rubbish magazine advice

[Deleted User]

I just felt like having a rant at the 'training advice' printed in 'Health and Fitness' magazine to a first-time marathon runner, competing in the FLM.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but the advice given by celeb fitness guru Nicki Waterman seemed really wrong.
She advised that by now, weekly mileage should be 50-75miles, broken down into five 10-12runs plus a longer 15mile run.
I feel like writing to the magazine and suggesting that runners log onto this fab site, and pay no attention to the advice given.
Any comments?

Unknown

I'm no expert but as a beginner doing my second marathon in three years, and no other racing in between, there's no way I'm running 50-75 miles a week at this stage in my training. If she was aiming this at beginners, I can't believe she was giving good advice, as you say. I'd stick to the training schedule given in the FLM magazine, and to the intermediate training schedule posted on the Runners World website. If you do write to the magazine, let us know what they reply.

cougie

Sounds like a Jack of All Trades magazine.

I think that plan isn't the best in the world, but it would probably work, but a bit more strain on the body than I'd like.

If I wanted advice though, I would do a bit more research than writing to a non-running magazine. And by now, it'll probably be too late for him.

No point in writing in - they aren't gonna recommend another mag unless it's the same publisher, which I don't think it is.

[Deleted User]

I agree Susan - totally ridiculous! This is my first marathon and I think I'd have pulled out with injuries/exhaustion by now if I'd tried to follow Nicki Waterman's "schedule". Lucky for us we've discovered this site!

Rach

kc

I thought this thread was going to contain advice on which rubbish magazine to buy! I mean, is "Garbage Monthly" better than "Trash"? Does "Rubbish Today" have any good articles this month, or should I stick to "Bins & Binnery?".

Seriously though, that weekly mileage seems rather high. Who exactly is it aimed at, I wonder?

[Deleted User]

Gigantic mileage used to be fashionable for marathon training, and probably will become so again in future. I hear the swish of a swinging pendulum.

Looking forward to the day when feeding stations in marathons are one again laden with steak sarnies and nippy water instead of the orange emetic.

Monique

And the men will sport enormous sideburns and the women will be hounded back into events like the 20 yard dash for the smelling salts.

I think the reader might have had sounder advice by writing to Angling Weekly.

I am aiming for sub 3 hours and so far my biggest mileage has been 62 miles- perhaps the letter was from a P.Radcliffe?

[Deleted User]

Yes, I have to admit I actually spent £2.60 on that Health and Fitness. Couldn't believe the advice given either, but was already fairly p***ed off after failing their 'Toxicity Test'. Something to do with drinking alcohol, having the wrong type of fillings (yes!!), using make up and running anywhere near a road!

[Deleted User]

according to them, im dead

Monique

One mans kryptonite is another mans battenburg!
Having been raised on lurid tins of peas, sherbert fountains, love hearts and sunset yellow food colouring and suffering no ill-effects whatsoever I can vouch for that.

[Deleted User]

It was just depressing, thinking I was healthier and fitter than for ages and then reading something along the lines of my mental faculties might be suffering and I must be under the weather. Who are these people who are 'unencumbered by toxins'??? Do they have any fun?!

[Deleted User]

they dont

hahahaha

fat sozzled Benz----but i finished a marathon-two fingers to you lot

Monique

Wends- take no notice those articles are written by people who are constantly having to justify their jobs by writing inane drivel- as my Dad would say- "They want to get into some bl**dy work"

[Deleted User]

Quite right! In the bin, with tonight's empties of course!

[Deleted User]

50-75 seems a bit on the low side. Last 3 weeks have been 82, 88, 85. Agree that 5x10 mile runs is a naff idea - run speedwork to get quicker and endurance to get stronger. A 15 mile longest run seems inadequate as well. You would get bored doing basically the same run 6 times a week.

Monique

Are you mad Barnsley Runner? or is my mileage hopelessly inadequate?

drew

High mileage is ok, if you have the time and inclination to do it. Like Monique my "biggest" week has been about 63 miles. I much prefer the quality sessions and even if I had the time to do 80+ miles per week I don't think my ageing body could handle it! I still expect to be able to run a 2:45 marathon within the next year based on a low 60's maximum per week.

To suggest that a beginner should be doing 50+ miles now is ludicrous, unless that "beginner" has been running for several years and this is their first marathon.

[Deleted User]

Yeah I suppose it depends on your definition of beginner - I did my first marathon after 18 months of serious running and did 50-65 miles pw. 50-75 for a real beginner -i.e.someone who has not really run before - would kill them.

I would love to be able to run 2:45 on 60 mpw. Don't have the confidence to let go of high mileage yet.

[Deleted User]

Yes Monique I am mad - your mileage is probably spot on. That's why I felt like sitting down on the pavement, crying and calling for a taxi after about 5 miles tonight on yet another high mileage punishing week.

Monique

I take the fare with me on a run that's how confident I am!

[Deleted User]

To be hoping for a sub 3hr marathon you must be going some! Most of my training friends are aiming for this. When I did Sheffield last year the first woman came in 2:55, the next at 3:03 - you'd win some decent prizes in local marathons.

Monique

Did London last year in just under 3:02 so 2:59:59 should be do-able.I did win Blackpool the year before last but was disgusted with my time and desperate for a cup of tea, so didn't come accross as very ecstatic about it.
I have come to the conclusion that I am only going to do one a year- now I have discovered triathlons, prefer half marathons really.

[Deleted User]

I feel a million times better now that I know that even Monique takes the taxi fare home with her when she goes out for a run. I rarely go more than 4 miles from my doorstep in training (lots of good loops in my area), but I don't like to venture out without the "security blanket" of five quid in...well, I'm not saying where I stash it in case there are any muggers lurking.

cougie

Hmmm - if I took money with me I'd end up stopping at the first sweetie shop I saw.
Probably not the best training for me...

Wardi

I've been running between 50 and 75 miles per week for the last few weeks (aiming for a PB sub 3.10, did 3.12 last year). Then Monday this week..ZAP, some form of bug/virus has hit me hard. I've been shivering uncontrollably for 3 days and my poor stomach has been an active sluice. I have been unable to eat anything beyond very light snacks coupled with lots of fluid and the odd salt tablet.

I will put a slightly positive stance on this as it has given a slightly sore hamstring time to heal. I am feeling slightly better tonight so the next job will be to build up my strength again. I shouldn't have lost much if any fitness in a few days.

Then on Radio 5 this afternoon they were interviewing a young lad who had neck cancer at the age of 11. They cured him with chemo and told him he had a 94% chance of escaping a recurrence. He didn't, and went through complete hell as it spread to his back. He survived again and is now OK it seems. It brought my own temporary problems truly into perspective, he seemed such a brave lad for a teenager.

Monique

I wonder if that was the same lad in the Guardian Sunday colour supplement doing the "This much I do know" he was great and said things like "fighting cancer is character building, people say army cadets is character building but that's just standing around outside in the cold" or something along those lines.

[Deleted User]

50-75miles.....

Just when am I supposed to fit that in!!

I'm planning on running 8:15 - 8:30 miles during the mara; assuming I run 8:00 miles in training, thats somewhere between 6hrs 40mins - 10hrs running a week.

Now I tend to be doing quite a bit of cross training at the mo, as opposed to straight running (because I've been using the gym), so I'm probably getting up to 7hrs a week training. But theres no way I could fit in any more than 8hrs, any more than that and I think the results would be worse!

Smythe