Running

Decided to run urban, because I can 🏃

Currently reading: Racing Weight Cookbook: Lean, Light Recipes for Athletes (Racing Weight Series) by Matt Fitzgerald CISSN 📚🏃

While talent accounts for > 65 % of a 🏃 marathon time, age > 25 %, I can’t influence any of that. Of the changeable factors most beneficial is a 🏃 weight. Going from obese to healthy weight accounts for 7 %, much more than other factors, for me, 4 instead of 5 hours. 15 weeks.

Preparing for a marathon on one’s own is quite demanding, especially planning the test races, and modifying the training schedule. I can now really appreciate having support from others more experienced than me, and why some runners pay for that if they can afford it🏃

I joined a sponsor run, promising to run 250 km between today and a month from now. There’s collecting money as well, plus wearing a t-shirt I don’t yet have. We’ll see how that goes. Anyway, after a long warmup, I did a tough LT training for my VO2max. Yeah, tough! 🏃

Early bird has the worm, I suppose. At a leisurely pace of 7:15 min/km (11:40 min/mi) I did a recovery run through the nearby township of Zuidgeest. It was lovely to run in 15℃ (59℉) on half asphalt, half dirt road. After 68 minutes I was back home, refreshed and alert. 🏃

Last run for this week, 21 km (almost a half marathon distance), slow and easy in 2 h 20 min. I wanted a steady pace, no muscle soreness, nor tiredness afterwards. I got two of those three; still tired afterwards. It’s 16 weeks to go before M-day 🏃

I went from 33 to 31 percent body fat in one week by limiting my diet to one healthy warm meal per day, lots of low-caloric fluids and 31 km of running. I need to go to 18 % to prevent hitting the wall in a marathon race, having to walk the last 10 km of the 42 km distance. 🏃

I didn’t have to go for a run to see something of beauty 🦋 Still, the run was nice too, in the Golden Hour, no less 🏃

Turns out that my lean body mass (everything except fat) is 57 kg, while fit male individuals have 18 - 24 % body fat, runners 10 % less than that. I’m shedding weight by the week now, just by running regularly and thinking about the marathon later this year. 🏃

My morning route has been extended by 30 minutes by 🏃 strength and mobility exercises. Like coach Kyle Kranz says:

Every day should be hip-day.

That’s the body part, in case you wondered.

I’m temporarily back on Strava, just because I’m preparing for a marathon later this year. After that, it’s probably lights out again for me (read: disconnect Garmin Connect from Strava). I did prune who I follow, though, to keep me sane. 🏃

Second week running in a group of about 20 athletes of varied levels. This time I was the fastest, and much faster as well. Felt great. My regular group has some who are much faster than me. I’ll be joining them in September. 🏃

I totally underestimated my running speed in this LT training session. I thought 10 km was enough, yet needed almost 12 km. I ran almost 14 km at 6:13 min/km (10 min/mi). I need to reconsider my 15 km race pace. 🏃

I did an interval training, 5 series of tempos over 100, 200, 300 and 400 m (interval 100 m, series interval 400 m). The graph shows my watch’s recorded running data. The target pace for the tempos was 5:15 - 5:30 min/km (8:27 - 8:51 min/mi); actual paces were faster, though. 🏃

Major 🏃 effort (for me), 23+ km long slow distance run around Air Base Woensdrecht. It was my longest continuous run since 2018. The last 5 kms were brutal. Next weekend 2 km more.

I did 1 series of body core strength exercises (sets) for 🏃 It was so hard! I should work my way up to 3 series over the next months, which is the required minimum 😅 twice a week. Next one on Sunday. I’m so out of shape 😕

My first time running with a group since 9 months ago. It was as tough as I wanted to make it. Maybe I overdid it a bit. 🏃

Now my Garmin Forerunner 235 watch is reaching its end-of-life, I’m starting to explore its functionality more thoroughly. Unlike in 2016, running plans are now free (pretty good BTW), and you can now add your own runs to your calendar. I’m not sure when the change happened. 🏃

Seeing how much easier it feels to train consistently at 60 km/week (37 mpw) 🏃 compared to a few months ago, I feel confident enough to start training for a marathon on November 28. My main goals are ① not getting injured during prep, and ② finish within 5 hours, the cutoff.