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Shades Marathon Training
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Big G - well done on your 10k pb
. First one for the Shadies this year.
Hi Keith and Khani - great to know that you are still running
.
It's sort of snowing here now
.Thick but very wet flakes, and lots of heavy rain. There are huge puddles everywhere - which I found out when I went for a very short run. Such a change from last Sunday when we did East Hanningfield Trail Marathon in Essex - it was quite mild and sunny for part of the time. First time it was held and apart from a couple of hiccups with the navigation instructions it was good. I 'ran' with two friends - we started near the back, and that's where we stayed - eventually finishing just as it got dark in 7hr 22mins. Usual terrain - lots of mud, loads of huge fields which we had to follow round the edge, lots of walking (and talking) and lots to eat at the checkpoints 
. Great fun!
A light flurry of snow tonight but nothing like the blizzard and polar bears that they were predicting! I don't get why it makes the news it's just winter isn't it?
Steve - my sore throat has gone thanks, still felt I was getting a mild cold so took Echinacea at breakfast and lunch yesterday, then forgot to take it at dinner which meant I was feeling OK so hopefully that was just a case of runner's mild hypochondria.
Big G - shopping for running kit is time well spent whilst you can't run. I've heard Montane jackets are very good quality.
mowzer - last Sunday was gorgeous weather, especially for January, must have made your event a really good day out.
Jugula - I think there are less painful ways to get a tan!
I know it's important that folk are informed about the weather but the hype in the newspapers is so annoying and they're just as bad in the summer when they say we're going to suffer a heatwave, run out of water and all the roads will melt.
No snow here today but there's a little on high ground such as Dartmoor. But it's very cold and the pavements look a little slippery after yesterday's rain so I've decided not to run this morning. I had to pop out to put the food compost bin out for collection and the chill factor of the wind took my breath away, I will be staying in today except do need to go out for the food shop.
Good running, everyone.
Not so much from me. I woke up feeling very blah yesterday - not sick but very low on energy. My groin has been giving me twinges again (I guess I really buggered it when I injured it a year ago) so I decided to take a duvet day. Well, more a gaming and TV day. I did my push-ups and pull-ups but I didn't go out.
I felt better this morning but one look at the ice on the roof outside dissuaded me from running. It's not so much that I wasn't prepared to go out in the cold. More that I don't want to slip and injure myself. I will be going to hot yoga later, though.
Steve - you seem to be doing well on P&D, nice pace for the LT runs. Are you following the 55-70 plan.
Shades, glad you're better, did you try the Vicks on feet?! We still haven't got a dog, need to sort out how we'd manage it in the first couple of months if we get a puppy.
Jugula - I hope your dog is recovering well and enjoying his chicken!
Big G - nice running purchases there. I've only run with a jacket a couple of times as tend to find them too hot. But that's probably because my ones are cheap, I reckon the better quality ones are better for running in.
Cal - hope the groin strain comes to nothing, good idea to take a duvet day.
Louey - did you get your shoes from the Eastcote RW? That's where I'm going for my hamstring massages! Booked another one for next week.
Did a hilly 8 miles with my club on Tuesday night and hamstring felt a bit sore after. The pace was a bit faster than normal as there were a couple of speedy runners - I should have kept back as there ended up being a couple of groups, but the competitive side of me made me keep up. There's a speedy girl who runs for us as a 2nd claim and she is so strong that you notice no difference in her pace or effort as she ploughs up hills leaving everyone behind! 10 miles today with 10x100m strides which I did on a track. There was a group of dog walkers walking around the track with about 8 dogs between them! It was cold but the snow from last night had melted so the ground was OK. But started snowing for the last 4 miles. Glad I wore a hat and 2 pairs of gloves!
Cal - I hope that groin twinge is just a passing twinge and not your injury flaring up again. Do you think maybe the long run aggravated it?
I don't blame you for staying in when it's icy, it's not worth the risk.
SK - now, didn't try the Vicks, the suspected cold came to nothing and I don't have any Vicks in the house!
I think if you get a puppy you should volunteer for 3 month sabbatical to train the puppy, I'd recommend this coincides with your most intensive marathon training months
Please don't risk your hamstring on the hills and in the cold, curb your competitiveness, you'll get your chance later to challenge that 2nd claim runner.
Why would those folk walk dogs around a track, unless they're training them?
2 pairs of gloves, must have been cold. I often wear 2 layers of clothes when very cold for running but haven't tried 2 pairs of gloves. But I do have a wide selection of gloves, some very warm.
