Shades Marathon Training

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Comments

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Cal, I think there could have been issues with Garmin Connect yesterday. I saw a few mention it on a group I’m in. 

    I use a Garmin FR230 and would get one again. Have a look at it to see if it does what you want, but on Garmin Connect it’s showing elevation, stride length, cadence. The watch itself doesn’t measure elevation though as Garmin Connect works it out from mapping data. 

    Shades, I just checked and Garmin Connect has yesterday’s race as 593ft. Maybe I should start checking Garmin Connect’s data rather than Strava :)
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - that's a clever way of measuring the cadence.
    I'm sure I saw on one of the newer Garmins there's a pod that you clip on the waistband that measures a load of stuff including cadence, don't know if it's an optional extra/cost.

    Big G- well that seems a more realistic figure for last night's race.  You'll have to check some of your other races and see how they compare.

    Well I watched TdeF, so sad to see Pinot crying with pain and having to retire.  Then the race being stopped due to snow.   I'm exhausted with the drama of it all.   Tomorrow is going to be very interesting.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, we’ll never know what would have happened of course, but it’s a massive shame for everyone (spectators, the organised and most of the riders!) that it had to be cancelled. Totally the right decision by the look of it but it’s a shame. Bernal seems to the one to beat now.

    Just looked at Cornish and DD. 
    Cornish. Strava - 2070.  Garmin Connect - 1752ft. 
    DD. Strava - 3947. Garmin Connect - 3583ft. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - I think they made the right decision about taking the top of that climb as the finish line.  We'll see what Alaphilippe can do tomorrow.

    That's interesting race stats on the elevation.  For the Cornish that's 85% of the Strava figure, 85% is the figure that I use when I take the elevation off one of the measurement websites.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    9 miles this morning in a lovely cool 12-14 degrees, still humid though.   Unfortunately my flat seems to be well insulated, only dropped to 24 degrees inside but it should cool down today.

    Stopped to admire our new Aldi supermarket, all finished now, well outside anyway, and looking very smart.  Will be my nearest food shop :)
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, did you hear the interview yesterday with Brailsford?  The ITV interviewer was asking sensible questions and Brailsford was answering them.  Then another interviewer piped up and asked "So Dave, are you happy that you've won the TdF because of a natural disaster".  They must get so fed up of questions like that!!   If G doesn't win it, I would have loved to see Alaphilippe win it but he lost time on the ascent yesterday, so I'm not sure if he'll get that time back today, especially as I don't think there's much downhill.  We'll see.  I believe G has said he's going to ride for Bernal now.

    Parkrun today.  I had something to do in Newton Abbot so I did the Parke parkrun.  Haven't done the official parkrun there for a long time, but I enjoyed it today.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - yes, I saw that interview.  So rude, and that interviewer interrupting the other interviewer too., hope they chucked him in snowdrift.

    I'm so impressed with Bernal, only 22, but hills and high altitude are his strength, being Columbian.   He seems very modest too.  I'd like to see him do well today.

    Just entered Frome 2020.



    btw for anyone looking for a suitable 20 mile race as part of autumn marathon prep I see there's one at Draycote Water on 8th September, so good timing too

    https://www.theraceorganiser.com/race-course-map/draycote-water-september-20-mile-08-09-2019-09-45

    I've done an ultra and marathon on this course, from memory each lap is about 5 miles, flat, tarmac road/path traffic free, fast course.


    Good luck to all racing this weekend.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, it's worth watching the highlights from yesterday's TdF for the interviews towards the end of the show.  They interview Bernal - it's a great interview.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - I just deleted the highlights programme without watching it.  :o
    Maybe they'll repeat the interview at the start of today's programme.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Bit of different weather today,got hammered by rain.
    8 miles before work,gives me 28 this week so quite happy with that on a recovery week,working 6 days next week but all early so hoping for a good week.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - thanks for the link.  They did show most of that at the start today.

    Barnel is so impressive, glad he didn't try to win the stage today.  You have to feel for Alaphilippe but he still managed a top 5 placing.

