Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Sub 3h15
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Great report KR. You are only 47 so still a couple of years to break 3 hours at a younger age than I managed
Similar pace to you only Jools, 6 miles at 8:30 this lunchtime. No more club sessions planned but should manage a last parkrun on Saturday.
I'll set my race target mid next week Bike it. Will definitely be aiming for sub 3 but in the middle of a cold is not making me feel very brave.
No no I'm not doing Boston, that's the preserve of VTR to whom one hopes the tapering gods are being kind. (Although 3.26 for an OG is actually BQ...)
KR - as the folks have said, and as you must yourself know, that was actually a blindingly good run under very difficult circs. It just goes to show what a responsible job it is to be a race organiser - playing with, and to an extent responsible for, people's hopes and dreams and things they've worked so hard for. I hope signing off with a PB makes it a proud day.
The unintentionally funny Manc Mara website now says it "delivered a day of sporting greatness, lively entertainment, inspirational stories and fantastic athletics performances."
Last thought: if a conurbation can host international cricket/footy/rugby league, Olympic and Commonwealth events, Champs League final, top class cycling etc etc, then the expertise in doing stuff like traffic management is certainly available. So where was it?
Great stuff from the Manchester mob, well done guys!
KR, you tale is particularly epic! I've actually had that dream (nightmare!) a few times where I turn up late at the start and can't go for the time I want. The feelings of anxiety are horrible but then I wake up and it's all a dream. To actually experience that must be incredibly stressful. To hit the time you did is amazing. I'm in total awe, Sir! *Chapeau*
Just been for 5 miler that was planned as 5 with 2 easy and 3 at MP. Binned it when the inclines were too steep to do quality MP and my hammy was hurting. Averaged 7.25 pace which is good enough but I'm not happy with it. Once gain, I can't get my head around tis taper business.
GD
A big belated well done to everyone for finishing Manchester, one way or another. Pretty off putting reading some of those stories regarding the organisation - unfortunately Edinburgh has many of the same complaints every year.
Poacher - Excellent result based on less than ideal prep.
CSM - Brilliant work getting a huge PB. Hopefully sub 3:15 next time.
KR - Great report. That was some effort to bring it all together after the less than ideal start.
GM - Sorry about the injuries but excellent job crossing the line. Not sure I would've had the same resolve.
BB - Excellent comeback 10k yourself. Good luck with the mara.
22m on Sunday on the back of Saturday's 10K. Legs where dead yesterday but better today. Looks like non-stop rain for the next two days, so currently debating with myself when I'm going man up and go out.
Great run and report KR. I'd put it to sleep for a while before hanging up your racing shoes as you have got a sub 3 in you.
KR - That is a great report. I like the way you altered your goal to passing as many pacing groups as possible (which you did very successfully) and also the consistent pace you kept to. That's particularly impressive, not to let the nerves and frustration urge you to running a faster than ideal pace. You need to post your time to Marathon Talk - Tom Williams is always going on about great numbers like your finishing time. So brilliantly done on your PB. Take it easy and recover well - and maybe not hang your flats up just yet.
This tapering thing may actually work. Instead of legs like lead, I actually felt quite zippy at training tonight. 6 x 1km, starting with a 3.36 and finishing with a 3.31. Confession: as the Garmin said I'd run 3.6M not 3.72, I suspect they may therefore be something closer to 970m reps, but I'll still take those times for that distance
I see the story of Little Stoke parkrun has taken another step and the council has voted to charge for the use of the park. While I love parkrun, I can see both sides of the story. When a parkrun is set up, it is done so in conjunction with a lot of stakeholders and many venues never grant permission in the first place and so this fact stays known to a few core members of the organising team. For Little Stoke, the council first agreed and have now effectively reversed that decision. I don't see that as any different and their decision should be respected and not subject to a public bulldozing. parkrun will grow and thrive: each week new parkruns open up and it is definitely a blow for locals but in time a new one will spring up close by and another and another. parkrun UK HQ is acting well and not being livid about it: I think others may take note.
Evening folks. I’ve been recovering here nicely and was relieved to have booked the Monday off work as I was totally exhausted after getting home very late on Sunday night. Schools only went back today, so I was on dad duties yesterday with some footie and rock climbing with my lad, wasn’t easy I tell ya but sunny and lotsa fun. Thanks to everyone for their well wishes. You’re all too kind but it means a lot, so thank you all.
