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Aww not you too Jools. The thread girlies aren't having much luck at the present time. LMH.. there is an element of 'pulling up the potatoes to see if they're still growing' when testing out an injury but I can understand your frustration.
Sensible decision on a wobbly surface PP. Still, good to see you got a decent run and a few ales in over the weekend.
ES.. the occasional back to back long run is good practice for running on tired legs, nice effort.
2 weeks left now so did 15.2 today, very windy up here. 55m this week so taper time looms.
Jools: hope the achilles heals soon, one week can neither make nor break a marathon campaign.
Wardi: anti-cold and anti-lurgy vibes heading your way for the taper
I managed 509th at Nationals.. Bit disappointing as I averaged 6:15mm pace when the plan was to try HMP/6:00mm. Position was a year-on-year-on-year improvement; 14'=1333, 15' = 870, 16' = 806, so although not the time or position I'd really of liked, progress none-the-less!
7 weeks today until Boston means 4 more weeks of big miles, tough workouts and no biscuits before the panic 3 week taper towards the end!
LMH - sounds like there's some improvement, but better to be too cautious than being impatient. An extra day off isn't going to affect your fitness much but could be the difference in terms of it being recovered enough to run properly.
Jools - sorry to hear you're having problems too. Hopefully nothing too major.
GBRM - good improvement in position. Pace on an XC course is pretty irrelevant so I wouldn't worry about that.
Had a very enjoyable run on Saturday with 3 mates. 2 of them turned back at 7M as they had to get home, but the other and I carried on and did the route I'd planned, about 17M, plus 2M beforehand with the dog. Met my wife and son there, ate a big slice of Victoria sponge and then drove home.
Yesterday I just did a bit of running with the family, practising running with the dog on a proper running harness. It was fun being towed by her at full gallop - my legs were struggling to move fast enough. I'm fairly sure I could destroy my 5k PB if I could train her to follow directional instructions!
Commiserations to all the injured -- recover soon, all of you.
After two full days off I did a reps & tempo session yesterday that defied my expectations: with all the 9 m/M trudging I've been doing I expected to be slow particularly on the shorter reps but have a low HR for the tempo. Actually I was OK on the shorter ones but my HR was oddly high, especially for the longer segments. Odd. Overall 15+M at 6:28/M so a good workout.
And I came back to hear my elderly Dad had died in his Surrey nursing home (entirely expected and a blessed relief really). He did VLM (FLM) once but very slowly -- my Mum was the real runner. Anyway, no more odd rail/run trips or Surrey hill training for me on alternate Saturdays any more.
Not so good on the injury front with LMH & jools - hope they heal soon.
National didn't look good PP, more like a bog snorkelling course than XC.
GBRM - well waded, er, run at the National. 7 weeks to Boston, don't remind me! 'Only' a 16 miler yesterday, but that did include up and over box hill so a decent workout.
So myself, Cheerful Dave and Electric Sheep are doing Boston! Anyone else in here going across the pond in April?
ES - your long runs shouldn't be spectacular. Sounds like a very decent run
Commiserations Charlie, but sounds like it's for the best.
PP - probably a wise decision at the Nationals. Did wonder if you were about, but didn't spot you.
GBRM - well run at the Nationals. Not sure you can really worry about pace.
Pretty decent race for me at the Nationals. 190th place was a bit down on what I'd hoped for, but looking at the results I was very much in and amongst the right people, just a couple of seconds behind the 3rd placer from Wokingham and with plenty of other good markers just ahead, I think it was just a pretty strong year. Coped better with the swamp than I expected given my usual struggles in mud, so that's OK. The pictures were of the bog of course, but a lot of the rest was very runnable. Went to visit a friend afterwards, think he must have been a bit taken aback to have me show up with mud all over my face and with nut-brown legs.
Some good running at the Nationals, must have been a good workout if nothing else!
Padams - you can train the dog for directional commands, we used 'go on then' for straight ahead, right and left reinforced initially with arm signals (when she wasn't on the lead so could see us). It doesn't take them long to pick it up if they're bright and you're consistent using the words.
So, set off for my run this morning and the leg felt much freer than it did yesterday so I did a slow four miles (no idea why I'm not faster after all this rest!). Could feel the leg tire a little after three miles and the hip tried to seize when I walked home but I kept it moving and iced it when I got in and having walked Grace this afternoon it actually feels the best it has since the accident - so maybe it just needed beating into submission :-)
Jools - shocking luck after missing out last year. Hope it comes together in time.
Wardi - looking very solid for Barca. Think I'll get back there for the 5th (well 6th if you count the year I went there injured) time next year after a couple of years wasting everyone's time on the champs start at VLM.
Did the new Thorpe Park half yesterday. More exciting than it sounds (if you like theme parks), as we basically started in the car park and then ran 13 miles on lonely country roads; somehow they'd got Andy Vernon and Scott Overall to show up to make us feel inadequate. No taper or anything sensible like that, and was out late the night before. Loosely wanted 80 mins or below as first proper road race since December's marathon.
