The run happened yesterday and I made it!

My official time was 02:20:42, which is much better than the 02:30:00 I was aiming for.

Overall, I tried to stick to around 6:30-7:00 min./km for most of the run... And when I crossed 17km, I realized that I still have a lot of energy left. I decided to speed up to make a better time and here I hit 5:30-5:40 min./km. I then ran out of steam at the last kilometer so that was tough 🫠

It was slightly rainy and slightly cold - up to only around 13°C - but I think that was easier to manage than if it was very sunny and hot.

So, what's my verdict for using ChatGPT as a personal coach? I think it helps create structure and plan out the training. Weekly check-ins helped me stay on track, adjusting the training load on the fly was also extremely helpful. It was also right to say that I'm ready for the full duration even though my longest training run was pretty much half of the full run. All of that helped me build confidence that I am actually ready and capable of doing it.

Where I think it was not too good was helping me figure out what pace to run with. There was no clear point where I think we planned for the pace even though I asked for it a few times. I happened to run on a treadmill with a particular setting before starting this exercise and we just went with that as the baseline. I think I should have been training at a higher pace and I think I could have achieved a better time. The final stretch at the 5:30 pace was still pretty comfortable and while I don't think I could have kept that pace for the whole run, I think I could have aimed for a faster overall pace. On the other hand... I made it. And for the most part it felt light. So maybe I should not complain about it.

Second place where I would be cautious would be if physical issues start showing up. There's something wrong with my foot. The responsible thing would have been to consult a specialist. But I just adjusted the training a bit and kept going. Luckily - it did not get worse and I did not injure myself. But I think the point stands. Coach did not advise I go see a specialist nor did I really consider that until now because it felt manageable and it was not getting worse. But now, with the race over, it is one of the first things that are on my mind and I can't help but wonder - why did I not go see an expert sooner?

And here we are.

So - what's next?

First - few days of recovery. My legs are sore and I could barely walk yesterday evening. All the joints and muscles in my legs are telling me I pushed a bit too hard. As coach put it - Next few days [...] stairs may become philosophical. Yes.

Second - get some expert advice on my foot pain.

Third - a marathon next year, maybe? Who knows.

Anyway.

Thanks again for being a part of this journey.

Now that the race is done, I will take some time off from running and this newsletter... but if I decide to commit to more running goals - you'll be the first to know.

Thanks for sticking around!