A bit like sub-4 (but 15 minutes quicker)

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  • The policeman who sternly got out his land rover to tell me to turn around when I got stuck in the snow, had to chase his car down the hill n jump in the driver seat as it slid down the hill with the handbrake on.

    That tickled old Ernie.

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Nice going, Stoker. My resting HR is 43 at the moment, although the fuzzy head suggests I'm not 100% healthy as I can't shake off this fugging head cold bug!

    Nearly binned my 21 miler on Saturday but managed to get out and run with a mate. Kept the HR nice and low, averaged 141 for the 21 miles and at 8.17 pace. Treated myself to a couple of sub-8s on the final 2 miles. My legs are still feeling strong, unlike any previous campaign.

    We had a car adventure too. Came to a big roundabout at around 7 miles and heard a car tooting its horn. A hot-hatch with two hooded chaps inside had stalled and they looked agitated, desperately trying to restart the vehicle. The car behind them came around the front, blocked them in and an extremely irate asian chap got out and immediately kicked their wing mirror off, Jackie Chan style. He then started to punch the window and kick the door. For some reason the chaps would not get out to have a conversation with the other driver. I can only assume the lads had pulled a stroke on him further up the road and he became mighy miffed.

    We carried on running as there were plenty of other witnesses around to tell the Police who were speeding towards the junction a couple of minutes later. It wasn't our argument either, so best not to get involved as we don't know who is in the wrong.

    Who says running is dull?

    SB

  • Oh, hello to anyone who remembers me from 2010... when you all successfully motivated me through a 3.43 in the first VLM. Here I am again with a ticket for for 2014 VLM and all was going well until I woke up this morning with a slightly puffy left ankle following a horrible slow 19 miles around Norwich ring road on Sunday. Great to see some familiar names like Stoker and Badger. Anyway, I'm still working in Woking, running in Windsor and hoping for another sub 3.45 in April if the ankle behaves. I will scroll up now through 3 years to see what's what! 

  • All the best runners do a 3.43 in their first London Marathon.
    Tickle, dont go n copy me on the 2nd London Marathon though, n eat dodgy fried chicken the day before.....
    My mate has got a late place for this year, so on Sunday I went out with him on a long run. Havent done anything over 14 miles for over 3 years, so was fairly pleased to accompany him around 18.67 miles without any problems, albeit at 9.15 pace. This was his longest ever run, so bodes well for him managing one or maybe two 20 milers in before the big day.
    I plan on running all his long 'uns with him.
    Badger, the silence re the Glencoe Marathon from you is deafening !!!

    Since getting drunker than I have in 20 years 3 weeks ago, I havent touched a drop. Got a party on the 8th of Feb so will have a Guinness or 2 then.

    Stonker

  • Ha - that's planning ahead if you are thinking about a party on 8 Feb! My aim is to beat 3.43 this time round - training has been going very well until now, i have not run since 19miles on Sunday as I have a sort of puffy feeling upper ankle thing going on. May jog this evening for 20 mins to see what happens. Is it just a few of you left on this thread, what about GymFreak and some of the other 'ladies'... 

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Welcome back MT!! Good luck with the ankle. How did the test with it go tonight? I have a pal who has a similar condition. He had to pull out of an 18 miler after just 10 miles tonight as the ankle played up. there's a lot of it about.

    My training is going OK. I did Paris last year and did 3.23 (PB) and am hoping for more in Brighton this April. My LSR runs have never felt easier. I've put loads of emphasis on hills to give strength and it seems to be paying off.

    A big couple of days big for me. Did 7 miles at 6.41 pace yesterday. Set my target to try and get a full set of sub-7s and managed to do it despite some breezy sections.

    Today I had a day off with the kids today. I say kids, they're both lazy teenagers so don't get up until the clock is close to pm, so I snuck out for a cheeky 10 miler first thing. The idea was to try marathon pace for the full 10 miles. Ended up doing it at 7.21 pace which is a tad quicker but I'm pleased with that as my legs felt tired after yesterday's lunchtime  quick run and last night's spinning class.

