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VLM 2017 !!
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Was aiming to put in about 18-19km before breakfast, but the route I'd selected was foolishly devoid of any kind of taps in the second half and I had no drink with me. Despite being pleasantly cool (about 25C), there was a breeze blowing and I ended up absolutely parched and desperately thirsty having literally rolled out of bed and hit the road without so much as a glass of water. As luck would have it I ended up running past a gym where a friend was going for a workout at *just* the right time for her to be finishing. I couldn't resist the temptation and ran in to the gym to grab a drink... That pretty much killed the motivation for the rest of the run so I only got in 15km and ended up getting a lift for the remainder of the way home. How weak is that?! Might have to put in a couple of extra km on tomorrows run and then again on Sunday to satisfy my craving for increasing weekly mileages!
I guess as far as dud runs goes it was fairly benign. There's no injury, no crippling fatigue, weather didnt play up and even the pace was pretty much where it needed to be... I just felt a bit "meh" about the last few km's and lost enthusiasm for it. Perhaps the selection of "early 90's psychedelic groove rock" wasnt the right music for the job at 5:30am?
In better news however, my fundraising that was stuck on ~£650 for a couple of weeks just got a boost. The orchestra I play in has started up again for this year so I took the opportunity to send an email around to everyone. The resulting influx of donations has taken me to over £1000 and passed the magical half way point! (Although no doubt just like the marathon, the first half is a LOT easier than the second half!)
3 miles done this morning and the wind really didn't help
Hope it lasts through my planned 15 miler on Sun morning, weather forecast is cool so hopefully all will be well.
What we have we got, about 8 weeks till London? Hope everyone is on track so far? Good luck with your weekend long runs, let us know how you get on
It got tougher coming home, the sun had risen and although the city looked stunning and sky bright blue, it did mean the temperature started to rise and our sweat levels picked up a gear.
With 5km to go our paths crossed a friend of mine who was motoring along at about my target race pace, so I stuck with her for a 1km or so and had a chat before we separated. With just 2km to go I fancied a bit of a game, so upped the pace again to try and shake off my running partner. To my surprise, he was still just behind me 1km later and I had to really dig deep. We passed a couple more of our clubmates who'd had a shorter run and yelled out to my buddy, "Go on!!! You can catch him!!!!" - so we finished with a genuine sprint finish. (Last 2km @ 7:10/mile). Not a bad morning for 32.5km!!! (First 20 miler of this campaign)
Had to miss about 3 weeks of running with cold, followed by flu, followed by a chest infection (which I tried to run during and nearly ended up coughing up the entire structure of my lungs). I am a bit behind in the programme as a result, but got out last week and did 6 miles (which was my first run for 3 weeks !).
Having then done all 3 midweek runs, today's 8 miles was much easier. Slow, but comfortable and feeling good about running again. 10 next week, then 12, then Brentwood half marathon at the end of March. I'd like to be a bit further along in mileage terms, but I'm not going for any world records so that's fine - just a steady build up now, adding a couple of miles a week to the long runs.
But today I did 14 miles and broke my 10k and HM records! Will be aiming to do all the weekday runs this week then 18 miles this weekend. I can't believe I'm looking at doing 18 miles, crazy.
Is anyone doing the Silverstone HM?
Had a few days off work last week so managed to get some good runs in and kncoked out 16 miles yesterday at the pace I had planned which I was pleased with. Thats as far as I've ever run before and that extra 10 and a bit miles required feels like a looooooooong way away!!
MikeSmith - I had planned to do Silverstone HM but by the time I'd got my backside into gear I'd missed the closing date for entries. I think there are still charity places available but I don't want to go down that route
I am booked for Silverstone.
But will be way behind you at the finish.
i've been reading your comments and progress for last couple of weeks but not got around to posting until now.
I'm running VLM in 2017 too and up to 12 miles this weekend, training back on track after a calf pull a few weeks ago.
I am running at Silverstone too and happy to run together, I expect to finish around 2hrs 10 mins. I've run it a couple of time before if you have any questions.
6 x 1km "Kenyans"
You nominate your 'best' target 1km rep time (in my case knowing how tough the session is I plumped for 4:15) and aim to pace each of the 6 km's 15 seconds quicker than the last. So starting off at a conversational OK pace and gradually cranking it up with no rest between 1km reps until you fly on the last one and try and hang on for grim death!
Ended up as follows:
5:25 ( 5 seconds too fast)
5:13 ( 2 seconds too fast)
4:54 ( 6 seconds too fast)
4:39 ( 6 seconds too fast)
4:19 (11 seconds too fast)
4:09 ( 6 seconds too fast)
NAILED it!!!!
After feeling very fatigued following this weekends 20 miler, I really needed a psychological pick-me-up. I was scared that 'marathon training fatigue' had kicked in too soon and I was in for the next 7 weeks of feeling like sluggish death. But no..... All is good with the world again
thanks ST
Slow Tortoise, we don't run much of The Mall; just around the Victoria Monument and a few hundred yards and you're home! You'll be so focussed on the finish line that you won't notice the distance
Good luck with Silverstone everyone, I recall doing it once and it was hailstoning, my God it was awful!!
Got out a did a very gentle 15 miles on Sunday, felt easy as I was slower than last week and it was a bit cooler, like Rossi I felt so much better after it than last weeks, a good run can really help the confidence. Will look at 17+ this weekend, hopefully it will go well
Slowtortoise - am pleased that you are doing bits of the course as part of the training - I offer this as part of my assistance in helping first timers..
In October/November we ran from the Blue and Red Starts to Cutty Sark - just over 6 miles.
Before Christmas we ran from Cutty Sark to Narrow Street along the Highway - about 9 miles.
We have also run from Tower Bridge to the finish line - about 14 miles a couple of times.
On 26 March we are planning to run from Cutty Sark to the finish line - about 20 miles.
We will meet at Cutty Sark station at 9:45 am and run slowly - 12 minute miles - to the McDonalds on Whitehall after crossing the finish line.
I expect to be rewarded by being bought a Big Mac Meal by those who run with me.
I will just speed up to 9 minutes a mile.
Or get some IOU's
It would be good if lots came - they could all share the cost of buying me one between them.
Managed to run the tempo section about 5-10s/km faster than target speed (3:30 finish = 5:00/km, 8:00/mile) without too much trouble, but felt pretty exhausted afterwards... hard to imagine doing that speed for 4 times as long! (I know.... racing is *different*, fresh legs, crowds, adrenaline etc etc).
Woke up this morning and really struggled with my 10km recovery jog. Plodded along like a snail - but I'm not worried, a day off to freshen up and I'll be ready on Saturday for my next 32km (20 mile) run.
TopSec - 2x20 milers might well be enough for you. There's plenty of plans and training regimes that dont do much more than that.
I'm aiming to do 3 x 20 miles (32km) and 3 x 23 miles (37km) - which may seem like a lot, but I really enjoy the longer runs and I know the confidence it gives me for late stages in the race is brilliant. I generally find that the first time I do a long distance is quite hard, the second time I try to be a bit more hilly and it feels similarly hard, the third time I go flat again and it feels easy. Then I'm ready to step up to the next distance. If I can finish the third 37km's comfortably in training, I know I can get through 42.2 without too much trouble - its just a case of doing it at the right tempo!