Oh Ben, please be kind to your body and respect what it’s been through. Hearing you talk about “calculated risks” and having to build up the mileage more rapidly than you’d like to to prepare for Valencia is ringing alarm bells in my head as a coach - Given the injuries you’ve experienced recently and the impact of those on your training, is stacking another marathon block on top of this one the best idea for your body and your longevity in this sport? I appreciate that content creation is your business, but the pressure to produce material should never come at the expense of your health. Take care x
100% agree. This is how little injuries become big injuries, which become career-enders. The body can only handle so much - after a year featuring a fracture and bulging discs, two marathons in nine weeks feels astonishing to me. Setting out at PB pace after a training block that was spent mostly on a bike feels even crazier.
You're trying to do too much with what you have right now, in my opinion. Coming from an injury, running a marathon not long after and now running a marathon in 2 months, this is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. For an athlete of your caliber, anything that throws you off might take some more time than you wish to get back where you were, or expected to be. You're still young and still have lots of potential to explore, but sometimes we need to be realistic with ourselves and take a step back to recalibrate, as frustrating as that can be. Best of luck, you got this!
That’s so true. But when you are accustomed to be able to run 2:24 running 2:38 does really suck. It’s like when you come off the motorway and you’re driving in a 30 all of a sudden. It feels sluggish!
@@ThomasRedmond-q8q yea totally shows the talent hard work he has put in over the years, like others have said i thinnk that is what draws people here. Both the insights and the honesty
good luck with Valencia, ben, fingers crossed for a PB. i learned the whole "my lungs are ready but my legs are not" lesson the hard way after being a cyclist for years before I started running. I injured myself over and over again because i was running as much as my aerobics could take, but my legs just weren't prepared for anything close to that.
Don't feel disappointed, you gave the best that you had and you still reached the finish line with a smile. With more preparation and no injuries you will have definitely a great race in Valencia! Thanks for the content as always
Similar story for me, I ran Poznan Marathon last Sunday, my legs just gave in at 16 miles (out of nowhere), crawled home, was not fun. My 8th marathon, too! 🤦♂️ An awful day, but lots to learn going forward. Great work finishing the race, each Marathon is a learning experience.
Thank you for sharing your journey with your injury. I have been suffering with ITBS for almost 3 months now and if I am honest I am close to breaking point with it. Hearing stories like yours keeps me positive and focused that even runners like yourself suffer with injury and it isn’t the end of my running journey.
Me too, I have it for around 5months now, I am experimenting with different approaches. The most helpful so far was to engage my core more while i run(by letting my hips move free my knees have less stress on them). The balance exercises(one legged) and glute isolation exercises should help as well. Also avoid running through the pain, if it hurts, do some other kind of training, but continue doing strengtening exercises, you have to be consistent. I still have the pain, but it appears less often. Hope this helps, wish you a quick and full recovery.🎉🙏
As a runner who got injured four times in the past years after training very much and not being able to perform as I wanted to and know I could have…. I understand your feeling. But this helps in being very grateful once you are running without injury and pain free. It’s a great privilege to be fit and healthy.
It is such a privilege to be fit and healthy and when you are fit and health it’s hard to see that. I am very guilty of that. We all need to thank our lucky stars when we are healthy and not stress so much about running faster. That will come
I honestly think you well Ben, coming from an injury and still manage 2:38 is exceptional good , even more so it wasn't a goal race ,at Valencia you gonna smash it. Thank you and all the best.
That’s still a good time. You can’t be great in every race so don’t beat yourself up. I did my first 10Km tonight at 1:03mins then I heard you say you did that in 36?! Now I feel bad 😂 I’m 57 but I’ll go again. Good luck in your next one! Well done
You are an idol to me and just because you publish vlogs of competitions that didn't go as you would like, it makes you a fantastic person. Keep it up. See you in Valencia
Love your honesty Ben. You did incredible to finish it. And relatively you did better than Jakob in his half, cause he had to stop twice! Loads of people have bad marathons so you are giving them all a bit of hope that it’s okay❤
Great summary, Ben. Really useful to hear. Cycling is a great addition to a marathon block, glad you're keeping it part of yours. All the very best for your training for Valencia. It's a beautiful marathon.
