporflys after running more training miles. Instead, the analysis suggests that, in a race between two marathoners of the same ability, a runner wearing Vaporflys would have a real advantage over a competitor not wearing them.”
How do the Nike Vaporflys actually work?
The University of Colorado Boulder scientists who originally verified that the Vaporflys work as promised followed up with a study looking at how the components of the shoes —namely the carbon fiber plate and special ZoomX midsole foam—actually save runners 4 percent energy.
Published late last year in Sports Medicine, this study involved 10 male competitive runners doing 5-minute intervals in each of the same three shoes as their running economy study: Vaporfly, Zoom Streak, and Adios Boost. Using 3-D biomechanical stride analysis and force plates, the researchers examined how the runners’ gaits (the way they moved their limbs) and ground force reactions (how hard their feet were hitting the ground) differed between the shoes.
Based on previous studies where runners bent their knees less on extra-compliant (i.e., “squishy”) treadmills than on normal treadmills, the researchers expected that runners wearing the Vaporflys—which have extra-compliant foam—would bend their knees less.
“Why that would be important for energy is easy to imagine,” Wouter Hoogkamer, the lead author on the study, told Runner’s World. “Go stand up now and stand with straight legs, versus try to stand up now and bend your knees 90 degrees. See how you think you can last longer.”
However, none of the runners’ knee movements really differed between the three shoes.
Instead, it turns out the Vaporfly’s energy savings come from three things. First, runners’ ankle mechanics improve. This is likely thanks to the curved carbon-fiber plate that runs throughout the midsole from heel to toe; the researchers believe that the plate, in a sense, stabilizes your ankle and reduces your “rotational force”—or the work your calves would normally have to do.
Second, runners lose less energy by the plate keeping their toes straight, because yes, your toes work and waste energy when you are running by flexing. And third, the ZoomX foam in the midsole has two unique properties: an unusual degree of compliance (it squishes when your foot lands) and an unusual degree of resilience (it springs back to its original shape, returning most of the energy your foot applied when you landed). In fact, the shoe has 80 percent energy return in the heel, which is the highest we’ve ever measured in our Runner’s World shoe lab.
Hoogkamer admitted that there’s not much an average runner can take away from the study. But it might help you win a “should-the-shoes-be-legal” argument if you’re pro-Vaporfly.
“There’s a lot of people saying the [carbon fiber] plate functions as a spring, so if you have a strong opinion about that, then here’s some additional data to take into account,” he said. “Is it really the plate that’s the game-changer or not? For me, no. It’s the integration of the plate with the foam in this specific area that works so great.”
Could the Nike Vaporflys injure me?
One of the Vaporfly’s selling points is that they have more foam than most racing flats because the ZoomX midsole is so lightweight. In theory, this seems like it would cushion a runner against the impact of the ground—which could reduce risk of injury—but a study of extra-cushioned, or “maximal,” shoes found otherwise.
Researchers at Oregon State University-Cascades compared the biomechanics of 15 female recreational runners when they wore a neutral running shoe (New Balance 880) versus a maximal running shoe (Hoka One One Bondi 4).
Maximal shoes are claimed to lessen the shock of running on the body, because of their added cushioning, decreasing the odds of injuries like plantar fasciitis and tibial stress fractures. Therefore, the researchers expected that when wearing the maximal shoes, runners would experience a lower vertical impact peak—the highest amount of force when your foot initially lands—and loading rate—how quickly you load force onto your limbs as you move through your stride. However, the researchers found the exact opposite to be true: both measurements were higher in the cushioned shoes.
While this may seem like cause for alarm, JJ Hannigan, a post-doctoral researcher at OSU-Cascades and an author of the study, cautioned that there were a lot of other differences between the shoes besides just midsole cushioning that could have influenced the results. The stiffness of the midsole, the wideness of the heel, and the Hoka’s “rockered” bottom were just a few. “So it’s not as simple as ‘add cushioning, this happens, remove cushioning, this happens,’” he said. “If it was, we’d already probably know a lot more about the ideal running shoe.”
Given all of these differences between shoes, and because neither the OSU study nor the Sports Medicine study looked at the impact peak or loading rate of the Vaporflys specifically, it’s probably too far of a stretch to extend any of these findings to those shoes. Thus, the jury is still out regarding injury risk.
Will everyone wearing Vaporflys see the same 4% improvement?
The same University of Colorado Boulder researchers who verified the 4 percent claim of the Vaporflys examined what a 4 percent energy savings would mean for runners of different sizes and speeds. Through whole bunch of theory and math—which they just published in Frontiers in Physiology—they determined that the relationship between improvement in running economy and speed is not linear—that is, saving 4 percent energy does not necessarily mean you’ll run 4 percent faster.
Height and weight matter, as does the air resistance you encounter. Plus, running a little bit faster at already high speeds costs you more energy than running a little bit faster at slow speeds. Therefore, all other factors being equal (e.g., terrain, weather, turns), the faster you run, the less of an improvement you’ll see in your finishing time.
For instance, a 4-hour marathoner who saves 4 percent energy will run 4 percent faster (9 minutes and 36 seconds, or a 3:50:24 marathon), whereas a 2-hour marathoner will run only about 2.5 percent faster (3 minutes, or a 1:57:00 marathon).
What now?
If you want to see how much you might improve wearing Vaporfly shoes—given perfect conditions, of course—just plug your height, weight, and running speed into this online calculator, courtesy of the University of Colorado Boulder researchers.
And if you try running in the Vaporflys and decide that they’re too uncomfortable, or if you’re against running in any shoe that has a carbon fiber plate, Nike is now making other shoe styles (sans plate) with that same ZoomX foam, like the Pegasus 35 Turbo.
Foe me I’m hoping the latest and greatest Nike super shoes, the Alphafly 3, will get me a few minutes and maybe help me break sub three in marathon number forty eight in three weeks. I’ll need at least four minutes to better my Bibra Lake marathon time of 3:04 in July this year. I wore a pair of Saucony Endorphin Elites for that race, I’m hoping the Nike super shoe is a few minutes , at least, quicker. Why train harder when I can throw money at racing improvements. ?
Of course I’m not advocating giving up training altogether and relying on shoe technology to get you to the finish line but you’d being doing yourself an injustice if you didn’t give yourself the best chance of success, and that means a pair of super shoes. These days all the major shoe brands has a pair and truth be told they are much the muchness unless you’re chasing a sub two hour marathon? Also remember what I said earlier in the post, a runner never forgets their first time in a pair of super shoes, an incredible experience, the extra cost of the shoe is worth it just for that initial feeling.
Eleven years ago, Perth marathon 2013, I missed out on a sub two hours forty minutes marathon time by less than two minutes. Armed with my new Nike Alphafly 3’s I would have gone three minutes quicker helped by the carbon plates and super foam. As with many things in life I was born too early and missed the boat when it came to the running shoe revolution, by the time the shoes came along my times were too slow and even with the best will in the world I wasn’t getting back to PB times. Am I bitter ? No, I’ve had the best racing career I could have possibly wished for and am as excited today about chasing sub three marathon times as I was back in the day chasing two hours forty. Just move the goal posts and you can still have so much fun chasing your dream times, they just slow as you do.
Less than three weeks to sub three number 33 … or at least a dam good try.
The Nike Lunaracer just wasn’t in the same league as the super shoes of today.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
This weekend I raced the Bibra Lake 12km fun run, my first event under a half marathon since November 2019. This event is free and put on by the City of Cockburn, an hour drive south of Perth. What is unique about this event is there is prize money for the winners (not unique) but also the age group winners and my good friend Mike Kowal has been cleaning up the last few years in the over 55 category. Mike must have podiumed the last four or five years and in that time Jeff and Bartsy have also made the ‘dash for cash‘ in the 55+ category and come away with winnings. It has become a rights of passage for us Yelo runners so it was time I made my bid for glory and cash. Although I had this penciled in for some time it came very close to the Bibra Lake marathon and Birdy’s backyard Ultra and I really wasn’t anywhere near fit enough to race it. I was 50/50 to actually start as I knew I had no right rocking up and trying to gram a poduim. The day before I ran 5km and felt absolutely crap, albeit I have found this to be the case on many occasions when you have a big event the next day. I’m never sure if it’s the body Central Governor trying it’s best to protect you by persuading you to not even rock up to the start ! I have attached an article on the Central Governor below FYI ( https://runnersconnect.net/central-governor-theory/ )
Mind over Matter? The Central Governor Theory Explained
As runners, we spend countless hours focused on the physiological aspects of training – VO2max, threshold, aerobic development, etc. And for good reason. There is no doubt that improving these biological systems will help you run faster.
However, when it comes to racing, are physiological limitations all that matter or is there a mental component involved as well? What role does the brain play in our attempt to race as fast as possible?
According to exercise scientist Dr. Tim Noakes and a growing number of colleagues, the brain may play a more important role in race potential than runners have typically considered. Noakes’s hypothesis suggests that the brain acts as a central governor when racing, limiting our ability to push beyond perceived fatigue to ensure self-preservation.
In this article, we’ll look at the central governor theory in more depth, explore why it matters to those racing for personal bests, and outline some specific strategies you can use to overcome your own central governor.
What is the central governor theory?
In short, the central governor theory is based around the premise that the brain will override your physical ability to run and “shut the body down” before you’re able to do serious or permanent damage to yourself.
Noakes believes that the point in the race when you think you’ve given everything you’ve got is actually a signal or response from the brain to slow down to preserve health, rather than a physiological reality. In actuality, Noakes believes you have more to give physically when this happens.
Runners experience this during almost every race they run. At mile 8 of a half marathon, goal race pace is extremely difficult and the thought of running faster, even for just a minute, seems impossible. Yet, when you get within 400 meters of the finish, you’re somehow able to summon a kick that finds you running minutes per mile faster than goal pace.
Once your brain realizes it won’t die if you pick up the pace (because the finish line is close) it opens the biological pathways to run faster.
