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Shades Marathon Training
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I did spend an hour or so yesterday booking refundable hotels for a few foreign races, some into next year. I'm only going to do one (possibly two) of them so will cancel the rest, but accommodation is cheap so at least I have that if the flights then become affordable. For example, a few months ago when I looked for this year's Rotterdam marathon (which is happening this weekend) I couldn't make it work, at least partly because of cost of hotels, but I've booked a very affordable room for next year's race should I end up wanting to do the event. I would like to do another Dutch one as I did enjoy Leiden, and Rotterdam is supposed to be quick.
Cal - Good parkrun time! Try not to go to mad with the maranoia!
Big G - Good idea to miss the 10k.
As for me, 20 miles on Saturday with 2 sets of 2 miles at MP. Did miles 5 and 6 (6:49/6:53) and 16 and 17 (6:59/7:03). Overall came out to 7:44 average. Then another 13 miles on Sunday at 8:18 average. Today was a 6 mile recovery run at 9:40 average with 122 bpm average. Happy with that, my 3rd 50 mile week in a row, so a cut back week this week.
I took a full rest yesterday - just a 2 mile walk to dust off the cobwebs - and felt immeasurably better today. Did 4 easy plus 5 lots of strides so ended up doing a little over 4 and a half miles. Had a good old stretch after, followed by a protein shake and a hot cross bun (that was breakfast).
I took a full rest yesterday - just a 2 mile walk to dust off the cobwebs - and felt immeasurably better today. Did 4 easy plus 5 lots of strides so ended up doing a little over 4 and a half miles. Had a good old stretch after, followed by a protein shake and a hot cross bun (that was breakfast).
That's sensible budgeting booking your hotels now, you'll just have to be disciplined to cancel those that take you over your budget limit. Rotterdam is a fast course and a good choice for a speedy marathon next year.
It's a very time consuming process sorting out the logistics of race travel/hotels but one I quite enjoy but you do need to have plenty of time to weigh up the options. I still haven't booked my Listowel trip partly as I need the start time of the race confirmed as that will determine how long I need to stay and as they're a bit laid back in Ireland they're not quick to put up all suitable accommodation very early.
Steve - yes, I used it as training for my 24 hour. The friend I went round with is also doing a 24 hour later this year. As I've done no long runs and missed my earlier races there was nothing to be gained by trying to run the 40 miles, it was too cold for me to run anyway.
So is it this weekend or next you're doing your half marathon?
Cal - you seem to have recovered from the taper madness and all is calm again...except you've posted the same message twice
Shades, yeah, I quite enjoy the planning of it all too, but it can be time consuming. I need a PA
The postie delivered a package to my house accidentally, which was meant for next door. I just went next door to deliver it and ascent-mindendly bent over the gate to open it, and pressed my ribs against the top of the gate. Ouch!
Steve-Some great mileage you've been putting in lately,bodes well for your races.
Shades-Good to hear you're recovered now.
10k for me today,decided to have a go with OH at her HMP,finished inside what I thought which tells me it might be a bit soft as she done 12 on Sunday so nowhere near fresh legs but I'm having a hard time convincing her she will go faster in a race.
Ian - It's all a confidence thing. Will your OH be tapering? If so that might help as fresher legs on the day could mean she starts a bit faster than planned anyway.
Big G - Ouch!!
I'm traveling on Saturday - arriving there at 5pm. The plan was to stop over until Tuesday and go to Alton Towers if I felt OK on the Monday with my friend, but he informed me on Easter Sunday that he'd got a job lined up for Monday (he's a van/lorry driver at an agency) and couldn't afford to turn it down. What with all the taper lunacy I got a bit stressed about that (he did ask a mutual friend to meet me in Stoke to drop me at Alton but I just couldn't face the idea of traveling there on the train myself when I was sore, not to mention that Alton's a massive, undulating park and I wasn't even sure it'd be a good idea in the first place. Anyway....) Fortunately the Trainline were able to book me a new ticket for after the marathon so I'm coming back on the Sunday.
Steve- some impressive mileage there.
Big G- smart planning booking hotels so far in advance I think that is what I need to start doing.
5 miles on the treadmill tonight after work due to the snowy/sleet weather we have been getting the past 2 days. I hate running on the treadmill but I suppose some running is better than no running.
Ian5 - let your wife run the HM at the pace that she is comfortable with, she can always speed up at 10 miles if she wants to and after all she will get a PB as it's her first HM. Crikey one hour of exercises a day too, that's impressive. Are you doing these exercises with her too?
