Sub 3

Jooligan

WTGY: Thanks. I was still in my mid thirties when that profile pic was taken & next year I cross over to V50! I was using the gloves to store my gels btw as I've found they fall out of my shorts pockets & had the old ones so that I could jettison them later if need be. 
SC2: small world indeed.
TR: I've signed up for Brighton in April now so we should get to meet next year & hopefully run together too. The elite start is very much smaller than VLM.

Little M.iss Happy

I don't believe you are 50 next year Jooligan! I want some of whatever you're having - though it's probably too late for me 

TR

Jooligan - good that you're in too. Smaller start is fine. We had best both pace and fuel it better than we did Sunday.

The missing 76secs is still in my thoughts but attention is starting to turn to Gosport now whiich is 3 weeks away and when i hope to smash last years comeback time of :1:25:1X. Hope its a still day.

Jooligan

LMH: thanks. Think the low res sample pictures help.
TR: Nothing wrong with my pacing for a sub 3 just not enough miles in the bank beforehand. I plan to have a less hectic few days prior to the race itself, do more 20M runs & follow a 12-14 week build-up without a Half Iron Man 3 weeks out. I should also start from a stronger base as I intend to run 60 mpw through Nov/Dec rather than the 30 or less I was getting in over July/August
Easy 10K twice round my local parkrun course in the autumnal sunshine earlier. Probably 2K further than the legs needed tbh.

TR

Jooligan - sounds familiar, i plan a longer build up (rather than the compromised june/july i had). Agreed, you paced the first 1/2 well for a sub 3,  and i paced it well for a 2.56, but we both fell away, so i could have run a far easier 3.01 and you a far easier 3.08 if we both paced it better. But neither of us set out to run 3:0X.
I have the portsmouth coastal run late december which will motivate me to keep the miles up, and my 3000M target.

Jooligan

Funnily enough I was just looking at that one last night TR. Do you know anyone who's done it? From the last couple of year's results it looks unlikely there'll be much of a group to run with.
I'm sure I could have run a 3:05 with better pacing but that was neither here nor there really.

TR

Yes, folks seem to like it. LMH has run it. Its on a shocking harbour trail from Portmouth round to Hayling and back. I used to say they'd have to pay me to take part ! Could be really wet and windy. I'll be looking 3.15ish as a decent training run, so there'll be enough folks ahead of me to follow. The aim of doing it is that it will make me run a few long runs after Gosport 1/2, and make me run the full distance again between Abo and Brighton.

Ultra Disco Stu

Been away working and general break from my phone and 'screen time' ... Good to catch up with everyone's run at Abo last Sunday. Lots of great performances and incredible pacing. The half marathon splits posted and conversion to a sub 3 were very impressive. Congratulations on the sub-3s SJ, SW, and TT.  And TR that's as good as a sub3. Great effort. 

So who in this group is running Snowdonia on Saturday? It's such a great marathon that I'm sure I'm not the only one braving the artic conditions !! Gonna be a chilly one that's for sure. Either way I I can't wait to round up my 3in3marathonchallenge. Not the results I so far wanted of course, but have learnt a huge amount. What I can't get my head around is that I have now been training pretty consistently for a solid 12 months. I've never done that before. It's been fun and I've really enjoyed the journey but I would say that the lack of a real break is very noticable. And any increases in performance really tail off. I think I peaked in August and since then have struggled. So no idea what will have on Saturday but I'm well rested and will just give it my best shot. I'm #253

WayToGoYet

Jooligan - what LMH said! I used to think I looked young.

TR - 3000m? - 3k run or 3000 miles in a year? 

Cheerful Dave

Blimey, it's like watching Dave Bedford being chased by William Hague.

Jooligan

I'm doing Snowdonia Stu but no idea how the body will cope so soon after Sunday.
When I did 3:02 in Brighton 2016 I went through half way in 1:31 at VLM 7 days later before crashing to a 3:18. On the other hand I managed successive course PBs of 3:40 on back to back weekends in September 2013 over tough off-road courses so we'll see.
I'm #260 & will look like I do in the photos from Abo.

