Chris ventured to Tokyo in the Far East, to take on the marathon, one of the top 6. If you don’t follow Chris on strava, you won’t have seen the hard work and dedication that he has put into achieving his new PB. Chris gives us a fantastic marathon spotlight with more hints and tips. I meanwhile am away to edit my strava sob stories:-)
Marathons completed?
10: Edinburgh twice, then Milton Keynes, Berlin, Brighton, Jersey, Boston, Stirling, London and Tokyo.
PB Marathon time?
2:30:46 from Tokyo 2019
Favorite marathon and why?
As a race itʼs got to be Boston for the history and prestige. You run from the outer suburbs to the city centre and the locals are having a party the whole way (I think I got a high five pb in the first kilometre). Each mile comes with tales and traditions built up over 12x years. Itʼs such a source of pride in the city that itʼs all any one talks about that weekend.Where as in London you get the impression half the locals arenʼt interested.
As an experience for me it would have to be London last year for the big pb in the sun with a bunch of friends.
Worst marathon memory and why?
Milton Keynes – itʼs probably a combination of my preparation and the course. Iʼd been injured in the build up but still shot to pb in 3:15 but cramp and jelly legs meant hobbling the last quarter in 3:52. The second half was on a cycle path that kept going under and over roads in a series of overpassed and underpasses so it was hilly without having any real hills, which was strangely soul destroying.
What made you take up running?
Iʼd been out a few times to try and maintain fitness but I started going regularly when I had to write my undergraduate dissertation and was looking for new methods of procrastination. I havenʼt stopped since.
Hydration & Nutrition snack of choice on long runs?
In training I try not to take anything but I like to carry an emergency gel because a bad bonk can derail my training for a couple of weeks. Of course you need to practice taking them but Iʼve used the same gels for a few years now so Iʼm pretty confident with them.
When racing I take three SIS gels (at 10, 21 and 32k) and sip whatever drink is on the course little and often, be it water, lucuzade or Pocari Sweat.
Favorite session and why??
3 by 10 minutes is my go to session. I like to do it in the early stages of any training block and itʼs the bread and butter of my marathon training. Of course it can be 3 by 2 miles or 3km – the details arenʼt important, then as the block develops I might increase to 14 minutes or 4 reps. The key is to spend a lot of time around lactate threshold pace. This allows me to do this in a way that feels easier to swallow than a traditional tempo.
Terrain – trail, track or tarmac?
Iʼd like to say a mix of all three but 90% of my running is done on tarmac. This is mostly for convenience but I do feel it conditions my legs to push hard in the second half of a road marathon. Itry to mix in some trail miles when I can and do some key speed sessions on the track.
Funniest running memory?
If you go to Aberdeen parkrun youʼll see a bollard with a load of hi- vis stuff strapped to it and in the briefing at the start they warn people about the bollard. Thatʼs because a few years ago I went down there looking to run a fast time but was paying more attention to starting my watch than looking where I was going. Needless to say I didnʼt get the time I was looking for as I very quickly ended up lying on the floor feeling sorry for myself. I didnʼt think it was funny at the time but Iʼm sure it was great to watch.
Tokyo marathon – top points of the experience?
- The depth in quality of the local field was a real plus for me. I like to have a big group around me and plenty of people to chase. I was 170th – 32 further back than London but nearly 9 minutes quicker.
- There where huge crowds all the way despite it pouring with rain and 5 degrees. Iʼve no idea what most of them were shouting though.
- I donʼt tend to take much notice of my surroundings but this time i did enjoy passing some temples and particularly liked the big wide freshly tarmaced and skyscraper lined streets in the centre which reminded my of Boylston street (the famous Boston finish) but went on for much longer.
- Biting into heavily processed crustless peanut butter roll I found in my goody bag was perhaps the most Iʼve ever enjoyed my food
- Itʼs been a great excuse to explore a really interesting (or bizarre) city and country
Top tip for #projectRUN for London Marathon ?
Donʼt allow yourself any excuses or sob stories – Iʼm convinced that this plays a role in many 4th quarter meltdowns. This is partly in preparation – plan your travel, nutrition, sleep, race day clothing and logistics for every eventuality – but itʼs also about accepting the hiccups and not dwelling on them. I donʼt think Iʼve ever raced in perfect conditions so you just have to accept that itʼs hot, windy or rainy, or do something about it (more water, run through showers) and when a man in headphones cuts you up at 18 miles meaning you miss the water station itʼs only going to derail your race if you spend the next 8 miles writing your sob story strava description rather than focusing on the most important thing: taking every last second off your time.
Thanks Chris it has been great having you in the spotlight, and I am one of a few who have followed your training and know how hard you worked for the result you got. Well Done, I’m sure from your experience shared there might be more metro vests feature in the Tokyo Marathon in the next few years.
Thanks for reading
Run Long and Prosper
James
