Chicago Marathon success for Vroni
'I loved loved loved my marathon - my training plan was perfect'.
Achieve the unthinkable
So from our success stories the other weekend I finally catch up with my next virtual coaching client Vroni.
A regular group member for many years Vroni joined the wonderful Reading Road runners as both a member and coach and then more recently Elite Conditioning as one of our coaches.
Having seen the successes of a full cross training program including strength, bike sessions, tempo, intervals and long slow runs Vroni, as many of my clients do, contacted me to make use of my Personal Training experience as well as my running coaching knowledge to get her to that dream sub 4 hour marathon many of us runners chase !
Having looked at her 10 km and half marathon personal bests on paper many coaches would say that sub 4 hours would be impossible but I knew with the correct balance, a solid even race plan that anything was possible !
Training for a marathon over the summer, being a full time working mum to 3 children, It was always going to be busy for this young lady but I graded her sessions from essential ‘must haves’ down to ‘nice to have’ so she knew which sessions where key to hit on those busy weeks when life took over.
In her own amazing words here’s our Vroni’s journey into the Chicago Marathon…
‘Wow – What a past 4 month it has been. It has taken forever for me to believe. The seeds only really took after I smashed the GNR – which was not easy ! Way too many people, way too hot and wow – NOT flat. On marathon morning I was not quite ready. I knew I could hit a 4 hour marathon but I knew this would not come easy. At 17 miles I had “banked” 2 minutes and I knew I would need them. I was still well fuelled and hydrated. The atmosphere was superb, by friends popped up everywhere, but I felt cramps coming in. I had fuelled well, so they were a suprise. I knew I would need to stop once to stretch. I did at 21 miles! Why? Because I believed that running through could have been a worst outcome. One final stretch at 24.5 miles and then I counted down at 25 miles. 9min 40 max of pain. Get on with it. Chicago has an amazing mantra: I am proud, I am relentless, I am persistant, I am dedicated, I am strong, I am focused, I am committed. I added to this Believe to achieve. I finished strong at 4:00:02 or 3:59:62
I loved loved loved my marathon – my training plan was perfect. It fitted me. I owned the plan not the other way around. It gave me flexibility to work, train and be mum. It worked with what I had to offer and it paid back tenfold. I shaved off 26min and 19 seconds. WOW! and whilst on running on these tired legs GSR followed with another 3 min and 2 sec off for another PB.
whats next? those 2 seconds… I am still hungry – I now want a sub 4. I now know to bring a little sachet of salt for the cramps. In the words of Arnold “I’ll be back!” – until then, you will see me at the HM group on Tuesday evening ! ?’
Just an wonderful honest, real story of juggling life and training but it paid off through vroni’s hard work and commitment.
Along the way Vroni has smashed her 10 km, 10 mile, half marathon and marathon PB’s so all that’s left is that 5 km one but even I think she deserves to take some much needed down time before her next challenge where I have no doubt she will succeed again !
When this women puts her mind to something there’s no stopping her ?
#achievetheunthinkable