That’s not to say that the physiological demands of a race aren’t real. Rather, the central governor theory posits that racing is a balance between: (1) physical preparation and biological systems; (2) emotional components, such as motivation and pain tolerance; (3) and self-preservation. The exact combination of these factors is what leads to how hard you’re able to push during a race.
Why does it matter? Does this mean you don’t have to train?
Perhaps the biggest misconception of the central governor theory is that if we could just teach ourselves to push harder or somehow turn off this central governor of the brain, that we could run faster. However, as mentioned above, racing is a combination of three important components: physical, emotional, and mental.
As an example, if you asked an Olympic-caliber runner to run a 7-minute mile, they would do so easily and be able to carry that pace on for 26 miles or more with little effort. Ask a four-hour marathoner to run a 7 minute mile and it will be an all-out effort they can only maintain for a mile. The physiological differences between these two runners means that even if the central governor was turned off, the four-hour marathoner couldn’t run with the Olympic-caliber runner. That’s pretty obvious.
However, if that same four-hour marathoner can learn to push the boundaries of their central governor, perhaps by adding motivation, like a Boston qualifier, or improving their mental fortitude, then they can tap into this extra performance reserve.
How to overcome the central governor
So how do you do that? How do you push the boundaries of your central governor? While you can’t completely overcome the central governor, you can improve your ability to tolerate physical discomfort and prepare your mind for the physical demands you plan to place in it.
Workouts
The problem many runners face is that the experience of trying to push themselves beyond their comfort zone when their mind is telling them it can’t go faster only occurs on race day.
Typical interval workouts and tempo runs are performed at a consistent pace and the recovery between repeats allows you to recover to a state that is very unlike the corresponding point in a race. During workouts, you simply get to a certain fatigue level and then stop pushing.
This is great for building your physiological systems, but does nothing to teach you how to push the central governor and prove to your brain that you can in fact run faster, despite how bad you might feel.
One workout that trains this specific aspect of racing is called a hammer interval session. Succinctly, a hammer interval moneyslots session is traditional interval workout except that on the third or second to last interval, you break from your goal pace and simply focus on running that specific repeat as fast as you can – hammering it. An example hammer workout for a 5k runner might look like: 8 x 800 meters at 3k to 5K race pace w/2mins rest, hammer (run as fast as you can) interval numbers 4 and number 7. Maintain the 2-minute rest after each hammer and do your best to get back onto 5k pace after each hammer.
The specific pace of the hammer repeat isn’t the important part of this workout. Rather, it’s the ability to chip away at the mental constraints late in a workout or race that tell you that you can’t go any faster.
Mental training and visualization
Running a PR is tough! No matter how well rested or prepared the body is, racing hurts. If you toe the starting line thinking that somehow you’re going to feel good or that pushing during the last miles is going to be easy, then you’ve already set yourself up to let the brain override your physical abilities.
Prepare yourself mentally. Don’t head into a race telling yourself that somehow this race is going to be different. Be prepared for it to hurt, but remember that you’ve trained yourself to push through this exact situation. Visualize the race during your training runs or while meditating and picture yourself hitting that point in the race when your body starts to hurt. Recall those feelings from your last race or hard workout and then visualize yourself pushing through that moment. By preparing yourself mentally, you’ll be ready to face the realities of the race.
Pacing
Finally, work to improve your sense of pace. Pacing is one of the ways the brain self-regulates the central governor. The brain “anticipates” all the known variables of a race – distance, topography, temperature, etc. – and then calculates an optimal pace that will get you to the finish without dying.
When you deviate significantly from your optimal physiological pace, the brain reacts by reducing the level of muscle activation in order to force you to slow down. By going out too fast during a race, you kick in the central governor early and even elicit physiological changes by the brain designed to slow you down.
Armed with this new understanding of the central governor theory and how the brain impacts your ability to race, implement these three simply strategies into your training plan and start to push yourself harder than you think you can.
Right, back to the matter at hand, me not making an arse of myself running two laps of Bibra Lake. The plan before the event was for me to run with Mark , Mike, Graeme and Jules who were all well into their respective marathon training blocks and would use this event as a medium tempo / marathon pace run, aiming to average around the four minute and ten seconds pace. I was hoping to hang on and then pip Mike to the finish to take an age category podium place. Of course as soon as the event started this plan went out the window as I was feeling remarkably good so decided to go with the front runners and wait for the guys to catch me up. Because the event starts on a closed road you could spread out and get swept up with the first kilometre pace that is always quicker than any pre-race racing pace plan. To add fuel to the fire there’s a slight downhill towards the end of the first kiloemtre which does nothing to slow you down to a more reasonable pace. In my defence I did manage to beat all the runners in the image below bar the runner in the orange vest who pipped me with a few kilometres to go, he was ninth to my tenth overall. He was the only runner that went past me although my mate Graeme was just a few seconds behind me at the finish line.
The first kilometre felt good, funnily enough. Running far too quick for my training..
Mark and Jules did what they said they would and finished a few minutes behind me acing their pacing strategy and picking up the win for Jules. Mark has the Sydney Marathon next weekend and Jules is running with me at Perth in four weeks. I will be very happy if I can finish with Jules at Perth as she will go sub three hours and that is my goal also, albeit I feel Jules has more chance of success than me . Both these guys are incredibly methodical when it comes to training and I expect them to reach their goals due to this attitude, remember consistency is the key marathon success. Lately I have been anything but consistent but this race has given me belief I have a sniff at Perth for sub three hour marathon number 33.
The Bibra pacing bus I should have been on.
So you left me running too fast at around the one kilometre mark. It actually felt easier than I thought it would after the disastrous five kilometre warm up the previous day. I had my Saucony Endorphin Elites on and these are just incredible, if you are serious about road running treat yourself. I was sitting around 15th after the first few kilometres and pacing just under four minutes a kilometre. Quicker than I planned but decided to run on feel and see how long I could hold of the Bibra bus behind me ,containing all my Yelo running mates. I had a few runners on my tail and I could see four runners up ahead. Just before the halfway mark I caught the pack ahead of me and moved into the top ten, at this point unbeknown to me. It was starting to hurt mainly due to a complete lack of any pace work for a few months. On the bright side I was still maintaining my sub four minute kilometre pace so was on for the age group win.
I made a mental decision to try and hold the pace for the last lap but not kick-on (not that I could?) , I reckoned I was far enough ahead of Mark and his bus that I could drop the pace by five to ten seconds and still finish ahead of them. Position wise I wasn’t bothered where I finished , just wanted a place on the podium and the hard cash that comes with it. Of course the last few kilometres hurt as they always do, it doesn’t matter if you are well trained or under trained , you’ll always hurt at the end because that’s the point isn’t it, why else put a bib on your chest?
I finished 10th overall from a field of over 250 runners and clocked a time of 46:51 which I was absolutely over the moon with. I had no right running so quick and although I spent some serious time in the pain box it was nothing worse than normal, which was an added bonus. My splits were race perfect but more importantly I started to believe I have a chance at Perth in four weeks, this was the best outcome of the day.
Not so much smiling at the end, just relief it was all over. (Thanks for the photo Jax.)
These events are good for so many reasons but the main one is just hanging out with like minded people, doing what we love. Nothing beats that feeling after nailing a race and it’s always been my main reason why I do what I do. If I didn’t race I’m not sure I would run, it’s the time with a bib on my chest that makes the ‘slog‘ of training worth it. ( Please note training isn’t always a ‘slog’ as such but as you age it certainly becomes more challenging. I suppose that’s why so many runners disappear, it just gets too hard ? )
Graeme, Mark, Rob, myself, Jules and Mike. All smiles at the finish.
So to the reason behind this little adventure, to get on the podium and join the Yelo runners before me who have made it there previously, namely Mike, Jeffrey and , surprisingly , Bartsy. Although the finishing time is miles off my glory days off a decade or so ago it put a massive smile on my face and spring in my step. Days afterwards I’m still buzzing from the event and the $80 prizemoney will pay for a few coffee’s at Yelo this Thursday as is tradition, actually I brought Rob breakfast so after coffee’s on Thursday I’ll be down financially. The picture of my podium is one of my all time favorite running images because of what it portrays, a runner who at 57 is still as stoked about running as over twenty years ago when he first started his journey, as I have always said the best runner in the world is the one having the most fun, on Sunday on that podium, it was me.
First podium for a few years and actually first time on a podium . Image Dennis Tan.
The last image is Michael and I showing off our medals, so good to get a one , two on the podium together and another story to add the many we have shared over the years and to many more to come. I’m sure we’ll be back at this event next year as we both try again to get that ‘last podium‘…..
First and second really old runners… the last time or the first of many more ?
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
It was a sad day in the Matthews household today as I passed on my Bionic Runner Gen 1 to the local legend that is Phil Gore. The Bionic is one of three stand-up bikes I own and I’m just not using it , so gifted it to Phil. The Bionic was an Australian invention ultimately let down by shoddy Chinese manufacturing which caused the frame to crack on the generation two and Predator models. If you’re interested there is a Facebook page dedicated to the bionic and if you can get hold of one I highly recommend them. ( facebook.com/groups/1507045689572412 )
Post handover Phil and I met another local legend, Simon Bennet, in Bold Park and knocked out a hilly 10k. We had to put a wiggle on as Phil needed to be at a physio appointment later that afternoon and we also needed to fit in a pie at Georges Cafe in City Beach. Si was meeting us towards the end of a 50km training run for WTF 100 Miler in a few weeks time.
Bionic Gen1 , this thing is a monster !
Now the title of this post is running is better with friends but I must add the caveat that it is better with friends of equal fitness, not so much when you’re running with two friends at the peak of their respective training programs while you’ve been pontificating for six weeks and hiding from the inclement weather. Trust me the chickens well and truly come home to roost when you run a hilly 10km , there is nowhere to hide. Lucky for me Phil only had a short window of opportunity for a run pre-lunch and I was more than happy to pull the pin just short of ten kilometres. Simon continued on to finish his 50km training run while Phil and I scuttled off to Georges to try on of his famous beef pies, freshly made after I told him I was coming in for lunch earlier in the day.
