Shades Marathon Training

Rcouture

Cal - That’s a real pain in the backside you’ve got there

Shades - Gym was busy lately due to the weather presumably. That’s been the case with OH’s place. 

7 miles for lunch as working from home. Speaking of weather they’ve got the intern in at the BBC again seemingly as a 6% chance of rain turned into a soaking throughout. Nice to get out into the common anyway. 

SHADES

Rcouture - yes, I too thought the gym usage was dependent on the weather. They've had a couple of hundred new members, I've only seen about 10. Will have to see when their 60 trial period is over as to whether they stick around. 

I agree BBC weather is so unreliable, I've noticed that if the weather changes, such as during the night or over the weekend they don't change the forecast. Can only assume they only work 9-5 Mon to Fri. I find Google weather much more reliable and updated all the time. 

SHADES

8 miles this morning and 100% ice free.   Lovely run, waited until daylight so I could use the cycle path.   Still chilly but bearable.   Even had a little shower of rain which was OK.   Missed seeing my kingfisher by a minute as a dog walker had just stopped at the bridge and had seen him fly off as I arrived.   Haven't seen that dog walker for ages her puppy is now 10 months, miniature schnauzer, absolutely gorgeous even if he did put his muddy paws on my tights.


Gym later

Big_G

I did the TTT yesterday on Zwift and enjoyed it, and then went out and did 10 this morning, and had a really good run out. As Shades said, it was still cold but zero ice and I also got caught in a small amount of rain, but it was ok. 

I got out the NB1080V11 and enjoyed them a lot, having not tried them yet. Very similar to the V10 in terms of the midsole and grip, but I think I preferred the upper on the V11. 

SHADES

Big G - foot obviously recovered well from the 12 miler.

From the reviews I read on the 1080 v11, the heel tab was disliked by a lot of runners, resolved on the v12.

Did you still go up a half size or width on the v11 as you did with the v10?   I did ask Ian a while ago whether fit was the same as v10 on the fit, but don't think he replied.


Did Tigg pass his interview with the dog sitter?

Big_G

I did go with my normal size, but if I was using them for DD I’d get half a size up as they are on the snug side. I feel the heel tab is virtually the same as on the V10 although the inside is a different fabric, and just from looking at pics I was disappointed they totally changed the design of the tab on the V12 as the heel tab is what drew me to the model in the first place.  

Yeah, Tigg passed his test….phew!

SHADES

Big G - thanks for that. I'd heard the sizing of v10 and v11 were similar.

 But if/when you buy any v12 they are sized bigger, that's mentioned in most of the reviews. 

Well done Tigg, clever boy.

Gym very quiet, not a newbie in sight. But school kids arrived just as I was finishing. 

Rcouture

Big G- Congrats to Tigg. Hope he was well rewarded for his efforts

Things have been quiet on the shoe front for me which is a sad state of affairs 😢. Haven’t bought anything since this training block started in November and everything’s got a decent lifespan left. Nothing new has caught my eye but have high hopes for the invincible 3s. Current models run great but look like clown shoes and they appear to have addressed that.  

8 miles into the office this morning. 

SHADES

Rcouture  - I've not bought any new shoes either since October. 

The Spring/Summer range of shoes should start being released from next month.   I'm sure something will catch your eye. 🙂

SHADES

8 miles today.   Very cold, was slightly underdressed too which didn't help.  Touch of frost in places but all safe for running.   I must have given my glutes a good workout yesterday, they were quite sore today when running.

Big_G

I did just over 9 today including parkrun. I ran straight to the track (1.5 miles), did 3 laps prior to the event, did the event (3 more laps) and then ran home again. Really enjoyable and ran the event with a couple of friends so had a nice catch up with them as well. 

Ordered another pair of the 1080s in half a size up and will wear either that pair or yesterday’s pair for Boston I’d have thought. 

Next week I’m hoping to get out for a 15 miler at some point, all being well.   

SHADES

Big G - another good run from you.  

Is that the v11 of the 1080's you've ordered?

