RT Journals: Marty Dent - Back into the routine

One of the best things about being a Marathon runner is that you have enforced breaks after each Marathon. In the past 12 months I have run more kilometres than ever before, but have had more days of no running than I have had in a long time. In the past if I was not running it usually meant I was injured. Still after week of no real running I was keen to get back out on the road and back into top shape as soon as possible.

Berlin was my 6th and I consider my best marathon. Immediately after finishing I was hit with two pieces of news – before I had even changed out of my racing shoes! The first news was that I finished 21st which although a very pleasing result, meant I had missed Commonwealth Games pre-selection by just one place. While frustrated at missing a top 20 finish, 20th place was 25 seconds ahead of me so it was not as though I had missed it by a sprint to the line. The second news was from my wife (by phone), she told me we were expecting twins in late February. I had left Australia knowing she was pregnant, but when Kathie found out the double result three days before I was to race she decided to wait until after the race to tell me. She wasn’t sure how I would react and didn’t want to divert my focus away from the marathon. It was certainly exciting and scary news – which I am still coming to terms with! Three children under two (our son Elye is now 16 months old) will keep us very busy.

Now back in Australia, I have resumed training after four weeks of taking it pretty easy. A couple of weeks in I am feeling OK. However, I am getting sore from doing sessions again despite my mileage being a fraction of what I was doing a couple of months ago. I'll start some second daily runs next week and I don't expect to have a rest day for 6 months. This build up will probably be a little slower than prior to my last two marathons as I have a bit more time. My next race is Noosa Bolt at the end of October, then probably the Great Australian Run in November and maybe my first major track race for a while at Zatopek in December. With the fast times the Australian boys have been running in the last year and no pressure on me to run fast, it will be good to race and try to be competitive against them. Following Zatopek, I plan to get into marathon training including a couple of weeks at Falls Creek in the New Year. If everything goes to plan, I hope to be on the start line in the Beppu-Oita Marathon on 7 February 2010. Hopefully the twins will time their arrival until after I get back from Japan!



Then I will be waiting until May to find out if I have done enough to be selected to head to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October. I expect it will be tough conditions in Delhi, but that may slow down the pace a bit at the very front and give us Australians a chance to compete for the medals.

So this weekend it is 10km tempo, 25km long run and probably some shopping for twin prams, car seats, etc, etc. Back into the routine again!

Marty


 

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