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Paris Marathon 2014
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Orbutt - to be clear, I WAS suggesting you can do another 20mile run if you fancy iot, but make it hard, by doing most of the distance at race pace. If you don't fancy it, don't...
Malcs - unfortunately I realised the bike race RVV is the day before the mara, so I won't do it this year. But I have my eye on a few other mega-sportief ride-outs in the summer.
As running is a bit of challenge at the moment, I attempted to replicate a tempo effort on the bike. 42kms, lots of hills, going pretty hard. At least my lungs feel stretched after that.
Aha - ok, ta.
As I mentioned before, I bought a new HR monitor that does not use a chest strap. It simply lies against the skin on the forearm (or anywhere really). I used the included sweatband to hold it, but next time I'll probably put it on my iPhone carrier.
It uses LED technology to read your capillary blood flow - so no wetting or gels required. It is similar in technology terms to how a pulse oximeter works (kinda).
It paired quickly with my Garmin 910xt, but would not pair to a Garmin 620 - which has changed the ANT technology a bit, as also evidenced by their new heart rate strap. I think it will pair to ay of the other Garmins aside from the 620 and 220.
I used it on today's easy 9 miler. At rest, before the run, it appeared to read 15 -18 beats higher than my actual heart rate. Weird. On the run I stopped several times and manually counted my heat rate - the displayed rate was within 2-5 beats. There were no dropouts that I detected. My route forces several longer stops for traffic lights etc - it showed the correct decrease in my heart rate as I waited to resume running.
My initial impression is quite favorable. It is nice to have HR data without the chest strap.
Hi Rach - unfortunately my knowledge of running in Ireland is limited to Belfast (and only been on the one route as only visited twice).
UJ - Glad you enjoyed the run. It definitely made a change than running round housing estates and up and down the main roads of Banbury!!
Collected my medical certificate yesterday - doctor didnt even bother to run any checks and just signed & stamped away
Welcome Sparky - hope your training is going well. You will find some good advice from Tricky Dicky on this thread re carb-loading and intake of gels during the race. For the last 6 miles I try and get something to focus on for each mile that passes (eg drink @ 20 miles, gel @ 21 miles, see family support @ 22 miles, etc etc) - tends to work for me and stops me thinking about miles left to run to the end....
Sparky - In my experience the last few miles are always tough. In terms of maintaining pace the best you can then three things spring to mind.
1. Paced well from the off is a big part of it. I think most of us over cook it at a bit early on as we are fresh and the adrenaline is pumping. You will pay the price for that if you push to hard early.
2. Fuelling on the run. Making sure you have planned that correctly and you aren't running on empty at the end of the race.
3. Training. Train well and look at what your training tells you. If you're training pace isn't matching that target time you most likely plucked out of thin air then maybe you need to revise the target time up or down.
Other than that some stubborn bloody mindedness helps a lot.
Just had my first ever sports massage (it was awesome). I did a Half on Sunday so it is his advice to skip one of the midweek runs and lower the planned weekend 20miler to 12, do the 20 next week instead therefore dropping the second 20 the week after. But that will be 4weeks out from Paris when I do a single 20miler, not the usual 3weeks (and the two at 20miles I had planned).... He says 4weeks is better than 3 for recovery. Any thoughts?
thisisnatty - I do a three week taper, with my last big training run three weeks out. Most training plans I've read suggest three weeks. I've seen some that suggest two weeks. Never seen any that have a four week taper.
How much difference one week makes is open to question though. Maybe someone else will have tried/or do a four week taper.
Hi Sparky, ditto what Eggy says.
Natty - you could maybe do the 12, then an 18 the week after, then a 20 the week after that.
Hilly course sounds perfect preparation for Wall and DoH
Good Morning! Hope everyone is ok.
Feeling a bit more positive today probably because I am feeling a good bit better althoughI still sound like I smoke 60 a day if I start coughing! Only 2 days of anti-biotics left, then I am going to try a run.
I am hoping all will be ok, as I have the weekend off, and I would like to geta couple of decent runs done.
Hi Sparky - go to this page on the forum for some info about energy intake during the mara. It's the biggest factor in reduced performance at the end of the race. And welcome on board
Natty - 4 weeks of recovery are better than 3 - IF - you only take one factor (reduced fatigue) into mind. But there's a trade-off. You may reduce your faitigue by having longer recovery but you also have reduced fitness. That's why training programmes are designed to taper - not shut off training. A reduction of endurance efforts over 3 weeks but with a maintenance of shorter, sharper speed sessions is the optimal approach for recovery.
Blue skies here today - another long bike ride coming up I think
And today, I'm off to Wales for a run With Yer Maj. This should be fun, I've never been to Cardiff before, but I'm a little worried about all those aliens hanging around, and the Rift.
They're the least of your worries, I'd say.