    Ian - no rain here but much fresher. Much more pleasant.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Wasn't expecting to run today as I'm meeting friends for football and a couple of drinks,but got up early so sneaked in a bonus 5 miles.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Just nosing through my stats and seen todays run has brought me to exactly 1000 for the year.Also I always think I'll struggle to run in december with work being busy,but actually the last 2 years it's been my highest mileage month of the year.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - you can enjoy your day now.   It's much easier at this time of year to get up earlier to run.


    14 miles for me.  Perfect weather today, cool in the shade and low humidity in the sun.   One of my favourite routes, flat, undulating and hilly nice mix of terrain, had a lovely run .

    We haven't heard from Iain lately but he's doing his first IM today but I see the bike section has been cancelled due to a lot of rain/standing water.   So the event is now a swim/run.   And I've found him on the tracker and he's finished the swim and is now running the marathon.   Well done Iain for completing the swim, I know that was your nemesis :D
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - the last 2 years you've had GC in January to prepare for so maybe that's forced you to get out to run even though you're so busy.
  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭
    Must be very disappointing to have the bike cancelled after all that training, but seen a few videos of all the puddles on the run section and it looks bad.
    Did my second 20 miler yesterday, slowly but that was due to rough and overgrown terrain and managed  10 miles this morning so training going well for me, next long run planned on the Barnstaple Marathon course in 2 weeks time.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done, Ian - I'm closing in on 1000 myself.
    Good job on the 20, H0nk, and the 14, Shades.

    Lee Valley 10 miler today. A bit of a schlep out to East London, but I'm used to that now I'm doing all the different parkruns. The country park location, right next to the Olympic White Water centre, is very pleasant - you wouldn't know you were in London. Weather was favourable too - below 20 and a bit drizzly at the start although it dried up.
    The event was quite low key - it was a 10K and a 10 mile, with the latter being two laps so once again I had to face the dreaded split where you could opt for the shorter distance if you wanted to. I took that option at Clapham Common last week so I was hoping I'd be strong enough here not to be tempted.
    Unfortunately I made a ham-fisted attempt to start my Garmin and somehow switched it to the wrong data (calories I think!) so pacing myself wasn't as easy as normal. Tried switching it back but couldn't figure it out on the move. I had the pace indicator at least, but not distance, which was disconcerting, so had to relay on the mile markers.
    Goal was so stay below 8:45 pace which I found easy at first (first mile was 8:28) but I started to slow at around 4 miles. I was a bit concerned as that wasn't even half way but when I got to the 10mile/10K turn I continued on for the second lap. I concentrated on keeping my pace as steady as possible, but the park seems to have a few satellite dead zones as watch was showing 8:40 pace but then it would jump up when I got to the next mile (the worst was one mile that came in at 9:13). Still, I knuckled down and used a couple of runners in front of me to pace off, and when it came down to the final mile I went past an older guy in a club vest and stayed fairly strong to the finish.
    While I found it quite tough in places, I didn't push myself too far out of my comfort zone - if breathing started feeling laboured I'd slow it down a bit amd concentrate on my form.
    I was happy to come in at 1:28.something gun time, which translated to 1:28.09 chip time, a PB of 49 seconds. I felt slightly annoyed I hadn't gone under 1:28 but I'm happy to have a PB after a rough few weeks.
    Achilles was slightly sore but not horrendous, which was good as it was a bit grumpy when I got out of bed this morning.
    Not much at the finish beside cups of water, a banana and a smallish medal that was the same for both distances, but I'm OK with that.
    Met some nice people on the way home and chatted with them, and a couple are also doing the Pride 10K which I'm doing in two weeks, so hopefully see them there.

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Well, what a fabulous event that was!  

    I did Seaview 17 this morning, which the organisers acknowledge is more like 21 miles.  The name of the race itself is so called because that was the estimated distance when the route was first dreamt up.  However, the organisers soon discovered that the route is more like 21 miles in length, but the original name has stuck.  In the race notes there is this little story: "One rather unhappy runner wanted to stop on the first run when his GPS told him he had run 17K!!".

