Sofia marathon 2023

Lessons from Marathon Number 4

As a triathlete, I rarely participate in „solo“ events. I miss the dynamic of switching sports. But in October 2023, I decided to participate in my fourth solo marathon with the goal of a decent finishing time. In this post, I will tell you how the race went, as well as the preparation that led up to this event.

But first, a little background…

The desire to run a marathon distance (42.2km) under the „magic“ 3-hour mark had been brewing in my mind for quite some time. I initially planned to try it in June 2023, choosing a fairly flat (and unknown) marathon in Germany. However, after talking to last year’s participants, I realized that the temperatures would be too high and not optimal for a fast split. I then signed up for a full-distance triathlon in Gandia on 22.10, but due to upcoming family obligations I had to cancel that too. In the end, I decided to sign up for the marathon in Sofia in October – probably ideal conditions (sunny and dry, but cool below 20 degrees), and logistically very easy to organize.

My original goal was to go just under 3 hours—a time of 2:58 would have been great. With a solid 10-week preparation window, this race would have closed out my 2023 racing season. With my sole focus on running, I diligently put together a training plan and got the wheels in motion.

I had a plan in place to match my target race pace of 4:11 min/km. It was a lot of long runs, a few intense ones, and the occasional race pace run. Another thing I wanted to finally get right was my race nutrition (keep reading to find out if it worked)…

As my training progressed, I gained a greater sense of confidence that I was on the right track to achieving my goal. About 20 days before the race, I did a 10km test to assess my peak fitness and determine what was the realistic my pace for Sofia. While not universally accurate, the following formula is fairly accurate for estimating what I can achieve under favorable conditions:

10km time * 4.66 = estimated marathon time.

For running a half marathon (21.1km) I would use the following formula:

10km time * 2.11 = estimated half marathon time.

I ran the 10k test on a flat course and in cool weather – just as I expected the race to be. I had a pacer, but I wasn’t running in my race shoes (which was a mistake) – my time was 36:06. From the formula above, that would mean a 2:48 marathon!

Just two weeks before the marathon in Sofia, I went to the one in Berlin. But not as a participant (although I had to run there too), but as my brother's coach, who had signed up to participate. On my way back from Berlin I started to feel mild symptoms of illness and chose to skip the last hard training session – 19km at a slightly below race pace. The days before the race were mostly easy runs, the focus was on recovering as much as possible.

In the days before the competition I also I made a conscious effort to increase my carbohydrate intake by choosing foods that were high in carbohydrates – anything with potatoes, rice, pasta or pizza. The evening before the start, my family and I went to a cozy pizza and pasta restaurant – the perfect pre-race setting. I ordered a modestly sized pizza and enjoyed every bite! The start on Sunday was at 9:30 – plenty of time to get breakfast and prepare. I got up around 6:30 and had my favorite breakfast for such occasions – toast with honey. Before the start, I did a very short warm-up run. Everything seemed good – my mood was up and my body – in tune with the moment.

It was show time!

My pace should have been between 3:55-4:00min/km. The most typical amateur mistake is to give in to adrenaline and the people around you and the feeling of a rush of energy and go inappropriately fast. I certainly couldn't have made such an elementary mistake...

I felt good, The weather was perfect – around 16°C, the route was flat, and the traffic was minimal. I did the first lap (21.1 km) at a pace of 3:49 min/km and in 1 hour and 21 minutes. That would have been great if I didn't have another lap to go. That pace was simply unsustainable for another lap and my current form.

Discipline in training is important.

But discipline during the competition is even more important.

During the second lap, the euphoria gradually gave way to discomfort. At 24 km I started to feel a little tired and a pain in my right thigh. It was too early! It was becoming increasingly obvious that this pace was not going to be it. In addition, one of my legs started to appear annoying pimple. Since there was nothing to do during the race, I decided to think about it after I finished. At the moment, however, it continued to be a subtle reminder of its existence.

In the last 10 kilometers I had to take a few breaks, walk short stretches, and generally slow down. My calf muscles were really tight and I had to stop to stretch them. At that point, I lost focus on the race and was just trying to get to the finish line. That's not how I want to finish any race.

Still, I managed to finish in 2:52 minutes (4:05min/km pace) and the honorary 17th place in men.  

