Sub 3h15

Gul Darr

Ian - good session; looking good.
DT - enjoy the tempo run. Yes, I must admit I tend to set the time/length of recoveries based on ease of execution rather than how to get the most out of the session (e.g. 1k reps on a mile loop = 600m recovery).
An early morning visit to the office today, so no running. Conveniently it just so happened that we had torrential rain too

DT19

Gul, of course it's important it works in that way also. One thing you could do is keep the pressure on a bit more and do the 1k reps at hmp for example and then the 600m recovery at mp. I've done similar sessions and it's amazing how pedestrian mp suddenly feels. 

Extremely blustery here today which will lead to a tail wind/head wind tempo later. 

Ian5

DT-You are right,it is completely wrong I think.but works out better for me

Our response:

 

Hello Ian, 

 

Thank you for your email and we hope you are well. 

 

If you did not have an entry in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, and you achieve the qualifying time in Table 1 in the virtual event and the accompanying half marathon time in Table 3, these places will not be allocated on a 'fastest first' basis. 

 

Take care and have a lovely weekend.

 

Kind regards,

 

Zoe 

DT19

Yes I thought it was that. It is extremely wrong as one guy has a 2.57.50 say run in vmlm 2019 and can't get in whilst another guy runs 2.59.59 in a virtual event and gets in. 

Ian5

Totally agree,not only that you could run it in an actual race,use all the benefits of the race and get in by entering the virtual,does make me have a bit more of a think about Elvington,just means using their app to record the run and I suddenly have 3:10 for a guaranteed place in London next year.

OO54

I guess they want people to pay for the virtual or am I being cynical?

TR

Will they allow a time from Elvington or Dorney which are races to be submitted as a virtual? Its a bit unfair if they do. Id get nowhere near what i could do race wise in a vrtual, probably 10 to 15 minutes slower, as a rough guess?

Ian5

TR-As long as you are using their app there doesn't seem to be any restrictions at the moment,if it is gps based I'll be interested how it picks up a track length in case people do it that way,nothing has been said about route etc as far as I can see.

DT19

If I were doing it, I'd drive to the top of the Lickey hills local to me and run to Worcester and mop up any missing miles looping the race course.  That would be an obscene net downhill. 

TR

I wouldnt be doing it as i always leave my phone at home when i run.

OO54

Aren't there rules on elevation?

Ian5

OO-Not yet,but they don't seem to have released any rules,unless I've missed it.

DT19

I dont see how they can start laying down race level rules about course used. 

OO54

I've done a couple of virtuals and both had rules on elevation. Much harder I guess with such a big race but does add to the farce.
Planning a meet up today with Lorenzo in Greenwich. No running just lunch and a pint.

DT19

I think gfa qualification will fuel some cheating as the half times that are needed are at the entry end of what you'd expect someone to have who can hit gfa times. You can easily envisage a situation such as for me going to the race course which is a perfect 2m lap, with 3 mates and we all roughly 2.5 laps each give or take, with the new running joining the current runner for 100m to hit the pace whilst swapping tech. 

If it was just a virtual mara time there'd be no point but I think there'll be a handful out there prepared to go to lengths to get a gfa place. 

TR

Agreed, folks could cycle it, or pass a bag of garmins/phones to each other relay style and 3cor 4 runners get the same time but just say they ran as a group.

The oct 4th folks are putting on  another Dorney marathon (and half mara) on Nov 22nd. I reckon they'll do a spring one now too.

DT19

Tr, yes November is too soon for me but I asked the question on the sub 3 fb page yesterday and the chap said there's something in the planning.  

TR

For 2021?

DT19

Yes I asked about anything from mid January onwards. He said to keep an eye out as they had identified another suitable location (not sure what's wrong with current) and would be announcing in due course. 

DT19

Just had a look at tomorrow's weather in Berlin, where a few of us should be right now. 9c, 5mph wind and raining. Probably as close to perfect as you might want and get. 

TR

You can be sure it would be different if you were all racing.
Ive got 40 mph NW gusts at Goodwood airfield/motor cct tomorrow and we rarely get NW winds here. NW is probably the last direction you'd choose given the cct layout. Sods law covers it.

OO54

Had a good catch up with Lorenzo today and he's also doing VLM virtual next week.
 I'm aiming for 13 tomorrow between Greenwich and Victoria parks in London for a 50 week. 
Good luck tomorrow TR, sounds like you'll need it.

DT19

Good luck tomorrow, shame about the forecast. 

Ian5

DT-I can easily see people cheating in the virtual,esp with the guaranteed GFA,just don't understand the logic of letting virtual count,it's wide open.
I did Berlin last year,weather was great except the last few miles when it bucketed down.
TR-Good luck for tomorrow, hope it's not as bad as forecast.
Easy 8 after work today,just taking it easy now.

Joolska

Work has been busy so I've not even lurked the last couple of weeks but my time off started on Friday with the happy event of becoming civil partner to Mr Jools. Just our parents for the ceremony and it's hard to know quite when the party for the masses might be...

OO54

Wow Jools, that's big news. Many congrats to you both. Hope your running is going ok too 🤩

Joolska

Still ticking over on between 45 and 55 mpw. Our ceremony was originally in June and I suspect it's lucky we went for September and no later when rescheduling given the current curve...!

Gul Darr

Jools - congratulations. Pleased to hear you're ticking over too.
TR - hope it wasn't too windy yesterday.
VIrtual VLM and GFA all sounds a bit mixed up with no logic or sense to it all. 
No running again this weekend, but 7 easy miles this morning. The builder tells me the new walls should be finished today...

DT19

Congrats, Jools. Such a shame for those wanting to get married right now. My secretary was due to in April with a big wedding and had to cancel, then she rearranged a 30 guest wedding for end of October but has now had to cancel that.

Gul, nice start to the week.

I did 13.1 yesterday. Conditions were great and I had one of the most enjoyable runs in a ages. Just bounced along effortlessly for 7.49mm average and felt like I could have run all day.

Started the week with my 'bums and tums' class this morning. 5M recovery lunchtime.

Gul Darr

DT - excellent MLR yesterday.
7 miles again this morning. Did 2x400,2x800,2x1200,2x800,2x400m. Took DT's advice and did them off 200m recoveries. Distances were approximate and no splits taken. Average overall pace slightly down on previous tempo interval sessions (7:36/m) but did longer warm-up/warm-down.