Honest and genuine Ben, you should be proud that you dug deep and finished the race as so many in your position would have dropped out once their `A goal` has gone beyond reach. Sure you will come back stronger for this experience and thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing what was a difficult race result. I think you should be proud to achieve a 2:38 off basically running volume for a 10k! 14 mins off a on with no real miles in legs is pretty good and you will get benefit for the coming races. Well done Ben I love your videos as they are honest and straight. Keep it coming and good luck for Valencia I look forward to following your journey
Thank you for this - your honesty and vulnerability in this process is refreshing and I think valuable for us all. It’s definitely helped me be more realistic with my race post injury (I was also cycling a lot and kept my base fitness, but the running fitness is lacking a bit). I have no doubt you’ll smash Valencia though!
These are the times where you have to remember, that you are still running, that’s all that matters, if you love to run. Yesterday, I was diagnosed with Chronic Bronchiectasis, I have no idea how or if it will effect my running, we shall see. But at this very moment, I haven’t ran for two months, just constant respiratory issues and infections, as well sinusitis thrown in too. Trust me, I would rather being running that not at all.
Completely agree, and when you are in bens position it can be hard to think what it’s like to not be able to exercise. I am in your boat, but when I’m able to run I’m only focused on performing better and running faster. So I know what you mean becuase currently I’m in a very similar position, but if I were to be fit after 2 months I would forget what it’s like to not be able to run and just be focused on running faster. But having the perspective of being lucky to run because it’s enjoyable is something we all need to learn
Thank you for sharing your journey Ben!! The key positive thing is that your original injury did not come back during the race! Good luck at Valencia!!! I look forward to following your progress. It’s going to be good!!
Congrats on finishing!! When you know it's not going to happen, it takes so much more effort to complete. A similar thing happened to myself this past weekend; I had convinced myself that my tempo and speed work would compensate for a less than ideal marathon block. Legs just gave out around 24 and then it was a struggle until the finish. Lessons learned and we move forward. Sometimes its not the race we want but its the one we need to become better.
Ya Ben that Berlin experience is great for everyone. Thanks for sharing the non-perfect part of marathon training. As a regular decent mileage cyclist I can say cycling legs do NOT transfer over!!! You still need time on feet not on pedals.
I had a marathon just like yours. For many of the same reasons. And I can hear, now that you reflect on it, that you learned a lot about yourself from this one.
Hey Ben. I am a below average Marathoner trying to get better only clocking in at a bit under 70km a week. I've only raced it once and despite some lofty ambition. I ran the fastest I ever did in the event for my sub 4 hour goal. So around 5:35 Never sustained an effort like that for more than a couple of K's in training. Completely blew up on 18km. Both calves cramped. Finished at some sort of 6:47/km pace. I obviously had to do it as my first ever race. At least it was to me. But as a slow boy I covered the distance in just under 5 hours and of course as I mentioned I was simply overly ambitious I took it as seriously as possible as a person who was completely sedentary a year before the race putting in 10 hours a week was the most I could do with my fitness. I understand how this feels. It's like a nagging but loving partner. She sees right through you. If it was a weekend bimbo or a half... Your fitness change would be undetectable. But the full distance is cruel it demands the utmost and despite a full time commitment to them... You'd think you would be used to the abuse but in the end you're broken down crying and just talking about your finish and in most cases you'll push to finish. There's nothing else quite like it. But don't tell that to your partner 😅
You still ran a great marathon pace. Not what you are used to but still great! You will look back on it one day and realize you actually did amazing considering you had hardly any training coming out of an injury! Your future self will be very proud!! 💛
Ben I think you did pretty great considering the lead up, sounds very good for Valencia! Your pack also had Alisa Vainio for Finland, she got a 2 minute PB and ran the 2nd fastest time ever for Finnish females. Promising young runner. :)
From the sounds of it your cardiovascular system is in a good place. And your muscles were in a good enough place to take you to just over halfway at goal place. You’ll easily be able to get that specific running fitness back. If anything at least it was good mental training by battling through to the end. That will definitely come in handy in all your future races!
Hey Ben, dont be disappointed, this is only a learning curve for your triumph! you should come down to Aus and run the Melbourne Marathon in October next year!
I was aiming sub 4...your bad performance is my dreams...you did amazing! Chalk it up now and plan the next! Its not the bad performance that matter but what we take from it to improve the next time! Go smash Valencia!
You may have been disappointed with your race time but it looked like an amazing trip, your positive attitude and determination to enjoy the experience regardless are a great reminder of what's really important - Meg of course.