    With all this hill work, Glencoe would be far too easy. Think I'll swerve it for something more challenging.

    SB

  • Quick times there SB.



    19 miles for me yesterday at 9:02 ave. Can't say it was enjoyable, I've just moved from Gosport to Southampton so a change from completely flat routes to loads of hills, was pretty windy yesterday as well. I'm sure it'll do a world of good but all of my runs feel tough at the moment. Reading Half on Sunday then I think for my next LSR I'll drive to somewhere a bit more flat for a 20 miler that's not going to be such tough going.
  • pleased to report ankle is fine, false alarm, done 18 miles again on Sunday and a quick 6 miles this morning before work. Got Bath Half this w/e which is flat but I will miss those additional miles, so was wondering about running on the sat as well to ensure I am not tempted to try for a pb. People are noticing some weight loss which is interesting. I wonder what I would look like if I stopped drinking beer! Hello Jack - 19 miles at that pace is good stuff, good to get that in the bank (sounding like a vet though this is only my 3rd marathon). 

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Glad to hear the ankle is looking good MT. just a couple of running rules for you.

    1. Always drink beer, that's why we run!
    2. races are there for PBs, go for it!

    Good luck in Bath, I hear it's a cracking course and PB-tastic!

    I've had some training fatigue hit home this week. Legs have been weary, then I realised that last week I did 53 miles in 7 days.
    On Saturday I added a couple of miles to my 18 miler so ran 20 with a view to doing a smaller LSR this week (15 miles) in order to taper for the Surrey Half next weekend.

    Funny how things develop. I've run most of my 20 milers at around 8.14 pace this year with a nce low HR (141-ish) and perceived effort is dead easy. yet, a few years ago that pace would have been my race target.

    Just seen that the Surrey Half have pacers, so I'm going to run with the 6.52 boys to have a pop at my PB and break 90 mins. Current PB is 1.30.28. so a PB by 29 secs will do me just fine. Not sure I'll be able to do it though as my focus has been the Brighton Marathon in April and the long runs have tired my ageing pins, we'll see.

    SB

  • When is the Surrey Half SB? Good luck with your PB attempt.



    Good week of running for me, I'm feeling fitter and faster than ever.



    Fri - 9m steady



    Sun - Reading Half - 1:36:53 PB



    Tue - 6m recovery



    Today - 12.4m, 1 mile warmup then the rest at 3:30 marathon pace
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Congrats on the PB, Jack! image

    Looks like you've been doing some fine running.

    The Surrey half is this Sunday. Tried to do a mini-taper this week but my legs are heavy so I'm not sure I'll be able to execute my cunning PB plan. Second target will be to try and do 7min/miles all the way round, I'll be happy with that.

    SB

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Quick note for Stoker and the Lurkers (great band name).

    Scored a 1.31 at the Surrey Half Marathon today. Was hoping for a sub-90  but the course is quite hilly in places and wasn't the fastest course I've done. Good run though.

    Maybe I'll come up to that there Scotland and win some races before they close the border?

    SB

  • You are the reason we need independence !!!

    Ha Ha! No, hope it all remains just as it is. Too much braveheart rabble rousing goin on.
    Brilliant run Badgey. Superb. That's proper running that is.
    Suddenly my 1.36 looks pedestrian, but then again, what you canal trudgers call hilly compared with Glen Clova or Glencoe is debateable.
    Feel free to travel North and engage a higher gear.

    Hurt my achilles last week. Nothing major, just a stiffness that will fade with rest. Been goin to the gym. Did a 21 mile bike ride today in the sun with a mate, then spent the afternoon glossing the hoose for sale, hopefully this year???!??

    Stonker.

     

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Did a 20 miler on Sunday with mashed legs. still hadn't recovered from the race the previous weekend. From the very first step I had that feeling you get in your quads that you usually get in the last couple of miles of a marathon. It was there for the whole 20 miles but as long as it didn't get any worse I was happy.

