Baxters Loch Ness Marathon Training Diary with Fraser Clyne

Over the next few weeks former international marathon runner and five times Scottish marathon champion, Fraser Clyne, will take a detailed look at the route you will be running during the Loch Ness Marathon. From Mile 20 to the Finish This is it. The final lap. Time to dig deep into your physical and mental reserves and to focus on how great it will feel when you cross the finishing line, roared on by the cheers of the crowds and the encouragement of your friends and family. Keep reminding yourself why you are doing the race, think of all the hours of training you have put in and reaffirm that you can succeed. You can handle it. The distance isn’t going to beat you. Take it one mile at a time if needs be, even one step at a time. Every step is taking you closer and closer to achieving your goal. No matter how well you have handled the opening 20 miles the final six can still offer a tough but exhilarating test. Focus on all the positive outcomes. Perhaps it’s the thrill of completing your first marathon, or maybe setting a personal best time, or perhaps even a best time for your age. Possibly you will be raising money for a charity or helping some worthy local cause. Or maybe it’s even a combination of these and others. There’s no shortage of motivating factors to keep you going should the going get tough. From roughly 20 to 21 miles the route is still all downhill. Don’t get too carried away, however, as your legs will obviously be tired and you don’t want to batter the muscles any more than necessary by pounding recklessly down the slope. Just as was recommended in the early stages, try to relax on the downhill and gather yourself together for a good effort over the closing stages. There is one final uphill stretch around the 21 mile point but from there onwards it levels out and remains essentially flat all the way to the finish line. Around the 23 mile mark the route edges into the quiet tree-lined residential streets of the built-up area. There will be glimpses of the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness to your left and the city centre ahead. By 24 miles you’ll hear the cheers from the other side of the river as you’ll now be parallel with the finish area at Bught Park. Stay focussed on the next major landmark, the Ness Bridge in the heart of the city centre. Once you have safely negotiated the bridge there’s approximately one mile to go and it’s all flat as the route hugs the north bank of the river. Gather yourself for one final push to the finish line and the welcome rewards which await you: the sense of achievement; the reuniting with family, friends and other runners you have met along the way; the opportunity to sit down and share your thoughts and experiences of having completed one of the world’s most attractive marathons; and, above all, the opportunity to start thinking about your next one. Stick to whatever nutrition plan you have tested in training. Highland Spring water is available at 20 miles, 23.2 miles and 24.6 miles. Clif shot bloks or gels are available at 23.2 miles. Nuun hydration drinks are provided at 21.5 miles. You'll find more training advice on our website at: www.lochnessmarathon.com/training-zone Fraser Clyne is an experienced marathon runner with a best time of 2hrs 11min 50secs set in 1984. Five times national marathon champion, he represented Scotland at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and competed for Great Britain in the 1985,1987 and 1989 World Cups.He has run faster than 2hrs 20mins on 22 occasions when competing in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the USA between 1982 and 1992. .

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