Steve - I don't think you need a flat course to do a fast race, go for it.
Cal - I think a day at Alton would be so tiring on the legs/feet the day after a marathon especially if you have to use public transport
steven - bad news that you've got that wintery weather back again. My friend said her car registered 17 degrees here yesterday, although it's wet and windy now.
Jelly - so sorry to hear that you've had to pull out of Taunton. I hope it's just a sprain or minor tear and you'll be back running soon. You still have plenty time to be fully recovered for DD.
Big G - Did you gat any feedback from that editing job you were looking at?.. and how's the writing going?
Steve - That's a good chunk of MP in that long run. Must give you a real boost.
Cal - The thought of Alton towers after a marathon brings me out in goosebumps. Almost worse than the idea of a recovery run! Have you got a race plan or a goal for Manchester?
Jelly - Sorry to hear about your injury.. a tear sounds nasty but if the physio thinks you could be up and runing in two weeks then it doesn't sound a long term injury which is good news in my book.
No school today and eldest son home from boarding so he can look after smallest child while I go for a good 24k this morning. Result.
She's set herself a target of beating my first HM time just for bragging rights.
Ian, sounds good for the coffee shop at the museum
Cal, sounds like it's a good idea to miss Alton after the marathon. When you get back to London, you can pretend the tube is a coaster instead
Jelly, really sorry to hear about that
Shades, I actually took no pain killers at all yesterday and last night, so it's much better. It's still not right though so I'm not running yet, but I am very hopeful for Great Welsh even if I just plod around.
MF, I didn't get a letter/email back, which I was disappointed about. I don't know how many candidates they had, but I thought I was in with a reasonable shout. My writing is going quite well; I've got lots of little snippets of things and ideas, but it's not joined up and I don't really have an idea of what I want to do with it all! I have entered quite a few writing competitions and for some of them you can pay a small fee to get feedback from the judging panel. I've paid for the feedback a few times over the last couple of years or so, and I can see where I need to improve but I've found it's not that easy developing a style. Also, when I compare my submissions to what is shortlisted, quite frankly my stuff is just no where near good enough. I haven't yet entered any competitions this year though, but I suppose I write most days, or at least edit things from the previous days. I don't know where I'm going with it though in terms of a career or anything like that - to be totally honest, probably no where, but I'm enjoying it.
I was talking to one of our club mates who's doing reasonably well now as an artist (he retired recently so has more time to paint now) and although of course writing and painting are different skills, it was interesting talking to him about how he started getting known and how he developed his own painting style. When I see a picture of his in a gallery I know it's his before I've even read the blurb, and I am most definitely no expert in art at all! Very interesting, as I think that probably transfers to writing too. (PS, to show how much of a philistine I am with art, when we were in Barca we went around the Picasso gallery and I wasn't impressed at all. I just kept thinking either "a child could do better than that rubbish!" or "it's okay, but I wouldn't have it on my own wall...").
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There was a good thread on the "Aspiring" 100MC Facebook group about running goals. Obviously, the fact that people are on there mean they're hoping one day to reach 100. People had lots of goals from doing things like running 100 marathons in 100 days, running a marathon in each European country, doing all of the US states. But also time goals with people struggling to get the balance between doing lots of events (numbers are all relative, especially on that group!) and getting quicker. It was quite an interesting read. One guy said he wanted to do 100 marathons and then quit and I don't think he was joking. I hope I don't get like that where the numbers and running so many make it unenjoyable, as that's not what I want. But I think he's probably doing his 100 in about two years and so is running around lakes or up and down paths to get to the 100, which must make it less enjoyable overall if that's the majority of the events he does.
Steven - Gutted you have the winter weather again, surely it's time for Spring now!! I was surprised it was 13c when I got in my car last night after work, but back to feels like 2c for this mornings run!!
Easy 9 miles this morning, felt tougher than it should have been, but HR Was nice and low, heavy legs from the weekend I'd guess.
I will post the marathon list in a while, just hoping I done have the nightmare I had last week trying to post the list.
Enjoy your run today.
Ian - it's getting a bit competitive in your household!
Big G - you are healing fast now, I'm sure you'll be fine for Great Welsh. I read the blog yesterday of the guy that finished 3rd in the Dublin to Belfast 107 miles. He had only just recovered from a cracked rib and had a fall during the race onto his rib but still managed to run on with no damage.
Re the Trotter artist, I assume you mean PB? He is very talented, I have one of his on my lounge wall, bought it when his wife was in my running club and he had a small exhibition in Chelston.
