Lucy MacAlister's blog

To all those running Virgin London Marathon tomorrow or another one soon, I wanted to share with you the experience of one of your fellow Running with Us marathoners. Faced with a calf injury three weeks ago he has reaped the rewards of listening to his body and sticking to a race plan to run not only a big PB but a fabulous negative split at Vienna last week! Since I have never managed the latter in ten years of marathon running I will pass you over to the man who has for his account from which I hope you gain inspiration for the big day tomorrow! Top tips from his account: check the course profile, make a game plan and stick to it but don’t panic if it’s a little out, after all there are enough miles to get back on it! And know that you will be the one passing others rather than being passed if you save yourself for the last six miles! Here is his race review in full:

Just back, yes a big negative split and a new PB!! Ive never been close to a negative spilt before (best Ive managed before  is about over 4 min slower in second half and most a fair bit more than that) so this was a unique experience and it felt  very good to run in this way, I’m now convinced this is the way to run marathons, being able to make a decision to speed up at 20 miles and it actually to happen is another unique experience, normally I’m just focusing on holding it together at that point.
 
So I’m delighted with the overall result, both time and nature of the run, but here was some worry early on (story of Vienna 2012):
 
The race was almost London like in number, though marathon was supposedly max of 9,000 there was a big half and a marathon relay as well, I noticed half of my pen (number 2, 3.00 hr to 3.30) was full of slower runner (you could tell by the coloured dots on their number, why the need to this when there are chips?)
 
So first few miles was very congested I was running over 8 min miles with little (or no) choice really, but didn’t panick as London is like this, you have to run the pace of the field, but unlike London it didn’t sort itself out after 2-3 miles; I felt I was on a wave crest where I could travel on its pace or fall off  the back, no faster. So first five miles was 7:54 pace, that in itself didn’t concern me too much but the thing that did a little was my av HR it was 149 for that segement, which for that pace did seem high when I ran the Colchester half at sub 7.30 pace at av HR 149 till over 11 miles. Still, I didn’t go mad trying to make it all up in next five, so improved to 7.45 for the next five. still busy but I was in no way going to start weaving and sprinting to get pace up, that would be madness, I was still trying to stay calm,, long way to go, and I though I needed to get to half way feeling good even if pace was down (the HR now up to 152 for that segement) I had (on your advice) noted the course profile and it suggested second half little better than first). In next few miles the course thinned out and we lost all the half runners at about 12.5 (they were funnelled off), I started to feel more in control then and got bit back on track pace wise (10 to 15 was 7:33 pace) HR was 154 av for that 5 miles though I felt pretty comfortable so at 15 I picked up again, I knew the HR part of the plan was going awry but I felt good and helped by a good bit of the course  ran the next 5 in av pace 7.25 (av HR now 160!)  Id clawed some back on that segment so 20 miles was the crunch time, I still felt OK, so pushed on a bit more, fearfull of a crash but it didn’t happen; next four miles were 7:20 av pace (av HR for that 4 now 165!). At 24 I was certainly tired but trying to keeping that 7:20 pace, I ran 7:32 for last two and a bit, it was a severe stitch at 25.5 that slowed me a bit as well, but I was close enough to run through that to the line. (fantastic finishing area).
 
So quite eventfull, but the way you trained me meant I could finish strong after an off pace start and pull the race back, and the long runs had given me some confidence that I could pick up (eg That 24 mile run when I picked up to marathon pace at 20 to 24). I must have passed many hundreds even >1000 runners in that last 10 mile and I’m glad I didn’t panic and blow it in the first half. which could easily have happened if I had let frustration get hold of me.
 
 
That was certainly my  best ever marathon experience (that would have been true even without a PB), so thank you for the training and support, it made the difference.
 

Well if anyone is in need of a midsummer motivational boost to their running or combining a family holiday with some training the fabulous Dolomites are worth considering! We’ve just returned from a week running, cycling and finding high altitude adventure playgrounds, running tracks and swimming lagoons set in spectacular glacial scenery. Quite the motivational boost that was needed. Although sadly the running buggy pictured reached its off road limits above 2000m! Please note that while Nick and Phoebe are enjoying a well deserved break in France I am able to answer (or at least help with) any email enquiries you would normally forward to them. I’m on lucy@runningwithus.com. Meanwhile I hope that your summer hols puts a fresh spring in your step too whereever they might take you. A change is as good as a rest they say…..

