Supposedly I am in the photo. I am not able to find myself. My girlfriend, the photo’s author, says she knows where am I. By the bye, the blue balloons are the pacemakers: very experienced runners that set a pace. Usually to follow a pacemaker is the best way to ruin your race: if he fails in his pace, you will fail, too. Fortunately I chose not to follow my pacemaker today…
The organization did not publish the preliminary results yet so it is my own time (as my clock as myself are very experienced, we could miss a couple of seconds). When crossing the finish line my clock shown 3 hours 45 minutes and 31 seconds. I have met my goal! Yeah! I did it! Great!
I have improved my personal best by 4 minutes and 33 seconds. My previous personal best was on 2009 with the same course. I prefer to forget the 2010 and 2011 marathons. This result ensures a faster recovery.
I am happy. I am very happy indeed! But those 31 seconds…
Congratulations!!!
Thank you!
I knew you’d do great! Congrats! Now rest, my friend!
xo
Thank you. It is very funny to go downstairs today… although it is even funnier to start to run again… I’ll do it tomorrow, just 30 minutes.
Sounds amazing to me. Well done!!
It can be done. It is needed to train three or four months for this race and the training is not easy either. The body generates lots of endorphins
Thank you!
Congrats!
Thank you, Elena
Congratulations. How long in advance do you train for these marathons? An improvement by 4 mins and 33 secs is a remarkable!
I run practically all the year, three or fives days a week (it depends on the month). I try to get the peak right now for the marathon. Usually I completely rest a couple of weeks in June.
Then, I start with low training paces without a specific time for each training, I try to run around 12 km in one hour (roughly). October and November are months for strength exercises (I run uphill and make specific strength exercises for legs and arms).
The work for the marathon starts around four months before the race, ie. December or January. I am following a simple plan the latest years: I run from 4×800 to 10×800 (the last interval day should be three weeks before the race) in the middle of the week. The time for each 800m must be the goal time in the marathon but in the correct units, for example, I run the 800m in 3’45″ (really I was running under 3’30″).
On Sundays I run long distances, up to two hours and half or three hours. I start progressively. The pace is not important. The goal is the body gets used to run two or three hours.
Also I run a 2×6000 the Wednesday of the previous week and compare the time with a table. It is the test. I passed it this year. Then it starts the “tapering”, I run just for maintenance no more than one hour or one hour and half in the goal race pace. And I usually run one half hour the day before the marathon, just for controlling the anxiety.
If you are interested, I could send to you some links. The ’800′ was initially described in the Runner’s Magazine and I believe it is available on-line.
Sorry for the long reply and thank you!
No problem on the long reply, on the contrary! Actually I would be glad to do some way more relaxed training, I am not planning on running a marathon any time soon! I could perhaps use a easier routine to add to the one I already do, if you know of any
If you are not planning a specific race, the best is just to go out and run with any pace. It depends on your spare time but something between 45″ and 1h15″ is good. If you add interval series or long distance days you will increase the probability of being injured.
Congratulations Nuno.
Thank you very much!
Congratulations Nuno! I ran one marathon in my running days and that was enough. You did great!
Did you run a marathon, too? That is great. Probably I’ll run a marathon every year for the few next years if I don’t get injured. I met with several runners this year and they had the number 35 in the shirt. They have run every edition!
Thank you!
I’m late (sorry) but CONGRATS, Nuno!!!
Thank you very much. I will not run a marathon until the next year (I hope) so you are not late!