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Shades Marathon Training
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Rcouture - you'll have to message me your email address.
Ian, I want to do a track marathon just for the novelty factor, think I'll only want to do the one though.
Cal how many are you on now? thats some wait between wanted to do one and doing one. Was it the stigma of being female that stopped you? the sport and the achievement has definitely changed for over the last 40 years and majority for the better!
Cozy, the 1st is the most important, you're training well and it all aids to a decent 1st time. You seem to be enjoying it at the moment so you may feel like you want to do 2 or 3.... or 100 but focus on number 1. Your physio is right for having words, it's important now to back off the speed, Long runs will leave you fatigued and risk injury.
Rcouture I did MK in 2017, in contrast of Big G's review it was a bleak day so not alot of support out on course. It's well organised, fairly scenic, bit of dual carriageway but plenty of parks. Great stadium finish. Water was in bottles every 3 miles (these things change though) and a few high five gels on route.
Shades, soap is a weird one to be out of stock, not been to the shops since saturday but everything seemed to be okay.
A school has been closed about 2 miles from my place of work, on one of my main running routes, so may consider staying clear tomorrow. Also got an email inviting me to a trail marathon that had sold out (Moyleman) my car MOT is due 2 days before so cant guarantee getting there, nor do I feel ready for a trail marathon so soon.
Christened my adrenaline's,felt good,nice and comfortable so will alternate them and my new guides.
Then 2018 I ramped the numbers up quite a lot for me but managed to go sub-3:20 for my first (and currently only) time at the start of the year, and then rounded off that year with a 3:20 so I was feeling positive at that point. But 2019 was poor in comparison in terms of numbers and also times as my best time was 3:27 and I only did one other sub-3:30 last year, but maybe I'll get back to how I was running in 2018 this year. Time will tell
I've had some shockers too though - Yeovil in 2018 (4:18), track marathon in 2019 (4:27) and Cornish in 2019 (4:25) spring to mind!
It was more that, when I started running in my teens, it was a way of controlling my weight. I became obsessive about it and ran twice a day every day except on Saturday (because I had a Saturday job) when I ran only once. It wasn't long before I got injured. I did start running again, for fitness, but by that point I was off to uni and found the weights room and joined the Thai Boxing club (something I did on and off until I was 30). At that point I was more interested in getting strong and jacked and did a lot of body building and power-type training.
I got more into running in my 40s, when an instructor at the gym I went to got involved in a local race series and I started running 5 and 10Ks. I didn't really know what I was doing - didn't have a Garmin, didn't have proper running gear and only ran once, maybe twice a week in addition to the weights, but I entered a 15K, then a half (which I did in 2011).
Then I was out for a year with the cyst on my foot, which was surgically removed in 2012, complicated by an angry achilles due to wearing flat shoes all the time (I needed to keep the weight back on the heel as the cyst was on the side of the ball of my foot). Just got back to running when my mum died in early 2013, followed four months later by my dad. Then in 2014, I entered by second half marathon, started training and promptly tore my calf. So half marathon number two didn't happen until Spring in 2015, and started an avalance. I ran eight halves that year, going from 2:12:47 to 2:02:32 (the one I did back in 2011 was 2:18 or so). Entered my first marathon at that point.
Anyway, Tokyo would have been number 10. As it stands, Manchester will be, if it goes ahead.
I think you take to 'injury' too easily, should be doing active recovery, chances are it's a sprain/strain of some kind. But I guess you're not so bothered about training as some of us are.
Robert - bloody hell, I can't believe anyone would post a remark saying...
Was it the stigma of being female that stopped you?
I think you should be grateful Cal didn't rip your head off for that remark, I'm no women's libber but that is a deeply offensive remark. I've been running over 25 years, coaching for 17 and never met a woman that thought she couldn't run a marathon because she was a woman, multitude of other reasons but never that.
Perhaps you should also look up the meaning of stigma. I am deeply shocked, but I'm sure you didn't mean any offence.
Are you expecting problems with your MOT? I've got my MOT on Friday, hoping it passes OK as I want to spend the money I've put aside on some running kit
Ian - glad the Adrenalines feel good, they are great shoes.
Big G - it's funny reading your post on your marathon times as I'm always banging on about slowing down training paces and not running too fast for the early stages of a marathon yet a few times I've had to encourage faster/braver running in a marathon to get those to achieve their target times.
But there's no kudos in a negative or even splits if it's as a result of the first half being run too slowly.
