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
40m in 2 days is proper cake baking TR!
By contrast Snake Lane was a day to forget for me, shame as the conditions were ok. Even during the first mile my HR became sky high and my breathing difficult, then my pace dropped like a stone. I realised it might be dangerous to try and run through it so I stepped off the course after 1.5 miles. I had about 4 mins rest during which time I had commenced walking back to the start. I then decided to have another go (I was near the back of the field at this point!). I set off steadily and settled into circa 8.10 pace and picked my way through the field, had a quick chat with a few club mates on the way. No idea why it happened, just pleased I banked the miles and will move on.
When I got home my hands were so cold I couldn't undo my shoe laces, obviously not meant to be my day!
That sounds tough, wardi. Maybe a few easy days just in case you're fighting a virus?
20 for me @8.16s to bring up 68 for the week.
Sounds tough Wardi - would agree with Jools it might be best to back off, see if it's a bug.
Jools and TR - Great to see you keeping up that consistent high mileage.
Checked CD's result before I went out and it inspired me to my 18 miles with 10 at MP. Wind only a mild nuisance so averaged 6:55mm overall. 53 miles for the week but off just the 4 runs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhR3hnsNdzQ&t=10226s
Sounds worrying Wardi.
Warm weather training this week not going entirely to plan as the Canary Islands are in the midst of high winds and a major sandstorm so binned this mornings lsr after 3 hot hot miles.
Did the wind drop Joolska?
Nice pacy long run rj.
Not what you went for OuchOuch. Hope the weather improves.
Wardi go steady
I got my 20 in yesterday windy muddy and hilly, recovery run this afternoon has me at 72 for the week.
The wind must hsve bee kinder where you are joe.
WTG - well done on the 20. The 10m mp runs done so far i just ran as hard as i could on the day (came in just under 6.30s), would have to reign it in a bit for 12 or 13m......vlm aim is sub 255 weather and fitness allowing.
WTGY - No. Liverpool for me this year. Aiming to qualify for London next. Will go down to watch though. Excited to see Kipchoge and Bekele sprint past. Very solid week that, well done.
Slightly longer race report than the one yesterday…
Obviously Seville was a late replacement for Tokyo, which meant a rather more rapid taper than planned, and an early start Saturday for a short weekend over in Spain. Not ideal, but it’s advertised as the flattest marathon in Europe and alongside 14,000 entrants it hosts the Spanish national champs, so it’s a well-organised, quality event.
Straight from the airport to the expo to collect numbers and get some lunch, and then the bus to the hotel I’d booked very close to the start/finish area. An afternoon relaxing in the warm sunshine was a reminder that Sunday was going to get a bit warm later in the race, but it was a lovely way to unwind after an early start to the day.
Pre-race Sunday morning was about as easy as you can get. A short jog from the hotel down to the start 45 minutes before the off, no queues of any note for the portaloos, no crowding to get into my pen (which was helped by it being at the front, to be fair), it was all very relaxed compared to the bigger city marathons. They were even letting people into the elite pen to take photos – you don’t get that at VLM!
The race started in cool temperatures and I was into my usual relaxed stride straight away. I did my usual check on pace at the first km (3:50 or so) just to know where I was at, then just settled into it. The rising sun was making itself known and even from the early miles there was a general tendency for everyone to seek the shady side of the road and at water stations water over the head was the order of the day for me.
The field did string out fairly early and after 10k or so I found myself pacing a small group with a couple of Irish lads, with another group 100m or so ahead that we gradually caught just before halfway. I had a rough idea from the 5k markers that I was running pretty evenly and halfway in 78:44 and still feeling comfortable was confirmation that all was well.
By now we were well strung out and much of the second half was run solo, although the crowds were thicker in the second half and very vocal! I was picking off those slowing down, including one poor unfortunate whose bowels had let go at 25k (something I’ve heard of but never witnessed in a race!) and I was feeling pretty good to well beyond 30k. In fact 25-30k I found later was in 18:04, my quickest 5k split of the race. From there it’s a case of counting down the final 10k s the day warmed up. I did slow in the last few, and by 41k I was done, but well inside my pre-race hopeful target of sub 2:40 so I tried to enjoy it as best I could. I managed a little sprint for the line as the clock ticked towards 2:38, and stopped it two seconds inside, although I got an extra 6 off for my chip time of 2:37:52. Lovely!
By now it was 22º so it was a nice sunny walk back to the hotel, shower, then out for lunch and a beer or two with a Ranelagh guy I know, watching the rugby. That was when I found I was first V50, pipping a couple of rapidly-closing locals by 30s. Cue more beers!
So in lieu of Tokyo I managed to salvage an age group win in an IAAF gold label race, 89% WAVA, my tenth sub 2:40 run and an 18th consecutive year going sub 3. I’ll take that, I’ve been very fortunate in managing to get some decent results in what must be the back end of my running career by now, at least as far as competitive times go…
Just awesome stuff CD, congratulations! Great to put all that training to use and maybe another tick for an agressive 2 week taper!
OO, i heard about those sandstorms, saw some pics on news and thought about you, that's unfortunate timing. Its been a windy month or so it seems everywhere!
Wardi, sorry Snake Lane didn't go to plan, but really well done on starting back up and getting around/ticking off some more training, hopefully all come right for the marathon anyway.
Well done to all the others putting in the regular sessions and big miles, expecting another load of good results in upcoming marathon season.
As for me, still not done much "quality" training, not able to follow a plan (other than try to get a long run in most weeks, done 5 so far), but have got in some regular miles over past 8 weeks (average 63 miles so not huge but ok).
