My Last Run

PompeyMatt

Hello again to everyone, I've missed posting here and my last post was in the middle of February but I'm back now after a lengthy injury hiatus involving knee problems which were diagnosed last month by a physio who has got me back on the road to recovery. From Valentines Day until the end of June I managed less than nine miles of running but since then I've put in around thirty miles, nothing fast just slow and steady progress to build up the miles and in doing so my knee is almost good as new again! Most of my runs have to be in the afternoon which is a killer in these temperatures but I'm getting slowly. I have no particular targets in mind but I must admit I'd be disappointed to miss my local race the Great South in October. 

Will Clennell

Good running going on MLRers - nice work.
Good to see you are back in action, PompeyMatt. It must feel good. 

As for me, a 5 miler on Friday morning followed by Colney Parkrun with my brother in law from the Bushy Park clan. It was hot, hard and dusty and my legs weren't very responsive. 25:50 was the time. Luckily I had a bit of energy left for a birthday party with 25 four year olds. The Frozen bouncy castle was the key.

Tonight it kept threatening to thunder and rain but never actually happened. I put on my new Sauconys for a 5 mile test run. A few strides produced my best 1K and half mile sections and I must have sweated some of last night's Eton Mess ice cream out. No cows.

Cal Jones

Welcome back, Matt! I am glad you got to the root of your problem. You should have plenty of time to build back up in time for Great South.

That's a decent parkrun time for the conditions, Will. And where d'you get the Eton Mess ice cream? I need some of that in my life.

10 miles for me starting at 5.36am. Five miles building up to MP then another five at MP. Niggly bits were niggly but not massively so and I felt quite strong towards the end. Saw a fox, who scarpered as soon as I came thundering towards him, unlike the fox I caught checking out some bin bags in the alley behind the yoga studio yesterday. I got within two feet of him and he just didn't give a toss.

HazelnutCH

Thanks for the parkrun feedback Cal.  I can imagine doing one a week would be quite a commitment.  Nice MP run.

Welcome back to Matt, good to see you.  Take that build up nice and slowly.

Will that birthday party with the 4 year olds must have been tougher than the parkrun!  Which Sauconys have you got?  I've had a couple of models from them in the past but my favourite Breakthrus were redesigned and no longer suit me.

5 recovery miles this morning.  Already getting too warm to be comfortable before 8am.  Changed my standard 5 mile route a bit - always good to have a bit of variation.  Legs felt ok, I managed to stick to recovery pace for once and not speed up.

EnduranceFlow

New to the forum guys, thought I’d get involved in build up to my first marathon in October. 5miles this am before breakfast, following yesterday’s 1:15 at MP. Conditions much more pleasant this morning!

Roberto12345

Clocked at about 26 minutes for 5k today, a lot fresher, also upping distances by 1-2k a day and ended up doing 8k total today. So currently doing 8k daily.

Hope to get a Nordic Track treadmill maybe by the end of the year so I can aim for at least a 14-16 minute 5k.

Didn't record this run unfortunately but it's not that different from below, only form has improved to be more upright.

Cal Jones

Welcome, EnduranceFlow. Which marathon are you doing?

Cal Jones

8 miles at a steady pace. Started cloudy, ended up sunny. Nothing out of the ordinary this time around but I enjoyed the run.

HazelnutCH

Welcome EnduranceFlow - good luck with your marathon training. 

10 miles for me this morning with 5 @ 10 mile race pace - that was hard work but I managed to maintain the pace right to the end.  Finding it easier to get out in the mornings now - even for tempo work.  The alternative would be around 30 degrees in the evening!  It seems I'm getting the nutrition right - decent evening meal and in the morning a mug of tea, 1 banana, 1 espresso.   

EnduranceFlow

> @"Cal Jones" said:
> Welcome, EnduranceFlow. Which marathon are you doing?

Thanks for the welcome guys. Chester, early October. Ran a few half’s and enough 10 and 5k’S, felt time was right to up the distance. Half pb just shy of 1:20, hoping increase in volume will see me crack 1:20 next year. No run today, 50mile cycle

HazelnutCH- both mug of tea and espresso pre run? Not sure my guts and bladder would handle that!

Cal Jones

Nice, I'm doing Chester too! First time there for me, and first Autumn marathon. I've done Manchester three times and Liverpool twice as, despite being a Londoner, my best friend lives in Manchester so I can stay with him when I race up north. Have you done Chester before? I'm interested to know what it's like.

Good running, Hazelnut. Sensible to go out early. It's quite pleasant here in the mornings - not so much later on.

Will Clennell

Hello there Endurance Flow! Good luck with your marathon. I'm planning on doing Manchester as my first one, next year.
Also hello to Roberto!
I've got the Saucony Triumph ISO3s, Hazelnut. Very comfortable and plenty of cushioning for me, as I'm no string bean! Started running with Saucony and have stuck with them as there's nothing I don't like.

