Final Fluid

Stats of the week: run 32km, gym 2hrs

This is my personal preparation for tomorrow's Halloween Marathon at Dublin.
After a week of missed training it's time to keep to the most promising items.

Keep your fingers crossed. Your support is highly appreciated - in fact it's necessary.


True Saying

stats of the week: run 16km, gym 4 hrs

It's one week to go till Dublin Halloween Marathon and I've lost a whole week of training due to a strained hamstring. I am not really concerned about the missed workouts but getting free of pain in time. Usually a slightly strained muscle should be fit again within 3 or 4 days but this time 6 days are already gone without a full recovery.

One of my repetitive sayings proves true again: It's more difficult to get to the start line than to the finish line.
 

Competing with last year

stats of the week: 52 km, gym 5 hrs

Luckily the knee recovered along the week and I decided to do my long run within a hilly race called Teutolauf which I took part in for the 5th time. Like previous year I got caught by the competition and ran faster than planned. In the end I finished the 29km distance after 2:29:40 hrs - surprisingly 7 minutes faster than last year what is quite a difference.

To improve a last year's time has been an unknown experience for years. Therefore my face matched the day's sunshine. Last weekend someone blamed me for never being happy after a race. This time I was.



Setback by Mail and Knee

stats of the week: run 61km, cycled 70km, gym 1.5h

London Marathon 2012 ballot results have been sent out recent week. Same procedure as every year since 2000. For the 13th time I have been rejected by the international lottery. For Germany there are very few entries available via the ballot. No official figures are published, I guess there are about 20 bibs for us per year. Needless to say that the additional 300 entries via travel agency are already sold out (one is for me).

I was able to do my first long run in preparation for Dublin. 30K on Tuesday went well but I faced a setback yesterday. While properly running our local half marathon I felt a strong meniscus pain during the final 3k and I had to limp to the finish. Now I'm slightly concerned how this problem will develop while more training for Dublin is to be done.

Breathless work

stats of the week: run 54km, gym 2hrs

Despite the work for our Sunday charity run Sterntaler-Lauf I managed to do the scheduled mileage. On most of my runs I felt breathless with some pain around the lungs but it always got better while slowly running longer.

Our charity run was still a success although numbers were down from 900 to 700 applicants compared to last year. Notably the walking boom - a German speciality - seems to settle now. However, we were very happy with a busy day and the visitors' good mood.

 

Coming to terms with past records

stats of the week: run 54km, gym 3hrs

By the way did you notice that according to new IAAF rules men are still allowed to set world records by the help of male pacemakers while women are not?

8 years ago Paula Radcliffe behaved according to valid IAAF rules and ran a fabulous 2:15:25 world record. Now some elderly so-called officials write backdated laws and cancel her performance. Athletes should in return retract these officials' salaries for the past 8 years.

My personal previous week's performance was somewhat disillusioning. Taking part in the traditional Bertlich road races I tried to do my very best on the 15K distance. I had to face that my speed was lower than at the recent double 10K race. It was one of the days you realise that running could be more enjoyable without competitions.

However, after 11K I had to take a very deep cough of the ugliest kind - and a minute later I could breath again and increase the speed for the final 3K to finish after still disappointing 1:10:20. I found myself aware that I had not yet recovered from the recent infection.

Time Out

stats of the week: run 20km, cycled 114km

Last Sunday's malaise developed to a mild illness probably caused by a foodborne infection I caught in a Dortmund snack bar. At least I was finally able to do a season closing bike tour today.
Six weeks to go until my autumn marathon in Dublin/Ireland. I feel I should now think about setting up a training schedule and build up the mileage. Program is to do two long runs of 30km. I hope this will make me finish well clearly sub 4 hrs. To be honest I hope to run 3:45 hrs. I know it will be tough as my season was long and hard and it will be difficult to build up another peak of performance.