All smiles at the end of our Bold Park loop with Simon and Phil
Although I found the run tough the time did disappear quickly, there was lots of running talk and planning for future events with goal discussions and generally putting the world to right, it’s what three males do when left alone. Of course these discussions are like the fight club, you can never talk about it but in the solitude of Bold Park the three of us kept the conversation flowing. Simon is aiming for a win at the WTF 100 miler in a few weeks and the way he was running I wouldn’t bet against him, albeit he is infamous for navigational challenges. Si and I ran together for a large chunk of the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year and had a great time. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) We have both entered for 2025 and if I do decide to ‘race it’ , compared to ‘finish it‘ will be spending more time together. This is a good thing, plenty of conversation makes the time and distance disappear, especially in a 200 miler. Between the two of us we have plenty of stories from the event this year and I’m sure we’ll add to these in 2025.
Two finely tuned 200 miler eating machines, like striking cobra’s, poised.
Post run Phil and I staggered, well I staggered Phil glided, into Georges for one of his famous beef pies, freshly out of the oven. So fresh infact he was mixing the ingredients as we entered the cafe. Good news for me as I having a very ‘just cooked, fresh out of the oven’ pie, bad news for Phil as he would have to make do with a sausage roll as he couldn’t wait. Georges is also running Delirious next year to finally get his double plugger trophy, five years from his first event, albeit he hasn’t really ran for the last four years and hasn’t actually started training yet. In his spare time he has become quite the painter of note and the painting behind him in the image below is one of his. He does very well funnily enough, although he is French so it’s probably in his blood? On a side note he paid for his race entry for Delirious by selling the Race Director one of his paintings.
Selfies all around at Georges , with Phil and Georges.
I couldn’t finish the post without an image of the beef pie, it really was special, literally just out of the oven , swimming in tomato sauce. Don’t judge me you can never take out the English in me and we add ketchup to most foods.
Gorges is a bloody good chef and his beef pie is incredible, with ketchup of course….
I have added a post I wrote on the benefit of friends when I was recovering from a bad dose of Plantar Fasciitis, I hate even typing those words ! Reading the post I think my ‘lunch diet’ was either abstinence or my now infamous sardines in tomato sauce diet. My logic was fish is good for you so eating fish every lunchtime would help me lose weight and also be good for me. I didn’t account for the calories in fish swimming in tomato sauce/paste. I eventually gave up when I started to put on weight. I am not a nutritionist by any stretch of the imagination.
The last three months have been a dark time in my running career as I was struck down by first a blood disorder , mainly due to my “no lunch” diet (what was I thinking?) and lately a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis. The worst part of not running is not the not running part but missing time with my mates.
Over the years my non-running friends have fallen by the wayside as I became more and more focused on running and less and less focused on sociable activities, much to my Wife’s disgust. My Wife has often remarked how she’d like me to put on weight and drink more ! Not the normal grumblings of a partner of course, it’s usually the opposite. Anyhow when you’re injured there is no one to share your grief with. (because it is grief! ) Funnily enough I have written a post on grief , in relation to running… https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/04/17/injury-what-injury-the-five-stages-of-grief/
What run do I miss the most ? Need you ask, my Thursday morning 14k progressive, starting at 5:30am and finishing at the best café in Perth to take onboard the best muffin and coffee in the Southern Hemisphere. If you are lucky enough to live in Perth, or even Australia, you need to go to Yelo at Trigg and indulge with one of their banana and dark chocolate or even berry and chocolate muffins, warmed up of course. They really are so good, there is a caveat of course. Once you taste a Yelo muffin you will never be able to eat a muffin from another source, they really are that good. The coffee is also very good or that may be just because your taste buds are enjoying them muffin so much anything tastes good !
As this is a running blog and not a culinary one I need to justify that last paragraph. To earn the muffin and coffee combination we would have run a 14k progressive run which is one tough affair, with the obligatory sprint for the last 4-5k as each runner pushes themselves, and each other towards the Yelo café. To make this run special you need friends to initially talk to for the first 7k and then, finally, to run against for the final 7k. Runners pride will always make you put in that extra bit of effort when chasing (or being chased) by running mates.
Then there is the long runs on Sunday. These , for me, are mainly for the food and conversation after the run, to tell you truth I prefer to run twice a day compared to one long run , all bar the Sunday run. This is do able because of the company, by myself a long run is torture. We’ve had some great experiences over the years running long on Sundays , as most runners will attest to. As a group we tend to run at a reasonable pace on the outward journey but pick up the pace as we turn and head back towards the coffee and pancakes, I’m sure all running groups are the same. The photo below is from a 30k Yaberoo trail run a few months ago in the heat of the Perth summer. The T-train has organized a water drop but it was too little , too late for the journey home. As the group splintered it was every man for himself in the race back to the car and air conditioned safety.
Return journey, a few less smiles , more grimacing. ?
As well as the Sunday long runs there are the “special’ runs. These are organized, normally annually, and nearly always ‘up the ante’ with either more mileage or elevation. In the photo below its racing against a train which makes the ‘choo-choo’ run so special. Again I have written a couple of posts on this run which are worth a read and a chuckle… 2016 : https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/15/the-choo-choo-run-an-exercise-in-living-on-the-edge/ and last year https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/09/15/choo-choo-run-2017-man-against-train/ (Still not sure how Mike made it last year ? I suspect Uber?) For those living in Perth this run is scheduled for two weeks after the Perth City to Surf marathon, so probably early September. There is a facebook page somewhere ? Just heard from Simon Coates, the Choo-Choo this year is on September 23rd, the long weekend in WA. If you get lost at least you got a few days to get home…
Choc milk time at the Deli, job done.
Then there is the work lunch run. Working on St. Georges Terrace, Perth, we had some great running tops made up thanks to Rhys and Mel. This photo was taken at the height of the St Georges Terrace Running Club glory days when we always had a good contingent that would meet every midday at the lights outside the Woodside building. Together we’d explore the various bike paths around the city and trails in Kings park and it was a welcome relief from the work related problems that would often plague you. As with all runs they would start at a leisurely pace before Jeff or Andrea got to the front and then it was on for young and old. Today the group has splintered to some extent but most of the people pictured below still make an effort and regularly get out there just not together as much, all bar Big Paul (front right) who wandered to the dark side of lycra wearing cycling due to a bad knee.
The St. Georges Terrace Running club.
Couldn’t leave without one more photo of the Yelo café with some of the usual suspects, in the photo below you have Gareth, Mike and the elusive Mark Lee, a rare sight but always good for some quality banter. Happy days and I hope to be back with the lads soon, just got to get rid of this Plantar Fasciitis but that’s a post for another day….
Yelo muffin carbo-load frenzy..why wouldn’t you?
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Racing often can lead to the dreaded ‘Runner’s Low’…image Astrid Volzke
I gave myself a week off post Birdy’s Backyard Ultra and have now started towards my next race , a smaller marathon to use as a long run with a medal at the end. ( https://www.sunsetcoastrun.com.au/ ) The A race is still the Perth Marathon in October and if I can get over the finish line of the smaller event it will be number 100th marathon/ultra in Perth. At the moment I’m finding it hard to get motivated and I’m putting this down to the two weeks recovery post Bibra lake marathon straight into a two week taper before Birdy’s backyard ultra. Add another week recovery from Birdy’s and it’s as good as six weeks of little running, not ideal. This is the price you pay for racing often, sometimes you spend more time tapering, recovering and racing rather than training. Eventually the piper comes calling , asking for payment. At the moment I feel the Piper is hungry for more payments unfortunately.
This is the stage I call the Runners Low and I’ve written a few posts on this which I have added below. I know what to expect and I know what I need to do to move from the Runner’s low to the Runner’s high, train and then race again. As you age though I feel the highs and lows seem to get bigger but that’s the point I suppose, you just got to make sure you can drag yourself from the low to the high, it’s what we do as runners.
I’ve attached a few posts I’ve written previously on the ‘runners low’ , a phase I feel comes straight after a good event . It’s a price you need to pay for the runners high I suppose.
After an outstanding four days of completing at the Australian Masters in Perth I have been spending the week contemplating the next goal in my never ending journey of ‘running’. I have mentioned on numerous occasions all runners need goals otherwise they morph into joggers or even worse get taken by the dark side that is triathlons. All joking aside I respect all forms and types of exercise, really anything that gets the heart pumping faster and burns a few calories is fine with me. (Note: keep it clean people, my mum reads all my posts religiously. Hi Mum ..) I admit to trying and enjoying triathlons in my younger days but found I was a back of the pack swimmer (at best, I have British roots remember) , a middle of the pack cyclist but a reasonable runner. This , in my view, is the perfect way to run a triathlon as you spend the whole time overtaking people. Not to say maybe the odd swimming lesson wound’t have gone a miss as I swim like a brick attached to another brick; and that’s probably being kind to me not bricks.
As always I’ve digressed, the point of this post is to highlight that after the runners high you need to experience the runners low. Yin and Yan, chalk and cheese, night and day, Trump and common sense; you get the picture. After training for an event, and completing it, the high you experience has to finish and you ‘come down‘ to quote drug addicts everywhere. (I’m assuming this is the case, we run a clean ship here.) The runner’s low starts probably the next day proper, or maybe a few days after, the main event. Suddenly the memories of the finish are fading and all you have is muscle soreness and some shiny bling. You normally take training easy the week after (unless you follow the Tony T-train’ Smith method of recovery , which normally entails threshold pace the day after a marathon, more to wind me up that serving any purpose I’m thinking?) and struggle to find the motivation to make those early morning wake-up alarms. The main issue here is normally we haven’t set a goal and so we are like a rudderless ship floating about on the ocean without a destination, becalmed even. We need to get some wind in the sails and to do this we need to search the internet and enter another race, preferably longer and harder than the last one. This gives you your next challenge and a reason to make that 5AM wake up when it’s dark, freezing and uninviting outside. With your new goal you will be oblivious to the elements , focused on the task ahead, and the end race, where yet again you will experience that runners high we all crave.
