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P&D Autumn Marathon 2018
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That's my poor excuse for a post to cover everything.
21.7M at 7:19m/m yesterday morning for another 70M week. Happy wih this given the holiday. Felt pretty tired during the run, and it was a tad longer than I planned - but it was enjoyable exploring a new area.
6M recovery this morn at 8:40 m/m.
Planning on unleashing some new Adios tomorrow for a few strides, before donning the flats for my first ever track race on Wednesday night. 5000m. It is seeded apparently, so hopefully a good chance to post a solid time. Any tips from be regular track racers? And does Jooligan fancy it?
Nice long run HA.
Welcome Nonstick, good luck with your Abingdon training.
I've enjoyed looking at your holiday running and biking SQ and Scott.
Nice post hols long run SQ and good luck for the 5000m.
Decent weekend of running for me. 5 miles recovery on Saturday - much cooler and could have kept going for hours. Sunday was warm and very sunny again for just short of 17m on a one-way taking in two minor valleys. Found that one much tougher than the 16 with 10 @ mara pace the week before! Straight into the river post run to cool the legs/feet but the water was a bit too shallow and warm to provide much refreshment. Cut back week this week.
Sounds like training is going well Hazel, great work.
Hope the physio sorts things out Steve.
Speedy little session there Scott!
Yeah HA I definitely find shorter races more daunting than longer ones, that high pace intensity is tough. Great long run, glad your “pop” is coming back to you.
Welcome Nonstick.
Welcome back SQ. Your runs in France looked amazing, and great work on the Mt Ventoux climb. Nice long run yesterday too, fantastic consistency from you lately. Good luck for the track 5K!
Great long run chicksta.
HA regarding your blood work, I did a test back in Feb on the advice of the dietician we were working with for that magazine thing, mainly to check vitamin D levels. My ferritin was on the low end at 54, but she said it’s hard to read too much in to that figure without full red/white info, and that value wasn't anything to worry about. Apparently they try to ensure athletes going to altitude are at 50+ as you need more iron at altitude. So given you’re at 21 some extra iron in the diet probably wouldn’t hurt.
A disappointing training block came to a disappointing end for me on Saturday. My nephew was also running the race, so in ensuring he was all set I neglected to get a good starting position. I began a few rows back and had to work my way around quite a few people before I could settle in to a good rhythm. Went through 1/4 mile (they helpfully have markers at each 1/4 split) right on pace at 1:15, but I had already wasted too much energy I think, and my legs were feeling flat. The second 1/4 mile slowed to 1:23, and then 1:21 and 1:19 for a 5:21 finish.
I knew I wasn’t in sub-5 shape but hoped I’d do a bit better than that. Looking back I feel like I could probably have pushed a bit harder, but the problem with a mile race is it's all over so fast (even if it doesn't feel like it at the time!) Still, a PB is a PB I suppose. I stuck with the training plan as I wanted to make sure I gave it a fair go, but it feels like I put a lot of work in without getting a lot back in return. If nothing else it has confirmed my belief that I don’t really respond that well to speedwork. Longer distances are definitely my strength!
Looking forward to getting back to what I know now, ready for Frankfurt. The plan is pretty similar to last time, as that worked so well. The next few weeks will be about building the mileage back up, with a bit of tempo work too, before the more specific sessions start. Although I’m not looking forward to my first double since before Manchester this afternoon, in forecast 30º heat!
Welcome back Chicksta and also Nonstick. Will be good to hear how your P&D training goes, sounds like you’re off to great starts.
It it doesn’t seem long ago we were finishing our Spring marathons. Good training Hazel, SQ, Scott, HA77. The speedwork will still help with marathon training Spoons so I’m sure you’ll reap the benefits.
Still doing a mix of runs that I feel like doing. Red Bull are doing a challenge on a local trail, so the Strava segment has been getting some decent runners giving it a go. Current leader is the Aussie 10000m record holder - he’s over 3 mins quicker than anyone else! I had a test run last week and went for it today. Managed to sneak under 45 mins, so a good workout although the stairs killed me. Also did a 18k MP run over the weekend, it was such a great cold sunny day. Next up a flat fast 10k this weekend, hoping for a PB and sub 38.
