After coming second in my age group on 1st December 2022 at the marathon with the same name, I’ve taken a brief decision to tackle an even better time in the future, and I’ve realized that Valencia Marathon is one year apart. All was agreed in my brain and somewhere in May, if I am not mistaken, I’ve registered officially, because all 33.000 spots were about to be filled. After doing this, the plan was made, and a conclusion reached: Valencia needs to be linked with a short stop in Lisbon and Nazare of Portugal. Then, arriving in Spain in the morning hours of 2nd of December, with almost no sleep, and after finishing the marathon, one and a half days for recovery and then further to Portugal. Meanwhile, on the road, I’ve followed a 16 week plan, but that was already developed here, so no more details in the current writing.

No sleep one day before the Valencia Marathon 2023

Coming back and concentrating on the marathon itself, the flight from Bucharest departed at 06:30 AM on 2nd of December, and this represented a big challenge for my rest, but I have planned this and I knew that a good sleep afterwards will ensure me plenty of recovery. Thing that happened. Arrived at the hotel, very near to the start point, we left the luggage, went to pick up the kit, did some groceries, and retired for rest. There was a problem, though: no safety pins for my number so that thought tormented me a bit. In the end, I’ve received an answer, to my e-mail sent to the organizers, where they ensured me that I will be able to find some at the cloakroom. And I did! Because, I’ve went early in the morning, before my start at 08:55 AM, to be sure I have the tools to fix my number on my short. I can say now that everything is ready. Well, almost everything, because…

Wanted to push my luck for a below 90 minutes half marathon

I’ve decided to not take a cap, and neither to buy one, but I’ve realized that the sun will be pretty shiny during the race and that concerned me. Anyway, nothing can be changed now so I’ve focused on the race, on my purpose. Started strong, but struggled a bit on km no. 1, because the wave in which I was assigned. Started the make through, so picked up the pace. My initial thought, to try a first half-marathon in less than 1 hour 30 minutes, was still there, but I’ve decided not to stretch my luck and I’ve kept a rather conservatory pace at slightly below 4:20 / kilometer. But then, things started to happen and to annoy me. However, they were tackled and resolved one by one.

The water belt, first problem

First, the belt with my phone and the water bottle. Even if in longest trainings it was perfectly fitted, now, because of the 50 centiliters of water, it was jumping back and forth which angered me so much that I’ve wanted to just drop the flask. in the last moment, while running with it in my hand, I’ve decided to keep it there, and that proved to be a key decision. You see, usually, when I stop at a hydration point I need to drop on the spot, and quite a lot comparing to a reasonable limit, and that slows me down with some tens of seconds, if not minutes during a race. Now, having the recipient in my hand, allowed me to properly take a small sip every 2-3 kilometers so that improved my need to stop and waste time in the designated zones.

Valencia Marathon 2023 done with only 80-90 beats / minute – yeah, sure

Now… another very new problem for me exploded and it pissed me off: my heart rate belt was slipping. I have it for two months, used it a lot, but never it slipped. Tried to keep it, but at around the 10k mark I was about to lose it and just shove it in my pocket and said to myself that I need to go without it and that is it. To make things worse, its absence from my chest and its presence lower showed an average 80 – 90 beats / minute which, in the end, concluded I’ve consumed only 2100 kcal… instead of somewhere above 3500 kcal I am consuming on a normal basis. Not a problem, I needed to focus on the race and cannot leave two belts to ruin it. And it didn’t, the half-marathon mark was around 1:32 and still feeling strong. Basically I could hope at a marathon of 3:05, but I knew it is pure theory, as never a second half looks the same as a first half.

