2017 Marathon Training Thread

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  • StewartCStewartC ✭✭✭
    SM, so far the Achilles is reacting ok, I was a little worried running in the Peregrine's as they have a 4mm drop, which is a bit more than I am used to.  well done with the 64 miles, I would have thought you would have dropped a few miles mid week for the Ultra at the weekend. 
    SuperMoose, as Stuart has said it is not going fun, at best you could get up to 16 given you will need at least a two week taper, 
    NP, well done with the long run today 10 miles of up in the 2nd half your legs must be like steel, it is great to hear you are feeling better after the Asthma attack.
  • Stewart - The ultra is just a time on feet long run. I'd rather do it in a race situation as I severely doubt i could go out for 5+ hours on my own. As a result I'm still planning a long run (23-25) tomorrow, but a few less miles midweek (10 and a couple of 5s) otherwise the mileage would get ridiculous.

    Cal - Well done on spotting the deliberate mistake!  :p 
    I can't say I've even got to the point where I can say I could run HM distance without something feeling a bit sore or heavy. A comfortable 20 seems a pipe dream to me.
  • thanks guys, will get up work towards 16 this week and then dabble with the walk/run on a longer distance about 3 weeks before!
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    4 relaxed miles this morning at dawn (needed to be back for the Sky man, who is due to show up soon). Legs not too bad at all.
  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭
    NP glad you're feeling better; well done on that cracking 21 miler
    Cal well done on that early morning 20m.  Long runs do become easier the more you do, but then again each year you're going a little bit faster so nothing ever becomes truly comfortable...
    Sub17 great parkrun time again
    Stuart super week's mileage, well done
    Fiona hope you're not lurgied, and the long run went well
    Stewart good to see you out on the trails again
    Supermoose yep it looks like a walk-run strategy is your best bet (and I don't mean run 18m then limp the remaining 8.2!)
    ---
    Another weekend without a long run - 4m Saturday and 8m Sunday in the pouring rain.  I did manage 47m though for the week, so that's an improvement. ;)

  • Fiona CFiona C ✭✭✭
    Cal for me the long runs just depend how the legs feel on the day - they are usually a slog! The taper makes such a difference.
    Stuart thats a big mileage week - well done. I think when I put almost a weeks training on one post it looks like a lot - only ever run once a day with a day off and turbo with the club on a Tuesday  :) Are you tapering for the D33 or just treating it as an incredibly long training run?!
    Supermoose I agree with Stuart - run/walk from the start would be a good plan.
    NP well done, another great long run and good that the rest days did the trick  :)
    Stewart great that you got round the woods ok - lots of different trails but I think I'll have to get trail shoes as my road shoes are not the best.
    The long run yesterday started pretty miserable in the rain but it brightened up - 20 miles av 8:07mm and covered in mud. A nice recovery run this morning, 5.5 miles which felt ok apart from a horrid cough that isn't going away.
    F
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Fiona, I can believe the mud after marshalling on the Thames towpath yesterday. Everyone had mud up the back of their legs (glad I wore my trail shoes even though I was standing on a wall for most of it!) Hope you get rid of that cough. Is it viral or effort-related? I always find I cough a bit after exerting myself.

    Tek - that's still a mile more than I ran last week. :)

    And Sky is back. Thank God! I had managed to download and watch all my shows on my PC but after a long run, I really find it exhausting even to sit at my desk. I'd rather lounge on my bed (I have a very small flat, so no sofa, so I watch TV on the bed like a big slob).

    I can't believe my Dubai trip is at the end of next week. That snuck up on me quickly...


  • OlliepopOlliepop ✭✭✭
    Hey all, hope it's all good. :)

    Re: time for Manchester, no idea at the moment.  I think I will use it as a springboard for my autumn marathon.  My training was poor for the first few weeks of 2017, and I have been struggling with my asthma, so most of my run have not been as fast as I would have liked.
    So my plan is just to run Manchester as a long run with a medal, then kickstart my training for Autumn, there I would like to aim for sub 2:50.

