Warsaw Marathon 3 days to go.... Gaining the Mental Edge in marathon running

So the Warsaw Marathon is just 3 days away now (well actually 2 days with this edit) !! Wow where does the time go?...  I was wondering just the other day how I would get through the next two week taper. But it seems to have vanished without so much as a trace of a niggle or imaginary faux injury. I'm feeling well rested and have used the last few weeks not to run hard or focus on any further physical improvement (the training is in the bag after all) but to focus on all the mental aspects of preparing and running a marathon.

The timing of 3 recent books I have been reading couldn't have been any better. Huge inspiration has come from reading about US elite marathon runner Deena Castor whose book which details her whole running career from high school to elite marathoner provided huge nourishment and practical tips on the mental approach to marathon training, preparation and racing. It's a really good read and highly recommended.

Two clients also recently gave me books as gifts ~ Mark Beaumont's 'Around the World in 80 days', and the South African running and sport scientist Tim Noakes 'Challenging Beliefs'.  Mark's amazing 78 day world record cycle ride was astonishing in every sense and provided a real moment of clarity about the goals that we set ourselves and how we should pursue them no matter how audacious they may appear. You have to believe with 100% utter conviction in what you are doing otherwise you will fall at the first hurdle. Similarly anyone familiar with Tim Noakes and the Lore of Running, and his more recent book will understand about the huge importance of the mental aspects of running in attaining your goals. But many will never have heard of him so let me expand further as no runner should be without this information. 

I find the mental aspects of running absolutely fascinating. There is no race distance quite like the marathon to really test your mental aptitude, your metal, nerve, grit and determination. The Central Governor theory first presented by Tim Noakes in the Lore of Running in the mid 80s was the first time someone had presented evidence and causation about the links between the brain and running performance. Not just a few casual links but a hard wired programme where the brain is in absolute control of your output and performance. Before Noakes it was believed (and still is in some circles) that slowing down during running was simply and purely a direct physical reaction to the stresses of exercise placed on our bodies and heart when we run. In 1923, a renowned researcher 'Hill' theorised that we fatigue in running (or any sport) when our bodies reach an oxygen plateau (an absolute limit) where our heart has reached maximum capacity and has no choice but to slow down and pump less blood to our oxygen starved muscles because it can't keep up with demand and so we slow. Muscles need oxygen to operate and the heart provides that oxygen to them. So it sounds fairly reasonable that fatigue and ultimately failure of the system occurs at this point based on the inability for the body to physically carry on at the same pace. Sounds reasonable, but it's totally wrong!

Neither the heart, or any of our primary organs for that matter which are working equally hard whilst we run, reach a maximum limit of oxygen debt or anywhere near it as theorised by Hill (even though this was widely accepted for the next 80 years!). The body and mind is far too complex and clever for that to happen. Hill had never even considered or contemplated in his research that the brain might have a key role to play in managing our output. 

And that is what Noakes discovered and has since written extensively about in the Central Governor theory. The brain is the Central Governor ~ an in-built safety mechanism that protects all vital organs and does everything it can to reduce the body's output if it senses an unsustainable pattern of exercise BEFORE it reaches anywhere near its limits. And that ladies and gentlemen is the key difference between what Noakes has identified and what Hill had suggested. In Hill's model the runner reaches an absolute physical limit (oxygen plateau) and has no choice but to slow. To carry on would be suggest certain death is almost eminent. We know that isn't true even though most sports science is still based on that physical limits theory. BUT the mechanism that is controlling us (the Central Governor) which is very powerful and also VERY cautious will try every trick in the book to slow us down by sending signals to recruit less muscles (e.g. slow down) and thus reducing the strain put on the heart. 

Let's come back to that feeling of fatigue you feel when running. I'm not even talking about a hard effort or the end of a marathon but just general feeling of fatigue when you starts to tire. Would you be surprised to learn that that feeling of fatigue is not even a real physical feeling. What you are feeling is NOT actual physical fatigue in any of your muscles. It might feel like your legs are screaming to slow down, or your lungs are gasping for air and you can't possibly continue. BUT fatigue is purely an 'emotion' created by the brain. Fatigue is exactly the same as feeling happy or sad. They are real feelings and feel damn real especially in the latter stages of a marathon BUT all the same they are just emotions. And emotions can be controlled.  And that changes everything!

