What a brilliant weekend. The Palma marathon and running festival has become something of an annual mass getaway for a large part of the Team Wesham contingent, and despite numbers being down somewhat in comparison to previous years, this one proved to be another successful trip.
From start to (not quite yet!) finish, this whole experience has been superb once again, with fantastic weather, climate, company, food, drink and of course the running to enjoy as well. After success in the half marathon last time, the challenge this year was naturally to try my best to defend my title in that race.
We will get back to that soon enough, but first a quick round up of the weeks training back home prior to flying out...
As usual on a big race week, I tailored the rest of the week in such a way in order to try and peak for the race. This meant reducing both my overall mileage and the intensity of my sessions and gradually easing off throughout the course of the week.
I had it in my head that I probably wouldn't do my usual track/speed session on the Tuesday evening, and so instead of my normal steady 10-12 miles on a Monday, I opted to do the Club's winter handicap event instead, as a way of building in a bit of speed work with 4 miles at around about half marathon pace, with an extended warm up and cool down giving me 11 miles in total.
Tuesday saw me double up with a gentle 4 and a half miles before work, and then an improvised grass session in the evening, with 8 x 500 metres in the local park, off a 60 second recovery. I was pleased with this little session, as I managed to hit 5:05 pace off a short recovery without over stretching myself too much.
Wednesday was a short and steady run, followed by a reduced tempo run around Preston Docks on Thursday with Rob Affleck. We did 4 miles at roughly my intended half marathon pace, as we began at 5:34, before building up with a 5:24, 5:17 and 5:17 again. I felt at ease throughout the session and we were chatting comfortably throughout. It certainly didn't feel like we were particularly pushing ourselves, and by the end of the run I was confident that I was in ideal condition ahead of the weekend's race.
Friday saw me up at 2:30am ready for an early morning 3am drive to be airport with my room mate George Kennedy (I never realised how ripped he was), ahead of our 10 past 6 flight. So Friday was down as a day off as the fun and games began...
Our arrival at our hotel wasn't exactly what you would call a smooth one, with a bit of messing about before we eventually managed to sort out the arrangements for our room. It's fair to say I don't think mine and George's first impressions of the management were quite what we would have hoped!
We are staying in the resort of Ca'n Pastilla, about 5 miles outside of Palma City. It is a great area, a nice complex, with superb access to local cycling lanes which stretch the length of the coast - which have provided me with easy and plentiful running routes to keep my occupied and ticking over.
On Saturday morning, I took myself off along the cycle lanes and ran 5k out and then back again to give myself a nice gentle loosener and get my legs feeling ready for race day. The rest of the day was then spent lounging around in the sun conserving energy - that's my excuse anyway!
Sunday was race day. Luckily the hotel we have been stopping in were very understanding and helpful in allowing everybody to have an early breakfast before we travelled to Palma for the race. We arrived about an hour early, allowing plenty of time for a good warm up, stretch and change into race kit. Shortly before making my way to the front pen ahead of the start, I spotted a familiar face in Preston Harriers' Gary Pennington, which was good as it made sure I was switched on and expecting a tough race from the gun.
Palma puts on a marathon and a 10k as well as the half, with the half and full marathon setting off together at 9am and the 10k following later on at 9:40. As the gun sounded to signal the start of our race, myself and another lad soon found ourselves at the head of the race, and it wasn't until 3k in that we both looked across to each other and realised we were participating in different distances. The other lad was English too and participating in the full marathon - and I have to admit I was a bit shocked at the pace he had set off at, considering we went through the first few miles at circa 5:15 pace!
It was good to have company though and someone to share the workload with, and we continued to plug away at a fair pace, with the time on the lead cars clock reading 32:57 as we passed through 10km. I was bang on pace for my ideal target, and as the race went on I continued to feel strong, at around 10-12k I began to move clear of the other guy and even through 10 miles I was continuing to feel strong and was in a nice steady rhythm - I started to believe that the sub 70 could actually be on at that stage.
Looking at my splits, it certainly was too at that stage, and I was hanging on with the necessary pace as the course weaved up and in and out and through the cobbled streets of the old town end of Palma through to mile 11, and then through the 18km mark. I knew I was now just 3km from the finish and had around 9 and a half minutes to complete it in if I was going to manage sub 70.
Unfortunately, try as I might, my legs just couldn't keep up the rate through the last few kilometres and I faded away. It was disappointing, but considering the heat and the difficulties of a quite complex second half of the course, possibly not all that surprising in the end. I came out with 71:05 (Gun time - although some discrepancies as my chip time is quicker at 70:52 and I didnt stop my watch!) and won the race for the second year in succession. The PB can wait for another day, and I certainly wouldn't have swapped the experience and fun of this whole weekend.
The setting is beautiful and up there with some of the best sights you can wish for at any race, with the Cathedral on the start and finish and the billion dollar super yachts in the harbour, and the unique winding roads of the old town, it really is amazing.
Sunday afternoon, evening and night was brilliant, with everyone able to relax and chill out properly with a few (!) drinks and celebrate everyone's achievements in the half marathon and 10k races - everybody involved in this great weekend did team Wesham proud on the road once again. I don't think George was massively impressed with my Pina Colada though 😂
From the first minute, right the way through, I have honestly had an amazing time with a great bunch of people having a laugh at every available moment. Thanks to you all - Too many names to mention!
The Team! From left to right: Nigel Shepherd, Stephen Brown, Rob Danson, Snr Rob (Dad!), Kerry Eccles, Tracy Hulme, Nicola Unsworth, Helen Lawrenson.
It was great to see mum and dad having a great time too - I think she liked her flowers!
The memories that I will take from this weekend will stay with me forever, and I wouldn't swap that for the world. I would like to thank each and everyone of team Wesham involved in making this event as successful a time as it is every year, because it is a brilliant experience. It has been fantastic from start to finish, and the only thing that could top it off for me now would be to get to share the experience with Moll. If I could give anyone that has not had chance, or given it a go yet, one piece of advice it would be this - don't hesitate to follow the sun. Give it a go in 2017!
Total mileage for the week: 64
Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:29
Total mileage so far this month (October): 158
Total mileage so far 2016: 2678
Average miles per day 2016: 9.30