    - - - - - - - - - - -
    Ran 3 miles this morning, and thinking about going out for a few more miles later tonight.
    Have a good day. image
  • Fiona CFiona C ✭✭✭
    I managed to post earlier without realising that a new page had started!  :o
    Stewart it was Peregrines that I was looking at. It sounds like you are getting on ok with them?
    Thats a decent mileage for the week Teknik  :)
    Good luck with the long run tomorrow Stuart  :) Big miles for having the 33 at the weekend!
    Cal nothing wrong with chilling on the bed to watch TV; great that its fixed now. The cough is a viral thing, I do cough a lot sometimes after a run especially if its cold but this is a chesty cough that is hanging around so I now cough all the way through the run as well as at the end! Great to be getting away at this time of year  B)
    Ollie sounds a good plan for Manchester  :) hope your extra run goes well if you get out.
    F
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Ollie, I hear you. My training has been going well but I'm still a marathon newbie and the 20 mile plus point is still a bit of an unknown. It was awful last time, but I hadn't done as much training due to the groin strain, but even so I'm worried it could turn into a bit of a death march. Consequently, I'm not sure if I should stick with my plan of sub-4:30 (10:15s) or if I should try for a bit quicker, since I seem to be overall faster now anyway.
    I'm also cognisant of the fact that I have Liverpool at the end of May so should I use Manchester to see how I deal with the full distance and aim for Liverpool as the primary goal? Thing is, Liverpool is, by all accounts, "undulating" and being in May it could also be very warm. So it may not be ideal for that.
    Ah, screw it, I'll probably do what I always do anyway which is improvise. :lol:

    Anyway, 6 miles (well, 6.25) this morning. Two to warm-up, 4 supposedly at MP but I picked up some momentum during mile 5 going over the railway bridge and had to rein it in a bit for the last mile.

    My left foot went to sleep again (well, not badly this time, just a touch of pins and needles rather than going fully numb) and I've worked it out that it seems to happen when my lower calves (soleus muscles) are tight and grouchy. So I'll have to make a bit more effort to stretch them.
  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭
    Fiona great going on the 20 miler, and well done on the recovery run. Hope you get shot of that cough soon.
    Cal yay Sky is back ! Nice 6.25m this morning.  Keep up the stretching...
    Ollie nice 3, hope you got out again
    ---
    Yesterday was a 3m recoveery jog, then tonight was a Serpie session of 4 x 6'00" at LT off 60" rest. Averaged 7'01" so roughly on the right pace... :)

  • DadAgainDadAgain ✭✭✭
    Had to drop someone at the airport this morning at 4:30am - so rather than go home and faff about, I did my midweek tempo run somewhere different for a change.

    It was nice and cool (22C) and I was feeling pretty good, so after a 5km warm up almost ignored the watch and just powered into what felt like a good sustainable race pace. I'm aiming for 3:30 in London so 5:00/km is target pace (although that'll be a huge PB improvement on last years Chicago time 3:38 which was itself a huge improvement on my previous race 3:46).

    Finished my 10km tempo section still feeling good and more than able to keep it going - but slowed it down to a jog to cool down and not overdo it. Finished the 20km feeling fresh as a daisy and then looked at the stats. I'd run the tempo section at 4:42/km - thats <3:20 marathon pace! Even my 'recovery pace' was at a speed that in previous years would have been unattainable for any distance.

    I *know* it was only 10km at that speed - and thats a totally different beast to the marathon, but I'm feeling so confident right now I have to be careful not to suffer from goal creep.... There's still a little demon in me that says it would be AWESOME to run a <3:23 BQ time on my 45th birthday at VLM this year!....[no..... its too much...isnt it?]
  • I have been forced to take a week off training due to a hamstring strain. I have been walking with a limp for the last few days. Park Run made it worse and I was limping after crossing the finish line.
    I will consider running my Park Run on Saturday and I will hope for the best. Park Run as my only run per week may be all I can manage for the next week or more.

    I only need 11 more Park Runs to reach my 100th Park Run. Taking them easier and I still get 100 Park Runs within 3 months. 

