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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Would be interesting - but I'd need to do a few to maximise the times - and I don't really want to do one.
In theory - if you're well trained enough - you can make the theoretical add on of 15-20secs from HM to M that I use your actual MP pace.
But in reality you'd need to be quite a supreme runner to get an 8min (18.2secs - so mid range) transition or less I think. (HM x 2 + <=8mins)
Many runners can't get it under 15-20mins.
You're clearly a marathon guy - training all year can be relentless as the best of times for those of us who do 6 days a week and 60+ miles a week - but I think I'd really struggle booting double digits out day after day and barely breaking it up with much speedwork - and doing the same routes repeatedly.
3,500 up in singles is fairly astounding work. I had a long spell on furlough doing double digits and it was an interesting experiment but I quickly dropped it when work and routine kicked back in.
If I squeeze 20.5miles in over the next 2 days I could get a nicely rounded 3,250 but I won't fixate on that
Glad I did though, or it'd have been an ugly surprise 3/4mile or so into a lap and a quick choice of try and clamber over - or come straight back the other way.
Just before I started rep 1 there were workmen starting to carve the tree up.
With a fairly long session I thought they might well have finished by the time I got into one of the later reps.
No such luck - I saw their lorry leave - full to the brim of tree- but still leaving most of the bit that was actually blocking the lane!!
There's been a premier league game called off this week - and rumours of Tottenham being off tomorrow.
On top of many lower league games too.
And this is pro sport with massive money on it.
So I dare say it's the classic "will get worse before it gets better" and Jan will be an absolute write off.
I think we'd all take those little events we had a little taster of for now.
And I'd bite the hand off for a full summer of travelling and normal races! Would be superb as a novelty for a few weeks - then we'd quickly get used to it I expect!
Incidentally. How many workmen were trying to remove the tree and were they Irish? If so, I suspect it was tree fellers............................
I'm here all week.
Come to think of it, I have been since March and will be for the foreseeable future
had a pain in my achillles yesterday so had to cut my run short. With two days of the year left, I am on 988 miles. Now I’m m not one for OCD with numbers but I think I have to round it up, pain or no pain!
Slips were the least of my worries on my Marlow run today.
Thought i'd try the Winter Hill route - ludicrously overlooking that the Thames might be massively flooded.
The warning was a couple of feet of water to splosh through early doors and around the gates but I ignored that and thought the fields would be "fine"...maybe just a little muddy.
One of the gates had a little swirl of water about 3 feet deep- but again all good and the fields had a bit of flooding but all fine. Apart from utterly icy feet.
Besides I'd seen 2 people walking from that direction who looked alright
The last field near the Bourne End Marina was a bit more of a challenge. Utterly flooded.
I saw some woman and her kid, carrying a dog and with another dog in tow - attempting to cross it from river to track direction.
I shouted out is that wise - you don't know how deep that water is, and after a little debate I said the vintage words "should be fine as long as you can see the bottom".
Literally 2 seconds later - following the seriously flawed "logic" that the path closest to the river was safer than the "deeper" looking middle bit - I went down 6 feet into a hidden hole and had a right old rude awakening!
Farkkkkkk.
I had a few seconds of sloshing around like someone who can't swim - and thought i'll get out of this hole easy - and then a few seconds of panic of - just how deep is this - and can I actually get out. All while the mum and her kid (and dogs) looked horrified
Managed to clamber out - and very quickly realised it'd be insanity to try and get the last 400metres or so across the field - even though from there on it'd be tantalising close to being able to get back to Winter Hill.
Did spent a little bit of time wondering if that was actually a very dodgy moment indeed - or just the comedy of being almost submerged. Probably would have entered slightly dodgier terrain if any short blokes or a kid or someone was in my place!
I was on about 4miles at this stage - utterly frozen through. I was still clutching the ipod quite pathetically - clicking at the buttons optimistically hoping it wasn't completely dead!
So at this stage I thought just going back the way I'd come for 8miles seemed a good idea - in the cold wind and skin utterly sodden.
Told a few people I saw on the way that they might want to turn back rather than risk it themselves especially as the path across the train line was in what looked even deeper water. But chances are it was more fine there as it's only over grass.
I'd geniusly found a hidden dip!
Eventually warmed up, and with about 4-5 lace tie ups somehow stuck it out for a 10.5miler. 10mins off the clock but glad to boot that out.
Leaves the 3,250 open with a mere 6&4 tomorrow now - that I said I wouldn't bother with - but was fooling no-one!
