And thats it. Training all done. 660 miles since January, including 6 long runs of over 20 miles each. Now lets put it to the test with a little race in London on Sunday.
I'm happy with the way things have progressed and am confident of a sub 3:15. I feel like I've done all I can in preparation. Logging all those miles, particularly the 6 of 20+, and still feeling fresh is a new experience for me. In 2007 I had the mileage in the bag but was still tired on race day. Last year I just didn't have the long runs and it showed as a 3:15 turned into a 3:20 in the last few miles.
This time there's no reason to fail. My longest run of 23 miles at the end of March was a real confidence boost. I clocked 2:57 in what was surprisingly warm weather. That average of 7:42 min per miles in a long, lonely training run bodes well. Come race day I'm confident it will be 7:25s for the full 26.2 miles.
Targets
In reverse order, the standard 3 layers (satisfactory, pleased, delighted) -
- 3:19:59
- 3:14:59
- 3:12:59
Reasons to succeed
- 660 miles in training - good endurance
- Comfortable at planned marathon pace (7:25s)
- Well prepared - carbo loading, gels/lucozade on route
- Mentally strong and ready for anything
Reasons to fail
- None
Flora London Marathon 2009 here I come!
