Why?

Wednesday - 6.5km

Friday - 6.5km

Flemming, a former colleague (and mentor) in MTN, commented on one of my posts:

"Once you realize the road is the goal and that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural & simple, in itself an ecstasy".

Yes please. Very true. It is not about the destination, it is about the journey. When it comes to marathons this is especially true. There's plenty of time to think when putting one foot in front of the other hour after hour, so most runners tend to work it out on their own. As am I. A marathon is 99% training and 1% race day. No point in training for a marathon if you don't enjoy the training. I do though. Training is something I look forward to. It is something my whole system is craving for. I'm already thinking about what to do after the Comrades. I need to line something up.

Last weekend, after the marathon, one of Celine's colleagues asked me why I would want to run an ultra marathon. How do you explain it to a non runner? Knowing that any attempt would be futile, I simply replied 'Why not?'. Honestly, there are many, many different reasons why I want to run the Comrades. I summed it up in one of my first blog posts: Achievement was the key word. It still is. But more and more, it has simply become a good reason for running 4-5 times a week. If Flemming is right (and he usually is) then with time, I'll get to the point where I don't need a reason anymore. Where each run in itself is the reason. Where time, distance and personal bests no longer matters. Maybe, after the comrades, that's going to be the case.

When we climbed the Rwenzori mountains some weeks back, my friend Alex and I talked about how reaching a goal often is an anticlimax. For me, the highlight of the climb was not the summit. We were up there for 2 minutes, it was freezing cold, there was no view at all and the glazier below was getting more and more dangerous for each minute we spent on celebrating. The highlight was definitely not the summit - the highlight was the 7 full days we spent in the mountains, filled with incredible views and unbelievably beautiful landscapes. I've got a feeling that I'll look back at the Comrades and make the same conclusion. I'd be surprised if crossing the finish line is going to be highlight. After all, I need to run 1500 kilometers before that. Hopefully the hours and energy spent on that will be rewarding in itself.

Ad finem.

Marathon Madsen

Kampala Marathon

Friday - 6.5 km

Sunday - 42.195 km

Running the Kampala Marathon was, as expected, much harder than running the Copenhagen Marathon. My finishing time was 4 hours and 18 minutes. Not exactly record breaking. Nevertheless, I'm more than happy with it.

There were moments of suffering that I won't forget about anytime soon. The sun was relentless and I was close to getting seriously dehydrated, so there wasn't really any other option than to walk for a it after each watering station and drink until the dizziness and the heavy tingling sensation in the arms was gone. On the Northern Bypass and in the hills of Mengo I struggled. In short, it was a hard run at times, but I completed it and thats what counts...

18,000 people have signed up for the Comrades Marathon next year. Registation has closed. Fortunately I signed up and paid some time back, and with my 4:18 minutes run on Sunday, I have qualified for the Comrades. I'm in. The first part of my plan held up.

Last night I decided to aim for running the 89 kilometers in less than 9 hours. There is a lot of statistics available on the internet about this particular run. On average, around 20% the participants do not finish. And only around 20% manage to run the distance in less than 9 hours. All that remains now is to run the 1,600 or so training kilometers in order to get fit enough for it. There are 172 days to go. That's less than 10 kilometers per day. How hard can it be?

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Marathon Madsen

Show time

Tuesday: 15 Km

I'm back from my first run in 2½ weeks. My initial title for this weeks blog was 'What not to eat for lunch before a run' - but I guess that everyone else than me knows that eating 3 samosas, 3 pork sausages, a chapati and a Mars bar 4 hours before a run is not a good idea. So I'll concentrate on other, hopefully less obvious and more interesting issues.

Sunday is the big day. 42,195 meters in the hills of Kampala is no small challenge, not something to be taken lightly. I look forward to it with equal parts excitement and dread. I'm dreading the last 10 kilometers. They are going to be tough. Time wise I'm satisfied with anything under 4:30, and very happy if I make it under 4 hours. Am I ready? Mentally, yes. Fitness wise, not really. Another 3-4 weeks of training would have been ideal. To be honest, I'm expecting that by the time I cross the finish line the guy on the photo will look like a turbocharged Duracell rabbit in comparison.

My strategy for the run is straight forward. The first half I hope to run with Ole and/or Alex, provided they are not too fast..... or too slow. I'd like to run it in around 2 hours. From there I'll be on my own - and that suits me fine, I'd rather not have anybody I know next to me when it starts to get tough. Hopefully I'll make it past the 32 kilometer mark before it gets ugly. And once the fatigue sets in, I'll just have to lower the pace a bit and suck it up. No matter how hard it gets, Comrades is bound to be a lot worse.

