Montauban marathon

2018, March the 25th

You're here: Home / Races / Montauban marathon

My race

After the Bordeaux Marathon in the beginning of 2017, here is the story of my thirteenth marathon. Will the number thirteen bring me happiness and allow me to reach the goal I set for myself?

Living only half an hour from Montauban, I chose the option to get up early (anyway it was necessary to allow enough time for digestion) and go to the start only the morning of the race.
This human-sized marathon (approximately 250 registered for marathon, approximately 1000 registered for half-marathon and approximately 1400 for 10k race) allows you to collect the bib the morning of the race.

The start of marathon is announced at 8:30 a.m. and half-marathon and 10k will start 30 minutes later. The marathon course consists of 2 loops, half-marathon a loop and the 10km a shortened loop.

After a 15-minute warm-up, I return to the car to prepare Nutrisens Naturium isotonic drink which I would bring in a 750ml can.
Then I join the departure of the elite corral. We are not many and I find a runner (Ludovic) who aims to descend below the 3H mark.

The start is given a few minutes later. The start is fast, but I slow down to not exceed my goal of the day, 15km/h. Small groups are forming but the pace is too high for me, I prefer to remain isolated and maintain my pace of 4 min per km.
From the 5th km I start to catch up with 2 runners and I will stay with one on a 3km portion of straight line facing the wind. The runner tells me to go behind him to be protected from the wind, which I do.
I stay with him until the 14th km but from that moment I start to experience some difficulties, I am embarrassed digestively and I put my fingers at the back of my throat to relieve my stomach.
It refresh me instantly. But the runner has already moved several hundred meters away.
I know I’m wasting time on my goal but I don’t attach too much importance to it, I’m in 10th place at this time. A part of the road with in some places supports not stable because of a nice layer of stones, small climbs with a slightly slippery ground make the task a little more difficult.

I run the half-marathon in 1H26’30", an average pace of about 4’05" per km. Always late on my goal but I readjust it saying to myself that if I do between 2H 52min and 2H 55min I would be happy with the form of the day. The rain joins us for a few drops that will not last.
The runner who protected me from the wind gives up at that time, I see him and he tells me that he's stopping because he doesn't like rain. I think he just feel down because he could not keep his goal too.

Suddenly seeing him giving up, I imagine that a podium in the M1 category (which I joined this year) would be possible. But it will be necessary that I don't get overtaken by M1 runner.
I keep replenishing with this prospect.
Kilometers continues to scroll to this straight line facing the wind, between the 27th km and the 30th. In the 28th I feel that my quadriceps are getting stiffer, I feel that they are starting to hurt me.

Alone facing the wind, I resist as best as I can seeing kilometers runned in 4’20".
The dirty road section does not help me at this time.

Everything becomes harder, then I get overtaken by a M1 runner, I keep some hope for the 3rd place of the podium.
Towards the 38th/39th km I lose hope by being overtaken again by another M1 runner. Then Ludovic overtakes me, I encourage him so that he can reach his goal. He's on schedule, the 3H pace leader is two hundred meters behind him.

A few hundred meters further I have to stop and walk, my quadriceps have now become too painful.
I would walk up to a hundred meters from the finish line where runners strongly encourage me to start again to run.
I don't want to, but at their insistence I let myself be convinced and I painfully end up running at 7km/h this 13th marathon.

Conclusion :

Now is the time to analyze the race… A goal that was a little too ambitious made me burn too much energy at the start which led me little by little to get my body and my head to stop.
They won this time, but I will take my revenge on the Futuroscope Marathon in 2 months with a slightly less ambitious goal.

The runner's gift on this marathon is to be underlined, a very good Finisher t-shirt, a liter of grape juice, apples, cookies, gift vouchers from local merchants.
Marathon on a human scale which really deserves to be better known even if its course is not obvious.