2 weeks ago training was reduced due to work travelling, then last week a bit reduced as on Tuesday i received my back injections, involving an epidural injection (caudal) and 4 x medial branch block's under x-ray. So it's hoped that those steroid injections will aleviate some of my nerve related symptoms, but it's not certain. Couldnt train the day after injections, as was still numb from the Epidural, and i had been told to take it easy for a couple of days, but then back to it on the next day so not much lost. Did 20 miles flat canal run on Friday as worked from home at 7:20s and then Sunday did 15 hilly muddy trail miles in Hampstead heath. Fell over a couple of times as well so proper slippery muddy run, different type of workout, that was average 8:30s!
Got the Big Half in london on Sunday assuming no more storms/cancellations, so should give me a marker at least and hopefully by then will have an idea if injections are helping, no obvious improvement yet but it might take a couple of weeks, or not work they said. Just a mini taper at end of week, will try and front load the miles this week. anyone else at Big Half?
RJR I recommend the BrewDog bar at Canary Wharf to spectate from - I was there last year and with it being about 100m from a timing mat its easier to track people
Ah CD well done pleased that yesterdays post wasn't your actual race report. Shit all down the back of his legs then?
Have you got Snow Wardi? We dont, but I suspect around where snake lane was yesterday there will be some
CD.. I've often said the Spain marathons are the best organised that I've attended. They just seem to have a nack of making them a stress free experience. My Barca hotel is about 5 mins walk from the start/finish/Expo. I forgot to say massive congrats on the A/G win and upsetting the local senior gents.
Selbs.. great to see you've finally had some treatment, hope it works long term for you. Best of luck at the Big Half, the weather might have calmed down by then!
WTG - who knows, it felt like 10m as hard as possible at the time. Probably too hard for mp. Time will tell. Id like to get down near 80mins at fleet soon, but i had a shocker there last yr, probably too tired from all the training and life stress at the time.
But I wanted to pop in to congratulate CD on his amazing performance in Seville, top notch stuff!
Sorry about your bad experience at Snake Lane though Wardi, sounds a bit peculiar -- hope you're OK.
I was racing too, in the Stamford 30K postponed a week because of Storm Dennis. Not wanting to 'invest' another taper in it, I'd run an 80M training week, but oddly my legs haven't been ploddy this week so that was surprisingly OK. I got round in just under 2 hrs, same pace (6:25/M or 4:00/km) as the York marathon last October, which I was pretty happy with given it was pretty hilly and windy. Just over a minute too slow for the V50 prize though, and I'm DOMSd today of course, so it probably wasn't "worth" doing really. Good adventure though.
Do you feel ok today Wardi?
What did you think of Stamford Charlie?
Charlie.. I agree with TR, that will be a very worthwhile run come London, 40min 10k pace for 30k is very impressive.
I won't create an essay commenting on everything, but:
CD - Firstly, sorry to hear about the Tokyo cancellation, but then huge congrats for a mega run in Seville! Really impressive stuff, great work.
Wardi - hope you're ok after the weekends effort. Sounds like you made a sensible mid-race call and as others have said, just make sure you haven't got anything underlying there.
Nice going in Stamford CW.
Selbs - I'm in for the big half this weekend...
Lots of other great training and racing going on amongst some rather testing conditions over here in the UK.
- Two parkruns - the first Zandvlei, confirming my status as a running nerd and completing the parkrun alphabet.
The second was Outeniquasbosch - taking place in an animal reserve and unbeknown to me beforehand including over 450ft of climbing. 19:52 was good enough for first finisher but that was a flat out effort! Saw some zerbas and ostrich on the way around which was a novelty.
-We also ran the Cape Peninsula half marathon, as a bit of holiday 'fun'. Despite telling myself I was just going to enjoy it, I set off at a completely ridiculous pace for my current fitness and mindset, having one of my worst paced races ever (1st mile 5:45, last mile 7:02). Ended up with a 1:25 which was rather underwhelming but we had a really fun day. The good news is that Katie is also back running more regularly.
-We hiked over 100 miles over the 2 weeks, which we worked out was quite a lot of hours!
-Most importantly, I asked Katie if she'd like to be Mrs JB, and to everyone's surprise, she said yes!
sounds a fantastic trip JoeB! and congrarulation to you and Katie! i was there on one of my first big trips after moving to UK from NZ, way back in 1997! makes me feel old. spent 5 months driving around various parts of south and east africa in a landrover with my now wife and another couple, great memories. should i look out for a flatcap runner then?
LMH, yeah i dont feel in bad shape, ive just been in pain basically for a long time, since pre Abingdon, and would like it sorted. sometimes impacts my running more than other times, its variable, but always a constant pain, and just sitting/driving being in pain gets tiresome! Small signs the injections might be working a bit at the moment so i'm hopeful.
TR - yeah it does sound a bit drastic, but its what they recommended post MRI and consultation and paid for by insurance so going with it.
Wardi - good news back to it and no ill effects.
CW - that sounds a good run to me.
Glad to hear you feel ok now Wardi.
I have chronic pain too selbs so I get where you're coming from totally. Hope this sorts it for you.
Achilles still slightly raised here but back to easy 6 and 7s. Hopefully will be just a week or so.
Healing vibes to all suffering
Selbs - hopefully it sorts you out and you can crack on.
Menn - hopefully just a niggle, good that you are able to keep at it.
Easy 6m yday after a big weekend, 8 inc strides today brought up 300, for Feb so im on target for 340ish which would be big in a 31 day month.
Good to see you're on the mend Menn, achilles can sometimes be a pig to heal.
TR.. big miles this month, similar planned for March?
Selbs.. that medical insurance has proved to be useful! Hope the pain eases away for you.
11.3m today without any trauma - even the sun & a nice blue sky made an appearance this morning.