So, it's time. It's show time. It's time to pay the price for lack of training. It's time to man up and get it done with. I hope I've got what it takes.

Ad finem.

Marathon Madsen

What is the right approach?

This week:

Saturday - 21.5km
Tuesday - 11 km
Today (Thursday) - 26km

Last night, my friend Alex said something along the lines of:"You look very tired Thomas - if you don't mind me saying so. Are you sure it's a good idea to run 26km tomorrow considering that we're going to be in the mountains on Saturday?"

I was tired. I was very very tired. It had been one of those days where it felt like Kampala had conspired to make things as hard as possible. Normally I cope well with it. Yesterday it got to me and when that happens it just sucks all energy out.

Anyway, Alex's very kind and polite suggestion, made me consider my options. To make a long story short, I decided to man up and give it a go anyway. I set out at 6pm. In the first 13 kms I made two 1 minute stops to drink some water and to have some energy gel, ran until it got dark and then put on my head torch. 2 hours and 19 minutes later, I was back. What a great run.

But all that is not really that interesting. No. What's much more interesting is the dilemma I am facing because of my wife. Not only does my wife look better than me, it turns out that she's also a better runner!!?? Yes! On the 10-13 kilometer distances she is definitely faster than me. Not more than around 2 minutes, but that's enough. Now, what does a man do in this situation? What is the right approach. Should I ignore it, deny it or face it? I would be lying if I claimed that it doesn't bother me. OF COURSE IT DOES! Not much, but a bit. Why? I don't have to tell you why. You know why. But I am not going to come up with sorry excuses and far fetched explanations. The fact is, my wife is faster than me! I've chosen to face it. And because of that, I can honestly say that I am very, very proud of her. In the last few months, training for the half marathon on December 5th has made her run distances beyond 10 km - something she has never done before. And every time she comes back from a new personal distance record she's as proud and happy as anybody is when they have pushed themselves beyond known limits.

It's not a matter of who's faster than who. Running is about personal achievement and having fun. And my wife's definitely proven that.

Well done babe :-) Ad finem!

Marathon Madsen

Running (out of time)

Last week:

Tuesday - 11 km

Thursday - 11 km

Saturday - 21.5 km

Kampala Marathon is now only 4 weeks away. The half marathon I ran on Saturday evening left me with one big question:"Will I be able to run twice as far a month from now?". I thought a lot about that yesterday.

Reasons why I may not get ready:

• - 2½ months of training instead of the usual 4 months
• - not following a recognized training schedule
• - bilharzia up until a week ago
• - too much drinking and smoking

Reasons why I should be able to pull it off:

• - A week in the Rwenzoris is comparable to high altitude training and should boost my performance in the last two weeks of training and on race day
• - There still is a month to go. I can get in better shape between now and then.
• - Í have decided to concentrate on completing the run and not care about the time.

The bottom line is that time is running out. I could have and should have started training earlier. I should have followed a professional training schedule. I should have taken that bilharzia treatment long time ago - I knew it was coming. I could have and should have blah blah blah blah blah blah. All that doesn't really matter now. Lessons learned for next time. Now it is about Sunday the 5th December. I'm expecting it to get ugly. Surely this is going to be the hardest run I'll ever have done. Right now I'm pinning my hopes on some carefully planned training runs, a lot of determination and a week of altitude training. If you ask me, the odds are still good.

Ad finem.

Marathon Madsen

Ad finem

Last week:

Monday - 11km
Wednesday - 11km
Friday - 17 km
Sunday - 6.5 km

I don't know how many of the fuckers displayed on the photo below have been living inside of me the last 6 months, but judging by the way I felt after taking the medicine last night, it was a lot.

Bilharzia is treated with a medicine called Praziquantel. The treatment is taken in one go. One big tablet for each 10 kgs you weigh. They are incredibly bitter so it is essential to swallow them whole and very quickly. And if they make you feel really sick shortly after eating them, then it means that they are killing the parasites.... As a bonus, an extremely unpleasant and bitter taste stays in the mouth for the entire day after taking the tablets. Bon appetit Ole.

