The morning of the run, I realized this was to be the longest distance I had run in nearly 3 years. To get ready for the race, I had to take a number off my race belt from a 2010 trip to Rio with Team Diabetes. My training had not been good before that run and I dropped out of the half marathon to run a 6k.
Before that, my longest run was the Easter Island Marathon in 2009. Nothing more than 6k in nearly 30+ months is not a good way to maintain training.
As you can imagine, with that kind of layoff, my time was one of the slowest of my adult running career – just over 62 minutes. Compare that to my best ever run of just under 48 minutes 6 years ago and you can appreciate age and the couch have caught up to me.
That said, I was proud of the run. I was glad to be back on the paths and breathing heavy. However, I have decided to pull back from my goal for Iceland. I won’t be running the marathon, but rather the half. I have done 4 marathons in my lifetime, and while I would love to round it to an “even 5”, I don’t know if it’s worth it.
Half marathons are a great distance. They’re a challenge, but they don’t kill you. You have to do serious training to get through 22k, but it’s not anything that really hurts. The best part, is I can actually “run” a half marathon. I have completed 4 marathons, but I have yet to run 1. I continually bonk in the last 10k.
So to complete the Calgary Half Marathon in May, the Stampede Road Race Half Marathon in July, and the half marathon in Reykjavik running beside my wife would make for a perfect 2012.
Dad. Broadcaster. Writer.
Three time Guinness World Record Holder.
I run the world for Team Diabetes.
I think you should stick with the full marathon in Iceland or at least see how you feel after your next 21km race before making the decision to drop down. I wouldn’t let your recent 10km race result sway your goals You still have lots of time to train.
I’m not judging based on my time, I’m judging based on the time I’ll have to expend training. I’ve done 4 marathons, and, for now, I’m fine with that. Marathon training takes a toll, I’m just not willing to pay that price this year.
If Reykjavik is in August, that would leave four months to train. Training for a reasonable marathon takes an average of four hours weekly over three months. It is a price to pay in terms of time. On the other hand four hours pales in comparison to the 20+ hours Canadians spend watching TV.
I don’t know your personal time constraints, but I hoped to encourage you to keep your marathon goal in sight.