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ASICS Super Six: Alex (Sub-4:00)
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A quiet week so far, did some core work on Monday followed by some plyometric exercises. The knees didn't take to kindly to that and have been rebelling since. No run on Tuesday, an easy run yesterday of 5.5 miles which turned into a quick (relative) run but it felt very comfortable, then 5 today, which was much more controlled.
Toned arms? sub 4hr or 3.45hr marathon? I think Alex will find another 20mins in her 26hr day to fit in some push ups and such like activities
Hello!
How was everyone's running over the weekend? I have had the busiest month ever at work (including working until 2.30 am last Tuesday night) but have managed to somehow squeeze in all of my runs, aside from Saturday morning's 3m, which I turned into 7 miles - I ran to park run, then did park run, then ran back again. Although en route I had my bottom patted by a random passer-by, my legs sprayed by a used car salesman cleaning his cars, and was clapped and cheered on by three men up a ladder.
Then ran 21 miles on Sunday, which was SO hard as I had to do it in the afternoon - I set off at 12.30 and arrived at my friend's house at 4pm. I had to stop twice to have my water bottle filled up (thank you to the pub and to a random Subway branch) and had to walk some sections towards the end, but figured this was ok as I was seriously overheating.
20 miles this Sunday, which I will make up with the Royal Parks half, plus a convoluted 7 mile run home afterwards.
First run for over a week on Friday, a gentle 4.7 miles which gave me enough positive vibes to do a little 10 miler this morning to see how the knee would cope. Generally it felt ok, only on one downhill stretch did it give me any bother. So training is back on, but without the intensity of previous weeks. I may even drop back to 4 runs a week. It'll definitely be listen to the body between now and marathon day, with the exception of next Sunday which has to be a 20miler.
I hope you had a good Royal Parks HM today Alex?
Hello hello! Yes thank you, Royal Parks was quite good, although my BF was back from Abu Dhabi for the weekend, so we'd been out on a date on Friday night and up late at a friend's party on Saturday night... which meant that from about 8 miles, things didn't feel as easy as they usually do... I ran 1:50, which was 2 mins faster than my PB, but then ran 7 miles home to make it up to this weekend's required 20.
I'm not sure how I'm feeling about Dublin in three weeks today - to be honest I'm pretty scared after Paris' final and seemingly endless dehydrated 3km... The BF and I went through the course map on Friday night and he pointed out dismal bits, hilly bits, boring bits, and we chose the points at which he'll be shouting and waving cool drinks.
This Sunday I'm doing a 15km race and then running home, via my friend's house with new kitten, afterwards. Makes a bit of a change from just running up and down the canal.
SRM, how many weeks to go?
LOL Alex, obviously the BF is proving too much of a distraction
Just under 3 weeks here too, so we're running on the same day? 30th? Dublin will be a very different race, no way is it going to be a heatwave and I'm sure if they run out of water then they'll just start pumping out the Guiness. As for PB's, forget yesterday, you know the real target is the end of the month. And remember, even with those last killer 3Kms in Paris, you were so close to beating 4hrs.
This is going to be the first BIG marathon I've done and I'm looking forward to having spectators around most of the course, not the bleak, desolate areas of emptiness of Stratford, Nottingham and Mittelrhein. As nice (excluding the pain and self doubting) as it was running those races, I don't think I could stop running with loads of people shouting and hollering at me (severe dyhydration obviously a good reason though). So I'm hoping the crowds will help me round, even if training in the past 10 days has been a bit pear shaped.
Oh thank you SRM - these are all super words of wisdom that I wouldn't hesitate giving out to someone else, but always forget to apply to myself! You're right that there's no need to perform at marathon standard until the very day - I just have to take all of the bits I've learned along the way (including the ultra importance of sleep and water!) and do as best I can to put them all together on race day.
SRM, I have the utmost faith that the crowds will add to your performance - it's amazing what a bit of cheering, clapping, even eye contact can do! I saw my running club just after 12 miles yesterday, and hopped skipped and bounded to the finish line on the strength of their cheers!
Interesting article in today's Guardian re marathon prep, especially re long runs! http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/05/how-to-train-for-marathon?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038
Am planning on running this Sunday's 15km race at marathon pace, which I think ideally is going to be 5:20/km (8:34/mile) and at the slowest 5:40/km (9:07/mile). This ensures a sub-4:00 marathon. Anyway, we shall see, as as we all know, things don't always go to plan on the day, despite the best preparation.
Quite a few from my running club ran Chicago yesterday, in blistering temperatures. Thoughts to the Caviness family for their post-race loss. Very sad and a reminder to us all that we should be grateful for each and every run.
