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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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The guy I bought it from said never to let anyone weighing more 10 stone ride it. It wouldn't be safe.
Only since I dragged it out of storage did I realise how good looking it was. The modern bike I now use looks clunky by comparison, despite weighing 4lb's less.
🙂
For my last 2 marathons I've run the full distance in training. Ran a 2.39 for the first one and 2.47 second time around. today was just about doing 3 hours on a solo run as i might be running solo at Yorkshire.
Not sure why a marathon is the cut off point where people don't run the distance in training. If I was training for a half I'd run 17/18 miles for a long run. If the pace is sensible then there's no reason for it to wreck your future training.
A bit of hit and miss since April - Combe Gibbet bollocksed me up for a number of weeks with a calf strain, followed by a flu which pushed the progress back to levels at the beginning of the year.
I figured at that point it was better sitting back and focussing on getting my degree done and dusted, before building any sort of mileage back in.
Turns out I then decided to sign up for a rather time intensive job with one of the lecturers - which meant I've done less running than hoped!
Some may recall I was hoping to run, and PB at, the Devon county 10000m - but this never came to fruition.
Alas, I'm finally back to it - at 34 easy miles this week, made up of 4 x 1hr and a short run with family.
Next week will be some sessions with the training group back in Devon.
Reading everyone's stories of success on here - would anyone mind much if I followed them on Strava for the running/cycling inspiration?
All the best to the chaps in Denmark!
Yesterday I had a jam sandwich a few bits of malt loaf and a mars bar but I was only out for just under 4 hours, unlike last week which was 5.5 hours.
Good luck in the final Dean/SC
Mercier are still making steel bikes.
Longest run for 9 weeks this morning - 10.5M of mud and hills! Leg felt the same at the end as the start, so I'll take that as progress. 35M for the week, so progressing from 20, 0, 8, 20, 35 for the last 5 weeks. Must be my lowest July ever!
Bus, that shows how long things have gone, and how quickly time flies! That does sound promising, as 10miles is always a tidy distance in my book. The quicker you're back the better for your pot hunting collection, and also for the sake of thread race trips!
Matt H - welcome back, that's the game of running at times isn't it, best laid plans and all that. One minute you can be all "pb or bust", then just being able to run at all can become the aim. Trying to enjoy it day by day seems the best way.
Matt - simple answer to your musing, because it's such a massive destructive distance! Very few people can put in over distance runs even semi regularly and not shatter themselves. You sound like one of the very few luckily!
I remember Moz saying any run over 2hours starts to massively increase the risk of discombobulation, so even more is not for me
So despite my usual "check what races are on, and vaguely entertain one" - this time the Wellingborough 5miler, which I enjoyed around a decade ago, the more sensible route seemed to be a 13.
13 including some hills, at 7.05 pace, and was it plenty for a 67mile week. If we discount that accidental 19miler week of 71miles, that's my highest mileage since Feb, and blows away 3 of the last 5 weeks being in the 51.5 to 54.5 range due to some race and race recovery weeks.
Murder mile next Friday looks to be an apt special race for my 200th. With no doubt, a bit of debate about Battersea Park 5k tomorrow evening...
Didn't do me any good mind.
From I read on the subject, three and a half hours is about top limit, though for me I was ok for 2:30.
🙂
I'm always looking for patterns and reasons for injuries and the like. Even the stuff I've had lately can be sourced back to some minor accident or simply a training error.
Is there a connection between the long bike ride and the hamstring problem?
🙂
Very nice work though chaps,without the congrats before the proper reports!
Even more bad news my end with another operation to endure. Haven't had even half a year consistent running in 4 odd years now.
great stuff simon. always felt simon would medal after watching his heats but watching him put it into action was superb to see. as i could see the race unfold i had no worries for him until he started to look behind him with 50m to go. have i not demonstrated enough times to run through the line
but his lead was commanding over 4th place and finished the race off well. again a bizarre highlight of this trip is hearing the announcer make a dogs diner of his surname. Siiiimon Coooom-Brez. all the brits in there were killing themselves laughing though i fully expect its a "you had to be there" moment. 
Also met up with Dachs teammate, Duncan. Top bloke who ran well in the m35s
anyways...as per tradition a shed load of photos and excuses, topping off with a showbiz sprint finish to bail my ass out again.
Excuses: 3 physio sessions in 10 days to get my achilles and calf injury manageable for 2 championship races in 26 hours period. missing 6 weeks or so off my shedule due to injury/illness left me under baked, under strengthed and not quite there. but i was in decent if not specatular shape. until last weekend. im hit with a bad cold. didnt shift it until thursday. im popping pills, allergy tablets, berroca cocktails and allsorts to get rid of this cold. im not sleeping due to this so when arriving at our rented house in denmark i agree with my wife to sleep alone in one end of the house and her and the kids in the other end...so i get as much sleep as possible as im weak. thankfully it works and by friday afternoon im feeling better.
morning of the heats and im grumpy and my wife spots this. keeps everyone away from me. she has seen me prepare for league titles/cup finals in hockey and some championships more recently in running and she senses when im down and clears the path for me. i cheer up when i spot some familiar faces at the track.
my warm up is laboured but i think 4.15 gets me in the final so even if im down i should get this. i find out im in heat 1. so every other heat get a benefit as they know what times will be needed to get in the final. so we cant run slow and conserve energy for final like heat 3 can. this pisses me off.
im really nervous, unusual for me. i know im not at a peak and i hate that feeling. its making me nervous. i just need the gun to go. only first 2 through to final and 10 fastest losers across 3 heats.
