Question:Rotterdam Marathon ?
Answer:
Received wisdom seems to be that you stop eating 3hrs before a race.
I've tried it, and I'm hungry by the time the race starts. So I settled
on 2 hours for Rotterdam, together with my running partner, Ish.
So down to breakfast at about 8am, in an attempt to stuff ourselves to
the gills by 9am. Except that I was really nervous, and had trouble
getting much down. Measured my heart rate as 60 at one point, sitting
down... Got enough food down, though feeling rather sick. Popped outside
for a shot (like 100m) jog to check the weather (sunny, and windy), and
then relaxed till 10am. Off down to meet the other Cambridge & Coleridge
runners. Nearly throw up at one point, but manage to restrain myself,
and eventually things calm down.
About 20 minutes before the start we enter the pen - Ish and I are in
the C-section, which is nominally a section you have to qualify for
(<3:15 marathon), but also full of relay runners and randoms. Last year
it took us a while to get going, so this year we push our way to about
20metres from the front. Get a few looks, and some tutting, from people
who look like they'd have trouble doing 4hrs. Well tough, it's a race,
not a queue, and I don't want to my trampling over you at the start.
The race is started with a cannon shot, which we actually hear this
year, and 20 seconds later we're across the line, and off, down to the
waterfront and the rather impressive Erasmus Bridge. Our "start up the
front" policy pays off - it's much less crowded, and we're more or less
into our stride by 1.5K, covering the first 4K in 17:08 (we missed the
first three markers....).
Agreed policy is to aim for about 4:10/km, and walk at water stations to
make sure we get enough fluid down. I just have water for the first two
stations; Ish has some (blue!) Extran drink as well. First 10K takes
42:23, which is good enough, and has felt pretty easy. We only seem to
lose about 10 seconds at water stations, partly because Ish appears to
be able to drink like a fish, and I have to cane it after him to catch up!
I see Clare (my wife) at 15K, and she hands me a gel; I've got one in my
shorts for emergencies, and this gel is for 20K. The 2nd 10K go a little
quicker - (20K / 1:24:16), and we hit half way in a fraction over 1:29.
Good stuff. The 3rd 10K has both some "hills", or at least inclines, and
a reasonable amount of headwind. Pass through 25K feeling like I've run
roughly a half marathon, which is good. Despite the headwind and
undulations, we're covering ground quickly and reach 30K in 2:06:10,
though my feet are feeling it now, and I'm starting to tire. Clare
catches me just before the 30K water station and I take another gel.
The next 5K is quick, with a tailwind and 35K comes up at 2:27:12. I
decide that I need to have my reserve gel, and decide that I'm not going
to try to stick with Ish out of the water station; it's looking pretty
good for sub-3, and I'm concerned about having a big blow up. I reckon
I've got got to do the next 7km in 4:40/km (I figure I can pull
something out of the hat for the final kilometre to cope with the extra
200m) so I run with the main flow instead of trying to catch Ish. I get
to 36km in 4:33, despite the water station stop, and the next 2 km pass
in 4:24, and 4m22, which is immensely satisfying, because I'm simply
praying that each marker comes by in less than 4:40. 4:29 to 39K, and
I've now got just under 15 minutes. 4:31 to to 40K, and I see Clare who
is very relieved to see me, because Ish has just come past and she has
memories of last uear where I completely died. She offers me water/gel,
but I don't think it's worth stopping at this stage - I'm still running
slightly faster than the main flow, and want to press on. Still not
certain of doing it, but pretty confident of holding on for 2K, given I
haven't been pushing the pace too much.
There are a bunch of other runners around and you can practically hear
the 3 hour mantra going through our heads. I used up all my thoughts of
"you've done the training", "three months work", and all that ages ago.
I'm running along now and just muttering swear words at myself. At least
it takes my mind off the pain.
41K comes at 2:54:18 - 4:44 for the last K because I decided some Extran
would be useful at the final water station. Start to realise that sub-3
is definitely going to happen, and probably on the clock too. Force the
pace up a bit. 1000m comes, check the clock. OK, I can do it. 600m.
Right, time to get moving. Round the bend, and then there are markers
every 50m. I'm not exactly sprinting; probably doing about 4m/km, but
I'm moving alright. In pain. Eyes shut. Eyes open. 300m. Someone ahead
of me. Should I try to overtake them? It seems a bit rude this late in
the race! Who cares - keep running. Eyes shut again. 250m. So close.
Nearly there. Try not to look too in pain for the cameras. Cross line,
2:59:38 on the clock, 2:59:12 chiptime, and a ten minute pb. No idea if
I actually overtook that guy or not! Ish is on the line waiting; he did
2:57:51. Hug, recover, off for beer.
I prediced 2:58:30 the night before, but am more than happy to be only
40 seconds off on a windy and sunny day. We both overtook people all the
way through, and with the exception of water stations and random relay
runners, don't remember anyone overtaking us. We both did 1:29:01 for
the first half; I did 1:30:11 for the second half, which I'm more than
happy with. Ish was 1:20 quicker than me over the last 7K - maybe I
could have stayed with him, or maybe I would have blown up. I'm happy
with my choice to back off a bit at 35K, but the fact that I could still
work out times at 41K implies there was a bit left... Interesting side
effect; I have a big welt where my gel bounced against me in my shorts
pocket about umpteen thousand times!
Fantastic - top work indeed Ben , thoughtful racing indeed - to do the
first 10K in 42mins scares the heebies out of me - then to press on for
another 2 hours . Did you walk at all the water stations and how many
were there? was it hard to then get back into pace after slowing like
that?. With a time like that you could have had a "good for age " place
at FLM coulnd't you? (is that a free place or what?)
Oh to be able not just to run like that but to be able to consistantly
run so that one can predict times .
And the 64K questions - what was in the goody bag and was the
organisation, marshalling like??
Yes, I walked at all the water stations (every 5K). Getting back into
running wasn't difficult at all - walking feels so unnatural after
running anyway, and certainly doesn't hurt less. I can actually run
today (Wed) but I still can't walk properly.
sub-3 is indeed good-for-age (unless they revise the standard down
*again*), so I qualify for London for the next 2 years. Still have to
pay the entry fee though!
Organisation was interesting. Continental style urinals at the start -
imagine a 4 sided urinal, with appropriate modesty barriers, but your
back open to the crowds, and you've got it. Very efficient, and they
put one in the start pen too. But the start pen really needs better
separation of different abilities though. Too many *very* slow runners
near the front.
The goody bag was nothing to write home about - not particularly good
t-shirt (not a patch on last year), a muscle rub gel (which a guy from
my club thought was an energy gel, carried all the way round, and tried
to eat at 20 miles!), and a Rotterdam guidebook which was useful for
spectators.
Water station marshalls were good.
"Never again" lasted for about twenty minutes - already wondering what I
could do on some decent training...
