Shades Marathon Training

Big_G

Shades, when he won 2012 TdF he didn't really have any on show on his arms (not sure if he had shoulder ones), so he's been adding some since then I guess.

TR

Shades - if it goes ahead, then yes, i entered before Dorney (Nov 22nd) was announced.......although if its 40mph winds again..........im confined to barracks at the mo as my wife had a CV19 test Thursday, i think she has woman-flu, but if it comes back positive then im not allowed out until Mon 16th, and 10 days of not running isnt marathon prep, hopefully im allowed out in a day or so, ive been on the turbo yday and today.

SHADES

TR - hope your wife is negative so you can resume training and of course better news for her too.

Big G - hold on I've seen a photo....

SHADES

This must have been after his TdeF win then

SHADES

At some time I need to get back to doing long runs so I've today copied out the ultra training plan on Connemarathon's website.   Of course it's possible that Connemara will be postponed again but this should keep me busy, and tired.   The ultra plan, if I take one rest day a week has a weekly mileage from 58 mpw to 82 mpw.

Half and marathon plans on there too, if anyone is interested.   Useful if your target race isn't flat.

https://www.connemarathon.com/training-plans/

Ian5

Just the 2 runs this week,on stock take this weekend so is always a tough week.
8 miles after work,managed to keep he heart rate at 137 this time,which is my target,feels similar to my usual easy effort so guessing I wasn't far off.
I need to get some type of plan though or I can see myself just drifting.

SHADES

Ian - well this is certainly the time to look around for a plan that you like the look of.   Maybe try something different.   Unfortunately it looks like we have plenty of training time ahead of us this winter without races.   I'm guessing that as furlough is extended to March, we may be in for several lockdowns.

I liked the look of the Connemara plan as I can easily adapt it to my HR training.


8 miles for me today, my favourite hilly route.   Ankle a little grouchy in the last mile but I have noticed this route has a fair amount with a strong camber and that doesn't help my ankle.    Perfect running weather, mild and not a breath of wind.

Big_G

That looks like a good plan there Shades.  DD will be opening soon I think....  I think I may well enter that and use it as something to work towards, as I too think I need some kind of plan once these niggles are out of the way.  Obviously we don't know what's going to happen but I'd like to think that DD in June has a reasonable chance of going ahead, and I'm sure Chair will make it safe in terms of any restrictions that may still be in place then.  It's on the agenda for Monday's committee meeting and I think he wants to open entries soon.

I really hope we don't go into a lockdown-reopen-lockdown cycle, but I think that may well be the case too.  The uncertainty will be quite tough to manage I think, for businesses and people in general.

Ian5

Big G-I was going to ask has there been any conversations around DD.
Shades-I really need some type of target to get motivated again,esp with the dark weather now,last night was the first time I've ran in the dark for quite a while.

Big_G

Ian, I don't know what he's got planned exactly, but in some ways, it's probably an ideal race; not huge numbers, and the runners spread out very quickly along the single loop course.  Even if he has us going off in waves, on the face of it, it seems doable.  Not sure what he'll do about aid stations though, as I can't really see how people could carry their supplies themselves, but I'm sure he's thinking about it.  Also, I'm not sure what the relevant authorities are saying, but let's keep our fingers crossed.

Big_G

I just checked the Facebook page actually and someone asked the same question yesterday!  Chair responded with this:
Entries open towards the end of this month. They will of course be fully refundable should we have to cancel again next year. However, because of where the race is and how spread out you quickly become, I'm hopeful we'll be good to go.

SHADES

Big G - that's great news about DD entries opening soon, you will let us know won't you.       As long as the facilities in Princetown are happy about the event going ahead I think it's a race that can be handled well with SD especially as the runners are so well spread out over the course.

I like the Connemara plans as the distances on some of the runs are variable, so more flexibility if the weather is awful or feeling tired.   I'm not quite so sure about doing a 30 mile training run though, I'd rather run a marathon instead.   If Connemara goes ahead then the day of the 30 mile training run falls on Tavy 13 race, but all adaptable nearer the time.   I've put the plan on a spreadsheet. 

I think after this 4 week lockdown, there'll be a reopening of non essential retail etc to allow businesses to get some Christmas cash in.   Hopefully gyms too.   Then dependent on the R number and how the NHS hospitals are coping, possibility of another lockdown post Christmas, we'll see.   

Cal Jones

After the January sales, of course.

So my night was disturbed by my neighbour's smoke alarm going off - I couldn't quite tell which flat it was so I just shoved some ear plugs in and went back to sleep. Woke up at 5am to blissful silence, then remembered the earplugs and pulled them out. It was still going! So I pottered out into the hall and found it was the flat next to mine - door was open so I knocked and a very flustered neighbour answered, having tried without success to shut it down (including removing the batteries). So I got up on a stool and ripped the speaker and circuit board out with my bare hands...problem solved. Poor bastard was grateful - hope he managed to get some sleep after that.
Anyway, after coffee and messing around on Facebook, I went out for my run just before 7. I decided to head for Brockwell Park as I'd not been for a while. I took a slightly more direct route there than I do on my long runs, and then did one big lap and one small lap before heading home via the Brixton Windmill, since I now know where that is.
I did 12 miles total and let me tell you, that felt like a long way. I was ready to stop at 10, but I'd decided on 12 so I stubbornly ground out the last two.

I seem to have lost so much fitness since Dorney and I don't really know why, as I didn't have that much time out with the injury and I did fast walks and gym work when I couldn't run. My normal paces feel harder now the distances feel longer. I hope this is just a blip.