Training plan followed

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
12 x 200m R= 1'	Jogging	Jogging + core workouts	8km race
	Pyramidal workout 200m - 300m - 400m - 500m - 600m - 700m - 800m - 900m - 800m - 700m - 600m - 500m - 400m - 300m - 200m with r=40' + R=5' before the 900m	3 x 15' threshold at 3'45"/km	Jogging	3 x 2000m in 3'35"/km R=5'
Jogging	8 x 400m in 1'16" R=1'	2 x 15' threshold at 3'45"/km	Jogging + core workouts			Jogging
	Jogging		Jogging			20 x 30/30
	8 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	30' + 15' at SP42	Jogging + core workouts	3 x 1500m at 3'35"/km R=1'40"	Jogging 20 km
Pyramidal workout 200m - 300m - 400m - 500m - 600m - 700m - 800m - 900m - 800m - 700m - 600m - 500m - 400m - 300m - 200m with r=40' + R=5' before the 900m	Jogging + educatifs + drills	2 x 15' threshold at 3'50"/km	Jogging + core workouts	4 x 800m in 2'40" R=1' + 3 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'		long run de 1H45'
12 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging + drills	2 x 30' at SP42	Jogging + core workouts	6 x 800m in 2'40" R=1' + 4 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	25 km with 2 x 30' at SP42 r= 5'	long run de 2H
6 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging	30' at SP42	Jogging + core workouts	lactate shuttle 2 x (1km at SP10 + 2km at SP42)
12 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging + drills	2 x 25' threshold at 3'50"/km		lactate shuttle 4 x (1km at SP10 + 2km at SP42)		long run with 15' at SP10 + 30' at SP42
Jogging + 15 x 300m in 1' R = 50"	Jogging 17 km	Jogging 17 km including 25' + 15' at threshold at 4'/km	Jogging + core workouts	lactate shuttle 6 x (800m at SP10 + 1,2km at SP42)	long run 26 km
16km including 16 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging	10km including 2km at threshold at 3'45"/km + 3km at SP42 at 4'/km 16 km including 4 x 2km at threshold at 3'45"/km	Jogging 14 km	lactate shuttle 5 x (800m at SP10 + 1,2km at SP42)		long run 30 km
10 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'		2 x 5km at SP42	Jogging	lactate shuttle 2 x (800m at SP10 + 1,2km at SP42)	long run 24 km
16km including 16 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging Jogging	Jogging 2 x 10' at threshold at 3'45"/km	Jogging	lactate shuttle 4 x (1km at threshold + 2km at SP42)		long run 2H15'
20 x 400m in 1'20" R=1'	Jogging	lactate shuttle 4 x (1km at threshold + 2km at SP42)	15' at threshold at 3'45"/km + 15' at SP42 + 6' at threshold at 3'45"/km			long run 2H
10 x 200m in 38" R=40'	Jogging	30' at SP42	Jogging	lactate shuttle 3 x (800m at threshold + 1200m at SP42)
10 x 200m in 38" R=40'	Jogging	Jogging				Montauban marathon

Route

Elevation profile

Pictures

I don't say it will be easy, I says it will worth it.

If you want something you've never had, you'll have to do what you've never done before.

Your attitude matters more than your abilities. Zig Ziglar

Motivation is when dreams put on their work clothes. Benjamin Franklin

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Winston Churchill

I do it because I can. I can because I want it. I want it because I'm told that I can't.

If you're absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success. Will Smith

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. W. P. Kinsella

Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. Belva Davis

Go to the end of things before giving up.

Not having tried is worse than failure.

Every expert was once a beginner.

If you don't succeed the first time, shake and try again. Aaliyah

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Henry Ford

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Henry Ford

Crying can give you sympathy, sweat will give you results. Laurent Vicente

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Henry Ford

Crying can give you sympathy, sweat will give you results. Laurent Vicente

Don't think limits. Usain Bolt

Running is the only medicine that my legs and my head, but also my heart and my soul, need. Laurent Vicente

A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle. Bouddha

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon. Zatopek

Is defeated only whoever believes it. Fernando de Rojas

I never lose. I either win or learn. Nelson Mandela

I often hear someone say I'm not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner. Bart Yasso

I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards. Alberto Salazar

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. Irish Blessing

Your legs are not giving out. Your head is giving out. Keep going. Jillian Michaels

No matter how fast you run, you'll always be faster than those who sit on their couch. Richard Paradis

Ask yourself: « Can I give more? ». The answer is usually: « Yes ». Paul Tergat

The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. John Bingham

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. Oscar Wilde

No one ever drowned in sweat.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. Edward Stanley

Experience is a lantern that is worn on the back and that never shines the path. Confucius

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. Lucius Annaeus Seneca

That little voice inside your head that says you can't do it, well... it's a liar!

Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.

Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

Each step count.

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or your predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. William Faulkner

We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. Roger Bannister

You do not get to the summit by overtaking others, but by overtaking yourself.

Life's battles don't always go to the strongest or fastest man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the fellow who thinks he can. Steve Prefontaine

To win a race, the swiftness of a dart availeth not without a timely start. Jean de la Fontaine

If you feels good racing an ultramarathon, don't worry, it will pass... Guillaume Millet

Never allow your fear to grow larger than your faith. Jillian Michaels

Why choose to fail when success is an option? Jillian Michaels