KR – I have to say as many others have that was an unbelievable performance by you after the nightmare you had to endure at the start. It says a lot about your strength of character to have overcome all that and produce a performance that deserved a sub 3. I do hope you recover well and reconsider your decision to hang up your marathon racing shoes. Loved your report and really well done sir!
Poacher – As above, that was a very strong run by you and loved your report too. It was a real shame not to have met you and KR. I arrived at the B pen around 8:50 and decided to move a bit closer to the start to avoid congestion. It did cross my mind what to say to you both if I had seen you. Hey Knight Rider and Poacher…. ?? Hmmm folk would have thought I was off my head.
Here's the later than hoped marathon report. Be warned, It's long just like my day was.
Manchester marathon report 2016
Day 1 - My travel companion and I arrived in Manchester late on Friday afternoon checked into the Holiday Inn in Liverpool street in Salford which was approx. 2.2 miles from the finish. After we got our bearings we headed into town for a spot of retail therapy and on the hunt for some Italian food. It was a real pleasure to be back in Mancland after a 21 year hiatus. My Dad is a big Man U fan and used to bring me over twice a tear when I was a kid. I have some very fond memories of the place and it was a real trip down memory lane. I soon got my bearings and although there has been some serious development around the city and the Quays area, it still had the same friendly feel to it.
Day 2 – The plan was to wake up early and head down to the finish area on foot to check out the “baggage drop”
area and see how the land lay. My friend was also participating and has done many races in the UK and we both remarked how easy and stress free this felt for a big city marathon compared to London. Little did we know or anyone else for that matter! We timed the walk and it was a 35-40 min walk max. We figured that if we left at 7:25am on Sunday that would give us plenty of time to have a pre-race w/up, chat, loo stop etc. We walked back from the finish and it was then I started to feel a tad worried about a few niggles I had. My right glute felt very tight and my groin was also not right. Deep down I knew it could be a very long painful day tomorrow but was trying to blank those negative thoughts out of my mind and convinced myself it would be fine and it was all in the mind. We spent the rest of the day just chilling at the hotel and rested.
Day 3 race day – I woke up at Gul o’clock
and had planned my fuelling strategy the previous day. I left a bagel beside my bedside as I knew I would probably wake fairly early and I struggle to eat early. I really don’t like the whole carb thing and reluctantly ate the carbboard round thing and stayed in bed until 6am. Got up and had a pot of porridge, again it tasted horrible but though,t you’re gonna need this. Anyway my friend and I sauntered down to the start feeling quite relaxed. It was a beautiful sunny morning albeit very cold!
cont....
I wore an old base layer under my vest that I would discard just before the off. We arrived amidst the chaos of the baggage drop and I won’t bore you about that but all I can say is it was a big bore. My friend was getting very anxious and quite irritated. I felt quite calm and was trying my best to keep her calm too. We sussed out where we were starting from and headed up to the start with 10 mins to spare. We said our goodbyes and I was wandering around looking for a Poacher and a very fast must chap aka Knight Rider. No sign of either and before I knew it we were off.
The 1st few miles were very quick about 7mm and at that point I met a fellow Jersey runner who runs with Jools’s club. She pulled up beside me and we ran and chatted nicely for a further few miles. We have raced a few times over the shorter stuff and have had some ding dong battles. She asked me what I was aiming for and I said I will try hold 3:10 pace for as long as possible but would be happy with 3:15. She remarked, you’ll do that easily. I asked her what she was aiming for and she said 3:05 and at that point I bid her farewell and realised I was running way too quick even if it felt easy. The 1st 10k passed so quickly and I reached 10k in 44:xx. I was way ahead of schedule but thought I better gradually rein in the pace as it might take its toll later. The aim was to get to halfway in 1:35 and allow for some fade. I reached halfway in 1:34:49. The miles were ticking by very nicely and I was running in a group with one lady and 3 Italians who were great company and we were chatting nicely for about 3 miles. The course itself was very nice and mostly flat with a few inclines but nothing really worth writing home about. The weather was perfect for running about 12c, sunny with a light breeze. A few runners who I was running with complained that it was too warm. I guess being in Jersey I’m used to a few degrees warmer than up North but it was pretty near perfect in my book. It was at mile 16 that I began to experience some discomfort in my groin and right glute. I was maintaining an average pace of 7:12mm and the legs felt fine. My breathing was fine too but by mile 18 the pain in the groin seemed to get gradually worse. I knew I was in for a tough last 8.2 miles but had no idea how tough they would be. I reached 30k/18.6 miles in 2:16 and could see my pace was starting to tail off to 7:20’s. At this point I said to myself just hang on try hold 7:20’s for the next 5k or so and 3:15 could still be on. I got to mile 20 in 2:26:10. 10k in 48 mins how hard could that be I said to myself. Hah, I was soon doubled up with bad abdominal pain which I think was caused by the groin issue. Everything hurt and I was now considering steeping off as I could barely move forward but still had 5.8 miles to complete. I won’t bore with you the details but It was not pretty and I was just about managing to walk by mile 21. I knew my race was over at this point as the last mile had taken me nearly 10 mins. It’s amazing how quickly that clock goes when you are in that world of pain but the miles seem to take forever to complete. I took the view that I had got this far and did not fancy the drama or disappointment of a DNF.I could still manage a walk and a shuffle every few minutes or so and at one point at mile 23 I tried to run properly again but everything was seizing up now and I was reeling from all over the street. Hah, the state of me I thought so I took to the side of the road so as not to get in the way of the hundreds of runners that were now passing me by and I git chatting with some locals and even asked someone for a cuppa and a sandwich and she replied had I known you were gonna stay I would have pulled out all the stops for you. It was fun and I just smiled all the way to finish but grimaced with
Bike It - promising signs from the cut-back.