When you consider how you are feeling in a marathon when fatigue sets in during the second half and especially those last 6 miles the brain is sending you all sorts of signals to slow down, to say enough is enough, but you don't have to listen. Your muscles have NOT reached their physical limit. Your true physical capabilities are way higher than the safety net provided by your brain to control your outputs and protect itself. Understanding this is a huge eye-opener and provides another option when it unleashes the hurt locker and throws everything at you. 

What follows from this theory though is a whole host of tools and techniques available to you to better equip oneself to prepare for a marathon before and on race day. Deena Castor's coach and her training was all centered around gaining that mental edge. The last two weeks for me have all been about gaining that edge too ahead of the marathon. Visualising the course, visualising how I'm going to feel at each mile, at half way and in those last 6 miles. Imagining myself running with a smooth and powerful stride and hitting every mile split without overexertion or over reaching. It's about being confident in the last 5 months of training since Brighton (where I ran 3:00.05) that my fitness has improved further. It's about taking huge confidence from recent race results and PBs set that all point to being on track. Confidence is everything in marathon running because as described above everything links back to the brain. The brain will determine what it thinks (and to a large extent knows) you are capable of before you even run a single stride. Standing on the start line the brain has an innate ability to set your allowable work rate (your pace) based on all your build up (physical and mental). Based on past results, how you are feeling on the day, the conditions, the heat, the wind, how you slept, recent illness, injuries etc, everything is taken into account. And the pace you set out at will quickly be determined by the brain with little, if any, conscious need to set the pace yourself. It's automatic. It's in auto-pilot. You can try to override that pace but you will know instantly if you have and your brain will send back signals pretty swiftly if you try and over cook it. Noakes mentions that for every step you take (in fact every second or milli-second) the brain has four choices: slow down, speed up, stay at the same pace or stop. It is making these calculations every millisecond with every step taking into account everything that is happening around you, the environment, the support, the conditions, internally assessing and adapting every stride accordingly. How amazing is that! What I read into that is that you have to be both totally in tune with everything that is happening whilst also getting into the zone and almost feeling nothing at all. The two seem at polar opposites but in that zone where everything just flows, you feel the effort but it feels good and mind and body accepts it and the Central Governor allows you to continue. That is the state I hope to achieve on Sunday. BUT if it fights back it had better be ready for one hell of a fight.

If you want to understand more about the science and a far better explanation than my attempt here then please do go and look up Tim Noakes.

This blog has not gone in the direction I expected it to at all!! It wasn't by intention to explain the theory but what is driving me forward with such focus and positivity but I'm glad I did. I think a Part 2 is necessary to talk more about the practical plan ahead of Sunday... about the actual pace I plan to set and maintain, and how I'm feeling about heading to Warsaw, how I'm feeling to run my first marathon at the age of 40! Can you tell I'm a wee bit excited about this one! 🤣

But for now I will leave it there as I really need to get some sleep!! (well that was last night!) 

ElliptiGO European Championships 2018 ~ Mount Revard, Aix-Les-Bains

To add a bit of extra excitement to my marathon training this summer I decided to mix it up and head over to France for the ElliptiGO European Championships 2018. It takes place in Aix-les-Bains, France each year in the foot hills of the Alps. The event is a 21.2KM climb to the top of Mount Revard ascending 1,300 metres. And it was a race! I've never actually raced the ElliptiGO before despite owning one for nearly 8 years now. I've taken part in many long distance rides organised under Audax rules but these aren't considered races. So this was something rather different. I will openly admit to being a very competitive person so a race was something new and exciting. 

I travelled over on the Eurostar to Paris on the Friday. The race was on the Sunday (2nd Sept 18). It was trouble free getting through France with the ElliptiGO. French trains are very accommoding to cyclists and have a separate carriage ('chariot' in French!) for bikes. As show in the photo even my ElliptiGO Arc bike fitted very nicely indeed. 

