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RW Forum Six - Sub 3:30
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Race report...
I was feeling pretty confident ahead of this one - my training was suggesting1:26 was possible - but waking up to howling winds I began to doubt it was going to be a PB day! But decided to go for it anyway.
I headed to the 1:15-1:30 section, jiggled about for 10 minutes desperately trying to keep warm, there was a minute's silence for the poor young bloke who died last year, and then we were off. There was a short section with the wind behind us to start - nice, then a bit of crosswind - not so nice, then into the headwind - brutal, the sort of wind you struggle to walk into, let alone run!
I tried my best to shelter behind runners where possible - it was surprisingly congested for the first couple of miles considering how far forward I started - but was also conscious of trying to keep the pace up and move through the field. The first two miles were 6:33 and 6:36 - not quite the sub-6:30 I'd been hoping for but I'd been prepared to lose a bit of time on the outward sections.
Mile 3 was the 'wind tunnel' for those that were there last year - horrendous, but still managed a 6:46. The wind was slightly more southerly than last year, which meant a very difficult crosswind for the first half of mile 4 - then relief as I hit the downhill section and turned away from the wind. 6:27s for miles 4 & 5 and back on PB schedule. Took a gel at the 5-mile point, which is a first for me in a HM, mainly for the electrolytes after my previous cramping problems, but could only manage half of it. Mile 6 was the long incline through the college but the wind behind helped a bit, especially as we headed back towards the showground, and I put in a 6:35.
Passed my little gang of supporters - OH, OH's dad, my mum, niece and nephew - as I re-entered the showground which gave me a boost and, although I wasn't feeling as great as I did at halfway in the GER, I wasn't feeling too bad and passed the halfway marker in 43:40, so still on schedule for a PB.
Mile 7 was another 6:35. Heading back out into the wind for a second time was very tough though - I had fewer runners around me for shelter now and I started losing time. A 6:58 and a 7:01 followed, then a 6:40 as I tried to pick the pace up again. I was also aware that my Garmin was measuring very long (it recorded 13.28 miles in total) and that I was going to have to run well under 6:30 pace for the last 3 miles to stand a chance of getting a PB. And most of that was uphill! Still I did have the wind at my back...
Mile 11 completed in 6:29, but as I hit the long incline, I knew that pace was unsustainable. The hills had taken too much out of me and the PB wasn't going to happen. I was now faced with the choice of a) flog myself to death and still miss out on a PB, or b) keep up a reasonable pace and make it a bit less painful, and I must admit I went for option B. The last 2 miles were 6:58 and 6:52, and the last little bit at 6:41 pace. You could tell it had been a tough day - no one seemed to be sprinting for the line like usual and everyone, including me, seemed content to just hold their place and get to the end!
So, happy with the run considering the conditions and very happy with my placing - possibly could have run the last couple of miles a bit quicker, but that wind took a lot out of you physically and mentally so I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Another plus was that I didn't get cramp in my calves
Whether it was training more in my racing shoes, wearing compression socks or taking electrolytes I don't know, but the combination definitely worked so that's good news.
I think I'm going to go back to a bit more Hadd-style training for a few months over the winter now, although keeping a bit of speedwork in there as my 5k suffered last time, and then hopefully I can smash that HM PB in the spring!
I promise not to mention the 'F' word too often lol
Nice report Daren
. Mile 3 and then 9 the second time round were just brutal...in fact I thought the "hill" after that was nice and easy in comparison! I went through half way in 48 dead, so a positive split of a little under 2 minutes not the best. I hate to think of what my split for mile 9 was - I felt like I was going backwards at times!
Broadland Half - I've done it once before but it was a long time ago and I can't really remember the course. I think it must be faster than Bungay though. Spoons will know better.
Daren nice report Still a great time in those conditions. Glad the compression socks/ electrolytes working for you. might be a placebo thing but I'm exactly the same. wind sounds nasty.
Freemers well done too, sounded like a tough course from your description of hills.
Barry, close again, well done. did I also imagine you did another marathon recently?
