Follow Bernard's journey

February 4, 2025

10  training weeks left, time for my first 15K test race!

A couple of weeks ago, some colleagues who ran the Ghent marathon before, recommended me to join a test race. I thought this was an excellent idea, so I asked my coach for “permission” to run a 15K race close by called the “Polderloop”.

Usually, I run alone at the pace that my training schedule dictates, without any distraction or group pressure. This works great for training but how would it be to run a real race? At what pace do I need to run? How to deal with other runners that go faster? Would I be able to finish without injuries? There is only one way to find out, just do it!

Sports nutrition

To make it even more complicated, my trainer recommended me to test with special nutrition for sporters and find out how my body would react to that. Well, that’s a whole new world! Energy bars, Energy gels, Isotonic drinks, Recovery drinks, Electrolytes, it’s unbelievable what you can buy to boost your performance.

I was warned that you can overdo it, so I’ve tried to keep my nutrition planning as “simple” as possible:

• I ate my regular breakfast: two slices of whole wheat bread, three hours before the race started.
• 45 minutes before the start one energy bar to stagger carbohydrates and one cup of coffee. Caffeine should boost performance as well I’ve learned.
• 10 minutes before the race: 250ml of an isotonic drink for even more energy.
• I carried 2 packs of energy gels to refuel during the race.

My race plan was to find a pace which I was able to keep up with for 12 kilometers, having some spare energy for the last 3 kilometers, and being able to finish within 1h 30 minutes.

After two kilometers I found a runner who was running almost at the same pace as me, so I tried to follow this person at a small distance. This went quite well but I couldn’t get closer, even the opposite, the gap was getting slightly bigger every kilometer…

At kilometer 6, there was the first drink stop. How can you drink while running? I decided not to try this and just stopped for a few seconds. Also, I “ate” my first energy gel while running again. That stuff works amazing! After a few minutes I felt the energy kick, being strong enough to keep the same pace for the next 6 kilometers!

Last three kilometers

There was another drink stop at 12 kilometers where I could eat a slice of orange as well. I chose the orange over the water and decided not to “eat” another energy gel because the first one was still a bit heavy on my stomach.

Having the same runner still in sight, running approximately 100 meters in front of me, my next goal was to try to finish before him. As competitive as I am, I started to increase my pace a bit until the point where it still felt “manageable for the last three kilometers”. Slowly but steady I was able to get closer and closer… Could I finish ahead of him? 500 meters to go, all or nothing! I increased my pace even more, yes! I made it and finished at 1h 23m 27 seconds.

This was a fantastic experience, and I am proud of my achievement! With two more months of training to go, I feel confident that I can run at the same pace during the real race: Sofico Ghent half marathon on the 30^th of March!

December 10, 2024

Training for 10 weeks now: status update

Following the theoretical plan, which I wrote in my previous blog post, seems to be straightforward: run, rest, repeat. The reality is a journey with ups and downs and more lessons learned than expected.

Heart rate zones

Training execution within heart rate zones sounds easy but actually it isn’t, and it may even cause some stress during a run. What I’ve learned during the first two months is that the average heart rate is the real goal to achieve so do not panic if your watch starts complaining that you are under or upper the heart rate zone. In particular when I had my first training sessions at a higher pace, I started running too fast during the first 10 minutes, which resulted in a tough run at the end because I had to reduce my pace to stay within the target heart rate zone. The main reason why I started running too fast was that my body needs to warm up first, and in addition, a watch measures the heart rate with a delay.

What I learned:

• After a few runs, I knew approximately at which pace I had to run to stay for a longer period of time in that range. So just start running, ignore what your watch says during the first 5 minutes and listen to your body.
• For interval runs, it is more difficult to find the right pace and it took me about 4 training sessions achieve my goal. For instance, when I had an interval training session with 3 intervals and the target heart rate zone is 152 - 162, I tried to find a pace which I was able to keep up with for all three intervals. For interval 1 I try to reach the minimum heart rate within that zone so around 152 - 154, for interval two the average heart rate (157), and during the last interval, the heart rate may go up until 162.

Note that the heart rate zones are different per person, so I advise to determine your own zones by conducting a professional running test.

Recovery and injuries

In the beginning, I underestimated how important recovery was. After a couple of weeks running, I felt strong and after my long run on Sunday I thought, I can do a bit extra by joining a soccer training match on Monday. Just for half an hour with the kids that I am training… That was the worst idea ever because I injured my hamstring.

Final thoughts

I thought that I knew already a bit about running but now I realize that my learning process just started. Moreover, I’ve learned how important it is to stick with the provided training program as much as possible.

After 10 weeks of training, I feel much stronger and can run longer distances than before at a higher pace. This increases my confidence level to complete the half marathon in March 2025!

I will keep you posted about my running experience early next year. Happy training everyone!

October 25, 2024

My journey to running a half marathon

Running a half marathon was always on my bucket list, but it took me a while to finally commit. As I am usually travelling for work, it’s difficult to establish a training rhythm because these days are packed with meetings and social activities. When the Sofico ambassador program was announced though, I decided it was time to push myself beyond my comfort zone and go for this challenge.

Why I Decided to Run a Half Marathon

For years, running is something I enjoy casually. It helps me to clear my head and generating creative ideas to solve business challenges. After the summer, I realized that I need a bigger challenge to live a healthier life. A half marathon seems like the perfect middle ground: challenging enough to push me but not as training intensive as required for a full marathon.

Setting My Goals

From the outset, I know that my primary goal is simply to finish the race. However, I don’t just want to finish, I want to enjoy the process and feel strong throughout the race. Time isn’t the highest priority for me, but I do set a rough target of completing the race in under two hours.

The results of the test help me now to understand my body better and set realistic goals for my training.

This plan includes:

• Weekly Long Runs: The cornerstone of my training plan, these long runs gradually increase in distance each week. This plan ensures I’m not overdoing it by building up mileage in a safe, progressive way.
• Speed and Tempo Workouts: To improve my speed and stamina, I have a mix of interval and tempo runs. The data-driven approach helps me know exactly how fast I should be running during these workouts based on my test results, which keeps me from burning out too soon.
• Cross-Training: To prevent injury and improve overall strength, my plan incorporates workouts routines to strengthen my core.
• Rest and Recovery: Rest days are built into the plan, something I initially underestimate but now appreciate.