After a brief spell of the post marathon blues, my return to racing I am pleased to report has started well – getting close to my PB at Bristol 10k in 34:22, still only 9th in an awesome field, and a win and almost course record at Richmond Parkrun last week. Two words that are noteworthy above are close to my PB and almost a course record…..words I hope to not have to use again when I learn how to firstly operate my watch properly and secondly to use it! Whilst my body has got back into race mode quickly, my mind is still wandering and being close to a PB and almost a course record are the result! See the forthcoming coaches corner for my findings on how to address the issue of remaining focussed throughout these shorter races and when you are struggling to concentrate in the heat of the moment remember how frustrating it would be to have to report a close to or nearly in your next blog!

So where do hen parties fit in? Well with a race free Sunday I was positively excited about the prospect of being a) out with the girls and without a buggy b) able to enjoy a few glasses of bubbly and c) it not promising to be the type of ridiculously wild night that leaves you unable to train for days after. (Not that I’ve ever had any of those obviously Nick. Ahem.) Wild it wasn’t but a lot of fun dressed in vintage clothes, hair and makeup to match at the All Stars bowling lanes in Holburn. Ok so it was a late one and a little competitive on the bowling front but I thought it mightily unlucky to have had one night out and the next day to have picked up a flu like bug causing me huge pain inhaling and exhaling. After a day off everything apart from the chest pain had disappeared and it was then that the post hen party group emails reporting similar symptoms started circulating….and then that I realised I had managed to in one round of bowling pulled virtually every muscle in my abs! And five days later and I am still unable to run a step!! It seems I am not alone with anecdotes from other athlete friends I have turned to for (not much) sympathy reporting similar from cricket and tennis and rounders playing exploits! Now they tell me! Well all I can say is please do check out the potential consequences of any non running related hen or stag party activity before you decide to participate and if necessary just keep score! However the other point to make is that if like me you already have cross training as part of your regular schedule its times like these when you will thank your lucky stars that you can hop on the bike/in the pool or on the cross trainer and keep training in whichever way does not aggravate the injury – in this case sitting down on the bike on the turbo trainer is fine. Standing up isn’t. Yet another reason to get familiar with at least one form of cross training so that you can make a seamless transition to it if necessary without faffing around trying to find the equipment/kit/opening hours/puncture repair kit wasting time getting started.

So folks with wedding season upon us beware the hidden dangers at any forthcoming stag and hen parties you may be fortunate enough to be attending and enjoy getting back fitter and faster than before with the superb and jam packed summer season of races thats around the corner! No close to’s or nearlys please!

How are you London Marathoners feeling 2 weeks later? Nick has given a great warning in an earlier post on the dangers of returning to full training too soon after 26.2 in your legs and so I thought I’d second that and add some. Firstly after five days of anything but running after Brighton I expected to feel fresh and fiesty the following weekend and felt instead like I’d done 26.2 the day not the week before and was even less than enthusiastic about subsequent easy runs as a result! So I decided this week in Portugal after no improvement despite taking it easy last week to return to cross training to freshen up mind and body. And boy does it! I have been loving getting back on the bike, cross trainer and in the pool and open water for a combo of turbo/cross country ski/aquarun and swim sessions that leave me feeling like I’ve worked my heart and lungs hard without damaging clearly still tired legs. And for any of you who are still sceptical about switching a run for a pool or bike session Sarah R is the latest convert to my aquarunning antics and winning proof that it works! Feel free to email me if you need inspiration and tips. I’ve been reinspired myself yet again about the powers of cross training.  However going totally off piste with training isn’t always such a great idea, as I managed to prove by deciding that half a mile of hard sand untouched beach the other morning in the sun deserved trying a session in barefeet. Admittedly the course sand foot exfoliation was cheaper than the spa here in the Algarve but the blood blisters I got as a result have forced me to do nothing but cross train since! Doh!  Just as well I was back in love with it by then and that we’ve got several pools and a gym on site! So the moral of the story?! Be open minded and freshen up your post marathon mind and body with some cross training…..you never know you might even enjoy it and want to include it in your weekly training….. but stick to the right kit to avoid ridiculous and unecessary injuries in the process!