    Running more than 30 miles per week and trying to fit long runs on top of that and increase mileage is not going to do my hamstrings any good. Doing more cycling will be an easier way to get aerobic fitness in with far less impact.
  • StewartCStewartC ✭✭✭
    SM, did you get the long run done? 
    Tek, decent mileage and it is going in the right direction, well done with the session with the club.
    Fiona, I have only used them once, but the fit is lovely, I wish I could get a running shoe like it, well done with the muddy 20 and easy 5
    Cal, good to hear that Sky is back up and running, well done with the 6 with some MP miles,
    DA, have you got a HM lined up, this would give you an indicator of where your current fitness lies.
    S17, hope the hammie recovers quickly, do you do strength training when you're at the gym?

    -----------------

    4 miles along the canal last night with the headtorch for light, so far so good, will go to the gym tonight to do some more strength work on the legs and get a few miles on the elliptical. 

  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Take it easy, Sub17 - you don't want to blow a hamstring so close to your goal.
    Tek, good speed there!
    DadAgain - guess you're not in Britain if it's 22 degrees!
    Stewart, good going on the 4. I don't much like running in the dark.

    No running for me today. I seem to have picked up a virus of some sort as I slept poorly and woke up feeling out of sorts. I often shake these off after a day or two before they develop into a cold so I hope that's the case. Either way, I'm going to spend the day lounging and napping.
  • DadAgainDadAgain ✭✭✭
    StewartC - No half lined up, but I do have a 10km next week and despite it being a course with a big hill in it, and it coming at the end of a 70km week, I'm tempted to have a red hot go and see if I can grab a PB.

    CalJones - Not in Britain (well deduced!), I'm here in Brisbane Australia enjoying the last couple of mornings as the heat has finally really dropped down from the 30+ degree days and 25+ degree nights that have made training an absolute pain over the last few months.

    I got out for a gentle recovery trot this morning and I was slowww... Only covered 10km, tuesdays speed session and wednesdays tempo run had taken their toll. Time for a rest day to let it all sink in a bit before my favourite run of the week: Saturday 20 miler! :smiley:
  • StewartCStewartC ✭✭✭
    Cal, hope you can kick the bug before it kicks you.
    DA, enjoy the rest day sounds like it is needed.
    ----------
    6 on the x-trainer and more weights last night, will look to do 5 miles this evening probably another head torch run.
  • OlliepopOlliepop ✭✭✭
    Evening all. :)

    Fiona: Did manage to get out for another 3 miles on Monday, hope it's all going well for you?  Any races planned?
    Cal: Improvising sounds like as good a plan as any.  Of course, starting at 10:15 min/miles for the first half, and then increasing the pace if and when you feel ready to is always a safe strategy, but up to you.  I have done Liverpool before (2014), not as flat as Manchester but I can't recall any soul destroying undulations so you should be alright.  The shirt looks quite funky for it this year too.  Nice 6.25 miles the other day too.
    Teknik: Yep, managed to sneak in a second run on Monday.  Nice going on the recovery run, and the Serpie session too, positive paces.
    DadAgain: Nice going on the tempo run, looking good with the paces, hopefully it translates to a good marathon time come London.  Always encouraging to have a nice run that goes smoothly.
    Sub17: Sorry to hear about your hamstring strain, hopefully it eases up soon, and you can get out running again properly.  Hope the cycling/parkruns go well in the meantime.
    SC: Hope you're feeling better today, nice going on the cross trainer/weights.  Hope tonight's run goes to plan.

    - - - - - - - - - - -
    5 miles Fartlek today, all done and dusted.
    And for once this year, I've actually replied to everybody, yippee.

    Hope training goes well for y'all. :)
    Have a good day. image
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done on the running, DA - I don't envy you having to run in that heat.
    Stewart, good job - I've never had to use a torch for running since there are plenty of street lights where I am (the few times I've run in the dark). I think I'd find that quite alarming!
    Well done on the fartlek, Ollie (and for replying to everyone!)

