Preston Guild Marathon

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  • No worries Wales, to be honest ive not heard of the 10% rule before, so thanks for that, i will look into that. But regardless of that i still think if your going to go over 20 miles in the next few weeks it should be this weekend. And yes do practice your race day pace. I am thinking of doing my marathon pace for all my runs except the speed work of course! from now on.

    Five marathons in a year simon, you were a good runner last time i saw you for coasters, sounds like youve gone onto a whole other level!! Well done and hats off to you my good sir lol

    And yes it would be good to meet up, if your doing this event it a be a shame not to.

  • Thanks again SJPC.  One more bit of advice, if you (or Simon, or anyone else) can give an opinion please. (Sounds like Simon might have forgotten what a first marathon feels like!)

    I've got that difficult decision to take about what pace to set off for the first 10 miles of the actual race.  

    If I use the Runner's World race-time predictor, using last week's 17 mile training time, it predicts a marathon finish of 4:10.  .  But there are some competing factors.

    • For the race time predictor, they do expect you to be fully trained.  I'm a little undercooked as I indicated earlier and probably don't have quite the required miles behind me.
    • I might hit the wall and fade completely! I'm going into the unknown.
    • There will be all that support and adrenalin on the day.
    • My long runs have been done without tapering, zero nutrition intake, and no water after the half-way point.
    • I'll have completed another couple of long runs and a little bit more conditioning between now and race day.

    So, whilst I'll be satisfied to finish in under 4:30,  I'll be mjuch happier if I make 4:15...  but have a dream of doing 03:59:59

    Based on your previous experience of the effects of race-day (including the factors above), and given my training times... do you think there's any point in starting out at a pace aimed at the 4hr finish?  Or is that a pipe-dream?  Would I be better starting at 10 minute miles and accept a lower risk 4:20-4:30 finish?

    (for info, if you understand this...  my character is one which would prefer to go for breaking 4hr, if there is any realistic chance.... even if it risks me blowing up and struggling to a 5 hour finish.   But equally, I'm level headed enough to accept that if the chances of making 4hr is only 1%, I'd rather take it a bit steadier and settle for, say, 4:15.)

    All opinions welcome!  Thanks.

  • Go for it!! Everyone slows at some point ,so just go for your 4hr and hope to die later rather than sooner....
  • Hi Wales, you certainly think about things hey!!

    I would go with a pacing plan. Perhaps get yourself two pace bands, One for your dream 4hr finish and the other for say 4.15 perhaps. And then on the day, do what you can to ignore other runners and the crowd and stick to the quicker pace for as long as you can. Then if you do begin to struggle you can settle back into the 4.15 pace and finish without blowing up per say. It takes a bit of focus to stick to a pace but it will be worth it, even if 13 miles you think i feel great i am going to push on, your better waiting until the 20 m point before making such a move.

  • Yep.. I do!  I'm a scientist - which has its benefits and many more drawbacks!

    You said you'd look up the 10% rule...  well, not surpisingly, I couldn't resist doing the same and came across something that derides it!

    It is based on a single study though - but it does have a credible number of runners involved (over 500... all novices) - it compared half of them doing 10% increases in mileage per week... with the other group doing (I think) 14.5% increases...  It concludes no difference in injury rates.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/health/nutrition/21best.html?_r=3&

    But as you undoubtedly know, there always seems to be a lot of conflicting evidence flying about, on the subject of running.

     

    ps  -  thanks to you and 9 for the encouragement.  Whether or not it is good advice, it is what I wanted to hear!

  • Your definitely a scientist with your inter-item tested study example!

    Yes i know what your mean about there being different theories floating about the place on running. It can be very confusing.

    The trick the marathon does seem to be keeping a consistent pace and ignoring the urge to push until your homing in on the finish. It can be hard, because you will be running at slower pace than your used to, but it is worth it. I did the Edinburgh marathon a few years and i got the 13 mile point maybe just a minute behind my HM pb time and i felt great so kept going but by the time i hit the 18 m point, i was pretty dead on my legs - so there is some basis to my advice. Although i did admire (9's "Go for it" advice) saying that he he

  • Wow Wales I am impressed with your scientific approach! I am very unscientific in how I run, and I am refusing to get a garmin because I don't want to get sucked into it despite being scientific it lots of other areas of my life (but we run to switch off from that don't we?!)

    I'm a bit in awe of everyone doing the marathon training. My half training is going ok- still not gone beyond 9 miles because of a combination of being super busy/ the preston 10k last week/ being afraid of the rain/ laziness but I'm planning a 10 miler this weekend and 12 miler next then I'll just do 8 the weekend before. I don't have a goal timewise so that takes a lot of pressure off. I just hope we don't have too much rain before the race as I am sick of practically swimming on some of my training runs, plus all my usual footpaths are unpassable at the moment which makes the longer runs a bit dull. 

