Patience, dedication and devotion.
In June after I started to run after the winter and my winter break I made my training schedule thinking of mount marathon. From the 1 june to 28 june I had 4 weeks to give all I had. And so I did.
It´s a nice feeling to make yourself so dedicated and in your own bubble. All I cared about was my training.
I learned a lot this winter on how I should train to improve. And as a runner who loves short and long, it´s so many ways!
For mount marathon I needed uphill strength and kind of a explosive one. That is one of my week side. I always find it hard to give 100 % and to really do this hard trainings. You know blood taste and the feeling that the heart will jump out from the chest,
I think one of the reasons I´not good on that is that I don´t have a background as an athlete. Until I was 25 I only moved around in the mountains, ran, skied and climbed because I love it!
I still do but I want to improve!
So before Mount Marathon I decided to focus on short hard training. I doubted I would enjoyed it, because I love these long days, but I found a good way for me.
3 times a week I did harder sessions working my Vo2 and speed for shorter distances. I did some vk´s and some interval session ( like 8×2 min, 4×4, 6x 3). I also did a flat 10 km a hilly but runnable 18 km race fitted in my schedule. As it was in my training I didnt see this as “races” so to say, I didn´t feel very fresh on the start line. But I guess that´s part of the training cycle that I found work for me. To have some intense week, never feel really on top but always strong and then rest and recover.
I thought I would miss the long days, so instead of doing long runs I planned for 1 or 2 days mountaineering in higher altitude. Still mountains and I that I love, you know snow, easy ridges and going on forever. After those day I took and easy day and then started the harder training again.
These weeks I did around 20-25 hours.
To have the race as a receipt on my training is very satisfying. Before I have never experienced this. I always complained to Kilian like” do you think I ever will be stronger? I´m always the same”
But now I think I have figured something out. Not that I think I will become significant stronger right now, but soon, maybe later this season, maybe to my winter season or next summer. But it´s so wonderful to know that it is possible. And to feel so good in a race as I did there, is so cool!
Cheers!
