Hi guys! Full recap of my experience in Amsterdam below (2h30:41 PR).
I'll start pointing out how terrible I was feeling a few days before the race. Two days before I was basically sure i was getting sick, and if you had asked me I would have said "there's no way i am running a marathon in 2h30". Even the day before I was feeling terrible.
My tapering this time was very odd - or perhaps it must feel like this if you are doing it right. I remember never feeling great the two weeks before any Marathon, but this time was particularly hard. A week before I ran a 10 miles with the last 2.5 in Marathon Pace and it felt so hard, I was amazed by how running a week later at the same pace could feel so easy (well, at least for the first 30k or so). Also worth mentioning that i did zero running the three days before the race. My last run was on Wednesday. I wouldn't have done that in normal conditions, but with tourism in Amsterdam and the fact that I was feeling terrible It actually went that way.
second point, the Vaporflys... not exactly in terms of performance as it is hard to measure, but for sure this is the marathon that i feel best the following day. I am sore but not so much, and also even a few hours after the race I was feeling pretty well recovered. I believe it was the right decision to wear it.
On the race itself.
Weather was great, course was fast but not as fast as Berlin. Too many turns and slight uphills to cross the bridges.
I ran the first 5k exactly as I wanted (17.41) but from 6 to 10 went a bit too fast (35.06). I was aiming to pass 35.20 and got a little scared that I was going too fast even if it felt so easy.
I slowed down for the next 5k which now I see was a mistake; at this point I was together with a large group and didn't think of the pace until I passed the 15k mark in 53:10; then I realised I had considerably slowed down for that 5k segment (18.04).
I decided to leave the group and speed up again; nobody followed and from that point I ran about 3k alone which was not great either as we had a little headwind at that part of the course until i reached a group with three Scandinavian runners. We went together and passed the Half together in 1h14:36. One of the Scandinavians slowed down but I kept going with the other two who were apparently feeling great as I was as well, and at the 25k mark we had reached another group. We were about 10 runners running together, but the Scandinavian guys were going too fast (hitting 17.30 / 5k pace) and I decided to stick with the larger group hitting 17:40s.
Soon the Scandinavians opened a good gap to the point that at 30 km or so i could not see them anymore (that was perhaps my second mistake as they would both finish in 2h29!).
from 30 to 35 I was actually feeling great and if you had asked me I would've told you that I was gonna make it and break the 2h30. I split 17:41 for that 5k segment, but at around 34 km I was also alone - the scandinavian guys were some 100-150m ahead and the larger group was falling apart behind me.
at 37 km it hit me. At first, i did not see it coming, but i split 3:38 or so and realised I was actually pushing harder and harder to be able to hold on.
The fact that i was running alone for the final 5k did not help. By 40k I was still on pace with a final kick, but the sub 2h30 was falling off my hands quickly and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle as I had already gone slower for the previous 2 KMs and my body was deteriorating.
I just did not have the necessary mental strength, or the right competition at the end of the race, or enough energy (i actually consumed only 3 gels the entire race, and one was before the start; the first with 10 km, the second with 25 km and then I felt my stomach couldn't handle anymore, and as I was feeling great, I decided not to worry about it).
I feel great for having set a new PR but at the same time, I can't help thinking that I could have done it. Especially by how great I was feeling an hour later (in terms of soreness) and also how I feel today.
I missed for 42 seconds, exactly one second per KM. About 20-25 seconds I lost for sticking with a slower group from 11-15 and not noticing the KMs passing; and the other 15-20s i lost in these little imperfections of the course (a little headwind for a few kms, a few bridges here in there). Also, when I hit 40k mark i did a quick calculation and realised i was not gonna get it but that I would be close, and i believe that actually made me slow down more than I could handle.
anyway, I am thrilled with the race i had; it was a lot of fun.
my schedule was very tough at work with lots of travels and I know my mileage was not great (averaging 60-65 for the 15 weeks) so I can't complain with a 1:12 PR.
quick thoughts for those still pursuing the sub 2h30 this year:
- don't worry if you feel terrible in the two weeks before the marathon, and even if you are feeling terrible the day before, don't worry too much as I was actually feeling like this and still managed a 2h30.
- it is all about the mental strength in the last 5k!
- being with a group throughout the race but especially in the very end is very important, i know you probably won't have control of it, but the right competition at the end of the race will make a lot of difference; you don't want to work alone for those last 5ks!
- but at the same time, if you are with a group, don't miss the splits; easy to go some 3 seconds slower than planned and not realising it, and paying a huge price for it after the race.
finally, I really learned a lot with you guys in this thread. It helped me to purchase the Vaporfly, with the tapering schedule and lots of insights throughout my training.
thank you all!
here are my splits:
1-5 -- 17:41
6-10 -- 17:25 (35:06)
11-15 -- 18:04 (53:10)
16-20 -- 17:39 (1h10:49)
Half - 1h14.36
21-25 --17:38 (1h28:27)
26-30 -- 17.44 (1h46:11)
31-35 -- 17.41( 2h03:52)
36-40 -- 18.27 (2h22:19)
40 to finish -- 8.22 (2h30:41)