I’m not going to get focused on time issues and on breaking any PB. Monitoring myself and running relaxed is my goal for my first Half Marathon.

I’ve been doing some really relaxed workouts, mainly around 5k, something like three minutes bellow my PB.

I’m keen on running a race near September, so I’ll post here the options soon.

I ran the 15k beneficial race “Carlos Lopes Golden Marathon” yesterday.

Time: 1 hour, 14 minutes 11 seconds, bellow my target… so… goal achieved!

The course was fairly easy, mostly downhill. Fuelling at around 6.5km (where I was passed by the marathon athletes and 12km (where they informed that the finish was 5k ahead… wrooooong).

Since this was not a race for the masses, the starting was smooth and unpopulated and the pace higher than in previous races I participated. I don’t have a clue about the number of athletes in the 15k race, but something around 400 should be near the truth.

Personally, I only start having problems around the 11^th and 13^th kilometre… after that I managed to end the race at full speed, making the last two kilometres quite easily.

A good event, well organized and with a nice course!

Next weeks, due to personnal constrains, I’ll do less mileage on my workouts and focus more on muscular wokouts, for total fitness purposes.

Balance is the key.

With some 10k workouts and a 15k (race length) training, I’m fully satisfied with my performance. Taking in account that my goal here is just to finish the race, a 1h15min seems to be a good goal.

Mentally, I find this 15k distance not at all different from the 10k, besides the fact that I do run in a more “zen” state, really relaxed from the very beginning and only pushing up after feeling that I have enough energy. Last workouts have made me feel that I am more a long distance runner and not a 5k or less racer. Psychology playing a role here, definitely.

Race post after it! Wish me luck.

One resolution I’ve made was not to do a workout shorter the 10k as a reparation for the 15k race in the 12^th April. Furthermore, I will do my first 15k this weekend and another Tuesday or so…

Mentally speaking, as my goal will be just to finish the 15k race, I will adopt the “zen state” mood as described in a previous post… control was the key for that long race, and certainly will be for the 15k race.

For future reference:

• I started really relaxed and controlling my pace
• Mentally, I opted for a kind of a zen state of mind
• I have no pains whatsoever
• Only drank water at 7,5 km
• Did not need to do effort management
• The last kilometre (12^th) was done faster
• I ended the workout less tired than I expected

With this mark, I will make a good race in the Golden Marathon 15k, for sure, something around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I will start doing more workouts like these, but taking special care not to enter in a fatigue state… prior to Easter hollidays a few 7k runs and that’s it.

The event is organized by the former Olympic champion’s foundation (Fundação Carlos Lopes) and will take place in Lisbon, on the 12^thof April 2008. Part of the registration fee will be applied in supporting handicapped sport, one of the major areas of work in which Fundação Carlos Lopes works.

Besides the 15 k race, there will be a full marathon, a bike marathon and a 5k “family race”.

Register in the event’s website on the competition that fits you and start training!

After waking up pretty early (7:30 a.m.), and eating a reinforced breakfast, I took my way to the train, that would take me to the southbound, Pragal, 15 minutes walking distance to the starting line.

Being the Vodafone mini-marathon my second competition, the novelty of Corrida do Tejo was not so strongly felt, but observing other people, their attitudes and trying to see who’s a runner and who’s a “competition walker” was a challenge prior to the challenge itself.

After arriving to Pragal, I took the walking mile to the starting line as a warm-up race, but despite getting there quite early, I did still had to wait half an hour to be in position, something like 100 metres before the starting line. The crowd was huge (30.000 they say) and I even had the Portuguese prime-minister just a few metres from me, at the start of the race - needless to say, I made my race 20 minutes faster than him!

Arriving at the starting line

Contradicting my worst predictions, reinforced after seeing a character, disguised as a monk and three guys dressed as brides, the starting was not as chaotic and slow. After seeing some runners pushing walkers to the right lane, I started to do the same… oneself must be pedagogical about it.. if you are participating in an event like this and want to walk, please make room for those who wish to race. It’s the minimum acceptable. And after all, it’s the only way to make the crowd flow and make this as enjoyable to everybody.

Entering the second kilometre, I was already running in full speed, with plenty of room, and passing people like a breeze… the race course was pretty fast, and I only felt needing to manage my effort in the last kilometre.

As for strategy issues, and after spotting a 6 feet nordic blonde girl perfectly in shape at the 5^th kilometre, being briefly followed by frustrated male runners, I decided to use the girl… for pacing guide purposes. It worked nicely and I made to pass her in the last 500 metres and finish my race at a 37′04”, bellow my 32′05” record. Reasons? Slow start resulted as excessive crowd and zig-zag racing to avoid slow runners ahead, for sure.

Race participants, near the last kilometre

Balance:

• It was a good experience;
• Running in the Tejo bridge is fun enough;
• Fast course;
• Cheerfull crowd;
• Transportation system worked perfectly
• Just a downside: the lack of management capability from the Police to make the crowd flow prior to starting the race, in Pragal bridge;
• Good beverage pack for the racers at the ending line;
• Nice staff giving the pack too;
• Excellent weather, a bit cloudy to avoid excessive heat, which was nice.

Mini-marathon’s participation medal

Nice event. In 2009 I’ll do the half-marathon, since I’m now going to shift my efforts to longer distances.

You can check it out here.

I’ll get a way to put these informations better organized in the blog, namely by using a plug-in or table manager. Not easy to find one good and practical, thought.

I fully accomplished my workout schedule for this week and I’m feeling completely ready for the race. Just a few stretching exercises tomorrow and off I go on Sunday!

Since the race is on Sunday, here’s what I plan to do this week:

• Monday, 10^th: 7,2k race;
• Tuesday, 11 ^th: 5k race with decompression stretching exercises;
• Wednesday, 12 ^th: rest;
• Thursday, 13 ^th: 6,5k race with decompression stretching exercises;
• Friday, 14 ^th: 7,2k race;
• Saturday, 15 ^th: Stretching exercises;

• Sunday, 16 ^th, 10:30 a.m.: Race!

I’ll do a full report on the race later on.