Manchester Marathon 2018

Tom13

No Robert it will be my first Abingdon. Was supposed to do it last year but got injured in the build up. Have heard it is fast so hopefully get decent conditions for a stab at something around my PB (2:41-London this year). Hope you feel better soon so you are ready to go in 2 weeks! Main training banked as you say.

Robert OHara

Wowza Tom, you're a proper fast runner, you'll fit in well at Abingdon then, the only negative I have of the race is water in plastic cups, I'm not a fan but it works for others.

If you read some of the reviews people moan about a steep bit at mile 23/24... all it is, is a subway cycle path that you have to power up for about 50meters.

Man flu virus is going managed a gentle 3.5 mile run today and don't feel awful.

Cheesecakerunner

Booked! And also waiting on VLM ballot. found this guide to preparing to train online which has useful info https://cheesecakerunner.lpages.co/sign-up-to-marathon-preparation-guide/

MemphisRaines

Hi all. 2nd time for me. Absolutely bloody awful last time, great til 16 then the wheels didn't so much fall off as get turned into lead blocks. But the support rocked....especially hosepipe alley!

CotswoldRunner

I'm signed up for Manchester. Only my second ever road marathon and am hoping it goes considerably better than my first. In fact, I'm looking to knock well over an hour off my time! I have a half coming up which should help me with a rough target time and I'll then try and nail that down with another half in the run up. Just been looking at hotels and was considering staying near Altrincham the night before and getting metrolink in to Trafford. Does that sound like a decent plan for those who know Manchester?

Tom13

Cotswoldrunner-When I did Manchester last year we stayed in Altrincham and got the metro to Trafford on the day. This worked out very well so would recommend and will be doing the same again in April.

CotswoldRunner

Thanks Tom, that sounds like a plan then.

Robert OHara

Memphisraines/cotswoldrunner hope lessons learnt from the 1st marathon, it took me to marathon 7 before I had a good one!!!  

I've got a couple of bookings at Salford Quay, unsure if staying one or two nights at the moment. 

Just packed and ready to a trip to cornwall, Atlantic Coast Challenge, 3 marathons, 3 days from Padstow to Landsend along the coastal path, excited by it however very nervous.  

Still not heard from VLM guessing it'll be a no.

Leeds_Lion

Got a no from VLM ballot. Looking at Manchester. Did the bag situation get sorted this year as don't fancy the long wait like 2016....

NorthEnder

All went like clockwork in 2017, leeds

Robert OHara

just thought I'd pop in, Atlantic Coast Challenge completed last week.  Just one more race this year Stort 30 an easy 15 miles out and back along river path.  Then looking forward to a rest before starting Manchester training.

Anyone else got any challenges before Manchester?

Atlantic coast challenge - the review if anyone fancies a bedtime read

http://robsrunningatoz.blogspot.com/2017/10/atlantic-coast-challenge-long-haul.html

main points

day 1, 4000ft elevation, stunning weather 5hr02

day 2 another 4000ft elevation, weather awful, still stunning 5hr20

day 3, can f*ck off, it was hell!!!!!! I am a runner not rock climber! 8hr48

Brilliant fun, brilliant challenge, stunning views, organization was great and recommend 100%

Getumer

Thanks for the info

Robert OHara

Has anyone got any ideas or plans they are going to follow for Manchester?  Mine used to be on this website when they did the project asics a few years ago, its a 3.30 plan which I have adapted when going for sub 4 and will probably follow it a bit closer this time round as hoping to get closer to 3.30.

Plan starts the week before xmas!

Stockholm Syndrome

Robert OHara said:

Has anyone got any ideas or plans they are going to follow for Manchester?  Mine used to be on this website when they did the project asics a few years ago, its a 3.30 plan which I have adapted when going for sub 4 and will probably follow it a bit closer this time round as hoping to get closer to 3.30.

Plan starts the week before xmas!

I have followed Shades intermediate plan with good results (3:29 in Barcelona last year and 3:32 in Milan this year). Although it isn´t specifically made for a certain time you can easily adjust the paces to fit the training for your time goal.