Like a heroin junkie working towards that next big hit of quality ‘smack‘ us runners crave that feeling that only finishing a marathon , or better, gives us. On the bright side the harder the race the better the runners high, I feel sometimes maybe I should try a marathon with little or no training, maybe add a few kilos, how good would that runners high be then ? Unfortunately not so much, as with all drugs the quality is important, (apparently? , I watched Trainspotting recently thus all the drug related references are from this film ) just finishing with no real challenge would be nice but not satisfying and here lies the crux of the issue. You have to earn it to really experience the full Monty of the runner’s high, you have to have trained to breaking point, put your life on hold, upset you family on a number of occasions and generally ostracised yourself from the world in general. Then add a goal time to aim for, and make is very, very difficult to achieve this, then and only then will you experience the runners high.
So the runners low will hang around until to have that new goal, allowing you to start to move towards it, one step at a time. You don’t need pace or even distance to start, just slowly start moving in the right direction. Momentum will come as move closer to your goal and a good training plan will help you plan the structure of the assault on your next race because it is an assault and you need to be prepared for more of the same, just the way we like it. If it was easy everybody would be doing it , right ?
I have attached a post I wrote on this subject in October if you need to keep reading but not too long mind, you have a runners high to work towards…..
After the Runners high comes the Runners low…
Everybody talks about the runners high, this sense of euphoria one experiences when they cross the line at a major goal event. I’ve discussed what I feel it is, a sudden overwhelming sense of relief, or release, after you achieve something after putting yourself either under pressure or into the ‘pain box’. Anyway, after this ‘runners high’ you can sometimes come a cropper and experience what I term the ‘runners low’.
This feeling is the same in all sports and happens after achieving something you have worked so hard to do. There’s a classic scene (there are so many classic scenes in this movie of course.) in ‘Chariots of Fire’ when Harold Abrahams has just won the 100m gold and everybody else is celebrating while Harold himself is reserved and alone in the changing rooms. What Abrahams is struggling to come to terms with is success after so many years working towards that one 10 second race. All of a sudden he has no purpose, no target, no reason to do what he has been doing for so long. It must be daunting ?
The same can be true for us recreational marathon runners, albeit probably not as severe. Once we have completed the marathon and achieved the ‘runners high’ the next day all of sudden we have no goal. No reason to put in that early morning 5am start, no reason to double up or run a threshold until your lungs feel they are about to explode. There is no purpose after so many months of having something to achieve, a target to overcome. This feeling , coupled with the emotions of the previous few days of finishing a marathon, makes the runners high seem so long ago.
There is hope though and it as easy as getting on the internet and searching for the next goal, the next target, the next reason to structure a long term plan. Before you know it you’ve signed up for another race and it’s back on. Another phase begins towards another goal race which will probably have a target finish time just that little bit quicker than the previous race. Let’s face it we don’t do all this to slow down !
So my advice is to get back on the horse (so to speak, if you actually get on a horse you’ll probably get disqualified, remember this is a running blog!) and set yourself your next goal. It works for me, no off season, the next race is normally a few months away at worst but I know it’s there for me, waiting. Admittedly after a marathon I do feel low for a few days because I love to run marathons and the feeling you get when you finish one is why we do what we do. It has never let me down in 40 runs so far . (and the 16 ultra-marathons have also delivered of course)
Remember we are runners, we need a goal, something to make those 5am alarm calls worthwhile. What else is there to do at 5am in the morning anyway?
Not fully recovered from the high that was the Bibra Lake marathon in July.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Birdy’s backyard Ultra would be my fourth time running this iconic BYU and my eleventh BYU event. A description of a BYU below for those who haven’t come across this format before , or alternatively read my last post which has the links to my previous ten events. https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/07/24/backyard-ultra-number-11-why-wouldnt-you/
What is a Backyard Ultra?
A backyard ultra is a type of ultramarathon where runners must complete a 4.167-mile (6.7 km) loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains.
This seemingly arbitrary distance is derived from the need to complete 100 miles in 24 hours. The race continues until only one runner is left who can complete a loop within the allotted time. This format, popularized by Lazarus Lake (also known as Gary Cantrell) of the Barkley Marathons fame, has a deceptively simple structure but requires immense physical and mental resilience.
The details of the race:
Hourly Start: Every hour, runners start a new loop. If a runner fails to complete the loop within the hour, they are out of the race.
Rest Periods: Any time remaining after a runner finishes a loop is their rest period. For example, if a runner completes a loop in 50 minutes, they have 10 minutes to rest, eat, or tend to any needs before starting again.
No End in Sight: The race continues indefinitely until only one runner completes a loop within the hour. The last runner standing must complete one more loop than the second-to-last runner to be declared the winner.
The Appeal: Backyard ultras attract a wide range of participants, from seasoned ultramarathoners to those looking for a new kind of challenge. The format levels the playing field, as it’s not necessarily about who can run the fastest, but who can manage their time, energy, and strategy the best.
I had entered Birdy’s after running a disappointing total at Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra in March this year. (Herdy’s is called a Frontyard Ultra as it is the sister event of the Birdy’s backyard Ultra, it’s actually a BYU but Shaun Kaesler, the Race Director, likes the unique naming convention for the country and the city BYU’s ?) Herdy’s was hot and humid and I overdosed on electrolytes effectively killing my appetite and in a BYU you need to keep on top of hydration and nutrition, as in any ultra. I managed 24 hours but it was a struggle early on and, as is the norm with these events , I retired from the format immediately. As brutal as a BYU is it is also addictive in its ability to push you to places normal racing events can’t. As the race with no finish it really is up to you when you decide to stop (unless you win of course?) . No other format gives you this ability as the finish is either determined by distance or time before hand. This is what makes a BYU so alluring but then also so brutal because, post event, every single runner, bar the winner, I guarantee sits down and thinks to themselves I could have gone further. This is why it is so addictive, you are competing with yourself and after every event you know you can improve. With experience you tweak things and go further but you will always think there’s more in the tank, just one more lap.
The campsite . image Astrid Volzke
Birdy’s backyard Ultra is held on a campsite beside Lake Towerrining and the Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) takes over the site for the weekend. This is a major appeal of the event, it is a weekend away with like minded people all doing what they love and all encouraging others to do the same, one lap at a time. Birdy’s is unique.
Must have been early, I’m smiling. image Astrid Volzke
Mentally I wasn’t 100% for this one. I had run the Bibra Lake Marathon four weeks prior and the legs hadn’t recovered. Post marathon I ran a two week recovery straight into a two week taper, not ideal. Basically a month of very little running coming into an event involving lots of running. As my good friend Dave Kennedy says ‘You don’t need to taper for an Ultra’. Not sure if there is any science to Dave’s quote but I believe the more distance you have in your training the better prepared, for an ultra anyway. Different story for a marathon or a faster event but for an ultra you can get away with competing on tired legs and doing well. I put this down to an ultra relying on mental preparation as well as good hydration and nutrition; less so pure cardio fitness.
For the first five or so laps I ran quick to the three kilometre mark and then walked a kilometre , over the grass meadow section, before running the last kilometres to the finish, bar any large inclines of course, it is an ultra. Looking at my splits on Strava (You are on Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) I managed to hold this up to around the 100km mark. I was lapping between forty and forty five minutes , giving me good time in my chair to relax before the next lap.
Post 100km my splits tell a different story as my time in the chair became more and more limited before it was hard to see on my splits where my ‘chair time’ was. I was lapping in the late fifty minutes now and coming in with no time to rest, just enough time to grab a snack or hydration. This is the BYU death spiral and it is hard to get out of, fatigue just eventually grinds you down until you can’t make the hour and you time out. Gotta’ love a BYU.
The bridge, with a filter.
One of the major draws of Birdy’s is the course itself. The Lake is stunning at sunrise and sunset and also pretty good during the rest of the day as well. Highlight though is the bridge installed for the event. You’re never sure if it is going to survive and in past years it has had some critical maintenance during the event. This year there was no issue albeit the water did seem to rise in the evening, or maybe that was my mind playing tricks on me ? In the evening it was good to take a few moments on the bridge and just appreciate your surroundings, the serenity setting was high.
The course can be divided into three sections and I do this with every BYU I enter. At Birdy’s the first three kilometres to the bridge is good for running and banking time. The next two kilometres or so from the bridge to the ‘swamp area’ is green paddocks and the hardest section so I would normally walk large chunks of this. From swamp area, past the beach, to the finish is again good for running. Once I got to the swamp I was starting to think about what I needed to achieve back at camp, I would know by then what was required to get me onto the next lap. If you take nothing from this post but this paragraph it’s worth the read. Don’t think of a lap as one start and one finish, break it down into smaller manageable and achievable smaller sections. This is the way to run any race truth be told, this way you are achieving goals quicker and then onto the next one rather than waiting for the finish.
Another great photo. image Astrid Volzke
Running a BYU is as much mental as physical and as I mentioned earlier I was not where I needed to be mentally for this event. My lowest ever BYU result was 24 hours , my first ever BYU and my last (10th), but I was struggling after seven or eight laps and started to set increasingly lower goals. It started at 24 laps, then 22 laps (tutu lap) , 120km for AURA points, then 15 laps for 100km and even ten laps for double figures. I started to work my way though the list hoping to reach 24 as minimum.
Best part of the course at night through the swamp. image : Astrid Volzke.
Birdy’s starts at 10am so you have seven laps before it gets dark. You then have ten or eleven hours running in the dark and at Birdy’s its very dark bar the event village, which is very loud and light. For the first few hours there is a procession of headtorches but as the night wears on this number gradually falls each lap as runners DNF. At each major milestone a number of runners leave the event for the warmth of their van or a hot shower. These milestones would be an ultra (lap 7), double figures (lap 10), 50 miles (12 laps) , 100km, (lap 15) , tutu lap (lap 22) and then 100 miles (24 laps).
