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Shades Marathon Training
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Feel like I've missed a lot on the thread!
TR: hope you get better soon and it's not too hard.
I've been doing well but very busy. I'm still getting out on my run and I've decided to try for a 5k PB by the end of the year and see what I can achieve speed wise.
I can't imagine you've run many 5k races so a good challenge/goal for you to aim for. For all of us our racing calendars are decimated so really important to have goals right now.
My goal is to complete the Connemara Ultra training plan
6 miles round town this morning, quite mild but really windy, every other turn I made was into a strong headwind, hard to keep my HR down in the wind.
I've decided not to enter Gloucester as with the speculation of coming out of lockdown looks likely that rule of 6 will go and the race's Covid safe format is based on that. So will do a last minute entry if the event goes ahead and the weather is good.
Shades - Yeah I saw that about sending your own drinks/food out, that is a great idea!
Easy 6 miles today.
I did go for a walk yesterday and it (the foot/ankle) was broadly okay, but again I did feel it when I walked back up the steps to my house. Remote physio session today so I'll see what they say, but I do think it's probably PF although hopefully they'll confirm one way or another. The fact that it's got easier walking around outside over the last few days is a positive at least. This Friday will be two weeks since my back procedure as well so if I am able to run on the foot, at least the back shouldn't really stop me from then.
Big G - you've had a long spell off now so gradually building up your MAF pace and mileage would be the sensible way to start and then take it from there when you've reached a comfortable level. It won't take you long to get back to where you were.
Hope the physio session goes well. Hope it's not PF but it could be a symptom/side effect of the knee niggle or vice versa.
Will be great to have DD as our focus.
Ian - how is your foot?
He did say I could run short distances if I manage it alongside the exercises, so I'll just keep going with the strengthening for now, and then may see how I am for a short run on the weekend or early next week, depending on the back.
I did go for a short walk today (3 miles) and it was more or less fine on the walk, and also pretty good on the steps after the walk. I'll keep it all going and fingers crossed I caught it before it got too bad anyway.
Ian - that is speedy recovery from you. Maybe it was the trip that caused it after all.
Glad it's improving...you were quick to get it seen to so hopefully you can nip it in the bud.
Emmy - maybe - who knows what will happen next year?
Ian, fingers crossed.
Shades, sensible decision. I'm only going to enter stuff close to the race date now - I've lost so much money this year on flights and related expenses. I've an eye on a few low key Runthrough events if races are allowed to happen in December/January, but nothing big aside from that Richmond marathon.
Had a better sleep last night (only woke up twice, and was able to return to sleep both times) but felt worse on waking...typical. Same low level crappy feeling I've been dealing with off and on. I did get myself out for a 6 miler at 9am - was supposed to be recovery pace but, despite the groggy feeling, I had a hard time slowing myself down. I only managed mile 5 at recovery pace, after deliberately slowing down after mile 4 was sub-10. Felt easy enough though, so there's that.
Cal - re races, I agree. I will enter DD as soon as entries open but apart from that I'm not even looking for races. If I get to do the few races that I have deferred entries for next year I will be happy enough.
Hope you get a place in Giants Head, maybe a lot ahead of you won't have been training and not take up the chance of a place.
Shades, I said about the knee and he asked me if I thought my knee was moving inwards slightly when I walked. I told him that I had noticed it was very slightly (i.e, when I struggle to put my heel down, I see that my knee and foot is pointed in), but that I didn't know if it was the knee causing the foot issue, or the foot causing the knee! He said it's related and gave me some exercises to strengthen the knee. Basically, stand up straight with feet/toes straight ahead. Keeping foot on the floor, twist the knee out to as far as is comfortable, and bend the knee and hold that. This is bending the knee through a different plane than normal, and do it with a resistant band if possible. I had noticed this exercise on a forum elsewhere but didn't want to do it unless instructed in case it hurt the knee more, but I've today bought some better resistance bands which include a door attachment to safely secure the band in place, which will be arriving tomorrow. I have a load of cheap physio bands I have built up over the years from physio, but a decent set is something I think I'll make use of so I ordered them today. OH will make use of them too.
