Sub 3.30 2011

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  • Less than 5 days to go Bassrun? I'm running the VLM on 17th April. What day is everyone else doing it?

    Racing yesterday with a 3.5 mile fell race (of sorts) with 1000ft ascent. Surprisingly mud free and very enjoyable. I managed to pass a club mate when he went the wrong way when he missed a giant 3ft arrow in flour. I'd marked the course so i wasn't going to go wrong. On holiday this week and constant rain today so went climbing, badminton and swimming at the sports hall. £160 / yr for family of 5 includes everything even a decent gym and a 30m wall.

    Everyone cut their toenails now? Any other prerace rituals?
  • I think Bassrun is doing Brighton HH!

    Been busy this week getting everything sorted for my holiday and the marathon as I won't come home inbetween, but managed to do an easy 6 miles on Monday and then a short but fast interval session last night - 4x800 at 6mm pace off 2min intervals. After feeling sluggish and heavy-legged for the past week, my legs seem to be recovering now and felt much more lively last night. However, I am now totally paranoid I'm coming down with a cold (again!) as I have a bit of a sore throat this morning, but hopefully it's just taper madness again!

    Only one more proper run (8 miles) tomorrow and then I'm off. Was thinking of running all of this at MP or would that be counterproductive at this stage? Thinking of squeezing another couple of short runs on the treadmill while I'm away too but I'll see how it goes.

    Started planning places for girlfriend/family to watch yesterday and got majorly excited as it sunk in that I'm actually going to be running the London Marathon in just over a week!!!!!

  • old4speedold4speed ✭✭✭

    Just back from 3 days in Belfast visiting family.  Got a bit of running in but nothing structured, too late to worry now anyway.  Keeping fingers crossed that this hot weather will have moved on before the 17th, cycling to work in shorts and T shirt at 6.45am does not bode well for marathon runningimage

    HH  I thought I would run VLM on the Saturday, the course will be less crowded.  No toenail cutting required here - they all come off with the ultras and eventually give up and never grow back properly.  A bit of an extreme way to avoid having to cut them, but it works for me.

    Daren  Have a good trip and don't injure yourself - don't forget to look out for the projectile vomit on the 17th image

  • Apologies Bassrun. Enjoy the Brighton? Marathon on Sunday. Keep forgetting there are other marathons out there. I've a few friends running the Lochaber marathon on 17th April. Despite being in the shadow of the Ben is a very flat course.

    Good idea O4S!
  • Will do O4S image And re: the weather, as your resident weather obsessive I can inform you that Metcheck is now saying high of 15, sunny spells, chance of a shower - Netweather is still saying 12 degrees and rain. Either way, hopefully it'll be cooler than yesterday - it got up to about 24 degrees here! Wouldn't have fancied running the marathon in that!

    As for L'Alpe D'Huez, sunny, warm, snow rapidly disappearing image Still, at least if there's no snow to ski on, I can't get injured before the marathon I suppose...

  • HH - I thought I might do it on the Saturday to avoid the crowds lol image
  • Yeah - Brighton.  It's not even that I missed out in the VLM ballot - I forgot to enter.... Won't make the same mistake twice - I'd love to run London.  First things first though - let's see whether marathons agree with  me on Sunday image.  Carb-loading now, so I'm off to stuff my face..
  • Good luck to your wife David, surely can't be much longer?!

    HH I'll be doing the eight toenails next Monday or Tuesday.  I'm not quite at O4S level on the 'no cutting required' front, but I'm sure I'll get there one day!

    Have a lovely time skiing Daren, will we hear from you again before London? If not GOOD LUCK, have a blast, don't forget where your girlfriend will be stood and make sure you know what she's wearing so you know what to look for in the throng of supporters.

    Marathon haircut for me next Tuesday, although that will involve half an inch off the ends rather than a No1 all over.

    Are folks making a weekend of it down in London? We're going Friday til Monday. Arrive at the station, get to hotel, dump cases, go to expo, a show on the Friday night, bit of sightseeing on Saturday, find a decent bar that will have the match on, find somewhere with a table free that will sell spaghetti bolognese, early night, maybe a little run round London Sunday morning, shower, pub, pub, pub, pub, pub, roll back to hotel, Monday hangover breakfast, maybe a bit more sightseeing, then train home image

  • Mr PuffyMr Puffy ✭✭✭

    We will just go to the expo on Saturday, in and out I don't really enjoy it much. Then we'll meet Puffy junior as he is going to a match in Birmingham first, then we'll have a pizza at around 8pm and then bed.

    After the race we usually go to the Sherlock Holmes, and if there's time I think we'll go for a quick meal before getting the train home.

