Awesome Running Sam!!
As most people know, Sam Pearch just completed this event of 10 marathons or slightly longer) in 10 days. Most of what can be said has already been said so I thought I would try to make this a little different.
Because there were 10 events, 10 times and two additional differences I thought it would just be a cold list of facts… So I have created a document of all the 10×10 marathon finishers and their times (click HERE to see it). Here you can see the speed of the runners as the even progresses. One young lady, as you can see, starts at 6 hours timing and finishes at 6:22 – she may not be fast but she’s fitter than me! You will see Sam’s times highlighted in red nd I only found 27 who ran all 10 – this could be my error but it took me so long to get this together I don’t relish looking for any more.
It was a truly awesome achievement and I was cheeky enough to ask Sam a couple of quick questions…
If you knew, when you signed up for the 10 x 10, what you now know what advice would you give yourself? Different training? Different footwear? Different nutrition? Not posting the entry?
I listened to quite a bit of advice from Andy Brooks, from people who are on Saxons, Vikings and Normans Facebook page who have done similar challenges, some things I had read, some things Ben Smith (401 challenge) had said. Then kind of pick bits out which I felt would suit me for the 10 days, some things I will carry on doing. What could I tell myself? Throughout this year I never really knew if you can train for something like this, so I trained like I would normally. After what I’ve seen this week I don’t think there is a certain way you can train, with so many different runners with a wide variety of abilities completing the 10 in 10. So I think train to what is comfortable for yourself, don’t doubt yourself, have confidence in your own abilities. Buy decent trainers and alternate between 2 or 3 pairs which I did, both pairs were new 1 pair in August and 1 pair in October. I had to make a change in trainers after London marathon this trainer, due to the brand causing/ giving me blood blisters on the balls of my feet which as you can imagine wasn’t convenient. It would seem I got the nutrition absolutely right, I weighed my self before I left and I am pretty much exactly the same weight after. So the way I did my food in between marathons worked well. Yes would still post the entry, when I see something I don’t hold back I go for it so that would never change.
And… If it had been 11×11 do you think you could have done number 11?
Yes I think I could have done number 11 if it was 11X11, for me majority of the challenge came down to mentality.
And… Would you do it again in the future? Or is it too early to say? (Would rather than will by the way – I accept there are many new challenges to do without repeating ones you’ve completed)
That bit I don’t know, especially when as you say there is many other new challenges.
Please Note – When I asked Sam these questions I didn’t tell him that I planned on sharing them so Apologies to Sam for that and I hope he doesn’t mind.