Jimba wrote:Week 4, last proper training week. 70k with one 11.5 miler in there. 45mins on turbo.
Am concerned that I don’t have the long runs under my belt and looking at previous results it is not a particularly fast course. Starting to think I might have been a bit ambitious
Good news is no niggles and weight down a bit
Worry ye not sir, for a man who fears nothing is a fool. Long distance racing is a constantly changing playing field dependant on a multiple number of factors. Runners world or some other magazine did its usual guide for training for a marathon a few years ago, unfortunately due to there not being a responsible adult available to proof read it, they published a training guide to a half marathon, after the London marathon they received a number of letters saying thank you for getting them a PB after using their guide.
Much of LD racing is mental strength, and breaking down the race, as you know what time you want to finish it in, break it down, so at any moment you know where you are and what you need to do. It's your first, a learning curve, a huge one at that.
Regarding lack of long runs, no worries, by doing regular shorter runs, you have prevented injury, and conditioned your body, if there is a downside, it is the extended recovery after the race, not the race in itself. You will be fine, everybody wishes they could do more training, just go out and show those young upstarts how to do it properly.
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.