Final countdown - February 25, 2006

Isn't it funny how, way back in October when you began thinking about training to take part in the BMW Malta Marathon, you thought you had lots of time and then, before you know it, there's only one week to go.

I guess, if many of us did not have a race date to aim for, we'd keep thinking, I'm not quite ready, I need another week or two of good training. And then two weeks later; no, I'm still not ready.

Fortunately, there's nothing like a race deadline to focus the mind.

Ready or not, the race is upon you. You only had to have had a slight cold or injury this winter to put you off training for a week or two, to think that you really could do with a bit more training, and that race day has dawned just a little bit too soon for you to do your absolute best.

This helps us to realise that the Olympics, or any other big events, are not necessarily won by the best athlete, but by the one who is best prepared on that particular day.

If the same race was held two weeks later, the first three runners in the finishing order might be completely different.

So what can we do with one week to go?

I already advised cutting back on mileage by 30 per cent this week and by 50 per cent next week.

Don't forget though, I also advised you to maintain some intensity, so don't just jog easy for the whole week.

Maybe do some short repeats at race pace on Tuesday, then just jog easy till race day. By short, I mean something like three repeats of four minutes at race pace, with an easy two-minute slow jog in between each one.

This is not really to gain an additional training effect to your legs, but just to remind them of what kind of effort you will be expecting from them on race morning.

Don't overdo the intensity in a test to see how you feel. Have confidence in your training to date and leave any kind of tests till the gun goes.

Do have a day or two off training completely next week.

Here you want to let your legs freshen up so that race day does not feel like a usual Sunday, but that your legs feel friskier and have more zip to them.

Don't take those days off training as excuses to paint the house, or do other chores that have fallen behind in the recent months due to hard training.

A day off means exactly that. No serious physical exercise of any kind.

Here is where I like to remind people to take care of all the little details; like deciding what shoes to wear in the race, and what running kit (check it doesn't chafe anywhere, and that it is right for the expected weather), and make sure you have enough pins for your number, and toilet paper because you'll want to go before the race begins.

And all the myriad little things you don't want to have to be thinking about on race morning. Do them in lots of time and cross them off your 'To Do' list.

On race day all you want to have to do is get a lift to the start-line and run and not racing around looking for vaseline or an extra safety pin for your race number.

Do you know how you are going to pace the race?

If this is your first half marathon or marathon, do you have some experienced running friends you are going to run with who will know how to spread their effort equally over the whole race so you don't go out too fast?

Do you rely on some of your competitors showing up so you can do what they do and hope to pass them in the final miles?

You should have some kind of plan. If you have not thought about this yet, talk to someone experienced you know who is taking part and see if they can offer you some good advice.

Like I have said so many times, the first eight miles of the half marathon are extremely fast (and mainly downhill).

If you are not careful, it is easy to get seduced into running harder over those miles than you can really handle, which can turn the final three miles into something like a 'survival shuffle'.

So pacing the first half of the race is vitally important if you want to finish with the fastest time possible.

You really need to be holding back at that point, so that you have enough energy to maintain your pace when the hills come at Blata-l-Bajda, and on the long flat final miles around Ta' Xbiex.

Remember, there are no medals for being well ahead of target pace at half way, if you fall apart before the finish, pace yourself best to finish strongly.

Latest news

Jonathan Balzan, second in the half marathon last year, has just applied to take part in the full marathon.

Following some late entries, including that of a 38-year-old Kenyan with a personal best of 2:15 in the marathon, organisers are expecting the number of participants in both races to reach around 770 compared to last year's 701.

Registration (Muscat Motors)
Locals - today, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Foreigners - March 4, 3 to 7 p.m.