Cobbles & Red Wine - Sarah’s Paris Marathon Plan: Sub 3:35

145791050

Comments

  • Merry Xmas Sarah. Hope its been a good day, and time to relax (??) after all the excitement of the first weeks training...

  • Merry Christmas Sarah, Alex and Clive!! Have an amazing day and hope you void sprouty farts!!



    It's been a crazy first week - and has included far more mud than I normally associate with marathon training! image Has been AWESOME though!!



    Have just eaten the most enormous Christmas dinner and Christmas pudding and cream ... And have to go out for a brisk 5 mile run in an hour!! Eek!



    Have probably eaten enough to fuel an ultra ...!
  • Week 2, Day 1:

    Goal - Brisk 5m

    Actual: 5 miles in 35:38 ... In Santa Outfit ... with a headtorch ... 3 hours after Christmas Dinner.

    /members/images/645234/Gallery/Santa_Running_25.12.12.JPG

    Garmin Connect info here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/254318753

    (Lap 1 is the the 5m run, lap 2 is what happens when I forget to press the stop button properly)

  • Loving the outfit. Were you running alone? Did you get any compliments at all?

    Very good run with the outfit on as well. I hope week 2 contains less mud for you! image

  • Happy Christmas and well done on the PB!! Great Christmas present... You should eat xmas pud every day...image

  • Afternoon Ady! It was a bit awkward with the beard - kept breathing in fluff! Also I suspect that the trousers were made for someone 6 inches taller than me! image I had company - it was all unlit and having 2 headtorches really helped! image Might have started running into trees otherwise! image

    Week 2 containing less mud? I hope not! I've just got some trail shoes for Christmas!! image

  • Good afternoon Bacon Steve! Thank you!!

    Can't believe I got  a new 5 mile PB in the dark, in a Santa suit after eating massive amounts of Christmas food! Maybe I should wear a Santa suit for all of my runs ...! image

  • Well done on the run. Perhaps Asics have a special Santa range you could wear in Paris! I  think if I was wearing that costume outside I'd try and move fast too

  • I'm sure you got several smiles running in that yesterday. It would have made my day if you ran past my house dressed like that,x
  • Week 2, Day 3 (yes … I put the wrong day number on the last run – blame the Santa Suit)

    Goal: 6 miles in 9 minute miles

    Actual: 6.93 miles in 9 minute miles … if you include the pub stop.

    I have a confession. My pace looks pretty much bang on. However, this is because I ran a little bit too fast. Yes you read that right.

    I stopped at the pub for a call of nature. Unfortunately, not one of the mulled wine variety. And I left the Garmin running by mistake. I came out of the pub and my Garmin informed me I was currently moving at 59.59 minutes a mile. Bother.

    I carried on running. My pace wouldn’t be correct and I had made an unscheduled stop but I could carry on running at the correct pace and for the correct distance. However, distracted by heavy sleet and the thought of a turkey sandwich at home I sped up a bit too much and came in at a 9.15 minute/mile including the pub stop. Average moving pace of 8.51 minute/mile so all in all not too far off.

  • Marathon Steve - Asics haven't offered me any Santa outfits - phew! - although I got a tweet yesterday to say they approved of the spirit of the run which was great!  I even had an excuse ready in case I passed a small child (Rudolph had escaped and I had to catch him) but luckily there weren't any witnesses to my outfit! image

    Evening Sarah - Maybe we should dress up on our summer run! Best outfit wins ... something to be decided?! image I've entered TR24 by the way!

     

     

     

  • We will have to think of a theme!
  • How many laps are you hoping to do on the TR 24?
  • Today's run was fine in terms of pace - don't see a problem in being 10-15 seconds a mile too fast on the slower runs if you feel comfortable

  • Steve Marathon Coach - Phew! No knuckles rapped today then! image Obviously will try to avoid unscheduled stops in the future too ...

    Sarah - Good plan! Half considering Runner 5 and Alice ... from Run, Zombies. Yes. Am a geek image Not sure how many laps I'm hoping to do. I just don't plan to stop ... I'll keep going until my legs can't make it any further image How big is your team likely to be? How many laps are you hoping for? I was in a big team last year at Endure 24 so could only get in 4 laps although was hoping for more.

  • BoDukeBoDuke ✭✭✭

    Great outfit there RRR!

    Steve: Hello there!

  •  

    RunnyRunRun wrote (see)

    Sarah - Good plan! Half considering Runner 5 and Alice ... from Run, Zombies. Yes. Am a geek image 


    Haha.

    I think i would be happy to do about 3 laps. Think were hoping to have a team of 6-8 all being well image

  • Evening Bo - Well, you're welcome to borrow the outfit should you feel the urge to chase a reindeer or deliver some toys to good children!image

    Evening Sarah - I had a team of 8 for Endure 24 which meant a long wait between runs but it also meant that you didn't need to pace yourself too much - it was 4 RACES in 24 hours rather than just 4 runs! Much more fun! image

  • This Christmas food seems to make good fuel for faster running but I'm finding it hard to get out the door! Normally I love getting out but I'm being called to by the Chocolate Orange in the fridge and all of the junk food that I never normally have in the house!

    Anyone else struggling to fit runs in around Christmas?

  • I'm managing to do the training but its the comfort eating that's the problem here!

