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FLM 09 - 3.45ers!
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Well my training plan got off to a slightly shaky start yesterday when after my easy 4 miler I felt a sharp stinging sensation at the side of my "good" knee and now it is decidedly sore ! Hoping/thinking it's not too serious as it feels very superficial but glad of the timetabled rest day today !!
V'rap - Must be great (?!?) to have friends like El bee and Haggis on a cold wintry night, but i bet you'll be thanking them in April.
Thanks for your thoughts L.S. et al on time/enjoyment. I am going to try and stick to a schedule but not stress out too much if things dont go according to plan. After all this is a great opportunity for a fantastic experience which should only be a positive thing.
L.S. 8.6 miles in 1.07... Wow !
Well done Rob on your time too .
Right off to prepare a roast which we somehow never got round to eating yesterday. Also day 1 of my new (soon to be broken) healthy eating resolution !
After the Auld Lang Syne fell race on sunday did a 7 mile recovery run yesterday and another 6 miles today so now ready for my fisrt 6 x 1K interval session of the year tomorrow. Hopefully will be building this up to 10 x 1K and 5-6 x 1 mile over the next couple of months...ugh hate speed work but a necessary evil.
looks like some fast running going on out there, welcome to the newbies and geeod luck for the next few months
cheers
beders
Anyway - V'rap's (I think it was you) explanation (a few pages back) of the benefits of running long and slow have been hugely helpful to me. It always seemed counter-intuitive but running today at a slower pace in keeping with RW 3.45 schedule required effort but felt good. I feel like I'm getting into it now. Optimistic and more focused about the training but at the same time keeping a sense of proportion about the importance of my time (which I know sounds contradictory).
Cheers
Arf
Not one single hangover duing the festive season-cannot believe it.I still enjoyed the odd pint of guinness but didnt throw it down my neck like I normally do!!!
For some,I see marathon training has started.I kicked off mine at the end of November and things are going well.Took a few days off over xmas because all of my family had the sickness and "runs" bug.It was awful,but ok now.
I will be running Sundays Tuesdays Thursdays and Fridays
I always find Fridays a bit tough motivation wise
my other problem is six nations
Wales have an 8 oclock KO on Sat 24th
with Ireland v England at 5.30 it looks like a solid session
Problem is my log gives me a 16 mile run the next day
already thinking of an early Saturday run to "earn" my beers
At the end of the day, I love running, love the challenge and sense of achievement of the mara...but as a classic second sport middle aged male it is only running
If I run Mon Wed Fri early morning, and will also go out with the running club on Sunday am, without getting too technical, is there such a thing as an ideal plan pour moi ?
Suggestions on a postcard.
Regular posters have an idea of my level.
Some plans seem ridiculously soft and easy in the early weeks.
New to this thread. The Flora London will be my first marathon, so its difficult to know what time I am going to finish in. However, I finished my last 10k (The Somerley 10k in Ringwood - did anyone else do that on NYE?) in 46:36, and I am strating to get some longer runs in my training schedule, so who knows.
Looking forward to swapping advise with you guys over the forthcoming months.
Get a copy of Pfitzinger & Douglas "Advanced Marathoning". They assume that you're an experienced runner with a good background training base rather than someone who did a Race for Life a couple of years ago, fancied doing FLM, and hasn't done any training while they've been waiting for a ballot place. The schedules there carry warnings not to attempt them unless you're already on a minimum weekly mileage and long run length. You've certainly got enough training in your legs for "up to 55mpw".
(And lest I be suspected of mockery, I did my first marathon on far less racing experience than one R4L, and wouldn't have recognised a schedule if it had jumped out of my porridge in the morning and bitten me on the nose. So I have a great deal of empathy with people who jump straight into marathon-training with neither experience nor guidance.)
Werdna, welcome! If you can build up those long runs there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to crack 4 hours with a 10k time of 46.36
QQ, my theory is that my beloved OH and my bestest buddy needed to get me out of the house for another 25 minutes because they didn't want to miss the end of the DVD they were watching ;o) Actually ... where is Haggis? He's supposed to be aiming for a sub-4hr FLM and should be here by now.
Bern - I am doing Reading - great race and great finish - expect a fast time!
