Running has been a real love story for Matteo. He got into the sport almost by chance in 2015 and quickly fell for it. He also handles communications at RunMotion Coach. Matteo lined up at the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon after following a half marathon training plan for 3 months.
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How did your goal race at the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon go?
I was aiming for a time around 1:21, which meant holding 3:50/km pace. Deep down, I also wanted to break the 1:20 barrier. Did I manage to do it at the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon? I’ll let you find out below.
After a great night’s sleep and a solid pre-race snack, it was time to head to the start area. Once I picked up my bib and soaked up the atmosphere, I headed straight out for my warm-up. On this Sunday morning, conditions were ideal. It was around 12°C and the sky was blue. Once my warm-up jog was done, I went through a few running drills and some stretching. One quick glance at my GPS running watch, and it was already time to make my way to the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon start line. Bang! No more hesitation, it was time to race.
Fueled by the crowd, I covered the first three kilometers at 3:43/km. I told myself not to get carried away and to stay locked in on my target pace, 3:50/km. So I naturally eased back and ran the next five kilometers at an average of 3:48/km. At that point in the race, I had already covered about one third of the distance and felt incredibly good. I took advantage of that and picked it up again, running the next four kilometers at 3:45/km. I was already through 12 km. It was flying by!
At kilometer 13, the biggest challenge of the course was right in front of me. One kilometer of gradual uphill, with an average gradient of 1.5%. I knew this was the main difficulty, maybe even the only real difficulty, on the course. I gritted my teeth and could see it was hurting the other runners too. I stayed strong on the climb and even started passing people. I was sitting in 11th place at that point in the race. Once I got over the hill, I knew the next kilometer would be slightly downhill. So I opened up my long stride and covered kilometer 14 in 3:34. Then there were 7 km left.
And those final 7 kilometers of the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon are especially exposed to the wind. Luckily, I managed to latch onto a pack of three runners. I tucked in behind them, sheltered from the headwind. Two of the three runners in front of me dropped off, and suddenly there were only two of us left. The kilometers ticked by and the finish line kept getting closer. With only three kilometers to go, it started to get really tough. I was finding it harder and harder to stay with the runner ahead. In the end, I had to let him go.
With 1.5 kilometers to go, I saw another runner coming back up to me. I stayed calm and tucked in behind him. I hit the 20 km mark in 3:48, and I was more than ready for this half marathon to end, my strength was fading fast. But the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon finish was now very close! That is why I gave absolutely everything, even if it meant collapsing right after crossing the line.
I managed to run kilometer 21 in 3:43. There was almost nothing left then. Barely a hundred meters. With one final all-out effort, I managed to drop my rival and crossed the finish line in 1:19:30, in 9th place at the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon! Goal smashed, and I could not hold back my joy!
How did you manage your training for the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon?
My original goal was to run the Lake Maggiore Half Marathon in 1:21. To reach that performance goal, I started a 12-week RunMotion Coach half marathon training plan, with 5 running workouts per week.
What motivates you to run?
Running is simply my breath of fresh air. This sport helps me recharge and refocus on myself.
How did you discover the RunMotion Coach app?
After leaving my hometown of Chambéry to study, I had to leave my running club. With the demands of student life, I no longer really had the time to train, and even less the desire to join another running club. So I started looking for a digital running coach, and RunMotion Coach seemed like the best fit.
What do you like most about the RunMotion Coach app?
I love the variety of training sessions on offer. I also really like being able to choose between three different types of coach, even if Coach Philippe can be a bit annoying sometimes!
What’s your next sporting challenge?
My next challenge will be resting. No, more seriously, I do not have a race goal for the end of the year. But for 2023, I would like to step up to the marathon. Why not take on the Annecy Marathon!