Of course times are not always an indicator of a good/bad marathon, it's the feeling good, enjoying the occasion and hopefully running your best on the day.
Cal - I hope Manchester does go ahead so you can get into double figures
You had a difficult start to your running, being out for a year is a long time especially early on as a runner.
8 miles this morning, not so cold, a bit of rain but quite pleasant. Had a nice run but I can feel my chest strain when running which is annoying, it did feel better yesterday throughout the day so hope it is healing.
Shades, yes I wasn’t sure whether to write that bit about going out quicker, although it was a factor in me dipping under that time that day. That Munich negative-split time just gave me the confidence to go for a quicker time soon afterwards.
Talking of books, Shades I still have your two. I’ve read one, but not started the other. I’ve had them a long time now so let me know if you want them back sooner rather than later.
I understand what you mean about having a horrible race despite a not terrible time (though I did chuckle at your literal wall). I have to say I had a pretty horrible race in Vienna, even though it was (at the time) my second fastest marathon. I was fine at the halfway point but after 30K my feet were burning and there was this interminably long out and back in Prater where you go past 30 and see the 35K marker on the other side of the road and I just lost the will to live.
Anyway, 12 miles this morning. I had a rubbish night's sleep - kept waking up and eventually gave up at 3:57am and got up. I didn't go out until 5:50am though, as my colon took a whole lot longer to wake-up and I will not start a run until the passengers have left the departure lounge.
It was an easy-paced run but it wasn't a slow easy - I averaged around 10:15 - and naughty foot felt OK. High hammy had a good grumble towards the end but I have been hammering glutes and hams in the gym so it's probably a bit tight back there.
For some reason, even though my legs didn't feel fatigued, the run seemed to go on and on. I blame route boredom - the long period of wet weather has made some of my routes and paths undesirable to run on so I've been sticking to the same roads for months now.
No rush for the books, they'll only go back on the shelf. But we do need to meet up soon, I have 6 copies of RW ready for you, another unread which I'll probably read this week.
Interesting to hear your review of Tonkinson's book, I don't like his column in RW and don't read it, I'm assuming the book is a lot better.
I've just read a book by Ian Mortimer, 'Why Running Matters' it's mostly about parkruns, he lives in Moretonhampstead, you probably know him as he does Torbay parkrun a lot.
Cal - you've been really unlucky with your overseas races so far, a run you didn't enjoy at Vienna, missing Valencia due to illness and then the Tokyo debacle.
This week I've been able to do the 2nd half of my routes away from the dreary street lit roads that I've been stuck with all winter as it's getting lighter so much earlier now.
Just been to Aldi, they have plenty of hand wash, didn't see any sanitiser though, but I have a bottle in the car. Other shelves all full as per usual.
In the book he does say about the mental side of running and believing in yourself, which I think is true, especially when Shades told you to go out faster than you planned and it did work!
6 miles with strides done this morning and another 5 planned for this evening.
Cal/ Shades no offence was meant and if I offended anyone I apologise, defo wrong choice of word/ phasing and not something I believe to be an issue, after speaking with a few ladies at Cambridge on Sunday and talking how they used to feel unwelcome at running events and clubs when first started.
Cal I hope Manchester goes ahead, looking forward to hearing about the new course if it makes any difference to the experience.
Shades hope your car passes MOT as new kit is much more interesting than car parts. The car should be okay, I do have a problem with the car that I have spoken to my mechanic about but said wouldn't be worth fixing. Basically for no reason the dashboard lights up before I start the car then leaves the airbag light on until I stop next and the engine light on for 48 hours but there is no issue (this has happened about 8 times in 3 months). The engine light on will fail the MOT but can be retested 2 days later.
Big G looks a busy 8 days of running, hope you're feeling ready? Do you recommend Tonk's podcast? I remember reading about him promoting it but it was delayed in launching.
Woke up late, felt pretty crap, delayed run and only had time for 3 miles, will go out again later on break for another 3. People panic buying toilet roll as shelves seem to be on the lowside in the shops here.
Those fiddly little electrical faults are often not worth fixing as the labour involved tracing the fault can work out expensive, so just get it through the MOT if you can.
Have you recovered fully from Sunday's race?
Interesting run on toilet roll, wonder why?
Steve, another book to look out for regarding the mental side of running is Matt Fitzgerald’s ‘How bad do you want it?’. I’ve not read it all yet but it basically goes through about 10 elite events (not just running) where mind over matter played a big part in the final result, and it goes through what we can learn from that.