Off out tonight for 6 x 800m session - not looking forward to it too much in the wind but it has to be done.
Velo your point about those who seem to be able to just jump straight into marathon training is very much like a friend of mine. He does run all year, but he does drink every night too, and as he gets older (now 65) he is getting slower. He didn't do FLM last year, but has run many others including a 3hr a few years ago, but has got in again this year and says he won't start training until the end of January (basically a 12 week schedule he has made up for himself). I know that come the day regardless that I am 25 years younger than him (oops given it away!) and will have trained specifically for 17 weeks he could still whip my ass if he wanted and could cruise in well under 4 hours. Ironically he started running at the age I am now, so at least I have got the next 25 years to get to the same level!
The remainders of the fat laden food are disappearing from the house at last although my son does have hordes of chocolate I'm sure he'll never finish on his own...onward with the healthy diet!
DtF
My halfs before a full are a means to an end i suppose, just makes the 12 mile planned more interesting, I did the Windsor half in Sept before Cardiff mara in Oct and it was a real good wake up which completely changed my Cardiff race plan
God that Windsor half is a killer
Bern, Reading half is one of my favourite races of all time. I am doing Llanelli the week before otherwise I would enter myself.
LS, Advanced Marathoning is a cracking read. It may well be right for you. You can get it on www.amazon.com .
Beders, I have the same amount of weight to lose as you! Shall we start an online slimming club?!?!
LS i agree with v.rap,the advanced marathon schedule would be perfect,its for those whos mileage is already high,rather than just starting out.
Well,now that the New Year is upon us and the Marathon ever closer i am having to think hard about raising money for my charity...lots of ideas and looking forward to it,but also very nervous!!
Booking up races as training runs at mo.
Anyone doing Sussex Beacon Half?
i have started my schedule, hoping to follow the Hal Higdon plan i used last year which all went well until week 11, when i ran Ashby 20 and had to miss a number of the runs in the weeks that followed, as well as taking the good advice of many of you and getting help for a torn calf via sports physio.
For those not familiar i struggle with the weight issue but managed sub 4 by 11 seconds last year in my first marathon.
RD as gone on and produced 10k times i can only dream off but i do hope to manage 3.50 ish if training goes well and this year catch him for a chat at the end rather than a chat whilst walking during the start !.
i struggled with 5 miles tonight but according to good old Hal it is completing the mileage that mattered, i have slight sort of shin bone ache this evening possibly psychsomatic now the training has begun.
good health and form to all
the blouse
Shoot me down for being naive but I've embarked on the RW ultimate sub 3.45 training plan. My goal primarily is to finish and enjoy the day but If I can get under 4 hours then that would be fantastic. I also thought that if a train for sub 3.45 then there will be some 'slack' in the system when those illnesses/injuries occur. ( Or will this make me more prone to injury?)Interested in your thoughts peeps .
.... so I've just done the scheduled 5 miler and it felt really good.
Well done btw on last years time blousey ..
R.D Bet tomorrows run will feel much better. Are you doing the ultimate 3.45 too ?
I've got the Helsby 4 villages Half in couple of weeks but plan to take it easy in view of my now much larger goal!
Bern . I'm interested in how your Windsor Half altered your Cardiff plan ?
Happy running !
Lots of quality runs done today. And a few just ground out because they had to be done, which is good mental preparation for the 26.2!
I had an interesting run tonight. Started out with eL Bee! and TmR, and was slightly wibblesome beforehand because they're both fast runners and I'm ... well, there's obviously a corner of my brain that still thinks I'm a plodder. Surprisingly, I was the only one who found the run easy! We looped back to the cars at 12.68 miles because TmR hadn't planned to do more than 13, and eL Bee! was having a nightmare run and decided to stop then too.
So we drove home, and I set out to do the rest of my scheduled 18 miles. Felt fine at the start; after one mile I felt terribly bored and knew I faced a mental challenge. After 2 miles I was unpleasantly hypoglycaemic, complete with sweating and inco-ordination. I recognised what was wrong and slowed down a bit to give my brain time to scavenge some glucose from somewhere, then looped back home by the shortest route, which still gave me a little over 18 miles in total. I felt fine by the end, and feel even more fine now that I'm full of sugar and saturated fat.
