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My Last Run
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JT, sounds nice apart from the bunny and the falling down part. Reminds me of when I visited my godparents last year in Cambridgeshire and got to run in proper countryside (rather than commons, as I do in London).
Nice job, Stephen.
Cal - Apologies, it wasn't meant to seem like a boast. There are and always will be, many folk quicker than I. As you say, it is all relative. It's just that I did 36.58 over a year ago, brought my half down this year and the course was flat and the weather perfect. Felt in good fettle for a PB, so to struggle and end up nearly a minute away was an unexpected let down. If it's any consolation, the winner won it is 28.50 something or other.....holy crap!!!
Good to hear from you.
Ness - Well done and kudos to you for again making it to taper unscathed. God I wish I was there now! I have a week and 6 days left, i'm exhausted (partially work's fault tbh). I almost never fall asleep on the sofa but did so twice this weekend. The Mrs is actually a little concerned, bless her.
JT - hello! Still churning out those big ones then?
Swits - You just can't help yourself
My Monday started with a 6am 17 miler. I fly out to Spain for Easter on Wednesday so trying to pack the longer runs in before I go. "Warm weather training" as they call it, will be a welcome thing.
Been at Legoland with the family for the last two days. I was desperate for a run. Just ran 8 miles in 1 hour & 9 mins. Average pace 8:44, lovely negative splits with the last being the fastest at 8:02. Think that's the fastest I've ever ran 8 miles!
SB, no worries - I didn't take it as a boast, I'm just impressed.
I know I'm always going to be one of the slower people who runs seriously enough to race regularly, although I must admit I do feel slightly annoyed at folks who manage to run sub-2 in their first half marathon when I'm still trying to get there after 11 of the buggers. 
Anyways, nice running Andrea, and enjoy Spain SB.
After a slack day yesterday where I blew off spin and just did some yoga, I wasn't sure if my legs would be up to running today but when I saw the sunshine I couldn't resist. 4.2 miles at a comfortable pace, averaging 10:27 min/mi. Legs are still tight and a little sore but not as bad as I'd feared. With the sun, birdsong, daffodils and blossoms, it was actually really pleasant and enjoyable. A nice antidote to the horrible grind on Sunday.
An 8 miler tempo run around and about town (https://www.strava.com/activities/523979810) in newish Hoka Clifton 2 trainers.
Coming two days after the Palace Half I was really surprised how good I felt - loads of energy and heart rate pretty good for the pace.
Tomorrow's run will no doubt be rubbish
____________________________________________________________________
I'll regularly be posting race reports and general running related content at
http://www.simondenson.com
Swittle!!!! Great to "see" you-- and we are not calling it a streak eh
!?
Cal, that must be your last 20 miler??? Thank god for that and amen! The adrenaline will carry you on the day..
JT- great running, nature and pissing. The rest of us do 20 miles cos we have to. You do it for fun
Strangely- not long to go now mate... not long...
Andrea- you are flying!
Me- did the Sport Relief swimathon on Sunday at the Olympic park. 5k with a friend. She did 3k and I did 2k (she isn't training for a marathon
). It was bloody difficult- a 20 mile run is easier. Duncan Goodhew was milling around and was very friendly. We had a chat and got a selfie.
We also cycled about 12-18 miles to get there and around the park to meet family, who we did the family bike ride with afterwards, had food and fun.
Today was 6 am speed session 6 x 1k. This evening. speed session in the water. Time trials of 25m. Both calves cramped simultaneously which wasn't at all embarrassing
Yes it was, thank god. Actually my only 20 miler (although I did a 19 a few weeks previously). I'd have liked to have done more, but the groin strain left me behind schedule.
Well done on the Swimathon and ouch at the cramps (you know you can get rid of these instantly by pulling your big toe up, right? Not so easy when you have shoes on though).
And nice job, Simon. Do you recommend the Palace half? I did the other Hampton Court half in February, which was an OK race but let down by poor organisation (I think the issue was that it started as a club race but, due to its handy pre-marathon calendar placing, has grown to the point that they can no longer cope with it the amount of people running).
