Latest / The People Run Podcast / #72 1:11 in His First Half Marathon | João’s Copenhagen Follow Up

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#72 1:11 in His First Half Marathon | João’s Copenhagen Follow Up · The People Run Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the podcast post Copenhagen.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, of course.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Your first half post-moving to the UK for school.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we spoke a little bit of what you were gonna run in Copenhagen.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about it, man.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: How did Copenhagen?
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was like I'm very happy with the result for the first half.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, ran 111.58.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and it was definitely like the hardest run of my life, like by far.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like never worked so hard for a race, and never worked so hard during a race.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Because it was like, yeah, my coach told me that should start getting harder at 15k, and I was already struggling a little bit at 4k, and then you think yeah, I have 17 more to go.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, that moment, like the thoughts were, yeah, I'm probably gonna blow up at some point, but I'm gonna keep running and see if I can sustain it.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then yeah, I ended up made it um to the end, like at 15k it got really, really hard.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_02: Like, but yeah, then I was just had to grind the last 5k and the last 1k doesn't count, so it was was a good day.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: What happened during that stretch after the first 4k?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you you sell oh man, I still got 17 go.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: What what was so hard about it?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: What was the factor?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I was starting to feel like both my my legs a little bit and my my breathing wasn't so good uh as it was at the start, like the adrenaline wears off and yeah, I went out a little bit too fast.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like the first 5k split was at 322 okay, and it was a very windy day, uh, so I was working a little bit harder than I should, and I realized that, so then I tried to back off a little bit until like 12k because I knew like I can't get to 12k, that's just like mental.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh then yeah, got to 12k feeling like not great, but then at 13k I actually started feeling really good for some reason, maybe it was that just a gel that I took on 10k like kicking in.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but then I started just to push a little bit more.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: I pushed it for around a mile or so, ran there.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: The fastest K of the race was uh 315, but then I really paid the price because at just uh right at 15k I felt like both legs were like flooded, like they got really, really heavy, and then I had to deal with that uh until the the end of the race, like and get the last 6k was really grindy.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: Then the good thing is that the last 5k we had uh a tailwind.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh first 15k was pretty much all uh headwind, but then at the end I got that little bit of help that made it a little bit easier to not slow down uh too much, and yeah, then I didn't look at my watch at all for the last 60 of the race, was just running as hard as I could, and yeah, just wanted to get the the finish as as soon as possible so the pain would be over.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: How did you push through that?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like in the middle of the race, it's hard to think.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think I saw your data, your heart rate was 190 plus.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: 190 average and max like 198.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's probably higher than most people run for a 5k.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: How do you keep composed and you know what?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Just keep going for 12k, 15k in till that tailwind.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like instead of before the race, I I kind of analyzed the course and made a mapping of which uh case I would have a headwind and which uh would have a tailwind.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: So I was really looking forward to the 15k because I knew after that I would have some help.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: So for the first 15 I tried to run with people uh as most as possible so I wouldn't get as affected by the wind.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um and also I just tried to break the race down so like instead of thinking about the 21k, like at 4k, I didn't thought like yeah, I have 17 to go.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: I was just thinking like first get to 5k, see like you can get there, then to 10k.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: And when it was like 10, 10 and a half, and it was half halfway there, and that was the point yeah, should start like racing now.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: And and then like from 11k to 15k, I was just thinking, yeah, get there, and then you have a a tailwind, and but then I was feeling like really rubbish for the last 6k, so I was just like instead of trying to protect myself as I did for most of the race to try to conserve energy uh and yeah, not be running flat out since it's a half mart and last more than an hour.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um then last 5k 6k, I knew I was already in a pretty bad place, so my only option was to push, and so then my phone was gone, like was running like with my arms pretty much and trying to produce as most power as possible.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I could keep the pace, but then like I didn't care.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_02: I was I knew I was hurting, and the thing was like how how long can I hurt for?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, then when it gets like to 2k to go, you know you're you're gonna do the 2k like it's impossible, not gonna quit there.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like yeah, then it's when you get to like 19, then you know it's yeah, pretty much yours, you just have to get get it like at what point did you know okay, I'm within striking distance of my goal?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: You you did 111 71 minutes.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: When did you know you were gonna get that?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: Just when I after the race, like maybe three minutes after I finish, when I finally look at the watch, because the uh I couldn't do the maths anymore at 15k because I had like time and distance.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: So like at the start you know exactly what splits you should be running if you're on target or not.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I knew that for most of the race it was running around at 111, but then last 6k I didn't have a clue.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: I I thought I might be running 113 because it's so hard and I might be slowing down a lot, or I might run 111.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I knew 110 wasn't uh possible anymore, but then yeah, when I finished the race, I was so tired.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: I actually got attended like quickly by someone from the staff because I kind of collapsed after the finish line.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: But then yeah, just like you were it wasn't immediately that I I knew it took some time.