    After two days of doing absolutely sod all, my immune system has kicked that virus into touch so I ventured out for a conservatively paced 4 miler. Lungs and energy levels were fine, legs not so much. Apparently, two days of doing absolutely sod all makes them quite tight and angry. Lower legs were the worst (so left foot went to sleep - of course it did!) but my ITBs were obviously tight from sitting too, which annoyed my knees.
    If this is just two days, I'm going to have to make sure I get up and move a bit more during my marathon recovery week.
  • Fiona CFiona C ✭✭✭
    Cal good to hear that the virus has gone. Hope the legs have recovered from the shock of a run!  ;)
    Well done on the reply Ollie!  :) I've no races planned other than London. Inverness half is this weekend but as I'm doing that distance at marathon pace there's no point paying to run it (relatively) slowly!! Sounds like your training is going well  :)
    Stewart good to see the miles building up  :)
    DA good luck with the 20!   :)
    Sub17 hope that the injury is all better for tomorrow's parkrun  :)
    Teknik thats a good club session  :) Great when the pace is spot on.
    Some 400m intervals for me on Tuesday then club turbo at night, an easy recovery run Wednesday and the MLR on Thursday with some threshold efforts thrown in. Rest day today  :)  and planning the long run tomorrow.  :#
    Good luck to Stuart for the D33  :)  and to anyone else racing over the weekend! 
    F

  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭
    Weekend Races
    11/03/2017 D33 Stuart Martin
    12/03/2017 Nessie

    good luck peeps :)
    ---
    Three days of really bad calf cramps, not sure why...
  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭
    ...and that was supposed to say "Inverness Half " for Nessie...(no edit function anymore)
  • I ran 18:08 in my Park Run, opening mile in 5:30, 2 miles in 11:20. I slowed down over the final 1.1 miles to finish in third place and 90th Park Run complete! 1 or 2 easy cycles during the week ahead of my next Park Run.
  • StewartCStewartC ✭✭✭
    S17, some days the legs won't play ball, still a very good time all the same,
    Tek, hope the calf cramps and settled down sounds very painful, 
    Fiona, it is a bit pricey for a training run, unfortunately I have a place but will not run as that would be stupid! training appears to be going well how is the ankle holding up?
    Cal, I am not a fan of the head-torch runs either but needs must, good to hear you have shaken that bug, hope the legs are feeling a bit looser today.
    Ollie, good fartlek running, it is nice to mix it up :)

    ------------

    5 and 3 miles along the canal followed up with some weights and Body Balance on Thursday and Friday respectively, as mentioned I am not doing the half even though I have a place but will go out for around 6 on Sunday, might hit the woods around Balloch again.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Tek, ouch mate. Not fun. You know you can relieve a calf spasm by pulling your big toe back? Not ideal if you're trying to run at the same time but it's good for those horrible night time calf cramps, if you ever get those. I once had a calf cramp because I was stupid enough to try shaving my legs in the bath after a half marathon. Apparently my legs didn't like that much after a race. Rookie mistake.

    Well done S17. Closing in on that 100!

    Good training, Stewart. Don't trip over a root, will you?

    Talking of tripping, I made a right arse of myself while warming up for parkrun today. Doing a few side skips and I somehow lost my footing and ended up on the floor with my legs over my head. It was pretty hilarious (I didn't hurt myself, luckily). And yeah, lots of people saw...

    I'm still pretty stiff so I decided to do parkrun as a tempo. Ran around HM pace, which felt hard enough especially as my left shin was tight and that made for an uncomfortable run. A girl from my yoga class spotted me on the last lap and decided to engage me in conversation so that didn't do my speed any favours either - not that a PB was on the course. Unfortunately, my local has now become too crowded to be a PB course. The lovely weather (it was my first T-shirt run of the year!) also brought a lot of people out, so the first half mile or so was little more than a jog.

    I was hoping to do my last 20 tomorrow but I'll see how I feel and if I don't go that far, it won't be a disaster as I've got two 20s in the bag as it is.

  • OlliepopOlliepop ✭✭✭
    Afternoon. :)

    Belated good luck to SM6 for D33, hope it went well today.

