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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Speaks well of your new club that they not only fielded a full team, but performed as well.
The major reason I joined Harrow AC was on account of the relays. However, the only team they appeared to be able to pull together was the V50's, and I don't see why I should be busting a gut at my age because the youngsters were too precious to turn out.
Being halfway to last years 'southerns' before being informed we didn't actually have a full team was the end for them.
For a 1st division club I reckon that's a pretty poor show.
Finally, that B&B as part of retirement idea.
Met a couple running a B&B in Ireland. Both dreamed of the B&B guest house in the place where they went to on holiday.
They sold up and moved. Ten years later the dream was a nightmare.
It was due to health and financial reasons.
🙂
I think you definitely enter a world of pain if you overdo that first mile!
from 4miles its quite nice.
overnight theyve tweaked the results from us being 40/54 to 41/61.
with 6 incompletes. Makes more sense than 13 teams not getting round!
slight individual pos change to 285/388
best of all, the " old" guy i worried may be 60 actually turned 40 this year, and was a mid 32 min 10k man when i was posting my mid 34s. So that sits better too!
Good to meet you yesterday, Stevie.
Glad you enjoyed it! Great time on that course and good little report to sum it all up. Talking to a few others, a lot of the times were down by 20-30 seconds compared to the Midlands which gives an idea as to how much the heat impacted things yesterday. Although that didn't seem to bother dangerous Doug from Notts AC unleashing hell and dropping a 14:4x short leg...
Our ladies finished in 29th yesterday, which is a great effort considering the standard o the opposition. I'll take some of the credit for my technical management of the team!
Autumn 6-stage relays?
Good to put a person to an internet persona Tommy! Your team fared decently then. That Notts guy must be one hell of a runner to put that in. But you have to ask why was he on a short leg!? Surely he'd easily be one of their top 6 and for time's sake, may have been the difference between getting a higher place?
I see there's a "Masters" (V35) relay in May at yesterday's venue too, which i'd squeeze into age wise, will see if we put a team in there. But yeah, any extras like Autumn or XC 5k Mansfield etc right now in theory I'm up for!
After so long without racing much, I might have a few months doing a load.
Can't understand why he was on a short leg, he's normally their lead out man. His time from the midlands event (26:xx) would probably have snuck them a bronze medal if he'd reproduced that yesterday. Odd.
I just miss out, age wise, on the masters relays so that will have to wait until next year. Hope to be at the autumn relays, but they clash with the Nottingham half and full marathon so we'll struggle to field a team suspect. Will certainly be at the XC relays in Mansfield in November though.
Have been reading about some other relays, so i'll be lazy and ask you instead of reading up, but presume the autumn relay is similar to what this masters one sounds like? 6 legs and short only? Somewhere different venue wise?
5k in the XC legs sounds doable. I say now. It'd be about a 120mile trip, but 100 yesterday was fine.
Just been reading about the Norfolk relay, which our threadster Ric has done. It sounds absolute insanity organisation wise. 200mile route, 17 runners needed, longest legs of 18 and 19 miles (!). All runners past the offroad first few stages have to be followed by a team cycle or team car. And a fair chunk through the night.
The longest legs can't be through the night, but even following a runner in a car for 10-12miles must be tough. Not to mention causing a bit of a block on some of those narrow Norfolk roads?!
Incredible!
However he was rumbled as one of the officials was a colleague of his in the police, and recognised him.
Harrow AC have received a warning about this sort of thing since they did it at the previous event. It was worse that time since a guy on the long leg was going so slowly he took a short cut and the time didn't look out of place.
Come to think of it. I don't think Harrow has had a full team for years.
I don't commit myself to anything if I can help it. But if I do, I'm committed. Relays are like that. Others I notice, treat commitments like just another option. Their excuses for bailing out at the last minute are pathetic.
Ok, they aren't up to my standards (I ran a road relay on the day my dad died) but some effort should be made.