Saturday morning fog. image Astrid Volzke
There was nearly 200 starters at 10am Friday morning but by sunrise Saturday we were down to around thirty runners. A mixture of fatigue and freezing weather conditions made surviving the night challenging. Things got even harder with a morning mist that gave us virtually zero visibility. At one point I was totally lost as the head torch reflected off the mist and blinded me. I had ran the course nineteen times before but was very close to going completely in the wrong direction. Funnily enough I could see a headtorch in the distance, way of course, and the runner called my name. I grunted back and carried on ‘swimming in a pea soup’. The runner eventually caught me up but if I’d been a few minutes earlier or later there’s no knowing where he would have ended up, certainly out of the race as I was lapping last at that point.
Sunrise Saturday morning
Once the mist cleared it turned into another sharp, crisp, beautiful morning. The photos , as always don’t do it justice but it was just so quiet and peaceful bar the odd frog calling for their mates. I was now heading towards the 22 lap target, the tutu lap. I was cutting it very close now , lapping around 55-58 minutes, straight from the finish line to the start line. I’d learnt from Herdy’s earlier in the year you can rack up quite a few laps doing this and sometimes its better to keep moving. I know Harvey Lewis, the current World Champion with a 108 laps to his name, laps in the middle fifties and spends little time sitting in his chair. It’s all about not expending too many energy, keeping in the low gears and just continually moving through the laps.
Lake Towerrining , glorious.
I was lapping last now and bar a miracle was never going to recover from my running fatigue and mental hole I had been digging myself the last few hours. I made it in on lap 21 by a minute and was handed a tutu and pushed back out again. Making the tutu lap was my second last goal but it was to be my last one. Luckily Astrid was there to get the photo which summed up the event really, hands on knees totally beaten. I had been feeling that way for many hours and the urge to continue to lap 24 was gone. Could I have gone on and made 24 laps ? 100% yes, did I want to, 100% no. That’s a BYU.
Done on lap 22 . even the tutu couldn’t save me. image Astrid Volzke
One thing that is guaranteed after a BYU is you double guess yourself on why you finished and convince yourself you can go further next time. That’s the addictive nature of the event. It’s similar to chasing a time in shorter events. During the event I retired so many times and even until the following day I convinced myself I would never run another BYU, eleven was enough, but then you start to remember the good things about the race itself and block out all the negatives. Similar to never asking a Woman straight after child birth if she wants another child, you need time to digest what has just happened albeit for a BYU 24 hours is probably enough (not sure that is long enough for post child birth?) Also I have already entered Herdy’s 2025 so it’d be a shame to give the entry away and it would be closure if I could finally find lap 48 at the event where really it all started with a 47 assist to Phil Gore.
Lap 22 is tutu lap. image Astrid Volzke Luckily I’m just out of sight.
I think the tutu lap was a tradition started by Phil Gore and is now taking off around the world in BYU’s. It was certainly ‘a thing‘ at the World Championships last year and would have been adopted since then. I wonder when we’ll see a 122 tutu lap ? Next year, the following year ? Soon I think.
Charles on his way to an assist for the event, finishing on 36 laps. image Astrid Volzke
The race for top honours came down to three runners by lap 36. Charles , Chris and a Japanese import with a very good racing pedigree, Kyohei Yoshizawa. Unfortunately Kyohei could not complete lap 36 and was taken to hospital, which is a pretty good excuse not to go on. He is fine now. Chris had been nursing a foot injury the whole event and had let Charles know. Charles had to stop at lap 38 due to religious reasons (no exercising on a Sunday) and did the right thing by allowing Chris to take the win a lap or two early to save any further discomfort. So on lap 37 Chris ran alone for the win and a silver ticket , which is entry into the Australian team for the satellite Championship’s to be held in October in Perth, actually at the Herdy’s loop.
Best feeling in a BYU is finishing a BYU. image Astrid Volzke
I love the image above of me and one of the race directors, Felix, after he presented me with my DNF spoon and the Birdy’s five year anniversary medallion, that look on my face is pure joy at finishing the event. These are the moments you run these events for, the roar emotions, BYU’S only really the only event where you decide how deep into the pain cave you go and how long you stay there. The ability to push yourself harder and longer than you think you can possibly go. As brutal as they are beautiful. This is why runners come back for more.
Steely look from Chris Martin, the winner completing 37 laps. image Astrid Volzke
So what did I learn form BYU number eleven. I learnt I can do better and need to be more mentally switched on. My goal is still 48 laps at Herdy’s in 2025 which would be a great way to complete my BYU career, coming full circle from my 47 laps in 2021 when I was so, so close. To do this I need to make Herdy’s one of my A races and get physically and mentally ready. I have the experience now and understand what it takes, it will happen.
Heating the DNF image to brand the wooden spoon presented to each competitor.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
I’ve ran 10 backyard Ultras in the last four years. Birdy’s Backyard Ultra three times, 24, 28 and 36 laps (hours). Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra four times 47, 34, 28 and 24 laps. Hysterical Carnage twice 37 and 27 laps and finally No Time to Die 33 laps (for my only win) .
That’s a total of 318 laps (hours/yards) and 2,130 kilometres, over 13 days running around in circles. That’s a long time running around in circles but the format is so much more than that, it’s the ultimate social ultra. Every hour , on the hour, you get to start at the front of the pack and it’s the runner who finishes last , not first, who takes out the win. Basically taking racing and switching it on its head, taking out the physical benefits and substituting them with mental toughness (albeit you still need to be able to run 6.7km loops in the hour of course.)
In case you’re sitting on the fence regarding this format I’ve written a post on each BYU I’ve ran, plus a post on the growing popularity of the event. It’s becoming a force of nature…
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
My 47th marathon last weekend went reasonably well, finishing just over three hours for 25th overall from a field of nearly 140 . Dropped off the sub3 bus at halfway and cruised in with a one hour thirty minutes half and a positive split of nearly five minutes coming home in just under one hour thirty five minutes for the second half. Anything less than five minutes positive split is considered acceptable.
Post marathon I try and rehydrate as quickly as possible and then take on nutrition within the 30 minute window when your muscles are desperate for fueling. Luckily post Bibra I was able to dive into some french bread, swimming in maple syrup surrounded by fruit, thanks to my good mate Rob.
Only one portion was mine unfortunately.
My first run was the compulsory Thursday morning running group at Yelo. 5:30am kick off come rain or shine for a 10k easy run up to a 14k threshold run. Lately it had morphed from my ultra 10k easy run into a ‘ball busting‘ 14k threshold preparing for Bibra. I was more than happy with progress and off the back of this run, as well as some good paced Sunday long runs with the BTRC group, I had revised my Bibra Lake estimated time to a sub 3. Unfortuanterly I realised quite quickly on the day this was not going to happen as I struggled to hold sub3 pace from the start. Not a problem, my A-goal race , the Perth marathon, is in October so I have twelve weeks to go from a 3 hours four minutes to a two hour and change finishing time.
Today I ran another 10k around one of my local parks, Bold Park, in Perth, a mixture of trails and concrete paths. A bit of elevation to raise the heart rate but took it very easy. Recovery is as important as the taper period when it comes to marathon running. Post marathon you are suspectable to injury as your muscles are recovering from the beating they were given during the event. I’ve seen images of muscles before a marathon and the same image post marathon. Before all the muscles are aligned , post marathon its looks like spaghetti bolognaise. ! It brought home to me how we really need to take recovery seriously.
Yet that’s the problem: If you resume your training post-marathon with structural, fascial and metabolic issues, you’re setting yourself up for problems in the coming months. So let’s take the question, “What does marathon recovery look like?” one item at a time.
Marathon Recovery Rule 1: Take a Shower
Immediately after the race you should forget the fact that you’re an environmentalist and use some extra tap water for a contrast shower. What is a contrast shower? Alternate between cold water and hot water on your legs—one minute hot, then one minute cold. The cold water causes vasoconstriction (i.e. blood vessels close and get smaller) of the blood vessels in your legs, while the hot water causes vasodilation (i.e. blood vessels open and get bigger). This oscillation between the vessels closing and opening helps rush oxygen-rich blood to your legs.
After the marathon, your legs are full of muscles which, on the cellar level, are damaged and have millions of micro-tears. Should you feel guilty about wasting this water? Probably. But it works. As the G.I. Joe cartoons said in the 1980s, “Knowing is half the battle.” It’s up to you to decide if you want to do this. It’s worth noting that there is some fabulous information on the Web from Steve Magness, one of the brightest running coaches in America, that discourages icing after hard workouts. He argues it may inhibit the body’s signals for greater adaptation. But, when you’ve just run a marathon, you need to do all you can to help aid the repair of damaged muscle tissue.
Marathon Recovery Rule 2: Eat Protein, Sleep, Then Get Moving
After your contrast shower, have a nice protein-rich meal. Then, get a good night’s sleep. The next day, you take the day off from running, right? Wrong. You’ve got to get moving the day after the marathon. I know it’s hard, but you need to go for at least a brisk walk, and possibly a light jog. Do something to get blood moving in your legs to help facilitate the healing process.
This run or walk is your check-in with your body post-race. Is your left knee sore and your right gluteal muscles tight? Or maybe you have horrible blisters on one foot but not the others. You need to gather this information so that you can take it to your therapist or coach to figure out what you can do in the future to minimize these issues that may have held you back some during the race.
Marathon Recovery Rule 3: Invest in Your Recovery
The next step you should consider following the marathon is to invest a little money in yourself. Visit an Active Release Technique (ART) therapist. Why? Because in the final miles of a well-run marathon, there is undoubtedly a breakdown in your biomechanics, and that breakdown means that you’re asking more of one muscle group or more of one side of your body than the other. Simply put, you’re likely asymmetric when you finish the marathon, and you need someone who can help you gain back that symmetry and take care of any little injuries you may have incurred during the race.
How do you find an ART therapist? Search for a physical therapist, chiropractor or even a highly trained massage therapist in your area; the key is that they’ve taken the time to broaden their knowledge base and get an ART certification.