I couldn't face going out for a run yesterday. The payments dried up nicely but that bitter wind was still there, I stuck my head out the window a couple of times but so cold I just couldn't face it. Decided to take yesterday as a rest day, I had run 11 consecutive days anyway so no harm in taking a rest day. Was looking forward to this morning's run but we've had some rain during the night and it's frozen and the pavements are all iced over and look treacherous. I did consider going to the gym to try out the treadmill but I've never run on a treadmill and don't think I could tolerate doing any decent distance in a gym plus SK's experience giving her an injury has put me off trying.
So I may take another rest day or do a short run later, ice is due to thaw by midday. I'm doing a long run tomorrow and this week's mileage is already messed up now.
Maybe I'll do some housework this morning and go to the gym this afternoon, I do need to get back to the gym and hopefully if should be quiet later near closing time.
Ian5 - hope you're feeling up to doing your race tomorrow, I've heard that's a nice race.
Don't worry about missing the speedwork, the aerobic easy and long runs are much more important.
Still no running here. Grrrr. So after a good start with that PB last weekend, this week has been very bad from a running perspective (just 3.5 miles). I did have a cold between Xmas and New Year which I thought had gone, but maybe this is a hangover from that. Just feeling generally yuck, and my chest is wheezing so really shouldn't run even if I felt I otherwise could.
Big G - sorry to hear you're still poorly. Probably another cold you've picked up whilst recovering from the last one, look after that chest.
Have just mapped out a long run for me tomorrow, should be ice free. 1469 feet of climb in 18 miles so a little preparation for DD
I hope your long run is more satisfactory than mine, Shades! I went out with Chasers marathon group for the first time. We were supposed to do two laps of Richmond Park (about 14.5 miles), which seemed straightforward enough, but as I was running at my own pace I lost sight of the group in front of me and then managed to get myself completely lost and ended up crawling up a big muddy hill then running around in circles asking directions. I made it back to the start point eventually but I only managed to cover 11 miles due to the slow progress when I got lost. The miles I did run, I ran well, but yeah, not my finest moment.
Shades-That's some hill climbing, good luck with that.
Cal-Sounds like you had a right adventure.
Decided to do 4 villages half today to see how far I had fell behind.
I done this race last year as my 2nd half and finished it in 1:57.It has more hills than I like but only 500ft compared to Shades route.Weather eas also not great with wind and rain for the last hour.Didn't have a clue what time to expect so went out steadyish, managed to keep the splits consistent until I hit the long hills then slowed down a bit,we then have a mile of downhill,and same as last year,I got a touch of cramp here,stretched it for about 30 seconds then ran on.The last mile is flat and I felt good picking off runners round the last few bends.Crossed the line in 1:44:49,my 2nd fastest half and only 30 seconds behind my best which I didn't think I'd get near to.
Really happy with that as not done much in the last 3 weeks due to being ill so hopefully 1:40 should be achievable this year on a flatter course.
Big G - I hope you are feeling a bit better today. My OH had a similar thing, where he picked up another cold, just when he was recovering from a first one. Must be very annoying.
Ian - that's a great HM time for a hilly course. Must give you lots of confidence in your training.
Shades - how did the run go today? Are you able to follow the route on your Garmin after you've mapped it out or do you memorise it?
Cal - that's sounds a bit frustrating but well done for sticking to your pace. Richmond Park must be lovely to run around.
Parkrun yesterday - 20:17 - not run sub 20 since November, but pleased to be First Lady and got a similar time to last week and this week's course was trail. Set off to do 18 miles today. Got soaked to the skin so figured I may as well do 2 more miles to do my first 20 mile run of the year (as didn't have to rush back for football duties). Have been spending most of the afternoon eating
Cal - sorry to hear your group run didn't work out. But you did the right thing to run at your own pace, must have been really annoying though. I met a cyclist yesterday at a junction he'd got detached from his cycling group, fortunately I'd seen the group and could tell him which way to go.
My long run was no better, RHR was normal in the morning but when I was running I felt tired and not quite right and my HR was higher than it should have been, knocked it on the head at 12 miles as didn't think I was getting anything out of the run.
Ian5 - that's brilliant running, you always do that when there's a race
. To do your 2nd best time on a more undulating course and after your illness shows your training is going well.
SK - I've never mapped a route on my Garmin, never used my Garmin for navigation, think it's too fiddly and frustrating. I used to use gmap pedometer but much prefer this site now http://gb.mapometer.com/ to plan my long runs, I then memorise them which isn't too hard as I usually do out and back.
Well done at parkrun, great time and first lady too. Hamstring OK on your 20 miler?