I’ve got total respect for you, you took a chance and went out hard, that takes guts. Another major done in a really decent time. Don’t be down about it 😊 Plus you got to speak to me at Stansted before we boarded the flight 😆😆
That’s the beauty of the marathon. If you’d gone out ‘slow’, as per your current fitness, rather than what you hoped for, you probably would have finished ten minutes quicker. A lesson to any novice runners out there - respect the distance and be patient during the race. Well done and good luck at Valencia 👍
Enjoyed your recap of Berlin. I hope you achieve your goal at Valencia. My daughter, who lives in Berlin ran her second Berlin Marathon. She is running the half marathon in Valencia.
I too have had a pair of prolapse discs causing severe femoral neuropathy and terrible leg pain, 18 months on running again but with a degree of numbness in the leg, thought was fixed but seems to be coming back again, nerves are funny things and affect the muscles so be careful not to take the signs lightly. You did awesome considering. ❤❤
You shouldn’t be disappointed of your performance! If you wouldn’t fail from time to time you would not be able to appreciate the great moments of your journey. And, it is so much more inspiring to see that you are at last a human too. Keep on going Ben 💪🏻
Rest asure Ben, you will be back to the top again before end of the year!! I was the lucky one started together with you earlier at Seville, and saw u stopped after 30k; I was also running behind you at Berlin. Saw ur struggling ca. 200m before finish line, I know it was not ur day. But you will be back and stronger as always!
You did a great job and in the and it help to gain new knowledge for yourself. Especially the fact that cross training can not be a substitution for running - this insight will help as well.
Thank you for all the info, Ben. Training for a marathon run must, well, include lots of running. Not that it wasn't known but your experience is very straight forward and direct. Cross training is good, but only as an additional layer, not replacing any running. For me it's another push to go out and continue the training (running) for my next Marathon (January). Good luck and all the best with training for Valencia, Looking forward for your updates!
There's just no substitute for specifity when it comes to marathon training and running. Hopefully you've recovered well and can get time on your feet ahead of Valencia 🤞🏼
Hey Ben, I ran Berlin 2024 as well and glad that you experienced the crazy party. You had a couple of challenging injuries lately after making pretty impressive leaps in fitness since I started following you way back. Hopefully you get a injury-free training year for 2025. Don't know how that's achievable, but I'll guess you figure that out after Valencia. Cheers!
Hi Ben, you wanted to go for it and I respect that ambition. The flip side of starting that fast was that there was always a chance that the second half would get really tough. Although it must have been surprising to have the legs cramp up in a way that you had not experienced before, I think you are right not to have any regrets. You went for a fast time and it didn't work out, so the final time does not matter that much, or how much it was off your PB. Valencia feels like it's coming very quickly. Do you have time enough to be your best for that race? Even if it is a bit short, I feel you have the potential to go quite a bit quicker than your current PB, so perhaps even the short training block that you have available to you will be enough to take a small bite out of that PB. Berlin was the big race for Phily and Nick, and I feel you will have one coming in the near future too!
Your time is still very impressive! congratulations. I just ran my first ever ultramarathon, 80k in the French mountains, hurt like hell, and I started to struggle after the 60k mark, but I kept going, at that point I wasn't bothered about time or position, I just wanted to finish.
Ben, I think you should be chuffed with what you achieved. Considering your injury problems. You went through half way in 1h 11. Feeling good. As you said nothing can compensate the pounding on the roads. I feel if you keep your training up and don't pick up any injuries you will smash your p.b in Valencia. I love the fact your always so honest in your videos. Keep up the good work, I'm predicting under 2.23. Will be rooting for you.👍
Thanks for sharing the good and the "bad". We all suffer from injuries and the consequences, I am currently having issues with my Achilles. I hope you will do great in Valencia!.
Think about it this way. What the body had to endure during this race will help you for the build up for your target Marathon the upcoming weeks. The body is already adapting. Great effort nevertheless with these obstacles to overcome.
Given your build up.... You went out at PB pace....held for as long as poss.... So at worst it was a great hit out that will pay dividends for Valencia if you get a perfect block leading into Valencia, I think it'll have a great impact on being able to hold 3:20-22 for the full Monty! 👊🏃❤ I think 100% you made the right decision to go out like that!
I know you fell short of your expectations, but Ben, you are an incredible and amazing athlete. We all know this was just a minor bump (I can´t even see the bump) in your life as a runner. All the best, keep training, keep doing amazing things!