Hard luck with the mile, spoons. Although as you’ve said, starting further back than planned will have had a big impact in such a short race. I also think the training will be positive long term - it has got to have helped your speed reserve. Did you nephew manage ok and enjoy? Good luck with the sauna double!
That’s a very decent chunk at MP, John. It might not seem log since spring marathon time, but you’ve fitted in a ridiculous amount since!
Hazel: Your training is going really well. Like the idea of a post-run splash.
A mile is so unforgiving if you start it wrong, Spoons. Don't beat yourself up. Laura Muir fckd hers up badly trying to smash Zola Budd's 30 year old record and she's a pro.
Enjoy your Frankfurt training plan. I'd probably ditch doubles in this weather and much rather run 10 miles in one go first thing.
Great MP work, JohnOz. Please send some of that cold our way. We're forecast +30 temps every day for the next 2 weeks or so.
10 mile GA run first thing for me. Pace and HR were not so bad but it felt kinda hard. Just one of those runs where it's all in the head I guess. I didn't run yesterday, just cycled a bit for recovery. Strides coming up tomorrow. I really enjoy those. There's a little park near work with a bouncy 100m track which is perfect for them.
- Sorequads - 13 week P&D/BAC - goal sub 2:50 (need to actually get a race place)
- Jooligan - no training schedule & no target (as yet)
Snowdonia Marathon - 27th October 2018Frankfurt Marathon - 28th October 2018
Good fartlek and long run HA
Welcome to the forum Nonstick
The pictures looked wonderful SQ, only advice I can give from my 1 5000m track race was don't get too hung up on lap splits as I certainly did
Yes, some of the more track focused sessions can be very short chicksta, along with WU/CD and long recoveries it all adds up
Lots of big mileage getting done, don't know how you're all doing it in the heat. Southampton is getting used to me being topless currently
Despite not necessarily getting the results you wanted from the speedwork Spoons I'm sure it will benefit the marathon training
Some cracking times set at anniversary games and diamond league at the weekend, I want some of what they were on!
Solo session of 5mins, 6 x 30s, 5mins today. Easy 30 tomorrow before a Watford 1500m on Wednesday
Good to see the target out there, Chicksta. And the 100m track sounds ideal for strides.
6M with 6 x strides for me this morn. Legs still very heavy.
- AWC - 14 week DIY plan - goal to finish (30hr cut-off)
Berlin Marathon - 16th September 2018- Sorequads - 13 week P&D/BAC - goal sub 2:50 (need to actually get a race place)
- Jooligan - no training schedule & no target (as yet)
Snowdonia Marathon - 27th October 2018- Sorequads - P&D/BAC - goal sub 3, depending on Abingdon
Frankfurt Marathon - 28th October 2018Great training John, nice to have some time “off plan” sometimes. Very jealous of your cold sunny days, although what we have here in the UK at the moment is nothing compared to what you have to cope with in the summer I think.
My nephew really enjoyed it thanks SQ. Love the Adios but white and gold sounds like quite a colourway! I hope they were cheap
Problem is chicksta, I’ll soon be doing 10 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon, so I need to get used to these hot afternoons really. Although if it carries on quite this warm, I might retreat to the gym. I know what you mean about those runs where everything is right stats wise, but it feels a struggle. Good practice of mental strength I guess.
Good luck at Watford Scott. I enjoyed Monaco, but didn’t catch much of London. Amazing run from Chepkoech in the steeplechase, although awkward timing given the previous holder has just been caught doping. On that subject, I’ve also enjoyed what I’ve caught of the TdF so far. Madness just now as the peloton had to stop due to a police officer accidentally pepper spraying the peloton while trying to stop farmers who were blocking the road with hay bales. And now it’s peeing it down.
Agree about the break AWC, that was part of the plan so hopefully it’ll work out as you suggest. Great to be going in to the NDW knowing you’ve put some great training in. I think it would be more worrying if you weren’t scared by the prospect of 100 miles!
It was very warm and breezy for my recovery yesterday. I took a frozen water bottle with me to help stay cool, but within 3 miles it was at ambient temperature. Pretty sweaty for my easy 10 along the canal this morning too. Just trying to keep the effort levels right (even if the HR is elevated) and not worry about pace, after all at this stage it’s not what is important.
Good idea with the frozen water bottle, spoons, even if lasted only a short time. A return to Pitchcroft I see today. Hope it went well.