Just checked out about Will Caviness, tragic loss and does put running and everything else into perspective. Will check the Guardian article out later, more work courses over this and next week, death by PowerPoint and doesn't help with the real training
5 or 6 miles for me later tonight, possibly a Fartlek or a MP run, will decide once I set foot outside the door.
Tick, tock goes the clock, less than 19 days now
Anyway, feeling OK about Dublin - about 75% terrified and 25% excited. I spoke with an amazing runner at my running club last night - a man who used to weigh 16 stone but has since become a man half his size, run over 30 marathons, and clocked a PB of 2:42. For a marathon. Anyway, he was saying this 'constant pace' malarky isn't as important as obtaining a negative split. He reckons you should run the first half much slower than you usually would - slower than your half marathon pace - and consequently keep more in the tank for later on. Get to 15 miles and actually feel really good. Get to 18 miles, and speed up. Sounds new, interesting, perhaps impossible?! But worth a go. In any case I am planning on keeping the first half very under control and trying to enjoy the entire race, rather then caning it for the first 20 miles and then hating the last 6.
Also bought my marathon shoes on the weekend! They're the same model as previously, but 'H2O repel' i.e. perfect for the unpredictability of Dublin's weather patterns.
How you feeling SRM?
Hi Alex,
Well, I seem to be back in the running saddle, so to speak. 20 miler at the weekend, -5c at 0700 when I set off and felt good until the last couple of miles. Running solo didn't help I think and everything other than the knee I injured the other week hurt. So the knee seems up to the task.
This week, done some intervals and a couple of easy runs and have a 5 mile tempo tomorrow. It seems to be going ok.
On the 31st I shall have my feet up and will be keeping an eye out for Dublin updates
Good luck for Dublin, Alex, agree with Bridget, it is a lovely friendly race.
I'm also doing it, and hope to do it justice this year, I did it last year, but on hindsight, probably shouldn't have, as had lost two months training due to injury, so didn't have any really long runs under my belt, so really suffered on the day. Thankfully this year, have been following more structured training, and it's going to plan - which strangly enough is causing its own worries - can't use the excuse of poor training this year!
Mainly hope the weather is as good as last year, it was perfect last year, made a lot of difference to the day.
The Irish times did a writeup in the form of a virtual "run through" the day, which I've always thought summed up the day really well, and is well worth a read, imo.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/1023/1224281823172.html
Regards,
Martin
I've just read the Irish Times article, fantastic reading and sums up the whole thing, in particular the difference that the day itself can make. No matter what training you've done the weather, food the night before, any one of a million things can change the outcome.
I'm feeling good about a week Sunday, even with the dodgy knee. Not saying I'm going to run in a time that starts with a 3, but if I'm in the same state of mind then I'll be giving it a good old go.
Hello all - hope the last few days with our friendly tapir (I can't remember, is it Jean Claude?) are going well. Any issues with the flooding in Dublin Alex?
Beachy Head for me last Saturday, if you are ever in need of some hills then do it.......
KateF - I've heard about Beachy Head, Achy Legs would be a better name from what I've been told
I hope you had a good run.
Good last LSR on Sunday, not that it was slow (for me anyway) 10 miles averaging 8.40min/miling. Was very happy with that
Unfortunately I've contracted Man Flu and done nothing else all week
which in a way may not be a bad thing as I've managed to survive it and I'm slowly recovering. Fingers crossed that it's cleared up in the next 24hrs (yes, it was only the mildly life threatening version) and it'll be all systems go for Frankfurt on Sunday. The aim, to enjoy it and to crack them painful last few miles without blowing up. Do that and I'll be a very happy bunny.
Good luck for Monday Alex, make sure you take a canoe just in case!
Kate - i'm definatly tempted to do a half over beachy head. I have scheduled it into my events that i have planned to do next year. Think its aboit March time
Alex could well end up doing a biatholon with all that water on Monday. Hope that man flu clears up SRM
Frankfurt done and dusted. What a fantastic race and atmosphere, I highly recommend it.
No sub 4hr, but a huge leap in the right direction, 4hr 11min 56sec, a new PB by 16min and 45sec. I didn't expect to go sub 4 in truth, knocking almost 30mins off a time done in May is a heck of a lot. I am a very happy bunny this evening. Next year with a good winter base training phase, sub 4 will be mine
Alex, good luck for tomorrow, you were so close in Paris, I'm very confident that tomorrow you'll smash it.
Hahah hello! Wasn't getting any notifications so thought no one was messaging!