After a fairly brisk opening mile I felt awful from miles 2-5, with heavy legs that just didn't feel up to it, and about 20 people overtaking me and disappearing up the road. Was just on the cusp of mentally binning it and resigning to a sh!t run, but got a grip on a longish hill and tried to chase down the group in front. Managed to catch and pass them, then reeled in another pair who'd passed me earlier and were 50 metres ahead. Ended up running most of the way with them from there (they stretched the elastic to about 20 metres at mile 9 but I clawed it back). Just held them both off by a couple of seconds to finish in 80:03. Noone passed me after mile 5 and I got about a dozen places back, so more pleased with the mental side than the time tbh. Endurance is OK, but need to work on the speed I think.
Hello - time to return to the forum after nearly ten months. I have been reading on and off but will not attempt a recap apart from to pass on commiserations to CW. It also appears a few are on or hovering close to the bench so wish all these a speedy recovery.
Last May I developed a tendon pain in my adductor longus which would not settle down. Ended up with about 15 physio appointments and MRI scan but little improvement for much of the year. So much of last year was spent on the bike riding 200+ miles per week and jogging a few miles every few days. Thankfully this year things have improved. I have managed to do some training in between a bout of flu. The last couple of weekends I have managed slow 20 mile slogs. So hoping to string together another 8 weeks of injury free running so that I can get to the Red Lion in April before it is drunk dry by you lot.
OO - impressive mileage and long runs, sounds like you're in great shape.
LMH - yes, that's the plan with the dog. She is very intelligent, but doesn't follow instructions unless there's something in it for her, so it's a case of keeping her incentivised! Sounds like your injury is progressing and you're doing all the right things.
Dan - solid run, weird that you felt rubbish early on.
TickTock - you probably kept pretty fit with that much cycling and just a bit of running, so I expect it will come back quickly once you increase the mileage.
7M this morning - 4M with the dog, including one in 5:43 (thought I should do a faster one in advance of this Sunday's HM), then 3M into work with a rucksack. Will run home to make it about 11M for the day.
4miles early doors for me, earning the hunger for some tasty pancakes! 5K race tonight, pacing a friend to a PB (hopefully!) of Sub18, race miles in amongst 9miles (P&D, 70-85, 6WTG)
With the nasty patch and then it going right, Dan, I can only say you had a rollercoaster ride...
Thanks for your wishes, all. Doing "Dadmin" occupied me all day yesterday and I literally didn't get out of the house, but running-wise that's probably a good thing as my calves were DOMSd from Sunday's training. I did get 6M in this morning, with 2.4M@5:53/M tempo (but thrashing myself, not sustainable at all, though to be fair my calves were still protesting a bit). As usual I'll do lots of increasingly little bits of speed until my Cambridge half on Sunday, then back to VLM training after that.
Loads to catch up on! Good to see you posting again Hilly, and hopefully LMH and Jools can both get back into it niggle free asap.
I assume you're in taper Wardi? Good to go?
ES - big couple of days there! No wonder you were tired!
Sensible PP.
I've been up to my eyeballs sorting various bits out, but also developed a slight issue last Thursday week - I originally thought it was something I've had before (I seem to have a slight weakness above my left ankle that when it goes feels like cramp/spasming), so took a few days off, started back, still no better, stuck to jogging, but by Friday I was in a bit of pain. Turns out I'd trapped a nerve. Probably going back to the Parliament Hill DNF. Chiropractor manipulated it somehow, and bar a bit of tenderness it has been ok since. Jogged a little Saturday/Sunday, but back to it yesterday with an out and back 22m (7:29 out, 6:55 back), then a double today (6m jog/10 @ 6:47) to round out the month.
Scores on the doors.
Mileage: 313m (I've only been properly above that once in the last 29 months!).
Average Pace: 7:35 (slow is better than stopped).
Rest Days: 5.
So hopefully something to build from, and hopefully I'll be around here a bit more again too.
Good to see you back into chunky mileage TT. Yes in taper and no dramas to report. Well, apart from Tesco offering 2 boxes of 5 Cadbury's crème eggs for £2. I'll be 16 stone by marathon day.
All the best to you & yours Charlie. In some ways I was similarly relieved at my Dad's passing as his dementia was worsening but he still recognised all the family.
Nice work in toughing out the mental part of that half Dan A.
Dachs.. excellent position at the XC. Saw those pictures of you & thought you had crawled round (O:
Welcome back Tick Tock, hasn't been the same with only one TT on the thread.
4+7.5m today, last double before race day.
Have offered my condolences elsewhere, CW, but hope you are doing ok.
Jools - sounds like you're close to a full return?
Track tonight. 3 sets of {2km, 800m} with 200m jog recoveries. Aimed for HM effort for the 2km and 10km for the 800s, and found a reasonably functional metronome coming back - 7:13, 2:51, 7:12, 2:50, 7:12, 2:48. Slight improvement on my last track session.
TT - solid monthly mileage, and tidy session (I make that close to 75 min HM pace for the 2k reps?).