Jut a 2M shakeout for me this morning. Collecting croissants on route means I don’t use up a ‘running life’. Weather looks hot for tonight but not too windy. Quite excited for something different.
Spoons: Gym sounds like a good idea for the afternoon session.
I did my 8 miles with strides yesterday and then retreated to the gym for a kettlebell cool down. It was blissfully airconditioned. Speedy session there! I can just about do 5:52 per kilometre in this heat
SQ: Clever strategy
Scott: Hope your track 1500m went well.
MLR on the menu today. Ran at 4:45am to avoid the worst of the heat. Didn't help me much as it never really cooled down over night and was 24 degrees as I set off. Managed 14.5 of the scheduled 15. My marathon is doomed now of course ...
Good fartlek spoons. Not far off your mile pace
John - I saw that run from Clontarf to Manly on Strava. A few years back I paddled around that headland. It's an awesome bit of the harbour, very jealous.
Nice fartlek Spoon. Back on the horse.
Solid and consistent chicksta.
Good luck on the track SQ and Scott. I haven't run a 5000m since school but I seem to remember my best times were when I went out hard, in control for about 1 lap, then held on for the rest. Not much fun.
Cheers for the iron advice Spoon and SQ. Will definitely be making an effort from now on.
Did one of my standard track sessions this morning 8x 400 with 200 float (with a final fast 200 to get up to 5k), also added on a single 1k rep at the end. Managed 17:07 for the 5k, then 3:15 for the 1k rep. Definite improvement on a couple of weeks back but still a way to go from where I was this time last year.
Well done on your mile nonetheless spoons. Can you go out in the later evenings or at least run on a route with plenty of shade? The frozen water bottle sounds nice - I tried out soaking a buff and wearing it on my head again yesterday - helped a lot to stop the head overheating initially and I didn't care how it looked.
Good idea with the 100m track for the strides chicksta. I might try to use the a local school's one, don't think anyone would mind. Might be shorter than 100m though. Nice early MLR too. Wish I could get up that early. Will try again tomorrow but not that early.
Good luck for Watford Scott if your read this in time, if not I hope it went well.
White and gold doesn't sound too awful for shoes SQ though I would prefer the orange variety probably. Just no pink. Could you do croissant delivery over here as well please?
Good to hear the taper is going well AWC. Hope it will cool down a bit in the next few days. I can't get my head around the thought of 100 miles.
Nice session HA.
Hot sort-of MLR yesterday evening for me. Around 30 degrees when I set off but I coped with the heat surprisingly well though I did get very thirsty towards the end. About 5.5 miles flat on my own then another 6.5 or so with my Tuesday group on a shadier route than normal but as usual with plenty of upping and downing. The bottles of beer I had dropped into the village fountain went down very well post-run in particular the ones with no or little alcohol.
My wife keeps trying to persuade me to move closer to school and grandparents but I’ve quickly put a stop to those thoughts.
Good P&Ding going on despite the heat.
Hazel: Well done on your hot run. Cooling beers in the village fountain is a fab idea.
I couldn't drag my bones out of bed early enough this morning. Some honk on a moped sped past our house at 1am, just as I'd managed to fall asleep. I thought there was a serial killer wielding a chainsaw by my bed, it was so damn loud. Rush of adrenaline meant I was awake for another couple of hours. Sigh. If I can managed I'll nip out to the gym at lunchtime to do my recovery run on the TM. At least they have air con.
I've been reading along as things have been happening; seems like everyone is getting back into it nicely and there's a good buzz around the thread. Steve - sorry to hear about the tendonitis and having to defer NYC; hope it clears up soon.
I've finally finished the full ironman blog (it's a two parter!), if anyone wants to read the full details;
https://spragginsblog.wordpress.com/
Morning all.
Good to see a solid track session in there, HA. I’ve been saying it for years, but I must try that one. That’s the good thing about this forum (an not sticking to a plan), there are so many great sessions to test out.
Pre stored bottles of beer sounds like excellent club mate behaviour, Hazel.
A lot to be said for having grandparents on tap, John. But your trails always look amazing. Surely get the in laws to move towards you?
Chicksta, I hate how loud motorbikes and mopeds are. How is this allowed?
Hard luck on be tendinitis, Steve. Best of luck with the recovery. Good you won’t lose too much money. Can you defer for next year easily enough?