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you have to recollect.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Once you looked at the watch, you got attended, like what what did you remember feeling like?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: I was like very happy that I I got within the range that I wanted.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but uh what I was most proud of this race wasn't the time itself, because I know like fitness-wise I might run quicker on now just having the experience of doing the half marathon.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: If I could run the race again, I probably would do like low one 111 just from the experience.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but the thing that I was most happy about was how hard it was and and like the fact that uh it never crossed my mind quitting the race.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh like my mind was working for me instead of against me, and that was the the point that uh I'm most proud of from this race.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think like my 10k 10k time is probably like compared to it's probably a better time, for example, but I'm way prouder for the from the half martial than I am from my 10k.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: That reminds me of that 10k we spoke of, you said was really hard.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: This one tops that yeah the 10k like wasn't even close as as hard as this one was like the 10k was like relatively in control, and I won then there was the win factor as well that I had a chance to win the race on Copenhagen, no chance at all.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: It placed, I think, overall 390, something like that.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: But I got second on age group, which like in a world championship race, second age group, it's might some it might be something I've never done at any point of my life anymore, unless I get really good.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, it's cool thing.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Did you you knew that after I take it based off everything you described, right?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: That you got second in age group.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was uh like so sorry, can can you repeat it?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh like you found that out after the race, right?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: You didn't know that in the moment, the second and no, no, just after.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like I didn't even knew like what was my age group because it was like until from 18 to like 20, something, but I had no clue.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was just kind of a bonus, but was never something I was chasing because I don't even know who one of the races in my age group and who isn't.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: I was just there like try to run as fast as possible.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: You talked about the race being really hard, right?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: But like looking at your data, you shared the data soon after the race, man.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: Your splits were very consistent, and then you shared the wind, but your bib even flew off at one point, like yeah, yeah, like it was around 10k that this happened, 12 12k, I think.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and then like I had no chance to get it back.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so I was a little bit worried that my time wouldn't count.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh like if I was an elite, I would be disqualified.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but um I was there to run it anyways, and I wouldn't like quit because of that.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh sadly, I got my both my coach and my dad really worried because they thought I DNF'd.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um but I was there to run half mart on it.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: That was what I was gonna do is besides like time being counted officially or not.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: But then after the race, I managed to contact the organizers and they they figured out for me and added the the official time.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: What was the atmosphere like?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like you said, it was world championships right around the weekend of the half.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: I I saw you even post you got to meet some of your idols pre-race leading up to what was that?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, pre-race, I managed to meet Andrea Zamgra, who is like he won the race uh in a European record at 50 5805, I think he ran so super quick time.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and yeah, there was a a Nike event there where he was giving um a talk, which was really nice.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_02: He was answer answering some questions.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: I actually was lucky enough to be able to uh ask him a question.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_02: I asked him is if he was considering if his Martin debut in New York goes well, if he'll be considering to on the Olympics to the Martin, the 5k and the 10k, as he's good and everything, and have a chance to meddle.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: And he says that he'll he'll have a think about it.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, it was like a really nice experience, to be honest.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: When I was asking uh him this, I was like shaking a lot because I was like really nervous, like it almost didn't come out.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, it was really cool, and the the atmosphere like was amazing during the race as well.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: There was like so many people cheering on us.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um and maybe that's why my heart rate was this high.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like I remember there was kind of a at I think 18k, something like that, was a tunnel of like people, and there was like screaming on you like at the top of the lens, it was like the nouse, the noise was like so high.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and yeah, then like uh you're struggling, but you you can't quit in a situation like this.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: You end up keeping going, like the the motivation is like really uh high, and there was crowds for literally like the whole race.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's awesome.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: Every single point.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: So you loved your half marathon experience.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, it was really nice.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: Uh of course, at the moment I wasn't loving it that much because it was like really hard, but yeah, uh something that's uh very happy with and maybe like I already want to do a next one.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I don't know when or which one it'll be, but uh definitely we'll do it again.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: And actually I got the like sparkle inside me of maybe doing a Martin at some point.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, it won't be now, like I have to wait at least five more years.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_02: But definitely like I I had the thought that yeah, it would be really cool to some point to do a Martin.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Post-race, like uh speaking with coach and family, dad, you mentioned like what what was the conversations on the reflection of the race?