Re goals, have you decided what your immediate and long term running goals are?
Right, strong coffee now, I'm going to wrestle with the marathon list...
As far as Manchester goes, I'm a bit nervous as I've done less training this year than last due to my various injuries and I'm also not happy with my groin (the hamstring is what it is - I'm used to it now). It's been niggling a bit and it didn't seem to like the stretches I did yesterday so I'll have to add that to the list of other bits that complain after stretching.
But...given I've taken 30 seconds off my parkrun and then got close again in the last two weeks, I must be hitting some sort of form, so I guess we'll see.
I'm resting today and will do another 4 miler tomorrow, a rest on Friday and then maybe a jog around the block on Saturday with a couple of strides. I decided against doing a parkrun as I can't trust myself to take it easy. Some people seem to do well at races after a parkrun, but my legs definitely felt fatigued the last two Sundays, so I guess I'm not one of them.
I'll deffo run a positive split. Marathons are still a new distance for me and the end stages will always be tough as it's an hour longer than my training runs. Even in half marathons, I've only managed a neg split twice and both times were when I was returning from injury and pacing myself carefully. When I've set PBs I've always run a pos split.
I am debating whether to try and hang with the 4:15 pacer until about half-way but as s/he'll be doing 9:45 miles I'm not sure if that's a bit fast right right now. Last year I was running just below 10s until mile 13, so it's possible, but I'll have to see how I feel on the day.
Big G-If you need any advice on travelling around or getting to places just give me a shout.
Shades-1:57 was my first,if it's close I'll check the seconds
Ian - mmm, I think your OH could get very close to that 1:57
Steve - you'll have that bounce back in your legs by Sunday
Big G - I thought it was PB, he and his OH are really nice folk. He goes to my Tuesday Pilates class.
All good and achievable goals there for you and it doesn't matter if your decisions or circumstances delay them.
Did you book a longer stay at Llanelli so you could do a bit of sightseeing?
Cal-that's fair enough,I've never ran with a pacer so don't know how they are,you know your body and what's best for you so go for it.
Shades-I'm thinking she will be about 1:55-56,you're spot on I was about 2 stone heavier then than now ,If she gets too good I'll offer her a race now
Regarding my sub-3:15 target, I want to get DD done first, but what would you recommend for the training for a decent attempt at GFA following DD (plus recovering from DD)? You gave me my new paces so I can train at those for the majority of the running, but I wonder if I should introduce some speed work, or would you recommend to just keep doing what I'm doing (i.e, the majority easy-paced, with fairly regular marathons thrown in, plus the odd 5K effort and 12x45-sec efforts). In some ways, I wonder if that next 5mins may be harder for me to knock off than the previous 20mins so I wonder if I need to change something, or just keep doing what I'm doing (albeit at the slightly faster paces you've given me). It's a bit of a way off yet as like I say I want to get through DD first and then see where I am before I change anything anyway, but it's in the back of my mind. Also I can't help but wonder, with everything else staying the same, if the single biggest thing that would help is to drop a further few pounds in weight...but I'll think more about that after DD
Big G - there are miles and miles of traffic free cycle/footpaths just in Llanelli alone so you'll never be short of places to take the dog.
Re post DD and your GFA goal, I think you need to look at what has worked for you in the past. Definitely high mileage, you peaked at 70 earlier this year so you need to be looking to do that again. Look at your splits and see where you think the extra few minutes could come from. In theory if you lost 5 pounds and assuming that was all fat, no muscle, in theory that should knock 7 to 8 minutes off your marathon time. Lots of elite runners deliberately reduce their weight before competition, Mo Farah does it but says he can't stay at race weight. But with marathons you mustn't lose that weight just a few days before the race as what you will be losing in a 'crash' diet is water and the glycogen that was stored. Speed work, I'm cautious to advise more as I think you said that you have got injured easily when increasing the speed work. What you've been doing now, which is doing a speed session when you felt like doing it works for you. A good 10 mile and half marathon race would help too. These would give you the indication and confidence of what marathon pace you could hold in a race.
Very chilly here this morning but had a lovely run, just 5 miles to see how my ankle is as it's been a bit sore since last weekend's ultra. It's much better, down to 1/10, will do another short run tomorrow and maybe strap the ankle for Sunday's marathon just to give it a bit of support.
I've started recording some of that sports psychology onto my phone and I have been practising it too. I haven't heard from Dom how he is going give us a copy of the recorded session.