It took 30 months for the Paris Marathon to return, after it was postponed and then canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and then again last April, when it usually takes place. The date has finally been set for October 17, 2021.
- MARATHON PREPARATION
So now it's been over a year since I got my bib and I've been waiting to start serious marathon training. Training that begins more or less in August, 10 weeks before the race.
The preparation is going as planned, and the sessions are flowing smoothly. To my great surprise, I'm not injured. I'm prone to pain and recently recovered from fascia lata tendonitis (the infamous windshield wiper syndrome), so I was finally able to enjoy the pleasures of training without forced interruptions.
10 weeks of training without a predefined plan in advance. What I particularly like about running is the freedom to go running whenever I want, for as long as I want, and at the desired intensity. Following a training plan with set sessions each day isn't really for me.
However, I try to maintain a rhythm of at least 4 sessions per week, to which are added a few hours of cycling as well as muscle strengthening and proprioception sessions. Overall, a fairly heterogeneous preparation with a training volume ranging from 4 to 10 hours of physical activity per week, my biggest week of running amounting to 65 km.
On October 17th, the goal is clear: to break the 3-hour mark in the marathon. I'll need to maintain a pace of 4:15/km for 42.195 km. Physically and mentally, I feel ready, but it's difficult to predict everything that can happen during a 3-hour race. See you in Paris to find out.
- MARATHON IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD
6:30 a.m.… The alarm goes off. I didn't sleep well, 5 hours at most. The pressure of the day before the race (I'm originally from Lille, but this has nothing to do with beer) got the better of me.
I start breakfast with a plate of buttered pasta, which I top off with a plain yogurt into which I pour 40g of Holyfat vanilla macadamia nuts . A treat. In terms of hydration, I drink nearly 1.5L of water until I leave.
Speaking of departure, it's closer than ever. It's 9 a.m., and I enter the 3 a.m. gate corresponding to my race number. Emotions are rising. Around me, the faces are enthusiastic, impatient, and some fearful.
9:23 a.m.… This time it's finally here, the start is underway. A slightly faster start than I'd planned. The euphoria of the race, the atmosphere, and the gently sloping terrain… It's hard to maintain my target pace. But I have to. I know that in Paris, the first half-marathon is pretty smooth, but things get worse in the second half of the race, so I have to keep my energy up.
Km 7, Place de la Bastille, my family and friends are there to cheer me on, what a blast! It's also the first refreshment stop of the race. I grab a bottle of water that a volunteer hands me, I drink a good half of it, or at least I try as best I can without choking.
I repeat the process at the next three refreshment stations. Water and nothing else. Well, yes! My 40g pouch of Café Holyfat placed in the back pocket of my shorts. It will be my only source of nutrition for the first 27 kilometers. A choice that turned out to be the right one.
27th km, new refreshment point, new bottle of water and this time a third more banana.
My fueling strategy was as follows: a Holyfat pouch for the first 2 hours of the race to ensure a significant calorie intake and no blood sugar fluctuations. Then a piece of banana at each aid station from the 27th km onwards to benefit from a carbohydrate intake and therefore a boost effect for the end of the race, without risking hypoglycemia.
Km 30, my legs are starting to stiffen, but that's normal, nothing to worry about. I grit my teeth despite the ups and downs of the Seine banks and I make the most of the incredible atmosphere around the road. The pace is maintained, 4'11, 4'08, 4'14... A right turn and here it is... the hill of Boulevard Suchet. 500 m at an average gradient of 3%. Normally it's a formality, but at the 34th km of a marathon it inevitably takes its toll. I shorten my stride, slow down a little, the goal being to save as much energy as possible and pick up the pace once I've passed the hill.
It's done. Once at the top, I let my legs roll, trying to have the most relaxed stride possible. At this stage of the race, it's not so much the legs that decide anymore, but rather the mind. In my head, the countdown has started: only 4 km, 3.5 km, 3 km to go... The pain is there, but that's largely why I came, so there's no question of giving up so close to the finish.
In these last few kilometers, many runners are fed up and start walking. So, I overtake many of them, always encouraging them: "Come on, let's hang on!"
With the 500m sign in my sights, I turn off my brain and complete this final stretch at over 16 km/h. There was still (a little) left in my stomach, that's what I wanted. To be able to finish strong at the end of a controlled marathon. I cross the finish line and turn off my watch without really knowing my exact time. My family joins me and doesn't prolong the suspense any longer. 2h 57' 45'', the 3-hour mark has fallen, the goal has been reached.
I'm very happy with my race and the final time. Oddly enough, I didn't think I'd do such a good time, yet at the finish, I felt like 2 hours 55 minutes was achievable. It's not disappointment, but rather a desire to always do better.
More than just a race, the Paris Marathon is an extraordinary experience. The Parisian monuments, the atmosphere that reigns on every street corner—everything comes together to create an extraordinary experience. I hope everyone participates once in their lives.
- AN UNCERTAIN BETWEEN TWO RACES
Time for a few days of rest... Very little, since barely 6 days later I hang up a bib for the Marathon des Causses (35 km and 1700 m D+) at the Festival des Templiers, in Millau.
I knew this when I signed up: in six days, the body doesn't have time to properly recover from an effort as traumatic as a marathon. What at first seems like an unintelligent choice turns into a real challenge.