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh like when I met my dad, uh he first he was really worried because he didn't know what happened.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but then we we kind of had to rush uh a little bit because we had to go back to the UK and at least I got time to eat a cake in Copenhagen, which was really good.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: Especially like after the race, it tastes way better.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and like my dad was happy with it, like he was like mostly happy that I was alive at that point because he was like already searching like if someone was on the medical tent or something like that, because yeah, he was pretty worried.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and my coach he was really happy with the result, he was proud and and like um happy that uh I managed to to deliver the a good race and run like what I wanted.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: How are you feeling now post-race?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: I saw you took five days off, you're back to running.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I took five days off, would be my like a postseason break.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I had uh in the back of my mind maybe doing the Vitality 10k that it's a race in London that will be happening uh tomorrow.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but then I had to be honest with myself, I had thinking like I thought a lot a lot about it, but uh I I just realized that the risk wasn't worth it.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I already managed to run a 10k PB in this block, managed to run the half, and I just didn't want to be greedy and and risk something.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because I did this race twice already.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the first time I did was 2024.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: I had a good race, but uh actually pushed it to a really bad illness.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: Like I ran it whilst being ill, like something you shouldn't do.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_02: Like my doctor told me don't run it, and I did it anyway.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: My coach as well told me to not run it, and I went without telling them, and just after the race, just send the PB.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um but they still like they were pissed off at me.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um and yeah, last year I did vitality again and then push it through an Achilles like Nigo that I had that ended up turning into an injury, and I had to miss like two weeks of training and pretty much a month of quality training.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: So this time I wasn't feeling anything like um specific, but I think you should learn with your mistakes, and it was my first half ever.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: So definitely my body took a hit like my HRV, for example.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: First day was normal, was four days after the the race.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and on Monday I I had a vaccine as well, and I got some reaction like normal from that, but then I got fever and all this kind of stuff.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_02: So I just know that uh the smartest decision would be to not do it.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like I know that after an effort like that, uh the body will take some time to recover, and I wanted to respect the recovery and like to be able to start the next block in in a good place.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so yeah, now I started the the new block today.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: Uh did an easy run in the morning and cross-training in the afternoon.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and yeah, next week we should uh get back to normal.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm really happy that my coach said that he'll be ramping up a little bit training, might reach like 120k weeks that I'll be very happy with.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um and a little bit more intensive than what we were doing previously.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm very uh motivated to start a new block.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: No, and it's good that you you're taking the the recovery and break needed, especially with a fever kicking up after.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Do you find it harder to like race in discomfort or like hold back when you need to, uh when you know you fit?
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, to hold back for sure.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like I knew that if I took like two days off and then got back into training, uh I I had in the back of my mind to try to run under 20 32 minutes.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and I wanted to get it, but then like you have to drink think like with your brain instead of with your heart.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_02: So you have to do what is right and not what you want to do.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I think these kind of decisions will like benefit me long term.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Last time we spoke, you're getting ready to move to the UK and start your next chapter in St.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Mary's.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: How has that been?