Scary, though! I'm not prone to hypoglycaemia and didn't even have the cost of a Mars bar in my pocket, though I had my phone and could have called for help if needed.
Also registered for the Reading half - heard lots of good things about it. Doing the Goring 10k on Sunday, anyone else doing it? currently 340 entrants so should be fun.
Quick question - I wear Saucony's for stability and I get blisters on my insoles. They are hardening up and I am confused as to whether I need to change my shoes or if this is a necessary part of toughening up my feet? Any Ideas? Cheers
Hope you don't mind me butting into your thread with a spot of advertising for our local club race: but if you're looking for a good run out, in preparation for FLM, try the St Valentines 30K in Stamford. This year we are lucky to have Runners World pacers running the race so an ideal chance to check out your marathon pacing over 18 and 3 quarter miles of beautiful countryside. Its a tough course, but well worth the trip. No entries on the day - entries either by post: details and entry form at: http://www.stamfordstriders.co.uk/Pages/30k.htm or electronically here at Runners World. If you are lucky enough to have a partner/wife/husband who runs too, you can enter as a Valentine pair for which there are additional prizes. You don't have to run the course together - your times are combined and the fastest combined time wins. But we do stipulate there must be a romantic link between the two people - it is close to Valentines Day after all!!
Hope to see you in Stamford in February. Good luck with your running.
I think sub 3.45 may be slightly out of my reach as family problems are going to scupper my training plans this year
3.55 would leave me with a big smile on my face though.
In case I might be ready, is it laps so that I could drop out if necessary or is it one big loop?
Realy shame about the ITB. Unfortunately the race is just one 30K loop. Still time between now and then to build up the mileage if the injury recovers. I wish you luck.
New to the group, and new to the marathon. But I'm dead keen to sneak in under 4 hours. So thought I'd stick my head in and say hello!
I've a feeling I've a long battle ahead of me - whilst a semi-regular runner over the last couple of years, a little recent Christmas excess and never having done this before means I'm a bit nervous. But hopefully will find a training schedule to suit and be able to stick to it....wish me luck!!
Hellen - I really hope your injury worries clear up really fast. I am sending you loads of good wishes.
Day 4 of no alcohol, hey but who's counting!
My big aim at the moment is to get the long run up to your level as quickly as possible, so I can do as many 18 mile+ runs as possible before FLM.
The Achilles knocked me back a bit, but with an 8.6 and a 7 already this week with no problems, I'll do a 13 tomorrow morning to log my first "long" run on the big 16 week graph, hung up in my office at home. The logic is that any slacking will be up there in black and white, plus I'll be filling in the mileages eagerly as soon as I do do a run, and be chuffed as the distances increase.
I haven't resolved to steer clear of anything, but the other night, when peckish, and the wife and I would normally get a curry delivered to split, I just drank gallons of water to fill myself up. The wife wasn't too impressed as she fancied a beef n green pepper in black bean sauce, and neither was I at having to get out of bed twice in the night to pee like a horse !!
Maybe I'll have wet coffees without the kit kat, or 2 digestives? I guess if you add up all the coffees I'll have before FLM, then some bright spark could no doubt calculate the useless calories, and the subsequent improvements in my times! Thoughts like this came 3/4's of the way up a long climb on Wednesday, and I suppose all these tiny sacrifices will result in a less tortuous day in London in April.
My one and only night out to the local for half a dozen pints on a Monday will continue until maybe late March, but the sociable bottles of red will be cut right back.
RD, are you still off the fags ?
Have you seen any huge leaps forward?
When does down South ban them indoors, like up here ?
Off for a healthy pasta salad, then early to bed, before the alarm at 5am.
Had a bit of a sulk after the rejection in December but now we're into January, I feel I need something to focus on. Looking at Stratford Marathon in April (week after London, I think).
Probably use Reading Half as preparation. Never run that one before.Also usually do the Action Heart 5 mile in Dudley in February.
I presume there'll be no Lucozade Sport at Stratford which I found pretty useful in London, what alternatives do you people find useful??
If it's OK, I'll hang around this thread and make the odd contribution. Hope training goes well for everyone.