February was about 145M for me, so not too bad considering I was away for the first 8 days and didn't do too much.
Mini-Padams has quite a severe cold so a few nights of pretty bad sleep (worse for Mrs Padams). Going to try to get out for a lunchtime run today, which might result in an unproductive afternoon but luckily not too busy at work today. Alternatively I might make an emergency trip to Tesco's having seen Wardi's post.
Thanks Wardi, I'm doing fine thanks. My Dad was in a pretty poor state so it was all for the best. But handling the aftermath means a grand tour of Surrey in the car tomorrow, so no forum and probably no running; I did another taper tune-up this morning though, with 1.6M at about HMP now at a more sensible HR, in the teeth of a strong wind. I don't think I'm super-fit, but probably not bad either. We'll see.
CW - hope everything goes as well as it can.
Slightly better night's sleep last night - mini-Padams seems to have perked up a bit. My lunchtime run was pleasing yesterday 6M in about 39:30 and it felt really easy (maybe the online mapping tool I was using just overestimates!). I cycled home from work (not even 3M each way) and weirdly when I got home my knee started feeling a bit sore. Did 3M this morning with the dog and it was a bit achy but seems OK now, so hopefully fine for Sunday.
I managed eight miles this morning though it's still slow. Off to physio again this afternoon, my right hamstring now feels quite tight so I assume I've been compensating somewhere. Will hope that she can sort me out and that I can adopt Joolska's positive attitude.
Cotton wool time Wardi. And not too many cream eggs in the taper!
Good news Jools! And sounds like a good plan!
Hopefully the physio can sort you out LMH. Good with the 8m though.
I'm having a decent week. Ankle pain is gone and I've ticked every run on my schedule, bar this morning's recovery jog (they're optional anyway) as I was tired (lack of sleep, rather than training), so had a lie in. 14.5 with 10m 'tempo' this afternoon said it was the right decision (85% effort, so in theory cMP + 15-20s). Probably ran it (very) slightly harder than intended as split 31:09/30:38 on a mildly hilly route - 2nd half was probably inside MP+10s, but it's close enough to requirements either way, so that will do.
10m on grass tomorrow morning rounds out the week (I don't run after Saturday pre-brekkie when I have the kids) and I think puts me in the mid 90s. After 2 weeks of 60 with ankle pain that'll do as a step back in the right direction!
Looks like Charlie had a decent day at the office.
Nice training TT and good news re the ankle.
LMH.. good luck with the physio, hope he can sort out some of your aches & stiffness.
Best of luck with your recovery too Jools.
My last MLR of note, 12.6m today & got a good soaking in the last 2 miles.
Here are another couple of quaint Barca marathon translations for your entertainment..
'The dreaded kilometer 30, I won't be so funny'
'If you need anything, our volunteers will be glad to help you. So handsome in the find.'
TT - mid 90's mileage, stuff of dreams or nightmares depending.
Wardi - in the home straight now and after todays weather Barcalona must be even more inviting.
Bideford half marathon (North Devon coastal)
The aim was under 85 minutes, the more the better and mission achieved with 82.25. Decided to run at an uncomfortable pace which turned out to be around 6.15 mpm which went up a bit for the up-hills and down a bit for the flat and down-hills. The main drama unsurprisingly was the weather which was 2C and hailstoney around 10m/ one hour from the start to a barmy 6C and weak sunshine for most of the run with the last 6 miles into the face of a constant strong wind blast. Really pleased as wasn't sure what hmp/ mp looks like these days and good to have race evidence, the relatively high mileage (for me) is working. More confident than ever now - I am whispering this - of a good sub 3 time now at Manchester in 4 weeks time. Looks like 28th out of around 1200 odd, a the mixed blessing of being 3rd vet.
Keep your powder dry Wardi:-)
You do seem to get your form back very quickly TT.
I thought Charlie would have posted by now - it was Cambridge Half today wasn't it?
Physio thinks that I have a large haematoma in my quad that is preventing it from firing properly so I'm compensating with my hamstrings, left is tight, right is tighter. As is often the case I am currently held together with tape:-) The good news is that I was able to run 17 miles yesterday albeit about 30 secs/mile slower than I would usually. Physio said if there was no reaction to that today I could try a 20 tomorrow and today I was able to go out and swim 10 with no more discomfort (apart from being soaked through and frozen) so I guess it's LSR day tomorrow. Question is what do I do from here? Usually I rely on running as many easy miles as I can but obviously I have lost three weeks, next weekend is Silverstone Half and the weekend after is Ashby 20 which I was hoping would be confidence giving runs. I need to check with physio whether I can 'race' the half anyway as on Friday she said that anything 'explosive' could result in a tear in my quad - but I'll be a week further down the line by then. So - four weeks of as many miles as I can and accept that Ashby may be slower than last year or one long, one medium and five shorter (maybe ten mile) runs a week to try to get the speed back but keep the endurance (which surely I shouldn't have lost in three weeks)? Thoughts?