When athletes are worked on by an ART therapist, their minor injuries or “niggles” tend to go away after one or two sessions. Now, I know what you’re thinking. This will cost money and that money could be spent on a new pair of shoes. But, when you consider the money and time spent seeing an ART therapist, it’s a small fraction of what you spent on your marathon registration, traveling to the marathon, lodging and meals. Plus, most good ART therapists will give you a small list of strengthening exercises you can do to strengthen your minor muscles, or improve symmetry. So find a good therapist and invest some money in yourself so that when you resume training you’re 100 percent healthy, and ready to train at a new level.
Marathon Recovery Rule 4: Cross-Train Before You Resume Running
Recovery from a marathon has long been thought of as: Take X number of days off, then start running again. But, a new model for marathon recovery values the healing power of getting oxygen-rich blood to damaged muscle tissue. One way to do this is to swim or aqua jog. Both are good because you simply move some blood around the body, and speed up the healing time of the cellular damage that occurred in your leg muscles during the race.
lso, there is some benefit to being in water for the lymph system, as the hydrostatic pressure of the water gives your lymph system a gentle massage that helps flush out the toxins and waste products you might be holding onto post-marathon. Biking, cross-training on the elliptical and hiking are good choices, too—all three of these activities meet the criteria of getting blood to your damaged muscles.
So when do you start running? That’s very much up to you. For many of you, the thought of going two or three weeks without running is hard to imagine, yet many elite distance runners take a long break after a marathon. This is a great time to cross-train, which could include activities as gentle as a brisk walk or a hike. The key here is that you should give your body some time to realign and heal from the stress of a marathon.
Marathon Recovery Rule 5: Get Stronger Before You Start Training Again
The good news: You have time to do some serious, focused non-running ancillary work at this time. I refer to this as General Strength and Mobility (GSM) and, in the days following the marathon, it’s a great time to complete this type of work.
Post-marathon GSM practice proves beneficial because every runner has weaknesses, often with their minor muscle groups, and this work helps strengthen those areas. Use the lunge matrix warm-up and the myrtl routine before and after cross-training. When you return to running, keep these elements as part of your training, and you’ll be that much closer to running injury-free.
Remember, the reason to do GSM work is to stay injury-free, which will allow you to run more miles and more intense workouts. This work can be a bit boring and definitely is not as enjoyable as a nice run with friends. But if you want to improve as a runner, then you need to improve your basal level of general strength, and you need to improve your hip and ankle mobility. Think of this work as an insurance policy again injury for your next block of serious run training.
acing a marathon is a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud to finish. But you should also take the steps following the marathon to ensure that your next phase of serious run training goes well. Invest in yourself with everything from a contrast bath to a couple of ART sessions to daily GSM work. If you do these things, you’ll be ready to run even faster the next time you toe the line.
What you do (and don’t do) in the hours and days after your marathon is just as important as your training to ensure you can recover properly to avoid injuries and of course, to do it all again! If you’ve already finished your goal marathon, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind for next time, and if yours is still upcoming, follow this advice to ensure you recover well after your big effort.
Do’s
Hydrate: This should be your first priority when you cross the finish line. After a marathon, you need to not only drink water, but to replace the electrolytes you lost during the race. In fact, most experts suggest consuming 24 ounces (700ml) of liquid for every pound of body weight lost, and one gram of sodium for every litre of water you drink. So if you lose one pound during your marathon, you’ll need 700ml of water and 700mg of sodium.
Eat a recovery meal: You may not feel like eating immediately after you cross the finish line, but it’s important to at least have something small as soon as possible. Once your stomach has settled, you should aim to eat a well-balanced meal that contains a mixture of carbohydrates, fat, protein and micronutrients.
Walk: Or do some other form of gentle activity. As tempting as it is to just sit down and not move, you’re better off doing some light, easy movement, like a slow walk, for about 30 minutes after the race to allow your heart rate to return to normal and to keep your blood flowing through your muscles to help clear lactic acid and kick-start the recovery process.
Don’ts
Drink too much: Alcohol, that is. Of course, you’re going to want to celebrate your accomplishment, but alcohol can negatively impact your muscles’ recovery process. On top of that, many runners make the mistake of switching to beer before they’ve fully rehydrated after the race. Since alcohol is a diuretic, drinking too much before you’ve had enough water and electrolytes can dehydrate you even further. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a couple of cold ones to celebrate, but make sure you prioritize proper hydration and post-race nutrition first, then drink in moderation after.
Limit your food intake: You’ll be taking some time off running after your marathon is complete, but this doesn’t mean you should be cutting back on how much you’re eating. Your body is going to be in recovery mode for several days or even weeks, and it needs calories and nutrition in order to repair itself. If you find your appetite is suppressed in the days following a marathon, make sure you take advantage of the times when you are hungry and eat. As much as possible, try to make sure the food you’re eating are nutrient-dense, too.
Return to activity too soon: After a marathon, you should take your time with the comeback. Your body will be stressed after months of marathon training, and the only way to bring it back to normal is through rest, so don’t rush it. Opt for low-intensity activities, like walking or yoga, for at least a couple of weeks before you attempt to run again. For some runners, this can be a frustrating time, but do your best to embrace the downtime and be patient: if you allow yourself to fully recover, you’ll be able to start your next training cycle off stronger and healthier.
From a post I wrote in 2019…
Passive recovery means stillness and inactivity. By contrast, active recovery means being active in a way that promotes recovery rather than intensity
Time to pay the piper, but the real payment starts after the marathon finishes!
A few weekends ago I ran marathon number 44 , which was a controlled effort for sub number 31. After celebrating with a can of Guinness , or three, it was off back to the mainland and time for active recovery. Now when I recover from a marathon it is not a pretty sight. It’s a bit like drinking really, I can drink like a 18 year old (please note I only really drink after the Rottnest Marathon as it’s tradition and the beer mile because, well, it’s the beer mile?!) but I recover (and suffer) like a 80 year old. Personally I think the reason hangovers get worse ,with age , is because otherwise we’d all just keep drinking to excess and ,unfortunately, this can only end badly as we grow older. If there is a God, ( and it’s a bit if,) then I can see why he (or she?) programmed us this way. Best thing to do is abstain completely but then how can you enter the Beer mile, it is a quandary ?
Right , back to me recovering. Normally after a marathon I give myself a minimum of three days off , sometimes even up to a week. After that I gotta run, I mean ‘ c’mon ‘ we’re runners, it’s what we do right? Anyhow I say ‘run‘ in the loosest sense of the word because my legs are normally well and truely ‘goosed’ and it feels like you’re running on wooden stumps. The first gradient I encounter can result in racing people walking and minding their own business. The look on their faces when this old, balding , bearded runner (?) sidles up to them is priceless. I’m not sure if they just feel pity or disgust at my inability to pass them in a reasonable manor. Of course over time I eventually get back to a some sort of pre-marathon form and pace and it’s onwards and upwards to the next one. (Remember , there is always a next one.)
The week after my last marathon , Rottnest, was particularly testing as for some reason I only gave myself Monday off running. Tuesday I was back into it and ‘stumbling‘ around Kings Park trying to convince myself this was a good idea, when it clearly wasn’t. This continued for the whole week, truth be told and as I type this post I really question my decision. Was running a week after a marathon achieving anything bar humiliation ?
Funnily enough I googled “passive recovery after a marathon” and Google returned a post I had written in November 2016. How good was that ? On rereading the post I impressed myself (which is easy to do , mind.) So it’s worth another read (link below)
For me after Rottnest I felt I should have opted for ‘passive’ recovery and piled on the kilograms before starting again. Weight is another good indicator of recovery and if you aim to put on at least a couple of kilograms before setting out on your next adventure it won’t be a problem. After carbo loading before a marathon and adding a few kilograms after, to aid recovery, running the marathon itself suddenly seems worth it ? I’m sure I read somewhere that Meb Keflezighi, or Ryan Hall, liked to add a few kilograms after a marathon and wouldn’t start training until he had. Probably Meb , but looking at Ryan since he retired it may have been him !!
From the Guardian online.
Your immune system has taken a battering, your muscles are torn in lots of places and you won’t fully recover for a few weeks.
The severity of the damage and speed of recovery after a long distance run depend on how fit the person is to start with. For the casual runner who has spent several months training properly, the physiological damage during the marathon would have started as a gradual congestion of waste products in the body. “Your tissues are asked to do something that they’re not normally asked to do at that speed at that number of repetitions at that distance,” says Neil Black, head of physiotherapy at the English Institute of Sport.
The fatigue leads to soreness and tightness in the muscles. This means that the runner starts to move slowly and inefficiently. “When they slow down, they will change their gait slightly,” says Clyde Williams, a physiologist at Loughborough University. “They’re changing to a recruitment of muscles that have not been used for training and that’s when you get further aches and pains.” In addition, about halfway through the race, the constant pounding of the feet on the roads starts to cause pain in the joints.
At about 20 miles, levels of glucose in the bloodstream start to drop and the stores of carbohydrate energy in the body are almost depleted. Runners will become more aware of the distress signals that the various parts of the body are sending to the brain. “The distractions of the crowds and the bands and the cheering become less of a distraction and the focus goes more on the body,” says Williams.
Dehydration is also a risk. Runners drink water en route to replace the fluid lost through sweat but can’t fully replace it, simply because of the time it takes to get water through the digestive system into the bloodstream.
All this adds up, effectively, to major trauma. After the race, runners are left with microscopic tears in their leg muscles, which leak proteins such as myoglobin into the bloodstream.”The body’s defence mechanism will see these tears as damaged tissue and will set up an inflammatory response,” says Williams. Part of this response is that free radicals are released, which also attack the tissue. This leads to the familiar soreness.
Runners often pick up a cold or an infection afterwards, as the immune system tends to be suppressed for several hours after the marathon.
It takes weeks for the body to return to normal. “A lot of people, after a week, feel reasonably well recovered but it would be very unlikely they truly had recovered at a physiological level,” says Black.
