Tsiry has always been very sporty, for 16 years she competed in swimming. But running was never her cup of tea, in fact, she hated this sport. In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis hit France, the whole country came to a standstill. Tsiry tested positive for COVID-19. After a few weeks, she had trouble catching her breath and getting back in shape. And it lasted… It was only 18 months after contracting the coronavirus that Tsiry regained decent shape. To mark the occasion, she decided to wear a bib, it would be a 10km race. The surprise was total, Tsiry fell in love with this sport.
Since that famous 10km, Tsiry has participated in no less than 20 races. The most recent one? The Valencia Marathon. For RunMotion Coach, she looks back on this race.
How was your Valencia Marathon?
After 3 and a half months of preparation with a volume of over 850km, my motivation was at its peak, but doubts persisted about my ability to cross the finish line. I really enjoyed the video offered by RunMotion Coach on stress management and body scanning to relax and project into the race.
My initial goal was to finish the Valencia Marathon, aiming for an optimal scenario of 04h30. I achieved it in 04h41mn30s, full of pain and immense joy. This experience was amazing despite ankle pain from the 15th km and muscle difficulties from the 28th km. I focused on my pains to accept them and avoid making wrong moves. I held on, telling myself, it’s temporary but crossing the finish line is a lifelong memory.
What helped me a lot mentally during the race was remembering my workouts when I wasn’t feeling well/sick, when it was cold and stormy outside, but discipline dictates that you have to go.
What I take away is that low-intensity runs are important and should not be neglected, that muscle strengthening is key, that sleep and rest are part of the preparation, and these are the 3 elements that I will improve for my next preparation.
Hydration and nutrition were vital and I followed the valuable advice from RunMotion Coach’s last week to the letter.
In any case, at 45, I am proud to be just below the world average time for women on my first Marathon.
How did you manage the preparation for the Valencia Marathon?
I have been preparing for the Valencia Marathon since mid-August 2023, that is, 3 and a half months of preparation, including two races in preparation (Saint Malo half-marathon in August and Vincennes half-marathon in October). I trained 5 to 6 times a week and used the advice of the RunMotion Coach app and adapted the plan I had initially because I found the RunMotion Coach plan more coherent, especially with the possibility of integrating cycling sessions and PPG sessions.
My doubts were really about the time I was capable of achieving and since my initial plan was not adapted to my intense work pace, I was exhausting myself until I switched to the plan proposed by RunMotion Coach.
No particular injuries during my preparation for the Valencia Marathon except for a fractured rib, a slightly pulled right knee. Cryotherapy twice a month also helped.
What motivates you to run?
What motivates me to run, even though I didn’t like it at all before, is the challenge, the boost, striving for a time, disciplining yourself and establishing a routine to surpass yourself, and above all it gives me invaluable well-being.
Having health concerns, running is a real booster for me and my immune system, but also to push myself and prove to myself that I am capable. Running makes me feel alive and happy, even though it requires a lot of sacrifices, with each line crossed, I think of the support and pride of my parents who are now my guardian angels.
Just over 2 years ago, I didn’t understand people who enjoyed running for more than an hour and after that, I set myself a goal of 2 Marathons per year from the age of 45, including the first one accomplished, the second one in April in Paris.
After the Valencia Marathon, I would like to run Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, London, Rome, and why not Milan and do a total of at least 7 Marathons before I turn 49 🙂
How did you discover the RunMotion Coach app?
I discovered the RunMotion Coach app after reading two articles published “doing a half-marathon as part of marathon training” and “post-marathon recovery”.
What encouraged you to download and test the app?
The articles I read. I have already tested several running apps and I didn’t find them flexible and suitable at all. For more than a year, I had a training plan from my former Kenyan pacer whom I met during my stay in August 2022 in Iten.
The issue with his training plan, despite its quality, it tired me a lot, having a very intense work pace, discipline pushed me to do my workouts, but I felt my body exhausted and it started to affect my mental health, and that’s when I decided to stop. And it was at that moment that I started looking for advice on the internet and came across your articles and downloaded the app.
What do you like best about the app?
The sessions are of quality (fundamental endurance, interval training, specific pace, long run…etc) and very consistent. I also like the interaction with the coach and I particularly appreciate the intuitive aspect, not to mention the app’s UI which is great!
After the Valencia Marathon, what is your next sporting challenge?
After the Valencia Marathon, my next goal is the Marathon de Paris and this time I will aim for my optimal goal of going under 04h30, even 04h28 would be very good 🙂
Congratulations Tsiry, you can be proud of yourself! Count on us to support you in the best conditions for the Marathon de Paris 🚀