Ten years ago, Xuâne started running. He set himself an ultimate goal: to participate in the Paris Marathon and break the 3-hour barrier. A few years later, here he is in the City of Light to compete in the Paris Marathon. He tells us about his incredible race!
How did your Paris Marathon go?
Performance-wise, right on target! I finished in 2h58’48, feeling great until the 28th kilometer, then I managed my pace because I had a bit of a lead. At the 38th kilometer, I was really on the edge with a few seconds ahead and a decreasing pace, but mentally I managed to finish strong!
My initial motivation was to reach a level that was simply unimaginable for me a few years ago…
I ran my first marathon more than 10 years ago in over 4h50. I never stress about races, I tell myself that if I did the work in training, there’s no reason for things to go wrong on race day. Unless there’s an uncontrollable event, I always finish the job!
How did you manage your Paris Marathon preparation?
I started preparing for the Paris Marathon at the end of December after my last trail race of the season. I didn’t plan on doing road races in the first 6 months of the year, and then I received an invitation and decided to go for it!
In terms of training, it was 6 to 7 runs per week designed by coach Philippe (the « authoritarian » coach on RunMotion). In addition to the running sessions, I did 3 strength training sessions and 4 electrostimulation sessions. I didn’t have major injuries during my preparation and I didn’t do any preparatory races for the Paris Marathon.
The road hasn’t been my thing for a few years now, and getting injured on a trail before Paris would have been a shame.
I didn’t really have moments of doubt during the preparation either. You could almost say it was an ideal preparation, which is not always the case, but I felt better and better as the weeks went by, arriving in Paris fully pumped up. The only moment of doubt, I’d say, was the week before the race when I heard about the possibility of cancellation…
What motivates you to run?
Ever since I started running, I always have a race in mind that gets me out of bed almost every morning to start my day with a workout. Once the goal is set, my only obsession is to complete the scheduled session as well as possible. With each training session, I see it as another small step towards achieving my goal of success.
Paradoxically, I quickly switch to the rest of my day before gearing up again the next day. For the past few years, apart from aiming for a target time on the road or finishing a trail race, one of my priorities is also to prepare myself well to finish races in a « good condition ».
I no longer want to walk like a crab for 15 days after a race like I did when I first started. I want to be able to run again the next day if possible, and often now that’s the case! If I can achieve that + the expected sports result, then it’s a complete success.
How did you discover the RunMotion Coach app?
To be honest, I don’t remember the exact day I discovered the app, but what’s certain is that when I had the opportunity to become an ambassador for an app that I was already using daily and was fully satisfied with, I didn’t hesitate for a moment…
What encouraged you to download and try the app?
I used another app a lot before, but their Marathon programs only went up to 3h30, so I looked for another app to keep progressing and downloaded several before ultimately choosing RunMotion Coach.
What do you like best about the app?
I’m not sure what I like about the app, but I love the app (laughs)!
Since I usually train early in the morning, I need a virtual coach who can get up at 5-6 am to follow me. In that role, the app is perfect.
What is your next sporting challenge?
First, I’ll get back on the local trails a bit because I miss them! Then a small intermediate goal of beating my 10km road record, which is almost 5 years old. Besides that, my second major goal of the year after the Paris Marathon will be to complete as many laps around the lake at the UTLM Backyard. I’m thinking of setting a goal of at least 150km and more if my body allows.
Thanks for sharing your story, we wish you all the best Xuâne!