Bordeaux marathon

My race

After la Rochelle mathon at the end of 2016 when I broke my record, I was forced to stop running for 2 months.

This marathon has the distinction of starting at 8 p.m. and, counting the runners of the alf-marathon (14,000), the marathon runners and the relay runners, it's not far from 20,000 runners who run on the course on April 15. Bordeaux being only 2 hours drive from Toulouse, the logistics were very simple, I left by car at 2 p.m. on Saturday to collect my bib and the return is planned by car after the race, planning to leave around midnight from Bordeaux, I estimated that at 2:00 am I would be in bed recovering.

The bib recovery was done relatively quickly, fortunately I take each time a medical certificate "just in case" because it served me well, I had nevertheless downloaded it on their site, but they hadn't received it.

I went around the marathon village, there were several stands, i-run, brooks, several marathons (the Médoc, San Sebastian, Nice-Cannes, ...) and the organic stand bio C'bon which offered delicious fruit juice, squeezed in place. After going around, I decided to throw some papers that I had with me and then I went to the lockers. And there, when I change, great panic ... I can't find the bib, I understand immediately that I had inadvertently throw it in the trash. A little sprint ... phew, the trash has not been emptied and the bib is not soiled ... Little moment of stress but it's good I catch my breath :)

So direction the lockers which close at 7 p.m. to leave all my belongings and I go for a little warm-up. Since the clock is ticking, it's time to enter the -3H corral. There are already a lot of people, I meet people I know, we chat a little, time flies faster. The sun even warms us at almost 8 p.m. Little by little, I enter in my bubble, I remember the preparation, it was not perfect because I resumed only 3 months ago after a cut of 2 months, but overall I did good sessions, I feel ready, rested, confident, certainly too much, tonight I aim for less than 3 hours, but no personal best.

The silence of the crowd announces the imminent departure, a gunshot comes out of nowhere, let's go ! After 100m, I look at my watch, too fast, I run at more than 15km/h while I aim for 14.4km/h. Quickly I let runners pass me and set to my pace, a smile for the photographer I know at the 2nd km.

First kilometers are smooth, fortunately I left in front because behind I have the impression that it's jostling. We cross the Garonne river to go in what seems to me to be a park, this part is however not too pleasant because the dust rises from the earth. The spectators are numerous on these first kms. Then we cross the Garonne river again. On the bridge and at the exit, it's a tide of spectators who encourage us. I have never seen so many people on a running race, it feels like at the top of a col during the Tour de France !

The kilometers go by, half-marathoners branch off, we are alone with the relay runners. Around me, I don't see many marathon runners. I control my pace every km, I respect roughly the 4'10" km pace that I had set for myself. On the other hand the display of the km does not seem to me to be regular, because sometimes I spend the km in 4'20", sometimes in 3'55". The half marathon is already there, 1H27', right in time.

However, trouble will not be long in coming. From the 24th, I start to feel pain under the left foot, then on the 28th it's both feet. I don't know where it comes from because my shoes have already been tested on long runs of 28km. Then, between the 28th and the 30th, the quadriceps start to be painful, I feel that something is wrong, maybe I left too quickly compared to my capacities of the day ... Whatever, I must walk, to relieve the quadriceps. Then each restart gets harder, I find it hard to force myself to run, even despite the continuous encouragement of volunteers, spectators and runners.

I tell myself that's the "wall", that everything will be better in a few minutes, I wouldn't reach my goal, but I would do everything to be close to it. But no, the kilometers pass by, very slowly, too slowly ... 9 minutes, 10 minutes per km. There, I can't wait until one thing is to finish. I really force myself to succeed in running the last 2 km, at a slow pace, but that's it, the finish line is there, 3H 28'... No joy, just the desire to take the medal, my stuff, change my clothes, take a quick trip to the supply station, take the tram back to the car and then return to Toulouse.

This marathon will have set the record straight, I cannot prepare a marathon in 3 months after a cut. I was too sure of myself, but the marathon is still a marathon, you have to be a minimum prepared to hope for a performance. It will serve me as a lesson! Finally, I hope !

Conclusion :

I really recommend to run this marathon, the organization is really well done, the public very present, even if there are fewer people when you get away from the center. There is a really great atmosphere, I was offered beers several times on the course :) and the fact of running at dusk, it changes a little. There are still small things to improve after this 3rd edition because there were not all sizes of T-shirt for those who did the bib withdrawal at the end like me. The distance from the lockers and the end of the food supplies force you to walk a lot and when you have just run 42 km, you do not want to walk !!! :) The food supplies at the finish line was not very well indicated and at first glance several people didn't see it. "Yogi tea" herbal teas were served on the arrival supply and that was a great idea, because at midnight it was cold, even the survival blanket could not keep me warm ... and drinking a hot herbal tea, it was much better!

Training plan followed

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Jogging 16 km	Jogging + 14 x 200m in 38" R = 40"	Jogging + running drills + drills	Jogging + 5 x 1000m at MAS en 3'20"	Jogging + running drills + drills	22km lactate shuttle 5 x (1000m at LT2 + 1000m at LT1)
Jogging + 15 x 200m in 38" R = 40"	Jogging 12 km	18km including 7 x 1000m in 3'35" R=1'40"	Jogging 12 km	lactate shuttle 5 x (1000m at LT2 + 1000m at LT1)	Jogging 26 km
15km including 10 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'05"	Jogging 11 km	17km including 4 x 1500m en 5'40" R=2'	Jogging 11 km	lactate shuttle 5 x (1000m at LT2 + 1000m at LT1)	Jogging 11 km	Jogging 30 km
Jogging 8 km	13km including 5 x 1000m in 3'35" R=1'40"	Jogging	100m- 200m- 300m- 400m- 500m- 600m- 700m- 600m- 500m- 400m- 300m- 200m- 100m with r= 40"	Jogging	22 km including 2 x 7km at threshold
100m- 200m- 300m- 400m- 500m- 600m- 700m- 700m- 600m- 500m- 400m- 300m- 200m- 100m with r= 40"	9km 450mD+	12km 700mD+	Jogging 8 km	13km including 5 x 1000m in 3'35" R=1'40"		30 km including 2km at 3'52"/km
core workouts	100m- 200m- 300m- 400m- 500m- 600m- 700m- 800m- 700m- 600m- 500m- 400m- 300m- 200m- 100m with r= 40"	Jogging + lignes droites	Jogging 11 km	Test allure seuil	Jogging + montees marches	24 km including 2km at 3'52"/km
Jogging 6 km	100m- 200m- 300m- 400m- 500m- 600m- 700m- 800m- 700m- 600m- 500m- 400m- 300m- 200m- 100m with r= 40"	lactate shuttle 5 x (400m at LT2 + 1200m at LT1)	Jogging 10 km	3 x 3000m (4'20" then 4'15" then 4'10" per km) R= 3'	25 km with 2 x 30' at SP42 r= 5'	30 km including 2km at 3'52"/km
lactate shuttle 5 x (400m at LT2 + 1200m at LT1)		7 km SP42 + 4 km SP42 r =5'	Jogging 6 km	20km including 2 x 2000m in 7'44" R=2'30"	Jogging 14 km
Jogging 12 km	5000m at SP42	Jogging 8 km			Bordeaux marathon

Route

Elevation profile