A day of travelling saw me arrive in my AirBnB apartment in Aix-les-Bains just as it was getting dark. I devoured a whole vegetarian pizza from the nearby takeway which hit the spot. The young Frenchman who served me was very excited to try his English on me asking if I understood him. His English was far better than my French that's for sure. 

Aix-les-Bains is a pretty town that sits right on Lake Bourget. Typically French in architecture and charm. Saturday morning and it was time to find the local Boulangerie for breakfast. Many almond crossiants later and I had the rest of the day to not do too much but rest, ahead of the race on Sunday. The only important task for the day was to register for the race in town at 5pm with race organiser Eric Bouvier. A top chap who has selflessly put this race on for the last 5 years. This was the 6th Edition.

ElliptiGO family of bikes, latest Edition the SUB in blue

Fellow Brit, friend and ElliptiGOer Billy Grace had flown in from Jersey via Gatwick to Geneva to take part too. Billy won the 5th edition last year on his ElliptiGO Arc bike (the same bike I was riding this year although I have upgraded my gear set to Deore XT 10 speed). But Billy had a new plan too and had brought across his new ElliptiGO SUB in a flight box. The SUB is the latest model in the ElliptiGO range. It's their lightest model yet (so good for hills!) and all reports from those that have one is that they were quick! It's not an elliptical bike though and is based on a conventional bike crank set, but crucially still without the saddle (SUB = Stand Up Bike) with larger foot platforms replacing the pedals.

So essentially it was myself on the Arc versus Billy on the SUB and of course any number of other riders that will show up also eyeing up glory. One of these riders was Nate from the US who had flown over only the day before for the race. Nate finished 2nd in 2016. So the scene was set for a good battle up Mount Revard in the morning. 

Race start was 9am sharp in the main town centre. We would race half a mile or so to escape the town Centre before we hit the slopes of Mount Revard. 27 riders lined up at the start from 5 countries (23 Long Strides, 3 Arc's and 1 SUB). After some start area photos, pleasantries and comparing bikes it was down to business as Eric Bouvier called 6 minutes to the start. I wasn't messing around and got myself positioned on the left on the start line. Billy soon emerged from up the road to reverse his SUB to the right hand side also on the start line. We were all set. 

With friends: Emmanuel, Veronique, Eric and Billy

I was hyped and ready for action! 

There was countdown from 5 and we were off. I wasn't hanging around we were racing after all :-) Billy soon chased on as did two other riders Jeremy and Clement both from France. Jeremy also riding an Arc and Clement on the ElliptiGO 8C long stride. The four of us soon put some distance between us and the rest of the pack. Clement was pushing really hard on the slopes in town so he passed me and Billy followed him with the two of them just ahead of myself and Jeremy.

Off the start line! 

In the first few KMs this is how it stayed as we begin the rise out of town and onto the slopes of Mount Revard. It begins with residential streets before the houses disappear and give way to the mountain road. Clement was still pushing quite hard out in front and Billy right alongside him didn't appear to be working anywhere near as hard to maintain the same pace. But that could be because the long stride makes a lot more noise, but its extra weight (7kg more than the SUB) and the extra resistance in the rollers means it IS more work (but just as much fun!!!). 

Jeremy and I were back and forth position wise about 10 metres behind. I certainly didn't want this gap to widen any further even at this early stage so was concentrating on keeping my stride smooth, the gear changes precise to match the changing elevation profile and generally try to keep up whilst not wasting unnecessary energy this early on in the race. 

To provide some context of what we were undertaking as far as the Mt Revard climb is concerned the course record over the 21K distance is just over 1:25.13.  The average gradient is 7% and it climbs 1,300 metres in total. It doesn't go much steeper than 7% but it is very consistent hence the need for efficiency with every pedal stroke. We were already riding the 7% stuff almost immediately once we were out the town and only 20 minutes into the race. So it wasn't going to get any easier and we still had well over an hour + of this high intensity effort to go.