Problem after problem

I’ve just tried to keep the pace steady, and I felt I could. Now, the initial problem, the sun, was offering more and more context of my anxiety regarding the absence of the cap. It was not hot, neither very warm, but as I am bald, the shining felt even brighter on my head and that slowed me down a bit. Not too much, though, so I’ve concluded I need to keep proper composure, to make it in a decent time. The fact that I’ve started far back than I should, offered me the possibility to surpass a lot of runners from the ahead groups, but also forced me to meander through them so, I’ve gathered around 600 more meters to the 42.195 distance and that bothered me a little. On top of this, around kilometer 23, disaster hit: the last two podcasts downloaded so to listen two were jammed and I could not extract my phone from the belt, so needed to run “on empty”…

3:13:37 official time for the Valencia Marathon 2023

From the 35 kilometer mark though, everything looked to fall into place, and I’ve realized I am feeling better and better and my finish would be decent. Of course, I am feeling the effort, the challenging race, but I know I am on a track of finishing strong the event. After kilometer 41, everything was scaled in hundreds of meters and once I am seeing the wonderful finish blue stripe, especially that is downhill, I’ve picked up the pace as much as I could, to finish strong the Valencia Marathon 2023. And I did it! 3:13:37 official time, but, as I like to point out, for the 42.195 kilometer mark I’ve clocked 3:10:24. I am not mentioning this by accident, or as a caprice, but because I am sure that my overall time was more close to this if the race was held one day after, on Monday 4th of December, when the sun was shielded by heavy clouds.

The medal is very good looking

However, it does not matter. Anyway, I know that my benchmark for a marathon is around 3:10, maybe 3:09, and I’ve proved this to myself. The lack of cap might be a mistake, but I am not sure if one on my head worked better. The flask from my head compensated a lot. The training paid off and the organization behind the event proved me that my decision to hunt a PB in Valencia was the best I could take. I am happy! Picking up my post race goodies, with the beautiful golden medal on top of everything and some post race pictures. The experience was pure and full, now I am looking for my beautiful Anca to start the real vacation and the next point was the famous Oceanografic. After, the town, and then preparation for Portugal. Almost everything developed smoothly and perfect. Valencia Marathon 2023 is a great success!

My secret sauce before Valencia Marathon 2023

Before the epilogue, I would like to share some tips and tricks that worked very good for me before the race and I have considered useful to enhance my performance. During the 16 weeks program, I’ve been to a clinic where I made a special recovery for my legs, from which the last session was held a couple of days before going to Valencia. Its name, Recondition. My legs felt superb! Also, approximately one week before, I’ve decided to donate blood, in the hope this will boost also my performance. I am not sure if it did, but it might. Donating blood is a very good way to refresh your body, but, be careful! Don’t take this for granted before a marathon. I have a eight year experience of blood donating, with 22 session up to present day, three times per year normally, so I knew it should work out. If you are not a constant blood donor, I don’t advise you to try the same thing before such a heavy run, like a marathon!!!

Last, but not least…

The shoes should have played a calculated huge role. For my training, I have usually some adidas Ultraboost 21 and, from time to time, the new Boston 12, for some speed training. But, most of the time, I have trained in heavier shoes than the ones prepared for the race: Adizero Adios Pro 2. For your information, this pair was used several times during races, so it was not new, it is just saved for special courses. And because of their shape and, especially weight, the switch of shoes from the race day, comparing to my preparation, was another significant factor that enhanced my performance. I absolutely recommend this, but you need to be sure that the shoes from race day are some shoes your feet know very, very well!

You should try Valencia Marathon!

To sum up, if any of the one reading this is considering a PB, then Valencia is the answer. Mostly because is a very well organized marathon, the surface is very flat – only 60 meters of ascent on my Strava! – and also, for now, it requires no ballot. But who knows in the future? The only thing I didn’t like was that people were very keen to cross the race roads, but at least they were doing it quickly and didn’t create too much anxiety for me. Apart from this, well, Spain really knows how to deal with a sports event and, to be honest, I am not sure why Valencia Marathon is not part of Marathon Majors. I cannot state that Berlin is better organized, even though that one is, indeed, very well organized as well!