10 miles for me tonight - finally a decent bit of distance. No great pace but nice and steady and happy with my form. Went on a bit of a wiggly wonder all over the place tonight as hadn't planned my route. Cooler than most recent nights and had my camelbak with a litre of SIS juice. Was starving when I got in. Kept away from the leftover party scones and munched on toast and cold pork. Lots of student types on pub crawls dressed as golfers. Weirdos.

Cal Jones

Might there be a student golf club, Will? (Seems the most logical explanation!)

Did my minimum 4 mile route today, for various reasons, one of which was the fact all my shorts are in the wash so I was down to a pair of high-vis yellow full-length tights. They're actually very comfortable, but a little warm for this weather, and I was starting to feel hot by the end of the first mile.

Just as I was about to hit mile 3 I caught my toe on a rock and went down hard on my left side (the last time I fell on a run was in 2015, but it was in the same bloody spot). Swore, got up and carried on, with evidence of my pratfall highly obvious due to the colour of my tights.

Damage turned out to be grazed knee and elbow and a small bruise on the heel of my left hand. Not sure how you can actually remove skin without actually damaging the clothing that covers it, but I managed it.

EnduranceFlow

Cal- Chester will be my first marathon, but I've ran the half there some years back. Truth be told, I don't remember much of it! Except making an amateur error and taking on fluids in last couple of miles (don't tend to drink on road runs less than 90mins), before cramping up.
At least you saved your clothing! Cuts and grazes cheaper to heal...and you can still run with a bruised hand. I'm considering Manchester as a spring marathon if Chester goes to plan

Steady 40mins commute for me, 5.5miles. Hot!

Cal Jones

Manchester's fab, EF. Not the most interesting course but it's fine, and flat, and the crowd support is amazing. There are bands, choirs and Frank Sidebottom (or, well, someone dressed as him). Very well organised too (although it wasn't the first time I ran...the year of the epic bag queue. Which they've sorted out now). After three years, though, I've opted for Vienna, for a change and a bit of sightseeing.

HazelnutCH

That's a swift HM PB you've got EF.  I think the banana is the key item in my pre-run morning fare - it settles down the tea and the coffee nicely with no sloshing.

Hmm - scones Will... - I would definitely eat one of those post-run... Unplanned wiggly routes are fun - sometimes you find new options.

Ouch to the fall Cal.  I'm still to sign up for Vienna - if there are still places.  Should get on to that.

For those going to Chester - if you haven't been there before - I can recommend the walk around the walls. 

11 miles for me in 1:42 this morning.  Debatted on whether to go out in the evening instead as I was generally tired but the thoughts of 30 degrees again got me going.   Did about half at MP + 20 % and the other half at MP + 10% despite the undulations and was tired by the end for the final hill home. Rest day tomorrow and fortunately it should be a bit cooler at the weekend for my long run. 

Cal Jones

Walking around the walls sounds as though it involves stairs, though, Hazelnut.

Well done on the 11.

Cal Jones

Alternate mile intervals for me today - 7 miles total, with "fast" miles at miles 2, 4 and 6. I found this hard work and failed to get a sub-8 mile which is a bit vexing as I have mile relays on the 30th. (I guess the best way to train for a fast mile is shorter intervals, but I've left it a bit late for that! It's just a bit of fun really).

EnduranceFlow

Ha, think stairs will be off the agenda that weekend! It is a nice little city though...

One hour for me today, 8.8miles inc 4miles at 6:45, . Wraps my week up running, got a weekend of cycling to look forward to- giving my joints a rest!

Roberto12345

@EnduranceFlow

I didn't quite understand your times there. The record for a 5k is about 12 minutes, so if you did 4 miles in approximately 7 minutes I take it you are an Olympic elite-runner? It's certainly a world record.

On TV I watched Rhonex Kipruto run a 10k in 27 minutes (in the IAAF World U20) and his last kilometer was amazing.

I might have confused the times though, in which case I apologise.

EnduranceFlow

Sorry, should have clarified, pacing of 6:45 a minute/mile, for four miles. Most certainly not an elite!
That level of running is frightening, how they often find an extra gear and kick, when on the limit.
Commuted home from work on foot tonight, steady 30mins/4miles, loosened the legs up a little
Happy weekend of running all!

Will Clennell

Good steady running Hazelnut,  Cal and EnduranceFlow. Commitment to the cause.

Everyone is fatigued, end of term stylee, but I managed to fit in a nice little double this morning. Out at 6:15am for a 10 miler through the marshes and finishing with a couple of laps of the lake, whereupon I sat on a bench for a while, munched some breakfast and drained the remains of my run juice. A steady 10 mi/min was very comfortable and legs were fine, despite it being my second longy of the week. A quick lie down in the sun and then I met up with my Dad for the Colney Parkrun.  26C at 9am and the course was rock hard and dusty. Pa managed the challenging course, including the two hills, really well and we finished in 30:28. Am ravenous but otherwise energised and now waiting hand and foot on the rest of my bunch, who are lazing fantastically. The landscape here now resembles Mediterranean groves in both appearance and smell. Really quite unusual. My allotment is in pain.