Want to read a funny story? Same thing happened to me at Berlin last year. After km 33 my legs gave up, ended up walking the rest of the race. So i singed up for my an upcoming marathon in my city which was around mid December, well on that race i was able to do a 10 min pb. So im sure Valencia will be a treat to you. Keep it up. 🎉
Bad experiences are always the best experiences in hindsight because you learn so much more. Ben, please learn to respect your body and not overstretch you training. Injuries happen when you don't respect the limits and sometimes the body needs to rest.
Don’t be disappointed, because of the injury shortly before, your legs wouldn’t be able to push the distance. And I am probably just repeating your words but, just try to see the positives, your aerobic fitness was 100% there as it seems. I truly believe you will crush Valencia with some more focus on your legs and get a PB🙌
I think of cross training as adding or replacing easy or recovery runs. They definitely can't replace long runs or sessions, even if you do them at max intensity in my opinion. However, if I feel a bit off it can be good to prioritize important runs and replace those easier ones with XT
Ben, it's quite simple. You couldn't do enough RUNNING in the weeks before Berlin. Simple as that. Other forms of aerobic exercise are obviously better than nothing but cannot substitute for running. The muscles and nervous system need the precise stimulus of running. I am a firm believer that whatever the distance - 800 to marathon -you have to do a lot of work at race pace in the buildup. The mid and body need to be calloused to run that pace whatever the level of fatigue. You had a good go and fell short. Congrats on having the balls to give it a go. Onward to Valencia!
Oh Ben, 2.38 as your slowest, that's nuts. You know the reason, not enough time on legs, to come back after a disc injury so quickly is phenomenal in its self. Just look at it as a training session. FYI back injuries can effect leg muscle strength so be kind to yourself. Core training is a must too. 😀
Aw Ben I had that exact same injury, MRI showed a bulging disc, came with the sciatic nerve pain shooting down to my calf muscle,absolutely debilitating and it took ages to heal!😢
Hats of for your attitude. Putting yourself out there and making it a learning experience. How was your strength training in your buildup? Did you increase volume or did it stay the same? Wondering if you should just maintain aerobic and increase strength in a situtation like this.
![[Tips] Easy Run, Lari Yang Mudah Penuh dengan Manfaat](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PerV31nyqo0/mqdefault.jpg)
![[Tips] Easy Run, Lari Yang Mudah Penuh dengan Manfaat](/img/tr.png)
Oh Ben, please be kind to your body and respect what it’s been through. Hearing you talk about “calculated risks” and having to build up the mileage more rapidly than you’d like to to prepare for Valencia is ringing alarm bells in my head as a coach - Given the injuries you’ve experienced recently and the impact of those on your training, is stacking another marathon block on top of this one the best idea for your body and your longevity in this sport? I appreciate that content creation is your business, but the pressure to produce material should never come at the expense of your health. Take care x
100% agree. This is how little injuries become big injuries, which become career-enders.
The body can only handle so much - after a year featuring a fracture and bulging discs, two marathons in nine weeks feels astonishing to me. Setting out at PB pace after a training block that was spent mostly on a bike feels even crazier.
Yeah, Ben, you are overdoing it.
Yup … better to succeed slowly than to fail quickly. Take care of yourself.
@@kalazczebut how else would he create content. That’s all it’s for.
@@shaunledington9659 You watch his content only when he runs PBs? I mean he is not a pro runner, so why is the finishing time so important to you?
You're trying to do too much with what you have right now, in my opinion. Coming from an injury, running a marathon not long after and now running a marathon in 2 months, this is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. For an athlete of your caliber, anything that throws you off might take some more time than you wish to get back where you were, or expected to be. You're still young and still have lots of potential to explore, but sometimes we need to be realistic with ourselves and take a step back to recalibrate, as frustrating as that can be. Best of luck, you got this!
2:38 for a bad day at the office lmao I coudn't even dream of that time. best of luck in valencia!
I hope one day to be able to say "I jogged it in for a 2:38 finish" 😛
That’s so true. But when you are accustomed to be able to run 2:24 running 2:38 does really suck. It’s like when you come off the motorway and you’re driving in a 30 all of a sudden. It feels sluggish!
I can barely run a half marathon in the time it took him to do the full 😅
@@ThomasRedmond-q8q yea totally shows the talent hard work he has put in over the years, like others have said i thinnk that is what draws people here. Both the insights and the honesty
good luck with Valencia, ben, fingers crossed for a PB.
i learned the whole "my lungs are ready but my legs are not" lesson the hard way after being a cyclist for years before I started running. I injured myself over and over again because i was running as much as my aerobics could take, but my legs just weren't prepared for anything close to that.
