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P&D Spring Marathon 2020
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I'll be surprised if there are any big Spring races on but I guess we just have to wait and see. I might end up doing a couple of ultras rather than a marathon - I'd hoped to do my first ultra in June so if there are no big spring maras, I guess I've got no excuse.
I've got my 10K next Sunday and sod's law dictates that there are no trains running which is going to be an arse as, thanks to all the Covid measures, I have to be there by 7.40am. I can just about make it if I do a long roundabout journey on the tube at arse o'clock. (I could run there, but it's 8 miles and I doubt I'd have a great 10K after that).
Funeral went as well as can be expected - it was nice to catch up with my godmother's daughters who were close friends of mine when I was a kid. The train journey down there, though, was a pain as there were power lines down or something so the trains from King's Cross were cancelled and I had to get back on the tube to go to Liverpool Street and change at Cambridge. Eh, well, got there in the end. When I got there, Frances (the elder daughter) cooked dinner and plied me with wine so, being a very infrequent drinker, I ended up a bit hung over.
Journey home was much better, thankfully.
Unfortunately, godmother's husband (not officially my godfather though I tend to think of him as such) is on a sharp decline and had to go to hospital and couldn't attend the funeral. I suspect I may be down there again sooner rather than later.
6 recovery-pace miles today - not the nicest run but there was a pretty sky for the first mile or so. Hopefully I'll have a bit more pep in my stride tomorrow.
On the plus side, I got Garmin working again. The watch needed rebooting, which of course I'd tried, but tech support suggested doing it while it was plugged into the PC and that did the trick.
TR...Yea i think bigger races will be further away than spring unfortunately. Nice MLR.
John...Enjoy the haircut, and good luck for the 10k. It'll be nice to be back racing, and with no real pressure.
Cal...You'd imagine ultras would have more of a chance of being on, they naturally lend themselves to socially distancing. Hopefully you can come up with an easier way of getting to the start of the 10k, doesn't sound ideal. Sorry to hear about your Godfather too, that is tough. Good news on getting the Garmin fixed though, and hopefully today's recovery will add the pep back into your stride.
Like Cal, I ran a 6 mile recovery this morning too.
Jools - Yes, seems that MP run was more manageable pace wise for 26 miles!!
John - Good luck with the 10k, yes, the darkness does make things seem faster than they are!
Hamo - Yeah never great going back to the headtorch after the lovely summer mornings!
AWC - Nice MLR.
Easy 8 miles today.
Im in the 6m easy camp today too, mp run tomorrow, i had best have a few frothies tonight to loosen up and hydrate.
Goodwood folks are still confident, hope so as its nearly taper time.
Ran 3 miles to Battersea Park, had a quick stretch and then set out. I ran at what I thought felt like 8 minute pace, but when I went through the mile it was 8:46. Too slow, so I decided to abort and then try again. Quick breather then second time. First mile this time was 8:30 which was still too slow but I decided just to get on with it. It wasn't a good run - I felt a bit awkward running at speed and legs had nothing. Miles 2 and 3 were in the 8:40s again. Finished in 26:56 which is mediocre for me. When I looked at the data after, stride length was a bit down (under a metre - it's usually just over at 5K pace) so cadence was sky high to compensate. No wonder I felt a bit unsteady. The shorter stride was likely due to fatigue from Wednesday, but my groin's also been slightly niggly so I might have been subconsciously holding back as I don't want to get myself injured before the 10K and marathon.
Jogged the three miles back again so did 10 total.
Tomorrow's going to be fun.
So on the same hm route, undulating first couple and last couple of miles, flat in the middle and 4 180 turns, but its quiet and gives me something to compare against.
July 11 - 1:27:14
Aug 1 - 1.27.02
Today - 1:27:04
Tough today, effort felt too hard, bit of breeze and my stomach issue ached. Hped to go under 1.27, but solid enough on a tired day. Reckon id gain a minute on the flat, but cant see me being in 252 shape. Goodwood is very dependent on getting a clear path on the track and how windy it is.
These solo 1/2 maras are tough but in lieu of racing they will hopefilly do me good.
Roll on beer time, im thirsty. 20m total.