First post in this thread in over a month! Managed a measly 3 miles in 3 weeks after that half marathon on Valentine's Day, then did a couple of 10k runs to get back into some sort of shape prior to a 10k race last Thursday which went better than expected. I finally got a proper run completed on Sunday with a decent 20 miles done in 3.18 nice and early. The negative is that I've picked up a niggling injury (either at work or when running) that just won't go away and started just before that half marathon, it felt ok during and after the 20 miler but has since deteriorated a little after three days on my feet at work. Next race is MK marathon on May 2nd which I can defer but I really want to be properly fit for Sydney marathon in September as that really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'll see how things go when I get a couple of days off work and can rest but if I'm doing MK I really need to get one more long 20 miler done within a month.
Despite all this I did feel great after the 20 miler, it was just so nice to get a long run in and it was so pleasant to run at such a quiet and peaceful time of day!
I've been slack posting on here too! Just completed a rather longer than the normal marathon on The Black Mountains, in Brecon Wales, with Might Contain Nuts, my watch said 28.25 miles! This marked the end of my year long challenge, to raise money for OVAID, Orangutan Veterinary Aid charity and has managed to buy them vital medial supplies and most importantly an anaesthetic machine!
Completed
10 x marathons
1 x 50km Ultra marathon
2 x Half marathons
Next up is Brighton marathon, looking forward to it !
8miles last night after a curious day.
Wow! What an achievement, in every sense!
i just did a slow 10 miles with a hill session in the middle. I was intending to end it after the hill session, but I had to run home and then I just added an extra couple on as I was enjoying my music.
Fantastic job, Dan - you must feel satisfied with that achievement. Good on you.
Matt - hope the niggle goes away. I take it you've tried massage?
Did gym and yoga yesterday and just yoga today. I got quite a nasty groin twinge coming out of a pose today. Just when I think it's gone away, it reminds me that there's still an issue. Fortunately it doesn't seem serious - ROM is still fine. I'll be keeping an eye on it though. Planning to run tomorrow - running isn't really an issue for the groin although my hams are still right and knotty after Sunday, which is why I've taken two non-run days in a row.
4 miles tempo in the gorgeous sunshine. Spring is finally here! (I say that, and it'll probably piss down in Manchester). 39.09. Groin held up fine. I could feel it very faintly but it doesn't really seem to mind running. I could feel my knees and knotty muscles more. Nevertheless I will give yoga a miss today.
Another parkrun pb, that's 3 so far this year! 23:49. First two miiles were 7:40 pace then died a little bit on mlie 3!
Thanks for the 'hellos', SB, JT & Nessie. Not quite ready to be put out to pasture yet, it's good for body & soul to be off roading, mostly at night sans head torch
.
Ye, as it's not a streak, it can't be broken....some twisted logic in there.
I'm pleased to see so much progress and great racing. Will return...
9 miles on a extremely windy, hilly, muddy route. average pace of 9:27. Wanted it a bit lower than that , but the conditions were hideous.
Dan K- super super impressed. Well done mate!! And good to *see* you
Bloody hell swittle- without a head torch!!
off road is the way to go though..
Great running the rest of you- Cal, Andrea, JT, Matt..
I've been away this weekend to Mersea island with the family. Fantastic weekend although weather was variable, including chilly spring sunshine and hurricane Kate battering us in our little caravan on the Sunday night. Highlights were collecting pebbles, reading some books, no wifi / mobile signal, eating fantastic fish and chips, and drinking local ale (just the one!!).
Did a bit or running- two laps around the West island to make 14.5 miles one day (oh how I love the taper!), and an easy 4 miles the following day, there and back. The there bit was super speedy, and the back was against the head wind
Posted in the wrong thread by mistake.
4 miles at very easy pace with beautiful sunshine.
