Going For It

The following interview never happened.

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Runnersworld.com sat down with 2:18 half-marathoner daytripper1021 last weekend to talk about his latest challenge, the full marathon which he'll be running at the Milo Marathon Elims on July 4th. Below is a transcript of that interview.

RW: We dropped by your blog and saw a new gadget: a countdown timer to the Milo Marathon Elims on July 4. So, the full-mary huh?

DT: Yup, I've finally decided to try it out. After a year of discovering running and racing, I want to see if I'll be able to finish the full 42.195 kilometers. After finishing several half-marys, I think it's the next logical step for my running career.

RW: Running career?

DT: Sige na pagbigyan nyo na ako. Pantasya ko naman itong interview na ito.

RW: (gives an "ok ka lang?" look) Anyway, so how's your training coming along?

DT: It's been challenging to say the least. Among 3 prospects, I decided on taking on this 12-week marathon training program posted in your website. It's unorthodox versus other programs since it concentrates on improving speed first before endurance. Further, since most marathon training programs online stretch out for 16-20 weeks, the 12-week program I got fits nicely, especially since I don't have the luxury of time to train for 16-20 weeks. The left knee injury that I had months ago had delayed the start to my training.

RW: How's that left knee btw?

DT: Well it's recuperating thanks to doing VMO strengthening exercises as prescribed by a sports pysiotherapist that I went to. The one thing I learned is to follow the paces prescribed in the training program, especially when doing easy short/long runs. I resist the urge to speed up so that I'm still within range of the prescribed pace. That, and remembering concepts mentioned by Danny Dreyer's Chi Running, I think has led to my being able to handle my left knee from getting reinjured.

RW: A full-marathon training is typically very demanding in terms of weekly mileage. How have you been coping with it so far?

DT: The 1st two weeks have been dreadful in terms of meeting weekly mileage. I totalled 30kms the first week versus the required 42kms then on the second week I only managed 41 of the required 48kms.

RW: (whispers to himself "Yari tong batang 'to")

DT: You were saying something?

RW: Ahhh no, no. Nothing. Continue continue!

DT: (gives RW a weird look) Anyway.....so far last week, I ran the required days and corresponding mileage which was 53km ---probably my highest weekly mileage so far.

RW: So how are your long runs these past 3 weeks?

DT: Well the long runs have been 21k, 26k, and 24k. I found myself run-walking on the finishing kilometers. It's very tiring and sucks all the energy out. It's probably due to the searing heat since I start my long runs past 6am or could probably be due to loss of glycogen storage. I need to start my long runs earlier, possibly 5am, and read more on how to carbo-load and all that nutrition preparation stuff.

RW: Do you think you'll be able to finish 42k moreover that the Milo Marathon has a 5-hour cutoff?

DT: The 5-hour cutoff is very daunting, to say the least. Most online race calculators predict that I can finish the full somewhere around 4:45 based on my 2:18 21k finish at RunRio1. But that race was more than 2mos ago. I haven't raced a half since then so I'm not sure of my finish time on my maiden full. Will I finish? I'm pretty sure I can finish but I'm uncertain if I'll meet the cutoff. Probably a DNF will be the last resort if the water stations start closing. But that's a worse-case scenario. I hope I don't get into that situation. I'm still hopeful to finish below 5hrs. Really hoping. But then again, to simply finish is going to be great! It'll be a major bookmark in my life.

RW: Race strategy?

DT: Ideally I hope to run a 6:45 mpk steady pace all throughout which will get me to a 4:45 finish. But that's an ideal scenario. As they say, shit happens so I'm hoping that the running gods will be kind come July 4th. Again, the goal for this race is simply to finish. But to be able to cross the finish line and being donned with that finisher's medal below 5 hours, that would be something special.

RW: So why are you doing this again?

DT: Because it's there.