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Abingdon Marathon
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SR3 sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you are going to be okay. We can help each other at the back.
Thanks AC. I have done as much as I could with injury and illness. I have a heel spur so am wary of doing too much as I dont want it playing up again although it seems to be fine at the mo. Its only a teensy little one.
SR3 glad there's no permanent damage, don't worry about not following your plan at this stage, it's ALL about recovery here on in, you won't get any fitter at this stage.
Steady 13 yesterday was planning in 14 but hey ho, and a steady 9 today 13 @ 7:05 m/m and today's @ 6:53 m/m. Really do step back now the longest run on plan is 8 miles and I'm planning on missing a couple of sessions so I can hit Sundays race fresh. The forecast is looking amazing for Abo although they do tend to change almost on a daily basis!!
We should be there hurling abuse as u all pass us
and we'll probably jog along with some of u for a while
Yey Micknphil.
micknphil - good to hear you are back. looking forward to seeing you again
Simple 6 easy today
I only want wind if its behind me.(and not the Trumpy kind)
I hate running into the wind. I can cope with rain, cold or sun but wind is a pain. Still too far out to worry about the weather for me.
Going to do my last session today. 3 x1 mile at 5k pace, from then on it will be mostly gentle runs with some strides every other day.
It must nearly time for us to compile a list of race number, vest colour, predicted time, shoe size, favourite pasta shape etc.. so that we can look out for each other on race day.
MicknPhil - Good seeing you at Cricklade on sunday.
AC - I hear you regarding targets but I've been there before, just have to keep telling myself not to set off too quick.
If thats the case Martin,who wants to do my Warm up for me
.
Sick with nerves.
Training done (and I'm in better shape than ever before). Injuries mostly avoided (OK, I can hardly move my left shoulder and my right knee needs some dry needling).
But can't for the life of me visualise the race. Mentally I'm in poor shape. Thoughts appreciated.
No Advise Nick, just to say i am in the same boat. I am in the form of my life amd that makes me nervous, have come 4th and 6th in 2 local 10ks up to it with 37mins, and in better form than Brighton this year when i got a pb of 3,03. So you Know what i am after (but i have been after that for 12 years running). and 7 marathons.
O WELL HERE WE GO AGAIN
I know it might sound a bit weird but try visualising yourself coming onto the track feeling strong well within your target time, corny as it sounds positive thoughts help change your mindset. Have a look back at your training diary (if you have one) and look at a session you did particularly well, look at how your times have improved from the start of plan to now.
One thing I can guarantee is all of us will have had or will have the collywobble's at one point myself included (look back the last couple of pages) it's completely normal and might even help us out from going off too fast getting cocky, not respecting the distance. All in all the hardest part of a marathon is getting to the start line there are plenty even off this thread that have succumbed to injury so well done for that and good luck for the race!!
Stephen - Good luck
Nick - as Martin says really -
i've no idea just how expereinced some of you are -
but good luck and enjoy - we'll shout at you on route, anything you need on route when you see us, please yell
Hi Micknphil. its my first ever Marathon so I will be at the back. I hope I get to meet you. You can be in my blog
Stephen The pressure of a sub-3! A 37min 10k has you comfortably inside (you know that of course) but we all known that a marathon contains unknowns that a 10k doesn't. My aim is to be five minutes behind you (my last Yasso 800s had me down as sub 3.05) (does anyone believe the Yasso 800s theory?). More than ten minutes and it'll have been a difficult day. The time thing is a curse.
And Martin I know you're right. Positive thoughts for the inevitable tough moments are what I'm trying to work on. Unfortunately I don't feel like reciting poetry - not Kipling at least - when my body is begging me to stop running. All I can think about is the distance left, which, unless inside the last 10k, is mentally crushing.
Micknphil, thank you for your support.
Sounds like a lot of taper madness going on. It's only natural to feel a little nervous and worried about the race. Just trust the training you have done and on the day marathon pace will feel a lot easier than it did in training.