Cal Jones

Nice running, everyone! EnduranceFlow - yeah, it's quite scary what the elites can manage. I couldn't even sprint for the bus at the pace they run marathons. Then again, I couldn't run one mile at your pace. Let's just say we won't be in the same start zones at Chester!

18 miles for me today, via a new route. I ran up to Brockwell Park (the gates were open early so I went in, which wasn't the original plan, but then found it was because the county fair is on and my usual route around the park was blocked by hoardings and security guards, so I only ran two thirds of the way around before exiting). Ran from there to Camberwell, where I grew up many years ago, on to Oval (spotted a toilet in someone's front garden that had been repurposed as a plant pot), Stockwell, Clapham Common then finished up on Tooting Common again and from there to home. Despite rolling my ankle again at mile 5 I averged 10:13 with a 4 minute neg split - it was more like a 10 minute mile average for the second half. Happy with that. My goal for Chester is 4:15 which means averaging around 9:40 so I'm well on target for that.

EnduranceFlow

Sounds a good morning out Will!
Cal- it's all relative, unknown territory for me so we'll see!

Steady 45mins before breakfast, nice and cool before it hots up.

HazelnutCH

I would recommend doing the Chester walls pre rather than post marathon Cal   You are doing well on mileage already.

I've been watching some of the Diamond League athletics on TV - looks so effortless until the close ups of the grimacing on the final straight.

This weekend: 5 miles recovery on Saturday in cooler conditions - could have kept going for hours.  Sunday back to warm and strong sun - I decided it was time to toughen up mentally and set out at midday on a long run with very little shade on the first half.  16.8 miles (27km) in 2:35.  Felt much tougher than the the 16 miler with 10 @ mara pace the week before.  Wore my backpack for the first time in a while, which rubbed patches of my shoulders raw - ouch.  Hasn't done that before.  Cut back week this week. 

JT141

Hello everyone. Had a virus and been fluey so no running for a week. Slow 6.2mile comeback Sat. Cardio gym work yesterday to sweat out my system. Not sure how it would go today but ended up as 8.1miles in 1hr3 so pretty respectable. Very humid but body is working well enough to cope. People everywhere. Passed someone with a double bass, which I imagine got well out of tune in the heat.

Will Clennell

No instrument carriers round this way this morning as I got out by 5:07am to beat the heat. Just the Chelsea tattoo woman and a young Collared Dove stretching its wings. A bit over 4 miles at 8:49 a mile - swiftish for me - and a dazzling early sun welcoming me home. A nice big breakfast, good coffee and kids making thank you teacher cards by 6:05am. The only downer is that, as school breaks up for the summer, this year I don't. 

Cal Jones

Sensible to rest, JT. I've missed your laconic observations.
Will, there's a bunch of collared doves that hang out outside my flat. Nice running today - shame you don't get a summer break but I guess you get more money?
Hazelnut - ouch - I remember that happening to me several years ago when I ran home from work with a non-running backpack. I think the heat makes us more susceptible to chafing.

After a relatively lazy day yesterday (I did go to a 6.30am hot pilates class...but my only movement after that was to go to the shop to buy more ice cream) I had a very restless night and ended up going for an early 10 miler. My two Egyptian geese babies are now all grown up - just missing the distinctive eye spots. One of the parents was around, although couldn't see the other one. The fact mum wasn't with them means she's figured she's done her job now and they can fend for themselves.

Also saw a small Indian man jogging along in a pair of jeans with a big backpack. I would have thought both would chafe rather badly.

EnduranceFlow

Chafing from the heat, especially backpacks, is not pleasant! Not the sort of thing you consider until it creeps up on you...

Cal- Pilates is something I need to do a little more of, I only do the usual stretching and foam rolling and a little prehab work.

Set out at 7am, little later than usual for pre breakfast run, but had a couple of rice cakes with my morning cuppa as 90mins was planned, so was conscious I wanted an extra half hour for it to settle
Nice run out to the river, which runs through the city where it got a little manic, so was cursing my later start. Anyway, ventured a little further out to avoid the chaos and loop home, 13 miles total in my planned 90mins. 2 easy, turned the gas on for 10, 1 easy.
May have a steady 4mile plod home from work later, but that's optional, shall decide nearer the time

Cal Jones

EF - it's not the usual pilates. It's a class called Hot Inferno Pilates, which I do down at the hot yoga studio. So yeah, it's hot, and it's a mixture of Pilates-inspired core training and HIIT, so there are lots of squats, mountain climbers and burpees. Fun times. My abs are starting to show a little, though, and I don't know if it's purely down to the class but my stride has lengthened a bit so I'm getting a bit faster as a result.
Which city are you in?