gun goes and i decide tpo get out of trouble and hold the lead and try any dictate proceedings. though 400 in about 69/70. then the spaniard gets excited and puts a hard 200 in and puts about 25m into me. im tempted to go with but as no-one else goes past i hold and decide to stick to the plan with the rest of the field and bring home 2nd. with 300 to go the irish guy with a 4.03 this year trys to come past but i accelerate and hold him off. im into the last 200 and decide i will just react to anyone trying to come past. no one attempts to and into the last 80 and im reasonably comfortable. i stick my tongue out to my kids and cross the line in 2nd in 4.09 and into the final.
i immediately turn to my wife and apparently shoot her a look that says im done! despite it being comfortable-ish im not running well. im flat and she said later its the worst i have looked racing. like i was beaten man already, shoulders down no bounce. She was right. i know when im hot and when im not... and this cold had flattend my legs. however i had 24hours to get out of this mood for the final. i warm down with simon and another gb man and despite trying to talk a positive game my mind is all over the shop.
anyway lots of recovery and see what tomorrow brings.....
1500m v40 European champs Final
i wake up in a great mood. im bouncy and in a good mood. completely different to the day before. the extra sleep has helped clear the cold another day. i feel good.
take the start line and the announcer says " the hot favorites for this race are...." and reads out 5 names and not mine. this f*cks me right off. right F*ck you, i have clarity in my plan. my strides were fast and bouncy and i felt great. im ready...lets go!
gun goes and i take the lead. i want to get out of trouble and happy to let either a spaniard or frenchman past but no-one else. those boys are fast so i will use them if they want a fast one. the official times for the first 400 was 74 but i doubt that as we were through 300 in 49 i think. if that lap time is be believed the next lap is a 62. its very windy down the home straight so as im leading i ease off every time we hit it. im not sheltering anyone. at the bell then the fast spaniard (3.58 this yr) comes past and drops me easily. i cant respond...i try but my legs are gone. oh no!
then into 300. the other spaniard (who beat me in the heat) flies past and then the belgian. i try to wake up but despite my best efforts i cant respond. i drop 10m or more behind bronze. at 250m to go im in trouble. im going backwards and feel weak and behind me is current world champion over 800 and 1500. i get to 200 to go and im still in 4th. im 10 or 15m down on a medal but im holding that gap. i try to go at 200 but there is nothing there. i wait and try again to go at 100. my kids, wife and a boisterous GB crowd are at finish line and im motivated to go again. one more go. find something... anything
the final 100 is blowing a gale down our throat. and i can see the spainard in bronze flagging in the wind (maybe regretting nailing his heat againt me yesterday when he didnt need to)
i can hear my family now. its a big stadium the crowd is big on this side and its loud. but i can hear them. im getting close to a medal, keep going, keep going..closer...closer. i pass the spaniard and im into bronze position. he is done and no chance is he coming back. then maybe my favorite ever running photo. the look on his face below is "where the F*ck have you come from"
about 20m to go. im adrift but im closing hard. he sees me and accelerates himself. damn. this is going to be close. keep going.
you can see the finsh line on the floor. my eyes are fixed on the line. on a better medal. i want this. one more push. i like the photo above for the length of stride. im covering a lot of ground. Nearly there. the crowd is loud. i love it.
and i throw myself at the line. literally. its lyon all over again. i come in horizontal. i have no idea where i finshed. i almost stumble but kept my feet. i turn to the GB section of the crowd and give an arms out gesture. then hold up 2 fingers and then 3? i see my wife with 2 fingers up at me. (not for the first time) then the GB lads in the crowd do the same. but im not sure. i await the final results which take about 10 mins. i hug dominic the other GB runner who ran a great race for 5th. then speak to the belgian. he was a great lad and neither of us know who go what. then his coach comes over and shakes my hand. he knows.
Its then announced, very late..."in 2nd place representing ......oh! a photo finish... one second please... and by only 3/100ths of a second in silver place representing Great britain" and im up off my feet, i high 5 dominic and hug the belgian. get in! i lost the silver in lyon by 3/100ths dso i guess its my turn this time. i finsh watching simons race then straight over to my family and GB teammates. Again like Lyon lots of well wishers from all nationalities shake my hand as i work through the stadium.
i get to my kids and they leap on me. Job done. with all the injury and illness issues i wasnt good enough to beat Alonso for gold. he was too good so i have no demons. im content. job done though would be nice to finish a championship race vertical for a change
then on for a warm down then i panic...whens the ceremony. i get back in time. plenty of time, enough time to see simon well into his beer. i get one of my own and wander into the hall for the podium. Simons wife has brought a flag. simon and i lok at each other and think the same thing. if we had gold maybe. however everyone has a flag so we do too.
video footage of the sprint is on youtube below
https://youtu.be/rLCHPA-h4c8
all in all a good day for the thread with 2 medals in 20 mins!!
How on earth did they not put you in the 5 favourites?
I must have misread what looked like a ranking on time pre heats as it looked like you were top. But clearly misread if there was a 3.58 guy in there.?
Either way 2 major thread medals.
Definitely think some of the guys on here should join you pair in future years. Cant promise theyd match you but would make it a right thread trip
SC, I watched your race on Facebook and you never looked in trouble for bronze. Even when the front two pulled away you seemed to extend your lead. Congratulations!
I did look at the V35 10000 results and thought Dachs could've easily bagged himself a medal. ;-)
Matt, i think a lot of the thread could have a great trip away, but while the likes of me would be very much competing to come just before last, Dachs, especially into the next category next year could be a face.
Back in more humble stuff, decided a longer hills job would be the best bet pre Friday, so did 4x0.3m hills.
Decent effort, not trying to smash it type fare, as i won't be smashing it up a steep Welsh hill!
Average paces increased, 6.06,5.56,5.55,5.50
That'll do. Felt a bit knackered on wake up, and every so vaguely throaty, so pleased to see an 8 off in total.