So, I'm back from Dublin. I didn't break four hours - I ran in 4:03 - but I did stop for the loo (first time in a race ever!) and hugged my BF twice and his mum once, so I figure I probably ran an unofficial sub-4:00 marathon anyway. And my BF and his mum were so happy to be hugged!
Unlike Paris, I smiled pretty much the whole way around - the route was gorgeous and interesting and varied and the crowd support was the complete opposite of Paris - absolutely amazing. People cheered my name pretty much the whole way around, and the last kilometre was phenomenal - people packed five deep on either side of the road, a deafening roar, amazing support - I ended up crossing the finish line with the goofiest, teariest smile on my face. It then absolutely pssed down with rain and I've been battling bronchitis for the last two weeks! Happily, though, I raised nearly £2,000 for Cancer Research UK, and my BF has moved back from Abu Dhabi after two years apart. So, all in all, the Dublin marathon was pretty bloody amazing and such a different experience to Paris. I only beat my PB by 3 minutes, but honestly, I feel 300% better about the whole race.
In conclusion, I think Paris taught me the power of my mind over my body, and Dublin taught me to let go of times. I think I let go of a sub-4:00 time around 1 hour and 15 minutes in (when I stopped for the loo) and then, instead of feeling disappointed the rest of the way, just enjoyed the race. Amazeballs.
Thank goodness you are safe and well, I was worried!
Many congratulations at achieving such positive things from Dublin and enjoy having BF in the same country.
What is your next plan...?
Thanks guys! Yes, still as busy as i can be baking, spinning, powerplating, balleting and things. Kate - do you still have a crazy schedule of races through fields and over hedges planned for the rest of the year?
Next plan is to improve my times over shorter distances. I love half marathons and intend to do one a month next year. Park runs, 10kms, but also more cross training. I feel as though my legs and bum are super strong, but my arms could do with a bit of a work out! My BF is a very fast runner over shorter distances and is trying to encourage me to do more swimming (maybe a tri's on the horizon...?). Less rigidity for a bit anyway....
What about you guys??
Well done Alex, a 3 min improvement and you enjoyed your day, couldn't ask for more.
I'm in week 3 of post Frankfurt recovery, starting to run more regularly but all very easy paced. I'll be running marathons again in 2012, at Dusseldorf in April and Cologne in October assuming I stay injury free. Drop in the odd 10k, 10miler (Bruggen 10) and a HM or two for good measure. The top priority though a sub 4 marathon, plain and simple. The improvements have been huge across all the distances I've run this year and I'm convinced there is more to come, in particular over 26.2 miles
Next up for me is Florence, which is Sunday week - no hills or mud or anything! Would like to go sub 4 but no expectations, whilst I've been clocking up regular 60 mile weeks my long runs have been either 16 - 18 miles or marathons so a bit sporadic. Brighton next year will have a proper training schedule (apart from the Eco trail ultra in Paris 3 weeks before, oops).
I also want to improve my HM and 10Ks, as I was ill at the beginning of the year I haven't done any, so Wokingham in Feb is a goal to get some speed going. 6 marathons and 2 ultras signed up for next year, with a few more still to add......
How's the BF coping the temperature over here after Abu Dahbi Alex, swimming must be a lot less appealing?
Yes, although the pool at London Fields is heated, which is awesome during the winter as you swim through rising steam!
Have just decided to run a half marathon a month next year. Not decided on one for January yet, but am entering Brighton in Feb, and Berlin in April!
Let me know what you find for January Alex, I need another race! Florence was Sunday, and I am going to have an unashamed boast, 3.43.26, I didn't think it was possible! Very pleased with myself and the refuelling afterwards was amazing.
So now a wind down, I'm going to try and do a marathon a month in 2012 so am scouring round for January at present.
Kate you are amazing - massive congrats and a magnum of champagne for you!
I don't know how you do it - a marathon a month in 2012? Do you ever get injured? You must be built for marathon running. Super impressed and proud.
Have doing two halves in Feb now - Watford and Brighton, so if I don't find one for Jan I won't be too worried. Will let you know if I find a good one for Jan though!
KateF - Well done on your marathon time, clearly reaping the rewards for all the effort you have put in throughout the year. As for 12 in 12, I take my hat off to you, I'm contemplating something similar but have to get Royal approval from the OH first. The time and financial investment is no small matter these days.
Thanks SRM and Alex, I've now had a mention on Marathon Talk so head is even more swollen. SRM, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of races nearby, and after Mr F thoroughly enjoyed Florence he's keen to go international again for next year. What are you contemplating so far?
Alex, touch wood, fingers crossed, touch the lucky rabbit's foot no major injuries so far, a few niggles and a big bout of anaemia when I started multiple marathoning, so hopefully I can tough it out again next year.