Thanks for the good luck wishes! It's all about finding that balance until the legs catch up i find :)
You did (fine) what you did...your legs weren't ready for such an impact, but you didn't gave up.Congats, Ben...run to insire...
100% agree. What an effort!
Don't feel disappointed, you gave the best that you had and you still reached the finish line with a smile. With more preparation and no injuries you will have definitely a great race in Valencia! Thanks for the content as always
Similar story for me, I ran Poznan Marathon last Sunday, my legs just gave in at 16 miles (out of nowhere), crawled home, was not fun. My 8th marathon, too! 🤦♂️ An awful day, but lots to learn going forward. Great work finishing the race, each Marathon is a learning experience.
Thank you for sharing your journey with your injury. I have been suffering with ITBS for almost 3 months now and if I am honest I am close to breaking point with it. Hearing stories like yours keeps me positive and focused that even runners like yourself suffer with injury and it isn’t the end of my running journey.
Me too, I have it for around 5months now, I am experimenting with different approaches. The most helpful so far was to engage my core more while i run(by letting my hips move free my knees have less stress on them). The balance exercises(one legged) and glute isolation exercises should help as well. Also avoid running through the pain, if it hurts, do some other kind of training, but continue doing strengtening exercises, you have to be consistent. I still have the pain, but it appears less often.
Hope this helps, wish you a quick and full recovery.🎉🙏
Rest & then strengthen your hips & feet..GL 👍👍
As a runner who got injured four times in the past years after training very much and not being able to perform as I wanted to and know I could have…. I understand your feeling. But this helps in being very grateful once you are running without injury and pain free. It’s a great privilege to be fit and healthy.
It is such a privilege to be fit and healthy and when you are fit and health it’s hard to see that. I am very guilty of that. We all need to thank our lucky stars when we are healthy and not stress so much about running faster. That will come
I honestly think you well Ben, coming from an injury and still manage 2:38 is exceptional good , even more so it wasn't a goal race ,at Valencia you gonna smash it. Thank you and all the best.
That’s still a good time. You can’t be great in every race so don’t beat yourself up.
I did my first 10Km tonight at 1:03mins then I heard you say you did that in 36?! Now I feel bad 😂
I’m 57 but I’ll go again. Good luck in your next one! Well done
You are an idol to me and just because you publish vlogs of competitions that didn't go as you would like, it makes you a fantastic person. Keep it up. See you in Valencia
Love your honesty Ben. You did incredible to finish it. And relatively you did better than Jakob in his half, cause he had to stop twice! Loads of people have bad marathons so you are giving them all a bit of hope that it’s okay❤
Great summary, Ben. Really useful to hear. Cycling is a great addition to a marathon block, glad you're keeping it part of yours. All the very best for your training for Valencia. It's a beautiful marathon.
Honest and genuine Ben, you should be proud that you dug deep and finished the race as so many in your position would have dropped out once their `A goal` has gone beyond reach. Sure you will come back stronger for this experience and thank you for sharing.
Your honesty and humility is admirable. Better days ahead! Hope you will have happy memories of the overall experience.
Absolutely. It takes guts to share like that. Huge respect
Thanks for sharing what was a difficult race result. I think you should be proud to achieve a 2:38 off basically running volume for a 10k! 14 mins off a on with no real miles in legs is pretty good and you will get benefit for the coming races. Well done Ben I love your videos as they are honest and straight. Keep it coming and good luck for Valencia I look forward to following your journey
You learned so much from this marathon that will propel you in future marathons. Those lessons are priceless.
Thank you for this - your honesty and vulnerability in this process is refreshing and I think valuable for us all. It’s definitely helped me be more realistic with my race post injury (I was also cycling a lot and kept my base fitness, but the running fitness is lacking a bit).
I have no doubt you’ll smash Valencia though!
These are the times where you have to remember, that you are still running, that’s all that matters, if you love to run.
Yesterday, I was diagnosed with Chronic Bronchiectasis, I have no idea how or if it will effect my running, we shall see.
But at this very moment, I haven’t ran for two months, just constant respiratory issues and infections, as well sinusitis thrown in too.
Trust me, I would rather being running that not at all.