    SJPC- you're correct I did do parkrun and the 10k last weekend. Didn't get PBs for either but  enjoyed them both! I had thought about skipping parkrun, but as I'm not that fast I decided it wouldn't make that much difference to me plus it fitted in with my training plan for the half which is my main focus. 

  • Hey Penguin, your training sounds like it is bang on plan, so well done.

    I know what you mean about the rain, a lot of my routes go along by the river and the other night it was flooded in sections, so it made for a very interesting run indeed!!

    I will probably be at the ParkRun again 2maz, so i will look out for a penguin! I'll be running down again, from the direction of the capital centre. I am hoping it doesn't rain, one drenching a week is quite enough!

    Well done on doing the 10k last weekend how did you get on, i dont think I could of done the park run followed by the 10k , so very impressive / brave

  • Unfortunately I don't often look like a penguin so you might not recognise me. I drive there so park up near the school/playground and walk over. The weather forecast looks good for tomorrow. My route was flooded the other night too (Tuesday I think), I ended up ankle deep and then had to squelch the rest of the way round, plus my final bit was by a main road and I got splashed by the rush hour traffic- it's all character builing though! 

    I did the 10k in 62mins which is actually my slowest yet (PW?!) but as I'd only done 2 pretty flat ones before that wasn't surprising. I don't think doing a 5k and then a 10k in the same weekend is anywhere near as impressive as marathon training!

  • i dont know two races one after the other is quite tough i imagine. Marathon training is tough, the worse part is that it is time consuming. Im sure your find this out one day, as no one ever stops at HM lol

    Character building! You sound just like my brother inlaw!!

    As you dont look like a penguin, i'll look out for someone in running stuff instead image

  • I am definitely not doing a full for the next two years minimum as am studying for a doctorate and the commitment scares me! A half seems the right balance of training without being life-consuming and I like the 10ks to dust off the cobwebs. 

    Have sent you a message you may have more of a chance of spotting me tomorrow image

  • Just seen your msg and replied

    Studying for a doctorate, ok now that kicks marathon training into touch! very impressive. A HM is a good distance, its probably my favorite distance, not just because its only half the distance of a marathon either lol .

  • I am doing the full marathon, and have had a note through my door today, as i live close to the route, to say that 4000 people have entered the races. 1400 in the full and 2600 in the half, should make for a good mix. This will be my second full marathon having done London this year, this is going to be something different in many ways.

  • Science in Sport are offering 20% off their web site this month. Worth getting the gels etc in...
  • 1400 in the full!! Thinks that's a poor showing.

    2600 in the half!! Now that's a good showing.
  • SIS you can get some of their stuff down at the Tescos at Capital Centre 9 - powdered recovery drinks £8 - for a bottle with 10 drinks in it.

    1400 is not as many as i would of thought, but ive heard of a lot of people that have dropped down to the HM, so maybe not a shock.

  • Hi all, thinking about doing this one but can't commit!  Can anyone confirm whether this is chip timed - I'm assuming it would be but wanted to double check.  Also, does anyone know of any free parking close to the start?   Closing date is Monday so I best make up my mind soon!!! 

    Thanks.

  • I don't know whether to be elated or in despair.   I did my peak mileage last night - 20.5 miles in incessant rain.

    It was great to be able to plod on for so far... and it gives me a lot of confidence that, despite my legs feeling like hell, I have a very good chance of doing the distance.

    But... OMG... How slow was that?   I'd decided to set off at a steady pace aiming at 10:10 per minute, with a view to keeping to that for the full 20 miles. I kept to it for the first 12 miles, then started to fade.  My last 5 miles took an hour... totalling 3:38 for 20.5

    Any thoughts of doing 4hrs are gone... and I'll do well to beat 4.5hr.  image

  • Forever Hopeful wrote (see)

    Hi all, thinking about doing this one but can't commit!  Can anyone confirm whether this is chip timed - I'm assuming it would be but wanted to double check.  Also, does anyone know of any free parking close to the start?   Closing date is Monday so I best make up my mind soon!!! 

    Thanks.

    Yes... it's chip timed.  Don't know about parking..  there's been some discussion on this earlier in the thread.

    Go on.. do it !

  • Thanks RW.  Regarding your last run, I wouldn't worry too much.  You put the miles in which at this stage is the most important thing.  As long as you taper properly your legs will feel much fresher come race day and you'll have to be reining yourself in in the early stages.  I started off way too quickly a couple of weeks ago and suffered big time which is why I'm considering another one to silence my demons!  That said, if I do this, I'll still set off at my optimistic goal time.  I'm sure I'd still slow even if I started off slow but that's just the way I race!  Have a listen to the Marathon Talk podcasts, last week's (26th Oct) and the week before that had training sections on pacing which you might find of use for race day strategies. 

    Is there any chance of getting lost on this route?  If there is, I'll find it!!!!

  • Thanks for the encouragement Hopeful.  I'd never heard of marathon talk before. I'll try and listen tomorrow.