Big_G

Shades, yes, V11. I got them from sportsshoes, with the discount. I did have a quick look elsewhere and others did have them a bit cheaper, but not in my size. I need a pair for Boston as I’m not using the Nikes with the plate at the moment 

Rcouture

Big G - Looks like you’re getting back into the groove. You think the plate on the nikes might irritate the PF? 

Shades - On physio’s orders I upped my weights on my weekly split squats this week and my glutes and hammies have been on fire 😢

Usual 8 mile Common run in between taxi service for the girls this morning. Feeling pretty good at the minute though my HR doesn’t really suggest I’m getting any fitter. Tempo session tomorrow. 

SHADES

Rcouture - no pain no gain. 😭

My hammies were unusually tight yesterday in the gym so I skipped one of my hamstring exercises and did another glute exercise instead. Probably why my glutes are complaining today.

You know your HR improvement will suddenly show in your stats, just when you're not expecting it.

Big_G

RCouture, it’s been in the back of mind that the Nikes may have contributed to this issue. I actually started getting foot pain some weeks before Seville last year but managed it and got through Seville ok. However, I DNSd a couple of shorter races the month after Seville, and then did enough to tick over to get through my 100th in May, but after that it is when it got bad. I can’t say for sure and it is probably a combination of many things but it’s on my mind. I’m not going for a fast time in Boston anyway, and at this stage I don’t feel I should retry them. 

Rcouture

Big G - That’s interesting and why I asked as a clubmate is convinced carbon plated shoes give him PF. Who knows 

Robert OHara

Big G - have you tried any speed work? That used to aggravate my pf (also possibly the cause) Im not fit enough to try any speed work so not tested is since my fall.  

Rcouture you need to get buying shoes! Can never have enough! Well done on taxi service and squeezing the run in.

shades hopefully that’s the end of the freezing weather now, hope the glutes recover! 

Cal hips are a nightmare! Was you hoping to race the 10k or just enjoy it?

6 miles yesterday evening and another 6 miles this afternoon.  Want to get another run tomorrow with double figure miles.

Big_G

Robert, I’ve done no speedwork and I’m not planning any - I did put a bit of effort in at Xmas eve parkrun, but that is all it’s been for months. In the run up to Seville I did a small number of sessions, and a few races, mainly in plated shoes. 

SHADES

Any factor that alters running style, be it different shoes or speedwork or a deliberate change, such as trying to switch to forefoot running, can certainly cause injury.

At the moment there doesn't seem to be enough documented evidence to blame carbon plated shoes and of course the shoe manufacturers would not publish any such information. 

Many runners will get injured if they increase the amount of speedwork, there's a very fine line between the right amount and injury. 

When I ran Abington, going through the industrial estate I was lapped by some of the very faster runners. All wearing CP shoes and a couple of them were running so far on the edge of their shoes that it was a wonder that they wouldn't end up with an injury by the end of the race. This part of the course was on a perfectly flat smooth road surface.

Robert- my glutes are sore now and I'm only sitting on the sofa. 

You're certainly getting some good consistent training in lately. 

Cal Jones

Rob, was hoping to race it as much as I could but I'll settle for getting around.
Today I volunteered as parkwalker at my local, given it was their 7th anniversary and also my 200th parkrun. I've only managed to add one new parkrun this month (out of 5 parkruns...not a great hit rate) due to a combination of niggly bits and pieces and dodgy weather. I hope both improve.

Shades, I reckon that was one of the places I temped during my miserable three years in Oxfordshire. Just one of the reasons I have no interest in that race. 

SHADES

Cal - congratulations on your 200th parkrun yesterday. 

 How's the glute/groin now?

I think that industrial estate in Abingdon is very smart looking, for an industrial estate.   However, that doesn't mean your temping job wasn't mind numbingly boring.


I'm taking a rest day today as I'm feeling tired.   Slightly annoying as it's the first morning for about 10 days that the temperature isn't a 'feels like' sub zero.    But I've just looked at the forecast and no frost expected this week 

Big_G

Well done Cal. 211 for me yesterday so there’s a chance I may get to 250 this year I’ve done 42 locations but there’s not much scope for many new ones for me this year, as I expect the majority will be at Torbay. 

