5 Weeks to go!

I've always said it only takes 4 weeks of training to run / race a marathon or any race for that matter... so with 5 weeks to my marathon it's time to put that to the test.

4 weeks training and 1 week taper / rest and I will be standing on the start-line of a marathon for the first time in a couple of years (Nov 2015). And yes I'm a little afraid...

I've been running again since 1 Feb, started with 2km! By May I was running 10km and I was ready to start building a base. 

The last 4 weeks I've built up to 90km.

Now I hope that base is big / fast enough for my goals...

This last Sunday I lined up for John Korasie 30km, not an easy race, but a nice route. I wasn't there to race, but to run easy to 9km (up Red Hill) and then MP to the end. 21km in sub 90, or more importantly still be running well in the last couple of km.

The first 5km from 9-14 took us down Red Hill and down the road in the direction of Cape Point. 19:53 it was easy, and we had a nice little group going... about 1.5km into the next 5 and the road starts the climb to the top of Smitswinkel. I felt the pace drop, so I moved to the front of the group to take the pace... and I found myself out front on my own with only Mark trying to stay in touch. It wasn't easy and I lost a couple of sec in the 5th km (to km mark 19). But 20:55 for the 5 was fast enough and now I had a couple of easy km as we headed next to the ocean to Millers Point. 24km done and those 5 down hill kms had ticked by no worries in 20:05. I had been caught by a young guy in a temp number about 500m earlier and had upped my pace to stay with him. I would need help for those last kms as the North West wind had picked up and they start with a nasty little hill...

He stopped, right in front of me I almost had to stop in mid stride and then start up again, on a hill into the wind... I was on my own!

The 4:15's I was looking for weren't going to happen, and with a 2nd hill outside Cape Times Fresh air Camp, I had to settle for 22:54. I could have pushed the last km, but my sub 90 for the last 21 was in the back... 88:07, so I happy with my run...

Now, no cheating in these weeks as the log book never lies! I have a little base, something to work with, let's see what my marathon holds.