Completely agree, and when you are in bens position it can be hard to think what it’s like to not be able to exercise. I am in your boat, but when I’m able to run I’m only focused on performing better and running faster. So I know what you mean becuase currently I’m in a very similar position, but if I were to be fit after 2 months I would forget what it’s like to not be able to run and just be focused on running faster. But having the perspective of being lucky to run because it’s enjoyable is something we all need to learn
Thank you for sharing your journey Ben!! The key positive thing is that your original injury did not come back during the race! Good luck at Valencia!!! I look forward to following your progress. It’s going to be good!!
Love how you always keep it real with us. And still, that was a mighty fine half marathon split. You are not far away!!
Ben you smashed it even though you blew out towards the end. Top 1k is amazing!
Thanks for sharing real observations. Highly appreciated!
Congrats on finishing!! When you know it's not going to happen, it takes so much more effort to complete. A similar thing happened to myself this past weekend; I had convinced myself that my tempo and speed work would compensate for a less than ideal marathon block. Legs just gave out around 24 and then it was a struggle until the finish. Lessons learned and we move forward. Sometimes its not the race we want but its the one we need to become better.
Ben, I hope you enjoy making these recap videos as much as I do consuming them; I learn so much! Thank you for the rundown AND the lessons learned!
I really appreciate your honesty and courage for making this video! I know you are going to smash it at Valencia! Thanks for sharing, Ben.
Ya Ben that Berlin experience is great for everyone. Thanks for sharing the non-perfect part of marathon training. As a regular decent mileage cyclist I can say cycling legs do NOT transfer over!!! You still need time on feet not on pedals.
Not giving up shows the mental strength you have, come back stronger 💪 you did great!
I had a marathon just like yours. For many of the same reasons. And I can hear, now that you reflect on it, that you learned a lot about yourself from this one.
Thanks for sharing such a great experience, its really appreciated. Lot of runners could face the same unfortunate a couple of weeks before the race.
We are all proud of you Ben. We go again🫵🏽
Hey Ben. I am a below average Marathoner trying to get better only clocking in at a bit under 70km a week.
I've only raced it once and despite some lofty ambition. I ran the fastest I ever did in the event for my sub 4 hour goal. So around 5:35 Never sustained an effort like that for more than a couple of K's in training. Completely blew up on 18km. Both calves cramped. Finished at some sort of 6:47/km pace.
I obviously had to do it as my first ever race. At least it was to me.
But as a slow boy I covered the distance in just under 5 hours and of course as I mentioned I was simply overly ambitious I took it as seriously as possible as a person who was completely sedentary a year before the race putting in 10 hours a week was the most I could do with my fitness.
I understand how this feels. It's like a nagging but loving partner. She sees right through you. If it was a weekend bimbo or a half... Your fitness change would be undetectable. But the full distance is cruel it demands the utmost and despite a full time commitment to them... You'd think you would be used to the abuse but in the end you're broken down crying and just talking about your finish and in most cases you'll push to finish.
There's nothing else quite like it.
But don't tell that to your partner 😅
You still ran a great marathon pace. Not what you are used to but still great! You will look back on it one day and realize you actually did amazing considering you had hardly any training coming out of an injury! Your future self will be very proud!! 💛
Ben I think you did pretty great considering the lead up, sounds very good for Valencia! Your pack also had Alisa Vainio for Finland, she got a 2 minute PB and ran the 2nd fastest time ever for Finnish females. Promising young runner. :)
From the sounds of it your cardiovascular system is in a good place. And your muscles were in a good enough place to take you to just over halfway at goal place. You’ll easily be able to get that specific running fitness back. If anything at least it was good mental training by battling through to the end. That will definitely come in handy in all your future races!
Jogging at 4:30 pace😍 I wish I could...😫 At this pace I'm half dead 🤣
We all have our own goals, and you're allowed to be disappointed, no doubt! Can't wait to see you train and race more!
Hey Ben, dont be disappointed, this is only a learning curve for your triumph! you should come down to Aus and run the Melbourne Marathon in October next year!
It's good to share ups and downs. Makes you very genuine and honest
Ben, don’t be upset. You were able to complete the marathon.
Thumbs pressed and fingers crossed that you achieve what you aim for in Valencia.
Don’t push it too hard on the build to Valencia! Good luck though🤞
I was aiming sub 4...your bad performance is my dreams...you did amazing! Chalk it up now and plan the next! Its not the bad performance that matter but what we take from it to improve the next time! Go smash Valencia!