And to think that at one job interview I was accused of not being a team player.
If they meant that I was unwilling to take it up the arse from some over bearing domineering bullying colleague. They were right. Twats. They mix up teams with dog packs.
Re: The Round Norfolk Relay.
The longest legs are through the night and the longest of all, starts on average around 3:00am.
It's one way of avoiding too much changing in the dark hours, and also lets most runners compete at a normal time of day.
Needless to say, I've always been on the graveyard shift. The last two occasions definitely felt like that.
I reckon I'm good for up to 16 or 17 miles. After that I'm suffering. Even 20 miles is too long to keep the hammer down, let alone a marathon.
Anyone can run a marathon. Not many can race one. Different game.
🙂
SG - The autumn road relays at Sutton Park are similar to the set-up yesterday but 6 stages for the men and 4 for the women. All the stages are the same length (3.6 miles) and uses broadly the same course but a slightly short loop round the bottom at the start and then a short out and back section (half a mile out, half a mile back)from the jamboree Stone.
https://www.strava.com/activities/723263507
I've heard the autumn relays being described as the league cup equivalent to the FA Cup (spring relays).
No idea about the masters relay course, I'm sure Simon or Alehouse will enlighten.
I've looked at the Round Norfolk Relay before and it looks like it takes some organising. I organise our lot for a 50 mile team relay round Derby which is 6 legs and that's chaotic enough, particularly with late drop outs etc.
There has been talk of doing this in the past but I can't see it ever happening
http://hoodtocoastrelay.com/
If anything the six stage is a higher standard than the 12! We have had 6 sub 15 5k runners out and not finished in the top ten!
What a cracking couple of posts.
Ric, that has everything, intrigue and corruption, good knowledge of a relay not many can have done, at least from these parts, and commentary on life's foibles.
I'm similar to you in not being thought of necessarily as a team player, but when it comes to it, i'm pretty committed. If I say i'll be there, i'll be there. Same commitment level with doing the Moz training 99.9% to the letter all those years (even someone like me had to alter 0.01% of stuff!), and same in coaching, or previous commitments on footy/running league boards and teams in the past.
I remember having to really battle my footy manager to miss ONE game for a team I was captain of, despite having briefed him about 3months earlier that there was a half marathon on a Sunday, and IF we had a game on the sat I couldn't be risking playing.
Tommy, anything a couple of miles shorter that freshens things sounds a good alternate course. I did notice Ben Livesey, on his PO10 one year had 4 different events at the same park. (ps I've thrown a mail to his wife, a fb pal to see if she knows why that super fast guy did the short leg)
6 legs sounds a nice quicker bit of action, with no one waiting more than about 2hours to get going. Yesterday felt a long time to get to me on leg 7, let alone the later guys!
Our captain who is a real powerhouse of enthusiasm, who you want to do well for, he was very savvy with both relays, making sure we had 2 slots for travelling reserves from the off. As it happened, both relays the initial subs ended up in the team, and we ended up taking another as the day's sub. Our leg 12 guy and our sub had done he Manchester marathon the week before!
I think if any team down here had ideas of doing the Norfolk relay, they'd have a go at the Green Belt relay first. Half the distance, a lot less runners needed (10-12?), much shorter individual distances, and not 140miles away!
Runner do 1 leg on both the Sat and Sun, and all the leg starts have a set time, so all are "proper" races. Not what you usually get at relays. I think I saw the Norfolk one is almost set like a handicap so all teams finish together. Makes sense, as otherwise, you might be waiting 10hours or so from 1st to last team!!
You must have seen my example of the Cardiff team yesterday (!). Brought down from top positions by one short leg time.
At least not needing to qualify helps balance that a little.
It'd be interesting to do that shorter leg, knowing there wasn't as much necessity to reign in the first mile as much.
I think we have a club even the day after, so i'm not sure if that'd rule it out before anyone has even ruled it in.
