http://connect.garmin.com/activity/53342233
The weather was perfect! Sunny and probably around +3 degrees C at the start. I would say that the temperature was +5 or +6 at the finish line. Sun all the time and no wind. Perfect conditions. The air was so fresh and it was just one of those great days during the fall when you want to run.
I came to Växjö at 09:20, the race started at 11:00. Mr Legend and his friend Patrik came at 10:00. The big discussion before the race was if we should have "super underwear" or not. Since both Mr Legend and Patrik had long underwear I decided to have that as well. I was afraid that I was too warm but rather to warm than too cold.
20 minutes before the race we decided to drop some clothes in my car. The speaker said that the temperature was going to increase to 6-7 degrees during the race. Bot Mr L and myself decided to remove the long underwear legging and keept the shirt - a good choice.
11:00 - 12:55 The first 21.1km
Boom. Race starts. Patrik flies away and will not be seen until the end of the race. I felt fresh so I decided to go as plan, around 5:25. I noticed that Mr L didnt want to run ahead of me so he was 20 m behind. The first k was too fast (5:12) and the second 5:20. After that I think that I maintained a good pace of 5:25 during the first 5k. Mr L and I shared some sport drink after the first lap and then he "took the lead". We kept 5:25 pace, some were 5:20 and some were 5:30. I decided to do like Lidingöloppet - hence I dont care about the heart rate, I just want to stay begind Mr Legend. Second lap done and I am still behind Mr L. Now starts a very intersting lap. Mr L starts to do Fartlek! Totally crazy. So he did a lot of rushes, slowed down, rushes, slowed down. I decided to follow him but I felt that this was eating my energy! I started to notice that the calfs are sore...
The fourth lap was tough. I now understood that I will not be able to follow Mr L during this race. He looked fresh and I had calf issues. I decided to follow him the fourth lap and then let him go. When we passed the energy station after four laps I dramatically reduced speed - from 5:20s to 5:30s. That is a drastic reduction of speed. I think that we passed the 1/2 marathon at around 1:54 or 1:55.
12:55 - 14:57 (second half)
El Maco all alone. My biggest problem was probably not the HR but the legs. I think that I maintained a HR of appr 165-169 during the entire race - hence not too hard. But the calfs had a tough day. I also think that Lidingöloppet has an important part here. I gave it all three weeks ago and maybe I was not fully recovered.
During the fifth and sixth lap I started to count on the possibility to go sub 4. I haven't been sub 4 in quite some time now during a marathon. I understood that I wouldnt be able to make sub 4 if I started to walk. Last year I walked a lot during the last 10km and I finished at 4:09. I realised that it would be possible to reach sub 4 if I at least do sub 6:00 /km. That was my primary target now. Every km sub 6. It worked out good lap 5 and 6. I had a lot of 5:45kms. The problem was that the legs started to become very tired.
7 lap started. Only two laps to go, 10.4km. That is just another one of those lunch runs. Keep it up El Maco! You have been through worse. Remember Stockholm Marathon 2006 and 2008. A lot of pain but you kept running. This is easier than that! Just do it. I think that I logged some 6:07 km during this lap. I was in pain - no question about that. It was very very challenging. If I hadn't had the sub 4 target then I would have walked a few 100 m during this lap for sure.
8 lap started. Last lap. Finally! I think that I crossed the line at 3:26. I now have 34 minutes to run the last 5.2 km. That is very very doable (unless I need to walk). So what happens? After 500m in the last lap my left inner thigh begins to feel strained. A potential cramp! The same feeling I had during the last 2km in Stockholm Marathon 2008. Its almost impossible to run when you have cramp in the inner thighs. That sucked! Sub 4 is in danger. Slow slow slow. I slowed down. Did some 6:00km. Got some more energy and I actually think that I did some 5:40 as well during this last lap. During the last 2.5km I ran behind a man that was my prime goal for the rest of the race - beat him! 2.5km. Appr 15 minutes of thinking. A lot lot lot of pain in the legs. But good to have something else to think about it. Dont think sub 4 - think beat him. He increased speed during the last km. I had a little bit more energy and beat him during the last 300 m. Childish? Yes! But I needed another focus than the pain in my legs.