Simon, sure you're the same area as me & 2old for half marathons. Wilmslow half on the 24th of March if any use. I prefer a bit longer out if doing a half. The fast/ flat one I did last week in Stratford is on again also, March 9th 11am start so do-able.
steady 15 miles for me yesterday, through mud & puddles to stretch the legs out. ran 4 miles with my missus, just starting help her train for Hebden 22 miler which we are doing together Jan 19th.
hope everyone okay with the rain. Minni? heading your direction according to weather, 3" in one day?
Simon - I'm sure the book will make all the difference!
I'd worry about injury fitting the 20 in just a few days after a pb HM. Be Careful with those paces too. What are you using to set the paces? Your recent 10k?
The roads were flooding here when I drove to work in the dark. Its so depressing.
I've only had one glass of wine in the last 10 days.
not that I'm counting.....
Bro absolutely brilliant and thoroughly deserved,especially after the disappointment of New York
Really felt for you all at Norwich yesterday. I didn't even go to watch as it was just miserable weather. Well done for battling it out guys! Lots of slow times yesterday so you should be well chuffed with your time Daren!
Barry well done on a fab time, although not what you wanted.
Thanks forever, don't blame you for not coming out to watch!
Five easy miles done and dusted and typically it's a lovely, sunny, calm morning - perfect for running
- HR a bit up which is unsurprising after yesterday's efforts.
Daren - depends what you mean by flat. There are a few inclines, but total climbing over the whole half is pretty minimal. I think there is an interactive elevation thing on the map. As for the A12 stopping. Hasn't happened to me, but I know the junction. They do stop the traffic to let you past.
Forever - I did wonder if you'd be there, and I definitely don't blame you for not wanting to stand around in that wind. Wise decision
forever, deserved for Brol after the disappointment of New York and Copenhagen (heat wave)!
I'm waiting for Brols report. Epic surely! Hollywood will be after the rights.
Oh, she's still drinking..
All deserved 
Great report, Daren!
Go, do Brentwood. It's fab. The first 2 miles are downhill so even idiots like me get away with starting too fast
Haha, Bro's hangover will be spectacular today
Great report Daren - the wind was definitely worse on the 2nd lap.
re: Broadland - it's not that hilly. A few mild inclines. A nice course and then lunch in the Woodforde's pub in Woodbastwick afterwards.
Daren, Free and Spoons- well done for sticking it out in Norwich, sounds horrendous.
Daren and Free- good times considering the conditions.
Spoons- congrats on surviving.
Barry- sorry to hear 3:15 didn't get cracked this time, I'm sure it will get a beating in London. Glad to hear you enjoyed Florence.
Minni- congrats on your 5m pb. Be careful or you might actually start enjoying yourself!
The official clock has been kind to me and chopped off two seconds so its 3:26:49
Bro- you did it!! Brilliant and well deserved after all you've been through. Absolutely smashed 3.30 so you now know the next milestone is well in reach. Enjoy celebrating and now rest
Barry- so close to 3.15. Great race after such a short break from the last one. It's going to come you have to believe it and where better than VLM.
Darren- that was an impressive HM in such awful conditions. Great stuff
Free- another excellent performance ..you have to be pleased with that
Spoons - another excellent job done
FrC - Simon and I aren't far from each other. I will do one HM before VLM which one depends on if I go away to watch a 5 Nations match around then and school holidays. I will probably do an extra 5-6 miles to make it a LR too. Nice mud run
Minni- only one glass? You were very sick!
Sorry must go. Good recovery racers!
Love this description of the Broadland HM course from their site:
"In this part of the world, it is described as 'undulating', but some of you from further afield may regard it as flat, since there are no really significant hills."
Minni - Yes used recent 10k pace to set overall targets. It fore warns you that the interval/tempo paces can be challenging in the first few weeks, and incl. 5x 20milers in the total plan, so shouldn't be too bad. After all, if following a rough 3x weekly run sched this year, and running only 1x 20miler 2mnths before mara due PF injury, and the lousy weather conditions, I still managed to PB by 6.5mins, so it should be ok. Come on admit it Minni, your a closet 'F plan' lover
, just look at Daren!