Sundays are for running and eating
Nice run this morning, strong headwind on the way home. Saw that cyclist from last Monday again, he was riding on the road this time....probably went on the pavement as soon as I'd passed
SK, yeah it's really annoying. Last Spring my marathons went up in smoke due to illness so I don't want to that to happen this year! I am feeling a bit better today, but I've said to myself that I want to feel fine for at least one whole day before running, so on that basis it's going to be Wednesday at the earliest before I venture out again. I do seem to suffer with these chest colds, and not really sure what I can do about it. I eat well and I'd say that I look after myself generally, but I still seem to pick them up.
On the positive, I haven't put any weight on this week, even though I've been hungry and hence eating basically what I feel like (I thought this was best - "feed a cold, starve a fever" and all that). I do have this 10-mile race coming up this weekend, but obviously if I have to DNS it, or if I feel I should just use it as a training run, then I will do that. Let's see how I feel a bit later in the week.
Ian, well done on that race time. To get your second fastest time after your lay off is great running!
Cal, did the group say they would loop back to keep everyone together? If so, I'd say that's really bad that they left you behind. In my club's long runs, we never ever leave anyone behind; it is part of what makes the club so welcoming.
Shades, good news the cyclist learnt his lesson
Big G - I didn't realise your 10 mile race was this coming weekend.
Well done with controlling your weight, especially as you're not able to have a drink either
It's unfortunate, some folk are just more susceptible than others but I know it takes a long time to build up a strong immune system so maybe it's just a bit of luck required to have a virus free period to start improving the immune system.
Healthy eating is important, I take a few supplements too, whether they work who knows. I haven't taken antibiotics for years, been close a few times but managed to get through without them.
I ran 6 wet and cold miles yesterday but felt good to be out there, hopefully get a ten miler in this week. Dog had post op check today, all fine, bought the recommended tube of toothpaste for ??11! Which will hopefully prevent another ??400 bill.
Jugula-Well done for getting out in the rain,easy to not go when it's like that.
Big G-Hope you're right in time for the weekends race.
SK-1st lady again
Easy 5k recovery run today went really well,started off at easy run pace and sped up each km to do the last in MP,hopefully sort the legs out ready for this week.Feel really good now after sunday,was feeling a bit crappy with being ill and not getting out much but that's given me a big boost especially as I had more in the bag as my last km was my 2nd fastest of the race,only a big downhill beat it
Jugula - £11 for the dog's toothpaste, maybe you can get cheaper on line next time.
Has your niggle cleared up now?
Ian5 - another speedy recovery from your race for you. This can be a miserable time of year to train especially with all the colds and viruses around, running a good race really tops up the motivation and mood.
I will have another bash at that 18 mile route either this weekend or the next, I had done most of the hills by the time I pulled up.
Chilly but nice morning, heavy rain during the night judging by the puddles (never heard a thing) but stayed dry for my run. Can't wait for the lighter mornings so I can go out earlier and there will be less traffic. Had to use the pelican crossing at a junction at 7:30 am and when the lights went red one car just drove straight through despite seeing the other cars stationary, where's a police car when you want one?
SK, (well done on first lady!) Richmond is normally lovely, but it was raining and muddy (I wish I'd worn my trail shoes). It's also a lot hillier than most people realise, so it can be challenging. I've done a 15K and a half marathon there, but in better weather.
As far as getting left behind, it wasn't anyone's fault but my own. There are groups for specific times (eg sub-3, 3:15, 3:30, 3:45) but my group covers everyone else, so it's a wide range. On the day the option was 10 or 11 minute miles. Given my target MP is 10:15, I wasn't sure I could stay with the 10 minute milers so I started with a couple of 11 minute milers and realised that was too slow for me so I pushed on. I could see the 10 group up ahead a ways and I think they took the wrong turn, I followed and then lost sight of them. I should have just gone with the 10s because I can run that fast, I'm just not sure I should at this point. But oh well, lesson learned!
I'm not doing the club run on Sunday as it's a trail run on the North Downs Way. I'm running a 10K on Saturday so not sure how my legs will be on Sunday and don't want to be stuck out somewhere if I decide to cut the route short. But I will the week after.
Shades, sorry your long run didn't go according to plan. I'm also holding out for lighter mornings. Right now I have to dodge traffic, school kids on bikes, dog walkers (all whilst hurdling the Christmas trees that have not been collected yet).
Ian, glad you're back on the up and up.
and you, Big G.
Rest day yesterday - bum sore from the hills.
6.22 miles today in frosty sunshine. Lovely out, but deployed all my cold weather gear. Started very slowly (11+ minute miles) but ran MP for the last two. It seemed to take me 4 miles just to warm up to that.
Cal - just bad luck then really that you got separated from your group on Sunday.
