Alice

Despite an extremely busy professional schedule, I managed to complete 100% of the workouts… even if it meant doing it on Sunday evening at 21:00 after three days of conferences 🫣. A bit of fatigue at certain times, I wonder halfway through the second training cycle if it's too much, but by mid-October, I bounce back, the workouts go smoothly, and I feel I'm in shape! Phew!

I tell myself that maybe a sub-3:40 is achievable.

It's happening, it's the start! I weave through and try to find my pace. Slowly it settles, I find my pace at 5:05, a bit faster than the 5:10 I wanted to maintain.

Between the zigzags and GPS uncertainties, it's a bit difficult to rely on my watch, but at the 24 km marker, I check my watch… Well, it's official I'm at a solid 12 km/h…

The kilometers pass painlessly and in good spirits, at the 28th I see my boys 🥹🥰

At the 30th, I find myself in a bottleneck, a bit harder to restart afterward let's be honest…

Come on, less than 10 km… My last moments of complete clarity regarding my watch 😅 Around the 37th km, there's a small uphill that my brain had carefully erased from the first round (bastard 😂).

It's the end, it inevitably becomes physically harder, 38, 39 but now I KNOW it's the mental strength taking over and I'll finish it... The acceleration of a thunderstorm, I cross the finish, I stop my watch, I look at it….

3:29:16 😳🤯 WHAT?!!!

First marathon in the legs last April with Paris, I was buzzing for several days and the desire to plan another is already itching…

I receive a text from a friend who was injured for Paris and motivates me for La Rochelle, quite well-positioned in the year: no ifs, ands, or buts, let's go!!

In addition, at the beginning of summer, my husband gets motivated - 15 years after his first and only marathon where he hit the wall hard at the 30th: seeing I managed without hitting the wall at 3:47 for my first, he absolutely wanted to break the 4:00 too!

Despite an extremely busy professional schedule, I managed to complete 100% of the workouts… even if it meant doing it on Sunday evening at 21:00 after three days of conferences 🫣. And it was really cool to be able to share this prep with someone, but let's be honest, with two kids, it was also a slight logistical hassle 😂.

A bit of fatigue at certain times, I wonder halfway through the second training cycle if it's too much, but by mid-October, I bounce back, the workouts go smoothly, and I feel I'm in shape! Phew! Even the "sunrise" workout I found so difficult during the last prep went rather well!

The taper is approaching. Of course, like everyone, I think I'm not ready, that I haven't run enough, and the pressure starts to build… The weather forecasts freak me out, I planned to run in shorts and a t-shirt, but temperatures at 0°C really scare me!!! I know not to buy last minute, huh… but oh well, I buy some sleeves.

Campus gave me an estimate at 3:42:59 with a pace of 5:17, but I did all my workouts well below that - including the 30' Thresholds… and I tell myself that maybe a sub-3:40 is achievable, especially in La Rochelle, which is known to be very fast…

As expected, it's cold but dry and so beautiful! 🥶

It's happening, it's the start! I'm a bit surprised, I thought there would be multiple waves, but there aren't. It still creates a bottleneck, I weave through and try to find my pace. Slowly it settles, I find my pace at 5:05, a bit faster than the 5:10 I wanted to maintain. I tell myself to slow down but… impossible! Seriously, I look at my watch after 2km, I'm at 4:50!! It seems crazy and ridiculous; I really don't feel fast… I also slightly distrust the instant pace given by the watch, but regardless, I note that the average speed is also decreasing… My heart rate is quite good, I simply can't slow down, but I'm having a great time… I even start singing around 10 km, I think 😂.

Between the zigzags and GPS uncertainties, it's a bit difficult to rely on my watch, but at the 24 km marker, I check my watch… Well, it's official I'm at a solid 12 km/h… I don't get carried away, I know I started fast and that the chances of cracking aren't zero… I reassure myself by thinking that it's, at worst, a margin I'll be happy to have later if it cracks (yes I know that's not how you're supposed to manage a race 😅).

The kilometers pass painlessly and in good spirits, at the 28th I see my boys 🥹🥰 I'm ear to ear happy for at least 2 km…

At the 30th, I find myself in a bottleneck, a bit harder to restart afterward let's be honest… In fact, looking at my heart rate last night, I realized that's when it spiked… but it holds! Instant speed oscillating between 4:55 and 5:05, I'm wary of it but well, it seems to hold!

Come on, less than 10 km… My last moments of complete clarity regarding my watch 😅 but I still realize that the sub 3:40 is clearly achievable barring a monumental disaster, and that a sub 3:35 is within reach… Around the 37th km, there's a small uphill that my brain had carefully erased from the first round (bastard 😂). There, I don't sing anymore; I think I'm shouting "oh nooo!" but come on, let's pass it!!

It's the end, it inevitably becomes physically harder, 38, 39 but now I KNOW it's the mental strength taking over and I'll finish it… entering the city… last km…. Come on, I find the strength to speed up! A friend who was there most of the race shouts my name 500 m before the finish and 50 m before I see my dears with my sister-in-law 🥹 The acceleration of a thunderstorm, I cross the finish, I stop my watch, I look at it….

3:29:16 😳🤯 WHAT?!!!

That's when I realize. And I burst into tears (of joy). Official time: 3:29:07.

I'm still having a bit of trouble realizing what happened, I'm super happy and super proud… my husband who wanted to ensure under 4:00 (he clearly had the strength for less but was traumatized by his previous wall) did 3:49, so it's a family success 🥳

I did sub 3:30… for some, it's nothing but for me, it's crazy; I was thinking it was a goal I could aim to 'reach' through experience and training… thank you Campus, I'm in the 'disciplined follower' team when it comes to following a plan, but I'm very happy…

I registered for the Paris marathon - unfortunately not drawn for the marathon for all to my great dismay 😢

For the Paris marathon, of course, I want to do better than La Rochelle, so I've started a 16-week program. But I'm also aware that Paris is much harder than La Rochelle, so repeating a sub-3:30 would already be amazing 🤩