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Sub 3:00 FLM 2005
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Keep it going to all who didn't make it - it took me six mara's to get there (just!)
If I can offer any consolation, I think dropping out was most definitely the correct thing to do - if i was a competitive/club runner - I'd like to think I'd have done the same and saved myself for another race in the near future - as it happens, I think I've probably got away with it from what the doc has said today...the knee problem is unrelated to the cramps and he says running as soon as I feel comfortable to do so is fine... so its a few days rest/easy jogs nd then back into the hard ork with a tentative view to Blackpool for June - or perhaps, as Venom has suggested, Cardiff later in the year - although it may be a bit too late for a qualifying time fro FLM 2006.
Congrats on your FLM result anyway, and to Imogen too. Fantastic times both of you!
Moniquie, sorry the foot didn't hold up for you. Hope it's not too long before it's ok to run on! Great to meet you btw and hope I didn't come across gormless-I was a bit awestruck by it all at that stage! I really enjoyed my champ experience though and look forward to next year.
Having licked my wounds for a few days now I am wondering what I need to do differently next time...so am interested in what your training looked like...long runs, how often, how far, how fast/slow, weekly mileage, tempo runs, easy weeks, etc etc.
I'm sure there are few readers who would be interested in this to compare with our own plans....
Thanks
BR
For next year, I'm going to look more carefully at my diet. I eat far too much fatty junk food and think that my carb intake is too low as a result. I'm also carrying about 7lbs of spare weight. (actually, it's more like 14lbs spare but I've never weighed that since I was 13!) I would also like to swap some of the speed sessions for hill reps as I prefer them and think that they will make my schedule more interesting. I found it very tedious this year and am not mentally strong enough to work through boredom. (Hence why I waited on Canary Wharf for the next runner to catch me up - I was desperate for some company.)
Sorry to waffle - interesting question.
First run since Sunday today - a couple of gentle miles on grass - feeling almost back to normal again.
Off for a 10km swim then - can't sleep without averaging 10 miles per day!
I feel i should have ran quicker in London than i did due to the fact that i did a 10 miler 3 weeks before in 1:00:45.
I agree with Zoe about the fact that i prefer to run with somebody, once the doubts set in it becomes a struggle.
I apologise if this is of no use to you, but it's how i train.
Typical training week for me was running 4 or 5 times, one of those long, one at marathon pace, the rest easy. On top of that I did a bike turbo session and a swim session (both quite hard, with the tri club). For the first 6 weeks of the year I did an extra swim session a week, and did a longer bike ride about once a fortnight in Jan and Feb. Also did two hill sessions (would like to have done more of those), but pretty much no speedwork or tempo running. Longest runs at marathon pace were 20m, 12m, 10m, 9m, longest runs overall were 23m, 21m, 21m, 20m, 19m.
So a very different approach to both Zoe and Rick there. Seemed to work well for me though...
Should have said too that I raced a bit this year. Did a 10 miler at the end of Jan (1:05:31 - shows how unfit I was then!), a 30k in Feb (at training run pace), a half (1:23:06) and a 20 miler (at marathon pace) in March, and a 10k (37:06) 2 weeks ago. I could definitely run a half significantly faster than that now, need to start lining up some summer races.
Three of these runs were pretty much always a speed session, a hills session and a long run.
I also trained with a group of runners to a similar ability for the first time. In previous years I had done virtually all my training on my own.
Two things in the longer runs I found worked were
- Running once for the same amount of time in the marathon. This was a slower run of about 22 miles taking in the hills and terrain (some beach) of the Purbecks
- Pushing myself as hard as I could for the last twenty minutes or so once I'd reached 2hrs 15.
I also did a competitive 20 mile race and used this and how I felt at stages towards the end to decide what pace to go off at in London. I learned more from that than in any of my longer training runs.
I had to pull out last year due to a knee injury that I'm almost certain was down to doing more miles than I could cope with.
It either worked or I was extremely lucky not to miss any training time due to niggles and minor knocks like I read a lot of on here especially in March.
This year is the first time I have followed consciously tried to run at slow paces - i.e. 7min30s - and I found it very, very, very hard to do and I question whether I gained anything from it.
I am also quite surprised to read how infrequently some of you faster runners train and my initial reaction is to say that you must be "naturals"?
I train between 6 and 7 dyas of the week... and i train atleast twice a day - NOT always running - but weighs, circuit training, CV machines (rowing machine and cross trainers) and the odd couple of hour rides out on the bike... but generally it's mostly running and sometimes 2 runs per day...
