I wanted a confidence booster at the Great Eastern Run last weekend.
Instead, I got a fairly uncomfortable conversation with my podcast partner and, annoyingly, he was right.
After disappointing performances at the Round Norfolk Relay and Bure Valley 10 Mile, I’d deliberately tapered for Peterborough. I wanted to arrive with fresh legs, discover where my fitness stood and hopefully run comfortably underneath 90 minutes.
I’d had a decent couple of weeks and felt reasonably good beforehand.
The plan was to head out at around 6:30–6:40 minute-mile pace. For the opening miles, I ran alongside two of the Wymondham AC ride-or-dies, Jet Watkinson and Harriet Carr. Everything seemed under control.
Then, around five miles, things started getting harder than they should have been.
This was the moment to reassess, ease off and settle into a more manageable effort. I did none of those things.
Instead, I tried to stick with Jet, hoping the discomfort might somehow resolve itself and that sheer stubbornness would get me through.
By eight miles, I was in trouble. The pace deteriorated and another race I’d imagined going rather differently began slipping away.
I eventually finished in 1:33. Now, a 1:33 half marathon isn’t a terrible result and there was a time when I’d have been absolutely delighted with it.
What bothered me was how familiar the experience felt. Another race where things unravelled towards the end.
I’ve also noticed that when racing becomes particularly difficult, I’m increasingly finding myself thinking: ‘I don’t need this.’
Not especially helpful when you’ve voluntarily paid to spend your Sunday morning running yourself into the ground.
But perhaps it reflects something bigger.
Building my business, Mark Armstrong Media, has been mentally demanding, with late nights and interrupted sleep. I’ve also taken on a more hands-on role helping with my son’s football team, getting qualifications completed and helping get the boys playing again.
All things I want to do, but they take time and energy.
At 44, I can’t expect my body to absorb everything I throw at it while treating recovery as something I’ll get around to eventually.
That’s not an excuse but it is context I need to take more seriously.
Anyway, I discussed Peterborough with Logan Smith on our latest Snail & Pace podcast.
Logan, fresh from running a 63-minute half marathon in Manchester, listened sympathetically, then proceeded to meticulously pull apart my training over the last few months. It’s exactly what I needed to hear and what I do with it is up to me.
His first question was why I’d tried to race it at that pace when my recent training hadn’t really been geared towards producing a fast half marathon.
He suggested treating Peterborough as a marathon-training opportunity instead.
His approach would have been to start at around 7:45 per mile and gradually increase the pace by three to five seconds each mile.
Rather than spending the final miles being overtaken and desperately hanging on, I could potentially have been working through the field, finishing strongly and banking a useful session.
As he put it: ‘Why not flip it on its head and do it the other way around?’
A fair question.
He also pointed out something I’d conveniently overlooked.
In six weeks I’d raced Run Norwich, the Round Norfolk Relay, Bure Valley and Peterborough.
Four races in six weeks during a marathon build.
I’d been so focused on testing my fitness that I hadn’t given myself enough uninterrupted time to develop it.
While I’ve been clinging to my strong Run Norwich performance as evidence that everything is fine, a good 10K doesn’t automatically mean you’ve got the endurance to sustain that level over a half marathon or beyond.
Logan’s assessment was that my biggest weakness at the moment is durability.
I’ve still got some speed, but haven’t consistently done enough longer, purposeful running to maintain a strong effort once fatigue accumulates.
With Verona approaching, the answer isn’t to panic, cram in missed mileage or attempt to prove my fitness every weekend.
It’s to make the remaining training count, with purposeful long runs, greater consistency and enough recovery to actually benefit from the work.
I still want to run well in Verona. I just need to stop confusing wanting a result with having done the preparation required to achieve it.
Peterborough wasn’t the confidence booster I wanted, but perhaps the conversation afterwards was more valuable.
If nothing else, I’ve given Logan enough ammunition to keep him entertained for several podcast episodes.
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