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P&D spring marathon 2017
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Ha, Joe, it looks like you were about to take the finish ribbon from the leading lady. I'll be listening to the latest MT on my walk home tonight, will listen out.
Well done Macca on the ultra!
Sorry about the knee Scott - fingers crossed the coach can fix you.
I'm back running post-illness, a slow 30 mins over the weekend, and finally up to 40 mins last night. Still no knee pain. Things are looking good. I'm now on an alternative first couple weeks of P&D before jumping in properly when I think the knee is fully ready.
I'm in (well as in as i will ever be)......
I'd have him do the drinks, Australians are used to being behind bars.
Ladies, come right in. Sorry Reg, can't let you in without a headband.
Just practicing.
BR seems to be a permanent fixture on Marathon Talk these days.
Great XC Madbee. I've only done a couple as coach/referee rugby on a Saturday, but have loved them. Proper running!
Really hope the knee can be fixed soon Scott. Looked on strava like you had been making progress.
No running for a couple of days due to illness, but a pleasing return in the amazing weather today. 3C, blue skies and 1mph wind - perfect winter's day. As a trial run for the first week of P&D I attempted 8 with 3 at LT. Splits came out at 6:09, 6:23, 6:10. HM pb pace is 6:04, shape which I'm definitely not in at the moment, so I'll take that for now.
I'm a keen MT listener - didn't BR also make the Listener Round the World feature with his t shirt on? Definitely famous ????
Happy to do an autograph signing session post London if the demand is there. If anyone is wearing a headband I'll throw in a copy of my soon to be released autobiography as well.
Nice LT run sorequads, a solid base to build from.
BR - You seem to be cavorting round the world like some sort of running media whore. Don't let the fame go to your head.
I keep meaning to wish you well Scott but then I get sidetracked by a bad joke/dig I have to tell instead. Anyway you're due a good run now so fingers crossed.
Hi guys I am doing the Brighton Marathon on 9 April, P&D 18 wk 55-70 plan starts on Monday (5Dec). Looking forward to getting stuck into it. Target time is 3:20. (did 3:38 last year)
Did hill repeats tonight. Am also trying to work on foot turnover for sections of the downs. All this ultra running had turned me into a shuffler.
You will never guess who got a mention on the podcast I was listening to.
Brighton half end Feb. Am also doing an Ironman end July so shall be doing bits and pieces of biking and swimming along the way.
Nice to have someone else on the plan Northender. Hope you can stick with it.
8 miles with strides for me. Enjoyed the bright weather but the cycle to work was painful. Have ordered some proper cycling socks so my toes don't drop off!
Because of the cold, Ramjet? You need some neoprene overshoes.
Thanks Madbee (sounds great xc), Macca, Ramjet. Welcome Rob. Good luck with the knee Scott and glad you knee's better coop.
10 more tonight... packing them in before the weekend when I might get a park run in, if I'm lucky!
Well done on getting out tonight NE - if its as cold there as here.
Ram - its always the fingers for me on the bike.
Millsy - we need a clue on what sort of podcast you were listening to, stab in the dark, was it BR ?
5x10m laps of woody trails with 2,900m (9,500ft) of elevation - NB Scafell Pike is 978m, Snowden is 1,085m and Ben Nevis is 1,345m, according to google.