    Chatted with my mate all the way and we averaged 8.06 pace. Probably too quick for an LSR but I suppose it's good that it felt so easy. My top 5 long runs add up to 99.4 miles, so just shy of the recommended 100.

    I'm now in taper mode and my legs are still sore. If only my thighs were as mignificent as young Stoker's.

    SB

  • Never gonna happen to be fair Badge, but I admire your levels of ambition.
    Back in Dundee after a long weekend up the road in the hoose.
    The boy wonder turned a teenager on Saturday, so I took him n 3 pals to see Need for Speed, then at night another 7 thirteen year olds joined us for a boys only sleepover.
    This might be the last year my size n growl can fend them off when they want to beat the shit out of me.
    All the mattresses in the front room, n a pile of pizza n Coke n Haribo n they were happy.
    Just back from a few Guinness with the old man.
    Cowdenbeath tomorrow.
    Dundee still top of the league.

    Stokey

  • That's bloody good running SB. I look forward to the day I can crash out long runs at that pace with ease.



    I've really not been able to make up my mind what pace to run my marathon at. Have geared all my training towards 3:30 but have been thinking that may be a touch out of reach, being a first timer I'm not really sure. I ran my last 20 miler today as Saints are away at Spurs tomorrow and I didn't want to worry about a run on top of that.



    Anyway, I did 20 miles with 16 at 8 min/mi. to try to aid my decision. I felt ok through 18, the last couple were tough and I didn't really have anything left in the tank at the end.



    The McMillian calculator isn't much help, it reckons 3:23 is possible from my 1:36:53 HM, that seems way too quick. I know it's subjective but thought I'd ask your opinions. 3:30 too ambitious?
  • Hello remember me ? 

    LS still harping on about his 3.43 ?( thanks to perfect pacing ) 

    VLM next week anyone ?

    Had to defer last year due to tendonitis , 

    not quite so much pressure on me now , I don't need 3.45 for GFA , now I am over 50 It's sub 4 , would still be great to get under 3.45 though , training as usual based on high mileage at slowish pace which seems to work best for me

    JH87, the general opinion is the, macmillan calculator is rather generous , it all depends on the training ,what's your average weekly mileage ?  how many 20+ milers have you done ? And at what pace ? 

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Nursey!! Oh how we've missed you. xxxxxxx

    No VLM for me, I'm doing Brighton on Sunday. Did 3.23 in Paris last year so I'm going to give sub-3.20 a go. Weather looks grim but the second half of the course is flat and the wind may be in our backs. Here's hoping.image

    Do you still get to run around Weybridge during family visits?
    Lost any more car keys in the Devon country lanes?

    Aaaaah, fond memories...

    SB

     

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    For any thread lurkers out there. managed to bag a 3.19 at the Brighton marathon yesterday. Top 3% field finish too!

    Chuffed to get into the teens and it's a Boston Qualifier too.

    Was lucky to be in the VIP start tent before the race and had a nice picture taken with Paula Radcliffe. She's lovely!

    Good luck to the VLMers this week. Gor for it!!

    SB

  • Hi NN. I peaked at 50 mpw in training for VLM, averaged 31 mpw since getting back from injury in the middle of January, I had to build up slowly again through fear of a repeat of the injury. My longest few long runs have been 20.5, 20, 19, 18, 17. Generally ran my LSRs at +-8:40 min/mi, but ran my last 20 miler with 16 @ 8 min/mi, and have done lots of mid-week medium-long runs with lots of marathon pace miles. I feel pretty well prepared, I think I'm going to set out at 8 min/mi, if I'm feeling good on the day, and see how I go. If it's not feeling easy enough at that pace then I can ease off before it starts to become a problem later on.



    Cracking time there SB, nice one! Hearing and reading about the various marathons over the weekend is getting me excited for Sunday.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Good luck on Sunday, Jack. Your times suggest sub 3.30 is certainly on. Don't be scared of going quick but at the same time don't be too confident. The marathin has bitten the arses of better runners than us so please run sensibly.