My 17 km run on Friday was an exercise in willpower. I had felt heavy all day and a few minutes into the run, an intense heart burn decided to accompany me. Whether is was the veggie curry I had for lunch or the bilharzia, I don't know, but the heart burn surged back and forth and put me on the verge of vomiting a couple of times. I passed by our house 4 times on that run. Each time the temptation of stopping had to be overcome. It turned into one of those runs where completing it without walking becomes the only objective and finishing time and style, completely irrelevant. I got myself, my lead shoes and my heartburn back to the house in a little more than one and a half hours, feeling exhausted and nauseous. For me it is absolutely crucial to complete runs like these. Not only does it provide a unique feeling of accomplishment, it puts the determination and will power to the test. And if anything, that's what distance running is about. Determination and will power.

I'm not feeling great today, but I'll go for my scheduled 11km run this afternoon anyway. If nothing else just to prove to myself that I've got what it takes. Ad finem!


Marathon Madsen

Born to Run

Wednesday: 11 km

Thursday: 11 km

Monday: 11 km

About two months ago a friend lend me a fascinating book: "Born To run" by Christopher McDougall. The book is as inspiring as it is thought provoking. In summary, "Born To Run" is about distance running and concludes that mankind was build to run. Like a mythbuster in book form it completely disproves the myth that running is bad for feet, shins, knees and legs and should only be done in reasonable measures. It labels all that Nike, Adidas and Asics etc have been telling us the last 40 years as nothing but marketing bullshit. Are you one of those persons who can no longer go for a run because your shins, feet, knees or back is in extreme pain after few kilometers? Then maybe you should read this book....

When I ran my first marathon 3 years ago I had an incredible surge of what I can only describe as the purest, most intense feeling of happiness I have ever experienced. It started around the 30 kilometer mark and continued until I went to bed. Since then I have noticed that for me, running is a 100% reliable cure for stress, frustration and unhappiness. Go for a run and you're guaranteed to come back happy. My wife feels exactly the same way, as does most of the other running addicts that I know and have discussed it with. Why is that? Why does running, which is such a tiring thing to do, make most people so bloody happy, make them feel so good? I don't know. Surely science will tell us that endorphins, hormones, chemicals and the like are released during prolonged bouts of exercise... Whatever the biological, physiological or psychological reasons are, the fact remains that running makes people happy and makes people feel good. And because of this, it seems to me that Christopher McDougall is right: We were build and born to run. If we weren't then surely we wouldn't feel so good when we do it!

Born To Run! This is a fantastic, and very inspiring fact to have in the back of your mind when you are out on a run, tired and wondering why the hell you shouldn't just give up and go home. There's no arguing with this fact. We run because this is what we were build to do. We run, because this is what we need, to keep us happy and healthy.

If you're a runner, then read this book. If you're not a runner, then read it anyway.

Marathon Madsen

Hangovers, garden gnomes and running

Last weeks training:

Monday - Squash

Tuesday - 11km

Wednesday - 6km
Thursday - 11km

Friday - 6.5km

Saturday - none

Sunday - none

When I wrote the last blog I never for one second doubted that I would be able to stick to my plan of running lots of kilometers, minimal alcohol intake and no smoking. But as the week passed my plan slowly started to crumble, and by early Sunday morning when I woke up with hangovers from hell it was reduced to a joke.

"How did it go so wrong?" I ask myself on this dark and rainy Monday afternoon and "Can I fix it?".

My cooking duties at home means that I need to plan ahead an be really organized if I want to run in the evenings before dinner. Serving food later than 7pm in the Madsen mansion means that the kids gets restless and the consequent carnage is to be avoided at all costs. Conclusion: I need to get organized and prepare food before I go for my pre-dinner runs.

The smoking and drinking goes hand in hand. The solution to not smoking is easy: no drinking. And for the drinking part, well, here's what not to do:

- do not organize a to spend the night at the shooting club after the annual 4x4 competition

- do not convince yourself that you'll just have a few beers and then go to bed

- do not drink tequila before dinner

- do not drink tequila after dinner

- do not drink tequila the Zimbabwean way

- do not drink tequila

- and do not, under any circumstance, invite characters like Alex, Alex, Ole and Michael along!

Conclusion: Between now and the Kampala Marathon alcohol intake in the company of any other people than my wife is completely banned.

So there it is. No drinking, no smoking and organized cooking for the next 6 weeks. It's doable.

Hungover Madsen

Now or never

I have just read my most recent blog post. It is 4 months and a week old. Hmmmmm. This blog was supposed to help me stay focused and keep the motivation up. And it did. For a while.... Let's see if not I can get back into the old routine of running and blogging.