As I dare to peer skyward you could see the clear peak of Mt Revard looming down large from such a magnificent height. There isn't a single road climb in the whole of the UK that climbs over 1,000 metres and I'd never attempted anything like this before. I was enjoying the challenge so far. 

A little further and I decided to close the gap.  We caught up and were now riding as a four. I sensed the pace might have slowed just a little so went ahead. Thoughts of race tactics then occupied my mind, and my initial thought was to try and control the pace from the front. That's what Team Sky do in the Tour de France right, so why shouldn't it work for me here too. Well one reason... Billy because he had other plans and pushed on again to up the pace. Clement pushed on too with a mega high cadence. The chap was fit and an Ironman! I had dinner with him and the gang the evening before and naturally conversation led to what events each has done. He was certainly fit and meant business, as was Jeremy who was younger (mid-twenties). Clement I'd put around my age ~ a young 40.

Anyway Billy was pushing on smoothly with a very consistent cadence that he made look effortless on the SUB. I followed on but the gap was probably nearer 15 metres now. With this push of pace Clement and Jeremy were now falling behind and we wouldn't see them again in the race. It was now just Billy up ahead and myself in hot pursuit but trying not to burn up my reserves in some madcap dash to close the gap. On this steepness gaps can't be closed quickly and our pace was already high. 

At this point I remember glancing at my watch and seeing the time elapsed of 28 minutes. We were only a third into the race (judged by the course record), but I should add that I wasn't looking at the distance on my watch as I didn't want to know. Nor was I preoccupied with the course record. I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be nice to get close to it or even better it but right now that was totally irrelevant to what immediately occupied my thoughts. And that was Billy who was still way up the road as we started to enter switch backs to take us up.

The steady climbing continued

As you get onto the climb 'proper' with the winding mountain road there are KM markers indicating how far to the peak. The first one of these I saw was at 11KM, exactly half way up our climb. It was a nice moment in the race to know we had half the job done. But in terms of effort it was probably just beginning. As I looked to my left the views of Lake Bourget far below were stunning. Not that I could lose myself in the moment for very long as the gap to Billy just wasn't closing. I started to count the seconds between us when I saw Billy pass a point I could pick out. At this half way point it was roughly 25 seconds.

The only way is up

Over the next 6K of climbing the road surfaces were generally very good and smooth which makes for better GOing. But there was one moment when I could swear I had suffered a puncture. Game over I thought! The effort I was seemingly having to put in to maintain the same speed was higher. And the rear tyre just felt 'draggy'. It turned out to be nothing at all. Just the increased effort on a slight change in road surface which also creating a rumble effect like a flat tyre. The gap between Billy and I would close slightly and then widen again as we both hit different gradients stretching like an elastic band. He was always in my eye sight and this gave me hope but at the work rate we were both putting in to maintain our current speed I was starting to wonder what I could do to close it. So close yet so far is how I felt. 

Thoughts even started to cross my mind at this point that I would be happy with 2nd place if it finished this way. On the podium was a good result but it wasn't a win and I really did only come here for one thing. I knew it even if I didn't outwardly admit it that anything less than a win wasn't what I can here for. I wanted to win and I had to do something to change the situation because Billy wasn't appearing to fade at all.

Having fun!! Even time for a thumbs up :-)

As I passed the 4K (to GO) marker I knew then that I had to start doing more. So on every section where the gradient did lessen slightly I would change up a gear, sometimes two, and do a short surge pumping the legs. For the first few of these efforts I would then use my watch (rather than count) to see what the gap was. Around 20 seconds. A tiny in road but not much. I was actually amazed how little effect these efforts seem to have showing how strong Billy was riding. 

Of course what I could not know was much much effort Billy was putting in to. When you are following someone else and watching their motion and ride you only see and witness the outcome as they appear to effortlessly glide up (in this case) the mountain in front of you. I couldn't experience or know if Billy was also going through the same turmoil. I could see that Billy would look back occasionally to see how far back I was. Did I have him worried? Was I closing fast enough to provide any concern? I wasn't sure. 