    *** Cliché Alert !! ***

    Remember it's a race of two halves, the first 20 and the final 6.2. It's all about that final 10k, so remember to save some back for the showbiz miles from Tower Bridge to the Mall.

    If it's any help, our training has been virtually identical. My 5 longest runs were 20, 20, 20, 21, 18, so not far off yours and all at over 8m/m.

    Total campaign mileage before the race was 448. I only did 3 to 4 runs per week with emphasis on hills and speed sessions. Went for quality over quantity this year.

    Trust the process, be ready to go from plan A to plan B (as I did at Brighton) and you'll be successful.

    Looking forward to reading your report oin Sunday.

    Good Luck!!

    SB

     

  • Thanks for your advice SB, it really does help to pick up all the little bits from different places. I'm definitely not going in overconfident, but my training has been geared towards a 3:30 and I think I'd be disappointed with myself if I just went there and plodded round in 3:40. So those times are plan A and B, plan C is finish the thing and head straight to the pub.



    6.3 miles easy yesterday and I was thinking back to how all this started. A year ago my longest ever run was about 10k (and that seemed a long way) and I was just starting to convince myself I could get fit enough for the Great South Run if I put some more miles in. A year on and a 54 min 10k is pretty much the shortest and slowest run I consider doing, and I barely break a sweat.



    I'll definitely post here when I get a spare 5 minutes after the race, and on the Minni v Dubai Dave thread, they've been very helpful in there too. It might be a couple of days before I get time though, will be on the piss Sunday afternoon/evening then off to Mexico first thing Monday!



    Thanks again.



    Chopper
  • Nursey Nursey Nursey.
    Is it really 6 years since I let you take me by the hand and led me through the streets of London?
    'I'll show you something, that'll make you change your mind!'

    If you'd like me to return the favour, then google Glencoe Marathon, and let me know if you fancy by far the toughest marathon in the uk in October.
    Cant believe you are 50, when you were a 32 year old Victoria Principal lookalike in 2008. Albeit with monstrous feet, if I can recall the posted images...http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/spring-marathon/a-bit-like-sub-4--but-15-minutes-quicker/30492-951.html


    Badgey Badgey Badgey.

    To think I once ridiculed you as you werent fit to post on a sub 3.45 thread!!
    "Stoker beat the cook!"
    I recall your post from '08 like it was yesterday. You mustve beaten some Ethiopians!! Whats that? 7.30 pace? Superb old man. Absolutely superb.That minute into the teens does make all the difference to your tales in the pub.

    Chopper.
    Have a grand day on Sunday.
    If that link thing works, it'll take you back to the time when this thread was brilliant for a marathon virgin like me.My mates doin his first on Sunday and is aiming for around 4 hours, but Ive told him goal number one is to run all the way, with the proviso that he makes sure he really enjoys the day. Nurseys bum distracted me for 22 miles until she sped off into the distance. Her father, Andre the Giant, gave her an extra long stride...

    Hurt my achilles a wee bit so have pulled out the Dundee HAM half marathon in 2 weeks. Been sweating puddles every other day at the gym though to keep the UK's most magnificent thighs in perfect working order. Glencoe is the one and only goal this year.

    G'night folks.

    Time for some Lloyd Bridges Airplane pics Badge??

    Stoker.

  • boing !!! 

    You up for Lochness Stoker ? 

  • Ive sent you a message Nursey.

    The internets finest thread, left to wither.....?

    Im looking more like my pic every day.

    Was I cropped out of your photo Nursey?
    I mustve been just in front of you...

    Badger, where are you?

    Time for bed. 12 miles and a gym session today.
    Did 42 miles last week. Still just 3 runs though.

    G'night.

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Still here, Stokesy old son. been doing a bit of moonlighting on the sub-3.15 thread with the kids in the big playground. Man, those guys run some mile!.