Crossed the finish line at 3:56:51. Good time. Almost began to cry (as always after a marathon). It was a very tough race for me.
Mr L and Patrik was standing behind the goal having some coffee. Patrik was fast (3:46). He had a tough last lap (6:30/km). Mr Legend had a perfect race. He maintained the speed we had during the first half and reached 3:48, very close to my Växjö record from 2008 3:47. I am sure that Mr Legend will give his full report at Lifetime runners during this evening. Please Mr L - make it long this time!
All-in-all a very nice and challenging race. One of my favourite marathons!
Summary
A tough year. Björnrike week almost killed me in end of March. Stockholm Marathon was stupid to do this year (4:39). I have some good months of training now since July and hopefully I am on the right track now! I might even take some kind of recovery month now in November! The 2011 plan is still not done but probably it will look like this:
2011
Mid March
Skövde 6 hours
Mid May
Lidingö Ultra
Beginning June
Stockholm Marathon (already signed up)
Mid June
Vätternrundan (already signed up)
End September
Lidingöloppet
Mid Oct
Växjö marathon
It would be cool do to a 12 hour run during 2011 but its probably a little bit too early. The only option for this would be the Skövde Ultra festival end of August
The weather was perfect! Sunny and probably around +3 degrees C at the start. I would say that the temperature was +5 or +6 at the finish line. Sun all the time and no wind. Perfect conditions. The air was so fresh and it was just one of those great days during the fall when you want to run.
I came to Växjö at 09:20, the race started at 11:00. Mr Legend and his friend Patrik came at 10:00. The big discussion before the race was if we should have "super underwear" or not. Since both Mr Legend and Patrik had long underwear I decided to have that as well. I was afraid that I was too warm but rather to warm than too cold.
20 minutes before the race we decided to drop some clothes in my car. The speaker said that the temperature was going to increase to 6-7 degrees during the race. Bot Mr L and myself decided to remove the long underwear legging and keept the shirt - a good choice.
11:00 - 12:55 The first 21.1km
Boom. Race starts. Patrik flies away and will not be seen until the end of the race. I felt fresh so I decided to go as plan, around 5:25. I noticed that Mr L didnt want to run ahead of me so he was 20 m behind. The first k was too fast (5:12) and the second 5:20. After that I think that I maintained a good pace of 5:25 during the first 5k. Mr L and I shared some sport drink after the first lap and then he "took the lead". We kept 5:25 pace, some were 5:20 and some were 5:30. I decided to do like Lidingöloppet - hence I dont care about the heart rate, I just want to stay begind Mr Legend. Second lap done and I am still behind Mr L. Now starts a very intersting lap. Mr L starts to do Fartlek! Totally crazy. So he did a lot of rushes, slowed down, rushes, slowed down. I decided to follow him but I felt that this was eating my energy! I started to notice that the calfs are sore...
The fourth lap was tough. I now understood that I will not be able to follow Mr L during this race. He looked fresh and I had calf issues. I decided to follow him the fourth lap and then let him go. When we passed the energy station after four laps I dramatically reduced speed - from 5:20s to 5:30s. That is a drastic reduction of speed. I think that we passed the 1/2 marathon at around 1:54 or 1:55.
12:55 - 14:57 (second half)
El Maco all alone. My biggest problem was probably not the HR but the legs. I think that I maintained a HR of appr 165-169 during the entire race - hence not too hard. But the calfs had a tough day. I also think that Lidingöloppet has an important part here. I gave it all three weeks ago and maybe I was not fully recovered.