An 8am kick off necessitated an early, chilly and misty start. I had read the pre-race briefings which spoke of inclines that only the lead runners would consider running, the rest of us might want to walk them. This being my second ultra-distance, which obviously qualified me as an expert, I decided to run the first lap and take it from there, best laid plans etc.....I think it was about 4 miles in that I were greeted by a leafy slope where ,although not quite needing hands, maintaining a pace just above walking required what felt like an LT effort in terms of breathing and heartrate. On reaching the top, a nice descent began. A few woody trails, some chalk path and a gentle descent lead to the first aid station, at about halfway round the loop. I think I took some water here as I was sweating buckets and a long incline followed for which I managed to maintain a slow run, this would be the only lap that I ran this part. This led to a path marked prophetically as the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". If I recall correctly, this was a long descent with some steeper parts which I flew down. The last 3 miles of each lap included 2 or 3 (they started to merge after a few laps) beasts of a climb. Anything but walking pace was beyond me here on even the first lap. On the bright side, this marked the end of the lap and a flat section through the aid station/finish area. I took some water here but otherwise continued through. Shortly into the 2nd lap, I had to remove my base layer as it soaking wet with sweat. I think this made me the least dressed competitor I saw all day. The other notable point in this lap was a steep downhill section through a field called the "Power Line". I decided to completely let go for this part, arms out, leaning forwards, legs spinning as fast as possible. I overtook a couple of people here with a fine demonstration of downhill technique. However, less than 5 mins later I felt a sharp pain in my right quad, oops. The people I had just overtaken breezed past as I reigned in my enthusiasm whilst trying to diagnose whether it was a race threatening pull or just mild ache. It turned out to be the later. Whilst the sharpness of the pain subsided, the ache spread across the quad, and as if by magic, it soon spread to the other quad. This wasn't a problem on the flats (few in number) or the inclines as the decision to walk all these became easy and guilt free. It was the descents where both quads groaned in unison and the effort to nurse them on the downs became almost harder than running uphill, how bizarre. Anyway, I had trashed my quads around 14 miles into a 50 mile race, good effort. Unsurprisingly, the following laps were more of the same. I managed to limit walks to the inclines, although these got slower and started earlier. I actually looked forward to these as they afforded relief to my quads. The descents slowed and out of necessity it felt like I was working against them rather than with. At various points I took on jelly babies, crisps and chocolate from the aid stations and half a malt loaf I had brought with me but more surprisingly, given the temperature, it was thirst that I struggled to satisfy. The lap splits tell their own story, something like 1hr 37, 1hr 50, 2hrs, 2hrs 10 then in the dark 2hrs 20ish for a 10hr 51m finish in 39th place. Aside from the hills and my quads, abiding memories will be of the mist hanging over the trees, the sun breaking out, then the dark descending, that was the real measure of time. Without wanting to turn all hippy, it was an almost spiritual experiencing, a complete day outdoors, or maybe it was just a break from the desk jockey day job. Its fair
That said, I did get a decent position on the "Power Line" Strava segment
Impressed Macca. Well done. Almost makes me want to try an ultra. Almost.
Plodding along here...struggling to find my running mojo.
I enjoyed that report, but I have to say that nothing about it makes me want to try an ultra.
Nice one Macca - an awesome achievement. I would love to try and ultra one day. 100 miler next then?
Great stuff Macca. I'm really keen. Any thoughts on doing a lap course vs a single loop or through route. I don't really like the idea of a lap course but can see big advantages from a logistics perspective.
Great race report. "Anyway, I had trashed my quads around 14 miles into a 50 mile race, good effort." was my favourite bit.
Great report Macca, it’s always good to read a report on an ultra that makes me less interested in trying one myself
Sounds like a real test of character, well done on seeing it through considering.
It's the "spiritual experiencing" bit that interests me...being an old hippy I do like a bit of that.
Great report Macca, I've done the same thing to my quads during a trail marathon.. I'm very impressed you finished in that state.
Slow jog to work this morning, I went back to sleep after my alarm and the only way to get a run in was to run to (and from) work with a giant backpack with laptop, toiletries etc.
I have joined the strava group too - I should be easy to spot as one of about 3 women on there.
How do you find the strava group?
Oops, found it now and have joined.
Welcome Rob! I’m doing the Brighton marathon and half too. Also doing Worthing, so I’ll be very familiar with that section of coast by April.
BR is on Marathon Talk more than Tony Audenshaw these days…
Great report Macca, amazing effort. Ultras blow my mind, especially with that amount of elevation gain.
Did my first session since Frankfurt today, just 2 x 2 mi at lactate threshold (ish). Really wasn't sure how it would go, particularly given the drop in temperatures this week. I ran it with my watch under my jacket so I didn't freak out about pace or heart rate and just ran by feel. This worked out well and I might do it more often while I settle back in to training.
Averaged 6:55/mi and 6:43/mi for the two 2.2 mile efforts (I didn't push too hard on the first as I really wasn't sure how I would get on). Overall I'm pretty happy with that. Obviously far slower than I have been, but it wasn't terrible and the effort felt sustainable. Legs felt great, they're certainly nice and fresh ready for the big miles coming up.
Also ran past Sorequads, although I was still recovering from the shock of the cold and only realised he said my name about 100m further on. Definitely starting to get my running mojo back I think. Actually looking forward to getting stuck in to the P&D training next week.
Nice one RSR, glad to hear you've got the hunger back just in time. I think we're following the same schedule so will be following with interest.
Saying all that, I fully expect to sign up for it in 2017.