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Shades Marathon Training
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Just seen this, I think parkrun still have delusions about their importance and I think they are accusing landowners for misunderstanding the government's guidelines.
https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/return-of-parkrun-in-jeopardy-1039944817/
5 easy miles today, lovely morning, light rain. no wind.
Gym later. I see from Monday that our gym has a lot more sessions available, I expect the rest of the furloughed staff are returning to work. Better for me too as more convenient times available.
Rest day for me. Not really "feeling it" for tomorrow. It almost feels like I've peaked after Shepperdine but hopefully when I pull on the club vest I'll be good to go! I do need to do the race as I need a long run for training for DD really, but I feel my hoped for 3:20 (which is the start wave I requested) maybe a bit ambitious! Again, we'll see how it goes
I have found a race profile and it looks undulating with hardly any flat, but at the same time not much overall elevation (1100ft-ish) so I'm a bit confused as to what the course may be like. Some say it's quite tough, others quite easy. I did say I was going to keep the wider/longer NB for the DD, but they're going to get a run out tomorrow too I think. I was tempted with the Nikes, but I want a flat course for those to really give it a good go at a future race as I know that, for me, I prefer a flat course for a good time.
I've done Worcester 4 times and my finish times were:-
I've never written that it's a tough course, or that the race was hard, I have the elevation at 1200 ft but that was pre my existing Garmin so I got that from a website/Strava so might be exaggerated.
Will be good for you to try the NB over an undulating course in a race.
Anyway, have a good race and enjoy it.
Rest day for me today.
14 miles today,my longest in 6 weeks I think,purposely slowed it down so I could get the distance in.
On both the 2.5hr journey up and back, I was met with torrential rain, but fortunately the race stayed mainly dry. That's the highlight of the race report
The organisers set runners off in groups of 6, according to hoped for finish time and I had put myself in the 3:20 group which kind of felt realistic at the time I entered it. Although runners were in groups of 6, we started individually so I ran the entire race on my own apart from overtaking a few half marathon runners on the 2nd loop.
The race started and ended outside Worcester Warriors rugby ground, and took us out into the country and up through the undulating lanes. It is a nice course, but I struggled a lot on the hills. I think I went through half way in about 1:42 and at that time was at least hoping for a sub-3:30 but I was really hanging on from 16 miles with a lot of run/walking I'm afraid.
In the end I finished in a chip time of 3:48:04 so the second half quite a bit over 2hrs today. Chairman was there too from Trotters and he managed 3:26, and he was very happy with that.
Not really sure what went wrong. The first half didn't feel unduly fast really, but later I just had nothing and felt like I was kind of running on fumes a bit. Obviously I was pleased with Shepperdine and Plym Trail, but really since Plym Trail I've not really been enjoying my running all that much in that it's been a chore to get out in some ways. Certainly the week after Plym Trail I was unusually tired as well.
Not sure what to do in the run up to DD now. I feel I do need to recover a bit in someways for DD as if that was today, it would have been awful. Any ideas? Main aim is to keep the weight off but I may not worry too much about weekly mileage for the next 3 weeks and just do what I feel in terms of mileage, even if that's quite short runs. There's always the bike too, which doesn't take as much out of me if I ride at an easy effort.
Anyway, it's another one ticked and although I was hoping for better, it wasn't to be today. Onwards and upwards
Well done on grinding it out though
When do you see the physio?
You're right about the parkrun lot, idiots.
Big G - well done, even though you sound a bit disappointed.
Maybe you're just a bit under the weather, RHR alright?
I think maybe the stress/worry about your Dad may well have affected you too and the knock on effect is tiredness.
I would take an easy week this week, plenty of rest and food if you feel you need to eat a bit more. Then see how you are next weekend.
It's not a bad little race though, I really missed doing it today.
Shades, yes, RHR is where it usually is but I am tired. Alarm went off at 5am (OH told me it had been going off for over a minute before I stirred, whereas usually I'm up straight away...) and I could hear the rain outside, and it was very tempting just to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. Yes, it is a nice course. I would probably do it again, although it's just on the edge of how far I want to travel on the day of a race really. It's 2.5hrs, but I stopped on the way up so it was closer to 3hrs each way. If I do it again, I may look to make the weekend of it and book somewhere to stay. Chair was okay as he was in his motorhome and he stayed overnight near to the race
We still don't know if there are any changes to EA/RB rules on drink stations from tomorrow, I haven't checked.
Big G - you're never going to have any HR data if you keep leaving the strap at home.
If your optical was on it may be inaccurate anyway.
Every time I've done Worcester the driving conditions have been perfect so a speedy trip up the M5, ditto Windermere drive too. Wouldn't like to do the 6 hour Windermere drive in heavy rain.
EA have done an update last week, but it's woolly and aimed at track and field, so useless.
6 miles this morning, bit on the chilly side but a lovely morning.
Gym later.
Shades-It is Windermere or a marathon type run around here,I'm driving up on the day so don't need to decide until Saturday really.
On a positive my leg is the best it's been after a run for quite a while,I couldn't feel anything Saturday then a small ache yesterday so hoping it's on its way out.
Maybe you could get a Travelodge or similar say about an hour away from Windermere, then shortish drive on race morning.
I take it you didn't persuade your OH to debut at Windermere?
Big G - how did the drink station plans at Worcester work out?
Shades, all three lanes of the motorway were blocked at Taunton yesterday on the way up, but fortunately I was only held up for about 10-15min. I was only about 6 back in the queue, but there was a workman sweeping the road - I don't think it was an accident but I think someone must have put a wheel into the central reservation gutter, and threw up a load of large stones onto the road and he was getting those out of the way in the pouring rain. I had my overnight oats for breakfast whilst sat there
Regarding the aid stations, I was okay as I had a bottle with me for that longer section between 10 and 18 with no drinks. I did see a couple of people struggling though and Chair went past me at about 22 saying he was gasping for a drink as well. They had small bottles of water with sports caps, but people could take more than one if they wanted. That is one thing I would say they could have changed; even sticking to the Covid rules, they could have moved one water station back about 1/4 of a mile, and it would have meant the marathon runners would have got an extra drink station prior to turning off to do their extra loop on the second lap (i.e., the Half runners went past the marathon turn off and got a drink about 1/4 mile up the road). But I was okay, fortunately.
Just been out for a very, very easy 4-miler just to turn the legs over really. It was fine and I think my legs will be okay tomorrow. Just need to recover a bit so as you say Shades, I'll just take it easy this week and may have a couple of complete rest days from running.
Worst potential delay I had was when I was driving to Abingdon on race morning and there was a gunman on the M4 and they took us off the M4. Pre satnav days and in the dark had to drive through/round Cheltenham to get back on M4, no signs, was a nightmare but still got to the race in time.
Then I've often driven up the day before and had hours and hours of delays due to volume of traffic
The race organisers at Worcester are lovely people, but the majority of marshals etc are not runners so maybe didn't think to relocate that drink station. But glad it worked out OK for you.
At least that's the recovery run done, you can put your feet up now.
Any problems with sore toes this time?
Right off to the gym.
I have 2 black toenails from wearing my Brooks shoes at Shepperdine.
Rcouture - not another one forgetting the chest strap
Do you intend to wear the chest strap at Kempton?
Great that you're over that sluggish spell from last week.
Re marathons, in the good old days, pre pandemic etc we used to run them more or less on consecutive weeks. But I didn't race in the winter so from April to October I'd do 20-25. Big G has done more in a year than I have as he races in the winter too.
If I could, enough suitable events, money etc I'd do 15-20 a year now.
https://www.runbritain.com/covid-19-uk-road-race-guidance#