During the fifth and sixth lap I started to count on the possibility to go sub 4. I haven't been sub 4 in quite some time now during a marathon. I understood that I wouldnt be able to make sub 4 if I started to walk. Last year I walked a lot during the last 10km and I finished at 4:09. I realised that it would be possible to reach sub 4 if I at least do sub 6:00 /km. That was my primary target now. Every km sub 6. It worked out good lap 5 and 6. I had a lot of 5:45kms. The problem was that the legs started to become very tired.
7 lap started. Only two laps to go, 10.4km. That is just another one of those lunch runs. Keep it up El Maco! You have been through worse. Remember Stockholm Marathon 2006 and 2008. A lot of pain but you kept running. This is easier than that! Just do it. I think that I logged some 6:07 km during this lap. I was in pain - no question about that. It was very very challenging. If I hadn't had the sub 4 target then I would have walked a few 100 m during this lap for sure.
8 lap started. Last lap. Finally! I think that I crossed the line at 3:26. I now have 34 minutes to run the last 5.2 km. That is very very doable (unless I need to walk). So what happens? After 500m in the last lap my left inner thigh begins to feel strained. A potential cramp! The same feeling I had during the last 2km in Stockholm Marathon 2008. Its almost impossible to run when you have cramp in the inner thighs. That sucked! Sub 4 is in danger. Slow slow slow. I slowed down. Did some 6:00km. Got some more energy and I actually think that I did some 5:40 as well during this last lap. During the last 2.5km I ran behind a man that was my prime goal for the rest of the race - beat him! 2.5km. Appr 15 minutes of thinking. A lot lot lot of pain in the legs. But good to have something else to think about it. Dont think sub 4 - think beat him. He increased speed during the last km. I had a little bit more energy and beat him during the last 300 m. Childish? Yes! But I needed another focus than the pain in my legs.
Crossed the finish line at 3:56:51. Good time. Almost began to cry (as always after a marathon). It was a very tough race for me.
Mr L and Patrik was standing behind the goal having some coffee. Patrik was fast (3:46). He had a tough last lap (6:30/km). Mr Legend had a perfect race. He maintained the speed we had during the first half and reached 3:48, very close to my Växjö record from 2008 3:47. I am sure that Mr Legend will give his full report at Lifetime runners during this evening. Please Mr L - make it long this time!
All-in-all a very nice and challenging race. One of my favourite marathons!
Summary
A tough year. Björnrike week almost killed me in end of March. Stockholm Marathon was stupid to do this year (4:39). I have some good months of training now since July and hopefully I am on the right track now! I might even take some kind of recovery month now in November! The 2011 plan is still not done but probably it will look like this:
2011
Mid March
Skövde 6 hours
Mid May
Lidingö Ultra
Beginning June
Stockholm Marathon (already signed up)
Mid June
Vätternrundan (already signed up)
End September
Lidingöloppet
Mid Oct
Växjö marathon
It would be cool do to a 12 hour run during 2011 but its probably a little bit too early. The only option for this would be the Skövde Ultra festival end of August
El Maco & MR. L!
SvaraRaderaCongratulations to both of you guys on your inspiring races!
Can't wait to hear Mr. Legend's story!
El Maco, it definitely sounds like you had residual fatigue from Lidingö. Question remains is do you really want to stick to the same back to back schedule next year? And if you add in Skövde Ultra festival on top of Lidingö and Växjö, then you are really pushing it.
Thanks for top class report as usual. I know we will discuss these Fartlek-laps for years now, I still don't understand it fully. What happened and why ? Ok, I started, but you followed and even took the lead.... This was like our f-ing LR with Mr 3.19.57 back in 2009 (in April or May), when we totally freaked out last km,s of a 30km LR, down below 5-tempo I believe...... so crazy.....
SvaraRaderaWith your injurie and tight race schedule this year in mind I think you did a great race, congratulions ! And your report is as always very interesting and entertaining !
SvaraRaderaSeems that you had quite a fight with those legs of yours! Impressive to go sub 4! /MrMizuno
SvaraRadera