Could have been one of those sections where the bank erosion ahs washed out the path. If so, lucky you weren't washed into the river itself!
A very rare session for me today - just 4 x 0.5M, but felt enough! Off-road and with a slight incline each lap, I was happy enough with 6:20 average pace.
I could see the headline "reckless thrill seeker swept away in flooded Thames"
Do you go off your strava reading, or off your own notes?
My strava shows 3,243.80 but I've logged it as 3,240. Shows how those tiny little extra bits add up over a year as I always try and end on a 0.5 or full mile
I make sure on the track that I run a bit off watch too - as tracks don't half over-record distance - especially if you wear your watch on the "far side" wrist of the direction you're running.
I think one of our xc race series has a little river crossing in it - and not the 1metre one you could leap at the old Tadley.
But like a proper 10metre or so job. I've never done it, but saw the photos.
Depending on how the weather has been you can find it a trickle, or a full on river to wade/swim across!
I'd been listening to a podcast about some ultra runners who had done some event and were moaning about how getting soaked through is the worst thing. I could understand that afterwards! Just as well it wasn't a properly freezing cold day!
And as for Strava or my own log SG, it depends which gives the better result 😀 They are pretty close mind - about a mile out over the year.
Will require a bit more creative skills to fill up the positives bits this year - but I'm sure we'll all have a good crack - and have the usual fun read ups....
Open to lurkers too - always a place on here for positive contributors.
That doesn't mean "matey hugging", but does involve being a supportive, enthusiastic good egg with something to offer
Excellent to see ALD back, and I won't give up on getting Stevie See back at some stage!
· 2103 km (aim was 2020 in 2020: join me on the 2021 in 2021 thread, perhaps seeing who can get there first!)
· No races run, just 8 parkruns, none of which were run above tempo pace
· Highlight: either reaching 2020 in 2020 or pacing a friend round at parkrun to his best time for years. Or hosting a dinner to celebrate 95 years of the uni cross country club the weekend before the pandemic, and including a host of internationals as well as your average (or below) club runner.
· Most missed races of 2020: LFoM, Sale Sizzlers, vets road and xc relays.
· Lowlights of 2020 – a couple of health issues, although they didn’t impact too much on running. Will try not to let them get in the way in 2021.
· Thread poster of the year: SG himself
· Posters you'd like to hear more from: Scott E, the two Matts, Dean, Lit
· Prediction for when "normal" races will be back in 2021: 10/10. Will be pleasantly surprised if it is earlier.
· Ambitions for 2021: a decent run at LFoM or a Sale Sizzler or a vets relay (all 5k or thereabouts) getting as close as possible to 80% WAVA. Above all keep running and enjoying it, and being grateful that I can do aged 67 in two days! To run for 365 days, one day less than in 2020! And meet up with a few thread posters, either again or for the first time!
· Ambitions for stuff to do while we still can - as we all move up another year and a couple of us into major new age statuses: as above, keep on running, including being able to get back to some quicker sessions: very necessary at my age, but difficult to balance against injuries and recovery. To help I really need to get back into my core work, largely Pilates based.
Firstly the stats:
2,123 (or 2,122) miles, climbing take your pick of 38,253 m on Garmin, 43,758 m on Strava and 64,375 on fetch. I reckon somewhere around 40k is fair, I'll pick Strava as that is just over a vertical marathon.
My monthly totals ranged from 166 to 192. One odd stat I like is my biggest lowest month and this year tops last year (158 miles in Feb) as my best ever. As a stat, if shows even running so no injuries, no missed days etc, Covid helped so injuries are always going to happen but I generally have a few business trips and a 12-hour flight to a country 8 hours time difference away tends to screw up your body and add beef and beer and I'd often miss a few runs and card 20 for a week and that makes a big dent.
Running highlights were mainly in finding new routes in the local area. I used to run from the office in London midweek and from home at the weekend. I now run locally so needed to find more routes so I'm not doing the same route week in, week out. We had our kitchen refitted (gutted, plastered, rewired etc) in March at the start of lockdown and spent a month in an airbnb not far away but on the edge of my usual patch so had a good time there finding new routes (and waiting for bus to find me in his mini 4x4).
Lowlights are lack of parkrun. I am not a parkrun missionary trying to spread the word but it is a good way to have a bit of a 5k blast and meet up with a few friends. I cannot understand people who bemoan it being shut down and saying they are less fit because they don't run their 5k on a Saturday any more but nobody is stopping you running!