Poacher - not tempted by Boston, Lincolnshire
GD - taper madness on steep inclines! Don't sweat it.
Outro - 22 miles to follow a hard 10k is some going.
Jools - tasty reps.
GM - excellent report, but what happened to the rest of it?! Great determination to finish in those circumstances; that must have really hurt both physically and mentally. Take care now.
Great to head out of town for a run for the first time this year. Forgotten how great it is. 11 miles with 12 x 100m strides d&d. Some of it was even on an undulating road and then back into town on the only "hill" for miles around.
Oooh, GM, we know the punchline but that doesn't mean we want to miss out on it! Loving the report so far.
I've just got up and finished my breakfast. Gul has run 11M and posted about it...
Gul, Jools, sorry! It disappeared as I checked it and was there when I put it up. Obviously too long!
And cont......again.....
but grimaced with pain beneath the façade. I was clocking a very respectable 11 min mile average for the last 10k and that was a real effort. The 3:30 pacer passed me with less than a mile to go. I somehow managed to run the last few hundred yards although it felt like I was jogging on the spot whilst everyone was propelling themselves towards the line! So there you have it. It was over and I was relieved, it wasn’t to be and no doubt others will have tales of their success and woes in equal measures. All in all I have to say I quite enjoyed the whole experience even if it hurt sooo much more and was soooo much slower than I expected. I might be next year for more!
Epic, GM!
Great determination to get across the line.
GD
PMJ - disappointed for the Little Stoke parkrunners - hopefully they can appeal or find another home
6M steady for me with an average pace of 7.16 - so quite pleased with that after a sluggish ladder session yesterday (1/2/3/2/1/2/3)
Gul - Nice one on the very early 11 miler.
GM - Excellent report. Again, great job finishing. Hopefully the injury problems clear up fast.
Bailed on my run yesterday after a mile, my left thigh is playing up again. A bit of a bummer with the Great Edinburgh run happening on Sunday, but I'm more concerned with getting it right for the marathon. Marathon is 7 weeks on Sunday just gone - do you reckon you could lose 10-14 days and still hope to keep most of your aerobic fitness?
Should probably try and get to a physio as well.
Thank you for the hope - my legs have been lumbering leaden objects of plodiness for the last few weeks. Nice pace on those reps Jools - bodes well for London.
Good going GM to keep going. It seems all in order up to 20 miles - then something's gone suddenly. I hope nothing too serious and your are looking forward to the next one already.
Even though this is Africa and many things (objects / infrastructure / organisations / people) are broken / disfunctional, the local council here is in partnership with Parkrun and cuts the grass on the course (2.5km loop) every week and provides signage. This is an exemplary response by local government to proactively encourage and support citizens instead of charging them to use facilities which they have been trusted to administer on behalf of the community.
A Commute double yesterday going by the shortest route of 4 miles each way; 13 miles this morning at plod pace - 4 miles commute home to be done this evening
excellent report, Gerard - we feel your pain, but as previously said - great fortitude to make the finish - how did your friend do ?
Gul - nice boost to be able to go further afield . . . .
steady as she goes here - 129 miles in last 3 weeks; this week so far 7 easy, 7 inc 2 x 800m, 2 x 1 mile, 2 x 400m hills, and 11 easy this morn
really should start seeking out Autumn races (and maybe a parkrun soon as a benchmark ) . . . .
