Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Forecast seems to be improving in most places TR - hope you get a break.
Sounds as though a rest was definitely the right thing Jooligan.
Berlin isn't going to happen next year - 125 euro entry so adding in flights, accommodation etc it's just too expensive
I'm sure the day off did do some good. Cut back week coming up too. Just in time to act as a mini-taper for my tri next Sunday.
125 Euros!!!! No f**kin way I'll ever be in Berlin either cause I don't do the lottery
ES -- congrats on the PB & podium! And I *am* in a marathon campaign, for Chester (now in 2 weeks). Having said that, I tend to throw in a properly long run now and then to keep my endurance adaptations ticking over between marathons too.
Cartman -- it's worth looking at HR and keeping it at a safely low level for the majority of a marathon -- considering the hills, our own Marigold [Steve Way] used HR very successfully to regulate his hill efforts in the Comrades I recall. I don't train by HR though.
SJ -- good stuff on the 20s, though my own preference of course is to go longer in training.
OO -- sounds like a fantastic day.
Wardi -- nicely done in the 10M, glad you didn't let the wind blow your target away!
JB -- fantastic, huge congrats on the win! Masterful.
Matiakez -- I used to be a low mileage guy and did pretty well off it, but did get a lot of niggly injuries. Now I'm doing a lot of slow ploddy miles and am a bit quicker, and injury free for years -- but it is time-consuming.
Jools -- 12 weeks is forever, good luck with the campaign.
Jooligan -- nice parkrun + training
Berlin may be expensive compared to London & Valencia etc, but sounds way cheaper than the likes of New York ($300 or something?). I'm always amazed what good value London is (though I know charity places are expensive).
I was away at a conference this past week with free drink available each evening and colleagues from the Spanish office in my hotel; but I lived like a hermit monk, sneaking off to run big miles morning and night, before retiring to my room with a prepacked pasta salad and alcohol-free beers from the bar. So after a training marathon last Sunday before I left, I got to 100M by Thursday morning, including an impromptu 20M+ LSR on Weds evening during the 'gala dinner'. Then rested until today, when I again did my favourite reps/tempo 'staircase' session to belatedly expose my legs to some (attempted) speed, followed by steady running to make it to a 2:58 marathon. That was my 9th marathon+ training run (counting my 70M ultra only as 1!) since VLM, but my last -- taper time now. Which I always enjoy. Chester marathon in 2 weeks.
Wardi - improving nicely.
CW - thats a better sequence of long runs in one week than ive done since i got going again at the end of July. You are well set for your mara.
I’ve not had massive focus over the summer, but did two trail 50k races and won both of them. The Serpent Trail 50k on the South Downs in July was damn hot, took a bit over 4 hours and I learnt the power of Saltstick tablets! In August I ran the 50k at the Salisbury 54321 event, temperatures were far more sensible and I ran 3:35 (with more elevation than the Serpent Trail).
I’ve been in (puesdo) marathon training mode the last 6-7 weeks or so with Bournemouth in a few weeks time as the target. Got the same plan as CW to use it to qualify for the England Masters Champs at York next year. Doing the same 1/2 as TR tomorrow so will keep a look out and say hi.
SPOs bday and ive been awol.
As autumn marathon season approaches it is time to delurk. I have been dipping in and reading thread but not going to try and summarise all the great performances since London otherwise I will be here all day.
I have been keeping things tipping over with a few half marathons - as a new V50 it is nice to get the odd age category win - though my last chance to step on the podium was cruelly taken from me when they mistakenly gave my trophy to an old (slower) runner - all sorted now but those moments of fame have been few and far between in my running.
Race wise I have Abingdon coming up - just need to make sure I don't run another 3:00:03 like last year! Then Dan and Ms Dan have persuaded the beer is cheap enough in Valencia that it would be fun to run the marathon to develop a thirst.
Training had been going ok but picked up a cold in Norway couple of weeks ago (possibly a reaction to paying over £13 for a pint), followed by a drunken weekend in Edinburgh. So hoping to squeeze in a couple of decent soberish weeks training before 2 week taper.
Will try to post more and comment on all your amazing training.
Backed up yesterday's LR with 14.3M today. It's a tough route which I did in December & again in February. Basically up for 5K, down 1K, up 5K then turn around. Legs were a bit creaky in the first K but I trotted up easily enough once I'd loosened off & was pleased to find I was 4 minutes quicker to the turnaround than my previous outings. I then decided to descend at a reasonable clip finishing with a 6:48 & a 6:38 mile. Legs so much stronger this season which I put down to a return to hilly running.
Good to see TickTock posting and another towing the line at Abo.
6 easy miles today taking me over 60 for the week. Managed to avoid the urge to run a leg of the Northern road relays despite it being at Sport City (Man City's ground) 3 miles from my front door (I had family stuff on anyway).
I think that with another couple of weeks training and tapered the sub 3 will be there TR. I've found my stomach is much better since I've been on the probiotic (let me know if you want a link) and that on race day now I need to stop eating two hours prior to the race and take an imodium - never used to have issues and no idea why they started but this regime seems to make them manageable.
Nice restraint sj.
TickTock - target at Abo is beat my PB (2:57:15) which is from Lochaber 2009 !! In my defence I have had some mediocre years in-between where running took a back seat to career/life.