Well deserved downtime, Joe. I’ll have a read shortly.
Great fun at my first ever track race last night. There was a great atmosphere, with the sun shining brightly over the stadium. When signing up, I felt fat and likely very slow - it was a hell of a queue, rubbing shoulders with the fastest athletes in the county and even a commonwealth games 10,000m runner. All sorts of events were taking place with every conceivable age and ability. Early highlights were the 400m hurdles that included a heat of two: a young girl and a guy surely in his 70s. Also the pole vault. What a bonkers event that is.
I began my warm up when the A race started (I was in the C). They had a pacer looking to get lots under 5 mins. Not sure many made it, but it was still very hot at this point.
I was excited yet a little nervous lining up for my heat and a few things struck me that sound obvious, but were very different to a road race: being started by a gun (although I once did a half that was started by a cannon), getting timing feedback every lap, spectators being able to beer you on 12 times and a lap counter going down.
With my PB of 17:46 (albeit a parkrun, so who knows how accurate), I was delighted that a mate and someone else were going to pace 17:30. There were about 20 or so in the heat, and I found myself in a group of 3 or 4 with the pacers. They were metronomic with each lap coming within half a second of the required 1:24. My HR was pleasingly high (I often struggle to, err, get it up), even touching 181 at one point. The laps counting down was good mentally, as we were soon at 7 to go - so not playing with big numbers. God, a 10,000 must be tough. The others drifted off and it was just me and the pacers with about 4 laps left. I was really struggling now, and drifted slightly with a couple of laps to go. Managed to get back on pace for the last lap, and collapsed on the ground with a 17:38. Very happy with that, as running 22M three days before probably isn’t highly recommended. Slightly astonished to have run 3 x 5:36 miles.
For anyone who is considering a track race, then go for it - great fun!
12M easy this morning. Calves didn’t feel as beaten up as I feared.
Really enjoyed the blog, Joe. Still can’t get over the incredible recovery post crash. And neat idea with the small bag to run with from transition. All in all, not bad for a ‘fat lad’! Hangover permitting, I’ll be at Battersea track tomorrow morning if you fancy easing your way back into the running.
Fantastic on the PB SQ and amazed you managed a 12 miler this morning
I'm starting to wonder if this heat is here to stay forever. Probably shouldnt complain as we'll be back to the dark/windy and wet runs soon enough
Fantastic blog Joe, how is the leg healing up?
Strong looking session Spoons considering it's still early days
Sorry to hear about the tendonitis Steve but hopefully you can start easing back into it and keep the fitness up with cycling
Disappointing run at Watford last night, think the running at elevation etc last week took its tool. Splits were roughly, 67, 2:16, 3.08ish at 1100m, finished in 4:19. Not what I wanted but get another crack at an 800m in Oxford on Sat. Got to watch an amazing elite 3000m race though, 11 men went sub 8mins!! Winner in 7:53, absolutely amazing.
TM in a nice cool gym for a recovery run sounds nice in theory Chicksta but I've only "run" on one a couple of times and didn't like it so I will stick to outdoors. I'm another noisy engine hater.
Sorry to hear about NYC SteveMac but a wise decision - I can imagine it isn't the cheapest of maras to do.
Congratulations on your 5000m PB SQ. Nice report too.
Bad luck on Watford Scott but good luck for Saturday and the 800m. The 3000m must have been exciting to watch - I've never seen a fast track race, just elite runners going fast in the opposite direction in road races.
9 miles this morning with 6km at LT pace. Wasn't really in the mood for it after a bad night's sleep but after a few mediocre warm up miles I managed to do the 6km without fading though I needed a short walking break at the end prior to some cool down metres. The 4 and 5 mile LT runs I did in recent weeks felt considerably easier.
Steve: Sorry to hear about having to pull out of NYC
Scott: For a slowster like me that's mindbogglingly fast. Sub 5 min miling is pretty bloody awesome. Track racing is way too strategic for me.
Joe: What an inspiring blog. Always had you down as one of those naturals so even more impressed now what with the ex-fat lad from Essex
Not much to report other than a boring little recovery run on the TM. Simply too hot to run outside. This is the first time I have to resort to the TM in summer. It's usually a winter fall back when there's ice and snow. Saw a pair of mad ultra runners shuffling past the gym windows in full gear. Good MdS training I guess (36 degrees today).