TR

All the best, Stu. Will be a tough day no doubt.

WTG - 3000 miles for 2018, i will need around 260ish a month for Nov and Dec. A result of training for marathons most of the year. O swims and bikes nowadays though.

Legs were feeling surprisingly good so i did an easy 5 miler today. Nothing major to report damage wise, but will keep it easy next week, and then have a quick sharpen up ready for Gosport.

Simon Coombes 2

Have a good one Stu. Hopefully C4 will show it again, even though it's in Welsh.

Looks a great event - one of those 'possibles' for a third and 'DEFINITELY THE LAST ONE!' marathon

Ultra Disco Stu

Thanks TR and Simon. I like tough and this will certainly be that. I'll look out for you Jolligan. I'll be the one near the front in the 'Buff'! Head to toe. We should both be easy to spot. 

Ultra Disco Stu

My pace band! Having run Snowdonia 7 times I have all my mile splits from previous races. I took the avg of my best years and extrapolated down to sub 3 pace so all terrain and undulations are accounted for. As with all these things it's so easy on paper 🤣

saintjason

Jooligan - Nice photos - You looked composed on the track. I think my track photos show some grimacing Also showing me up as a bit lardy. I lost 7lbs over the summer. I think I need to lose another 7lbs tbh. Well in on the Brighton entry. Good luck for Sunday, rather you than me. 

UDS - cheers for congrats and all the best to you too on Sunday. Hope weather improves a little, misty and wet here last couple of days in the north-west. Urgghh I don't like the look of 23/24 mile splits. That'll be Llanberis Pass I presume that my mate has told me so much about.  

TR - thought you might be first to crack but noted Jooligan went out for 10k the other day. I've resisted the temptation but legs feel ready to do some easy running now. Will wait until saturday as been busy back end of this week. 

Padams - hope your 10 miler goes well. I presume you won't be taking the stroller? Forgot all about the guy trying to set the world record for running with a stroller at Abo - any ideas how he went on Jooligan/TR? 

Talk of race entries has got me twitchy too. I have entered the local 10M early december just as a short-term race to keep me motivated. Have another XC fixture this side of christmas too. Then a minor op to negotiate just before the holidays which will keep me out for a week or so. Then I'll crack on in the new year. 

Ultra Disco Stu

SJ Llanberis pass is the first climb from mile 2 to 5. The final climb at Mile 22 is worst! Much worst 😅😈

Ultra Disco Stu

You can ignore the flat distance equivalent estimate of 29 miles in the profile image. Hills definitely don't add 3 miles... It just feels like they do!!! 

TR

SJ - some guy with a baby jogger overtook me, but a guy at Yeovil came 2nd or 3rd in around 2.45, and i dont think the Abo guy went that quick.......my legs are usually ruined for ages after marathons, but then i suppose i ran the last few miles as intervals, and have been racing 1/2s to get tough. I just need to avoid the hammy cramps next mara.

Joolska

It was the record for a double stroller - Bristol guy who made the local news 

TR

Not sure that he had two nippers in there though, maybe he lost one on a fast corner?

Jooligan

Might see you on the frontline then Stu but you'll be disappearing into the distance pretty quickly with those splits. My fastest first mile was 6:49 last year & then I eased back.
Another 4.8M recovery run this afternoon.

TippTop

TR - good to hear your mojo is fully reloaded. And that was a bloody good (and quick) turnaround from IoW! I ran Gosport once and hated it - loads of turns around cones to make up the distance. Is it still the same?

CD - that made me proper snort!

UDS/Jooligan - good luck for Snowdonia!