However, this year I have made the time and after a comeback 2:57:56 in the 2015 (short) Manchester marathon and 3:11 in Manchester this April (lost training to bad weather/short illness) I feel in good shape to get close. I honestly haven't trained as consistently as I have since 2009/10. Shameful waste of years but it is what it is.
LMH - external not internal, the sore muscle thing again.
LMH, SJ - hopefully tbe 1/2s have pushed my fitness on. I was only thinking today that i was aerobically comfortable at 6.20s, so hopefully 6.4X will be do-able. Then 6.40ish was a struggle into the wind. I'm aware that the marathon training is scuppering he 1/2 times a bit, i just didnt have the ability to push hard today (due to fatigue? I did the longest BAC session this week).
What's the probiotic LMH & do you use it every day? I've had troublesome digestive issues on more than just the recent 10M. I put it down to nerves & caffeine - I don't usually drink coffee except pre-race. Problems seem to arise after about 6-8M if they're going to.
Nice to catch up with TR & RyanS at the Solent Half this morning. The weather before hand looked very unappealing but then while we were stood at the start the rain started to ease off and stayed that way for the whole race, the sun even came out for a bit around halfway
Looks like some good racing at the Solent Half today, despite a bit of wind.
Nice backing up the LR with another, Jooligan.
Hope Abingdon goes OK, welcome back Tick Tock.
We were dropping the eldest at Uni this weekend, so settled for 16 along the canal in Birmingham. Cold and wet, but apart from that decent enough.
Jooligan I use Ohso - you eat a bar a day, and very nice it is too.
Nothing entered until London TickTock.
Signs are good Al_P.
CD - Good getting 16M fitted in.
Jooligan - We got given some Kefir 'grains' (culture of probiotic bacteria & yeasts) from some friends to start making our own fermented Kefir yogurt (from milk) Been doing it for a month or so now, but not sure I've seen any benefits as yet...
Some big mileage going on e.g. CW, Jooligan, SJ.
TR - that's a pretty good run in those conditions and should equate to a sub-3 taking into account taper and better conditions. Just need to keep it ticking over now and freshen up as you say.
I only had a 45 minute window on Saturday morning but luckily the club were doing a hill reps session, so 10x1min hills within about 6.5M in total was a good workout in the time available. Then just 6M yesterday in the rain.
We're off on holiday on Wednesday - not sure if that will mean more or less running, but with no races on the horizon it doesn't really matter. As long as I keep the press-ups going - less than 100 days to go!
TR: if conditions down south on Sunday were anything like Bristolian conditions on Thursday and Friday then you can't take the time as proof of your current fitness: I'm sure it's really worth 1.22/1.23 and you should be fine, especially with a taper.
Good result for Al by the sounds of things.
I was away for a family get-together over the weekend, and although the Lake District is beautiful, it's a heck of a long way away: 13 hour round trip! Still, I squeezed in 6 on Saturday and 13 on Sunday, and will get my long run done today (the 13 is really on this week's schedule, so I'll do two long runs this week instead and mess up my weekly stats!).
TR -- great effort in the half, the water jumps and wind won't have helped. Best of luck for Abo.
TT-- £13 for a pint has to be some kind of season's best.
Like CD we were on uni drop-off detail, hence I did my big run on Sat before we left -- but I jogged a few miles round York yesterday on fragile legs too. Rest today, as the taper has started; I'll do some reps tomorrow or Weds, and a bit more general running, then rest up for a couple of days before my traditional MP try-out at the weekend, one week out.
Joolska - hopefully you are right with 1.22/3.
Charlie- how far will your long run be this weekend, 1 week out?
Enjoy yr hols padams, keep thr press ups going.
Hopefully you folks are right about the taper seeing me approsch sub3 shape. Its been humbling setting personal worse times on local courses as i try to get fit again, however there is no place for any ego in a marathon build up/return to fitness.
Stomach/groin issue is sore today, but hopefully it'll settle, i thought i was over that. 6m easy was ok today though.
Cracking racing there Al. That's a 100+M for the week by my reckoning too. Tried some Kefir a while ago but couldn't be arsed tbh.
Standard CW. I predict another 2:38/39 outing.
Just 5M at lunch today along the canal, so nice & flat. Really pleased with how bouncy the legs felt after such a big w/e. Lovely day for it too: sunny, still & cool. Cycle commute was heaven
Charlie - so anywhere between 14 and 22? Although you wont be needing heat adaptations, we have run through some hot weather this summer.
Joolska - thats it indeed, but like you say the fitness wil hopefully come back. I looked back and my time at Gosport last november (which was my first race back) was 6 secs slower than i ran this sunday. As sunday was on a slower course on a windy day in a mara campaign, im taking it as progress.
Legs felt ok today during 8m easy, so i obviously had some in reserve sunday. Had longsleeves, hat and gloves on as it was frosty (already).
Getting some road fitness back after a summer of off road. About 80-90 miles pw in Sept with 3 hr runs the last few weekends. Doing Abo as my longest training run for Valencia. Last couple of years I've done it as a 1.35/1.32 -ve split, but might try a bit quicker this year and go for as close to 3hrs as I can without pushing too far into the red.