Paris marathon 2013 here we go! A.W's Sub 3 attempt!

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  • Stan - I do gym work, and have done for ages. The last 9 months I have really worked hard on strengthening work and its really helped me. Steve said for me to be mindful of when I do gym work now, so I don't leave myself tired for my key sessions. I think I may ease up on it a bit as the mileage gets heavier.
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭

    Nice run A. W.  I agree getting back to fitness is easier than starting off.

    I have to say where I live now there is an abundance of fantastic running terrain.  I live just 3 minutes away from the Trans Pennine Trail and can do a 20 miler without having to come off it, then there are loads of old railway and canal paths within a few miles and many off road routes if wanting them.  It's one of the best places I've lived for running routes.  Although my only complaint is that these routes are a lot easier to run on in daylight, so at this time of year unless you wear a head torch then it's stick to the streets where loops and adding on bits are in order.

    I'm so lazy with gym work and core these days, but was very good when at my best.  Keep telling myself I should get back to it - one day... On that note off to the gym soonimage

  • Morning Alex! Hope everything's going well! image

  • Hi DS2 - what running are you doing at the moment? I live in the country and all my normal routes are flooded. Weather was shocking this morning and my only passable route was on what passes as the main road in these parts. No pavements, cold rain and the spray from traffic - not pleasant!

    Aiming for a minimum of 16 and possibly a 20.

    20 done at a gentle 7:39 pace. Happy with that bearing in mind I am not a great fan of running through ice cold water on a regular basis.

    So 2 1/2 hours running was quickly followed by 2 hrs in the local hostelries of my nearby town.

    I still have no idea what HADD or P&D stand for but I am a enthuisiastic convert to the JD&C training programme.

    Happy Christmas to everyone! 

  • well done on doing the run today Alex. The Xmas day and new year's day run can be swapped around if needed though most people like running on those days as they are usually quiet. Quite a few parkruns tomorrow so some people like running on xmas day.

    http://www.parkrun.com/crispy/christmascompendium

  • Merry Christmas everyone!

    Just a quick Christmas day update! 5 miles done nice and early, 34.20. Took the first mile easy at about 8 minutes then settled in to the faster pace averaging 6.40 for the rest of the run. My calves are still a bit on the tight side, not sure what the problem is, think it may still be from my parkrun effort on the mud. Its not as bad as yesterday, but not sure how it might affect my 10k on Thursday if it doesn't settle down.

    Have a lovely day Steve and everyone else. Enjoy your running/festive eating and drinking!

  • Merry Xmas Alex, hope its a good one.

    Looking forward to keeping uo with your training in 2013

  • Morning all,

    Hope you all enjoyed your festivities yesterday and looking forward to more of the same today!?

    3.5 miles easyish with some strides of about 50 meters thrown in on the way round. Pretty comfortable, averaging 7.31 minute miles. Calves feel a little bit better again today, hoping that with more stretching and foam roller throughout today they will be settled enough not to affect my 10k race tomorrow. Really wanted to have a crack at a PB if conditions/body allow!

     

  • Morning Alex! Had a great day yesterday thanks! Far too much Christmas pud though! image I had a 5 miler yesterday too ... but I'm disappointed that you didn't do yours in a Santa outfit. Or did you? image

     

  • No santa outfit! Not sure I could have managed the run after Chrismas dinner like you, that's really impressive!!!
  • Hey Alex. Hope you had a good Christmas too. 

    I hope your calves are settled dso you can attempt a PB tomorrow. All the best!

  • Hope you had a great Christmas Alex.  Can you believe we're already into week 2 of training??

  • Thanks for the link Hilly. That looks quite similar to a thing I have called 'The Stick', I quite like it, that one you've posted the link to looks better than mine though! 

    Really looking forward to racing tomorrow so hope tomorrow things feel ok, weather looks ok so should be a nice day!

  • good luck in the 10K AW. Try and pace it well.  I ran a below par parkrun yesterday in wet conditions but because my previous one was so bad, it was at least a course PB

  • Good work on the parkrun Steve, I'm not sure I could get myself out for a race on Christmas day?!

    Had the Wheaton Aston 10k today. So in short I ran 38.03 by my watch - 6 seconds outside my PB of 37.57.

    The longer version (and excuses!) - As soon as I started my warm up I could feel my calves were still not right, every step there was a slight ache, my right leg worse than my left, not bad enough to stop me running, but always in the back of my mind.

    I thought I would stick to my game plan of trying to run 6 minute miles to bring me home in around 37.30 and see what happened, if I needed to ease back I would. Got going into the race and I could feel it was laboured, first mile split was bang on but was having to work hard to hold the pace. Second mile split again right on pace, but by mile 3 was starting to struggle to hold pace. Mile 3 and 4 splits were down on pace, partly down to me starting to struggle and partly down to the course being a little lumpy. I pulled it back a bit for the last 2.2 miles, but not enough to sneak under 38 minutes. The course was flooded in parts due to the volume of water that fell over the last few days so maybe not the perfect conditions, but wouldn't have had that much effect on finish time.

    So my splits were 5.59, 5.54, 6.14, 6.18, 6.06, 6.12, 1.20.

    My legs didn't feel great the whole race, the aching in my calves increased as the race went on to the point its a little painful to get up stairs at the moment!