You may have been disappointed with your race time but it looked like an amazing trip, your positive attitude and determination to enjoy the experience regardless are a great reminder of what's really important - Meg of course.
I’ve got total respect for you, you took a chance and went out hard, that takes guts. Another major done in a really decent time. Don’t be down about it 😊 Plus you got to speak to me at Stansted before we boarded the flight 😆😆
definitely learn something from this haha.. Thanks for sharing Ben!
That’s the beauty of the marathon. If you’d gone out ‘slow’, as per your current fitness, rather than what you hoped for, you probably would have finished ten minutes quicker. A lesson to any novice runners out there - respect the distance and be patient during the race. Well done and good luck at Valencia 👍
"A step back for a head step forward." I'm so proud of you, Ben.
I’ve got a feeling this experience at Berlin is gonna make Valencia better than you’d originally thought
It takes guts to share as with as much honesty as that. Huge respect
the change in focus is super important. valencia will be awesome and you'll bounce back for sure! heads up, quick feet and lfg!
Really honest assessment Ben. You are inspirational and don't be too hard on yourself. You'll destroy Valencia! ✌🏽
You’re a legend Ben! Well done.
Thanks Ben. Great, honest video 👌🏽
Enjoyed your recap of Berlin. I hope you achieve your goal at Valencia. My daughter, who lives in Berlin ran her second Berlin Marathon. She is running the half marathon in Valencia.
I too have had a pair of prolapse discs causing severe femoral neuropathy and terrible leg pain, 18 months on running again but with a degree of numbness in the leg, thought was fixed but seems to be coming back again, nerves are funny things and affect the muscles so be careful not to take the signs lightly. You did awesome considering. ❤❤
Taking notes on this one! Noted that your jogging in pace forced by injury is faster then my all in effort.
You shouldn’t be disappointed of your performance! If you wouldn’t fail from time to time you would not be able to appreciate the great moments of your journey. And, it is so much more inspiring to see that you are at last a human too.
Keep on going Ben 💪🏻
Rest asure Ben, you will be back to the top again before end of the year!! I was the lucky one started together with you earlier at Seville, and saw u stopped after 30k; I was also running behind you at Berlin. Saw ur struggling ca. 200m before finish line, I know it was not ur day. But you will be back and stronger as always!
You did a great job and in the and it help to gain new knowledge for yourself. Especially the fact that cross training can not be a substitution for running - this insight will help as well.
You experienced what we mere mortals call “hittin the wall” the agonizing grind all the way to the end..gotta love marathons 😆
Ha ha. We finally se he’s not a robot 😂🤖
Thank you for all the info, Ben. Training for a marathon run must, well, include lots of running. Not that it wasn't known but your experience is very straight forward and direct. Cross training is good, but only as an additional layer, not replacing any running. For me it's another push to go out and continue the training (running) for my next Marathon (January). Good luck and all the best with training for Valencia, Looking forward for your updates!
Love the positive outlooks at the end. Great attitude!😊
appreciate the honesty Ben
Sinéad Diver is the Australian record holder
still a bangin time in the grand scheme of things - im sure you’ll smash it in valencia mate
Good on you, Ben. 2.38 is my PB. Chin up
It’s alright Ben! You still did fantastic and there’s always next time.
Good to hear your thoughts on Berlin. All eyes on Valencia!
You will smash the next one, LET'S GOOOOOOO
Wild that your cramped up legs “jog it in pace” is my threshold pace
There's just no substitute for specifity when it comes to marathon training and running. Hopefully you've recovered well and can get time on your feet ahead of Valencia 🤞🏼
Hey Ben, I ran Berlin 2024 as well and glad that you experienced the crazy party. You had a couple of challenging injuries lately after making pretty impressive leaps in fitness since I started following you way back. Hopefully you get a injury-free training year for 2025. Don't know how that's achievable, but I'll guess you figure that out after Valencia. Cheers!
Hi Ben, you wanted to go for it and I respect that ambition. The flip side of starting that fast was that there was always a chance that the second half would get really tough. Although it must have been surprising to have the legs cramp up in a way that you had not experienced before, I think you are right not to have any regrets. You went for a fast time and it didn't work out, so the final time does not matter that much, or how much it was off your PB.
Valencia feels like it's coming very quickly. Do you have time enough to be your best for that race? Even if it is a bit short, I feel you have the potential to go quite a bit quicker than your current PB, so perhaps even the short training block that you have available to you will be enough to take a small bite out of that PB.
