Interview with a first time marathon runner

Event name: SBS Marathon

Location: Christchurch

Date: June 6th 2010

Finish Time: 3:53:32

Goal time (if any): Before my flight departure time

Weather conditions: Foggy, raining, freezing and I saw a bear

 

 

 

Maiden Marathon: Did you follow a program for your training and if so, whose program was it?  

Paul Cowan:  I did, it was The Competitive Runners Handbook by Bob Glover and Shelly-Lynn Florence Glover.  Great book.

 

MM: Did you get sick or injured during training, and if so, how did you handle this?  

PC:  Both my knees took turns falling to pieces during my training, which turned out to be good old Runners Knee.  A new pair of shoes that corrected for my supination and exercises to strengthen my quads solved the problem.  In the last week before the run I became so paranoid about catching a cold I fled to a different office and hid when my boss came down with a nasty one.

 

MM: Did you feel you had done enough training leading up to your marathon?  

PC:  Nope, I’d stuck to my training plan pretty well but by the end of my taper week I was sure all my fitness had departed and I was going to fall apart at the 10km mark.  Luckily my boss Steve was an exercise physiologist in a previous life and he gave me plenty of good advice on training and over training.

 

MM: What was your total mileage in your longest training week?

PC:  About 100km, broken up into five runs of varying lengths.

 

MM: What was the distance of your longest training run, and how many weeks prior to your race did you do this?  

PC:  My longest run was 30km, which I foolishly did the weekend before the marathon.  Next time Paul, stick to the plan!

 

MM: Is there anything you would have done differently in training in hindsight? Please explain.  

PC:  Because my run was reasonably flat I didn’t do much in the way of hill training.  I think that was a mistake, as the added calf conditioning would have come in really handy at about the 35km mark when I was suddenly running the concrete boots on.  I would also have added more core strength training, can’t have too much back support on those long runs.

 

MM: Did you incorporate strength training into your program?  

PC:  I didn’t, but only because it would have just been too much of a time commitment to training.  Sometimes you have to stop training and just eat some cake.

 

MM: Did you incorporate speed work into your program? If so, please tell us about this.  

PC:  I did, twice a week I’d do a 7km in 30-32 minutes (fast for me) with a nice hill at the 6km mark.  It was usually more exhausting than a leisurely 20km jog.

 

MM: Did you taper prior to your race? What did this involve?  

PC:  I tapered for a week, with two 7km maintenance runs and some time at the rowing machine at the gym.  I was concerned about gaining weight in this “holiday” week but it wasn’t too bad.

 

MM: Did you carb load prior to the race? What did this involve?  

PC:  A little, I didn’t want to run with a bunch of heavy carbs weighing me down and I’d read some research that suggested carbo loading has mixed results if you’d already properly tapered.

 

MM: What did you eat/drink the day before the race? Any regrets?

PC:  Bacon and eggs for lunch, and I settled for a light dinner of garlic bread and ice cream.  It was the right call I think, I had plenty of go juice in my legs in the morning of the run and I wasn’t carrying a pile of rice or potatoes along for the ride.

 

MM: What did you eat on marathon morning? Any regrets?  

PC:  A banana and a nasty, salty gel pack, with a full cream cappuccino chaser.  Gel packs during the race got me the rest of the way.  They also offered gummi bears at the half way mark, but trying to eat those when you’re running is a great way to asphyxiate deliciously.

 

MM: Did you have a race plan? (Pacing, nutrition/gels etc)? If so, please explain, and did you stick to it?  

PC:  Not too much of one, I had a timing band to mark my progress (I wanted to do it in under four hours) and I had my gel packs.  Aside from that, I just picked and alternated pace people the whole way.

 

MM: Were there pacing groups at your event? If so, did you use one, and did that work for you?  

PC:  There weren’t, but I probably wouldn’t have used one.  Such groups like to talk, and the last thing I had to waste was precious air!

 

MM: Did you 'hit the wall' during your marathon? If so, please explain what that felt like and what distance this occurred.  

PC:  Somewhat, at about the 35km mark my legs stopped behaving and I started into a running stagger for a couple of kms.  I got over it eventually, but some very strange things happen to your body towards the end of the run.  It was definitely uncharted territory!

 

MM: Overall comments on your race (tell us about it!):  

PC:  In hindsight, it was great.  I wish I’d dressed a little better for the cold conditions as my hands were freezing most of the way but it was well organized and a lot of fun.

 

MM: Do you think you will run another marathon?  

PC:  Oh yes, the Great Wall run is waiting.  See you there Nina!  

 

MM: Have you set a new goal from here? If so, what is it?  

PC:  Only to start running again and find a new goal.  But I’m taking my time, still resting on my soft, comfy laurels.

 

MM: That is a magnificent effort Paul!  Enjoy your well deserved rest and I look forward to hearing what's next on your list!