Rome Marathon, 21th of March 2010

Well then.

It's been a few days since a finished the marathon at a personal best 4 h 18 min 50 s. It all went well. I had a terrible nights sleep before the race and I feared that the lack of sleep would ruin my race, but actually it didn't. I managed to consentrate on the tasks as planned and managed to keep a steady pace through the race. My average speed was 6,09 min/km. The start was a bit challenging given the amount of participants. After about 5 km it got sorted out. My average speed the first 5 k was 6,16 min/km. The next 5km up to    10 k i increased my average speed to 5,52 min/km. I had been standing in line in the start area for about one and a half hour. I guees I should have been more eager to keep warm and to warm up. All in all I should think that my first 5 k was a warm up. Well, after having moving out of the city center we were heading towards it again and we were in centro storico after 15 k heading towards the Vatican. My average speed on this interval was 6,0 min/km. I felt good and eager to carry on. Moving on we were headin towards the Vatican and gaining some height. All the same I managed to keep up pace in spite of a brief visit to the toilette-I guess I spend some 3 minutes there. Nothing to mention at all. Anyhow I had an increase in average speed and noted 6,32 min km. Eager to get back in the race after that I increased my speed a bit as we were heading north and out of the city again. By 25 km I had an average speed the last 4 k of 5,54 min/km. Working our way back to the city center again eventually I did manage to keep an average speed of  6,18 min/km. By now I were beginning to notice that I've been running some 30 km. I was wondering about if the the speed was a bit high, but I decided to keep it up and managed to arrive 35 km at an average speed the last 5 k at 6,06 min/km. Only 7 km to go then. The next 5 km up till 40 km was in centro storico and the pavement was not asphalt but stone bricks. Average speed was down that 5 k till 6,12 min/km. With the final line just around the corner I deciced to get mean towards myself and increased the speed and had an average speed the last distance of 5,48 min/km. I had a good feeling as I was crossing the finish line after 4h 18 min 50 s-new personal best!
As the record down below shows I managed to execute a negative split.

Split	Time	min/Km	Delta	min/Km	RealTime
Km 5 - Via Ostiense	0:31:21	6,16	0:31:21	6,16	0:30:31
Km 10 - L. Testaccio	1:00:45	6,04	0:29:24	5,52	0:59:54
Km 15 - L. Marzio	1:30:47	6,03	0:30:02	6,00	1:29:57
Km 21,097 - L. Vittoria	2:10:42	6,11	0:39:55	6,32	2:09:51
Km 25 - Foro Italico	2:33:46	6,09	0:23:04	5,54	2:32:55
Km 30 - L. Thaon di Revel	3:05:21	6,10	0:31:35	6,18	3:04:31
Km 35 - Largo Argentina	3:35:53	6,10	0:30:32	6,06	3:35:03
Km 40 - Via Petroselli	4:06:56	6,10	0:31:03	6,12	4:06:05
Arrivo	4:19:42	6,09	0:12:46	5,48	4:18:51

Getting ready for running in Rome

Almost there. Preperations have went on well. Yesterday I had a hard workout running my test course. I've improved almost a minute since last autumn. It feels comforting. Now I know I'm able to finish and I got the speed to do so. My plans for the race is also ready. I have a schedule for tomorrow and the race day-in two days. I know what to eat before, during and after the race. I'm bringing my own gel, energibars as well as water botles. Weather in Rome on race day is not to bad. Clouded, no rain, light wind with temperatures around 15 degrees celcius. I'm looking forward to the race and I have a good feeling about it.
The race starts at 9 AM and I intend to finish 4 h 15 min later. Aterwards it will be plenty of time to recover and enjoy the beautiful surrondings in the Centro Storico.