I had a totally lazy weekend - no exercise at all. Partly this was down to taper madness (or so I'm told) but I'm pretty sure it was mostly due to my, uh, female biology giving me a hard time. Either way, I felt completely unmotivated to move and stayed in my flat for two days. I was going to run on Monday but the storm hit and I only popped out later to buy food once the wind dropped.
I managed a sluggish 4 miler on Tuesday, yoga yesterday and felt a lot better today. I did 9.3 miles/15K in the pleasant Spring sunshine in and made a point of increasing my pace. Average pace was 10:09 but I did the last three miles in 9:35, 9:35 and 9:22. Feel a lot better now. Just over a week to go!
4 miles early: Crosby Baths & back down the beach. Fresh, bright & calm.
Another four miles for me at low heart rate/ easy pace
Hello all- quiet on here!? I"ve not been around much this week.. and on the lovely taper!
Tuesday was a final speed session at the track- 800m reps. I may go next Tuesday but just to jog around with some 100m strides to take the edge off it...
Then Thursday was an easy 5 mile. Friday 8 mile. Today I marshalled at the legendary hardcore Orion 15 (our main club race)- which is 15 miles of hills, mud and hills through Epping Forest. Fantastic day for it in the spring sunshine and I got a great muddy ride round the forest and there / back, to take the edge off the creeping heeebie jeebies...
Just a week to go until the big day! So far so good with tapering- I needed it and am enjoying it.. but I can already feel that the final week is going to be tricky.. Also I need to have a big conversation with myself about what my target time is, and therefore my race pace...
Oooh, enjoy the taper, Nessie!
Just a sunny parkrun for me, this morning. Lots of birds and flowers, and a very slight course PB (which was nice). It made up for being woken up by my alarm at an unsocial hour.
You sound all set, Nessie - just let me know your target event: I've been absent some time. In my experience, the taper is overrated in its impact - other will disagree. Either way, make it work for you.
Just completed the Warwick Half I. 1:58:19. That's a lovely pb and my first time in sub 2 hour pace
That's a terrific milestone, Andrea, and an incentive to lowering it further!
Well done Andrea! A little jealous as I'm still trying to crack two hours (I just have to get this awful marathon thing done first).
I had a strong 9 miler on Thursday and a weak-ass 6 miles today. This despite eating enough carbs and doing only yoga yesterday. I don't understand my body sometimes.
Brilliant PB Andrea!
Swittle- it's Manchester next Sunday
Me- 4.5 miles easy today. And the taper madness set in big style. Example of the conversation I had with myself: "this is slower than marathon pace but I feel *really* sluggish and fat and slow and how will I even be able to run for more than half an hour, let alone at anywhere near a 9 minute mile..." etc etc ad infinitum....
Am agonising now over pace. Do I
a) set off at target ideal fantasy pace and push push push- which worked for a club mate last year who is a very similar runner to me, and she got 3.58
b) set off at a more realistic pace- i.e. last year's pace, which I know is achievable, then see how it goes, and get quicker if I feel strong
c) try to follow the sub 4 pacer and see how I go??
d) Accept that training has not indicated that I am on a sub 4, and accept that I need to target as close to last year's 4.11 as possible.
Dilemmas: do not want to ruin my day by over thinking and being disappointed after all that hard training. Better to run strong and enjoy it that agonise over times that may not be within my grasp. BUT this will be my last marathon for some years- I have really felt it to be too much of a juggle psychologically and physically this year- so do I just go eyeballs out and aim for a great time while I'm still young(ish) enough to achieve it.....
????Any thoughts welcome...
Got to love the taper eh
I'm in the same boat, Nessie (although replace 4 hrs with 4:30 and no particular goal to aim for as it'll be my first marathon).
Whilst I did think 4:30 possible based off the 2:02.34 HM PB I got last September, I had that groin strain in December and the two HMs I did this year were 2:05 and 2:06. I've only done one 20 miler (and one 19 miler) so honestly, I'll just be happy to get round without something breaking.
I'm not sure how to advise you regarding time. I'd say try and beat your PB but really, see how you feel on the day if you want to try for sub-4.