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Abingdon Marathon 2013
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10 miles done. Felt very good and ended up running an average pace of 10 seconds per mile above my target pace. Mind you it was 5 miles downhill, then 5 uphill so perhaps the average pace might be a bit skewed?
Either way, that's the last "proper" run done before The Big Day now! Getting very real, but very exciting too!
Bit nervous now. Have only done one sub-5hr this year out of 18 marathons, but at least Abingdon doesn't have gates, stiles, ploughed fields, hills, flights of locks (hills), steep inclines (hills), chalk giants (hills), ambiguous instructions, clip-cards for checkpoints....and it won't be 26°C+.
My PB is 4:45:15, but last year I did 7 out of 21 marathons between 4:45 and 4:46:30.
Please put me down on the list for 4:44:59.
I'll be wearing number 874, hopefully enjoying the party at the back. Look forward to meeting some of you at the start.
Hi there, does anyone know of anyone who has a spare place/ number available for next week? I ran chester last week and feel I could do another with the training miles in my legs?
thanks
Steve, I'm off out in a bit for a 10 miler as well, my last long(ish) run before the big one. Aiming to run it ar MP, but will update you later once I'm back.
I'll be wearing a black/green Leighton Buzzard Triathlon vest next week and number 75.
Flats only seem to work for me up to around the 15 mile mark then I start to get achy feet. Slowly making the transition to lower drop trainers though. Looking at getting a pair of the Adidas Adizero Boost next. Anyone got a pair or tried a pair?
Thanks Martin. Unfortunately he's already sold it.
Good luck to all of you anyway
10 cold wet slow miles. Fingers crossed for less rain or a bit more warmth next Sunday!
Time to dig out the winter running gear.
Less rain, less wind, but don't want it warmer thanks
8M easy for me this morning in the wet - had that weird thing where my shorts kept dripping foam down my legs!
Hi All
Enjoy some good rest and lots of sleeping this week. I'll be aiming for 2:59 (6:50 per mile first half, 6:45 per mile second). Happy to share some pacing with anyone aiming for soemthing similar. I'll be wearing a cherry and white "Beckenham Running Club" vest.
Re: carrying gels: I've never had too much trouble carrying them in my shorts pockets (Ronhill Aspiration Flexlite), but will alos be asking my supporters to hand me some too (easily done Abingdon as it's not too crowded).
Good luck all.
Had my tune up race today, Flintshire 10k. To put it simply 3 miles up (600 ft ascent) 3 miles down. Tough old day 36:34 finished in fourth place beaten by three much better athletes and pleasingly beat a far few that normally beat me so it's all looking good for next Sunday. Finished first v35 too but they have my result up as SM.
Endurance wise I think it helped as although that climb was a beast I recovered fairly quickly and managed to lose the chasers quite convincingly. Managed to see third place runner but no way I could have caught him as I was proper goosed
4 easy tomorrow nice recovery. Not much at all to do next week.
i ran3 miles yesterday .. first ruin since sunday.chest still felt tight.....but managed 65 miles on the bike today.....so i think I will be fine as long as they let me do the marathon on the bike
Late update on yesterday's 10 miler but it went well and quicker than the planned pace (again!). I kind of dial into a pace and then find it hard to change, especially slow down! I guess experience will knock that out of me!!
Fair play and well done to everyone that got out this morning in the rubbish conditions. I agree Bus, less wind and less rain, but the temperature can stay the same, no warmer please.
Good work at the 10k MG15. Fairly easy week for too with just a short speed session on Tuesday (6x400m) and then 4 miles on Thursday. In between and after that, not much else apart from sitting wrapped in cotton wool!!
This time next week it'll all be over! Have a good last week everyone.
Cammyboy,
Drop me a note via the messaging system if you are still after a number. I tried to send you a message but your username is not set up to accept msgs.
Steve.
At the moment I'm thinking of hoping to hit half way in 1.30 and then just going for it. It will be my last serious road marathon for 12 months so might as well give it everything.
That's funny Millsy, 'cos my "easy" 8 miler felt much harder thanI was expecting
It's also left the hamstring feeling sore this afternoon - hey ho, hope it's just a bit of classic taperitis which will come right on the day after an easy week (glad I didn't do the Ridgeway race today though 
)
Nicely done on the 10k Martin - good time for such a hilly course and a nice sharpener for next week.
Well that was not the best idea, ran the Great Eastern this morning without a watch thinking that would stop me hammering it, new PB by 3 mins in crappy conditions, yeah its a confidence booster but probably not the best a week out, oh well at least the carb loading strategy the day before works.