    Sat here looking at two Chocolate Oranges and two boxes of Lindorimage
  • so impressed that you went out running after christmas dinner.......i rqn before but would never be able to drag myself out afterimage

  • Sarah, your not on your own, I've managed a few shorter runs but no LR. Splitting ourselves between sheffield, york and Newcastle hasn't left as much time as I thought to run!
  • Sarah - I normally have no problem running around christmas time. In theory should be easier as should have more time less work and quieter roads. I did a session this morning at 10am on grass and track with a training group in the rain and was ok once out though the bike ride of about 10K in pouring rain to get there was less pleasant 

    Hi Bo Duke - hope you are in good health and fitness

  • Week 2 Day 4: 5 mile buildup

    I love running. I absolutely and genuinely love the way it makes me feel. However tonight was a struggle to get out of the door.

    I don’t know whether it was the chocolate orange I’d finished off earlier or the nap in the chair but I wanted to stay in the warm ... and dry ... and eat chocolate! image

    I asked Twitter for some motivation and got responses ranging from friendly encouragement to threats of being beaten with a spatula (as in Run Fatboy Run) and I finally got changed into my running gear. Committing to do the run is the hardest bit … and I’d already made the commitment when I sent in the application for the Asics Target 26.2 …

    Tonight’s session was a build up run where I’d start at a reasonably slow pace and build it up to a quicker speed. It was the first time I’d tried one of these so I had no idea what to expect. I tend to start at one pace and stick to that. Apart from the sprint finish at races of course. But a sprint finish is practically law.

    I started at a 9 minute mile. I was concentrating so hard on sticking to the pace I forgot to start the garmin. Bother.

    After a mile I increased the pace to an 8:40 min/mile, then after another mile, 8:20, then 7:40 and finally 7:20.

    I had added an extra bit onto the run to see whether I could make 5 miles out of my usual 4 mile route and overestimated so came in at about 5.5 miles. I aimed to maintain the 7:20 pace until the end of the run.

    As usual once I started running, I enjoyed it and was glad to be out there. The session was a good one too and I liked changing the speed and trying something new. All of my Week 2 sessions have so far been done in the dark with a headtorch. I’ve had family staying with me over Christmas and I haven’t been at work to get lunchtime runs in so I’ve struggled to fit in any daytime runs. But hey ... good practise with the headtorch!

    Looking at the Garmin data when I got home shows a steady progression of speed which is good. Although I managed to press the lap button by mistake when I stopped to cross a road which confused the laps a bit, but the run was a success and I’ve found a new session I’ve enjoyed!

    Garmin info here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/254980361

  • Evening Andy! – It’s the chocolate Oranges that get me … Love those things! I’m so good normally – very rarely buy chocolate or junk food but at this time of year everyone buys it for me! And it looks at me. And says “SARAH!! EAT ME!!”. Seems almost rude not to …image So … did your chocolate oranges and Lindor survive?

    Seren – I did mean to go before dinner ... Good plans and all that …image Was supposed to do the Coventry Christmas parkrun but changed my mind at the last minute as I was cooking for 4 other people and was petrified I’d forget to take the turkey out and it would be the size of a small charred sparrow when I got home! I haven’t got a very good history in the kitchen …!image Have you started your training for your marathon in Wales too?

    Dave – Thank you!! However I’m well aware that you threatened to hit me with a chunk of wood to make me go out for my run this evening so forgive me if I accept your compliment from a distance …image

    Sarah – Yes I definitely know the feeling! I’ve got a 3.5 hour drive down to Dorset tomorrow too … thank goodness it’s a rest day! Although I suspect there’ll be quite a lot of running this weekend as my younger sister has had a Garmin for Christmas and I think she’ll want to test it out. (Knew I’d bring her over to the dark side eventually … mwah ha ha ha!) Are you going to try and get a long run in at the weekend?

    Steve Marathon Coach – Evening Steve! Yes, I definitely appreciate the quieter roads at the moment and because it’s been a bit rainy there haven’t been any scary kids hanging around on the street corners either which is a bonus! It’s lovely when I get out for a run but it’s been difficult scheduling the runs in in the daylight because of the holiday commitments … although it does give me a valid excuse to escape from games of charades and the like for an hour or so!! image

  • ....maybe thats what I need to buy my OH....a garmin image

    Im meeting Minni at the park run tomorrow, we are going to do a 3 mile warm up and then the park run. I might do a bit more afterwards to try to get the milage up, or do my long run on sunday before starting my marathon training on monday (although I am starting with a rest day). 

    I bought tickets for me, my OH and parents to go on a steam train from pickering to whitby on Sunday so my run needs to fit around that (so probably when we get back if it isnt too late), then monday im back at work image

  • Sarah - first box of Lindor went last nightimage We don't usually have much junk food etc in the house but those rules seem to go out of the window at Xmas.

    Managed 5 miles this morning but legs still heavy after Boxing Day trail race.

    Did I see on Twitter you're away for the weekend? How will you fit training in around that?
  • hey hey hey!!! sorry if I've missed the bit about what kit you actually got? I onc

    e had a 16 miler and it rained from beginning to end!! I ran with a friend who was very negative which in time dragged me down! since then always looked for something waterproof, for shorter runs its fine but long runs would just like something..... even . .... a little dryer!?!

  • MalcsMalcs ✭✭✭

    Sorry Sarah, I'm really struggling to keep up with you lot. I have you and Ady to follow and now Sarah O's gone and given me another thread I have to keep up with! I haven't even had a chance to call in on Bacon yet.

    Sounds like you are throwing yourself at this just as I knew you would.

    I'm with Seren re. post Christmas dinner running - that is mighty impressive!

     

Sign In or Register to comment.