How to run a marathon with no training.
On 17 September 2017 at 7am, I toed the line for my first ever marathon. My training plan leading up to the race completely fell through. In the month leading up to the race I ran a total of 6km. Ha. But as I stood there that morning singing Nkosi, I was 110% certain that I'll cross the finish line in less than 4 hours.
I’ve run the distance before, but never as a race. And you know, races are different. That silly lil time chip does something to you mentally. Like a bull seeing red - it makes you want to just "go!". So ya, I really wasn't setting myself up for success.
I’m not a terrible runner, and not amazing either. Somewhere in that range, I’ve found an ability to kamikaze a race. Meaning: not train, and just go, and see how far I can get. It’s generally worked out semi well in the past. Here's a list of races I've completed using this technique:
2 x Argus Cycle Tours
1 x 94.7 Cycle Tour
2 x Two Ocean Half Marathons
1 x Gun Run Half Marathon
and now: 1 x CPT Marathon
Not bad.
You see, the distances aren’t too far, and with enough will power and a pain tolerance, it’s actually a very efficient way of going about things. No time spent on training, and you still get to race, get a medal and tick a box. Bam.
During the 94.7 Cycle Race I did get off the bike at some point, and found myself on a sidewalk, crying. I then promised myself to NEVER kamakazi a race again. But, it somehow became my fall back plan for the marathon. To be very honest, my thinking was that there are so many people running marathons, how tough can it really be? (I know, you can roll your eyes at me). Let's just say that I’ll never, ever say that ever again.
So, here are some things I learned trying to kamikaze the CPT Marathon
1. Marathons are seriously tough
I cannot stress this point enough.
2. The theory about “the race starts at 30km” is true.
Everything was going swimmingly until the 21km mark. The miles flew by and I felt strong, running an easy pace, enjoying the experience and chatting away to Sabrina, my running buddy. I was still int he “marathons are easy” mode.
As I passed 21,5km my legs started feeling tired and heavy. In complete denial of my status quo, I put a brave face on and trotted on. But, somewhere between 27km and 29km the wheel nuts started loosening. I got slower and slower. By now my legs were weighing 1 ton each. What the heck!
By 30km as we hit the N1 enroute to Paarden Eiland, the wheels completely came off. No more brave face. Also, why the heck did they make us run along the N1 to Paarden Eiland? Last time I checked Cape Town had no shortage of beautiful roads.
Paarden Eiland was a chamber of torture. I felt utterly defeated and couldn’t get myself to run. I was now walking slower than most people walk backwards. I gave up on the sub-4 goal and shifted the goal post to sub 4h30. I still have vague memories of Sabrina feeding me oranges with salt on them and getting pineapple slices from supporters. Heavenly bits of fruit those were...
From 36 - 40km all I could think of was “Just make the pain stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. MAKE IT STOOOP!” I was not stoked to be there. Buses came and went; and my meagre attempts to board said busses were hopeless. There might have been tears, too. Luckily for me I decided not to buy the overpriced race pics, and the screenshots are way too blurry to show any tears.
I walked most of the way from Paarden Eiland to Green Point. Only in the final 200m as we approached Green Point stadium did I manage to start shuffling again - just enough to pretend that I’m okay.
3. Plan and pace your race
Fitness was not on my side, so I had to be smart if I wanted to finish sub-4. I worked out that I had to run nothing faster than 5:40min/km and nothing slower than 6:30min/km to secure my sub-4 spot. I then made contingency plans for what is the slowest pace was I could run to finish in less than 4:30, 5h, 5h30, and 6hours.
On the morning of the race, I took a permanent marker and wrote all these times on my inner-left forearm. Half-asleep, I then proceeded to rub sunscreen over it rendering half of it completely illegible. *Insert applause for the blonde move.
The psychology of having a plan is great. It gives a sense of security, even if the plan fails, and/or partially rubbed off.
5. Have a fuel plan
I switched to a gluten-free, dairy-free diet on the 11th of August 2017. I know this date, because the night before I had my very last pizza. RIP Gluten.
For food, you want to eat something that’s high in energy and protein, but low in crappy sugars. You don’t want to have spikes. And you want to start eating before you feel hungry or energy depleted. So, my eating plan was to front load. Thus at 13km, 24km and 32km. The last part of the race you’re so over it, that you can’t imagine eating anything. SO chow your food before you hit this point.
I bought the Woolies gluten free, dairy free date balls. The ones which they sell in packets of 3. I rolled’ed up in plastic and stuck them into my leggings by my belly. They worked amazing, albeit a bit dry. I coordinated the eating with water stations… so that I had water to swallow them down with.
Pro tip: Only eat on the downhills or flats. DONT eat when running up a hill.
I’ve also severely reduced my sugar intake - so no coke on the run. Just water. I worked super well. Because of the heat, how much I sweat, and since I knew I'll be out on the road for a while, I planned to take water at every station. I took about 3 sachets. Drank one, used one for cooling down, and carried another with me just incase I needed it. There was one Powerade station where I had 2 cups of the blue goodness to get some electrolytes. It made a huge difference. Sheesh!
Ah yes, for breakfast I went for high fat, low carb. An avocado, a rice cracker, and a few sips of rooibos tea, and a glass of water.
I ended up crossing the finish line in 4hours in 19minutes. Not bad :) Next time, I'll run a bit more before the race. And HUGE respect to every person on this planet who has completed a marathon. Also, please don't run a marathon without training. It's awful.
Couple of other tips:
I switched to New Balance a short while ago, and had zero issues with blisters. Yay!
I chafed under my right arm. I still have scars. It's so weird. I still don't have an explanation for this.
Don’t drink the Coke.
No earphones or music allowed - so have a running buddy. Sabrina and I ran together the whole way. But she really pulled me through from 30km till the very end. She is hands down one of the best humans around.
Wear sunscreen and wear sunglasses or a hat or both. My eyes are so sensitive. So, sunnies it is.
TRAIN!