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was really nice.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: I arrived here now just two weeks ago.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so uh been living on campus, uh, started the sports science course, which it's been really nice.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_02: My coach is one of my lecturers now, which has been really nice, motivates me to uh work harder both on training and on the the course itself.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so it's been really nice.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_02: I made friends uh with the other athletes uh because we all live in the same hall.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm having a great time here.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: How are you finding uh sports and exercise so far?
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we didn't have much because the first week uh was like the week to like settle in, so we didn't have classes and these this week we started the classes, however, it was just much more uh introductory uh like introduction to to the course and what we are gonna see, and we still didn't add like any real like um lectures uh about like like learning and this stuff like uh but I uh think it's gonna be like really nice.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: Talking about some uh you know runners that are big in the running community.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: I saw you posted uh picture of you and Steven Scullion, man.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: How was that?
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh yeah, the first session that I did here at the track we had Steven Scullion that ran 209 for the marathon, we had Jack Rowe that ran 207 and like a 130 something for 5k, I think 1303.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: And we had as well Joe Wickfield that is the current British record holder for the 10k.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh he ran 2720 something.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh if I'm not I'm not sure exactly the seconds, but uh it's something like that, like it's mad quick.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's like for example, it's uh everything there's like quick, way quicker than the Brazilian records for the these distances.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, like there's they're really fast.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: No, that's awesome, man, to be surrounded by that.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what's next for you?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned coach is gonna ramp up the training a little bit, a little bit increased mileage is another half the target, or going back to shorter distances?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I'm doing uh cross-country season, uh so pr running but on grass and like tougher courses.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so I'm be doing uh a good amount of races, but as well as some road races, which will be like 5k's and 10k's.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: I'm doing uh a 5k on uh November, the end of November.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: So this will be the first road one uh that might be targeting like 1520, maybe under something like that.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we have to see how how feel but uh on the block.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: But my coach told me it might be possible if I can translate the half-marton fitness to to the 5k.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and yeah, then I'm doing like probably a 10k at the end of the year, but I'm still not sure uh which one might be Telford, uh 10k here in the UK.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: That's a really quick course.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and then yeah, next year cross-country, road races.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: I still don't have uh another half planned.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I'll have to speak with my coach about it.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but it probably will take some time, at least six months or so.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: Because he thinks, uh, and I agree with him that it's probably too early for me to move like to the half-marathon distance as a main distance uh because of my age.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I should be focusing on the shorter stuff as well, like 3k, 5k to develop my speed uh at my age, and then be able to translate that to the half marathon and marathon when I'm I'm older.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: No, that makes sense.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Looking back at when we last spoke pre-Copenhagen, you now raised Copenhagen, you're in St.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Mary's, you're in the UK, future is bright.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what's changed since then you think, since we last spoke?
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, now I'm a half marathoner.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, there you go.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh really really nice.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and yeah, managed to hit my goals.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: I've worked a lot for it.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh like past f four months pre uh before the race.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um uh it was the only like thing on my life.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like I wasn't going out, wasn't doing anything that I considered that wouldn't help the race.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um so yeah, I had to really focus uh for the race.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I think my work ethic uh stays the same.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: Of course now I have to um have the the course on the side, the sport science.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: So both things um I really believe uh I can do both things at a really good level.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I think one might even help each other.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I think since I started running uh my academic um side of things have improved a lot because like I think running teach is uh discipline and like working hard for for things.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: So um I think yeah, I'm like really excited to to like live uh this like life, I I guess that's I'm gonna have here.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome, man.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Joe, congratulations again um on the Copenhagen half, Tain Mary's and all.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um looking forward to what you got as always going coming forward.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoy the recovery, man.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for coming back, man, on the People Run podcast.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks a lot.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: Really nice to catch up, and I hope to be back at some point.