    I'm still running. Did a 10k round Dorney Lake last weekend in blistering heat. The sun probably cost me over a minute. I did 43.02 but I know I can go sub-42 for 10k. Never mind.

    I followed the race up with a 12 miler on Sunday, strength training at the gym on Monday, a hilly 7 miler on Tuesday and on Wednesday (this is sounding like a Craig David song!!) I did an interval session on the local track where I hit a 400m PB (1.15) followed by a mile PB of 6.04. Just shows that I am in some sort of form and was unlucky with the weather on Saturday.

    I have a half marathon along the Thames in October and then begin winter training for the Brighton marathon next year. If I get into London via the ballot I'll do that too.

    When is Loch ness?

    SB

  • Not Loch Ness.
    Glencoe.
    Google it n see what this sad middle aged man has to look forward to.
    Well Ive stuck in at the training. 129 miles in June and 178 miles in August. Also do an hour n a quarter of weights n planking n stuff twice a week. Done 3 hilly 20 milers already, and last Saturday me n my mate ran ( and climbed ) Corrie Fee  

    http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=24809

    Dont know if that linky thing works. If not, google that too.
    It was like Brigadoon, all waterfalls n purple heather. Also the first proper outing for the trail shoes, and the first day of running with the backpack on. Must admit, I forgot all about it most of the run. Hope I feel the same on October 4th.
    Bought my first flat today. The family home will have new occupants a week on Friday, so I'm looking forward to regaining my independence. About time the love life got resurrected too. Notice I called it love life, and not sex life. Dont know why, coz its the sex Im missing!

    I'll need to introduce more speedwork Badge. Ive been concentrating as usual on getting the miles in my legs, but we all know your heart n lungs get in a comfy zone on the long stuff. Climbing up the face of the corrie had me breathing heavily out of my arse on Saturday though!

    Well done on the 400 pb.
    Another gym session tomorrow and a 13 mile run after.

    Cheers

    Stokesy

     

     

  • Mr PuffyMr Puffy ✭✭✭

    Evening chaps, nice to see you still focussed.  Stoker I spend more and more of my time out on hills and trails now, must be a middle age thing. Badger I look at the 3:15 thread nowa nd again and it is a reality check for me as to what you need to be doing day to day to achieve that time, I'm sure you have it in you though.

     

  • Puffo.

    Yip, I loved Saturdays yomp, and the fact its all on my doorstep, and Im single now should mean I get out n do more of this stuff. Spent an hour or so on walkhighlands website last night n fancy carrying it on in all weathers, plus the lung bursting gradients will inevitably improve the fitness.
    Im even getting those funny muscles in the core bit that point down to your bollocks at the side. Next to my vaguely noticeable six pack!
    Fingers crossed that with all the Glencoe training, we'll smash our Glen Clova pb's in November too. Sub 1.36 would be grand.

    If any of you southern softies fancy a mug and some stovies and a proper Jocko Half, then go on the forfar roadrunners site and note the opening date n time for entries. Its in August, but sells out inside an hour, with only 300 places. Be good to see you.

    Stoker.

  • Just back from the gym. Worked hard on the weights. Nothing major. I do 8 sets of ( 30 arm curls with a 25kg bar, 30 shoulder press 20 kg bar, 30 hanging knee lifts, 1.5 minutes planking, and 40 shoulder shrugs with 25kg dumbells.) Once thats done, its onto the treadmill. Ive been using a hilly setting n doin 12-13milers at about 8.15's, but tonight I did half a mile at 8's then half a mile at 7's and continued that for 12 miles. I'm trying with every aspect of the training to keep moving forward, so the hills get hillier, or more reps, or heavier weights, or add a backpack etc, so tonight I got the lungs working a wee bit more. I'll knock it below 7's n 8's next time.
    Maybe its coz I miss sex so much that I'm training so well?!
    I'd rather train a bit less!!
    Just been served a delicious beef stroganoff by my Momma. Come mid September, that will all change!
    How do you boil potatoes?

    Stoker

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