To summarize, here are the main lessons I learned and plan to work on for the upcoming competitions:

  • Tempo – tThis is very important! Although I felt great at the start and for the first 30 kilometers, I went too fast, creating a deficit that I couldn't maintain for the entire distance. I need to trust my training and have the discipline to stick to my race plan.
  • Nutrition – the fast pace made it almost impossible to follow my eating strategy. I ended up consuming total only about 75 grams of carbs (roughly 25 grams per hour) and 750 ml of water, most of it in the first half. This was well below what I had planned and trained for. Feeling hungry after the finish is a sign of malnutrition, and not just in marathons. I definitely felt hungry afterwards. I also need to rethink my nutrition strategy. Using plain white sugar dissolved in water required me to drink more water than I wanted to. In retrospect, I should have only had 2 bottles (instead of 4), each with 120 grams of carbs, and relied on points for the rest of my hydration.
  • Friction – I made the amateur mistake of not protecting my nipples in the cold, which became uncomfortable for the last 30 minutes. Running without underwear (which is normal when you're wearing a triathlon suit, but not when you're wearing shorts) combined with the constant up-and-down motion added another distraction.
  • Hydration – directly related to nutrition – too much pace also led to low hydration. If you find yourself feeling very thirsty right after finishing, as if you’ve just crossed a desert, this is a very likely sign of poor hydration. This was further confirmed when I finally visited the bathroom an hour later and my urine was a very dark yellow.
  • Prishki – I have run many miles in these shoes without any problems, it seems that after most longer races I get blisters, regardless of the shoes, socks or weather conditions. I need to look into this further, possibly with the help of an orthopedist.
  • Calf Stretching – a bit strange that both of my calves weren’t cramping, but they weren’t relaxed either for the last 30 minutes. During the short breaks I had to stretch them to relieve some of the discomfort. This highlights the need for more specific calf training.
  • Concentration – with so many distractions, I have to admit that I lost focus towards the end. I was only thinking about how to get to the finish line and left form, nutrition and pace on the (very) back burner. In endurance races, it’s becoming increasingly clear to me that psychological factors and concentration play a bigger role than physical preparation.

But to avoid it being all negative, I'll also note the things that went well during this training block:

  • Persistence – this is probably the biggest reason for progress. I made a 10-week plan and stuck to it almost without deviation, even when I didn't feel like going out, felt tired (but not injured), or had other things to do.
  • Discipline in training – This is extremely important. When I had planned to run an easy 1 hour in zone 2, that's exactly what I did. Even though I wanted to run faster, I knew that not following the plan was a big mistake that many athletes make. Keeping the easy runs easy allows me to make the hard runs really hard.
  • Flexibility – the other side of consistency. Sometimes things don't go according to plan – I can't finish a workout due to lack of time or I needed an extra day of rest because I was tired. It doesn't mean I'm back to square one, but I've been careful to keep those days few in number.
  • Preparation – my training plan was good, with gradual volume increases, lots of light running, and some speed training. I also got a massage at least once a month and used a foam roller almost every day.
  • Nutrition – although I didn’t do very well on race day, I think I did well in preparation. I continued to test and refine my nutrition strategy. I believe I’m on the right track, with some adjustments to make it even better. Daily nutrition was also important – mostly whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, and staying hydrated throughout the day.
  • Taper – I had to cut back on my training a bit because I got sick a week before the event. However, on race day I didn't feel tired at all and overall I performed well.

I hope this gives a good idea of my training and competition attitude. We all learn from our mistakes, and for me, writing a text like this helps me become a better competitor and coach in the future.

 

In conclusion, although I think I could have done a little better, I'm pretty happy with how things turned out. I still have some areas where I can improve, but I'm sure that with more training and real focus on race day, I can run a marathon in under 2:50.

 

Really, in conclusion – after doing the tests and calculations mentioned earlier, it seemed like running around 2 hours and 50 minutes was possible. But I thought, why not leave some room for next year and aim for „just“ 2 hours and 58 minutes? But a week before the race, I changed my mind and decided to push. Because who can promise me that I will have another chance? Life is unpredictable and I don’t want to wonder „What if?“ So I go all out every time.