I'm definitely throwing myself into Blackpool on June 19th in the hope of posting my sub 3. If I fail there it will be Nottingham in September - hopefully I will have posted a time good enough to get me to London 2006!
Will I change my training over the next 8-9 weeks??? Probably... I will train to a distance closer to or in excess of 26.2 and I will run the vast majority - including those up to around 20miles at 6min50 pace... Will I train as OFTEN? Probably not.. I will take more rest days - particualrly after the long runs run at or close to race pace.
I tend to use the Advanced Marathoning book (Pfitzinger/Douglas) that was mentioned earlier in the thread. I don’t stick to it like glue, but try to build a similar type of plan. They stress the importance of the mid-week medium long run, to reinforce the benefits of your weekend long run. I think this really worked for me.
My marathon prep leading up to breaking 3 hrs was……
4 @ 20 - 22 miles
6 @ 16 - 18 miles
Plus a few shorter runs/races to break it up a bit and a mid-week run of 10-14 miles.
http://www.pfitzinger.com/
I find it difficult to believe that you were even running your long Sunday runs at sub 7 pace. not seen that in any training manual.
My only race pace sessions were on Weds when I would do 8 miles at about 6.45 pace, with perhaps another fast one at the Club on Sat.
But then again I failed to break the 3.
Bluerunner having seen you breeze past me at Finchley, I would say it is only a question of time before you crack the three. With better weather and no injury I'm sure you'll do it.
It seems that I'll be the next on here doing a marathon, as I am hitting Vienna for May 22nd.
I'm going to drop the mileage, raise the pace, shed some weight, pray for cool weather, and see what happens. I'll report back on how I get on.
5 marathons and 5 PB's so far. Even if I don't break 3 another PB would be nice.
I have never been a memebr of a running club - even in the days when i was representing the GB Fire Services all of my running was done solo, all of my training overseen only by myself... I don't struggle with motivation but I wonder about the benefits of using a "virtual" partner such as the garmin and would be interested in hearing other peoples thoughts.
Long stuff (up to 23 miles off-road) was done at 8-8:30 pace. I did hills and speed but not enough at mar pace. Infact only long run at mar pace was a 14 miler of which 10 was at 6:45 pace. I have looked at the pfitzinger schedule and will follow this next year (well this year actually, it is a 18 week schedule).
I feel that the cramps I suffered were mainly because I wasn't used to running at 6:45 pace for long enough. Having said that this year was my best effort even though my 3:07 was 4 mins slower than my PB 2 years ago, because this was the first time I have got to 20 miles on schedule (2:17) knowing that I felt ok to keep going at or around 7 min pace. So next year will be sub-3 at my 7th London attempt!
1997 3:06:10
1998 3:05:14
1999 3:08 (Shakespeare mar)
2002 3:05:10
2003 3:03:56
2004 3:09:43
2005 3:07:55
So there you have it.... my life story.
2002
Met somebody running on the canal who was using one.
Best thing since sliced bread I hear.
My longest run above race pace was a half marathon... my longest run AT race pace was 15miles. All my runs in the last 3 weeks or so were at race pace or faster - except for my 21.5 mile run 3 weeks beofre the race which was at 7min48s pace - I atually intended and thought i was running substantially slower...
I think I'm talking myself into my belated birthday present!!!
It's really useful on longer runs though - it helps to remind me to pick up the pace.
If anybody wants to view the log of my FLM, I've shared it as an 'Internet race' on www.sportsim.com
I was lucky enough to bump into a former member of our club last summer who was running London for.
the 15th consecutive time this year.
He now runs for a club in Yorkshire, and has never run over three hours for the London marathon. He is now 58
His advice to me was to race as many 10 mile races as you can, so your body gets used
to the faster pace.Then when you do the marathon 6.50 pace seems like a breeze.
I think he says 10 miles because anything longer tends to take too much out of your body, so
half marathons and above are not recommended. Anything less doesn't test endurance.
I asked him his weekly mileage, and he told me 30-40, and he hasn't changed it since he started running.
This year yet again he went sub 3.
Now I don't dispute there must be some great natural ability there, but the fact he has made the start line
for 15 years let alone run sub 3 so consistently, indicates there might be more then a grain of truth
in his training advice.
As for his build he was 5ft 5" and weighed 133lbs, this would give him a body mass of around 22.
I don't follow his advice because if I ran such low mileage I would put on weight, but you younger
runners who don't put on weight as easy as I do might want to talke on board what he says.