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Baxters Loch Ness Marathon 2010
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You don't do your long runs at marathon pace - sure way to burn out. The FIRST prog should have a pace calculator somewhere so that you can calculate your ideal paces. If it feels hard - slow down a bit - better to get the distance done than to flake out half way through your planned session.
Darren you're right. 10kms of pain is far better than Britain's got nae talent!
I know what you mean about fitting in speedwork without a measured distance but if you go to www.mapmyrun.com you can zoom in to your area and map out routes and measure distances. That way you can find somewhere suitable. Ideally you want to find loops of roughly 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 metres. Then run them at just quicker than 5K pace but the aim is to finish the final loop completely knackered. What I also do is swap speed sessions for hill sessions which work in a similar way. I'd do a few miles to warm up then perhaps pick a decent hill and run up and down for 20-30 minutes using the downhill to recover then a few miles to cool down afterwards.
For the long runs the FIRST schedule recommends running at a pace of 10K pace/mile + 60 to 75 seconds per mile. Personally I found this too fast so I slowed it down by another 30 seconds per mile but it all depends how you're feeling on the day.
Enjoy your runs guys - just finished my first swim session as part of my first regime - funny how 10km can be ran easily but I am breathing like a mad man after 2 lengths of front crawl!!!
Thanks for the advice all - yip hill training alternating with speed sounds good - I have a hill nearby that takes 2 mins at a 5km race pace to get up so will keep using that.
And I will take it easy on longer runs - in training for half marathon i ran at same pace for 1 hr runs then gradually increased time i could run for until I got to 1 hr 30 and then the race but are you guys saying slow down even on the early 10m runs and take longer for them also?
I have no idea what time I should aim for - only ran 1 half in my life and at this stage would be happy to finish LNM! But assuming I say 4hrs - does 9.15 become my mph figure I need to try and run at? Or slower than this on all long runs?
(Greg - told you I was a novice
)
Darren- you need to do your LSR a lot slower than race pace,
Obviously you don't know what race pace is, but use the conversion tables, and add alarge pinch of salt- they are a bit optimistic for conversion to expected marathon pace, especially for a first timer.
I am around 4 hrs for the marathon, based on a 1:46 HM PB.
LSR's need to be done at/ around 10 kph for that sort of speed- sorry don't do that as minutes per mile, but it's sslllllooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
.
The FIRST programme does do a few LSR's at 9:24/ mile, for their 4hr programme, but most of them are closer to10 M/mile, and most folk rergard this as too fast
The idea is to get used to spending a very long time on your feet, but not to render yourself incapable of training 2 days later.
Don't worry- the sspeed will develop on the tempo runs!
Evening all.
I'm in this thing and starting to build up the mileage. Seems like most of you have been managing to keep it up all year. I did Edinburgh last year but I'm starting from scratch due to a 7 week old baby who despite being beautiful doesn't seem to realise that daddy needs his sleep to run properly.
Where can I find the actual profile of the race? I'm already worried about this hill at 18 miles
. I live in York and whilst lovely is entirely bereft of hills.
Onwards we go.
now that the training has started I too am starting to worry about these hills. I have been including hills in most of my runs, but how long and steep is this hill at 18 miles ??
Another hill-worrier here! Someone told me that the profile had been made available in previous years. I think I read that they've changed the end this year, so maybe they're just updating it and it will be available soon?
I can't believe how the time is flying - I'm already panicking about not doing enough.
Congratulations on the baby Claims Monkey!
The hill at 18 miles is about 2 or so miles long, but it's split into something like 3 inclines then flatter sections. Pretty much runs from 18 miles (after Dores) to a bit before the Holm roundabout (20.8 miles or so). It's not as bad as some people make out - probably akin to the angle of a wheelchair ramp?
. It makes the hill before Foyers look like Mt Everest!
The problem with the hill is not the steepness- really it's not that bad, but the point at which it appears during the race is a bad bit for most folk anyway, and you just don't have the reserves by 18 miles to cope with anything new or different.
I think some gentle hill training might help, but in reality the problem is the mileage- just make sure you get your LSR's in. If you can get to/ past 20 miles a few times in training, it will really help.
I'm beginning to increase weekly mileage ,with a view to getting first 20 miler under my belt in just 4-5 weeks time, aiming for at least 5 in the run- up this time, maybe even a 22 miler if possible.
Only just signed up for this and trying to find a decent hotel at a decent price!
Cheers
I stayed at the Columbia last year, and have re- booked for this year- it was OK, except that we arrived at about 8pm, told them at he desk we wanted dinner at 8:30- they said "no need to book", but when we came back down they said there was no room in either bar or restaurant for food
. Made a fuss, and had a lovely meal in restaurant!
Breakfast was good with enough runners staying to mean they put on early sitting, with porridge, etc.
Handy for both the bus pick at the start and the finish- I think, though they've moved that!.
Not booked accomodation for this yet, how much was the Columbia?
My original plan was to run Edinburgh & Dublin this year. Thus is going to mean me starting Mara training again after only a few weeks recovery from Edinburgh. Also means after loch ness I've got Dublin 3 wks later.
Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. I had hoped to get a decent time (for me - I'm a slow runner) at Dublin. I'm thinking I won't be recovered enough to do this after thrashing my poor wee legs at loch ness.
Greg & Tricia - I followed your advice on my LSR on Sunday - 9.1 mls (not very long) but 80 mins. It felt slower but my problem is I am 6ft 4 and running yesterday with a shorter/slower stride but people are still telling me I need to run these LSRs slower still - not sure I can shorten the stride any further. I can see the logic though - never felt out of breath but legs felt as if they have 'ran more strides' and yet no heavy legs today which is great. That was my first week of 3 runs and the swim session - so keep theadvice comin as my unofficial, unpaid coaches
Aha- found a hill profile for the race!
Look away now if you're squeamish
Garmin profile of the course from another runner's thread.My training for this starts tomorrow!
Not really decided on what to do- have always followed FIRST , but want to increase to 4 runs per week- better get myself sorted, eh?
Last 10k race today before I start to run longer and slower!
Oh
My
GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So- training started- have decided to do the FIRST programme again, but to do a 3-5km run, plus a swim on the crosstraining days- yup- makes no sense, but then, I don't know what I'm doing.
I won't try to hit the suggested paces for the LSR's either, as they're too fast, but the 2 quality sessions of a tempo run, and the intervals are good- may mess about with those a bit, too, as there seems little point in doing 400m intervals, will just stick to the 1k/ 1mile intervals,and alternate them with hill sessions, I think.
So actually I'm not really following the FIRST plan at all
.
Did a 10k on sunday that gives me a predicted time of 3:47 for the marathon.......very optimistic. Will train for 3:50 and see how it goes.
Cheers The B Team.
Did they mention those hills on the entry website?
I suppose the answer is long runs with a hill at the end to try to replicate it. When I did Edinburgh last year I split my long runs into 3/4 and 1/4. The first slice done at the recommended pace and then quickened up for the last quarter, trying to push the last mile. It sort of follows something I read in RW about African runners. Anyway it worked for me - knocked 27 mins off the PB. Worth thinking about if you can't find hills.
I'm off for an easy 5 miles now - I really don't want to go but needs must.
Onwards.