Shades Marathon Training

Rcouture

SHADES

Oops, not like the Germans to screw up.

So that means 2022 runners who were successful in the ballot thought they were successful in 2023 ballot too.  Hope they read the second email.

Ian5

Shades-We haven't had a second email,that was just on the website.Hope people haven't booked flights off the back of it.

SHADES

Ian - I assumed that post was from a second email.   You could be right, some could easily have booked flights on the strength of that email.

Ian5

Shades-I got a second email at 6.21,3 and half hours after the original.If I'd have been after Berlin and got a yes I'd have definitely been looking to get a flight before the prices shot up.

SHADES

Ian - that's pretty slow for a correction email, you'd normally expect a correction quicker than that.  


5ish miles today, one short heavy shower of rain, dry the rest of the time.   Better run today.

Gym later

Big_G

That’s really not good from Berlin!

It’s ages away but we sorted out the final things for the Boston trip yesterday. We are going to New York first so we sorted the hotel and the train up to Boston. 

SHADES

Big G - that's great news you've finalised your Boston trip.   Something to look forward to.

Cal Jones

Enjoy, Big G - I'd love to go to Boston. No chance at the moment, though.

I've been resting since the HM - not felt right (I took a covid test yesterday and was negative, so more likely to be some sort of post-viral fatigue exacerbated by the heavy day I had last Sunday). I did go out for a very slow 3 miles today, though, as it is finally decent weather. Colder, though. Wore the chest strap and tried to keep HR under 140 although it crept over a couple of times. I really have to check my watch constantly to stop this happening - the second I start thinking about other things or looking at the scenery, it creeps up. Tiresome.
Feel a bit spacey but not actually ill now. Will still be doing parkrun tomorrow though not going to push it.

Rcouture

Cal - Hope you get better soon 

6 miles for me too this morning and as Cal mentioned, conditions were great. My sister and her husband are coming to stay for a week tomorrow which will be nice although OH is halfway through her treatment and starting to feel quite tired so not sure we will get up to too much. 

Big_G

Cal, I hear where you’re coming from, as it is frustrating to start with and that is where I am at the moment….again!  After a while though you’ll probably find you hardly have to look at the watch at all, and you’ll just know that you’re in the right zone. I remember running at 8s, and feeling like I was going along nicely whilst the HR was really low. It’s a great feeling that I want to get back to. 

I was feeling a bit tired today, so not wanting to over do it at this point, I took a rest day from running and just went on the bike for a very easy 45mins. My local parkrun isn’t happening tomorrow as there’s a cycling event on but I’m not sure if I’ll want to jump in the car to go somewhere else, so I’ll probably just run from home instead. 

I had my asthma assessment on the phone yesterday and main thing is that I’ve been prescribed something to go over the end of the inhaler, making it longer, which apparently helps the inhaler spray to go in further. Other than that, I was told to start the steroid inhalers a bit earlier in the year (think I’ll start 1st Sept, and I’ve put that in my calendar) in the hope that may help with any infections. Not sure if it will or not, but that is what I was told to do. 

It’s our John Scott Trophy on Sunday which is a 4 mile out-and-back event, on a fairly challenging course. I’ve sorted out the handicaps and although I’m not running it (I don’t want to risk anything at this point) I’m going along to spectate if the weather is ok, and I’ve booked the meal afterwards.  

Whisper it, but the foot feels really good at the moment!

SHADES

Cal - sorry to hear you too are suffering from post viral fatigue and all that goes with it.   Seems we've all lost our ability to bounce back after colds/viruses etc.  You just have to be patient.   

Slowly my running is starting to head in the right direction, still keeping the distances short but confident I'll be back up to 50mpw by the end of the year.


Rcouture - halfway through treatment already, that's good.  I'm sure your visitors will be a welcome distraction without any extra work for your OH to do.

Big G - I assumed you'd have to do a peak flow test but good that a phone consultation is just as good especially as aiming to prevent further chest infections.

whispers... great news on the foot.

Ian5

Big G-Great news on Boston,have you been to NYC before? I loved it.

Cal-You'll get better soon,just need to bear with it.

As for illness,last weeks must have knocked the stuffing out of me as my pace has slowed dramatically in the last week,same as others I just need to persevere and wait for it to come back.

Big_G

Ian, I’ve been before but it was back in 2008, so quite a long time ago really. I wasn’t really a runner then, but we did all the tourist stuff, went to Madison Square Garden, saw some live music etc. I’ve wanted to go back for quite some time, so linking it with Boston seemed ideal. 

Ian5

Big G-And the trains are great,both right in the centre,just watch the train leaving NY goes from Moynihan Hall,not Penn itself,its very close but confusing at first.

Just got my London email so all paid for now,OH was happy as she got hers a couple of hours before me.

Big_G

Ian, thanks for the info on the trains. 

Yeah, just paid mine too. All official now  

SHADES

Good news you've all finalised and paid for your GFA places.   Just the training now to do 

First frost of the year here, roads are dry though.   Up early, suitably dressed for the weather, waited patiently for dawn but I didn't even make it to the end of the road.   Pain in my left knee right from the first stride and it didn't ease, stopped, walked a couple of paces, no pain walking, tried to run again and pain again.  So just turned around and walked home.   If it hadn't been so cold, I would have walked a mile or so and tried again but in the cold not sure that would help.  This is not my niggly knee but the other one.   I didn't do anything yesterday to aggravate it.   Have cancelled today's gym session which was to be lower body. 

