Review of the 14 week Marathon Training Plan:

Here is the summary of the 42 sessions that made up my 14 week Marathon Training Plan:

• 30/42 sessions completed: 72%
• 12/42 sessions not completed: 28%
• 7/42 sessions failed: 16% (required pace or distance not met)
• 5/42 sessions missed: 12% (due to injury or illness)

Physical difference to my body:

The biggest surprise was although the weight stayed the same (I would have lost more weight if it wasn't for two big holiday seasons; Christmas / New Years and Chinese New Year), I lost big centimetres across my chest (6.5) and waist (4). So what happened? It looks like I've increased muscle weight to offset the fat loss around the chest, waist and arms. The one cm increase in the hips is a good sign too. The hip measurement is taken across the weight part of the butt (glutes) all the way around, so an increase here is a good sign that I'm adding muscle to my glutes (drive / power muscles). Great news here from a measurements (weight and circumference) perspective.

The Sundown Marathon Race:

This was the race I was using to test the 14week Marathon Training Plan. It was run on the 25th March midnight (26th March 12:15am - delayed start). Unfortunately I dropped out of the race (DNF) after 20kms due to my calves tightening up and slowing down considerably. I didn't think it was worth walking/jogging the remaining distance and risk further injury as I had a 105km team relay race two weeks later. I was holding approx. 4:30 - 4:45min/km pace for 14kms before slowing down to 5:30min/km by the 18km (as the right calf started to tighten up) and 6:15min/km pace during the 18th km before walking close to the 19km marker. What went wrong? In hindsight:

• Training: The increase in mileage was too much for my legs to handle, week on week. I was experiencing different aches and pains in different parts of my legs, and unfortunately the calves were the most problematic, and not able to recover fast enough between sessions.
• Training: After being hospitalised (dehydration from gastro), I was never the same. My Heart Rate Variability (HRV) scores were lower, and it look longer for me to recover between sessions (if at all). I started to miss many of my sessions after this turning point, and it happened at a crucial point where mileage was at its peak.
• Race: Due to the injuries, I was lacking confidence going into the race.

The 105km Relay Race (2 weeks after 14week Marathon Training Plan completion):
Our training team entered into a different type of endurance race in Putrajaya, Malaysia. It was a relay format consisting of four runners, each to run a 3.75km loop until the team completed 105km in total (or seven loops each). The route was by varied; 1km down hill, 2km flat, and then a brutal 750m to the baton handover box. That meant approx. 50mins of rest between each loop (to recover, rest, drink, eat, cheer and analyse our Garmin data). Starting at 7 in the morning, the weather was not much of a factor, and I managed to run the fastest loop of the day in 14:24mins. However, as the sun began to break over the trees, by our fourth lap, all of us could feel the heat and humidity. And it showed in our times. Although I had the fastest time of the day, I also had the biggest drop in average pace over the seven laps compared to my team mates; 3:47min/km on the first loop to 4:46min/km by the last loop. As a team, we did enough to win with a time of 7 hours, 47 mins (4:23min/km average pace).

In terms of the 14week training program, Miel and I completed the training plan together in its entirety and also recorded the best average pace over seven loops (4:16 and 4:17 respectively). Although the plan didn't help me with the Sundown Marathon, it definitely gave me speed (and power through the hills) over the 3.75km and across the seven loops (although there's more room for improvement in keeping a tighter average pace for all loops).

Winners of the Men's 105km Relay Race in Putrajaya.

Half Marathon Race Pace Training (4 weeks after 14week Marathon Training Plan completion):
The next day after the race, I took my family on a holiday to Melbourne. It was Autumn (nice and cool), and the climate made it noticeably so much nicer and easier to run in. Coincidentally, my training partner also flew back to his hometown, but he had entered a 21.1km race slightly cooler conditions than Melbourne. He smashed his Half Marathon Personal Best by 7minutes! Motivated by his effort, I decided to also try for a PR over 21km. I chose a grassy (easier on the body) oval with a 400m loop (reduce traffic issues) close to home. The football oval also removed any pace variation as a result of hills (which there are lots of in my area). After 52 laps, I managed to run 21.1km in 1:18:46hrs, smashing my previous record by 12mins! Although extremely boring, I only had one thing on my mind, and that was keeping the pace at 3:40-3:45min/km.

In summary, although I was unsuccessful in my attempt to finish my first marathon, I still managed to make complete over 70% of a very tough training plan, make positive changes to my body (towards a lean runner's body), win an endurance race with my team mates, and also set a new personal record over the half marathon distance as a result of this training program. So what's next? Before the next 14week marathon training block for the Melbourne Marathon (mid July), I'm on a mission to increase my running mileage (with long slow steady runs) and build the muscular endurance in legs required for the marathon distance. Stay tuned.