RW Forum Six – Sub 4.30

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  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Hi everyone, i hope the hangovers werent too bad this morning. Weather here is currently quite bad. Lots of showers and a strong wind but it certainly wakes you up once you're out there. At least it's not too cold!



    5 and a bit miles done with hubby for me. He saw me getting my running gear on and said he'd join me for a bit.... By the end he was struggling a little bit but still managed it despite not running since October (he hates running). I enjoy running with someone else as I find it helps the miles go pass quicker.



    Training breakdown:

    Mile 1: 9.54 mm

    Mile 2: 9.50 mm

    Mile 3: 9.30 mm

    Mile 4: 9.52 mm (into a headwind the entire road of this mile)

    Mile 5: 9.37 mm

    Added bit: 500m in 2m 37 secs (we sprinted the last bit)



    @FF - were those times too quick for a tempo run? Or were the second differences too much? I was trying to make sure that my 3rd mile was quicker and I think it was a mixture of trying to up the pace and the sheltered road that helped with 20second difference. I'm trying to learn to keep an even pace but always struggle to keep it within a 10 second difference. Is that timeframe too optimistic? Or just right?



    It felt ok, I definitely felt like I was working but could say short sentences and talk so for me it was a good tempo session.... And I'll admit something... It felt good to finally beat hubby for onceimage (yes I am competitive)



    How is everyone else getting on?
  • I've always found that when I try to maintain an even pace by using my Garmin, I end up doing the first bit of each split either slow or fast, and for the rest I'm either speeding up or slowing down to compensate. When I ignore the Garmin and just run on feel without thinking about maintaining pace at all, I can get my splits within about a 20 second range.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Weedy - did you practice knowing what the pace is? Or was it purely by feel? When I run without my garmin I find my pace to be a lot more difficult to maintain a good average speed.
  • Just purely by feel. Altho I'm not able to say to myself "Right, I''m going to do five miles at 9min mile pace" or "five miles at 8min 30 pace". It's just that whatever pace I do it's fairly consistent. I could probably tell you what I've done to the nearest 15 seconds maybe.

    There's a marathon I've heard about in Utah that starts in the evening. You all set off at whatever time you like, and the winner's the person who crosses the line nearest to midnight. The catch is you can't wear a watch.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Utah, you say?... and when is this? image

    On my easy runs - i'll switch the garmin on and not look at it for the duration of the run but perhaps I need to try harder on getting an even effort.

    Today is full preparation day for the double marathon on Saturday/Sunday. I am drinking water, have my snacks all sorted out and am trying to decide what to wear (just like every UK marathon - the weather could change every hour!).

    @FF - What pace or time should I aim for in these two marathons? 11min miles? or what would you suggest? I know that we want to keep them as even efforts so wanted to check so that I can program the alarm on my garmin.

  • Emmy H wrote (see)

    Utah, you say?... and when is this? image

    Don't you dare

    Don't even think about thinking about it either image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Weedy Gonzalez wrote (see)
    Emmy H wrote (see)

    Utah, you say?... and when is this? image

    Don't you dare

    Don't even think about thinking about it either image

    I'm not thinking about anything and i'm definitely not googling it.... image

  • OrbuttOrbutt ✭✭✭

    Emmy - I find that, without my Garmin, I tend to run too fast on my slow runs.

    I'm not speedy, I just go off fast and suffer image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Orbutt - I admit that I put great reliance on my beeping garmin to tell me to slow down! I will always start off too fast and i end up suffering a lot image

    I've arrived at my parents waiting for the traffic on the M25/M1 to clear before heading up to Milton Keynes later on tonight. Preparation has been a lot better this time around; i've been drinking/eating the right foods so I hope that tomorrow it's another thing that will go in my favour.

    I'll write a race report after the event but at the moment there's an element of nerves and needing a mental kick up the ass. This race has pummelled me twice so far so i'm trying to take out the negative thoughts and focus onsome strong mental thoughts.

    @FF - If you do get a chance to see this; can you let me know about what pace I should aim at for an even effort this wekeend. 11m? 11.30?

    Have a great weekend everyone!

  • Emmy H wrote (see)

    I'll write a race report after the event but at the moment there's an element of nerves and needing a mental kick up the ass.

    /members/images/727962/Gallery/5905946781_8856ce15ee_z.jpg

    Something like this?

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Weedy - You are the King of images. I love Father Ted!

