In recent weeks, strange sights have been seen along the canal linking Leeds and Liverpool as England is hit by another heatwave. Phil Sesemann has routinely skipped the track completely covered in his long sleeved suit, hoodie and hat.
But it was this difficulty in the sweltering heat that formed a key piece in the puzzle of his training and quest for glory in the marathon at Monday's European Championships. training.
Breaking times are usually associated when the world's best runner tackles his 26.2 miles in Germany. Eliud Kipchoge set a world record (2:01:39) in Berlin four years before him. But in Munich in mid-August, blurry leg speed is unlikely to be the deciding factor.
Seseman attempts his second career marathon. A late bloomer in distance and a professional in the sport, the 29-year-old NHS doctor now enjoys the opportunity to compete as a full-time athlete. TCS London With seven weeks to go before his marathon race, a whirlwind takes place.
"Training is going well. I'm in good shape. I'm well fueled and I don't have to worry about it," Seseman said when assessing his chances. He explained that he had "anxiety" about approaching chaotic aid stations during the race.
“You never know where you can finish if you go your way.
``I definitely want to be the first Briton, but this is a team event. Look, I follow them, I follow their movements, so unless someone does something crazy, I try to get ahead and stay there as long as possible.
"Competition is the goal." I'd rather win 2:20 than be 10th in 2:10 and 2nd in 2:10.It's going to be a strong field.Munich is the target for the top European marathoners this year.Quality
“Being involved in the front line is where you can get the most out of yourself psychologically. You can take it, but if you want to see what you're really capable of, you'll have to give it a try.Risk a risk or two.
Sesemann has Mohamud Aadan, Luke Caldwell, Ben With a six-strong men's team that includes Connor, Andrew Davies and Andrew Heyes, he will wear the British vest for the third time.Representing the country in a major championship is Seseman's 2 that he wrote down many years ago. The second was to beat Chris McGeorge's 1,500 m record at Blackheath and Bromley (3:39.41), breaking his best record set four years earlier (3:39.41). :40.93) and may be out of reach now.
Failuna Matanga of Tanzania is submerged during the Commonwealth Games marathon.
(AFP via Getty)
Instead, Sesemann finds joy in running more than 28 times the distance, reducing the physical stress on the body. burden and He accepted psychological tests as well. He knows his own ambitions will be fragile if he endures conditions where temperatures are expected to exceed his 25 degrees, but Andrew Henderson and his coach have carefully devised a plan. After completing, he is thrilled. French bucolic font From his month in the highlands of Romeu to his Beckett University heats in Leeds to the grinds running on tiers in his chambers and around Yorkshire, this is no ordinary marathon It wasn't his block.
"Training is very demanding and takes a toll on your body," explains Sessemann. "I did a battery of tests before Font Romeu, in which I took a thermometer gastrointestinal medication to track my core body temperature during heat exposure sessions.
"Then I When i got back i did a test and designed a training protocol i did a run once a week in a heat chamber on a treadmill we have it up to 40c and i did the run on wednesday and then , I jumped into a cryospa, a hot bath, which constantly measures my heart rate and body temperature, and calculates the amount of sweat from the speed before and after exposure.
"But I can't access it. So I wear a lot of clothes and do layered running.It's as bad as it looks and it's really hard.”
Recovery is clearly important, and Seseman regularly adds 3kg per hour. We lose water through sweat. Compared to F1, Lewis Hamilton usually loses 5kg in a 90 minute grand prix.
There is an aspect of comfort that is common to both amateurs and elite his runners. Chocolate he is milk. It has proven to be Sesemann's secret ingredient, consuming "liters and liters" during a grueling 120-mile (120-mile) training week.
But with just a few days left and Adidas heading into the race in her Adios Pro 3 shoes, Sesemann has posted impressive numbers in recent weeks, sparking optimism. . He recalls running his 20x1km session at altitude as he was 1km on and 1km off. The average split was 3:22 for him and 3:02.9 for him. Two weeks later in the same session at Leeds, times of around 3:14 and 2:53 were recorded. One more confidence boost for him right away when he tackled a 4x4 mile on a 1-mile float and along that familiar cycling path he averaged 4:58 per mile.
Monday's results will dictate the effectiveness of an unorthodox period in Zesemann's training and life in general, which involves sleeping in a high tent every night. But a meticulous approach leaves him satisfied and poised to discover his own abilities.
"The response has been very good," he concludes Mr. Sesemann. "In just one week, my sweat rate increased by 50%. This was a very good exposure and prepared me as much as possible for Munich. I had to find a balance and training for the marathon. We need to avoid whipping ourselves with additional stress during the process, but hopefully we get it right.”