It's a day for car chat, mine broke down on the motorway with me and my 7 year old in it this morning, scary experience with no hard shoulder and steep grass banks at the side. Glad to say the police were there in minutes to protect us from behind and we got towed off not much later! Turns out I have a faulty petrol gauge and I had none, even though my gauge was showing a healthy 3 bars! Technology really does screw us over sometimes!
Anyway, prior to that drama I done my first MWLR of 8 miles this morning and enjoyed it although I didn't quite get the pacing right, it was my first go.
A wee bit worryingly I have a few toe blisters, I'm hoping this doesn't mean my new trainers don't suit me, but I do go through blister spells it seems.
Short note on mental health, I love running for this reason, I had a hard time last year and my running amongst a few other things really helped me back to a happier place
It reminded me that last week was the 5th anniversary of me deciding not to be a fat git anymore.
In that time I've lost just over 3 stone and my whole health is tons better.
As for races my first marathon was Manchester in 2016,before that I'd only ran 3x10k and 3xHM,I was really happy to finish it in 4:24 and ran all the way,and despite a 10 min positive split I overtook 700 people in the 2nd half.The track marathon was my 4th and I broke 4 with 36 secs to spare in Feb 17,that was when I really started to get into easy training and dropped to 3:31 the same year.
Jan 18 was when I got my first real injury,this Achilles that is still there over 2 years later,not sure whether to say I still have it or not as it bothers me in the morning but not too much,either way it held that year up until the Autumn when somehow I went 3:14,way beyond what I ever thought was possible.
Last year was another amazing year with my first 2 majors and a drop to 3:07,incredible when I look at the progress from a fat 43 yr old who hadn't exercised in 25 years to a less fat runner with those types of times,aswell as all the crazy short distance times I've now got.
Best races were the 1st as I was so proud I ran every step,and NYC,most disappointing were,possibly Manchester last year,as I felt I was in really good shape and it didn't happen for some reason,and surprisingly maybe Berlin,as with a 1min neg split,on that course,I could probably have been faster.
All in all I have to be delighted,1 real injury in 5 years and in the top 500 in all my events for age group last year is something I am really proud of ,especially from where I have came from.
Cozy-Bad news on the car,hope it gets fixed easy enough,totally agree on the mental health,it has made me a much nicer person to be around.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1250640/Coronavirus-toilet-paper-Australia-woolworths-coronavirus-news-coronavirus-latest-update
As for us,anything with anti-bacterial in is getting hammered,so wipes,handwash etc,we're coping ok at the minute but there will come a point when the suppliers start struggling,as an example I normally sell about 2 cases of anti-bac wipes a day,yesterday I sold 16 cases.
Well, Flybe are in administration. I'm currently thinking I'm going to cancel Manchester. I will have lost the cost of flights but I have a refundable hotel, and I still think it's likely the event will be cancelled. However, even if it does still go ahead I'm not too sure if I want to drive that distance and the train is too pricey. I won't do anything yet but currently thinking I'll cancel it.
I've just checked my 2 trips via Dublin this year but I've booked with Aer Lingus as the flight times with Flybe didn't fit for me as I have to travel on somewhere else from Dublin.
Flybe had a rescue plan in place but it was on the proviso that the Government reduced the air taxes but the EU won't allow it so couldn't be done until Jan 2021. However that's not to say that they'd have survived the impact of the Coronavirus. It will be the first of many companies that won't survive the impact the Coronavirus will make on their cashflow.
Please could I borrow that Matt Fitzgerald book from you, when you've finished with it of course?
Cozy - oh dear that must have been scary, glad the police came to your aid quickly. I've once had the opposite problem with my petrol gauge, showed empty and it wasn't, only happened once but I don't use my car much especially at this time of year and I wasn't sure I was low on fuel or if it had been syphoned off.
Well done on the MWLR. Re the toe blisters, try different socks that might help.
I think running is the best medicine so we mustn't stop running
Ian - your story is indeed inspirational.
8 miles this morning, wet, wet, wet. But not as cold so it was OK and with the lighter mornings I was able to get off the main roads. Had to change my planned route as that would have been flooded, I think we've had a lot of rain overnight and I had to run through a lot of big puddles, by the 2nd mile my feet were soaked, by the 4th mile I was completely soaked through.