I've had all the hazards too that you mention except the Christmas trees, not sure our Council collect them here
I have noticed that it is starting to get lighter in the mornings
Shades, yeah it's definitely getting lighter in the mornings and also the light is lasting longer in the afternoons. Good news
Ian, it sounds like you're up for the challenges you've set yourself this year, after your lay off!
I went for a shortish walk yesterday (stopping at a cafe for a nice coffee and some soup...!) and felt okay, and also was fine throughout the day so decided to go out for a 3-mile very gentle run this morning. It was just a flat route and was purposefully slow and steady (over 11min/miles) and it went okay, although in the last 1/4 mile I was coughing a bit. Let's see what I'm like tomorrow - if I feel okay, I may do a 4 or 5-miler. We'll see.
Yesterday I did, urrrrm, "accidentally" book a trip away in March (after my marathon). I was casually looking around on SkyScanner for flights from Bristol (not a good idea with a credit card in easy reach) and I've booked 4 days in Dublin, and then fly to Venice from Dublin for another 5 days
I'll be in Dublin on my own, but I'm meeting up with a friend in Venice who is there for a conference beforehand, so we'll be sharing the driving to/from Bristol airport as we fly in and out on the same day. I've been to Venice before but never Dublin (never been anywhere in Ireland, actually) so I'm looking forward to it and I've found a well priced hotel so it's all sorted. I'll be taking my running stuff 
There really are some absolute bargain flights once in Europe. For example, Sofia to Milan for £8. Flexibility is the key (i.e., not really having specific destinations in mind, and also flexibility on days to travel) but I couldn't make that work for this trip, but maybe I'll sort another one later in the year. However, I got my three flights (Bristol-Dublin, Dublin-Venice, Venice-Bristol) for under £90, so happy enough with that.
Ian5 - oh the satisfaction of seeing that driver pulled over must have been priceless. He couldn't even claim an oversight or moment of lack of concentration.
I meant to ask you, when you had a bit of cramping in your race, was it your hamstrings again?
Big G - that's good news that you are back out again running. It's such a fine line between just a gentle run and not doing too much to the cold dropping to your chest.
That sounds a great trip you've booked, can't believe you've never been to Ireland at all
. Which part of Dublin are you staying in? There are some great places to run there.
Cold today but not frosty. It's not my week for pelican crossings, at 7 this morning on a busier road I find the crossing isn't working at all, no lights on it.
I manage to cross eventually but had to revise my return route as when I'd come back it would be rush hour and very difficult to cross, so ended up running back the same way as yesterday's run. Roll on lighter mornings.
Shades, I've found a guesthouse in an area called Donnybrook near the Royal Hospital - do you know it? It's just outside the main city centre. I haven't looked for running routes yet, but there are a couple of parks near to the guest house and it's also close to River Dodder so I'm hoping there are some running routes nearby. If you know of any routes, that'd be great
I have a very passive-aggressive way of getting across roads, Shades. I always give the approaching driver a little thankyou wave so he thinks that I think he's letting me go (when I know full well he hasn't). Obviously this doesn't work for main roads - if I'm forced to stop I just jog angrily on the spot.
Proper icy here today, minus 1 when I went out. Perfect for some speed work. I did a 6 mile (well, 10K really) progression. One mile warm-up (10:38), four progression (9:44, 9:21, 9:11, 8:49) and one cool-down (10:06 which is actually MP but felt slow after the previous miles). Hopefully that will help on Saturday.
Shades-Yes it was my left hamstring,I've slipped on the exercises since my illness so need to get back on them,but it's always on the half it goes,and it's always either up or down a hill ,just can't seem to get to the bottom of it.
Cal - I do the same with the traffic, most drivers are fine and give a little wave back.
Is your 10k race at the weekend a PB potential?
Big G - that's the posh end of Dublin, there are miles of tree lined streets to run around and it's flat there too. One of my favourite runs is along Ailesbury Road, which is the home of most of the foreign embassies in Dublin, just watch out for the bumpy pavements due to the tree roots while looking at all the flags and beautiful houses.
There's been a lot of work done along the Dodder with a path/cycle lane and you can run around the docks/financial district too.
http://www.aircoach.ie/timetables this is a great coach service from the airport, you can buy on line before you go and just show the email to the driver, route 700 for Donnybrook
Jugula - annoying little niggle but it should just go eventually! I think we have sub zero temps coming in tonight
Ian5 - it's so easy to not do the exercises when you're poorly/tired/busy/fed up, I've lapsed a bit too but getting back into the routine now.
Maybe you have a slight imbalance there, just keep on with the exercises and it will improve. The hill work will help too.