Decided to use the cross trainer until my session on Wednesday. Abs feel fine, but I know they’ll ache/burn again as soon as I run. Tuesday night I developed a chesty cough, waking up on Wednesday with reservations about this week, training and racing. I know I can run today and run well. But I also know that, I’ll probably be pretty ill afterwards and my pubis synthesis (which improves on a daily basis) will revert to the state it was on Sunday.
So what to do? It’s frustrating because I am 100% sure that I am in PB shape right now and that I can showcase this on Sunday. But since I am coming down with man flu, why not take advantage of a full week of rest, let the pubis synthesis (if that’s what it is) calm down and then return, 7 weeks out, fresh and ready to hammer the final weeks. If I race, I will likely do damage to my pelvis and almost certainly not be able to train correctly next week.
This is about sub 3 at Manchester, not a half.
Thursday: Full blown man-flu…
Friday and Saturday spent doing exactly nothing. My biggest issue when ill is that I lose my appetite and, as much as I try, I don’t get a lot down because I feel constantly full. As a Powerlifter, this was disastrous. As a runner? Not so much. Dropping a few pounds won’t hurt my performance in just over 7 weeks, that’s for sure. The last time I stepped on a scale I was 91kg so…
The psychological aspect is hard. I don’t want to look like an elite runner. I want to look like an athlete. For what reason? I’m 6’1 and even at 90kg I look skinny. Between 94-96 is the weight I look best at, but it’s noticeably harder to run with that build. Also, (to repeat myself for 100th time) I really feel I’ve reached an age where posting shirtless pics for IG feels embarrassingly vain. It’s a bit like the involuntary wince I make whenever I hear a ‘Stormzy’ track at the gym.
For now though, I’ll go with the drop in weight (whatever it might be). I’m sure it will climb a little again as I drop this illness and then, post-Manchester, I’ll decrease the weekly volume, add in some more food and creatine, lift harder and work on top end speed. The idea is to race at 5-10k distance before the next build to Amsterdam. I want to get a lot faster at the shorter distances - this is somewhere I’ve never trained specifically and will undoubtedly put me in a good place come 12-16 weeks prior to racing in October.
In my head, all I want to do is get better/faster. I struggle without having something to work toward that excites me. I don’t give much thought to the fact that I’m 43 now. My training age for running is actually quite low and I will continue train as everyone younger than me does for as long as I can. This is exactly what Ken Rideout did at 42 years old and now he’s one of the fastest masters marathoners in the world with a pb of 2:28 (or 2:29) at 53 years old.
The drawback with training for two marathons per year is the constant low level fatigue you’re dealing with. Resistance is ever present. I have to remind myself to say ‘Yes’ if Holly suggests we go somewhere/do something. It’s not all about me. I justify it by saying ‘I just have to go sub 3 and I’m done’. But what happens if I go under, comfortably, knowing I could do better? And then the bigger question is - who cares if you do and why even bother?
The answer to that is easy. I want to fulfil my potential in the things that I have been gifted the ability to do. I have chosen the things I have chosen because they excite me. In my mind, to have pulled 600lbs (272.5kg) off the floor and run under 3 hours for a marathon is a solid athletic achievement. There are people stronger and there are people faster; but there aren’t many who have reached this level in BOTH disciplines.
Sunday: I suspect that I might be able to manage my first run in 7 days tomorrow. Much less ill and no abdominal pain to speak of. Hopefully this past week was a blip in an otherwise solid block.
Time to lace up!