Personally I made the last 7 km of every long run in the last eight weeks in marathon pace and that seemed to be a good strategy. I also changed the tempo run for a 11 km run that I took from Furman/FIRST during this period.

stu1970

I've entered for Manchester which will be my first marathon. Did the Cardiff half in October and will be doing two more halves in December and February before then. Longest single training run is about 11 miles at the moment so hopefully have enough time to build up to 22 miles beforehand. Following the intermediate plan on the London Marathon website.

In case anyone is looking for accommodation, I've booked in at one of the Premier Inns which seem to still have quite decent prices for that weekend. They don't show up on LastMinute.com etc so worth checking out. Everything else seems quite expensive, especially with Manchester derby that weekend too.

Robert OHara

Stockholm Syndrome said:

Personally I made the last 7 km of every long run in the last eight weeks in marathon pace and that seemed to be a good strategy.

\similar to this I also find running the 2nd half of my long run (every other week) at marathon pace.  

Stu good luck with the training and well done for signing up to your 1st.  With it being your 1st marathon be careful with the 22 miles.  

After running Stort 30 on sunday, November is about doing some strength and conditioning in the gym, and get some speed back into my legs with some interval sessions, got a 10k race in december.  Then to start the 16 week cycle for Manchester.

RobFrost

Hi all, signed up for the Manchester marathon at the weekend, really looking forward to it as it's my first marathon, done a few half's and really enjoyed those

RobFrost

Also I meant to say that I'm booked into a hotel on the Salford Quays, as I've never been to Manchester before, is this a short walk to the start line?

NorthEnder

Salford Quays is perfect walking distance.  Which hotel Rob?

I've not entered yet.  In fact I've entered the inaugural Newport on 29th April...  it should also be very flat and no need for any hotel for that one. 

But I've done the last 3 Manchesters and if my training goes well, and if I feel I'm on for a PB that could possibly get GFA (3hr 20 min), I might still enter in 2018 because I'm familiar with it and I don't run the risk of organisational difficulties that can sometimes strike the first running of a new race.  For sure, if I was to achieve 3:20, I can't afford to lose a single minute arising from any unknowns.

To that end, I started my 18 week Pfitzinger & Douglas (P&D) plan last night.  Has  anyone else got under way?

whyamidoingamarathon

I am training for a marathon and using a plan from the internet. It has written to do this tonight:

Threshold run 30 mins to include 2 x 5 mins @ threshold/ 2min jog/walk recovery

I know what threshold runs are, but 5+2+5+2 doesnt =30. Can someone please explain exactly how my run should be planned out?

Thanks!

Robert OHara

Hi Rob Salford Quays is only about a mile or so from the start so defo walkable, thinks I stayed there when I have been up to watch football years ago.  I'm too also in SQ, got a couple of bookings copthorne and some basement bargain hotel, have to decide which and let one go soon.

Northender I have a 16 week plan so will start it next week a few days early but with xmas I can give myself a bit of leaway.

WAIDAM I'm guessing the 30 mins includes a warm up and warm down either side?

Have a 10k at the weekend at Londons regents park, I hate 10k races and regret entering them every time, the discomfort is too much for too long a time!  I've been tapering and carb loading for the last 6 weeks so not in great shape but looking forward to starting my plan.

Ian5

I'm back in again,done it twice before.it was my first 2 years ago and last year I had a fall which wrecked my race so unfinished business.Got a different plan to normal in that I'm doing Gran Canaria at the end of Jan,then 10 weeks until Manchester.

Zippy Khatru

Marathon training started this week. I have had a couple months of solid XC and trail races which hopefully has set me up well to begin training.

lanky_liz

Training starts tomorrow for me.  First race in 6 years!  Not had time to devote to running since my boy was born but now he’s just started  school I’m going to give it a go.  I actually was supposed to run the first GM marathon in 2012.  Trained hard and was hoping to crack 3.30 having run 2 marathons a year for the previous few years.  Then I found out I was pregnant on the day I picked up my race number!  So I never ran and haven’t raced since.  I still run though but at about half the mileage I did before.  So now here I am, in a different age bracket ?, a lot slower, with less time to train and certainly not looking at 3.30, but I’m going to have at it anyway.
Have fun training !

saintjason

I'm in again. Haven't run it since the short course debacle in 2015? Can't remember - I've blanked it out of my mind since I thought I had broken 3 hours (2:58) Gutted. 

