We're joined again by Mike, who's just returned from
Manchester Marathon. Mike, how did you get on?
Smiling. Yeah, I've finished it.
I've got the T-shirt. This is.
I'm sure we'll be laughing 3 hours 22 minutes, 25 seconds.
How did that compare to what you thought you're capable of?
Yeah, I think like I said to you, I think it was quite fair.
I think I've done a bit more specific long runs training.
I might have been able to get a bit faster, but I think you
know, I did a good shift. So you're happy with it, but
room for improvement? Definitely, yeah.
And but you know what you need to do to improve train.
Yeah, I mean, suppose it's just where I was at with my training,
like I had certainly done the mileage, but I don't know if
it's really specific towards the marathon, like started to run,
maybe do some real running, maybe now in the training.
So how was the the prep on the day?
I think the prep on the day was OK.
I got up and and breakfast and stuff was a bit Muesli like I
would normally do. That seems to work quite well
for me, So that was OK. I had managed to take some of
the gels. I kind of went OK.
I was probably most worried about that because I'm not
really, really experienced in that at all.
So that seemed to go all right. I I don't know, I maybe wasn't
feeling so comfortable. I skipped a free stop, saved
some time at the start, and I think that was a mistake.
So that probably cost me a little bit of time because I had
it every stop halfway. So that won't be happening next
time is. There any points during the
race? It's usually about mile 1718
where people hit the wall. Did you ever feel like I've done
too much? I can't move, can't go on, Or
was it OK the whole race? OK, I suppose it was some
specific. I started quite far back, so I
don't think that really helped me.
I don't know how much it really slowed me down.
So the start was a little bit annoying and the fact that maybe
I just wanted to get a bit of space and just settle in to a
bit of groove. But then so busy and it was
quite, there was some slower people that was a bit annoying.
And then after about like maybe 6 or 7 miles it's kind of open.
And I spotted a couple of people that were quite experienced and
I was like, if I can cling on to them and keep with them, I
would. I would tick that box and get a
really good time that I was going for.
But then it's probably just a lot, that much for me.
So after about 6 or 7 miles I was feeling like, and I lost a
bit of focus, just maybe just a longer race.
I was, I was running and doing my stuff and doing it at a good
pace, but I just felt like a bit different than my nice where
you're focused on just what you're doing the whole time,
like. And then I got to my way halfway
and I was like, I've kind of set myself up where set myself up
where I could go for that kind of silver time if I was feeling
good. What's the Silver time that was?
For my age group, the club standard is like 3/16/55.
So I was at 1:38 or halfway, everyone was like, so I was
like, I'm never going to negative split it like and my
wee brother was like, hang on. And I was like, so then I
thought to myself, I'll maybe just go out easy and set myself
up for that and then if I'm feeling good I could try for it.
So then I got to that point. So I executed that quite well I
suppose. And then I got to the point
where I was like. Maybe it.
Was starting to feel a bit a bit harder.
Felt like I was a bit slowing down, maybe a small hill, but
maybe that was it. And then once I got to mile 20,
I was like I was actually. I don't think.
I don't think I was feeling too much like I was really hitting
the wall or anything like that. I think the I was using these
caffeine gels and maybe took a bit too much caffeine, but maybe
that was keeping me going and like I got to like mile 20 in my
head. I just thought, well that's 6
miles to go. That's just 10K, it's 45 minutes
so it's nothing. And then I wouldn't say I
started pushing from there. I probably, I probably did start
pushing because I was like I need to try and keep my pace up.
But I was falling back for about 8-8 minute miles where I'd been
running about 7 1/2 and I couldn't really pull it back for
seven and a half. I was, I was like, Nah, I don't
really have, I don't really have that much in me like.
But then there was some people like crashing out, struggling,
pulling, pulling some stretches and stuff at the sides.
And I was, I was, I was feeling OK, like I could keep running,
but I was just, I didn't think I had a Sprint finish for the last
two or three miles. I don't think I could could have
pulled that off. So you got to the end and you're
happy with your time. When's the next?
One Well, I've got this Devil D side the weekend, so I'm doing a
5KA10K15 mile trail run and duathlon over the Saturday and
Sunday, so I don't really thought too much about that yet.
That's that's probably more about survival and maybe just
some training and stuff. I might try and push myself a
better for the 5K. So you're still saying you're
doing it a a week after a marathon, but is that because
DOMS hasn't kicked in yet? I don't know what DOMS is at the
minute. I'm just going to say I don't
believe in it, but I'm sure is they're all telling me like
it's. Coming.
Well, maybe. Maybe that's a sign that you
could try harder. I probably, I was keen to bring
my bike today because I thought like just that'll get kind of
blood flowing. I could probably go and just
keep my legs turning and I could keep moving and you know, I
wouldn't really have to put a big effort in.
So I'm just going to go cycle home, probably take it quite
slow, try and do that. So yeah, and I've got the Larry
Grey. So I think my focus is probably
going to move on the road to and he maybe do some more trails.
Yeah. So maybe give you a shout, Mike.
Yeah, come down. To your little less tarmac, more
trails. That sounds good to me.
You can show me some routes. Well, congratulations, you've
done your first marathon and I'm going to let you go and cycle
home because I need to go home and get my tea.
And thanks everybody for watching.