Those who stumble upon this post, titled ‘Florence Marathon’, in a report on the barefoot running experiment, will make obvious assumptions. Actually no, I didn’t run the marathon barefoot, and there was never any intention to. But, it has been mentioned throughout the last few weeks, and a brief report is included here for completeness.
So what of the race? (he writes still scratching his head).
It was one of those peculiar marathon experiences that seems to have been based on little rhyme of reason; it was hard from the first few k. Passing the 10k mark just slightly ahead of schedule (downhill start), the planned k splits were already getting impossible to make. By halfway it was gone. By 29k, enough was enough, it wasn’t a good day for me.
Why? Who knows? I’ve written about the taper separately, because that could be a reason.
My training had not been ideal though. I was low on miles and the training had been punctuated by some persistent colds and coughs, which is quite unusual for me. The 2 nights before the race, a rather unfriendly mosquito had got a taste for me, and inflicted about 20 bites. And, I do remember feeling rather wheezy on the eve of the race and in the morning, both before the race and during. Allergic reactions to mosquito bites are not unknown, but I’m clutching at straws now.
The answer?
In the absence of any obvious reason, it’s best to move on to the next one. I’ll certainly change the taper next time and be more focussed on the training — and I’ll also get some insect repellent just in case.
And by the way, whilst walking back to the hotel, past the finishing runners, I saw a chap who was heading for about 3.45, wearing just a pair of shorts. Yes, barefoot. Maybe I should have tried it after all!