I started running again 2 weeks ago. The Kampala Marathon is scheduled for Sunday November 21. So, I have got exactly 6 weeks to get in shape for it. And to make it even more interesting, I'll be climbing the Rwenzori Mountains from November 13-20. HMMMMMMM!! Well, I wanted a challenge. Now I've got one. Honestly, right now I'm not entirely sure how I am going to pull this off. Kampala Marathon is very different from the one in Copenhagen. The temperature, humidity, the hills, the altitude, the traffic, the dust, the pollution, the lack of water/energy drink points are factors that combine to make Kampala Marathon an intimidating run. Right now my only comfort is that I have a couple of times passed the 30 kilometer mark on my tranining runs here. But last time that I did that was 6 months ago and I have not been running the last 4 of those. HMMMMMMMMMMMM! Not sure that thinking any further about is the best thing to do right now.

Right, so the plan is to more or less run every day from now on. 10K minimum. One long rung every week. No running on days where I play squash or raft. Minimal to no intake of alcohol. Letting the hair grow so as to protect the skull from the sun. Absolutely no smoking. No electronic gadgets allowed, except maybe for a watch once in a while.

So, what's so special about the Kampala marathon? Why not just wait postpone and run a different one instead? The Kampala Marathon is important for 2 reasons. First of all, to qualify for the Comrades Marathon, one must complete a regular marathon in a reasonable time no more than 12 months before. The Kampala Marathon is right where I am and it leaves me with 6 months to get ready for the Comrades. Supposedly 6 months is the minimum preparation time for a beginner like me. Secondly, completing the Kampala Marathon is bound to be harder than any of the Copenhagen runs have been. As I am a firm believer in "if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger" I trust that 42 kilometers in the hills of Kampala is a good way to expand the mental strength. If it doesnt kill me, of course....

Marathon Madsen

Copenhagen Marathon

The week before Copenhagen Marathon the weather was horrible. Windy, rainy and very cold. During this time I went for a couple of training runs, including a 20 km run around the new beach park, and came back feeling serious pain in hips and shoulders; places that have never ever hurt before after a run. This worried me and I was praying for the rain and the wind to stay away on the day of the marathon.

On the positive side, I ran the 20 km faster than ever before. And I didnt even mean to. It just sort of happened. Everthing in me was urging me to go faster and harder. And so I did. And so I started to wonder if my dream of finishing the marathon in 3:30 was a possibility...

On the morning of the marathon the sun was shining and there was no wind. I was up at 5am to eat a mountain of pasta with fresh tomatoes and a bit of cream and went back to bed to catch another couple of hours of sleep. I arrived at the starting point and met with my mum (my only & biggest fan) who took my bag and stuff and wished me good luck. The weather was still great with lots of sun and no wind and I remember thinking that if if stayed like this it would be perfect conditions for me.

At 9.30 precisely the race started and off we went. The first 15 kilometers I had to constantly adjust my pace and slow down. Every bit of me wanted to go as fast as I had been at the 20 km run 7 days before, but I knew it would be impossible for me to sustain that kind of pace for 42 kilometers. I managed to catch a sip of powerade energy drink at each of the pit stops along the route. A couple of times I even managed to grab a piece of banana which i ate running.

All was well the first hour or so, but then the sun disappeared and the wind picked up. The race got harder and in the big open streets and down by the harbour the wind could really be felt. The sun never returned and the wind stayed, but at least it wasnt raining and that was the most important for me.

I passed the half way mark in around one hour and 49 minutes and I realized that maybe I would be able to beat my personal best of 3:45 and may be even get close to 3:30. I decided to keep a steady pace up until the 32 kilometer mark and then, if I still felt strong, increase the pace. This turned out to be a wise decision, because my legs started to feel a little heavy shortly thereafter and by the time I got to the 32 kilometer mark I knew I wouldnt be able to run any faster.

The next 3 kilometers passed reasonably smoothly, but then I suddeny had a bit of a crisis. It wasnt 'the wall', although tired, I still had energy and strength left, it was more of a mental thing. A lof of runners around me stopped running and started walking. Seeing this, my instinct was to do the same. Funny thing that. It took quite a lot of concentration and will power to keep going and I spent the next 2-3 kilometers being fully absorbed in fighting my instincts. I never stopped running though and by the time I got to the 38 kilometer mark I started feeling inspired again, and forgot all about the tempation of walking.