I must admit...I have done a cheeky little look at Christelton 5k on the Friday night, and then this relay the next day on the way back home.
Probably wouldn't be sensible on any level though
Maybe I misread how late entries were likely to go
I think "sensible hat" on, that's out then. As no idea if we will explore the relay, and if we did I doubt they'd be happy with me turning up having raced the night before
Oh undoubtedly the standard is higher, basically set your 6 fastest rabbits off and see how things pan out. However, the 12 stage is a bit more tactical - as per the possible mistake by Notts AC yesterday, although I'm pretty sure they won't have bargained on an 'unfit' Ali Watson going toe to toe with Johnny Mellor on the penultimate leg. Plus it showcases the depth of the squads (for the larger clubs) and the motivational capabilities of team captains for the smaller clubs; the likes that SG and I run for.
Would you rather win the 12 stage or the 6 stage...?
Cardiff's implosion was spectacular!
I set what must have been a pb for a HM on day one when I ran 1:17 for 13.5 miles, though I admit there was a section where myself and two other guys in the lead took a direct route across a dual carriageway instead of using the under pass. That might have lopped off a bit.
It was also an incredibly hot day. I'd gulped down a litre on the start line and grabbed more at just over halfway.
Knowing I was to race again the following day, I ensured that recovery was paramount. No loafing about after the first leg, it was proper food on board and drink, warm down, the lot.
The next day I had a leg of 10.5 miles which I did 61 minutes on. Lost out both days to one other runner. No idea who was ahead on day one, but the guy who ran away from me on day two had once won the London marathon in 2:09.
He's now an official measurer of race courses, and a ginger.
🙂
Already talk in the club of doing this masters relay. Whooop! Love the enthuiasm and drive of this new club.
Even talking about 2 teams at the moment, but realistically i think one team, and needing to get 6 of the 10 or so probables signed up.
Do people think a Friday night 5k would badly affect a 3.5m ish leg the next day coming between 2-4pm?
Just to balance my current overly hyped mode against sense!
Hmm. I wouldn't race the day before Sutton Park. That would be very silly SG!
I've enjoyed the Masters relays more over the last few years - generally get to go off first and Aley is right - the route goes straight up the hill rather than around the loop at the start, which makes such a difference when you reach the top of the big hill.
We were 30th on Saturday. I went off moderately hard on my short leg and managed to make three places up and a run at a few of the leading ladies too like Andrea Whitcombe which helped with the pace. Obviously felt bolloxed at the end, but I've felt worse. Ended up with 16.44 - which equates again to that 16.10-16.15 5k sort of pace, so fairly happy with that.
Shame I got chicked - Kate Maltby (Reed?) did 16.38, Laura Weightman 2nd fastest with 16.44 also. This is important to V40 men
The only massive gain would have been less travel on the day.
Last year's masters were classed as 3milers, but when half a mile inclines still a challenge i'm sure. But taking that "pre-amble" part out is a big plus, not to mention the out and back.
In fact, get to about 1.6miles and you have quite a nice run in.
From Harrow to Metros on May 1st.
I've been a member since 1988 and still able to run ok.
🙂
Yes SG - It's pretty good, the turn is inbetween the stone and the long leg turn, just to take it nearer the 3 mile mark. Last years leg times attached, for reference
http://www.runbritainrankings.com/results/results.aspx?meetingid=170800&event=3ML&venue=Sutton+Coldfield&date=14-May-16
Simon, looking forward to it. I did wonder if i might shoehorn in either the 5k the night before, or United on the day after, but it's probably a worthwhile trip without any extra complications!
In my "getting a bit too excited" quick list of potential races, that had about 25 between May - July, there's a tonne load of 5ks, so i thought it makes sense to re-start my schedule.
