Amsterdam Marathon
It would be unjust to say I didn’t train for this race. It would be disrespectful to those who help me, undermine the work I have put in, and be a lie to my clients.
I have been with InnerFight for over 3 years, and prior to IF running already existed in my life. At the beginning of this year I completed a marathon training block ahead of Vienna Marathon and I have maintained fitness since.
The injury I sustained 12 weeks ago put a halt to a traditional marathon build, and my first full week of ‘normal’ running was 6 weeks ago. When I thought Amsterdam Marathon was off the table, I simply looked at what I could do to improve my running, without actually running.
I leaned into the team, and flicked Tom a message asking if we could focus more on my run form. Delighted to help, he put weekly sessions in. Which were accompanied with me ticking off 3-4 drill sessions a week.
From a mindset point of view, this is an area I have already been trying to focus on. So I just upped the ante here too. I heightened awareness of my pre, during, and post run internal dialogue, I reflected, used verbals cues and tried to stay present. I practiced a lot. I learnt what resonated with me and when. I allowed myself to blow up in sessions, I let my thoughts wander, and I gradually embraced the ebbs and flows of a variety of sessions.
About 2 weeks prior to racing, I asked Marcus if he thought I could actually run 42km. He looked at me, said nothing, and nodded once. I backed his belief in me up with a 30km long run that weekend. I too believed.
4 days prior to racing I created a plan. To negative split the race and to stay present. I worked out my starting pace based on the slowest KM I clocked in Vienna and decided to build from there.
Whilst I had removed the pressure of having a time goal, I still know what paces result in which marathon times. I knew I’d know the score during the race. So I removed average and current pace from my watch screen.
Race morning started off chilled. I allowed myself 1 hour to have breakfast in my hotel room and get ready. Which occurred off the back of a 9.5 hour sleep. I was relaxed.
I met some of the IF team in the hotel lobby and we commuted to the race by Metro. For some reason, Amsterdam thought it would be a great morning to run a limited public transport service. One cancelled train, and a 24 minute wait later, we were packed like sardines onto a train with the masses. We met the rest of the InnerFight runners for our group warm-up, where the heavens opened and a hail storm greeted us. We dashed our way to cover, but the damage was done, we were all hilariously soaked. Energy remained high. There was a group photo before we all got separated amongst the other 20,000 runners.
Thanks to the Dubai summer, I had been dialling in my running IQ. I know what my RPE is. Breaking the race into 5km chunks, I would check in each 5km and ask myself what my RPE was. By half way I was still cruising at a 5 or 6/10. A stark contrast to previous marathons.
I had told myself the first half of this race, with my strategy, should be almost boring. The reality was that it wasn’t boring, but it was relaxed. I soaked up the atmosphere, admired the views, listened to the melody of footsteps, assessed others breathing, and was occasionally greeted by the smell of marijuana. Sensory overload, but I was present and content. Meanwhile I got caught in a rainstorm, blinded by the sun, embraced a tail wind, and tried to remain upright from the cross wind.
The 21km mark came and it was time to get to work. I felt it was wasteful to not give this race a fair go. But admittedly I was resistant because part of me didn’t want this race to end. Perhaps I had found flow state. Either way, I started making my way up my RPE scale. Hitting 9/10 with 5km to go.
At 39km the course went back through Vodelpark. The streets were lined with spectators who had committed to a day out in the biblical weather. Running a negative split has the huge advantage picking people off throughout the race, which was satisfying. But what was more rewarding was the support from strangers.
Females are often under represented in marathons, and Amsterdam was no different. There was a 20:80 female:male split. (Despite me trying to bring all of Ladies Run Club). I used this stat to my advantage, as there were frequent roars from ladies watching as they saw me squeeze out every last bit of energy I had. I had kicked, I could no longer see left or right, I was just going. I knew I had to search for another kick for the stadium finish, which too came.
The PB of 3:11:17 occurred from trusting that my body had kept the score. It remembered how to run. Meanwhile keeping my head in a positive state, and having gratitude and for a start line, a process, and an opportunity to run and finish.
Running, you challenge and change me.
