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My VLM. For those who asked for some background on my training
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Really interesting reading AR. Thanks for putting all this up on the thread.
I am not sure which is more impressive - the 2.47 this spring on the interupted training you've had, or the sub 3 after an almost sub 3 marathon the week bafore from last autumn.
You've certainly got some ability to dig deep.
edit: 13 x 20m+ LSRs! Is this the secret of your success?
Well done Also Ran I particularly liked the rowing aspect I believe its an underated form of cross-training - but that was serious rowing
Its inspiring considering the short time you've been training How much more do you think you can improve
Thanks Keir. I am certainly 'bookmarking' the experience. I've had a short time with running marathons but in that time I appreciate that hard work alone doesn't always pay out. There just seems to be so many things that can trip you up on a campaign from injury through to the circumstances on the day. I felt your pain with the injuries you picked up, but was heartend by the style you ran VLM.
Thanks for the words Pammie. At the moment I'm resisting any thoughts about what I can achieve going forward. I got a bit too target focused last year and lost the plot for a bit. Next target is to get my million meters on the rower so I can claim a free T-shirt from the manufacturer - not far off now. Think big!
Mazeman - agree on the need for a few decent 20 miler behind you, but I think what I did this time around was a little excessive for pure training purposes. I work from home 100% of the time in my small business, and the long run is my favorite session as I can get out and get away from time to time. Some of those 20's I did were just slow bimbles, and the 27 miler was a day when I 'popped to the shop' (which was closed when I got there
)
Moof - I did a few hard row sessions before a few MLRs early on and I really felt it during the runs - particularly the glutes and quads, so had to juggle things about early on. Later on, as I say the rower became a recovery tool. It was a real bad break for you on having to DNS at VLM. What are the plans for using that training.
Thanks for putting up the thread, its great to read what real people do for their training.
AR, thanks for the read, both here and in all the other threads you choose to comment in
I hope to run my first HM in training this weekend and will be lucky to beat your VLM time lol.
Not adding anything useful or pertinent to this thread but just had to agree, that rowing and those long runs are IMPRESSIVE!
Wow. That makes for great reading, Also Ran. Thanks for going into such detail. 13 20+ milers in 16 weeks off 3-4 runs a week is scary.
Hi AR - firstly great time - well done.
Also thanks for posting all this - great read and knowledge pot.
Reading the history it is interesting to me that you started running in Jan 2012 but by April 2012 you could already run a 1:28 HM and then a 3:02 marathon by June. WOW!
That suggests a lot of natural ability as well as lots of hard training obviously but a lot of people would not hit those times even with hard training over such a short time period.
So I was interested in how good a runner you were when you were at school which you don't mention in your life story. Best in year? Any timed races etc
Cheers, Skinny
Over the years as I slowly piled on the weight, I always joked to my wife that I had latent fitness and might be a reaonable runner. Shame on me for sitting on my arse for 25 years.
I reckon the couple of years of upping the walking I was doing really gave me a flying start with the running. This was combined with quite a lot of impatience as I ramped up the early mileage quickly. This could easily have been my undoing.
No - its a 5 second walk to work (i.e. home) where I sit down, and get up a few times to set up some machinery. That is a lot more active than it used to be, where it was desk bound or long car journeys, hotels, airports, hotel bars and restaurants Mon to Fri.
wow what a fantastic read.. well done AR on a great race time..Im trying to chase my first sub 3 marathon in edinburgh this year but i fear i have not had the commitment or more like had far to many of lifes commitments to dedicate so much time to my running..I was on course to do edinburgh last year in 3:04 but at mile 19, cramps set in and i just couldnt shake them, (due to an extremely hot day 26 deg) I know i am capable of a sub 3 and even with the correct dedication a sub 2:50. would love to find someone to train with that could push me to the max. Depends on my edinburgh run ill be running the kent coastal in september and i might copy your training plan and see how i fair...
The Kent Coastal ain't exactly a fast course....
I have heard it is quite a undulating course which suits me..i am not that keen on flat roads. part of the reason i dislike the back section of edinburgh as it heads out to the middle of nowhere and back...