I passed the finish line in 3:40:01, which is a 5 minute improvement on my personal best time from 2008. Obviously I am quite happy with that. But I must admit that I would have been a lot happier with 3:35 or below. It is within reach and my target for Kampala Marathon in November is to run in around 3:30.

My mum waited at the finishing line with my warm clothes and a couple of cold beers. While I had been running she had been joined by cousin and auntie, and we all had a good time. It felt unbelievably good to just sit down, have a cold beer and chat with the family for a bit. What a great reward for a couple of hours of hard work.

Copenhagen Marathon Madsen

Hectic times

It has been a while since I last took a few minutes to update my blog. It has been 6 busy weeks in the Madsen household. I'll spare you the details. But trust me, it has been hectic. And as always, when there is just not enough time to get all the important things done, one has to start prioritizing, which of course puts running at risk.

And yes, I have skipped a few runs here and there. I wasn't happy about it (except for the one last Sunday where I was still hungover from Fridays house warming party) but mostly I have managed to stick to the plan. Copenhagen Marathon is 2 weeks and 2 days away and I feel quite confident. I'm still debating with myself what time I should aim for, but I guess I will have a reasonably good idea about it when I have returned from my 32km training run on Sunday morning...

Late this afternoon I was out on a 13km run. I had planned to just go at a fairly slow pace, but after a few minutes my brain switched off, my legs took over and I ended up back at the house in an effortless 1 hour and 5 minutes. OK, effortless is not entirely correct. I did actually struggle at a point: As I passed a guy who was on the phone I picked up the following from him - like he was explaining it to a child for the fifth time:" ...the problem is that I can not give you THE money because there IS no money!". Fair enough! And good point. I wouldn't wanna be the one he owed money to! Anyway, this obviously made me giggle and for a bit I struggled to concentrate on my breathing.

In a few days I'm off to Europe and that means a one month good bye to the high quality entertainment in the streets of Kampala - I will miss it - and a hello to the not so exciting tarmac in the suburbs of Copenhagen. Or, that's the plan at least. I have just learned that a certain Icelandic volcano has started pumping out ash again... So, who knows, maybe I'll end up having to stage my own Bugolobi Marathon on Sunday the 23rd of May!

Marathon Madsen

Progress

My mobile phone alarm woke me up at 5.30 yesterday morning. When I set the alarm the night before I was determined to get up early and run the 19 kilometers before taking Viktor to school. However, my determination had somewhat faded during the night, because by the time I had switched off the alarm I had already decided that it was not a good morning for running and that postponing till the afternoon was an excellent idea.

12 hours later I was cursing my early morning decision. The first 10 kilometers were unbearably hot and humid. No breeze, no shade. I felt like I was running in a sauna. It was hard to find anything positive about running at that point. But, as the sun eventually started to drop down towards the horizon, the temperature and humidity dropped too and by the time it was dark, I even felt a slight breeze.

I finished the 19 kilomters in 1:41:11. I had hoped for 1:40, but given the conditions I wasn't at all disappointed. More importantly, by the time I finished I still felt like I had at least another 5-8 kilometers left in me at the same pace. All in all, I was happy with having persevered and finished in a reasonable time.

Copenhagen Marathon is exactly 2 months away. From now on each week involves a long distance (between 21 and 32 kilometers) run each Sunday and then shorter runs (8-10kms) on most other days. It is intimidating, but I've been through this training schedule twice before and I know that it is doable. Moreover, this is nothing compared to the training regime that awaits the last 6 months before the comrades, so I'll just take one day at the time, put my head down and focus on getting the runs done. Preferably in the mornings from now on.

Marathon Madsen

Bugolobi

Bugolobi is not as bad to run in as I had feared. On the other hand, it is not very exciting compared to Ntinda and Naguru and Kololo.

I have two different laps that I can combine to make up the distance I need to run. One lap is to the left when I come out of the gate. It is 1.6 kilometers long and can be 2 kilometers long if I run down a side road. The other lap, to the right, is 4,5 kilometers long. Both laps are tarmacked road. The longer one is hilly, but nowhere near as hard as the hills in any of the other places I have been running. The shorter one has insignificant inclines.

Because of the lack of proper hills, the views are quite disappointing. But I have found one spot, where, if timed properly, I get to see the sun set over the silhouettes of Kampala. It is stunning. And I guess I can't really ask for much more.

