Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
RW Forum Six 4.30
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
Well yesterday's marathon was certainly an experience!
With all the rain which started about 7am the start area was a muddy field to begin with and by the start time I think most most people were already soaked. I nearly missed the start with queuing for the loo but I think it actually started about 8 minutes late so I was just in time in the end.
The moment I started started running the rain wasn't a problem, it was just so cold, the wind wasn't too bad in the first few miles probably because it was behind me. I set out to try and run at 10 minutes miles and hang on as close to that as I could for as long as possible. This worked well for the first miles as it kept me from going too fast and everything felt really comfortable. By 5 miles I had started to warm up and I decided to look for a good place to get my jumper off, but I couldn't do that while running as I had a rain poncho over it and I wanted to keep this on for a bit longer.
While I stopped to remove jumper, a fellow club mate came past (the only other from my club running it) so I joined her for a few miles. We went up to about 10 miles together, before we separated with me trying to keep up the pace.
It wasn't long after 10 miles when I got pain in my knee. It was the same knee and a similar pain as I had in the Chester Marathon except that this time the pain went around the back of my knee as well as the side. I did wonder about pulling out at this stage but thought I would give it another couple of miles to see if it got worse or eased off. There was a bit of an incline around mile 12 which gave me something to concentrate on and then I was going through the halfway point.
Physically at half way I was feeling good apart from the knee and I thought to myself that I had paced it right. Then came the 14th mile and the course went through a park and a quite narrow path, this was flooded completely in places, at first I tried to go around the edge of the floods but soon there was no edge so had to go right through. This was annoying in a way that the knee had eased off and before I hit the flooding my pace for that mile was back down to just under 10 minutes but with the water and the mud it finished up being something like 10.40, the flooding went on for about half a mile or so.
Over the next few miles I realised that I hadn’t walked at all, even though the water stations, so I kept going through the next few miles thinking 16 and not walked yet, 17 and not walked yet etc, that kept me going really as it took all my concentration to battle against the wind trying to make me go backwards. At times I was just counting to myself to block everything else out. When the knee pain came back it went all the way up the outside of my leg and into my back.
There was a water station at just after 23 miles and that is where I decided to walk through the water station, as soon as I did my legs seemed to warm a little as if I could feel the blood flowing a bit, so I ran again but my walk reduce my pace for that mile to 11.15.
I had another very short walk through the water station at 25 miles and then just went for the finish. At about 25.5 miles we had to run under an underpass and up the gradual steps the other side, I had been dreading this but it was fine in the end. I got to the end and saw the clock saying 4.33 but I knew it took me more than 4 minutes to cross the start line.
My Garmin’s battery died as soon as I got my medal on so I didn’t know what time I had finished in until hours later. But it says 4.29.39 and when I loaded it onto the laptop it added another second for some reason.
Anyway it seems that my chip didn’t record my finish time, or at least it is not yet in the results, it last has me at 20 miles at a gun time of 3.26.39. I have emailed the timing people this morning and they said they would look into it, but I will be gutted if I haven’t got an official time after all that.
Spoons – I had several mantras to keep me going one of which was ‘this is what I’ve been doing those bloody 800s for!’
The knee is still a bit sore this morning, I have iced it just in case.
Overtaking lots of runners is always a real confidence booster
So what's next for Pottermiss?
I had hopes for this year of a sub 60 minute 10k.
I would like to get better at maintaining my pace when running up hills.
I think I would like to try some mile repeats, although a couple of weeks break from speedwork wouldn't hurt
And to beat my PB in a half marathon, but I never dared hope for under 2 hours as you seemed to be suggesting I might get.
I have a half marathon in June, but it's a tough one with steep hills and another 2 entered later in the year, Sept and Nov.
I would like to be able to improve on my fitness and longish runs throughout the year so that I can have a really good start to marathon training for London, I thought maybe keep a regular set of Sunday long runs eg, 8 one week then 10 then 12 then 15 and then start again or something.
I can tell I needed to do more core work as I started to 'forget' my posture near the end yesterday.
I am rambling now because I am just full of excitement at the moment as I feel like a proper runner now I have finished under 4.30.
Spoons you have been a fabulous mentor and have managed to get me pushing my self in ways I just wouldn't have achieved on my own.
Any time I have wanted to slack I just pictured you in a lorry with a big stick!
You've been a great mentee too
I've really enjoyed the whole experience
A sub 60 minute 10km will be a doddle for you.
I would suggest a sub 2:10 half in June if it's a tough course.
Then focus on half training with lots of speedwork and tempo runs and you should go sub 2 hours in the autumn.