NB6 - I find it better to rather focus on the immediate task of getting through the next mile. Thinking about how far this is still to go can be very difficult mentally.
My recovery from injury is going so so. I've managed long runs of 19 miles, 23 miles and 21 miles over the past 3 weeks so I should be getting a bit of endurance back. This Sunday's 21 miles felt really easy at under 75% max HR for 7:25 pace so at least it looks as though I should be on the starting line when that looked unlikely a month ago. I'll try a 10 mile marathon pace tester tonight by running at my usual marathon effort of 86% max HR to gauge what sort of pace I can aim for next week.
I think everyone gets nervous/excited about the race. It is only natural after putting in so much training across the months. In my view the main thing is just to try and say calm over the next two weeks, rest as much as possible and do what MG15 suggets on visualisation. I always tell myself in the last few miles when it starts to turn ugly that I have put in lots of hard work over the weeks and all that would be wasted if I didn't put the effort in now. I also tell myself that once I get to the end I never have to run ever again. If marathons were easy everyone would be doing them, so embrace the pain!
I did my last sesh today. 3x 1miles (5:47,5:42,5:37) - so happy with the splits and happy it is all easy running until the race.
There was a time when i got nervous etc
only problem is, one thing can lead to another
example - pre race bad nerves, stomach butterflies - sickness - race buggared
too much nerves can result in bad race prep, it can prevent lack of fluid intake and eating - or binging on wrong stuff
fast heart beat, - spinning heads - these effect performance bad
legs and body can go to jelly, not good at all
a lot of these things can cause on route severe problems, resulting possibly in a race far harder than what it needed to
or a DNF - all that for nothing - or maybe even a DNS - again all that for nout
trust me folkes , i've been there - as i say - ( i dont know how experienced ) some of you are
on the day if any of you see us, - ( you wont be able to miss us, as we'll be in the area of Fetchpoint - in that industrial estate, so you'll all be well spread by then )
we'll be jogging to and fro, so i'll be only to pleased to offer any advice to anyone whilst walking or running along side of them for a bit
But this phscycological stategy is vital - mental stamina is vital
This is not London, large parts are rural and can be lonely, not helpful for someone who's not experienced
do what helps you to relax,
i'll be wishing you all on ( as much as you will ) to finish
Mrs C's advice to me, repeated before every nerve-wracked race, whatever distance:
1, You are only doing this for yourself
2. no one else cares what time you post, unless you're actually racing them
3. 90% of people get out of breath running a bath
4. Please eat proper food, not just Clif bars and biscuits (that one is a bit personal!)
My best advice (this is only my 5th mara, and Windsor was my 26th half) is that from now on it is more about what you don't do than what you do - especially don't knacker your legs by running much in the last few days.
I'd love to embrace the thought that it is a 20 mile warm up followed by a 10K race! - For Abo, I'm going to concentrate on going through the start and listening out for the turkeys. Hopefully by then we'll have settled into a bit of a rhythm
True words wisely spoken.
The only other advice I would add would be to enjoy yourself.
Sounds like the nerves are now starting to kick in. This is my 5th Abo, and 11th Marathon in total, and Chillies certainly has the best and simplest advice, don't knacker yourself too much.
You cannot now increase your fitness, you just need to ensure you recover sufficiently from all the hard training.
Hi Micknphil - will look out for
Warren – hope the MP tester went well
TT – very fast mile reps!
6 miles Fartlek yesterday, and 7 miles steady this morning. Going to do 3 MP miles tomorrow, and then it will only be easy/slow runs thereafter, although may add in some 50m strides next week.
Indeed. I feel a little undercooked, however, having contracted a virus about four weeks from the off. It's my second marathon, but the last was 14 years ago, so it feels like my first again!
ive had a rotten cold for 2 weeks and really crabby sore throat but picking up now. did just over 26miles on Saturday on the Northdowns so i think i will just do a nice gentle run this weekend and then a very short one midweek before Abo! only my 2nd mara !!
PC...you will still be faster than me