Big_G

Cool conditions but it was sunny and with clear skies, calm sea and little wind it made it a really good run out this morning. I did my Half marathon for the Tokyo challenge, and I’d put 2:10 so wanted to get close to that incase they use it as part of the draw at all. I did about 2:06 and enjoyed it out there today. 

I’ve just checked and there’s 294 in the virtual event, with 50 places up for grabs for 2024, so it’s actually pretty good odds.  Fingers crossed I get in. 

It was a bit convoluted in getting the registration set up though. It’s done through the ASICS Runkeeper app in terms of recording the distance, but you register for the event outside the app, and when you’re registered it still doesn’t show up in the app, so you have to check the registration on a different site. In case I’ve messed it up somehow I thought I’d get the distance done early, to give me time to sort any issues and redo the run later in the week if I have to. 

Ian5

Big G-Thats a lot better odds than I thought it would be,they had lots of them through the summer so even if you're not successful there may be others to try.

Rcouture

Big G - I might give it a go if entries are still open. Had a quick look on the Tokyo marathon website but it’s incredibly convoluted so will need to work it out later. 

Shades - Sorry to hear about your knee

Busy morning dropping the girls off, flu jab and dentist (waiting for it now) so will try and fit run in after this before my sis arrives. 

Big_G

Oh, seems I was wrong at the about the 294!  It said ‘294 participating’ earlier but it now says 344, so the number must be how many people have actually recorded a run (for this one you don’t have to do the distance in one go, although I chose to). 

Robert OHara

Big G sounds like good odds for Tokyo! I
forgot to submit a follow up for asthma so will call docs next week as I’m struggling post covid.

Shades hope the knee isn’t anything serious 

Ian plenty of time to get the pace back,

rcouture good luck at the dentist

Cal hope you had a good parkrun, hate the hazy spaced out feeling hope it shifts.

Couple of uninspiring runs this week, todays parkrun was tough, had mad heartburn during the night and didn’t fancy running this morning.  Did course set up then ran, with a refresh stop half way round. 30.47.  parkrun 99 done and volunteering 49

Big_G

My time has appeared in the results so that’s good news as it means the registration was all done okay. They could have made it easier though, but it’s done. They gave me 2:04 so presumably they truncated my run to the half distance, as I went slightly over to be sure. 

SHADES

Big G - well done on completing the virtual distance.   I find it hard to believe the odds are that good, surely they'll be expecting thousands of entries.  When is the deadline for completing the virtual?

Robert - best get that asthma review done as you're building up your training now and winter weather to come.



Knee feels fine, 100% pain free, am resisting'testing' it until the morning.   I suspect a bit of loose cartilage again 

Big_G

Shades, having had a bit better look at the results, it looks like the same event last year had 804 participants, but only 727 recorded a time. I’ve no idea if there’ll be more, less or similar numbers this year, but the event closes on 27th Nov. 

Ian5

Big G-I'd guess less as no foreigners could do tokyo last year so may have entered whereas for 23 we can.

Cal Jones

Nice Rob, you've almost earned your black shirt.
Shades, hope the knee is OK.
Big G, fingers crossed.

Took the train to Brighton for Preston Park parkrun today - I wanted a nice tarmac one as it's been a very wet week and I hate mud. Busy parkrun but the paths there are nice and wide so it wasn't too congested. Unfortunately my run didn't go so well. I managed two OK miles but then crashed and burned - HR too high and legs got all rubbery. I guess I'm not quite recovered. Ran 28:33 which is two seconds faster than Burnage last weekend, but Burnage has a flight of steps that has to be done twice so in reality, it was a worse run. Oh well, onwards and upwards.

SHADES

Big G - so another week to go, even if they get a couple of thousand entries that's reasonable odds compared to the main ballot.   Good luck.


Cal - a good effort, maybe too soon to expect more while you're still getting over that cold.



Have done a couple of strides this morning in my hallway and just a twinge.   But I'm being cautious and resting it today.  Hopefully will be able to run normally tomorrow.

Cal Jones

Well I didn't plan it too well today - it was raining (light rain according to the BBC) early on so I thought I'd just get it done. I was planning on 8 miles. Problem was, it wasn't light rain after the first mile, it was heavy (enough I had trouble seeing due to the water in my face). I got cold, wet and miserable so bailed at three miles (I'd have bailed at 2 if I'd been nearer home at that point). 
It's quite nice out now. 😑

Big_G

Sounds a tough one, Cal.  If I am dressed appropriately, I don't mind the odd drenching.  I remember coming back a couple of times from a training run in the rain, buzzing but getting cold and wet is very miserable.

I only ran 3 times this week in the end, but (Mon, Weds, Sat) but that is okay.  Foot feels good, so I will try for 3/4 runs again next week.  I did 25 miles this week but that included the 13-miler which I won't do next week, but if I can do 4 runs next week I'd hope for 25-30ish, but we shall see.

I did an hour on Zwift this morning and had a nice ride out.