As you say, keep a longer run on Sundays for going. I would think something like 10/14/10/14.
Then start marathon training at Christmas for VLM.
I'm happy to help if you have any questions and would love to hear how you're getting on.
Sub 60 min 10k pah you could stroll it and get under.
Great report and a big well done...
I just entered the ballot for 2013 even though still don't want to do another marathon at the moment. Might change my mind later and at least I am in the ballot...
Thanks Flo Po - This thread has helped me so much. At the beginning I was really worried that you would all think I was a rubbish runner, and I was nervous about putting my training up on here, but my confidence has improved along with my times. Maybe I will see you in London next year, good luck in the ballot, hard to resist isn't it
Fantastiic stuff PM, really well done, and if you can do that in those conditions then you'll be acing 2hr halves in 'normal' conditions in no time!
Really pleased for you.
Which halves are you doing (if you fancy a sub 2 pacer ??? ... thats providing my legs ever speak to me again )
I am doing the Potters Arf on 10th June,
Lake Vyrnwy (Sept) and Tatton Park (Cheshire Half) in Nov, but I am open to suggestions
My knee seems to be not happy at the moment but surprisingly the rest of my legs feel okay, certainly the best they ever have the day after a marathon.
Great news this morning!!
The organisers have sorted out my finish time after the initial faiture of the chip, my time was 4 hrs 29 mins 32 secs.
I was really sad not to have an official finish time, but now they have sorted the problem
Good to hear PM, think my legs are starting to forgive me too now, which is just aswell given I'v ejust found out I've got Chester Half a week on Sunday
...
I've just been having a look and am being strangely drawn towards the Potters Arf , just need to check work diary .... alternatively the only other one I've got booked so far is Warrington which is on the same day as Vyrnnwy so that would be out. (Also contmeplating Chester full and am booked in for Snowdon both in Oct!)
I'm going to running club tonight to help with the new beginners group, I think I can manage the walking bits
No I didn't go mad! Other than mad with frustration at not running
We had 29 beginners turn up for the first night so that is really good.
I think tomorrow is the day to try a run, my legs are feeling normal except for a twinge in my knee if I turn suddenly, as it's in the same place as my last injury I am going to be really careful.
Spoons - Thanks for the offer of future help if I need it, I may come back with the occaisional question if you really don't mind, but you have armed me with at least a better knowledge of what I should be doing. I will try and keep to the long runs as you suggest with 10s and 14s. With speedwork, is it something you should do in blocks eg 3 months worth twice a year, or just when training for a specific target or should it be more than that to keep improving?
I want to improve my general running strength so I will try to include some off road stuff also and more hills.
I think I would like to go for at least under 4.15 in London next year as I think I could have got under 4.25 if conditions hadn't been so bad in Manchester.
I don't know if you have listened to Marathon Talk this week, but Tony's Trials gives a great report on the Manchester Marathon
Reminded me of some of things I had already forgotten. I personally liked the underpass as it gave about 30 seconds respite from the wind!
Off road and hills will definitely help your all round running strength.
I do speedwork all year round, but you need to have the odd rest from it. After the marathon I would have a week off and then a few weeks of easier running gradually building up to ease yourself back into it. Make sure you listen to your body and ease off when required.
I guess everyone is different but I find I can comfortably do long runs around the half marathon distance all year, but I cannot do 20+ milers all year long. The body needs a bit of a break sometimes.
I also tend to run 6x a week in marathon build up and in the summer I drop to 4 and add more swimming and cycling just to mix things up a bit.
Sub 4:15 is very acheiveable for you next year. Work on getting your shorter distance times down this year. I would do loads of speedwork and less miles. Loads of parkruns and a few 10km races for a bit.
Hope that helps? I'm posting on my iphone in the gym so I can't read back what I've written!!!!
Yes Spoons, That all makes sense. I did 4 miles yesterday but only actually ran 3 and a bit of them after a lengthy walking warm up and a bit of a walk at the end. I will take this week fairly easy all week (probably run today and Wednesday and help with beginners on Thursday) and then I have a 10k on Sunday which I will take as it comes.
In 4 weeks I have a hilly half marathon and on June 20th a flattish 10k that I want to target to run well and fingers crossed get my time down as much as possible.
Surely you mean Smash your PB!
I am only being cautious as I seem to have aggravated my previous knee injury which hurts when I run, but not so much I have to stop. i've managed a longest run of 4 miles so far this week, I have taken it really easy and hopefully it will be ok on Sunday.
Well don't cripple yourself. I guess you'll have to see how the knee is on th day. Go out with the plan of racing flat out but if the knee is hurting it's probably not worth it.