FRC - Yes I'm in the North West, so Wilmslow could be an option, and a bit further out from race date, so wouldn't have to change sched so much- cheers
Whoops .... what with Bro's epic travel failures and Norwich hurricanes I totally missed another brilliant run by Barry
. Guess I should have gone to Specsavers ... 
Don't worry, that sub 3:15 will be yours soon. I reckon it was always a tough call to do a double-whammy. Most people fade a lot more in the 2nd mara. 3:18 is not to be sniffed at. Well done
Wahey – well done Brolish, I’m absolutely chuffed to bits for you! You’ve trained so well but had so much bad luck it’s unbelievable, so really glad you’ve nailed your 3.30 target! I really hope you managed to laugh at your wretched luck when you were stuck in Bordeaux rather than getting too worked up about it? Look forward to reading the report
Barry – that’s a very impressive time in normal circumstances let alone off of the back of a hard marathon 5 weeks ago. Great effort, well done indeed!
Freemers – well done for pushing on through, totally agree that there’s no point in killing yourself if you know from early on that everything is against you.
Daren – top 100 is a cracking effort, well done. Leaving aside all PB / grading etc, I’m glad to hear that the new strategy with compression socks / electrolytes worked for you.
Spoons – well done for completing when the effects of being ill were still in your system. It’s sometimes more satisfying to slog it out against the odds than when everything is going your way.
A very good weekend's racing from you all!
Don't worry Brol I reversed the charges!
Ah, but Daren doesn't run marathons!
Seriously I'm not against the F-plan if it works for you. I think if you aggressively cross train it can work. I'm glad you're using your 10k race to set the paces.
But I don't aggressively cross train Minni! I do get out on the bike quite a bit in the summer but this time of year I just pootle to work and back slowly. But then, like you say, I don't do marathons!
Ant, in Norfolk we call it undulating if any of the roads have speedbumps!
Ant - that sounds about right. Pretty flat really.
Spoons - how you feeling now?
Simon - its probably not optimal, but for the last couple of years I've done 3 halfs in my spring marathon training and interspersed with the longer ones, and done extra miles to make them longer with no bother. My plan is usually not to race them flat out but that doesn't usually happen!
Got a weather window yesterday for a 30M road bike ride which was lovely. 3k swim today (outside in the middle of a rainstorm - fun!) and lots of strength, core and stretching. Sleeper back to scotland tonight and physio #2 tomorrow. Calve stiffness feels much more even and not feeling any niggles right now - hope for good news from physio.
Just done an hours yoga. Not quite so stiff now. Will run tomorrow.
Kfc - Thanks for the advise re racing Half's in mara training. Hope you get good news at the Physio. Btw is it only when you run, ie ok on the bike?
Nice report Daren, good call going for option B at the finish. Gels are a bit tricky in a half and that's going at my pace, not 6:30!! Great news that the cramp stayed away too. Stitch didn't rear it's ugly head either
Any reports from Spoons and Freemers?
Looking forward to marathon race reports from Bro and Barry.
College was cancelled tonight as Co Durham as we know it is slowly disappearing and the river Wear is taking over. I'm going to miss the track session tomorrow night as we're going to a gig. To be honest the 'all weather' running track was saturated last week after an afternoon of rain so I'd be surprised if it's still on tomorrow! Anyway, I knew we would have been doing 3 x 2000m so headed to the gym and hit the treadmill with my achilles coated in deep heat. As I was being a fair weather runner I did 4 x 2000m, followed by some core work. Achilles status: fine.
Tempo run for me tonight with the club - it poured from start to finish!
Just popping in to say well done to forever on the sub 3.15 marathon! Will you be at London on the championship start next year? Sorry to see you're not posting any more on the MG thread, but hope to catch up with you at a race or two in the future;-) We're in Norfolk in the summer for annual hols and will be taking in a race or two hopefully. Will you be at Dereham 5 again?
and you play football, and you 'gig' and you're just naturally fit and fast.