Natty - hello. Hmmm, how are you feeling after the Half? Was it an all out effort or less than that? I would agree with the dropping of midweek longish run this week as part of recovery but beyond that it really does depend on how tired your legs are?
Weedy's suggestion is a good one...and unless you're running massively high mileage each week then a 4 week taper is very long.
RR - you do make me laugh
Set your sonic screwdriver to stun and you'll be fine.
Sparky - congrats for coming back for more!
Proper carbo loading has made a massive difference to my end of marathon experience. Don't get me wrong, it's still tough but with a 2 day carbo load and sensible in race fuelling I now no longer feel like I'm going to die
would have been rude not to train on a day like today so despite my cutback week, I stretched the legs on glorious Hampstead heath with a 4 miler (with a couple at half marathon pace)
Booty!
The first thing I saw when I stepped out of Cardiff station was a man dress completely in pink lycra, wearing a tutu, holding a wand.
Don't worry, though, he didn't look much like a runner.
Off to try and run some intervals on a rumbling tummy. I'm on a weight reduction campaign. Boo. Hiss. Sulk.
Then she saw me and lo, it did get worse...
oops sparky - try this
Thanks Tricky very interesting, often the information is hidden in between 250 pages. First gel at 5km, why not at start ?
Thanks Eggy, Weedy, Tricky, yer maj,
Yes it was an all out racing effort. Body feeling a little 'fragile' still. Did have tight quads and shoulders in particular (now sorted by sports massage). Did 40mins on elliptical this morning instead of 9 miler which I feel was very wise. Hard to explain but muscles feel a bit 'jelly like' and get tense quickly (notice shoulders when I 'stress walk' around work) I can squat but do so cautiously. (theres definitely a joke in there somewhere)
Psycologically I want to do a 3 week taper, it is what I planned all along and is what I believe will prepare me the best. Physically I just need to determine how hard I can push myself this Saturday...
I think I gave as good as I got that particular weekend. The patrons of the Conway are still recovering. Whether it was from our bright orange ITLR shirts, or something else, I don't know...or perhaps can't remember...or perhaps don't want to remember.
10km at lunch for me. Wanted to try and build in some speed improvement now I'm back on track with distances. So what should have been a tempo run ended up being more like 7 x 1km intervals at 85% of max heart rate. Blimey was my pacing inconsistent.
I am submitting the remainder of my training plan to the genius of TD in the vain hope that he can help me figure out what the heck I should do with the last 3 weeks or so before taper...before I give it all away.
Mr Puffy posted this photo on Malc's thread, it's Paris 2009. I recognise DV and ATM, is that Eggy in the background ?
Not me, I wasn't in Paris for 2009.
Class of 2013
PC - I can also see in that pic from 2009 Leeds Rob, I think Gemster (who got married to Finchey Stryder also of this parish), OO - now OO51, and i think the guy on the far right called himself something to do with dogs or Bulldogs....? I was late that morning. Missed the photo.
As for why not a gel at the start - well, there's no rule, you can. But with a big breakfast and hopefully a sports drink inside you about an hour ago, it can be a fine line to carb overloading. I did it once - sucked down two gels right at the beginning of the race and it took until km15 before I stopped wanting to feel like I was going to hurl.
2h40 on the bike today - in sunshine. Lovely. I'm not running a lot but my fitness is certainly improving.
aw, great photo from 2009! Good one of 2013 too. God bless us, we al look so young and fresh faced.
Did 8.5miles this morning after a 5mile interval session last night. Felt terrible. Just about managed a sub 9min all the way round, but that was on average - crashed quite badly about half way and dipped over the 9minute. Bah. It was a beautiful day though and I did wear my sub 4 or die shirt which was pretty cool. And I have an appointment with the sports masseuse (massagist? Therapist?) tomorrow which I am indeed looking forward to.
TinkerBel, you are amazing and you will be fine with the training - you have the support and expertise of TD and us too - what else do you need?
On another note, I feel very grown up because today I drove to the supermarket. Then I drove to the pub to meet a friend for coffee. This might not seem like a lot but I only passed my test a few years ago and haven't driven regularly since then, so when I do drive I'm nervous and really hate it. However, it was a bit of a breakthrough today as I actually enjoyed the freedom that comes with driving. It was still scary and I still can't park with ease but I feel like it was a big step forward. Hooray!
Thanks KS! You're a love. Bit glum on the running at the moment.
KS! Well done on the driving and the training. Nice mileage/intervals. You're legs are totally knackered and you are deep into spring marathon training. You've done so well and you will be rewarded with a PB in Paris. (and maybe a cheeky pb this weekend? ........but it doesn't matter so much about this weekend cause it's all about Paris) - soon you will be tapering and the life and soul will return to you legs and you'll be ready for a nice big juicy marathon ....