SHADES

Cal - you're a very useful neighbour to have.   

Treat it as a blip, we can't be on top form all the time.   Your speed and fitness will return.  Don't worry about it just be kind to yourself.

My training pace has slowed a lot, as soon as I drop below 50 mpw my pace is dramatically affected.   Working my way back to 50 mpw over the next couple of weeks and hoping pace will get back to where it was before.

Cal Jones

Yeah, looking at it now, I only ran 52 miles last month...so I guess I have my answer!

SHADES

Cal - that's a big drop for you.   

I've done more than that in the last month and I've had a significant drop in pace.

Ian5

Cal-I only just beat you with 68 miles,a long way from my 4x250 months in the summer.
Big G-Let is know when entries open as I will probably enter again.

Big_G

Nice one Ian.  I'll post on the thread.

I didn't really want to look at my mileage, but Sept was 38 miles and Oct 55 miles.  I was more hopeful for November, but after the procedure on my back, I'm not so sure now!

SHADES

Ian - that's great news re DD entry.   

My October mileage was 118 which is about half my usual base mileage figure.   It's true that the reason for any change in performance can be found in the training diary .

Big G - is your back healing well?


7 miles this morning, lovely and mild.   Heavy rain for the 2nd half of my run but I didn't mind as not cold.

I'm hoping one or both pairs of my new shoes will arrive today.    I realised this morning when I was getting my kit ready that I have more pairs of running shoes than I do of running socks.  

Big_G

Shades, it does appear to be healing well but it's quite tight and I can feel it in that I'm still having to take painkillers occasionally.  I could probably run slowly for a short distance but I'd be wary of tripping/stumbling and jolting or pulling it, so I'd rather wait for a few more days.  OH was quite impressed with the stitching actually, so that was good.  It will obviously scar though as it's thin skin there, but I'm not bothered about that as long as I don't get problems with it when running, especially on the rare occasions I run with a Camelbak.

SHADES

Big G - that's good you're healing well.   Shouldn't cause you any problems with Camelbak, you'd be more likely to have problems if the mole was still there.
It can only be good for the achilles too if you wait a few days before you run again.

I still have a scar, mine is on forearm, doesn't bother me

E mmy

BigG: DD is on my list but it's a massive trek to get to you. 

I had my flu jab yesterday so I'm going for an easy run today. 

Big_G

Shades, yeah, I have a scar on my calf too, and as you say it doesn't bother me there either.  The one I went in for on my thigh gets troubled by my running shorts on occasion (it doesn't ever bleed, but just looks different sometimes) but they said it was fine, so they left that one.

Emmy, I'm sure you're aware, but is Exeter Airport an option?  That isn't far from Newton Abbot (i.e, 30-mins by car) for hotels and/or Dartmoor for the race.

Rcouture

Hope all are well. 

What is DD?

7 miles for me yesterday after 7 on Friday. Ramping up mileage slowly after taking the best part of two weeks off due to hols then a cold. My fitness has also cratered. Yesterday I seemed to be about 1 min/mile lower at MAF. Not fussed as I’m sure it will come back soon and no races are on the horizon until a December 10k at best. 

SHADES

Emmy - I hope that one year you will get down here to do DD, perhaps when the children are a little older.


Rcouture - seems we're all going through our 'down time' re training and paces.    But as you say you'll soon bounce back.

DD is Dartmoor Discovery a 32.4 mile road ultra, hilly, over the roads of Dartmoor.   Beautiful race, challenging but amazing.  My 2nd favourite race of all time.

Details here....   https://www.teignbridgetrotters.co.uk/our-races/dartmoor-discovery

Ian5

Shows how poor the last couple of months has been that my 68 has 2 others below it.
Rcouture- Don't fall for challenging,it's a beast of a race,don't get me wrong it's very good bit very hard,still I'll probably be back for a second go.

Rcouture

Ian/Shades - Not even got my first mara yet so a hilly ultra isn’t for me at this stage lol! Eventually I want to do them but baby steps.

 I have had a burst of optimism about races today with this vaccine news, cases in London falling and my postponed half now being confirmed for the 19/20th of December and crucially with Council approval this time. 

Big_G

Ha ha, Ian, I was thinking of saying similar to RCouture  It's still a highlight of my running though, that last 1-mile into the finish knowing I was going to complete it  I just dug out my race report from when I did it in 2018, and there are some good memories there.

Rcouture, plenty of time for you.  Be careful though, otherwise Shades will be sticking you on her list for 2022  

Ian5

Big G-I really enjoyed it,despite the disaster of a race I had,beat the cut off though which was looking dodgy near the end.Hard to pin where it went wrong really as 1:50 at halfway was spot on,then the 2nd half in 3hrs wiped me out,I know it was warm but maybe I just need more real hill training,it's hard to replicate though as its constantly up and down.
Rcouture- I was thinking the same,not sure if spring will be early enough but looking promising for Autumn.

Big_G

Ian, there's so much to consider, isn't there.  I was just looking back through my notes and I think I need to work on the rolling hills.  The steep hills are unrunnable anyway and I'm a strong walker so I'm think/hope I'm probably okay there, but the bit that in theory should be runnable between 26-30ish miles I struggled with.  Also, I got lucky with the nutrition last time (I think the fruit and nut mix got me through), but I could do better there.

I need to get these niggles out of the way first though, so all that is a long way off currently!