... recap of the last 6 weeks...

Where to start? Well, lots of things have happened since the last post in late March. Most importantly, I have been very busy with work and trying to get my training in that writing a blog article was just not happening. But today, I have taken the time.

My training, thanks to Jen Segger from CBC, has been fantastic and brought me to the next level. I ran two really solid and strong road races in the last 4 weeks with virtually no taper or rest, pretty much out of full training mode. Given that I had not road raced - running that is - for quite some time, the outcome was more than what I could have anticipated.

On April 17, I ran the Vancouver Sun Run, with close to 50,000 other people. Because I stick to the rules and my recent 10K time did not get me an "Elite Bib", I stuck with my yellow bib (38:00 to 45:00 min expected finish time) which was just wrong! I am not going into more detail, but people are just not on the same page... lining up with your stroller and kids in the sub 45:00 min block? Really?
Anyway, after 3-4K I was able to kinda run my pace and finished really strong in 38:13, one of my better 10K times ever. That made me really hopeful for the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 1st.
Without any taper and quite a bit of physical activity, not enough sleep and a couple of pints the night before, I ran without major expectations on a target time of 2:58. I had run the Vancouver marathon 7 years ago and knew the course is neither easy nor fast, and I do not particularly like it. I felt great and after 3-4K I had settled into my comfort pace that would - without slowing down - get me just under 3 hours. The second half of the course is where the race begins and where you have several slight uphills and false flats. So, I knew at half way point that I reached at 1:29:15 that it would be tight, i.e. close to impossible to break 3 hours. No problem. Long story short: I think, I did not get passed at all on the last 15K. I hardly slowed down and was able to finish in 3:02:56, my fourth fastest marathon time ever! I am convinced that on a fast course, I would have had a shot at sub-3. But I am really happy with that time, especially given that I had done only one long run (>3 hours, ~30K).

I was even able to giver at the finish!

Since then, I have kept up the intensity of my training, especially with running intervals and biking speed sessions. I am surprised how little sore or tired I was in the days following the marathon. My training concept developed by Jen seems to work.

I have made a few decisions based on my work schedule and the next few months. Unfortunately, I will have to give up on the idea to race Ironman this season. I will not be able to put in the time required for delivering a strong race. In stead, I will focus on local triathlons (Olympic & Half), road running and possible road bike races. My A-race of the season is going to be Oliver Half Ironman in less than 4 weeks. During the summer months I will try to maintain and improve my fitness so that I can tackle another marathon in fall for an all time PB with target time of sub-2:55!
Now back to work...!