Week 4 Final Peak Week - Catastrophe In Valencia

Week 4 of 4 (12/16 overall) of my 2024 Valencia Marathon peak training block is now complete. Here’s a recap of the sessions that made up this week, with an overall distance of 100.1 km (62 mi).

Tuesday: 800m Reps

One of my favorite sessions: 8x800m. I ran this session back in week 6 with fewer reps and found it quite hard, ending with an average pace of 3:45/km (6:02/mi). This time, I added two more reps and averaged a 3:37/km (5:49/mi) pace. Most importantly, I felt in control and quite strong.

Wednesday: Mini Mid-Week Long Run

Just over 21 km at an average pace of 5:46/km (9:17/mi). Average HR was 131 bpm. Felt quite good and surprisingly fresh after yesterday's speed session. At times had to slow myself down to make sure I didn't get carried away. As normal the route included various inclines.

Thursday: Tempo 2x6km and Strength Session

Another go at the tempo run of 2x6 km. Paces were closer to where I wanted this time (approx. 4:00/km to 4:10/km)(6:26/mi to (6:42/mi), but I still didn’t enjoy the effort, which felt harder than I’d like. The darkness setting in made it tough to see my footing on the twisting paths of Millhouses Park, making me wary of potholes and dog walkers as night fell. Looks like head torch season has arrived. Later that evening: the dreaded strength and conditioning leg circuit. I hate Thursdays.

News: Valencia floods

The recent flooding has affected parts of Valencia, and though it’s not in the city center, it raises doubts about the marathon going ahead. All we can do is wait and hope the best decision is made for Valencia’s residents. If it’s cancelled, I’ll lose a fair bit of money, but that’s nothing compared to the losses residents have faced. My in-laws recently experienced flooding in Northern Thailand; they had to evacuate, and their home was destroyed. Months later, it’s still under repair. For now, I’ll keep training as though the marathon’s still on. Stay ready.

Saturday: Easy Run

A fairly short, easy 13.37 km with some strides thrown in, just preparing for the big long run on Sunday.

Sunday: Peak Long Run

Headed to Derwent Reservoir for my final long run in the peak training block. I wanted some undulation without too many hills, allowing for a progressive pace from easy to steady. The Derwent loop is ideal for this with mild inclines, unlike the steep hills I’d face locally. I put out a call on social media for anyone wanting to join, though I knew most marathoners were done with their races for the season.

Josh Wilson from Doncaster, whom I’d met briefly in races, traveled to join. Fellow Sheffield runner Ewan Heritage from Hallamshire Harriers also joined for one reservoir lap (24km). Despite racing the National Cross Country Relays the day before, Ewan not only came for a long run but kindly offered to pace the run. We started around 8 am, chatting and enjoying the beautiful route. The idea was to gradually shift from approx. 5:10/km (8:19/mi) down to 4:40/km (7:31/mi). Ewan’s pacing was effortless (not surprising given his level), making it easy not to think about checking my watch constantly.

Today was also a fueling test. Although not at race pace, I wanted to see if I could handle a 40g carb hit at once. I had used the 25g Maurten gels but decided to try 40g gels to carry fewer packets on race day. I took them every 40 minutes and had no issues. I carried a 250 ml bottle with plain water but plan to drop this and solely rely on water stations in Valencia for hydration.

After the first 24km lap, Ewan and Josh headed off. Josh was dealing with blisters and is currently training for the Doncaster 10km, so it made sense for him to avoid unnecessary mileage. Equally Ewan is thick in training for his next race the 5km Podium event so I was already grateful for them both to accompany me this far.

I finished the final progressive block solo, moving down to approximately 4:30/km (7:15/mi). My pacing certainly wasn’t as smooth as Ewan’s, but I managed, finishing at 33 km in 2 hours and 36 minutes. Average pace 4:45/km (7:39/mi) and a total of 328m elevation gain. Average HR 154 bpm.

I felt good overall but not quite as strong as I have in past marathons one month out. Still, I know this doesn’t always correlate with marathon performance. I’m just grateful to feel strong again after enduring the last 4 weeks of peak training without any setbacks and bouncing back healthily from a summer burnout. Maybe not sub 3 shape but I'm on the right path back.