So race rehearsal is a key piece of any marathon runners training. And I’d rehearsed in the January snow, the February wind and the March rain but what I hadn’t rehearsed my long run in was the balmy 23 degrees that we woke up to on Race Day in Brighton! I am a firm believer in only worrying about the things you can control pre race but I was secretly dreading it blowing a gale onshore on race day – what a contrast it turned out to be!

I was extremely grateful for the company of my pacemaker, fellow Thames runner and experienced marathon runner Dave ‘metronome’ Alcock in the first half of the race – which with four not insubtantial climbs was a challenge even for him to keep us bang on 77 pace (5.52 per mile) for the first half. The need to take on water was clear due to the heat and lack of shade on the course but not something I was entirely happy with as normally I reserve this for the latter stages. Also a hilly first half burns through your glycogen much more quickly which also forced me to take my carb drinks earlier than planned. The net result was an extremely uncomfortable and increasingly pedestrian second half of the race with no  less than three bouts of tummy trouble. Needless to say the aptly named ‘Road to Hell’ at 19 – 22 miles lived up to its name! With my early hopes of hitting my 2.35 target pace dashed things started to unravel having lost more water than i was able to take on, beginning to overheat and finally the glycogen running out with a mile to go I hit for the wall for the first time in my marathon career! With the support of our host Richard Nerurkar on the bike in the last few miles and a fabulous crowd (including my daughter Ella who burst into tears every time I ran past and didn’t stop for a cuddle!) I was relieved to make it back in 2h40 with some sympathetic (fortunately no gags) commentary from Nick in the finishing straight.

Alyson Dixon had a storming run in 2h34 – a huge and well deserved PB after her superb half at Bath and three months in Kenya and it was great to chat to her coach Liz McColgan who I met for the first time. Top tip from the marathon great is to beware of clogging your pores with suncream and reducing how much you can sweat or you could end up overheating. To avoid damaging your skin by not using cream it is necessary to find a high quality high SPF product that does not clog pores in that way. The search is on and a good point with the summer around the corner. Also for those with a similarly sensitive disposition to my own to take diarolyte instead of just water as you can take less volume for greater hydration benefit and gentler on the stomach than many sports drinks.

It was fantastic to meet the Saucony Team at the Expo with Nick and Phoebe on Saturday night as they have provided me with fabulous racing and training kit and the Fast Twitch shoes were superb – absolutely no blisters in fact in any of the Saucony trainers I have been wearing in so far which is a first. We were also looked after so well at Brighton and every time I have the honour of staying in race hotels with other elite athletes I learn such a huge amount not only about the sport but also how others combine family with being an athlete.

Hi All – am delighted to be part of the Runningwithus community now both as one of Nicks elite athletes and as a Runningwithus coach and at such an exciting time with both Brighton and London marathons just around the corner which so many of us are aiming for. A huge good luck to everyone in the last days before these big milestones. Remind yourself as I am that you cannot make yourself any fitter by doing more now and concentrate on those things you can control not those you can’t like the weather!

A brief update on this year – my daughter Ella has just had her first birthday and just over a year after her birth I am delighted to say that so far I’ve managed to come back faster than before over the half marathon with a new PB at Bath and am hoping that it holds true for the full marathon with the aim of a new PB at Brighton on Sunday! I could so far write a book on combining my athletic goals with motherhood both from a physical and mental perspective but I will save that for another occasion. Suffice it to say that about a third of my 90 miles a week is done with a babyjogger and as well as her first birthday I was celebrating surviving precisely  350  of a possible 352 broken nights sleep!

I am excited to be back on the start line of a high profile race with Elite support from the organisers of Brighton and the fantastic support of Runningwithus partners Saucony who have provided my superb Fasttwitch racing shoe and racing kit. Unlike my trip to Brighton for the training weekend I am this time going to ensure that my bags are packed as efficiently as I packed Ellas last time and I don’t overlook the small (but essential) items such as pins, socks, and hair bands whilst thinking about having enough milk, nappies and babywipes!

I am delighted to hear that the forecast for windsurfing on the South Coast is rubbish and that it looks like the scene is set for some great competition amongst the British elite field and a huge amount of money raised for charity as well.

I am dedicating Sundays run to www.runforjapan.com which supports the Red Cross Tsunami appeal. I would encourage you to do the same in your next race!