The surges continued on every section where I could. I had stopped counting the gap between us by this point. Counting wouldn't bring it closer. Only working harder would. The switch backs continued and we rose higher still. But where once the peak loomed high above it was now achingly close. I saw the 1K marker and I knew Instantly that it was now or never. It wasn't a waiting game. This was a race up a mountain to see who could get to the top the quickest. And what a race it was turning out to be. The gap was now visibly closer in that final 1K. What I had no idea about was what Billy had left in the tank when I try my move. 

What actually surprised me in the final stages of this race is that on the surges my legs were still good. In fact I was feeling better now than when I checked my watch at the 28 minute mark. Whether in reality that was true or it was just my brain telling me that you are nearly there so it gives you permission for one effort I don't know. I think it's a mixture of both. I knew I had something in the tank but I was petrified about blowing up by going too early, or leaving it too late and not making the catch. 

Something told me to GO as I approached a switch back with a building to the left side (which surely signaled we were approaching the top). With Billy having ridden the event twice before he knew exactly what was left. I had no idea but just rode as hard as I could from this point. This was my final move. Next was the catch ~ I passed Billy to my right, I didn't look across mainly because that would take more effort and it wasn't as if we were about to engage in conversation. I also didn't want anything to distract me. I just focused on driving hard as I could up the hill.

Steepest climb in the last 1KM

With a left turn I now followed the lead motorbike which had accompanied us the entire way. I still didn't know the way but just followed and hoped that I could make the move stick. I didn't look back. I just clung on, prayed and hoped. My legs were screaming, my lungs bursting. Surely we were almost there. There was a series of very short but steep zig-zag climbs through tight twisting roads amongst dense trees and (I think) some huts. We then came out of the trees and the road widened a little, and the motorbike rider indicated to follow a path off the road. This was a tricky 90 degree left hander from tarmac onto gravel. I had to slow down to take this safely but I had a feeling that Billy wasn't directly behind me. I followed the path left and then right as it opened up on the final short slope down to the finish.

Crossing the finish line

  

I shouted with pure emotion and joy, tremendous satisfaction and extreme relief. I had won the European ElliptiGO Championships 2018. That made me happy of course. But it was the whole sense of occasion, the race, how it unfolded, how Billy had ridden that made it so special. We rode that mountain together from start to finish and we pushed each other on to a finishing time that individually I wouldn't have managed alone. You have to be pushed to bring out the very best in a performance and Billy pushed me to my absolute limit.

Bottom right: Jeremy, me, Clement, Billy

My official finish time was 1:19.08. Knocking 6 minutes off the previous course record set in 2015 of 1:25.13. Billy came in 1:19.29 just 21 seconds behind me on the SUB. Clement appeared and crossed the finish line in 1:28.21 on his ElliptiGO Long Stride. An absolutely brilliant ride. I honestly thought with the effort he was expending on the lower slopes only 15 minutes into the race that he would blow up. So it was brilliant to see him hold that position and get on the podium. 

So three different ElliptiGO models all on the podium!! That says alot about these bikes and their development. Every one of them performs. What's unique about the ElliptiGO is that the products complement each other. They aren't rivals. They aren't competing for the same space. Each one has a set of unique benefits which owners love. And that's why many ElliptiGO enhausiasts own all three models (in some case even more!!)

Full race results 

Hey hello anyone still there? ....  I'm still stuck up this mountain....  Now it was just the small matter of getting back down.... 🤣

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Huge and special thanks to Eric Bouvier and all the volunteers that supported the event. The whole weekend had a unique and special communitu feel to it. It was an honour to meet so many other ElliptiGO riders whom just like me are hugely enhausiastic about the bike we all love to ride. This event really does attract and suit all abilities. Every one of 27 riders who started finished all the way up to 3 hours as the gathering crowds cheered and encouraged them across the finish line. Many new friends were made, information on the bikes and mods shared, a chance to chat, socialize, eat good food, and generally just have an awesome weekend in an awesome setting in France. 

So if there is anyone reading this that has always thought about coming over to the European ElliptiGO Champs, or who hasn't thought about it until now but wants to then I'd encourage you!! You'll have a blast.