Training Tales - Edwina McDowall
Edwina won her age-group at the New York Marathon 2018, so we couldn't think of anyone better to kick of Training Tales, our series of training tips, race tales and everything in between.
Edwina, tell us about your first marathon…
It was London 2017, what a magical marathon day! London was a fabulous experience and I was certainly bitten by the marathon bug.
How many marathons have you run, and what’s your Personal Best?
I have run four marathons to date, two races which were sub 3 hours and all have been super experiences!
• London 2017 – 3:02:34 (5th in Age Group)
• Abingdon 2017 – 2:56:41 (1st in Age Group)
• New York, USA 2018 – 3:01:09 (1st In Age Group)
• London 2019 – 2:56:07 (5th in Age Group and a Personal Best)
And what are your top tips for first time marathoners on race day?
Pacing: hone in your marathon pace during training in readiness for race day. I love fast finish long runs at marathon pace to really test what I can run.
Nutrition: practice your race day nutrition multiple times and find out what works for you! I take 1 gel every 5k during a marathon.
Enjoy! Train as a group, with friends, a club and share the challenges, the laughs and exhilaration of running together.
What’s your favourite marathon training session?
Oh, this is hard - I have a number of favourites!
Progressive runs I find really build my speed, endurance and confidence. A set may include 15 mins easy, 5 x 10 mins (continuously building, starting at threshold pace +35 secs reducing to threshold pace -5 secs) with a nice easy 10 min warm down.
A classic 2-hour fast finish run with 85 mins steady pace and 30 mins marathon pace with a 5 min warm down is also a great training run.
Sprinkling some races in before the marathon helps sharpen me for the big day too. A few half marathons, a 20 miler and a parkrun the week before makes me feel race ready.
Do you have any advice for runners if it gets tough during the race?
I focus on my form head to toe. From my head position, relaxing my shoulders, arm carriage, relax my hands and fingers, aim for a tri pod foot landing and keeping my cadence up.
Mentally, I keep a positive mindset and draw on all of those long training runs and races to finish strong.
Do you have any advice around kit and hydration/fuelling?
Carrying your own fuel is key in training and racing, so shorts with gel pockets are essential. I use shorts with side pockets to fit 4 gels in each pocket – yes, 8 gels on marathon day!
I use both drinks and gels and am very mindful of taking on board sufficient water to keep hydrated. Post a hard run I have a good quality protein drink to help me recover for my next session.
Which marathon has been your favourite and why?
New York 2018 was an amazing race. The profile of the course is immensely challenging and so much to take in along the way. I learnt a lot from this race, I set off a little too fast which meant running the final 5k through a very scenic Central Park was tough, yet so rewarding.
It was brilliant to hold my form, dig deep and come 1st in the Age Group. It was this experience which I feel helped me reach a PB in London 2019, an experience which I nailed my marathon pace and it felt effortless (at times!).
What are your aims for the London Marathon this year?
I am delighted to have a World Championship Place for London 2021 on 3rd October. This is the first year of the Abbott World Marathon Majors being based on Age Group World Rankings. I am now V50 category so managing my expectations, it has been a year of marginal gains. I will be doing my very best to run well on race day and enjoy the whole experience, London is a very special marathon in so many ways for me.