This sequence is not without risk and it didn't take me long to see pain appear. From the Tuesday following the marathon, pain began to set in on the outside of my left foot, causing discomfort when walking as well as when standing. I'm not worried too much, it will probably pass on its own.
Thursday morning, jogging along the banks of the Tarn with Alvaro, 5 km in 5'30/km. The discomfort is subtle at first, I tell myself that it should disappear when I'm warmed up. Well, no, it keeps getting worse and worse until it disrupts my stride at the end of the run. With 2 days to go before the race, I don't know if I'll be able to finish this trail, or even if it's reasonable to start on one foot. This question will persist until the last moment and will have real consequences on the outcome of my race.
- MARATHON DES CAUSSES, TEMPLARS, A MENTAL RACE
Saturday, October 23, 2021. On the morning of the race, I still don't know if I'll be on that starting line or not. My foot is still sore, but it seems bearable.
The start is at 12:25 p.m. It's 11 a.m., my decision is (finally) made. Since I'm in Millau, more than 850 km from home, I might as well give it a go, even if I don't manage to finish the race. It's 12:20 p.m., I'm in the second wave of the race. The runners in the first wave set off 10 minutes ago. The famous "Ameno" by Era echoes through the Millau Valley. Five long minutes and it's time to start.
Being at the back of the pack, I'm hampered for the first 500 meters and then begin a comeback at a dynamic but comfortable pace. A quick left, a quick right, this start of the race is more like a slalom than a trail, but mentally, all this overtaking is quite exhilarating.
Focused on squeezing my way through to find space, I hadn't even noticed one detail, yet one of the most important. My foot doesn't hurt. I've been running for a good 3 km and I don't feel the slightest pain. Let's not get carried away; there are 32 km and 1,600 m of elevation gain left to cover.
I continue the race at my own pace and arrive at the foot of the first major obstacle on the course. The Croix de Paulhe, a 1.35 km climb with an average gradient of 23%. Suffice it to say, at that point, I regretted not having poles. But that wasn't the most detrimental aspect.
I quickly found myself stuck behind the riders in the first wave. It was very difficult to overtake because the terrain wasn't at all conducive to it. So I did my best in the hope of losing as little time as possible.
It took me 18 minutes to reach the top of this hill. There followed 2 km of flat and 2 km of descent during which I pushed hard to try to make up the lost time. The 2 km of descent didn't do me any favors; I could feel my thighs were already quite stiff. With 6 days to go before the Paris Marathon, this doesn't surprise me too much; I'll have to make do with the form of the day.
12th kilometer, I stop for a few seconds to fill my water bottles at the first aid station (water only) and off I go again to attack the second difficulty. 3 km at an average gradient of 11.2%. I alternate between running and walking, the climb goes pretty well, I overtake a lot of runners. Once at the top, 6 rather flat kilometers separate me from the next aid station. I settle into 5'/km and move forward, with only one idea in mind, to eat. So far I have taken the time to eat a bar as well as a 40g dose of Holyfat coffee , apparently I am on the same feeding schedule as a week before in Paris, no reason why it shouldn't work.
Yes, but I made a big mistake, which unfortunately cost me my race. Obsessed all morning with the possibility of not starting, I completely neglected one essential point: nutrition. I didn't eat anything between breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and the start of the race 4 hours later. Suffice to say, by around 3 p.m., I was starving.
Rookie mistake, I grab whatever I can get my hands on at the refreshment stand: snacks, cheese, bread, coke, sparkling water... All this while naively telling myself that it should be okay.
Once the "all-you-can-eat buffet" is over, I set off again cautiously to avoid cramps, giving my muscles time to warm up again. The pace has clearly changed for a few kilometers, but I manage to limit the damage until the next aid station, at km 27. Here we go again, bread, cheese, and coke... This time it's the right one, my body is sounding the alarm.
I somehow manage to complete the penultimate descent of the course. It's very technical, the footing is slippery, and I almost fall several times. Here I am at the foot of the last climb of the day, a climb that marks the beginning of my descent into hell. I try to trot for the first 100 meters... impossible. Oh well, I'll finish walking.
I then realize the extent of the damage when even walking becomes torture. Each step a little higher than the other makes me dizzy and forces me to stop. I lose a lot of places on this climb. I, who until then had been overtaken very little, it is difficult mentally, but I can no longer keep up physically. I stop, I start again, I stop… I begin to pay dearly for the mixtures made at the aid stations. Nausea forces me to stop again. At km 32, I vomit 8 times, it is an ordeal.
I manage to get going again and my strength seems to be slowly returning, at least that's the impression I have. Despite terrible stomach cramps, I grit my teeth, complete this final descent and finally pass the finishing arch.
I completed the Causses Marathon in 4 hours and 55 minutes after a grueling race. This race made me realize the vital importance of nutrition for sports, especially running.
In two weeks, I was able to experience two completely different races. One perfectly controlled and the other more chaotic. The difference lies mainly in the diet. This experience allows me to highlight the importance of eating before a long and intense effort and not eating anything during it. When we run, the body uses the available energy to work the muscles necessary to move us forward, putting aside the organs such as the stomach. This is why it is essential to use healthy and digestible products, like the products offered by Holyfat for example, to avoid this kind of complication during the effort.
I'm very happy to have completed this challenge by running two big races six days apart. I learned a lot and am already preparing for my next goal: the 110 km Volvic Volcanic Experience (VVX).
Adrien DICQUE, member of the Holyteam .