We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, isn’t it a nice excuse to copy my friend Marco Altini?
Since January 2023 I stepped up my running ambitions, by hiring a coach specialized in ultra-marathons.
He told me: “I only train people that have a goal, what’s yours?”.
I replied: “I want to run the 100km of Passatore”.
“When?” he said.
“In May 2024” I replied.
“OK, let’s get to work”.
This was January 2023, and since then I run a lot and improved quite a lot. It has been a very interesting journey and having a coach was THE best running decision I ever made.
Anyway, this is my 2024 training log – focus on the months leading to Passatore.
All the training activities are on Strava.
Year races and goals
This is the masterplan for 2024, subject to changes and mood swings 🙂
- 14 January: Egmond Half-Marathon – C race
- A very popular event in NL that I never managed to join.
- 11 February: Schoorl 30km – C race
- A beautiful route on paved roads; aiming to finish ~2,5 hours.
- 24 March: Sittard 6h – B race
- Curious to see what happens to my brain (and body) if I run a 2km lap for 6 hours. My goal is to do 60km.
Fun fact: in 2023 there were only 14 participants.
- Curious to see what happens to my brain (and body) if I run a 2km lap for 6 hours. My goal is to do 60km.
- 14 April: Rotterdam Marathon – B race
- Let’s go back where I ran my first Marathon in 2007!
Can I do a sub-3:30?
- Let’s go back where I ran my first Marathon in 2007!
- 25 May: 100km del Passatore – A race
- My aim is to enjoy the experience and to feel good during the race. I don’t have clear ideas about the finishing time, but 13-14 hours sound good to me right now.
- 14 September: 50km Winschoten – A race
- I enjoyed this race in 2023 (it was my first official ultra-marathon) even if it was one of the hottest days of the year! I want to go back to improve my PR.
- 22 September: Dam tot Damloop – C race
- A classic 10-mile fun event here in NL, with 35,000 participants.
- 20 October: Amsterdam Marathon – A race
- After last year exhilarant strong finish, I want to go back for more. Plus, it’s the home marathon!
Aiming for sub-3:30.
- After last year exhilarant strong finish, I want to go back for more. Plus, it’s the home marathon!
To clarify:
“C race” is a fun-race with no PR goal.
“B race” is just a hard training in my schedule, where I can improve a PR.
“A race” is a well-prepared event that deserves tapering and recovering.
There may be some more C races along the way, possibly on trails just to keep trying that too.
Week four
- Training: 4h38m
- Run: 52,1km
- Elevation gain: 137m…
- Score: 5/10
This was a ‘easy week’ in my training plan, but it wasn’t easy at all.
On Tue I had a “field test”: 30 minutes full speed, then tempo run up to 15km. But it was raining and there was a yellow warning for windstorm, so after the test I went home.
I run 40mt less than previous test, but with an average HR of 169 vs 175. So, I’m not sure how I’m doing but the mood wasn’t the best.
On Wed I had a 15km speedwork (5km in each zone): Z3 felt unreachable and I got frustrated because I felt mentally tired of trying to push for speed. I’ll have to discuss this with the coach.
The weekend was sunny and easy, running with the group on Sat and then an easy 20k on Sun.
Overall a 5/10 because I feel frustrated and doubting my fitness level.
Full week:
Week five
- Training: 7h44m
- Run: 88,9km
- Elevation gain: 213m
- Score: 7/10
On Monday, coach made my life easier – and my workouts less frustrating – by revising the Z3 pace range, up to 4:27-4:21 from the previous 4:25-4:14.
The week didn’t start too well. On Tue morning I went out for a 15km tempo but it was harder than usual and at km 13 I lost energy and slowed down. Maybe I was overdressed, the temperature was 9C (“feels like 6C”, but didn’t feel like 6C) and the legs were unexpectedly stiff.
On Wed I did intervals and it went much better, I felt pretty strong without killing myself.
Fri for the first time in 2024 I had a workout longer than 15km in a weekday: 18km speedwork, changing zone every 3 kms. I didn’t enter the new Z3 pace, but overall a good session.
Sat I did an easy 30km with Carlo, planespotting around Schiphol. I love my long runs.
And then Sun: 15km tempo well in Z2, “good vibes only”.
I finally see my fitness level going up on Strava and TrainingPeaks, for what’s worth.
Next weekend I’ll run the 30k race in Schoorl.
Full week:
Week six
- Training: 7h38m
- Run: 88,8km
- Race: Schoorl 30km, 02:31:18 – PR
- Elevation gain: 303m
- Score: 8/10
Another blue Tue, I had a 18km speedwork planned (3K x different zones) but I felt too tired after a few KMs and with dark clouds in my head. Maybe a podcast about euthanasia, even if excellent, wasn’t the best company!
I turned the session into a long recovery run.
Wed intervals went good and I felt strong.
Thu was a weird one: I went out in the evening for a 20km easy run, it was raining and 3C cold.
At km13 the phone rung, I had to pick-up (potential office space), walked while talking, and then when I started again my hands were freezing and I felt very cold. Mission aborted, I run home after ~15km.
Sat I did an easy 15km run, “shake-out run” 🙂
And finally Sun, where I raced at Schoorl with Piero. The event was more crowded than anticipated, but the scenery is beautiful and there are gentle ups & downs.
My goal was to do a 30km PR at 5:00 pace, and so I did ?
Previous 30K PR was during the Amsterdam Marathon 2023, so it made sense to improve it but 2h30m felt never the less a bit ambitious, especially because I knew it wasn’t a flat route.
I messed up a turn, I did “rondje 2” before “rondje 1″… I got annoyed but it didn’t affect the total distance nor the result.
Full week:
Week seven (Feb 12)
- Training: 9h29m
- Run: 104 km
- Elevation gain: 204m
- Score: 8/10
Another blue Tue, still tired from Schoorl I did a 15km recovery run instead of tempo. Wed intervals went much better!
Weed-end triplet: 18km speedwork on Fri (first run of the year in shorts), 30km Sat and 30km Sun (all under the rain).
Happy to report that Sun I wasn’t as tired as imagined. Good first 100+km week!
Week 8 (Feb 19)
- Training: 4h57m
- Run: 55 km
- Elevation gain: 119m
- Score: 6/10
This was a recovery week, after 3 intense weeks.
15km tempo on Tue was OK, but on Wed life got in between and I had to skip training.
2 days off seems a lot!
18km speedwork on Fri, I hate speedworks and I much prefer intervals.
Sun, easy run with Stephan and we ended up at 22km instead of 20.
Week 9 (Feb 26)
- Training: 8h47m
- Run: 99 km
- Elevation gain: 172m
- Score: 7/10
Back working, with the warning from the coach: “Important training week coming up. Give it all you’ve got! Every training again.”
Tue 15k tempo was a bit all over the place.
I’m developing a “mental pattern”: Tue are the worst, I expect a recovery run instead I get an intense workout.
I don’t feel frustrated anymore, I accept this.
But this is “training stimulus” so I have to keep on trying.
Wed intervals went good, a little pain in the left quad at the start but it went quickly away, nothing to worry about I guess.
Weekend triplet:
- 18km speedwork on Fri evening
- 15km tempo on Sat afternoon
- 40km easy on Sun, in great company of Carlo and Roberto (that is doing Sittard 6h as well!)
Long run in company are the best, and we were lucky to have a sunny day with no wind.