Haven't trained properly since that year either. 

Hoping posting here motivates me to get some miles run in January in prep for the start of my plan. 

As always, its glad to be among "friends"  

Merry Crimbo all (I'm considering joining Mrs SJ on the Gin to save more lbs accumulating) 

Robert OHara

Ian nice bit of January sun won't hurt, nice time to stetch the legs and be ready for Manchester.. feeling envious of you!

Zippy, have done a lot of training off road over past 6 months but not a club member so don't have much oppo for xc unfortunately but defo great form of winter training you be speeding along a nice flat surface.

Liz welcome back to the running world, great attitude and hope you fall back into the training routine.

Jason know someone who went sub 3.15 in 2015 busted a gut in the final stretch only to find out the wheel is out and I he had a good 'fun run' Manchester have done well to keep on going and have only heard good things about the race.  As for the gin its a smart move, I can't stand the stuff so will be careful on the beer.

My training plan started this week, snow and man flu took it's toll and I ended up not running for 2 weeks and been playing tricks on my mind, feel 3 stone heavier and unfit.  Hopefully will get some runs in over the festive period and the forced break be a blessing as I'll have fresh legs for a good bank of training after 1600 miles in 2017.

Anyone planning a xmas day parkrun? 

Cal Jones

I am in for the third time, too, but I've had a rubbish Autumn for injury so I'm well behind on training (in fact, only just started running again in the past couple of weeks following a cortisone shot in my hip). So hopefully I can stay uninjured and get enough training done.
Did South Manchester parkrun yesterday (I'm a Londoner but I stay with a Manchester friend for Christmas as my parents died a few years ago). I did my local parkrun two days prior and that's the first I've managed since August, I think. My times are way off my best but I'm not going to worry about speed until I've got my distances back up again. The furthest I've managed since the injury is 6 miles last Wednesday, so I've a long way to go yet.

Sol2

I've just signed up myself. Being in pretty much the same boat as Cal, ie, finding myself injured (ITB syndrome) in October. I rested it for several weeks, but whenever I tried to run again, not only had the pain not gone, but worse, my fitness had gone way down! Long story short, I kinda lost motivation for a while. I got a wake up call last week out on a run which was dismal. Very slow at a very high heart rate. I decided I've got to keep training. So I signed up.

Still 15 weeks to go, so I have a chance of regaining some fitness. Meantime, the knee has improved a lot, but still bothers me, especially at higher paces. The physio has given me homework to do, which I religiously adhere to 3 times a day. I really hope it goes soon. 

This being my debut marathon, I put down an estimated finish time of 3:30, although in truth, I have no idea what it might be in the end. I'm hoping that I can regain enough speed and endurance in the interim. Before the injury I had just BP'd in both the HM and 5k, achieving 1:28 and 19:20 respectively. 

Good luck to everyone else in the training! 

saintjason

Robert - that's some mielage in 2017. I don't think I have ever run that much in a calendar year even when I was running well. Possibly why I have fallen short of my true potential IMO. No Xmas day running at my end. Took the day off having briefly contemplated a jog! 

Cal - Fingers crossed your hip worries are behind you. I am also not fretting about times or pace at this point. Purely getting back into regaular training. I managed a 10 miler on Boxing Day which is the furthest I have run since Manchester 2015! 

Sol2 - Same boat as me - unfit - lacking motivation - hence signing up for another marathon and logging into this site - I am amazed it still works tbh but does get me back into the swing of things. When did you run your PB's? This year? Those are good base times for 3:30 or even a little faster. 

I'm building back up to around 35 miles this week total and I will inch that up over the next few weeks to around 45-50. Baby steps though. I am also going to dust off the P&D manual to see how I can shoe-horn a schedule into the weeks remaining. 

Cal Jones

Sol2 - yeah, my hip issue is actually my TFL, which sits at the top of the ITB, so I guess we're doing a lot of the same rehab.

saintjason - well done on the 10. I managed 7 midweek. I've a long way to go yet. I'm running Hampton Court half in February and I'm so much slower than last year (my parkrun pace is way slower than my HM PB pace, alas!) but I'm hoping I'll get some of it back. You can't really rush an injury, especially not at my age (50!)