My occasionally niggly left shin/ankle was playing up Wednesday (overdue a chiro appointment) but I figured I'd start the track session and stop if it didn't feel right. In the end it went from achy on the warm-up to fine during the reps to achy on the cool-down. Session went well though. An extension of my 10 x 600m from 2 weeks ago - 10 x 800m @ 10k-HM (1 lap recs again). Target of 2:52-2:56 but got 2:55, 53, 52, 51, 52, 50, 49, 50, 48, 42 (most of that was gained in the last 100m). 5km either side gave me a decent volume 22km for the run.
I took yesterday completely off to allow my shin to settle down which seems to have mainly sorted it.

TR

TT - to be fair IOW was hot, hilly and windy, but 90mins was humbling, as was the 68min at Harting trail 10 2 weeks earlier where ive done 62min before. Solent 1/2 was 1.25 4 weeks before Abo, which will hopefully come in at 1.22ish by Gosport. Gosport is now 2 laps of up and down the seafront, pan cake flat and lots of running in straight lines, a much better course......but as its seafront based it needs a still day.

Dan A

TT - that was 10 years ago at Gosport; I remember chatting to you at the finish.  Was the first time I broke 80 mins with 78:xx.  Got a soft spot for that race as I got a PB three years before having only run after my nearby golf was called off due to a frozen course, and I had my kit in the car and you could enter on the day.
Sounds like a good session yesterday.

Had a reasonable week after taking Monday off.  5 & 10 on Tuesday, 1h45 (say 15 miles?) on Weds, 5 & a fast 5 y'day, plus 10 this morning.  50 miles in 4 days with 22 & 13 planned for the w/e.  Going to do one marathon length run next weekend, then really cut back for the final month.  Prepared to go into race week feeling a little undercooked rather than well done.

CharlieW

Good luck to the Snowdonia crew! I did it in 2015, and still bear the scars -- I fell over twice coming down the steep muddy tracks near the end, which after some rain had me like Bambi on ice in my road shoes. But I wouldn't have wanted to run in trail shoes for the preceding 25M, can't win... had to take myself off to casualty for stitches, so I missed the post-race beano. So don't do that! :-)

Jooligan

Reasonable week that Dan
Sounds like a speedy session to me TT
Remember that year well CW. My best time yet - would've been even quicker but for that descent. It was lethal with water running through the grass.
Well no running for me today as my car threw a spanner in the works so to speak: auxiliary belt tensioner disintegrated last night so had to fit a new one today. Only took me 5 hrs. Had to remove the headlights, bumper, radiator & cooling fan just to get at the single bolt which holds it in. Then had to jack the car up on the tensioner to get the ram in the right position. Still all reassembled now & no extra bits left over Fingers crossed it gets me there without any further hitches. Leaving in half an hour.

Wardi

Jooligan.. your photo reminded me of my youth browsing the vinyl racks - long hair and a head band was many a musican's favourite look!  A few of my old rock albums have been dug out for a bit of nostalgia as a result   Best of luck on Sunday (and to USD) .. Sunday looks a better weather day than Saturday which must be a relief.  Nice emergency car servicing BTW!

It is also Dublin Marathon this weekend plus Frankfurt - the latter looks like it might have light rain for some of the race and breezy/chilly.  Can't see the Africans enjoying that!

Nice session TT.

Your powers of recovery must be good Dan!  Cracking week there.

I'm just about back to daily running now and the legs are feeling springier.  I was only planning to do 2 marathons next year but I seem to have booked 3 already.

TR

Dan - looks like you hounced vack quickly from sunday then.

Jools - nice car mechanics. Proper Alf Tupper stuff.

Wardi - whats the 3 ? York, Barca and vlm ? I was going to do Brighton, Yeovil, New Forest and IoW. But I'll probably do Brighton, Yeovil and Abo, as i need retribution with Yeovil and Abo.

6m easy today. I'm on the road for a Uni open day tomorrow, but will do a few easy miles first.

Wardi

That's right TR, 7 weeks between Barca & VLM so enough recovery time.  I blame OO's bad influence for all this multi-marathoning