Valencia Marathon 2022

Maybe Itziger or MacPhisto might have an answer to whether they'd take a half marathon time for wave entry purposes? Thinking strongly of entering in '23 and I won't have a recent marathon time ☹️

Hopefully they'll accept times from 2021....otherwise my comeback will have to go extremely well, extremely quickly 😛

Do it - I'm also thinking strongly of it.

I used a 10k time from 2020 for my wave entry this year, then used my longwood 3/4 marathon time a few weeks ago to bump up to a quicker wave

Got it twice in fact. I think they inadvertently called us half marathoners in the first email. 😄

Long shot but I don't suppose anyone has a gpx file for the course? I think last year's course was a two lapper and they seem to do a bit of tweaking to to the course to make it faster.

Only two weeks to go, so it's getting late to improve anything...

Training went relatively well this past week, with two added track sessions and some core work, but not perfect: I could not run a 10k flat out on Saturday for a variety of reasons (it was 0c in Carlow at 9 am, the track was still closed at 1 pm and when I tried to do it on the treadmill my head went and I could not sustain the effort: basically I should have gone to park run and run a 5k flat out at least as it would have been something). Yesterday's 17m run was an improvement again with a low HR and slightly increased pace (the problem is I can't get my HR up at the moment, which is why missing that 10k is a shame), even if I wasn't feeling the love.

Apart from 4x1200, this week is straightforward enough. I'll still try to add 2 other track sessions with the club. I have to increase stretching and generally look after my legs.

Weight loss has been a disappointment as always (currently losing 0.2 Kg per week!), but at least it's moving in the right direction. With mileage decreasing, I have to reduce carbs further.

Of course, it is time to start looking at ambitions, and at the moment, it looks like this:

-Bronze sub 3:00 @6:51

-Silver sub 2:50 @6:29

-Gold sub 2:46 @6:19

with training so far indicating a 6:35 pace. So a PB (2:47:27) seems out of reach, and the best I can hope for is a sub 2:50 if things go well. There are a couple of positive factors (flat course, supershoes) but a good few negative ones (warm sunny weather, lack of hard training pace, potential stomach cramps as always).

Anyway, there it is, and the best I can hope for is a small improvement in all areas this week and, of course, no injury. I hope everyone will be on the start line healthy. All the best.

Thanks for that. Will save me a few hours faffing about on google streetview trying to figure out what's possible. Turia Gardens does seem the business though. I noticed it on a brief visit the last time I was in Valencia and thought it was a really nice facility - and I wasn't even a runner then! 😄

Mea culpa. It was the 2020 event that was a two lapper for the elites only. I came across it looking through strava segments to try and find the route.

Weather looks good. Can’t be expecting single digits but hopefully get a bit in before the sun gets up properly.

Here we are, the final week before the main event.

As expected, the past week went fine and steadily with no surprises. It was very enjoyable. 59 miles done.

I didn't go out to the extra track session with the club on Monday night as the weather was not that kind, and I felt a bit lazy. But it was supposed to be a rest day anyway, so it was probably wise. On Thursday morning, I was about 10'' too slow per mile for my four 1200m reps as the legs were still tired from the extra club track session the night before: trying to do 2 track sessions back to back is probably not the best (looking forward I'll have to change this and replace one of those with Lactate Threshold session instead as I need more high steady heart rate efforts). I managed several good exercise sessions (plyometrics twice, two very good strides sessions, core, yoga, and a couple of other things). Finally, my weight has come down nicely by about half a kilo, but much more importantly, it has been a very steady decline rather than yoyoing widely as would be my norm. As I have been struggling to find the right weight management habits for years, I am very pleased with this as there is hope that I can train and lose some fat at the same time.

I have a habit of messing up during the last week before a marathon (typically by eating too much) and underperforming on the day (primarily due to stomach cramps from about halfway), so hopefully, my new diet habits will help with that.

This week is all easy stuff, except for Wednesday's dress rehearsal of 7m with the last 2 at marathon pace. I will try to keep the strides, easy yoga sessions and plyometrics work up.

The weather looks good for Sunday (clouds, chances of rain, no wind).

But enough chitchat.

There is no doubt that I am at least 20'' per mile slower (about 9' overall) than when I got my PB of 2:47 3 years ago. But. That was a big underperformance, and I was capable of 2:42 on that day, but going out too fast on the non-flat DCM course and having stomach cramps took care of that. Last week I posted the following goals:

-Bronze sub 3:00 @6:51

-Silver sub 2:50 @6:29

-Gold sub 2:46 @6:19

They are nice round targets, so I won't change them. But I have to take reality into account: I will go out for Silver at a 6:30 pace (in practice, I will aim to be below that, so it could be 6:28 on average). That pace should feel easy until halfway; if it does not, I'll try to hang on and, if necessary, drop to the Bronze goal. But there is also a possibility (flat course, supershoes, good weather, no cramps) that I'll be slightly faster than that and still feel good, in which case an average pace of 6:23 overall and a PB could be in sight. My Gold goal is out of reach this time.

I hope everyone is in good shape. I am number 2354, Green wave.

Take care all.

I presume nobody can search for participants on the valencia marathon app? Or maybe it's just me.

Edit - never mind, it's live now.