The terrain and the lack of views are not the only problems. Neither are they the biggest problem. The biggest problem is the people in this neighborhood. Being a lot more expensive than Ntinda, the interaction with the people in the street is almost non-existent. No one's calling out "well done" or "muzungu"; only few greet me. More or less like it would be to go for a run in Copenhagen. However, I am determined to change that! I greet all fellow runners. Those struggling I cheer on. I also greet most of the guards who are idling in front of their respective gates. And I greet the people who look like they might live within a range of of a couple of houses from our house. That makes it a lot of greeting and I hope that it will eventually make running here a little more enjoyable.

This evening I ran 17 kilometers in 1 hour and 27 minutes. Not fast enough. But it was very hot and humid and that does slow me down on the longer distances. If only I could run with no T-shirt on. But I can't. More about the next time!

Marathon Madsen

Too busy

I read a very interesting quotation in Mens Health Magazine a week ago:"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy". John Bryant, a guys who's written a book named The London Marathon, has apparently uttered it at some point.

Echoes of the wisdom in the quote has beeen bouncing around my empty skull the last couple of weeks as I have been so busy moving houses that everything else, including my training, has had to wait. Runs have been cancelled, others have been moved a day or two. Over the last two weeks I have missed one of the crucial long runs and two shorter ones. So when I set out for a 13 kilometer run yesterday afternoon, I was honestly quite worried about how it would go.

Fortunately it went well. I'm not sure I understand why, but it did. I was flying! I finished it in one hour and five minutes flat, which is exactly speed I hope to be able to muster in Copenhagen in May. 12 kilometers an hour. The best thing is that I finished full of energy; feeling like I could have easily run another 13 kilometers at the same pace. Next Sunday 16 kilometers awaits me. I am looking forward to it already. And I have promised myself that there is not going to be any more of this 'too busy' stuff. From now on, other things will have to wait.

Ntinda Hills

Because I fell sick I've had to run 36 kilometers the last five days. All the runs have been great, and my legs, although a bit heavy now and then, are fine.

It is really hot and humid these days. Last Tuesday, on my first 11 kilometer run of the year, it was unusually hot and sticky and I was swearing and cursing half ways in. Covered in sweat I so badly wanted to rip of my t-shirt and run bare chested, but I know that around here that would offend the majority of people. Gotta respect that. After all, Cultural Studies is one of the subjects I am currently studying. When in Rome and all that... So I left it on, suffered and felt a tiny bit sorry for myself. That soon stopped however, when a fellow runner wearing a rain jacket, rain trousers and a woollen hat caught up with me and joined me for a kilometer or so. I have seen him before; we always greet each other - and because of his outfit I was pretty sure he was a boxer. This time he ran alongside me so we talked a bit. With a big smile he confirmed that he is a boxer. We chatted a bit about boxing and he was smiling throughout. Then we went each our separate ways. I promised myself that from now on, whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I'll think of what it must feel like running in the tropics dressed up like that.

We're moving on Wednesday and that means a very sad goodbye to the hills and the people here in Ntinda. It is sad because I will miss every single suicidal boda boda driver, snotty kid, fellow runner, giant pot hole, awe inspiring boxer, smiley newspaper vendor, smelly goat, rabid dog and breathtaking sunset I have come across while running in the hills over the last couple of years. I guess that, as much as I have become part of street life around here, the street life has become a part of me too. It has been such a great way for me to experience and interact with the locals. If Bugolobi is just half as enjoyable, then I won't complain.

Marathon Madsen

Sick!

My training week started with a great 8km run on Tuesday. Lesson learned, I took it very easy the first kilometers and only increased the pace once I had climbed the big hill half ways. 41 minutes and 28 seconds is still not anywhere near as fast as I want to be, but at least I completed without going through hell.

I then ran 5 kilometers on Wednesday morning and 6 kilometers Friday afternoon. Both runs went well and Friday I actually finished in 29 minutes and 59 seconds. This is equivalent to a pace of 12 kilometers per hour and that's the pace I hope I'll be able to muster when I run the Copenhagen Marathon in May. I might be aiming a bit high, but I am convinced that it is within my reach.

