Review of my Valencia Marathon 2023:
The Preparation
On January 1st, 2023, I posted my resolutions for the year. "ResolutionS"? No. My only resolution! Take my revenge on the Valencia marathon (where I DNFed in 2018) and finally beat my PR after 8 years of failure in as many attempts: Toronto 2022 (2:27:35), Cocoa Beach 2021 (2:28:54), Metz 2019 (2:38:16), Marseille 2019 (2:30:05), Valencia 2018 (DNF), Lille 2018 (2:31:16), Sénart 2017 (2:28:13), Paris 2016 (2:28:13).
11 months later, I can finally savour it, because the result is beyond my expectations. And yet, the journey has still been filled with doubts.
At the beginning of the year, I trained with an app and ran the Vancouver half marathon in May in 1:09:57. No progress! I couldn't break significantly under 70 minutes anymore. A few weeks later, the knee started hurting again. The IT Band syndrome is back.
I thought about giving up everything, selling my bib for Valencia, and ending the ordeal. But I motivate myself again, resume the strength training exercises that had helped me in the past. And I come back as a Pacer on the 5km Pride & Remembrance Run in Toronto.
The knee is better. Let's go! I go back to training for the Montreal half / Valencia marathon during the summer. I feel stronger. But, same story with the Quebecois: 1h09min57. Same time as in Vancouver, same time as last year in Montreal.
I have 10 weeks left for Valencia and that's when I decide to contact a friend who runs in 2:18 in the marathon for advice on his training. Without further ado, he says to me, "Well, wait, I'll introduce you to my coach."
After quick exchanges on his training methods, the following week, I start the preparation with him. I didn't know it yet, but from that moment on, I wouldn't have any rest days until the start of the marathon.
But that's not all! I also started listening to podcasts (RMC Running and RunWise in especially), and the advices of professional and elite athletes such as Yohan Durand, Maxime Lopes, Guillaume Dupire, and all their guests shed light on mistakes I had always made, especially on nutrition during the race. A slice of banana bread in the morning and 2/3 gels during the race, was obviously not the best idea.
So, I switched to pre-race oatmeal and 70-90g of carbohydrates per hour of racing.
Another change: I integrated several sessions of cryotherapy (in capsule and whole body) into the preparation, and immediately turned to physiotherapy and acupuncture as soon as the little aches and pains arrived in the foot and thigh.
Despite all these changes, there was still one element that "lacked": the mental aspect. The closer the deadline approached, the more I thought I was going to fail... again. The little aches and pains stressed me out. The tapering weeks made me doubt.
But on this point, I could count on the support of Andrea (good idea the D-Stress treatment) and many of my friends who will recognize themselves. You guys are awesome!
The Race
Wake up at 4:30 am, that's 3:45 before the starting gun. Implementation of the routine I followed during the long runs of the preparation.
7:30 am, running towards the start with my father following on a bike. We arrive near the Montolivet bridge. I take off layers of clothing to leave them to my father. First shock: I dropped 2 gels during the warm-up! No problem. I send a text to Andrea to tell him to bring me 2 at km 7. I finish getting ready and want to take my small water bottle. Second shock: we forgot it in the bike basket! No stress, I have a small bottle left (this D-Stress treatment is really effective). A few straight lines, a quick hello to my friend Thomas, and it's time to go to the starting wave.
As soon as I arrive in the wave, I see Ludovic Rousseau. I know he has about the same goal as me. I think it's perfect because I'll be able to start with him. That was the theory. In practice, at the starting gun, it's a real unleash of beasts.
In half a second, I no longer see Ludo. I have rarely experienced such a crush at the start of a marathon. Elbows are playing, it's swerving in all directions. The first kilometer is like a tightrope act. The most important thing is not to fall. The pace will come later!
With the crowd a bit spread out, I try to position myself in a group at 3'25/km and try to detach a bit from the watch (I programmed it to beep every 5km and not every kilometer, thanks for the tip Master Yodu).
1st 5km: 17:05 (3:25/km)
2nd 5km: 17:07 (3:25/km)
3rd 5km: 16:57 (3:24/km)
Everything is going smoothly. I feel like I have more in the tank, but I don't want to take risks. I've failed too many times! And yet... I feel like the group wants to leave me in front too much. "I didn't come here to pace you guys..."
If I want to fit into the group, I have to slow down and go a little off my pace goal. So be it... I go at my own pace.
4th 5km: 17:00 (3:24/km)
Halfway point: 1:11:57`
I'm now chasing the group ahead, in which I see Ludo. In my head, I say to myself "I'm the only donkey running alone, despite the density of the crowd here." But, steadily, without making too sudden an acceleration, I reduce the gap until I catch up with the group.
5th 5km: 16:53 (3:24/km)
Now that I've joined this group, I stay there comfortably. That was the plan. The plan lasted about 500m. I'm hungry! And the encouragement from my father galvanizes me. I move aside and pass. I position myself in the middle of the group. Then at the front of the group. Then I say to myself "come on, go get ahead".
6th 5km: 16:40 (3:23/km)
I meet Mekdes Woldu on French record pace (she will miss the mark of Christelle by a few seconds). Then I meet my friend Alexandre. I passed the km30 without realizing it. I'm starting to realize that I'm doing something beautiful.
7th 5km: 16:33 (3:22/km)
It's the advantage of such density: there's always a group, a runner ahead to chase. My father shouting, "Come on, the next one!" from the side pushes me even further. I accelerate! I glance at the watch; it shows 3:10 in real-time. It's crazy!!
8th 5km: 16:39 (3:22/km)
Here we go, it's tough now! I start to see blurry. The last gel goes down hard. I suffer with every stride. But the crowd is just insane in this final straight. It's like a stage of Le Tour de France! And in the crowd, I see Andrea, standing on a ledge, cheering me on. It boosts me. Nonetheless, I feel my pace has slowed down. Some guys I had just passed are catching up. But I hang on, and I can finally see the finish line, the one I didn't see in 2018. The clock on the arch reads 2:22:something... I can't believe it.
2:22:37!!! (-4min13 on my PR)
Second half: 1:10:40 (Negative Split!)
And now...
It's always a bit hard to realize the time I've achieved. It's even harder to imagine doing better. And yet my coach seems convinced I can break 2:20. It seems like another world to me. A world I certainly won't reach in April at the Boston Marathon, with its profile not conducive to PBs. But why not in the fall? Where? I don't know yet. I missed the train for Chicago. So why not try Toronto again? Or discover Detroit to aim for a place along with the time?
If you have other ideas for fast marathons in October/November, I'm all ears.
In the meantime, it's time for recovery and celebrations with family/friends before returning to the Canadian winter.
Some stats:
10 weeks of preparation (0 rest days)
1400km covered (20km/day)
7 cryotherapies (5 capsule, 2 full body)
5 am: the daily weekday wakeup
104 days without alcohol until today (challenge: to abstain during the holidays)
177th in the overall ranking (43rd French)