Felt good yesterday morning with a speedy feeling haircut but there were storms on Fri and overnight, leaving low lying fog as the sun was coming up. That meant it was humid on the course, which is an out and back in a national park along a road next to a river. The starting corral was setting runners off in 2 lanes according to times. Seemed to be fewer runners than in the past and none of the faster ones, so I was probably about 12th off the line.
6m easy peasy pace.
20mi with 14mi at MP this morning. Tough run mentally but manageable - around 7min/mi for the MP miles which was a shade fast I think but not too bad. Was thinking sub 3:10 for GW but I can hopefully get close to my PB of 3:07 now.
TR, I think I will be wearing my 4% for Dorney - did Yorkshire in them and a few halves so I'm pretty confident in them. The Alphas will be staying in the box until the next big marathon, whenever that will be. I think I'll need some practise in them so I can get used to the stack height.
Excellent running, AWC. I've not tried doing MP miles during a 20 - probably a bit late to try that now.
I found myself on a main road so headed in roughly the direction I thought I should be going and eventually a road sign revealed I was on the South Circular, which would take me almost all the way home. While I was glad to be running on pavement again, it was pretty boring and when I spotted Barnes Common on my left, I took a footpath through it. I thought I could hop back onto the South Circular at the end but I came out on a different road (according to the map, Marc Bolan's shrine is here, near where he died in a car crash - but I didn't spot it).
I kept going along the road (there was so, so many cyclists - big groups of them, probably heading for Richmond Park) and eventually came back to Putney. I opted to hop back onto the Thames Path and then ran back through Wandsworth to Wandsworth Common.
I hit 20 miles on the section near Wandsworth Common station and decided that was enough. I walked it in from there - almost a mile but I figured it would do my legs more good than running to my door and then stopping.
Time was 3:28:51 - better than last week, and a strong neg split, though last week had a lot of hills. Legs actually felt a bit more trashed, though - probably a mix of being pre-fatigued (this week was 58 miles) and being a flatter course, which meant the muscles being stressed in the same way throughout. Epsom salt bath was much needed and I feel much better now.
Cal - sounds a good run there, good to have lots to entertain you too. I agree with your shoe plan, ive only worn my 4% once though.
Excellent MP run AWC. Certainly bodes well for Goodwood.
Another solid w/e banked Cal.
I'd initially planned to do another 20M today but after racing 9.4M over the Brecon Beacons yesterday I decided that was probably a bit foolhardy so set out on an out & back along the Wye. Did 21.5K at 7:51 in the end. I was going along around 8min/M til 11M then threw in 8x200m hard off 90s which brought the average down nicely.
I finished the TP 100 in 18hrs 11mins early hours of Sunday morning for 14th place. A great race so professionally organised and in near perfect conditions. I’ll try to get a bit more detail down in the next day or two but for now recovery is the order of the day.
AWC...Nice MLR, and even better MP LR. You are in PB shape i reckon, that is a class 14 miles on your own, they are always tough.
Steve...Nice easy 8.
TR...Well done on the pre and post hydrating, very important
Cal...Good effort on your 5k, as TR says it's a hard effort that's banked now, and you are right, sub consciously you probably were holding back a little. Lovely long run, fair play racing a rowing boat, class
John...Well done on the 10k. Very quick time for your first race in a while, rust buster is a very apt term for it. That and the humidity wouldn't have helped either, but you still ran well, excellent work.
Jools...More than decent LR with efforts after racing the day before. How'd the race go?
Macca...Brilliant running at the TP100, well done, that is a cracking time and position. I'll wait patiently for the full report, yours are usually top notch.
My 10k race on Saturday went well. Back to Down Royal racecourse again and like the half mara me and AWC ran there two weeks ago, it was windy in the same places (down the back straight), but overall not a bad day. A 3 mile warm up and a few strides, then onto a low key start line, and we were off. Ran with a fella from Derry for the 1st mile, in 5.07 feeling good, but always knew he was quicker than me, ad when he pulled away i let him go and settled into a manageable pace for me. Was very like the half, in that one mile you had the wind behind/to the side of you so a quicker split and the next mile it was in your face slowing you down, but i was pleased running a hard even effort even if the splits are a bit like steps and stairs. I came home in 2nd, in a new pb (by 2 secs
That was followed up by an 18 mile LR on Sunday, all ran in the +20 pace range, legs felt good enough to run at a decent pace, but I didn't want to push them too much after racing the day before. That gave me 97 miles for the week.