Speaking of OH, she's done amazingly well. She's lost 2st in weight - not that she was overweight but she's just toned up really well. She joined a forum by Davina McCall in April and is really into it. She's met friends etc through it as well, so she's loving it, especially the flexibility of doing the classes when she wants to at home. They do have "live" classes too, but there's a massive bank of other classes that she really enjoys. On a day off from work, she may do 3 or 4 classes, or if she's tired she'll do an easier one, or a stretch routine etc. She walks to work now as she no longer needs a car at work now that Living Coasts has gone, so 1hr of walking a day plus an often strenuous job moving heavy animals at work is all helping, I'm sure. It's funny isn't it - online classes like that don't really do it for me, but for her a gym membership wasn't workable, so it's great there are different options for different people.
Wow at OH, 3-4 classes a day is a lot. That's a massive difference in her lifestyle especially as she was working all through lockdown so not as if she suddenly had masses of spare time to get fit. She'll be needing some new clothes with toning up and that weight loss.
Online classes don't do it for me either, every day I get one or sometimes two messages reminding me that the online classes are about to start at the leisure centre. They're free but I've never even clicked to have a look, I just clear the messages.
Every morning before I go for my run I do my kitchen sink exercises, that takes about 13 minutes, then my core tabata, that takes 12 minutes. Then I run, no weights or any other stuff. Waiting patiently for the gym to reopen.
I'm not sure what he's doing, but Matt D (from Plym Trail) is getting some serious miles in. He's planning a 120 mile training run tomorrow, that will have roughly 20000ft of ascent..... He said he's done over 3500 miles this year so far, which bearing in mind there haven't been many races is very good going!
I was flicking around yesterday and stumbled across a couple of documentaries and interviews about Courtney Dewalter. I was obviously aware of her and knew she was winning Ultras out right, but didn't quite realise how laid back she was. On one interview she was being asked about nutrition (normal), sleep (nothing special), massage (she doesn't do it), weights (she does some core work) and she basically keeps it extremely simple and enjoyable for her. When asked about diet she just said "well, I quite like nachos and cheese", and then followed up with "I don't restrict anything as I like it all, and I don't want to measure out portions of kale...it's just not me", which made me laugh. Alongside the physical ability, her biggest asset (it seems to me) is her extreme mental toughness. She was quite funny when talking about hallucinations she has them when night running and said that at first they freaked her out, but now she knows what it is and tries to remember the funny occurrences. She said at one race (a 238 mile race she won out right) she had a total of 21 mins sleep - a 20-min nap and 1-min nap on the trail. She said the 1-min nap totally revitalised her! On that race she won it by 8hrs or something, but she stuck around and saw some of the tail runners come in. When you see pics of her she doesn't look like an elite athlete really - she wears long shorts, and just looks very, very normal.
That cold weather will come.
Big G - our virtual classes are done by our usual instructors I think.
Matt D is doing another charity run for NHS. I suppose the only way he can get sponsorship now is to make each run further and harder, this one will be very hard, running through the night at this time of year.
I had to google Courtney Dauwalter, I don't really follow ultra runners as most are doing off road events which doesn't interest me so much. Actually I don't follow any runners at all.
8 miles today, 4 miles of which was hilly 585 ft, ankle was OK on the hills. Bitterly cold wind today although it's not that cold out of the wind.
Courtney is great,I was about to recommend the Joe Rogan but Rcouture beat me to it,love listening to Camille also,the 2 of them are incredible and both seem like really good people, think they rub a few people the wrong way as they say what they are going to do,and usually do it.
It's the same when a couple of years ago I went down the rabbit hole of really looking into the Barkley Marathons - I think the documentary that came out about that is probably my favourite running-related film. It's the same RD as the Backyard Ultra that Rcouture mentioned and I just love the stories that come out about the individuals/characters.
The further the distance then the more the runner relies on strong mental attitude, which is partly why Courtney is so successful. I've found in ultras there is little thought about stopping and not finishing, it's usually circumstances such as illness/injury/pain that forces the runner to stop in an ultra.
Courtney was the outright winner of that 240 mile ultra, brilliant running but not that unusual for a woman to win outright. I'm sure as the distance increases the physical differences between men and women becomes irrelevant. You will often seen in 24 hour races, women placed very highly.
Ian - entries are open for next year's Belfast to Dublin, 173km, if you fancy it.
Ian Sharman has had great success at WS, he was/is a member of UK 100 Marathon Club.
11 miles for me - down to Tooting, along to Figges Marsh then up to Streatham where I had another go at Hill Path (I didn't push, just wanted to see how the hamstring handled it) and back via Tooting Common. Rained during the last couple of miles - it was fine but very wet and quite cold. I felt OK though - no major pains although my left knee had a little twinge. Nothing to worry about I think, though.