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Marty Dent: RT Journals
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Here are a few thoughts about my recent marathon experience (Beppu-Oita in Japan) and future plans.
1. My Beppu-Oita result: My goal for the Beppu-Oita Marathon was to run under 2:14:00, to achieve the Commonwealth Games A standard. I did so by 33sec. Sure, a bit faster would have been nice, but now I feel I am within striking distance of what I expect to be the Olympic qualifying time of 2:12:00.
2. Commonwealth Games selection: The Commonwealth Games marathon runners are not announced until the week beginning 10 May. At the moment I feel like I am in good position for selection, but with at least four men still to run a marathon (and all capable of running qualifying times) it will be interesting to see what happens.
3. Why Beppu-Oita Marathon: One of the reasons for doing Beppu-Oita Marathon was that it was good timing for my family. My wife is pregnant with twins and due any day now. It was a bit of risk that I could miss the birth, but they have managed to hold off on their arrival. So now I can take it easy on the running while we work out how to manage three children under two! Hopefully this won't take too long and I will be back for the domestic road races.
4. Running in Japan: Another reason to go back to Japan is because I have run pretty well each time I have raced there – now achieving three marathon PBs and two World Cross Country placing PBs. Plus the organisation and hospitality of Japanese races is second to none.
5. Conditions: In Beppu-Oita the conditions were pretty much perfect. Cold and a slight breeze (which wasn’t a worry as we had pace makers taking the group I was running in for 27km). The pace making was spot on – even and accurate.
6. Jeff’s debut: Jeff’s run in Beppu-Oita was very impressive. When we got to 27km (and most of us in the race were thinking of survival and trying to hold the pace to the finish) Jeff increased his pace to 3min/km and ran down the front group. Maybe being a debutant meant he had the psychological advantage of not knowing what it is like to hit the wall in a marathon. Although, the way he finished he would have avoided hitting the wall altogether.
7. My History: Reflecting on my seven marathons to date: I now have six marathons within 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Hopefully I can keep bringing my average time down..
8. Delhi: The Commonwealth Games will be all about achieving the highest finishing place not going for a particular time. I am hoping that the expected warm conditions will bring some of the faster Africans back to the rest of the field and provide opportunities that would suit my consistency.
9. Recovery: Almost three weeks after Beppu-Oita Marathon and my legs are still a bit sore. I didn’t run a step the week following the race and have tightened up badly due to that. It will be a few weeks before I am ready to get back into a full training load.
10. Marathon build-up: Here are the weekly kilometres I ran in the build up to Beppu-Oita, including a couple of smaller weeks due to races and two 200km+ weeks while at Falls Creek.
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2 comments to "Marty Dent: RT Journals"
I'm actually reading this at Marty's house and i can confirm - the twins have arrived
Hey Marty,
Great race yesterday, loved the thumbs up at the start. You are a legend the way you run. :-)
Hope your lovely boys aren't wearing you out to much!