Cal Jones

If it's the one I'm thinking of, I worked there for a couple of weeks at BASF's car paints division, customer service. It wasn't a bad job at the time but the lighting gave me migraines. The bad jobs were when I worked on the huge ABC industrial estate near Didcot Power Station - that's when I was doing crap like gluing carboard boxes together and I'd go home and cry with despair. The proximity to the power station meant I was always dirty - I'd clean my face with surgical spirit and the cotton wool would come away black.

Yes it's a bit harder to notch up new venues where you are, without racking up big travel bills or overnight stays. Still, you are nearer to the Cornish parkruns than I am. I'd love to do Land's End for the hell of it, and Eden Project, but it's unlikely I'll get down that way anytime soon.

So, some hopeful news. I tried a little run this morning. I walked two miles first, up to Streatham, then ran back via the common for three miles (I thought the downhill start would be helpful). I'm not free from discomfort but it's manageable. First mile felt clunky which is typical after time off but I warmed up.  The groin is actually more noticeable walking than running - when I run, the glute/ham issue is more noticeable. But I reckon I'll be OK doing Winter 10K next weekend. Won't be fast, mind you.

SHADES

Cal - I think it was Abingdon Business Park?    That job at ABC sounds horrendous, no wonder you have awful memories of living in Abingdon.

That's promising re the glute/groin recovery.


I've been busy, flight, hotel and hire car booked for Isle of Man marathon 

Big_G

Cal, we have got some nice events down this way, although funnily enough my local one is probably the dullest, not just because I’ve done it loads, but because it is literally laps of a tarmac track with no scenery to look at particularly.  It’s about 1/4m from the sea, but you can’t see the sea. I think Eden is still my favourite of the ones I’ve done, although Woolacombe is high up there. I haven’t done Land’s End although probably will at some point, but I’ve done Thurso, which is the most northern on mainland UK. 

2hrs10 on the bike today and enjoyed it  

Rcouture

Big G - That’s a good innings on the bike. Are you going to maintain as much of the bike as you ramp back up on the running?

Shades - Exciting re Isle of Man. I’ve actually never visited. 

Cal - Congrats on the 200!

30 minute tempo this morning . Paces weren’t anything to write home about again but effort felt manageable and the right HR zone throughout. To be fair looking back at tempo sessions for Chicago, most ended up being only marginally faster than race pace. Given these ones are faster than that training block, I’d be very happy with a similar outcome especially coming off a good week’s training, increase in strength work and no super shoes. With warmup and cool-down, it came to 15 miles. 52 miles this week which is lower than last given this new alternating 20 miler/tempo. No idea if this will deliver better results but it certainly feels more sustainable life and work-wise for now especially as I’m having to work most weekends in the evening at the moment. Luckily work is flexible enough that I can see the girls before school on weekdays and I’m not travelling like I used to. 

SHADES

Rcouture - most important that your training is sustainable, enjoyable and you don't get overtired/ill. That will achieve better results than higher mileage alone if you're tired/stressed. 

I first went to the IOM to do the Grand Prix, now called No Rest for the Wicked, which is 6 races in 6 days. Best week's training, I would usually knock out a marathon or ultra PB 3 weeks later. I don't do the race series now but still love the island and this will be the 21st time I'll run the marathon. 

Cal Jones

I do fancy Woolacombe, Big G...for the challenge, of course. Cornwall's got some pretty beastly ones too...it's not flat down there.

My hip/groin's been a bit grumpy since the run but not sure if it's the run or the stretches after. I am going to be cautious anyway. Tomorrow will be a gym/elliptical day again.

Big_G

Rcouture, I’ve not got a plan for the riding as such. If the running does progress to 5 days a week at some point then I can imagine I’ll do less riding although I’d hope to keep Thursday’s Team Time Trial in if I can. 

Cal, I think I’ve done the nicer Cornish ones - Trelissick, Lanhydrock, Eden Project, Mount Edcumbe. Haven’t done Land’s End yet though.