Nice to hear about so many good runs. 6 miles MP for me. Found myself having to concentrate on slowing it down, but on race day with fewer turns and with other runners nearby to use as references, I'm not too worried. Was good after a shocker of a run yesterday - legs started hurting in random ways after 3k and decided to call it a day after 5 miles easy. Pretty typical for me - getting phantom pains in the week before a big race and it's yet to affect me on race day. Bus - glad to hear that I'm not the only one gets taperitis. Every tiny twinge has me worried at the moment.
Personally I don't care too much about the rain - as long as it's not torrential, I don't even notice it. Could do without the wind though and 10 degrees C would suit me just fine, colder if there's no wind.
re: gels - I don't have pockets in my shorts other than for a key. I can fit one gel in there, but tried two and that didn't vaguely work because of the weight. Current plan is to carry one in hand (to 5 miles, so not too bad) then another in the key pocket. I've got a couple of supporters, so will try to give them some gels to hand to me; if I don't see them then it's a matter of prayer that I avoid the wall
zirion.a lot of number belts used for triathlons have spaces for gels on them
Well done the racers. Nice 10k MG15 and amazing half RR.
I stuck to my tried and tested run a week out and did 10 miles with 2 at marathon pace - which felt ok. It was a bit of a shock to run in the rain on Sunday, it doesn't often happen.
Zirion - I normally run with 3 gels in my hand and have one in my pcoket. I usually don't even bother getting the one in the pocket out but it is nice to know it is there. I find if I tape all 3 gels together then they are easy to carry and I peel one off at mile 7 and 14 wheni need them. I am also pretty happy carrying a bottle in my hand - it is not as if I need my hands to do much whilst running
Or buy some new shorts Z?
RR - well done on the new PB - try not to sound so peed off about it
Take it VERY easy this week, with just enough miles to keep the legs lubricated and you'll be fine for Abo.
My 6 mile MP was done at 06:30 this morning on the way to work so I was lucky enough to miss the rain. Well done to those who braved it though.
Nice one MG and RR, some good racing there. Got to be nice to know you're on point with a week to go.
Caf, I'm hoping to hit that same sort of pace so we may be running not to far from each other next Sunday.
Came home from work to find my oldest full of cold, coughing and sniffing, bless him. Great timing son!
After a relatively injury-free 6 months with training and racing going great, ITBS started to rear its ugly head on my 12 miler last Sunday, so it was a week of swimming, gym cycling+rowing, core strength+stretching, foam rolling+massage for me.
First run for a week today was 8 miles easy - thankfully no piercing ITBS pains, but still a little tenderness and aching behind/outside my left knee, so more rest for me this week, with yoga and a little cross training. If I can avoid the A34 clutch-leg-killing traffic as much as possible this week, then I'm still optimistic for Sunday
For anybody wanting to join me in the 3:04:59-or-bust crew, I'll be looking something like this on the day.
Best of luck all!
Hi,
I'm very keen on running the Abingdon marathon, but as you all know it's sold out since long. If anyone has a place they don't intend to use I'd be very interested in taking it.
sorry, I wasn't trying to wake the warmth fairies on ther own, but if it is going to rain I really need a degree extra heat as I was so cold when the wind blew through me!!
trying to think what to wear if it is like yesterday as my legs were stiffening! Hoping I'll have more adrenaline going to keep me warm!!
I've run out of things to post (rest day today) so I figured I'd start pulling together the people who've posted descriptions to save us having to remember it all.
Zirion: Blue and Red Barnet top
Dachs: Green vest (as picture) and union jack shoes
Cake: Sheffield Balti T-shirt and pirate cap
Leebe: Black Nike top and shorts
Postie postie: dark blue vest with a red metre mark
Martin Green 15: all black Adidas with Martin on vest
Mr Boat: Bournemouth AC: yellow with blue vertical stripe
Turns out refreshing a page that you posted a few days ago causes the post to be reposted... and we don't even have edit function now
Was going to say: welcome to the week everyone. Keep yourself wrapped up in cotton wool.
Ballasteros: if you're not going to be heading off dead on MP from the start, then I'm definitely up for tagging along. Even if you are then I'll look out for you mid race. Plan is to go slowish for the first 2k then catch up to MP by the halfway point. I'll be aiming for 3:04:59 but if everything goes well I might shave a second or two off of that.
Last serious session for me yesterday. 10 at 7 m/m with a few quicker ones thrown in halfway. Don't really feel any fitter than before my last attempt, even though I have ran more miles.
Zirion: I'm aiming for pacing something like this...
http://feelrace.com/fr.pl?ds=21&hh=01&mm=27&ss=20&bt=195&un=K&th=MARCO&pg=Exec
...so a slower start - but not that much slower as the early downhills should be making those splits slightly easier. That's the theory anyway, will no doubt go out the window at some point, but hopefully later rather sooner