I have 1 more big week (103 miles) of training before the taper now, and I started that off with a 6 mile recovery run this morning.
Just have to hope Wrexham gets the go ahead, the RD's last email on Friday has given this Friday as a definite on or off announcement date. He is hopeful and confident it'll be on, but as hes waiting on one more sign off he can't guarantee it.
Just wanted to say congratulations to Macca on the 100. A great result!!
I`m now tapering for the CW50 on Saturday so will be nice to pin a number back on.
Cracking work macca racing 100m in one go is so bonkers, ive done 90ish in a big week a few times (100m needs ~14m a day av) and you race it all in one go.
Hamo - top stuff, you're defo in good nick. Top bombing. Youd go much quicker in a competetive race. Hope you get the wrexham sign off, i didnt realise it wasnt defo on.
Millsy - just the 50 ! Macca would go round again.
13m tonight, still feeling a bit abused by Saturdays mp.
Run through put on a pretty well reviewed 5k and 10k yday in Battersea Park, so hopefully they'll do a good job at Goodwood, and have a covid plan that works like yday.
Fell race was a fun day out. It was a TT format with 30 runners going out at 1 minute intervals. No atmosphere pre-race as I was going off 13th & got there with moments to spare - not even time for any warm-up beyond the 200m jog to the start from the car! Went past 10 but was overtaken by 4. Was 8th in the end as the chap who started last is a ferocious descender so although he didn't catch me he made up enough time to beat me.
A couple of photos from the 1st climb & one at about 8M in
Another class performance Macca. Was that a PB?
Good luck Millsy.
Dusted the bike off for this morning's commute then ran home the long way for 12.5M. I'll reverse that tomorrow keeping the run short though.
Love that waterfall photo, Jooligan. Beautiful scenery. I'd shit myself if I had to cross that, though, what with my falling over record.
Millsy, good luck mate.
TR, I've done a lot of Runthrough events and they're always good (the flapjacks are legendary, do make sure you get one). Goodwood will be fine.
hamo, well done on the PB (a PB's a PB, right?) I can't conceive of a 100 mile week - I feel pretty beat up after logging 58 last week.
On that subject, I've decided to take a second rest day today. Monday's always a rest day unless for some reason I don't do a long run on the Sunday. I actually slept poorly on Sunday night (a bit like when I don't sleep well after a marathon) and spent yesterday feeling run down and tired. I was almost starting to worry I might be coming down with Corona (maranoia takes a sinister turn in these times!) but then reminded myself I often feel like this when I'm deep into marathon training.
Another disturbed night last night but I do feel better this morning. However, my groin and achilles are both pretty sore - I actually got out of bed at 2:30am to foam roll, so I think some gentle walking and rehab will do me more good than a recovery run. With a 10K on Sunday and Dorney marathon coming soon, there's no point flogging myself.
I've also found out Valencia's cancelled - no surprise really. Just glad I didn't get around to booking hotels and flights.
TR...Good that they put on a successful and safe race, has to bode well for Goodwood. Nice 13 miler, has to have been tough with the MP in the legs.
Jools...That is a cracking photo of the waterfall. Well done on the race, i think that is the way it's going to be for a while unfortunately, but it's better than nothing. Good numbers, going past 10 but only getting took by 4.
Cal...No point in flogging yourself is right, best decision to make and hopefully the foam rolling (admire your dedication at 2.30 am
10 mile GA this morning.
Shame re valencia Cal, ill hope for a post race flapjack then.
Easy miles here too Hamo, but only 6. Im cutting back now my body is groaning.
Ive been doing so much groin and stomach stretching that ive annoyed something under my ledt bum cake, feels like ive been shot in the butt, will get on the spiky ball.
And so, yeah, I've entered an ultra. Lea Valley 50K at the end of November (since I don't have Valencia to worry about). It goes from Welwyn Garden City to Hackney so will be easy to get home from afterwards. Don't know much about race beyond that - it's new. Should be quite flat though, if it's along the river.