Manchester Marathon Week 3: We Go Again!

There is a mantra used in the running community A LOT – ‘We go again!’

It makes sense, as every training run is just that - training you to go again. You don’t run once then suddenly you are ready for the start line. You need to show up consistently, slowly preparing yourself for the main event.

My training is 5 times a week over 16 weeks. Each run with a purpose.

I don’t always get the point of every training run and sometimes just tick it off. Knowing it is part of a bigger grand master plan moving me forward. Always knowing, regardless of the run, you literally go again.

Monday and Friday are my rest days. After a full week running I cherish Monday to recover ‘to go again’. The thought of a rest on Friday keeps me going during my Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday sessions!

Training is usually 80% easy and 20% hard.

And the hard sessions are when you need to focus and go all in. Leave nothing to chance. These are the sessions that are literally taking you forward towards your goal. They are developing your mindset and body. Allowing you to get comfortable with different paces and distances.

I usually glance at my training plan on the Sunday for the week ahead. Last Sunday three sessions sprung to my attention for week 3:

On Tuesday I run my ‘hard’ session.

After a warm up, I was to run a 4min 28sec pace for 5 minutes. Followed by a 70sec jog. Repeated 4 times. Then a cool down.

Well, this session bugged me a little.

How are you meant to run 4min 28sec? It is too exact. I was back in my hometown, Kilmarnock, and forgot my Garmin watch. Cue, eye roll.

So there I am on Tuesday, putting on my run gear muttering to myself “4 x 4:28 pace with 70sec jog all with no Garmin to guide me.”

I decided it was ridiculous.

After a 2km warm up, I am attempting to run at 4min 28sec pace towards the next village - Kilmaurs.

Still muttering - “What is the point in this pace?”

As I heard the beep on my phone, I looked down and saw 4 min 30sec pace.

I nodded. Not bad. Not 4min 28sec, but close.

The next beep announced 4min 29sec. Not bad i thought again.

At this point I was at the run track in Kilmaurs and I remembered something my last coach told me.

“The point of the session isn’t too hit the pace exactly – it is a guide - the point is to run your best effort. Always try your best.”

After hearing that again and looking up I noticed these amazing clouds - floating through the blue sky without a care in the world. I suddenly had a wake up moment and gave myself permission to stop the muttering of trying to run 4min 28sec and just enjoy running fast around the track.

This was the same track where I started and finished that 5km race in the summer of 2019, when I first ran under 21 minutes. It reminded me why I love running the fast stuff – I feel like a warrior princess.

As I glanced up at the clouds, then down at my phone I saw 4min 15sec pace. I was running too fast - whatever next. I didn’t care as I was giving it my best effort.

I ended up running back home, happy. Happy I went for it, happy I found the running track and those clouds, happy I got out my head to finally enjoy the session. And happy I stopped muttering, “4minute 28seconds”.

The other two sessions that made me ponder were my long runs.

Week 3 included a 15km easy run on Thursday then 21km Sunday long run. Neither days did I jump up and down eager to pound the streets. Especially Sunday, my legs felt TIRED.

My mind kept telling me, “There is no chance you are running 21km” as I laced up my trainers.

I set off and went easy, mega easy. This week I have been purposely running mega easy on my easy runs and weirdly I am getting into it. My body usually finds a pace it likes and then sits on that pace. Even if I am trying to run slower, it doesn’t like it. On most easy runs it settles into a 5 min pace even though my plan is shouting at me to run slower at 5 min 30 seconds.

Arghhh why is running so complicated and frustrating at times. This pace, this day. This other pace, another day.

On my Sunday long run I was so into the 5min 30sec pace. It felt the best – like everything my body needed. At the 10km mark I switched off my chatty podcast and switched ON my music. I need the energy ‘to go again’ as I heard my voice say “just another 11km to go” as I ran along the canal.

The first song echoed through my earphones - Deacon Blue by Dignity. I smiled as I shrugged off the fact I had to run the same again, music has this super power where you glide along to the sound of the tunes as your backdrop.  

Then at 16km mark I popped on Freedom by QFX to bring in a surge of energy – I was beginning to feel the tiredness set in.

Then with 2km to go, when my legs were TIRED and I still felt ages from home, I popped on Andre Day, Rise Up for some free motivational ‘you can do this’ vibes.

And I did it. I ran 21km to finish the week on 63.5km.

 My advice to you when the going gets tough:

1.       Keep bringing yourself back to the present - if you need to look up and enjoy the clouds, Do it. Distracting yourself with fluffy clouds is way better than having conversations in your head.

2.       Don’t get hung up on the pace. Run your best effort - don’t worry if you are not nailing each interval. What is a second here or there!

3.       Prime your playlist so your mind & body gets pumped up when certain tracks come on.

4.       Don’t even entertain any ‘ I am tired thoughts’. Tell yourself tiredness is a state of mind and the last time you checked you weren’t at the finish line – that is when you can say you are tired.

5.       And remember from my Week 1 blog – it is a privilege to get to say, ‘we go again’. Personalise your own mantras. A good one is “I am alive and I can run”. Boom.

‘We go again’ – Week 4 is incoming and I am venturing into England on a road trip. Tired legs expected. I’m due to run 4min 27sec intervals on Tuesday. Argggggghhhh!