Hammering out 26.2 miles takes a toll on your body—not to mention all the training miles leading up to race day.
It’s time you got some rest.
Rest from running and recovery look different for everybody. Some runners need weeks of reduced mileage to work back into hard running while others, like elite ultrarunner Michael Wardian, can run seven marathons on all seven continents in seven days.
For those us of not like Wardian, deliberate rest from running is important to getting back into regular training.
This guide will teach you the basics of how to recover from a marathon, including how to massage, what to eat and how to rest before easing back into running.
What to Eat to Recover After a Marathon
Eating is an important component of training. You need to eat the right foods (and enough of them) to sustain your longest days, and you have to find nutrition that doesn’t upset your stomach. But what you eat after your run is just as critical because it replenishes lost nutrients and repairs spent muscles. The best post-run foods do both, and taste delicious.
Your body burns lots of carbohydrates—its favorite fuel source—during a marathon, and your muscles break down from the extended effort. So, it’s important to refill your tank with both carbohydrates and protein to restore balance (a 2:1 carb to protein ratio is recommended).
As with everyday nutrition post-marathon, reach for real, whole foods like leafy greens, lean proteins and fats rich in anti-inflammatory omega 3s to aid recovery.
And don’t forget to hydrate. Your body needs water to function properly and flush waste products out of your system. A good goal: Drink about half your body weight in ounces each day. That’s 60 ounces for a 120-pound person or 100 ounces for a 200-pound person. But remember this is just a rule of thumb. As temperature and humidity changes, so do your hydration needs (for example, warmer weather calls for more water).
When in doubt, check your urine; your pee should be light in color, not dark like apple juice, or worse, soda.
How to Massage After a Marathon
The 26.2 miles you just ran is likely the longest distance you covered since you began training, and a lot can happen over that distance. Inflammation and aches and pains from a couple of dozen miles pounding the pavement is almost always guaranteed.
Massage helps alleviate some of the aches and pains by loosening knots and adhesions in muscles or soothing nagging problems like plantar fasciitis.
Save your shins. While you’re sitting down, stretch out your leg in front of you. Press your thumbs into the muscles on either side of your shin bone and rotate your ankle in every direction. Search for sore spots up and down your leg, and give them some extra attention. Repeat on the other leg.
Get the glutes. Put a foam roller or a lacrosse ball beneath your glute and roll it around. When you hit a tight spot, keep the pressure there until it loosens up. Repeat on the other side.
Care for your calves. Your calf muscles absorb a lot of impact from running, and they’ll begin to feel it after a marathon. Sit on the floor and place a foam roller beneath your calf muscle. Roll forward and backward to release tight areas on both legs.
A word of caution: Know when to call it quits. Massage can be uncomfortable at times, but it should not produce sharp pains, numbness or tingling. If you feel any of those, lighten up or stop for the day.
Running a marathon puts a lot of stress on your body. In addition to eating right and massaging away knots, your body will need time to repair itself. That’s why you need rest after running a long race.
How to Rest After a Marathon
But rest isn’t passive. Resting after a marathon takes conscious effort, and your body will thank you for it. Generally after a big race, it’s a good idea to take at least one full week of non-running recovery. During this sacred period, it’s OK to exercise, just keep it light and mostly resistance free. Think leisurely walks, hikes or bike rides.
And, make sleep a priority because your body and muscles recover best when you’re asleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven or more hours of sleep per night for adults. Getting the recommended amount of shut eye will make you more alert and ward off sickness, too.
But the CDC says only about 35 percent of adults get the sleep they need, which affects more than just running recovery. Inadequate sleep is linked to chronic health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression, according to the CDC.
Bottom line: You will train and recover better if you get better sleep. If you’re struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, try these tips:
Avoid drinking alcohol late in the evening.
Before bed, eliminate exposure to blue light from TVs, computers and smartphones (if you must be online, consider downloading a free app like Flux that filters blue light).
Get to bed at a consistent time, preferably before 10 p.m.
Set your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Track your sleep to understand your sleep quality.
Avoid working or reading in bed.
So to sum up, marathon recovery is very personal. For me , it’s a painful experience which ends up with me racing senior citizens up hills and normally losing. For others , like the T-train, it’s an excuse to totally ignore the fact they have run a marathon at all and rack up some serious kudos on Strava ( you are on Strava right? http://www.strava.com ) Jon uses it as a precursor to his next marathon, which is normally less than three weeks away , so it’s actually an instant taper ? We approach the recovery stage differently but it is important to find something that works for you and no pace for at least two weeks .(or if you are the T-train , 2 days!)
Most important thing too also take into account is not to get injured. For the two weeks after the marathon you are walking a tight rope between recovery and injury. Add pace to your runs too early and you are guaranteed to be spending more time on the sidelines. I am speaking from experience here , partially tearing a calf muscle a week after the Perth Marathon engaging in some shenanigans with the boys, on a lunch time run too early after the event. A painful experience. (The calf tear that is, not running with the boys at lunchtime?)
My version of passive recovery after the 6 inch trail ultra marathon !.From a post in 2017.
There are two trains of thought regarding recovering from marathon. Most suggest an easy first week of little or no exercise and then a slow second week, staying away from any speed work. Week three and four are still recovery weeks albeit slightly less so each week. I normally give myself 4 weeks of no racing as a minimum and certainly no speed work for at least two weeks. The second week can sometimes be the most dangerous time as runners are always keen to push the envelope and think they are bullet proof, so add pace before their bodies are ready.The other train of thought (an apt description) is you just ignore the fact you’ve run a marathon and continue training like it never happened. This is what my good friend Tony ‘T-train’ Smith does on a regular basis and always posts his splits on Strava to wind me up. That was until today when I saw on Strava a very reasonable recovery run at a pedestrian pace, compared to the normal T-train sub-4 minute recovery sprint. I put this down to one of two things. 1. He is starting to listen to me and realises the error of his ways. (unlikely) 2. After finding him in the recovery position next to the bin at the end of the finishing chute yesterday he is still totally suffering from yesterdays beating he took at the hand of the World Masters marathon (likely)… NB. There really isn’t two trains of recovery, there is only one, slow and steady is the only way.I use to give myself three days off and then start training on Thursday but these days I take the day off after the marathon and then it’s back into it, albeit at a very relaxed pace. I am now a firm believer in running on tired legs (and my legs are seriously tired at the moment!) is good training and as I have discussed before don’t underestimate the good work you could be doing just by getting out there. Thus I can’t wait to get on my compression tights (another good article of clothing to have for these recovery runs) and go for a very relaxed 10k tomorrow morning. With Spring finally sprung over here in Western Australia the mornings are glorious and I’m finding running tracks everywhere. Even this morning while walking from the train station I snapped this photo of what I see as great running track compared to what the general public just see as a bike path. I just can’t wait to get back into it.Finally an article from coach Jeff from Runners Connect gives you a few pointers about recovery. Funnily enough doesn’t mention the T-trains ‘train like it never happened approach’.
Recovering from a marathon is a critical component to a perfect training plan that runners often neglect.
Unfortunately, if you don’t properly recover from your marathon, you’ll increase your injury risk, increase the total marathon recovery time, and limit your long-term potential – making it harder to break your PR and stay healthy.
As a running coach, I’ve heard all the arguments from athletes wanting to jump back into training or racing immediately after their race.
More often than not, runners who do not follow a proper post marathon recovery plan find their subsequent performances stagnating or they suffer from overtraining symptoms.
Today, we are going to give you the best ways to recover from a marathon; this article will outline the science behind post marathon fatigue, so you can feel comfortable knowing you’re preparing your body for optimal performance down the road.
Then, I am going to provide you with an optimal post marathon recovery plan to help get you back to running your best as soon as possible.
Marathon recovery is critical and often overlooked. This article will provide you with the ultimate marathon recovery plan and the time it takes to get back
What Happens To My Body When I Run A Marathon?
Marathons are tough on the body – there’s no way to sugar coat this fact.
Muscles, hormones, tendons, cells, and almost every physiological system is pushed to the max during a marathon race.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Boston qualifier or it’s your first marathon, 26.2 miles is 26.2 miles and your body has undergone tremendous physical duress, let alone the stress you have put on your body running according to your marathon training schedule.
Here is a list of some of the scientifically measured physiological systems that are most effected after a marathon and how long each takes to fully repair. Skeletal Muscle
Muscles soreness and fatigue are the most obvious case of damage caused by running the marathon distance.
One scientific study conducted on the calf muscles of marathon runners concluded that both the intensive training for, and the marathon itself, induce inflammation and muscle fiber necrosis that significantly impaired muscle power and durability for up the 14 days post marathon.
Accordingly, it will take your muscles about 2 weeks post marathon to return to full strength. Cellular damage
Cellular damage post marathon, which includes oxidative damage, increased production of creatinine kinase (CK) – a marker that indicates damage to skeletal and myocardial tissue, and increased myoglobin levels in the blood stream (which often results in blood being present in urine).
One study concluded that CK damage persisted more than 7 days post marathon while another study confirmed the presence of myoglobin in the bloodstream post marathon for 3-4 days post race.
Both of these studies clearly indicate that the body needs at least 7-10 days of rest post marathon to fully recover from the cellular damage caused during the race.
These markers, along with a suppressed immune system, which is discussed below, is the primary reason that the optimal marathon recovery schedule avoids cross training the first 2-3 days. Immune system
Post marathon, the immune system is severely compromised, which increases the risk of contracting colds and the flu.
Furthermore, a suppressed immune system is one of the major causes of overtraining. A recent study confirms that the immune system is compromised up to three days post marathon and is a major factor in overtraining syndrome.
Therefore, it is critical that you rest as much as possible in the three days following a marathon and focus on eating healthy and nutrient rich foods.
The research clearly indicates that the marathon induces significant muscle, cellular, and immune system damage for 3-14 days post race.
Therefore, it is essential that all marathon runners have a 2-3 week marathon recovery protocol that focuses on rest and rejuvenation of these physiological systems.
