A (Temporary) Change of Focus :-)

Hey folks! Just a very quick update here about forthcoming racing places. 

Yep, I've done the dirty deed and have gone and registered for another road marathon - what the hell was I thinking?! Don't I remember my aim of breaking the 3 hour barrier for one last time before I get much older? We know how that turned out! 

I tried in Las Vegas in November 2015 - it was raining and the city was under a severe wind warning - needless to say, I got fed up of battling a ridiculously strong headwind whilst trying to run fast and I pretty much gave up - I finished that marathon in around 3.28. 

Las Vegas Marathon - Windy, windy and windy!!!

Then like a fool, I went back for more, this time at the Phoenix Marathon in February 2016. That was the day I realised I was no longer a road runner and I found no joy whatsoever in trying to maintain a consistent pace on pavement for 26 miles. I got bored half way through and pretty much walked the last 10 miles, eventually finishing in around 3.17.

Phoenix MArathon - bored, bored, bored!!!

After the Phoenix Marathon, I vowed never again and I "retired" from marathon running.

So how come I've signed up for San Diego, and what's the difference this time? Put quite simply, trail running on technical, hilly trails has made me slow.

Speed is of course relative to each individual, but when you consider that I could run a 6 minute mile with ease no less than 12 months ago and now I struggle to do that pace for 400 metres, you kind of get the picture. Even when I do my reps on the roads, I struggle to get under 7's these days and for me personally, that isn't good enough. Sure, I'm older now and no longer have the grace nor speed of a gazelle, and I'm realistic enough to know that running a marathon PR at my age is very unlikely (for those that don't know, my marathon PR is 2.47.41 which I ran in London 10 years ago - trust me, it ain't going to happen!) But I honestly believe that entering a road marathon means that I HAVE to work on my speed again, and more importantly my speed endurance. I can run 26 miles no problem, but having to do it at a half decent pace is going to take effort and it's a completely different kind of effort when compared to running the same distance on the trails.

The San Diego Marathon is on June 4th which means I have just under 7 weeks of preparation time to get some pace back in my legs. If I ran a marathon today, I honestly think that I could still do around 3.15 give or take, based on my current fitness. But I want to do better. I want to push myself and feel that burn of running hard during a rep session, I want to experience that feeling of being out of breath again and knowing that I've had a damn good training session. Don't get me wrong, trail running is far from easy, but it really does take a different kind of effort and a different kind of strength.

So what do I hope to gain by doing a marathon? I'll be up front and say that this time, I will NOT be chasing a specific time - I don't want that pressure and expectation of others. What I DO want is to feel comfortable feeling uncomfortable if that even makes sense. I have got so used to starting off at a steady pace when in a trail race that I've become unsure and frightened about pushing myself and exceeding that pace, unsure about stepping outside of my physical comfort zone, of experiencing that horrid feeling when you're out of breath and your legs are like lead weights from the effort. I finished Whiskey Basin 88km last week with tired legs - they were more tired from all the climbing more so than the pace and distance, but could I have gone faster? In hindsight, I think I could, but I held back because I haven't pushed the pace recently, I  don't know my limits, and I was cautious about going off too fast in case I tired towards the end. I was scared of pushing the pace and failing, concentrating more on keeping my heart rate low and under control so that I could run the distance and finish strong.

Doing a little bit of road running for the next couple of months will help me to gauge where I'm at and hopefully it will improve my leg speed and my VO2 max, if only by a fraction. Road running is easier in terms of terrain so I can really stretch out the legs rather than having to keep an eye out for tree roots or unstable rocks, or critters blocking the path, where you have no choice but to slow down. I'll undoubtedly experience traffic and road junctions, but I can choose less busy areas where I can really focus on hitting a target pace.

So what do I want post San Diego? I'm hoping I can improve on a weakness by making my body and mind to remember what it's like to run fast. I'm hoping that the leg speed I rekindle over the coming weeks will transfer to the trails so that I become not just an efficient trial runner, but a faster trail runner, a stronger trail runner, somebody that is more comfortable taking risks and having that extra kick when needed to get the advantage, having the confidence to pick up the pace rather than maintaining the pace. I'm hoping that my trail running will feel easier, will feel faster and even stronger, and I'm hoping that when it comes to my main goal race of the year  - the Mogollon Monster 100 miler - I really will be at my peak and ready to tackle both the course and the competition.

So the countdown is on - June 4th is the date and I have just 7 weeks to get my act together. I'm excited by the temporary change of focus and direction, I feel motivated to give it absolutely everything I have, and I know that with the support of Andy and under the guidance of my awesome coach Adam, this is going to be a great team effort that will hopefully bring the results that I am looking for.