Sunday morning I had planned to run 11 kilometers. It never happened. The entire family was hit by some weird African virus late Saturday night and everyone from Oskar to me have had diarrhea mixed with waves of nausea, aching joints and extreme tiredness. At a point on Sunday, during a break from the toilet bowl, I briefly considered going for the run in the early evening regardless of how sick I felt. Just to prove to myself that I'm tough enough. A few moments later Oskar was screaming his head off. He had once again filled a nappy and this time it had leaked and soaked his trousers, socks and, somehow, also his t-shirt, with kaka. After cleaning him up it occurred to me that if I decided to run I would quite likely shit myself too. Plan abandoned.

Hopefully I'll be able to run Monday or Tuesday.

Take it easy!

"I'll be back in 41 minutes", I told the security guard as I left, confident that I'd effortlessly improve my time on this 8km run by at least a minute compared to the run last Tuesday.

I started out at a relatively high speed. 500 meters later my lungs were starting to hurt, but as I had my mind set on the 41 minute mark, I kept pushing the pace up. 2 kilometers in, my legs were heavy, the breathing uneasy and everything felt wrong. I was tired and I suddenly realized that today was only going to be about completing. There was no way in hell I was going to improve the time.

After about 4 kilometers there was a really steep hill with 600 meters of tarmac from the bottom to the top. I've been up and down it numerous times the last couple of years and today was one of the hardest. When I arrived at the bottom of it I still struggled with the breathing and the legs felt like they were made of concrete. I kept running though; concentrated on just keeping a steady and even pace, however slow and embarrassing it felt. 400 hundred meters up the hill a merciless side stitch added to the fun. I slowed down even further, trying to ignore the pain and kept running, refusing to walk.

I arrived at the top of the hill hunched over in pain from the side stitch and gasping for air. A bunch of kids called out "Mzee! Mzee!". Mzee means 'old man'. Marathon Madsen must have been a sorry sight.

A kilometer later the side stitch was gone and I started to feel more comfortable. After yet another kilometer I felt good and when I passed by the same kids I had enough energy to mumble 'little fuckers'. Towards the end I felt great and my running was smooth, breathing was easy, the pace was good and the legs were light.

I finished in 43 minutes and 6 seconds, which is a disgraceful time. I was furious with myself for not having taken it easy the first couple of kilometers. I know better. The first 3 kilometers are for warming up only and that has to be done at a relatively slow pace. Start too fast like I did and pain and suffering is guaranteed. The body simply needs a slow start, that way it performs much better.

Lesson learned: Take it easy in the beginning of a run!

Marathon Madsen

My marathon blog

Welcome to my blog!

For some time I have been thinking about running the Comrades Marathon. It takes place in South Africa every year in May and it is the most famous of the ultra marathons. The distance varies slightly from year to year, but is usually between 89 and 92 kilometers. I intend to run it in May 2011 which gives me 17 months to get ready! My hope is that I will be able to run the 90 kilometers in less than 9 hours.

So why this blog?
I think of it as my marathon diary. It will serve three purposes. Firstly, I hope that having publicly announced my intentions, it will help keep me motivated when the training gets tough. Giving up would be very embarrassing now that everybody will know about it! Secondly, I know that some of the people closest to me(and especially my wife) are likely to suffer from my undertaking. After all, A LOT of hours are going to spent on running in the coming year and a half. The least I can do is share my thoughts and experiences. Lastly, reading other's blogs and articles about running have helped me tremendously with my own running over the last two years. If anybody can use my experiences the same way, then I'd be very pleased.

But why run 90 kilometers?
I could come up with a number of reasons; but I think it all comes down to achievement. Having run 2 normal marathons I need to take it to the next level. I need to achieve. But not just anything. I need to achieve something that has value to me, something that I can be proud of. Completing a Comrades Marathon would be something I'd be very proud of. In essence, I do this for myself, by myself and to myself. In a way it is very selfish, but if anobody cares to join me, feel free to come along!

Can I do it?
When I decided to run my first marathon I had no idea what it would take. I simply downloaded a 16 week training program from the Internet and stuck to it rigorously, only missing 2 of the short runs. Race day turned out to be surprisingly easy and I enjoyed every minute of it. The following marathon I didn't prepare for that well and so I struggled the last 6 kilometers of it. What I've learned from those two runs is that it all boils down to training. And that in turn requires discipline, toughness and stubbornness. I think that most will agree that I am highly qualified when it comes to the stubbornness part of it. I think it makes up for what I lack in the other areas. So can I do it? Am I stubborn enough? OF COURSE I AM!!!

My training program starts tomorrow. 8 kilometers, afternoon run. I can't wait to get started!

Marathon Madsen