Planning for Rome Marathon

It's just a few days left before my next marathon is due. It'll be the third. Last year I ran the other two. The first was in Stavanger and the second was in Oslo-both in Norway. Weather in Stavanger was dreadful, but Oslo was ok. Most important to me was to learn from my experiences from both of these to races. As a consequense of that I was able to establish a better overall trainingprogram for the present year. My first two marathons told me that-maybe most important of all-that I was able to finish. In other words I had the endurance necessary to do so. Secondly, in both races, I experienced a drop in pace after 30 km. That was mainly because of an urgent visit to the toilette. The result was that I lost 10-20 minutes on both occasions. Clearly I have to make sure that this is not the case in the event to come. Secondly I managed to keep the pace I planed for all the way up too my visit to the toilette. Apparently rythm and speed was lost. My pace was 6 minutes/km.
That pace will bring me to the finish line within 4 h 15 min. In both of last years races I finished just above 4 h 30 min.
My target this year is to keep a pace of 5 min 45 sec / km. That will give me a finish time at 4 h and 3 min-the magic 4 h line is within reach. I'll target that on my A-priority race-which is Oslo Marathon in September this year. Rome Marathon is a C-priority race. My goal here is to train on routines in advance of the race, during the race and afterwards. Further on to gain experience in consentraiting on working tasks during the race, and lastly to check on progress after carrying out a great deal of basic training during the winter. My goal for the race is to keep an average pace of 6 minutes/km.
Well then, that's the bottom line.
How do I get about it?
Firstly I have make better preperations than last time.
Secondly I have to establish a plan for the execution of the race.
Thirdly I have to evalute thouroghly in order to improve before my next marathon-which is due in the beginning of August in Kongsvinger-Norway.
Preparation:
I'm excluding all other types of training except running the rest of the week. When it comes to running I'm having a high intensity workout three days before the race(Thursday 18th of March), a similar workout the day before the race(Saturday 20th of March) and a day off two days before the race.
On racing day I'm having a warm up before the race. The race starts at 9 AM. I have to be there at 0745 AM. My warm up consists of running to the race from my hotel-a distance of 2 km. Light running, increasing speed gradually and down again. Afterwards some light stretching.
On race day, before the race, my nutrition will consist of liquids only. I'll make use of gels.
That will be my nutrition during the race as well.
The day before the race I'll eat fruit, vegetables and meat-no bread, pasta or anything like that-no starch.
Plan for execution:
I have to get to know the course throughout the entire race and establish a time schedule in order to check on my progress during the race. After that I'll make use of that knowledge to prepare myself mentally for the event. I am going to visualise myself progressing through the race at the planned speed and achieving my goal. That "movie" is going to be reviewed on many occasions before the race.
Evaluating:
After some recovery after the race-on race day- I'm doing an initial evaluation in order to make sure that my first impressions doesn't fade. Later on I'm supplementing on that.
I'm using this blog for that purpose.

Swimming-speed skills

I've participating in a svimming course since the beginning of January this year. The main purpouse was to improve my speed skills. A total of 9 times I've been working on my crawl- technique. Has there been any improvement? The answer is yes. I've come across an excellent swimming instructor and he's been able to comment on my week points, allow me to practise and correct when necessary. I'm very satisfied and have decided to attend a new course with the same instructor starting right after Easter.
Most important to me is to carry out a set of drills, work on my technique and challenge my self when progress is identified. Today I was a bit tired and didn't gain as much effect of the lesson as usual. That's because I carried out a workout on my bike earlier today. I'm not going to repeat that on later occasions.
To be spesific I have sufficient leg work, need to work more with the way I use my arms and must improve more on my breathing. I have to establish a pattern of drills and consentrate on my performance on every session through my next course. When tired it's essential to take a break. It's paramount to focus on establishing the right technique. Speed and distance is no subject at this stage. When it comes to drills for arms I think that consentrating on one arm at the time could be useful. I'll practise that on my next session. First right, then left and so on.
After establishing that I'll attend to my breathing. All the way I have to consentrate on relaxing more and more in the water.

Recovery

I finished a running workout earlier today. Luckily it's possible to run outside, and I completed a long run-2,5 h. According to plan, but very necessary as my first marathon is approaching rapidly-next Sunday in Rome.
My thighs are pretty stiff and todays workout was though. I need to prioritize stretching in the week to come. Actually I think I need to improve on my streching routines on a regular basis-both in connection with my workouts and consider to include a workout dedicated to stretching entirely once a week. The former I decide to do right away. The latter I have to consider after learning how the outcome is by the former.
I'm including an additional running workout the following week. It's dedicated to muscular endurance. It's due on Friday. The rest of the schedule is one light strength-workout, an endurance workout on the bike, one swimming workout focused on speed skill and one running workout focused on speed skills. Tomorrow and Saturday is dedicated to recovery-that means no workouts. Hopefully this weeks schedule will represent the best preparation possible for the marathon to come.
Anyhow, we experienced a light snowfall yesterday as the picture above shows.
Hopefully that was the last one this year.

Winter is fading-Rome is next

Well, it's early March and winter is fading here in Oslo.
I've finally managed to move some of my training outside.
Running is first on the line. My bicycle will have to wait a couple of weeks more.
Lovely to feel firm ground under my feet and a bit of fresh air.
About time then as my first race is approaching rapidly.
Rome Marathon is due on 21th of March and I feel fit for it.
I'm really looking forward to visit Rome again. It's been some 3 years since I captured this view from Palatine Hill.
I'll be arriving on Saturday-the 20th of March. I'm staying untill Thuesday the following week.