Aske KammerTomorrow, I will run the Helsingborg Marathon (#runhbgm). A thread.
1/x
Helsingborg Marathon is my second marathon this year. My preparation has been good, and even though this week has been hard work-wise, I feel ready.
My goal: cross the starting line + enjoy it
My hope: finish
My pipe-dream: finish in 4:15 or less (PR: 4:38:25)
I am runner no. 1125. I think you can follow live through
https://helsingborgmarathon.se/en/marathon/
It is going to be hard. It is also going to be fun. I do not fear the marathon, but I respect it.
My strategy for #running the Helsingborg Marathon is to mentally split it in four, so I run four races of 10-11 km. I know I can do 10 km, so this should make the distance(s) easier to cope with.
I used the same strategy at Copenhagen Marathon in May. It worked all right back then and will hopefully do so again tomorrow.
For the first 30 km, I aim at a pace of 6 minutes per km. After that, I will improvise in accordance with how I feel.
3/x
My strategy for fluids and nutrition: I will drink at each of the 14 energy stations. I will have a gel around every half hour - unless there is fruit or the like at the stations (gels are effective but taste rather horrible, so I much prefer real food).
It will be too warm in Helsingborg for my taste. Hydration will be much more important than usual. This is the major known unknown in my race plan.
4/x
I will use my normal gear for the Helsingborg Marathon. Do not change a winning concept.
Shoes: black Mizuno Wave Inspire XX, which have gone 582 km.
Clothing: worn-out shorts, old tank top, and a cap (H&M), running socks (brand unknown), and a wristband and a thing to hold my phone on my arm (Nike).
Tech: I use my old Casio F-91W watch (+ phone) for time-keeping. In my ears, I will have my Sportsbuddy headphones. There will be music.
5/x
Music is exceptionally important in my life - and when I run. So there is a plan for that as well.
For the four races-within-the-race, I have four one-hour (give or take) sections of my playlist. Each of these is carried by artists with a track-record of helping me through long runs - respectively, #BruceSpringsteen, #TaylorSwift, #TheWarOnDrugs (my favorite band), and #CatPower.
This is my jam: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/550Hk56rF9D7WYxKzltY0x?si=5fcadf7925ac412c
6/x
Helsingborg Marathon in T minus 20 minutes.
This is it.
I DID IT!! I did the Helsingborg Marathon.
(Then my phone battery died, so I couldn't post until now.)
It was brutally warm, much to warm for me, and I struggled. A lot. But I finished, and I am very happy and proud of it.
There will be a full report later. Now I need to shower and eat.
Mike Lawton@askekammer well done! 🎉
@mlawton Thank you!!