We received this note from Ben just after the New York City Marathon a couple of weeks ago, needless to say we were impressed but not surprised. nick trained very well for this event and it was nice to see things come together for him – This is an extract from the email Nick sent the day of the race

“Hey Vlad, Just finished the marathon in 2:41:08. Such an amazing experience. Conditions were far from ideal. It was freezing cold (about 4 degrees) with strong winds around 30 km+ (mostly headwind) and plenty of long hills — but all things considered I’m really happy with the time. It’s over 5 minutes less than last years time and I didn’t hit the wall until around 38km. For the first 1/4 of the race I was a bit slow and it was hard to get into a rhythm with the wind. From about 12km to 34km I felt comfortable and was hitting around 3:40-45/km pace. The last 4km was really tough though, it seemed as if was running in slow motion”

Well thats one tough race and a great time, so we thought we would ask Nick to share more about his preparation and race – enjoy!

When did you start with Runlab?

February 2014

What have you achieved this year?

Massive PB’s in every distance from 5k to marathon. I took 4 minutes off my previous half marathon time and 5 minutes off my marathon time.

What have you learnt about training and yourself over the last (12 months)

Having a personalised training plan has made a huge difference. I’ve been running seriously for 6 years now, yet this year has seen the biggest improvement in times way beyond what I expected. Before I started with Runlab I felt I was close to my peak, but now, I know I can keep getting quicker for years to come.

What was your most satisfying experience about the NYC Marathon?

Being able to push through, both mentally and physically, the toughest race conditions I’ve ever experienced. It was bitterly cold, there were strong headwinds for most of the race and plenty of tough long hills. Yet despite all of this, I kept reminding myself the solid training I’d done had prepared me to overcome these obstacles. And the rock star reception from the massive crowds definitely helped mentally.

What was difficult about the race?

At the start crossing the huge Verrazano Bridge, the wind was so strong I thought I was going to lose my race bib. But I’d say the toughest part was when I hit the wall as I entered Central Park (around the 39km mark). With most of my energy drained and time seemingly slowing down, it was really hard to fully appreciate the cheering crowds and the park in all its Autumn glory.

Whats next for you?

Over summer I’ll stick to shorter races to maintain my fitness. In 2015 I think the big events will be a couple of local marathons, maybe Gold Coast and Melbourne which are nice flat courses.