    Anyway, I got there in plenty of time and there were two other Trotters there (HA and her husband) and we got the coach to the start of the event.  The event was soon underway and the first section was mainly single file which suited me just fine.  When anyone came up to me and it sounded like I was holding them up, I just stepped to one side and let them go.  This was because I just wanted to run at my own pace and if I pushed it I was in danger of falling which I really didn't want.  I did see 4 people in my vicinity fall quite badly during the event, so I was pleased I got around without falling.

    There was one small section which was along a pebble beach, which was hard going.  Along here, I had to scramble up a pebble bank to get back to the path and as I did that I kind of slipped and I did tweak my shoulder.  I was a bit worried for a about half a mile or so, but it was fine fortunately.  Hopefully it's still fine tomorrow.

    The biggest hill came at around 13.5 miles and topped out at around 14.7.  This was tough but actually I picked off quite a few on this bit and I just plodded on knowing that once over that, it was downhill to the finish.

    One slight annoyance is that the clear race instructions were to follow the "Acorn" sign, which is the South West Coast Path sign.  I overtook quite a few people on this hill, and also at the final aid station, so you can probably imagine my surprise when I emerged on Minehead seafront to see a few of them in front of me!  I know that I didn't take the wrong route or get lost, and I know where they would have taken a short cut.  It's not a race and there is no issue really, but I was still irked to be honest.  Oh well, I know I did the proper route, but I confess I had to remind myself "it's not a race!" at this point.  HA had the same issue - she ran the proper course and had the same problem.

    Anyway, I finished in about 4:04 which really I am delighted with.  I wasn't racing it and finished feeling pretty good.  Compared to other sections I've done though this was actually a lot more runnable as a) overall it wasn't as much elevation and b) the paths generally were a lot wider/safer to run on.

    I got to the finish and it was proper LDWA-style food available.  Different sandwiches, different cakes, teas, coffees, soft drinks, flap jacks, crisps, fruit, quiche, sausages, etc.  A very good event and £15 is brilliant value.

    Here's the route profile :)  

  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Honk - good to hear your Barnstaple training is going well.   I can't remember if you said you'd run the race before?

    Yes, shame about the IM having to cut the bike section out, but it seems to be fairly common in IM.   Last year my friend did her first IM at Bolton and they shortened the bike course to 96 miles.   This year Alistair Brownlee was doing his first IM at Cork and they had to cancel the swim due to horrific weather, he went onto win what became a duathlon.  I'm not sure what happens when athletes are looking for qualifying times for Kona and they've had to do a shortened event.

    Cal - well done, a very good PB.   Must have been annoying and disconcerting your Garmin problems during the race.   Thankfully the weather had cooled for you too.

    Big G - that's a really dramatic route profile!   Looks like you need crampons.   Sounds like you had a really good day.   How annoying about those that took a shortened course, but not a lot anyone can do really unless they make it a race and put a marshal or two place to stop that happening.   Of course some will have expected to run 17 miles so would happily have taken a shorter route, others will never bother checking the route and will follow the runners in front. Some will deliberately take a shorter route.   It's a common problem in off road races/events.   Did you ask any of them how shorter their route was?   I would have, just to make a point. ;) 
    How are the legs and shoulder today?


    6 miles for me this morning, nice and cool and fresh, very pleasant.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, no I didn't say anything.  Maybe I should have.  Although it's not a race and the RD does say it's down to the individual to make their own way, they still provide an actual route, and also produce results with times.  Maybe a small number didn't know about the "Acorn".  On the bit they went wrong, there was a sign with two different directions to Minehead.  The correct route was down some switch backs, but the other route (without the "Acorn") went down a gentle slope to the sea front.

    HA mentioned the LDWA do a coastal route somewhere nearby so I may look at that one in the future.  Yesterday was a really good way of doing a decent section of the path.

    Legs are totally fine, which is good news.  Shoulder is okay, but I can feel it a bit more than usual this morning.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Sounds like a much better spread than the solitary banana I got yesterday, Big G! How's the shoulder now?

    Shades, I think they can still qualify for Kona. I know it's happened to some people in my club (think it was Bolton last year when the swim got cancelled).