    Do you really think there is ANY chance of me moving from yesterday's 20 miles@10:42 pace....  to 9:09 for the marathon itself?

    I was also slowing badly yesterday, but I obviously hadn't tapered (doing a semi-brisk 6 miler the night before) - and nutrition/hydration weren't optimised.  And, of course, I was on my own in the rain - mostly in the dark!   I need to assess this, to help decide what pace to set for race day.

    Not sure how difficult it is to get lost (do you have a story to share?)...  I come from the other side of Preston, so don't know it.  But with 1400 runners, you should have someone to follow.  Just make sure you don't hit the front until you can see the finishing line!

  • Well I managed to complete the Rivington Trail Marathon yesterday having upgraded from the half on the day and not done enough training due to holidays and overseas working. Managed 4.47 and the knees are sore, but they sent us up a climb at the 17 mile point whilst the half marathon stayed on the flat trails, so this finished me off. Bit of a anti climax to finish a Marathon with no one at the finish to cheer you over the line. Anyway probably 18 miler on the road next week and then looking for a 3.30 to 4 hours at Preston.   

  • I've just joined the forum to get a few last minute tips before the big day. I did my last big training run yesterday morning on the lanes of Rivington and Anglezarke - partly on the route of the half marathon that Number mentions above and completed 22 miles in exactly 3 hours. My question is does anybody know a method of prediction of marathon finish time based on the last long training run ? I'm familar with the race prediction software on the internet but they all seem to be based on races times - my last one was in July - a 10 miler in 70 minutes. I am worried about gooing off too quick in the race as my last marathon was nearly 10 years ago in Blackpool and I suffered badLy in the last 5 miles and finished around the 3.40 mark.

  • Place for sale! Still recovering from stress fracture. Anyone?

  • RW, what were you other long runs like?  The general consensus is that they should be done 60-90 secs a mile slower than marathon pace anyway.  I run on 3 days a week so my long runs are generally closer to marathon pace because I'm not racking up miles during the week.  As you taper, marathon pace should feel easier.  Get a couple of 10 milers in at marathon pace and see how they feel.  I do feel if you had a quick run the night before your body wouldn't have had enough time to recover for a quality long run anyway but that's just my opinion!  You need to make sure you know what your goals are before you start.  To finish, to finish in an acceptable time to you or to try and break that 4 hours - if sub 4 hours is the key then go for it!!!  I start off too quick and then try to hang on in there when the going gets tough.  There are loads of marathons out there so if all doesn't go to plan this time, just enter another image

    PureManic you've got it the wrong way round!!!  You're supposed to decide on a goal and then pace your long runs accordingly!!!  You should hammer your previous time though!!  Tell me your goal and I'll tell you what my schedule says you should be doing your long runs at - but as I've stated above, this assumes that your doing less mileage so you're running your long runs hard.  If you do a high mileage week with a couple of quality runs in it as well then you could be capable of a better time than my schedule suggests ...

  • Just signed up for this for the same reason as Hopeful mentioned above. Went round Chester this morning about 10 minutes slower than I'd planned. Some demons to be addressed on the 28th in and around Preston. image

  • Jo, no pressure then!!  Discipline is my main focus this time, I'll be interested to see whether the net result is a pleasing one!  I wasn't overly unhappy with my time but I was 'hanging on' for about 12 miles!!!  No doubt, I'll be the one sobbing on the finish line at Preston!  At least with 3 weeks, you don't have to get another long run in - I'm trying to decide whether I should or not ...

    PureManic - just to give you a bit more background.  I'm following the Furman First schedules.  The idea is that you run one interval session, one tempo and one long run - you then are supposed to cross train for two other sessions.  Lots of people don't agree with this schedule but it works for me.  On a 16 week schedule it gets you running your first 20 just 4 weeks in and you will do 5 20 mile runs in total.  For these 20s pace is as follows. 1.  MP + 60 secs a mile  2.  MP+45 secs  3.  MP + 30 secs 4.  MP + 30 secos 5.  MP + 15 secs.  Hope this helps you make some decisions but obviously put it into context with the training you have done.

  • ok, i'm in. and yes, for same reasons as jo an dhopeful. Marathons this year have gone: blackpoool 3.04, antwerp 3.08, windermere 3.12, and loch ness last week at 3.14. Need to turn my times back around!!

     

  • Welcome to the Guild Marathon Simon and Jo.

    Sp are you going to be a last minute entry then FH ?

    Your times are really impressive Simon, well done you.

    Sorry to hear about your bad news Egyptian , hopefully your find some to take your place. I am hoping for a boost in numbers over this weekend as 1400 seems a little low for a marathon so fingers crossed there will be lost of last minute entries.

    I did 18 miles, it went well , I think im going to do a 15 and 12 as my last two Sunday runs .

  • Hi, just signed up for this one, its my first marathon, dies anyone know if pacers are running?!
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