"5k zone" 8x600, off 90secs, 2x400 off 60, 2x200 off 30
I won't mess about with roundings, or trimmings, but will simply write what the stopwatch said, whatever the quibbles about reactions speeds and roundings etc, and you can make you own minds up
Target would be 1.18 lap, so 1.57 600s
1.54.79
1.53.67
1.53.41
1.54.99
1.52.49
1.53.38
1.54.95
1.55.58
1.15.29
1.16.48
35
34
Loving it all at the moment. Something about properly having the world of racing back open after the year of doubt is pretty excellent. Then the new club element, i feel utterly revitalised!
Will ideally have a 3-4 month spell of 5k-10ks with a few relays chucked in, and then if that all goes well think about longer stuff in the autumn
That's a good step forward in terms of PMA SG! Looking forward to some good results over the Summer. Good session by the way.
Very positive 12M the other day by the way Ric.
7M to the station this morning. Bit of a drag really, as legs pretty heavy but not too slow - which probably reflects the fact the ground is so firm now. Almost certainly not going to race maidenhead 10 on Friday though.
Couldn't say my legs were dragging today myself. I was trying out the 4oz racers, so not much weight to drag about.
Just jogged along for a couple of miles and when I felt ready, accelerated a few times.
If the strides were anything to go by, I'd say the adaptations I've made to the shoe were a success.
They also work best at speed - which helps.
I doubt the manufacturers will ever get around to putting the cushioning in the right place in a light weight racing shoe, so I did it myself.
That's in the mid/fore foot area.
Good session SG. A real result when the times come out better than expected.
🙂
The way I've engineered the insole means I'm forced into a racing style when up to speed. It's as if the shoe under the heel doesn't exist.
As things stand, I'm doing more and more training wearing the race shoes. Last Saturdays 12 miler was in racers, and my calf muscles afterwards were fine. Surely that's the idea. Train under the conditions we want to race in.
I'm going out in a short while, and it will be in race shoes.
Reminds me of the way I trained on a bike a decade or so ago. My bike was a time trial design and I rode it on the tri-bars. Up to 50 miles at a time. I only did time trials so I figured that was the thing to do. And I could also kid myself I was a good cyclist by averaging 20mph plus on every training ride.
These days on a conventional machine, I have returned to reality.
🙂
the relay fun continues, as they've now decided our 41/61 is actually 43/63.
They've jammed a team in 11 seconds ahead of us, and one of our later guys reckons they've rucked up the mass start and underestimated him by 20secs.
That take his time very similar to mine, but obviously with the advantage of being in a straight race whereas mine was classic spaced out relay material
So goodness knows.
Want this one parked and done now
10 done today, 6.43 pace. Bit too fast i dare say, but done for today.
Aiming for a bigger week this week after 3x56-57.
Aided by Friday being a day off, but up to Manc on Sunday so need to work around that
May looks absolutely ram packed with potential races, so makes best sense to get 3 weeks of bigger mileage in.
Just a quick pop-in to say a big well done to SG and SC at the relays.
SG, that's a storming performance by Datchet, mixing it well with the big boys there. Looks like you're seeing the attraction of these events. Not being able to run the national relays would probably be the main point in favour of me switching clubs at some point in the future. Of course, the club I'd likely join weren't at the national or southern 12-stage either, but they do at least always make the 6-stage nationals in the Autumn.
SC, looking at the short stage times, I'd say you've cranked out a pretty solid time there.
Not had much time to post with work extremely busy plus having to spend all my evenings and weekends working on painting and flooring the new extension/kitchen/diner, but hopefully will be back to it fully when life calms down. I'm in for the Maidenhead Easter 10 on Friday, and a chance to set right a very weak PB of 55:18.
Looks like I'm in deep end with a BAL outing on 6th May - which I assume will be a 1500m as we have guys doing faster 5,000 than me at the moment..3,000 will be ok though. Better up the training.
Been given the Assembly league fixtures - the 5k at Battersea looks appealing, doubles as Serpies club champs too. Thursday 1st June.