  • I've got a whole ten toenails to trim, I feel a bit of a fraud.

    Londoner here so I get to go to the expo before the crowds and wake up in my own bed on the Sunday. image I feel I'm aloud to enjoy it after getting a stupidly early train down to Brighton last year.

    Tapering appears to have played havoc with my metabolism, is anyone else finding this? After a winter of ravenous hunger it feels strange to be bloated after two slices of toast. 

  • Wake up in you own bed on marathon day? Only ever done that once sadly, although we're lucky that we've had two new marathons start up in the last few years - Kielder and Newcastle - and there's talk of a Sunderland one!   Would you recommend Brighton marathon?

    I'm still hungry on a regular basis. Rest day today and still felt hungry every few hours. I think I just like food too much image

  • Mr PuffyMr Puffy ✭✭✭
    Sunderland? I would go for that, I've some business contacts in Sunderland, and I remember there were some right nutters from a sunderland club at Chester Mara.
  • old4speedold4speed ✭✭✭

    We are also making a weekend of it - up Friday morning, dump bags, go to Expo, show on Friday pm. London Eye Saturday and a bit of gentle wandering around.  I have booked an apartment which was about the same price as reasonable hotel, means we can cook for ourselves on Saturday night.  Walk to Charing Cross, fret around Blackheath, sweat around the course and then alcohol and food in no particular order Lie in Monday and bacon butties for breakfast then home

    Have just realised we are due to do three 30+ run/walk days between Good Friday and 1st may, with three other days of around 20 miles and a couple of days cycling.  I wonder who had that bright idea [she said staring in the mirror].

    Marathon haircut next Thursday! 

  • I'd definitely recommend Brighton Carrot. Considering how new it is they seem to be pulling it off really well; good organisation and the city is really supportive. I think they're always going to struggle with the date, because for most people it is going to be a London substitute, but they seem really keen to make it a credible alternative. They're making a real effort with the British elites this year for instance (after the ladies let the side down with a 3.05 winning time last year...)
  • Yep, Steve Cram apparantly got his fingers in a few pies and is organising a 10K for this summer with possibility of a mara next year.  Fingers crossed! 

    Apartment sounds good, we've done that a few times for other marathons. Means you can have exactly what you like to have for breakfast on the morning. Although confused security staff at Newcastle airport in March when a backpack stuffed with bagels, bananas, apples and flapjacks went through the scanner!

  • Wobbled - I'm the opposite. i am more hungry. Why is that?

    Carrot - we're staying with friends and going down Friday, coming back Monday morning. I'll probably do the expo on the Friday to avoid the crowds. Saturday will be a family outing. Sunday, like you will be a day of heavy drinking in the pub after a little run over at Blackheath in the morning.
  • Nice 8 miler today. Reasonably warm here and reached about 12 degrees by mid-afternoon. Perfect running weather.

    I'm getting train in from holland Friday night. Expo first thing on Saturday and long train back on Sunday afternoon. Monday at work. No sightseeing plans. Have a 54 miler 2 weeks after London so will be back to a long run on the Thursday I hope.

    No sponsorship for VLM so wearing club vest. Fluorescent yellow with Cosmic Hillbashers on. Yellow hat and yellow shorts.

    My appetite is inversely proportional to the length of run I've just completed.
  • HH - just had a look at the Cosmic Hillbashers website. Looks like you guys have some fun image
  • Carrot, not sure if I'll be able to check in again before the day - depends on whether our chalet or anywhere nearby has wifi - but if not, good luck to all of you! I hope you all achieve your goals on the day and look forward to hearing everyone's race reports.

    I've decided not to run my last 8-miler today as planned. Got a bit of a sore throat and cough, nothing major I don't think (I hope!), but enough to make me think it's not a good idea to exert myself and risk making it worse. If I'm feeling 100% tomorrow I can always do it on the treadmill when we arrive at the resort but I don't suppose it will make any difference at this stage whether I do it or not really. Off for my final sports massage in a bit and then packing for France!

  • Been feeling crap for Two weeks visited the doctor yesterday and got diagnosed with Tonsillitis. Hopefully I will be OK for next week ( antibiotics), however I am sure it will have an effect on my finishing time. image
  • I remembered another pre-race ritual.... ice-cream the day before! Thorntons do lovely one in a chocolate topped cone, or if I can't find a thorntons or we're doing a marathon out of the country I have been known to devour half a tub of Ben and Jerry's!  Very enjoyable pre-marathon ritual (well, any race to be honest)  Lots of calories, lots of carbs, doesn't fill you up too much, happy days!