I actually moved up to V55 in September so it would be nice to run against 59-year olds and hopefully get a few category "wins" while I am at the lower end of the age bracket but I think I have made my long term aims quite clear but if I am running 2021 miles a year (new, harder target for next year
Mileage
2220M, 236,752 ft climbing, 380 runs
Races run
1 half marathon!
Highlights of 2020
Getting to squeeze a week in the Lakes between lockdowns and running round the Fairfield Horseshoe with Mee Meep after spotting on Strava he was staying just up the road!
Managing to stay (almost!) injury free and enjoying running just for the sake of it – actually helped by lockdown!
Most missed races of 2020
Any of them! The re-invigorated and new course of the Coombe Hill race was one I was looking forward to though.
Races in 2021 you're keenest to do
A fast (relative!) 5k and 10k and any fell-race
Lowlights of 2020
Running wise, that stoopid bloody thorn! Daft way to lose 4 weeks!
Thread poster of the year
Has to be SG, for perseverance as much as anything, but also for the shear bonkersness of the conversion and dedication in his segment chasing phase!
Poster you'd like to hear more from
All of those past, present and future,, but particularly Dachs – he always makes me laugh!
Prediction for when "normal" races will be back in 2021
2022!
Ambitions for 2021
· Sub 19 5k
· Sub 39 10k
· Sub 1:25 half (but this one is a very tall order I reckon!)
· Race in the Lakes, Wales (and) or Scotland
Ambitions for stuff to do while we still
Get some 80% WAVAs on the books again!
The most galling thing is that he's probably not even giving a second's thought to segs either!
Reminds me of mid-summer - looking some segs up and thinking, ok this one is 3/4mile at 5.20 or so pace.
That's doable. Then noticing the dastad had done it whilst running the Wycombe half marathon!
You were in the 81s in 2017 & 18 and only had single attempts the last 2 years.
I'm sure at least one of them was following a massive drive back from the north the day before, and the other one was in a gale, where not surprisingly you dropped off!
Good to have you about, even if you're not a racer anymore.
Love that you still think about winning categories -I'm sure that racing element never totally leaves people - it just needs revising over the years.
Aley - good to see you turning over well after a number of problems this last year or 2.
Hopefully I can be one of those you see at a race sometime in 2021!
Races run - Couple of park runs, one 10km and a few random club challenges.
Highlights of 2020 - Dropping overall average pace of runs and getting back to the times I was hitting in training back in 2010/11 (before kids and life got in the way for 9 years). Secondly, discovering there are more running shoes than Asics GT series. Since then my collection has grown and bank balance taken a nuclear hit.
Most missed races of 2020/Races in 2021- As strange as it sounds, being mid-Derbyshire, the Cleethorpes 10km. We'd planned a family weekend away at the coast with the race included. We still managed the weekend away and had a nice time on the beach but I had a sense of missing something.
Lowlights of 2020 - league race series cancellation.
Thread poster of the year - hard to say given I've been posting for 3 days. I'd say SG for keeping this thing alive for over a decade!! Cudos, pal.
Poster you'd like to hear more from - Stevie See (get him back SG)
Prediction for when "normal" races will be back in 2021- have doubts we'll see it in 2021.
Ambitions for 2021 - the usual outcome goals. sub 17.30 5km, 37 10km and 80 half. Lower average running pace further. Break free from a 'weekly' schedule and follow more of a principle based schedule, like that of Canova. Get to club more often, when we can again. Start a YouTube channel documenting my running journey. Although it is becoming more saturated, I see it as something for my personal development too. Oh and post more regularly here.
Ambitions for stuff to do while we still can - break PBs from 2011. Try out more running shoes.
Posters you've spotted on other threads that we can sign up for here - Hard to say.
Would be good to come and do a race with you if it's all back up and running sometime in the future!
It feels like the early days on the thread looking at your aims! Glorious nostalgia!
@Stevie G Absolutely up for a rumble together. Even if mid-way between us. When the channel goes up one of the things I want to do, which I don't see much of, is general chats with non-elite runners (with all due respect to us all). A lot of what's written about what works is scaled from elites and it's interesting to me to see how we all skin the cat, especially as we age.
Mileage
Races run - total/distances etc
Looked dangerously like that HM would be it for most of the year - but luckily that little gaggle of distanced races in Sep & Oct rescued the tally a little.
Highlights of 2020 (try hard here!!)