Epic stuff Gerard - you were going very well until the problems struck. Super grit and mental strength to finish. I must have overtaken you sometime in the last few miles. Congratulations are in order. Now sort out the injury and enter another one...
Outro - tons of time. Better undertrained than overtrained.
KR - as PMJ said...
Well said BikeIt. I wonder how many other councils will start wondering if they can make a bit of extra cash - I hope not.
Brilliant report GM - I feel your pain. Looks like things were going well till the later stages. Well done for battling through when it was just as much mental torture as well as physical. Hope you recover well.
Thanks for all the comments. Alas the commitment of training 6 days a week for 18 weeks puts too much strain on family life and my relationship with Mrs KR. She has been very understanding and I need to spend more time with her & the boys.
Never say never though and I might do another one some day...
Kr - that's the spirit, while 3:03:03 has a nice ring to it ,its no match for 2:59:59
Gerard-great report and what a tough day out !
LB70 nice speedy six
Outro 10 days shouldn't hurt too much but over 2 weeks out though targets may need looking at
10 miles this morn with 5 easy and 4 @7:15 last 1 easy
Go for another palindrome: 2.59.52 at the least!
Jools - On the subject of palindromes, I got chatting to a lovely Irish lady in the bag drop queue and she did 3:33:33. So translated in "Oirish" = tree hours, turty tree mins and turty tree seconds!
Great reports from KR and GM. I’m sorry you didn’t reach your goals, and both had very hard days for different reasons.
KR – I think you should book another (smaller field) marathon to run within the next month. No sense wasting all that fitness now.
You only need to run 3 or 4 times a week and treat the next month as a taper. Shoot for 6:45 pace from the start next time.
Cracking report there Gerard. I once introduced myself to a past 3:15 poster, "Hello, are you Blisters?" Luckily, it was. I'm glad you bypassed the bore of the baggage in your report and I'm pleased to read that you found such a positive experience from your difficult run. Rest up and recover well.
Good points about the Parkrun debacle PMJ. It's a pity that Parkrun has made to to the BBC National News for such controversy, rather than for the beauty of running. Mind you, some of those responsible for the decision look as though they would benefit from running a few laps of a park (or maybe the council chambers)
Birch - Hi there. My friend didn't have a great run either. She has been injured for the past 2 years and this was her comeback. Training went well and indicated a 3:3x but she finished in 3:56. She too wasn't too disappointed and like me enjoyed the experience as a whole.
Fishy1 - Haha, yes I recall Blisters used to post on here a while back.
Poacher - Yes, you would have been one of the 900 plus runners who passed me in the last 6 miles or so.
brilliant reports from manchester - completely echo all of the positive comments from everyone. impressive running and character from all !
last proper run from me last night - 13@MP
came out as av pace 7.19 whilst i wouldn't describe it as v easy, i would say that only one mile was over 7.25 so it seems positive that running slightly ahead of planned pace was comfortable.
Advice please - tried a Beet It shot beforehand, expected to gag on the taste but it wasn't too bad at all (wont be ordering it from the bar but didn't find it awful). also didn't upset stomach and hasn't turned my urine pink which it says can happen!!
My question is whether there is benefit to taking any of this before race day? i have read somewhere that people have done this - if so what is the optimum in terms of amount and times?
thanks as always
That's a very strong midweek MP run ssc, I assume you're doing London? I've often wondered the same re the beetroot juice - is there a benefit in taking it for a few days before the race or do you get the same benefit if you just have it on the day of the race?
Interesting reading about Manchester! I did it last year. I arrived a good hour and a half before the start and parked on a housing estate near the start. Slight issue with the toilet queues at the stadium but nothing major. Amazing support all the way round course which was soooo flat! I had an issue with the 25 and 26 mile markers which had been moved 300 yards apart. Got my GFA time with 14 seconds to spare, hadn't planned on being so close but the 25 mile marker position made me slow down as I thought I wouldn't hit sub 3:15. Then came the 26 mile marker so sub 3:15 was back on! Didn't use the bag drop but i am planning on using it a London next weekend. I will be back at Manchester next as I really enjoyed the course and atmosphere. I'm just sorry some had issues!
Resting up for next weekend still, trying to cut my calories intake as not running! Dropped to 13:6! Hope to get to 13:3 before my favourite part of marathon training carbing up!