    4 miles easy tonight, must have run past a dozen barbeques. Lovely night! It's always hot this time of year, everyone loves it, us marathon runners curse it!

    10 miles planned for tomorrow, then rest Sunday, 4 Monday, rest Tuesday, 4 Wednesday, 4 Thursday, rest Friday, rest Saturday, 26.2 Sunday.  Is it really that soon?  This final week is my tried and tested last taper week formula. Another pre-marathon ritual probably!

  • old4speedold4speed ✭✭✭
    Carrot it really is that soon - scary thought.  Given you have managed to break the magic 3.30 I am going to follow the same taper as you [with some additional cycling as I have to get to work].  Did nothing today apart from an hour of walking in the evening sunshine.  I do like the taper weekimage
  • Carrot - your 4 miles on mon/wed/thu, what pace do you do them?
  • carrot wrote (see)

    I remembered another pre-race ritual.... ice-cream the day before! Thorntons do lovely one in a chocolate topped cone, or if I can't find a thorntons or we're doing a marathon out of the country I have been known to devour half a tub of Ben and Jerry's!  Very enjoyable pre-marathon ritual (well, any race to be honest)  Lots of calories, lots of carbs, doesn't fill you up too much, happy days!

    For totally lush icecream in London you have just got to try Scoop - it is fab:

    http://www.scoopgelato.com/parlours.html

  • Evening everybody.I'm loving this weather but hoping it'll break up next week.

    I've decided to rest for most of this week.I've had tired legs so thought it best.8 tomorrow for me and then similar to carrot next week.

    I've also had a panic over the hotel booking.I booked it on line in November and deleted the e-mail confirmation.To make things worse i couldn't remember the site i booked it on or even the name of the hotel.I looked through every site trying to recognise it without any luck.I finally remembered booking it using a membership card i'd got.The trouble was when i went onto there site and put in my details it said i'd got no booking.After going through my statements and getting the dates of booking i rung the site and they've found my booking so it's all sorted.I'll not delete this e-mail.Train tickets,passport,letter to take to excel will all be kept somewhere safe now.

  • FreemersFreemers ✭✭✭

    Hello folks....Back from my CUmbrian break. Feeling scared about next week now, just have to remind myself that the hard work is done.

    Bungay Half later today - taking it nice and easy of course!

    Mr S - I like to do at least a couple of tempo-paced short runs the week before, to keep the legs and heart rate ticking over. My plan is to run 4-5 miles on Tues, Wed and Fri, and I'll run two of then at a quick pace (sub 7.30). I'll also run a couple of miles on Saturday morning otherwise I'll just feel sick with nerves!

    Expo in Wednesday....

  • Good luck freemers. Hope the heat not too bad?

    Just back from Edinburgh half. Reasonably gentle 1:38 and never really pushed hard. First road run for ages so good to get a feel for what a road pace feels like. Beautiful weather but fortunately only really got hot (20 deg) right at end. Most of route right along coast.

    I'll plan on a gentle run on Tuesday and Wednesday only.

    Howey after seeing your post decided to check my booking. I'd also deleted the emails and couldn't remember the hotel. I did remember booking through Expedia. Had forgotten username and password though. Now sorted but thanks for timely reminder!
  • I thought it was only me HH.

    9 miles this morning following the 26.2 miles around Paris i watched from my living room chair.That looked fantastic although slightly too warm.Anyway i'm all set for our big day now and can't wait.Hopefully the weather will cool a bit for us although it would be nice if it brightens up later on in the day.

    Roll on the carb loading.image

  • old4speedold4speed ✭✭✭

    Howey and HH  Can I join your club??  Luckily did my booking through my work e-mail and they can retrieve everything!! [Slightly scary if you think about it].  I had also forgotten the small detail of photo ID, although I like to think I would have re-read the instructions before leaving home and in any case would hopefully still have had my drivers license in my wallet. 

    12 miles yesterday, which started out as 10 miles but got extended when Mt O4S got lost and I had to go and try to round him up.  My new target marathon pace is 8.10 - 8.15 [depending on heat] and 8 of the miles were sub that pace, so quite pleased given it was uncomfortably hot.  Gardening and a spin on the bike today.  Checked the rail tickets etc and starting to get a bit nervous......................

    A couple of short and easy runs for me this week.  Mr O4S will not be allowed out of my sight, firstly in case he makes another break for freedom but in 2005 he went out for a three mile jog to loosen his legson the Thursday before the London marathon.  He spent the next week in hospital and 3 months in hip to toe plaster............................image  He stumbled on a bit of rough ground in a local park and ruptured his quadricep tendon.  Neither of us will be running on Thursday and park is out of bounds until next week.

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