    It was a lovely morning (well, still is). I'd normally take a rest day the day after a race or long run but as I didn't run on Saturday, I decided to go out for a recovery run. Aimed to do 5 or 6 but actually ran 7. It was so nice out I didn't want to go home.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Cal, well done on the run.  Sounds like you enjoyed that one this morning.  Shoulder isn't too bad, thankfully.  Makes me wonder what would actually happen if I did fall on it though... :(  

    Shades, I think the LDWA event that HA must have been talking about is Dorset Doddle.  32-miles from Weymouth to Swanage, and it's 18th August.  I've no events that weekend so I am a bit tempted, especially as it would count for 100MC purposes (it's a "Challenge" event and they count).  I'll have a further think about it.  I've done quite a lot the last few weeks so don't want to push it too much, so maybe it's one for another year.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - it might need the right timing and opportunity to question the distance from those that took a shorter route. ;)  I expect some of them didn't even realise that they hadn't taken the right course.    Of course that might explain some of the speedy times on the previous year's results.

    Good that the legs are fine and the shoulder isn't damaged.

    I've heard of the Dorset Doddle, it's been going for years, very tough hills.   Quite a few of the 100MC used to do it, not so the newer members, bit too much effort for them I would think.

    There used to be a 30 miler LDWA at Exmouth, don't think that is on anymore, some of it on the SWCP.  I did it a couple of times

    Cal - well that's a relief that they still qualify for Kona, not as if they can easily do another IM the following week, finding an event/cost etc.   Bolton last year, the swim went ahead, the bike was shortened to 96 miles though.

    That's a decent recovery run, we'll maybe have you doing them post marathon soon ;) 




    Robert - how are you doing?
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, I just checked the Dorset Doddle and it's full with a waiting list in operation.  307 people registered on the event!  Maybe that Exmouth one was what HA meant then, but I can't see anything like that on the LDWA site so it seems they don't organise it now, as you say.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - I think the Exmouth one finished a few years ago.    Maybe HA doesn't know the Doddle is full.
    I would highly recommend any of the Dorset LDWA events, lovely peeps.  I did a couple of their events, one was really good, the Hardy Annual, about 35 miles and a 3 course meal at the finish.   That event wasn't on every year.
  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭
    I've done the Dorset Doddle a couple of times, first time I was about 15 or 16 and did it as a walk then did it again once I got into running probably 20 years later, I was amazed how much the coastline had changed in that time, nice route though, I'd like to do it again.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Cal-That's a nice chunk off your PB.
    Big G-What the hell is that cimb,about 900ft in 1 mile?? Rather you than me.
    Shades-Yeah that makes sense about GC,but you think it would apply to all my races,anyway I intend to beat it the next 2 months so won't be my highest anymore.
    Speaking of which,July is now my highest for this year,6 after work takes me to 166 so hopefully a nice jump next month.Easy pace is near enough back to normal now so all good to step it up.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Thanks Honk/Shades.  Honk, interesting about the coast line changing so much.  I'm on the waiting list for this year's event so in the unlikely event that I reach the top of the list I'll have to make a decision then...  Of course, if I get to the top of the list and get offered a place, we probably already know what the decision will be!

    Ian, yes, I think it’s something around that for that mile. No one was running up it, anyway!

    I went to the club tonight to do the 6-mile social run, but took a tumble on a path about 1.5 miles into the run. A slightly grazed knee and a very slight pull in the shoulder meant that as precaution I just walked back to Club. I was taking a rest day tomorrow in any case and hopefully I’ll be fine on Wednesday. Typical isn’t it - I got around the event on Sunday with no real issues and then a lapse in concentration on a social run and I trip over!
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Honk - the Doddle is a tough event isn't it?

    Ian - I know you're on a mission to get that mileage up as prep for Chester/Frankfurt.   :) 

    Big G - are there many ahead of you on the waiting list for the Doddle?

    Hope you're OK after your fall last night, it's so easily done.   As poor Robert knows :'(

    6 miles for me this morning, windy and we've had quite a bit of rain.   Was very humid though and quite a relief when it started to rain again as it felt less humid in the rain, if that makes sense.  I startled a tiny baby rabbit when running on the path behind the racecourse and in his panic to get to safety he ended up doing a somersault at my feet before escaping into the hedge, so sweet.
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