Most missed races of 2020/Races in 2021 you're keenest to do
So many here
- Endure 24 probably the pick of the bunch. Some of you "proper" runners sneer at the "experience" element to running, but if you can combine the experience element with the competitive team Dashers had at the last one, it's a truly brilliant weekend. I'm sure I can get there again - but whether we can put as good a team, as a bunch of lads, as well as good runners together again is anyone's guess. Would love to get JB and Reggie signed up into our team.
- Great South run - did a fantastic time there in 2012, but felt a little underwhelmed in 2018. Need to get back there and put a faster time in while I still can. (That's faster than 2018s, not 2012 obvs
) - Gosport - Something about that place feels magical to me. Not quite sure what it is. Maybe simply having had some great races down there over the years. Whether it's the Golden Mile/5k combo, the standalone 5k, or ideally one day the Gosport half again, would love to get back there in 2021.
- Murder Mile - just such a mad race - last time out felt a little underwhelming after a superb one the year before. Maybe what will be 2 years in between will re-ignite it.
- Norwich Lord Mayor's 5k - sounds a bonkers race with huge crowds, for a 2 lapper round the city. Limited to sub 20min runners. Usually an awkward start time on a Saturday afternoon is one issue - but maybe one day!
- Usual local favourites - Marlow 5/Maidenhead 10 perhaps/ Some of the local 5k series.
- 12 stage & vets relays - would like one last crack in a decent Dashers squad at both of these. Superb team days.
- Victory 5m or Hatfield 5m - Very disappointingly they moved the old Victory course - which was my favourite race of all time, but it'd still be good to try the new one - although being in December is more awkward than September. Hatfield in October perhaps nearer and easier all in!
Lowlights of 2020 - beyond the obvious massive one!- Having to dip deep into the motivational locker when faced with an endless void of no races and how best to shape the training.
- Minor thing really - the 4 day lay off from putting my back out a bit - but how minor is one small niggle in a year!
- The constant news of this and that race being called off, and the sinking feeling as even Feb/March 2021 races are moved back to 2022.
- Our club "Mad Nina" being called off even though England Athletics had given us the go ahead (24hour race, cover one 4.2mile lap every hour). The organiser himself binned it as the whole point was to be one big social - rather than a distanced, plod round.
- Missing that whole big race experience of the build up on here, the drive (and parking
) at the event, the actual hard work of the race, and then the write ups and buzz on here after. - Having joined the club committee - mostly to pick good squads for the relays - I'd put in weeks of arrangements to get our 12 man team in for the southern relays - only for covid just to start shutting everything down by then - a real disappointment that was, as it's surprisingly hard to get 12 runners together for one day. I'd actually got us a women's team for the first time (ever probably!), despite being told by the women's captain there was "no chance, as they all do marathons"
Thread poster of the year- The Big Boy, Pete this year. Always a cooling voice of reason for some of my various twaddle off forum. Sees the best in everyone. Chances are that if Pete calls you out on your behaviour you're being an absolute douche of the highest order
Everyone else contributes well. From old friends to new - people I've met 100 times to those I haven't met at all. Especially in this difficult year where we haven't had many turnouts to get the buzz going. Nothing quite like a race weekend on here, where a few threadites have turned out.All round top guy - and dealt with the risk of having to stop completely very well - and touch wood, has come through it brilliantly.
Poster you'd like to hear more from
- Some of the original gang - Harry J, Stevie See, Moraghan would be brilliant. MeeMeep as well - I know he reads it daily - would be great to hear from him on here.
- Wool always provides a nice angle from my own club, and Reg, probably posts the right amount
- Like the song says, the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young
- Jools, TR and Joe all add something totally unique - we need more where you three came from
- SQ, MH, SC all decent to have around the place.
Prediction for when "normal" races will be back in 2021Then Johnas, Dachs, Matt L, Scotty, Lit, and even Samir - wonder how that madman is going these days!!
Probably could have done with a bit more of Bus this year - but life and motivation in the circumstance are fair reasons. Always great to hear from Aley and good to get Phil back and hopefully ALD is back as a regular.
- July would be ideal - so I can pick some bootleg races and build me a tower full of V40 pots
But seriously, summer would be brilliant either for Endure, or at least a little tour of random races - like the brilliant summer of 2018.
Ambitions for 2021Posters you've spotted on other threads that we can sign up for here.
Will have to rely on Jools/JB/TR here - as they're more prone to a scout about on sub 3 and other places.
Any lurkers more than welcome obvs