This weeks Marathon Spotlight comes from the second part of the Horne / Adams partnership. Both running with Metro Aberdeen and both training with Rebel PT surely a match made in heaven. A huge thanks to Scott for completing the marathon spotlight, and also I think he is being very hard on himself on his DNF during the Glenmore 24. Scott, even in the short years you have been “building your house’ you certainly have impressive foundations to build on. Good luck for the season…Take it away sir..
Marathons completed?
3 – Manchester 2018, New York 2018, Seville 2019
PB Marathon time?
2:56:21 – Seville 2019
Favourite marathon and why?
New York, it was unlike anything I’d experienced before. The streets were lined with people and it was 26.2 miles of constant support (except the bridge crossings.) Having family there with me for support and turning it in to a holiday also made it an experience I’ll never forget! I can’t wait to go back one day and have another go at it!
Worst marathon memory and why?
Richard Horne dropping me at mile 20 in Seville! (Kidding) It would have to be back at Manchester in 2018. Everything came undone on the day and I remember pretty much falling in to a portaloo at mile 15. I couldn’t really get back in to it after that and spent the rest of the race walk/jogging and being passed by a lot of runners and seeing the pacers go past. I didn’t prepare properly and the strategy was all wrong. I’ve been able to draw a lot of positives from the experience in the following marathons and put more focus on what to eat pre-race and putting more effort in to longer runs.
What made you take up running?
I’d always done a bit of casual running here and there to keep fit but when I moved to Aberdeen back in 2015 I had all but stopped exercising and needed a kick. I then joined Rebel PT which gave me a platform to start exercising again and make some friends. Off the back of this I started entering a few races and really got the bug for it. Now I see it as a big part of my social-life and it really helps clear the head after a day at work.
Hydration & Nutrition snack of choice on long runs?
I’ll tend to stick with water on longer runs and maybe a gel if going over 15 miles in training. I put more focus on loading pre-post run – keeping well hydrated and carb-loading the day before a long run. Pasta the day before, oats a couple of hours before the run and a protein fix afterwards! Race strategy is very similar except I’ll take a smoothie pre-race then gel every 8 miles.
Favourite session and why?
My favourite runs are with other people, usually Monday nights with friends from Rebel PT. I tend to find running and chatting makes the longer runs in particular fly by! If I had to choose a specific session it would be 3 x 2k (4 minute rest) which is something I try to fit in a couple of weeks pre-marathon and it gives me a good idea of how I feel. I used to hate longer reps but now I find them the most beneficial when training for longer races.
Shoes and fav running gadget?
Asics DynaFlytes have been my number one choice for a few years now. There are a pair of Pegasus 35’s sitting in a cupboard that I really should have a go of. Favourite gadget has to be the HR chest strap I bought to link with the Garmin watch. The accuracy compared to the wrist sensor makes a big difference when checking effort and allows for more disciplined training. It really lets you see how the heart rate recovers when resting between reps/intervals.
Favourite running book / podcast?
I recently read ‘Running with the Kenyans’ by Finn Adharanand which provided me with some helpful tips. The biggest take away was that it can take up to ten years of running to ‘build your house’ as they put it which for me having only ran for a couple of years is quite comforting. The end of the book was also quite special but i’m not going to give away any spoilers.
Terrain – trail, track or tarmac?
I’m a big fan of trail running and with so many opportunities on the doorstep it would be rude not to head out in to the hills at any opportunity. I’ll always choose trail over road for training but lack the confidence when it comes to racing because I’m like bambi on ice on the downhill. I enjoy the speed on the roads in terms of racing and I like to think any hill/trail training helps with this while reducing impact on the legs.
Funniest running memory?
As some people know I’m very clumsy and always falling over. I was out for a run around Hill of Fare with Gareth Hunt one time and I’m pretty sure I’d already fallen once on the way up which we had a laugh about then there was a bit of chat about if I’d be ok going downhill which is a bit technical. I got to the bottom absolutely fine, celebrated my success and 5 seconds later on the flat I tripped over my own feet and ended up on the ground. Gareth thought it was hilarious and regularly asks how many times I fell whenever I hit the trails!
You recently completed a grueling Glenmore 24 hr race, highlights and low lights?
You say completed, I’m calling it a DNF at 18 hours! Highlights included having my friends there who were top notch support crew and ‘sensible’ 12 hour runners. It was like an F1 pit stop every lap, Someone turning the headtorch off, someone putting the watch on charge, someone with food, someone with drink and constant questions to make sure I was still with it. It was also great fun just running and chatting with so many different people all with different (some absolutely bonkers) stories. The low was definitely sitting in the first aid tent at 4am shivering with an ice pack strapped to the leg. I was forgotten about so eventually ripped the ice pack off and limped round one more lap before accepting it was over at 80 miles. I was disappointed that I didn’t make it to 100 which was well within reach at half way but was also worried about recovery for New York. Luckily everything healed up in a week and the whole experience was very educational! I still feel there is some unfinished business here and I do want to hit that 100 mile within 24 hours at some point but the main focus at the moment is on 26.2.
New York marathon – top 5 points of the experience?
1 Event set up was absolutely fantastic considering you’re trying to accommodate 50,000 runners! A particular highlight were the therapy dogs they had in the start village!
2 Race Start I was fortunate to be in one of the early waves and was pretty close to the start. Standing there with about 3-4 helicopters hovering over the start line and everyone waving at the TV cameras really gave a buzz!
3 Stations – Water/Gatorade stations every mile along with solid food helped ease nerves of struggling to keep fueled. (little sips every station)
4 Welcome to Brooklyn – As we stepped off the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge the noise and support of the crowd was absolutely fantastic! Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and it didn’t let up for miles! I remember reading so many signs to take my mind off the running, the motivation was great!
5 Family/Vacation – It was my first time in New York and it was great to combine the race with a bit of a holiday. I had family come with me to support which made it even better!
I could go in to so much more detail about how great an experience it was but the bottom line is if you’re a runner who enjoys longer distances this one definitely needs to be on your list!
Top tip for #projectRUN for London Marathon ?
First things first, enjoy the experience! You’ll be aware of what to expect based on previous marathons with New York being similar in terms of size/support so use all this knowledge to your advantage! Don’t get sucked in too early, the race doesn’t really begin until mile 15 so save the legs plus you’ll likely be boxed in at the start and the worst thing you can do is try to go round people and get frustrated, it will just waste energy (bide your time). Stick to your hydration/nutrition plan – so many times I hear stories of people making mistakes on or before race day and it gets inside their head. If you do make a mistake, remain calm – there’s always a solution!
Thanks again Scott for your time, some really great hints and tips in there. Great having you in the spotlight.
Thanks as always for reading
Run Long and Prosper
James