Berlin was the big race for Phily and Nick, and I feel you will have one coming in the near future too!
2.38, after injury. Chin up Ben, that's an amazing marathon, off so little running 👍
Your time is still very impressive! congratulations. I just ran my first ever ultramarathon, 80k in the French mountains, hurt like hell, and I started to struggle after the 60k mark, but I kept going, at that point I wasn't bothered about time or position, I just wanted to finish.
Impressive is relative
Ben, I think you should be chuffed with what you achieved. Considering your injury problems.
You went through half way in 1h 11. Feeling good. As you said nothing can compensate the pounding on the roads. I feel if you keep your training up and don't pick up any injuries you will smash your p.b in Valencia. I love the fact your always so honest in your videos. Keep up the good work, I'm predicting under 2.23. Will be rooting for you.👍
I hope you are getting plenty of good rest 👍
Thanks for sharing the good and the "bad". We all suffer from injuries and the consequences, I am currently having issues with my Achilles. I hope you will do great in Valencia!.
Good luck with that Achilles tendon! You’re aware of the Alfredson protocol? Helped and continues to help me.
Think about it this way. What the body had to endure during this race will help you for the build up for your target Marathon the upcoming weeks. The body is already adapting. Great effort nevertheless with these obstacles to overcome.
Chin up Ben, good learnings to take with you going forward
We are behind you mate .
Given your build up.... You went out at PB pace....held for as long as poss.... So at worst it was a great hit out that will pay dividends for Valencia if you get a perfect block leading into Valencia, I think it'll have a great impact on being able to hold 3:20-22 for the full Monty! 👊🏃❤ I think 100% you made the right decision to go out like that!
I know you fell short of your expectations, but Ben, you are an incredible and amazing athlete. We all know this was just a minor bump (I can´t even see the bump) in your life as a runner. All the best, keep training, keep doing amazing things!
Want to read a funny story? Same thing happened to me at Berlin last year. After km 33 my legs gave up, ended up walking the rest of the race. So i singed up for my an upcoming marathon in my city which was around mid December, well on that race i was able to do a 10 min pb. So im sure Valencia will be a treat to you. Keep it up. 🎉
Bad experiences are always the best experiences in hindsight because you learn so much more. Ben, please learn to respect your body and not overstretch you training. Injuries happen when you don't respect the limits and sometimes the body needs to rest.
thanks for the video Ben. Good luck with the Valencia build-up, but pls do listen to your body mate
You will do better in Valencia Ben, keep up the work 🎉🎉🎉
Great attitude, I applaude you
Rooting for you Ben!
No regrets!! 👊
Don’t be disappointed, because of the injury shortly before, your legs wouldn’t be able to push the distance. And I am probably just repeating your words but, just try to see the positives, your aerobic fitness was 100% there as it seems. I truly believe you will crush Valencia with some more focus on your legs and get a PB🙌
I think of cross training as adding or replacing easy or recovery runs. They definitely can't replace long runs or sessions, even if you do them at max intensity in my opinion. However, if I feel a bit off it can be good to prioritize important runs and replace those easier ones with XT
Well in lad, onwards and upwards!
Ben, it's quite simple. You couldn't do enough RUNNING in the weeks before Berlin. Simple as that. Other forms of aerobic exercise are obviously better than nothing but cannot substitute for running. The muscles and nervous system need the precise stimulus of running. I am a firm believer that whatever the distance - 800 to marathon -you have to do a lot of work at race pace in the buildup. The mid and body need to be calloused to run that pace whatever the level of fatigue.
You had a good go and fell short. Congrats on having the balls to give it a go. Onward to Valencia!
Oh Ben, 2.38 as your slowest, that's nuts.
You know the reason, not enough time on legs, to come back after a disc injury so quickly is phenomenal in its self. Just look at it as a training session. FYI back injuries can effect leg muscle strength so be kind to yourself. Core training is a must too. 😀
Don’t worry Ben! It was a great training!!!! 💪🏃♂️💨
Aw Ben I had that exact same injury, MRI showed a bulging disc, came with the sciatic nerve pain shooting down to my calf muscle,absolutely debilitating and it took ages to heal!😢
Hats of for your attitude. Putting yourself out there and making it a learning experience. How was your strength training in your buildup? Did you increase volume or did it stay the same? Wondering if you should just maintain aerobic and increase strength in a situtation like this.