    I'm pretty happy with my days work, but I think I would like to get another 10k in the diary for January if possible Steve? I feel like I could get closer to 37 than 38 with the right day. Can we fit it in to my schedule? I was thinking one of these maybe?

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?sp=&v=2&EN=72783&ms=

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?sp=&v=2&EN=73370&ms=

     

  • /members/images/71035/Gallery/2012_12_27th_Alex_Race_Wheaton_Aston_10k-556.jpg

     It was a bit wet!!!! Thats me 3rd from left!

  • RS78RS78 ✭✭✭

     

    AW - well run, all good fitness work really even if you weren't feeling bang on what with the calves. Hoping to run new years day 10k in Hyde park with a few other Heathsiders

    Steve (coach) - one thing I've never done in any of my marathon training build ups is MP work which is ridiculous when you think about it especially for the more recent ones where I was aiming at specific times. How often would you recommend doing say a 10m MP effort? I was thinking along the lines of the midweek medium long of 12-15 for the first bulk of the schedule then start adding in fortnightly 10m MP efforts later on. What emphasis do you put on MP work yourself?

  • Yup, that's a 'bit wet' AW! Still a good result in the conditions. I bet the heavy, wet shoes added a little time. 

  • So provisional results say 38.04, I think that's 29th place overall.

  • well done on the 10k and getting so close to your PB - as temperatures weren't that low today, looks you had too much on to me - second mile slightly too quick?

    Yes, should be able to do another 10k in next few months if you can find a fast suitable one and can fit into second part of schedule.

    RS78 - I didn't use to do that much MP work as I tended to race so regularly at shorter distances and done so many marathons but it's a definite help if you don't race that often or lack experience at marathoning and I think a fortnightly 10M is a good idea and also every 2-3 weeks trying to do a long run where you stick a section of marathon pace in (30 mins ) when you are slightly tired. 

  • Nice 10k time Alex, especially at this time of year. If you can get that close to your PB at this stage (and wet conditions) another stab in Mid/late Jan would be good to aim for. I was in this PB chaser category (this/last year) and got a 38.19 PB in a 10k race in early Feb. So I think with a few more weeks of steady endurance & speedwork you could have a good stab at your PB.

    Well done for getting a parkrun in Steve on Xmas day. I would have been at my local one, but a combination of a 5.30 wake up call from excited kids and a looming Xmas lunch cooking marathon a parkrun was out of the question.
  • Considering you are in good condition, how are you finding the recoveries. No one seems to be mentioning those and what the changes in food both in intake or menu. Also now you are on a structured program, is it making your life sytle better. 

  • RS78 - Was thinking about the Hyde park run myself until we decided to go away for New Year. I like the last Friday 5k's so thought the 10k would be a good choice. 

    CC2 - Wet indeed, my trainers are still drying!

    Thanks knight rider, I was thinking the same. I think by the end of Jan I should hopefully be in good shape to have a good crack at my PB.

    Traveling Runner - By recoveries do you mean between sessions? If so that has been ok, the Sunday run after the Saturday parkrun was a bit of a struggle, but I guess that will be good for me in the long run getting used to running long on heavy/tired legs. On the food side of things I've always been pretty good that way, but being Christmas I have probably over done it a bit and put a pound or two on!!! I do like the structure of following a plan so far, I know exactly what I have to do and don't need to think about it, I know I have to do it so can't talk myself out of a session.

    Steve - Think your right, a little quick in the second mile, and the 3rd and 4th were uphill looking at the course profile so accounts for a bit of the slowing down. Was pretty comfortable temperature wise during the run, but it was quite mild I could have done away with the long sleeved top.

    I have found a couple of 10k's on the 27th Jan, I just wanted to check with you first as they are the day after the training day on the 26th. Will that be ok or would it be better to pick the weekend before - there is 1 race I could pick that weekend too? Have you got a tough session planned for that training day?

  • AW thanks for the reply. Well there is enough information for starters. It would be a good if you could post a standard template in what you did and what you eaten and how you felt. How does that idea sound. 

     

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    A.W. nice run in the 10k. Need to be careful of those calves though. Things can easily develop! I had tight calves about 10 days ago and backed off the speed a bit and managed to run through it. Do you get much opportunity to ease back if needed? Steve?

    Agree with KR though. If you are that close to a 10k PB at this stage then you must have great optimism for Paris.

  • AW I'm not 100% sure yet with that weekend and need to check with RW - traditionally it has been a longish run with some pace elements so week before may be better. With calf I think it might be best to have a few easier days. The much harder training doesn't start until a few weeks and it wuld be best to go into that period having missed some sessions and relatively healthy than to go into it with a calf problem that won't clear up.

    I have had calf problems that have been managable but also serious problems and once it pulls more seriously, it can take weeks or months.

  • Will monitor the calf carefully Steve, it doesn't seem too bad today, but if it becomes a problem will take a day or two off. 

    Completed 7.5 miles fartlek today, just ran as I felt adding in a sprint here and there some strides a faster pace when I got to a hill, half mile at MP, half mile at HM pace etc. Didn't go at it too hard as I wanted to go easy on the calf. I'm never too sure what to do when I do a fartlek session, hope what I did was about right!?

    With the 10k, will aim for another one on the 20th Jan.

     

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