    Cal: Nice going on the 4 miles yesterday, and the parkrun today, especially after a fall.  Good to hear you weren't hurt though, and could still run at a tempo pace.
    Fiona: Sounds like a good week of training, hope you managed to get a decent long run in today.  Unrelated to running, my book collection is still ever growing though my reading is stagnating...
    Teknik: Hope the cramps ease off soon, doesn't sound good at all.
    Sub17: Nice parkrunning today; that's a good few parkruns racked up, not too long until you reach 100.
    SC: Sounds like a nice few miles down the canal.  I believe my friends (the geese) will soon be back on the canal path so I best enjoy my canal runs whilst the freedom lasts.

    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    13.3 miles or thereabouts including a parkrun shoved in the middle of it (19:50), good to be hitting sub-20s following a 5 mile warm up, and nice weather for it as well.
    Have a good day. image
  • Fiona CFiona C ✭✭✭
    edited March 2017
    Teknik I hope those cramps disappear  :/ Do you take electrolyte drinks like Zeros?
    Sub17 well done on the 90th parkrun.  :)
    Stewart that sounds sensible re the half! the ground is a little drier up here - hope it was better round the canal than last week, don't think I've ever been so messy.  :s The ankle still niggles away, can be very sore at times but (touches wood) always runnable.
    Well done on the park run Cal. Unbelievable that someone tried chatting! Hope you get a decent day for your 20 tomorrow  :) as you say you'll be fine with less with two 20's done already. 
    Ollie I've been reading loads recently and am even rereading a Julian Barnes book that I bought years ago (have rarely done that!) I must start working on the backlog instead of buying new ones. Great park run sandwich today.  :)
    Noticed that the Inverness park run route has changed this week for a while as the course is so churned up - why I don't do the park run very often...
    Managed to get my long run done today but it was a rubbish one. Can't shake off my cough so had frequent stops to cough/wheeze then for a stitch. Managed a 3.5 mile warm up then 13 miles at 7:16mm pace then a 3.5 mile cool down. Happy that its done but not a quality run. 
    Hope that Stuart had a good day out at the D33.
    F
  • Fiona - 20 miles with 13 @ 3:10 pace is definitely a quality run! :) Well done!

    Ollie - Well done on the 13, with a decent parkrun thrown in!  :)

    Cal - Hope you managed the 20 today :) , shame about parkrun yesterday

    Stewart - Good couple of shorter runs, hope the 6 goes ok :)

    Tek - Hope you get the calf cramps out the way!

    s17 - Well done on the parkrun!

    DA - Hope you managed the 20 miles!

    -----------

    Bit of a disaster yesterday for me, but unlike the previous 2 Saturdays I did at least finish...

    Made a couple of big mistakes that I'll need to learn from, and the lack of long runs did show up. Melted down about 24 miles, and struggled back in 5:51 odd (after turning in 2:33?). Still got time to get a few good long runs before the Fling so not too concerned yet

  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well Stuart, at least you got it done. More than I can say. Felt under the weather again when I woke up so I guess the virus wasn't quite as gone as I thought. I'm not *very* ill, but certainly not up to doing a 20, so taking an additional rest day today. I'll do some sort of run tomorrow. Tuesday I'm doing a first aid course, so that's out, but I hope to get a longish run in Wednesday or Thursday before I go to Dubai. It's not ideal but as I already have 2 x 20 milers done and 5 runs over 18 miles, I'm not too worried.
    Fiona, take it easy eh?
    Ollie, good job on the long parkrun!

  • StewartCStewartC ✭✭✭
    Cal, better to rest if you're feeling unwell, 
    SM, I saw the run on Strava, congratulations, I am sure you have learnt loads and will make the necessary adjustments for the Fling.
    Fiona, 13 @ MP while still not fully 1000% recovered is a good run in my book, good to hear you are managing the ankle, 
    Ollie, well done with the MLR parkrun sandwich, a good time at pr too.

    ----------

    I decided to go up to Abriachan for my run today, 6 miles on a trail along the Great Glen Way, a really nice day for it, I'll probably do the Drum to Inverness section later this year once I have built back up.
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