How To Recover After Running a Marathon
We’re going to outline a nutrition, rehab, cross training, and running plan for the 3 weeks after a marathon. This rehab plan is guaranteed to help you recover faster and return to training as quickly as possible.
Immediately post race
The immediate post race recovery protocol can be a little difficult to plan ahead of time, so I wouldn’t stress about it pre-race.
Focus your energy on pre-race nutrition and race strategy. These notes are simply to give you some guidance after the race.
After you cross the finish line, try to get something warm and get to your clothes. You’ll probably get cold very quickly, and while it won’t help you recover, getting warm will sure make you feel a lot better.
Try to find something to eat. Bananas, energy bars, sports drinks, fruit, and bagels are all good options.
Many marathoners can’t eat soon after finishing, so grab a handful of items and make your way to friends and family.
When you get back to the hotel room, you should consider an ice bath.
Fill the tub with ice and cold water and submerge your lower body for 15 minutes. You don’t need the water too cold, 55 degrees is optimal, but anything colder than 65 degrees will do.
After your ice bath, you can take a nap or walk around to try and loosen the legs.
At this point, you’ve done about all you can do for the day. Relax and relish in your accomplishment.
Days 1-3
Running: None
Cross Training: none
Recovery Tips and tricks:
Soak in a hot tub for 10-15 and stretch well afterwards.
Each lots of fruits, carbohydrates, and protein. The Carbs and protein will help repair the muscle damage while the fruits will give you a boost of vitamin C and antioxidants to help combat free radical damage and boost your immune system.
Light massage will help loosen your muscles. Don’t schedule a deep tissue massage yet, just a gentle effleurage massage or a light rolling with the stick.
Days 4-7
Running: One day, 2-4 miles very easy
Cross Training: Optional – Two days, 30-40 minutes easy effort. The focus is on promoting blood flow to the legs, not building fitness.
Recovery Tips and Tricks:
Continue eating a healthy diet
Now is the time you can get a deep tissue massage if you have areas that are really bothering you or that are injured.
Contrast bath your lower body. To contrast bath, take large trash cans and fill one with hot (hot bath temp) water and the other with ice water (cold enough so some ice still doesn’t melt) and put your whole lower body into the cold. Hold for 5 minutes and then switch to the hot for 5 mins. Repeat 2 or 3 times, ending with cold. This helps rush blood in and out of the area, which facilitates healing.
Epsom Salt Bath. About an hour before bed, massage your legs out with the stick or self massage and then soak in a hot/warm bath with 3 cups epsom salt and 1 cup baking soda for 10-15 minutes. After the soak, stretch real well and relax. This always perks up my legs quite a bit and you’ll also sleep great.
Days 7-14
Running: Three or four days of 4-6 miles very easy.
Cross Training: Optional – Three sessions total. One easy session and two medium effort sessions for 30-45 minutes.
Days 14-21
Running: Begin to slowly build back into full training. My suggestion is four to five runs of 4-8 miles with 4 x 20 sec strides after each run.
Cross Training: 1 easy session, 1 medium session, and 1 hard session of 40-50 minutes.
Don’t worry about losing any running fitness during this recovery period.
First, it’s much more important to ensure proper recovery so you can train even harder during your next training cycle.
If you don’t let yourself recover now, you’ll simply have to back off your workouts when it matters and put yourself on the verge of overtraining.
Likewise, you won’t lose much fitness at all.
In my experience, it takes about 2-3 weeks of training to get back into good shape and ready to start attacking workouts and planning races.
Try not to schedule any races until 6 weeks after your marathon.
I know you may want to avenge a disappointing performance or you’ll be coming off a running high and you’ll want to run every race under the sun.
However, your results won’t be as good as they might be if you just wait a few weeks and let your body recover and train a little first.
Patience is a virtue, but it will pay off in the end.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Marathon number 47 was Bibra Lakes, a small event a hundred kilometres outside Perth, around a lake funnily enough. It was a small out and back and then six laps of the lake on a footpath and just about totally flat, bar the puddles ! Conditions ranged from perfect to horrendous depending on the rain, albeit there was little or no wind to talk off so overall no complaints.
The worst rain was probably right on the start time and as you can see below it was pretty heavy when we set off. Luckily my mate Rob lent me his rain jacket for the initial out and back loop which was enough to take the torrential rain out of the equation. Unfortunately we got hit with a worse squall later in the event and Rob and his jacket were nowhere to be seen, although by this time I was in race mode and the rain wasn’t an issue.
I hit the float button on my Saucony Elite’s..
This would be my second marathon since 2019 and my first since Melbourne 2022 which didn’t end well, mainly down to little or no marathon training. The goal initially was to run as close to sub 3 at Bibra in preparation for my A-race later in the year in Perth. Training had been going so well thought I reassessed and gave myself a chance of a sub3 at Bibra. With hindsight this was a mistake. My training had been going well but I was probably a few months short of what I needed, no worries, sometimes you have to roll the dice albeit with marathons the end result is normally predictable.
A two week taper had made my legs feel heavy and maybe watching my favourite footy team the night before wasn’t ideal preparation, although they did win. In my defence I still got at least seven hours sleep so I don’t think this was an issue. I lined up at the start with no niggles and feeling pretty good which is the best you can hope for truth be told. As I said earlier my training had been going well but I was missing one of the most important runs and this was to become pretty obvious very quickly once the race started.
Once more into the breech… am I smiling or grimacing ?
Holding marathon pace became an issue early in the game and this was due to no medium long runs at marathon pace in my training leading up to the event. I had the short threshold runs covered (my Thursday morning Yelo runs) and the longer weekend runs (although probably too faster a pace?) , and good weekly distance with elevation but no 20-25k midweek runs at marathon pace . With the legs feeling heavy at the start my heart rate was way too high early on and keeping my seat on the sub3 bus was becoming a problem. I had the same feeling at Melbourne in 2022 where I hung on for ten kilometres and was then unceremoniously ejected out the back and stumbled home in 3hours 17minutes. I was determined to go further at Bibra and set the target at halfway minimum before the bus driver punched my ticket.
Showing off by running with my eyes closed.
Eventually I managed around 26 kilometres before the bus really started to leave me, with 16 kilometres to go I was still on track for a sub3 but knew I would start to lose time kilometre by kilometre moving forward, it was now about limiting the damage. I found I could hold a 4:2x pace and set my new goal race finishing time at under three hours and five minutes. That’s a thing with marathons you have more than enough time for plan A, B and even C , most important thing is just keep moving forward, stay in the game, eventually you will finish.
Getting real in the last few laps.. very vocal support.
I lost contact with the 3 hour bus on lap four so dropped down a few gears and started to run to feel , fast enough that it was an effort, I was racing , but not too fast that I couldn’t maintain the pace. My splits for the six laps were pretty consistent , with 25 minutes for the first three and then 26 minutes for the last three. ( splits 25.34/25.46/25.55/26.24/26.57/26.46) A few guys came off the bus and I went past them but no one chased me down and I eventually finished 25th from a field of just over 130 runners. In the end I finished in 3:04:37, not the sub3 I wanted but probably what I deserved.
Best support crew. Graeme, Michael, Ben, myself, Ben, Rob and Andy back row. Johannes, Jon and Jackie front row.
One of the best things on the day was the support, these smaller ‘grass roots‘ events are so good as you know the organisers, the supporters, the volunteers and your mates come along to race or support you. It’s such a social event, you’re surrounded by like minded people all working towards one goal, getting you to the finish line as quick as possible. Also, being a six lap course , you’re always only a few kilometres from your mates and there’s aid stations every few kilometres manned by volunteers who also cheer you on your way.
I have been training with Ben Tay, who was driving the sub3 bus. Ben is an accomplished marathon runner capable of running close to two hours thirty minutes so a sib3 was a training run for him. The bus would be on time. My two training buddies Andy and Ben also joined me and the three of them would all run sub three, albeit cutting it very , very close. It was great to run with the guys to halfway and I would hope to join them for longer at Perth in October.
Rob must have felt sorry for me as afterwards he treated me to French Toast at a local bistro. Best recovery food ever. Thanks Rob.
Recovery food.
What have I learned from Bibra ? Running sub3 is definitely on the radar tHis year. I loved the marathon distance and was able to finish strong with consistent splits, I just need the splits to be consistently quicker. To do this I need to be more relaxed at marathon pace and the only way to do that is run at marathon pace more often. Training for marathons isn’t rocket science. To sum up , you need one threshold run a week, one long run at a slow pace, some elevation, a median long run at marathon pace ( the run I was missing) , race often and as much distance as you can handle without getting injured. Add in consistency and there you have , a marathon plan summed up in a paragraph. There really is no need for any coaching or plans as long as you are disciplined and week in, week out hit your targets, simples.
For Bibra I had put in the distance and time as you can see from my Strava extract below ( you are on Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) I had put in a good block of training and consistently turned up all year, as well as racing four ultra marathons. What I had missed was smaller races at faster than marathon pace. I hadn’t got my marathon pace legs until later in the training block so had avoided half marathon and 10k races, this was a mistake. Racing fine tunes your preparation and gives you an idea of where you are and what time to expect in the marathon. I’m a big believer in the ‘your half marathon time , doubled, plus ten minutes‘ as a really accurate indicator for your marathon time. For a sub3 attempt you should be able to run a 1:25 half, or close. Of course this is not set in stone and all runners are different but as an indicator I find this works as well as most.
Hitting some good distance in training.
Right I’m itching to get the trainers back on and get out there to start training for my next marathon. There is the small matter of a backyard ultra to finish first, it would be silly to just concentrate on marathons right, far too easy. Just under four weeks before Birdy’s backyard Ultra ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ ) , my fourth attempt at this beast of a last man standing event. In previous years I have managed 24 hours, 28 hours and 36 hours, an upward trend which is unusual with my racing these days ? It would be nice to break 48 hours but it will be more about hanging out with good friends, similar to Bibra but for days not hours.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