  • Good luck Emmy. I found that to boost me along on that course I put in a bit of extra efforts on the two small inclines and that made the flat bits seem nice and coasty along if that helps at all.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Thanks Kate. I'll give it a go and let you know how I get on... Now.... Is it beer o'clock?
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Weedy - did you practice knowing what the pace is? Or was it purely by feel? When I run without my garmin I find my pace to be a lot more difficult to maintain a good average speed.
  • Emmy- I'm really interested in how your double goes- I've got my name down for a double all in 1 day in april- not at all sure how to tackle it pace/ running break -wise - it is on a canal path, (Glasgow to Edin) whereas my 2 previous ultras have had hills/ rough terrain which forces y outo walk segments.

    I suspect that I am better doing the double as a single event rather than trying to get going again the next day , once I've seized up- have you done either/ both type of double before?

    Good luck.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Hi all, just a quick one as I only get 30mins of wifi a day!



    I'll do a round up tomorrow but in short. Day 1 over and I felt a lot better throughout. Yesterday it felt like I had only an 18-19miles but my hamstring felt a little tight so spent some time last night stretching. This morning I've woken up and my legs are a little sore but I'm hoping that after a few miles warm up - I'll be alright.



    @tricialitt - I'll answer your email tomorrow but this was my first double so I've tried different things that I hope I can learn /improve on.



    So... Day2 starts and I need to get some porridge before hobbling my way down the stairs!
  • Well done Emmy - you're doing great image

    When it gets tough, just remember Father Ted's behind you all the way.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    I promise to write up a proper report today.... but just for the shortened version: I did it!!!

    Day 1: 5.23.48
    Day 2: 5.23.49 (that bloody second is annoying meimage).

    Feel a little sore but not as bad as i was expecting! image 

  • TenjisoTenjiso ✭✭✭

    Congratulations Emmy! image  What a great start to the year!  Amazing.... and I mean AMAZING consistancy image (one second!.... that's seriously impressive).

  • Hi Emmy. Very well done indeed ! image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Thank you everyone! I'll post the splits once i've recharged my garmin but here's the race report:

    I arrived in Milton Keynes and everything felt a little different. My head was a lot more positive and I was ready for the lake and the 14 total laps that I’d need to run. I tried not to think of ‘how many miles do we have left?’ but how many laps. Having the right mental attitude is key for the marathon. My last experience of enigma was horrid... And entirely down to myself. I hated the lake with a passion, my head was in the wrong place and then I hurt my tendon so it ended my day early.

    This weekend I started with the aim: slow, steady and be happy. From the first lap I was with Mel and I kept with her throughout. We both had the same aim: to finish the double. It was both our ‘first’ so we were going into the unexpected a little bit. Seeing a lot of the usual suspects along the route made everything a lot happier and for some reason seeing the course every lap made me think: is this lap really 3.6miles as its going by so quickly and easily! Despite exposing my bum to a family when I stopped for a pee - it was uneventful from that perspective.

    I was aware that if I blow up on the first day - day 2 would be a marathon of pain so wanted to take things easy and relaxed and from looking at the pictures- it was. Day1 was a great day. At one point I asked Millie to go and get Mel and me some coke as I was craving the sugar... And being the gem she was - she did it twice for us! My flapjacks didn't settle too well on my stomach so I stuck to gels, jelly babies and coke; which seemed to be successful for both days.

    On Lap 5 &7, Lee joined us for the lap and Joe joined on us lap 6. Despite Joe complaining about on 12min miles – the last three laps were laps of constant laughing and joking… we definitely needed in the last miles.

    We finished day 1 and my legs were positive... They felt like I had only done 18miles and although sore - I felt ok. Being in the pub with the enigma crew was fantastic and reminds me why I love enigma running. It’s not just the support around the marathon course but the community around it. Everyone talks to everyone and is so friendly!

    At the end of Day 1; I made sure that I stretched/foam rolled as much as I could and I think it did me the world of good! Day 2 arrived and despite some initial soreness I took things quite slowly and by a few miles - my legs just felt a little tired but nothing 'major'. Like a recovery run after a hard tempo run. I was comfortable and enjoying it. My entire experience was positive and I was really cheery (despite 1 lap...where I struggled a little). We were joined on the first lap for a while by some horses... It Was a shame that the riders weren't so friendly.

    Millie joined us for one lap and for some reason we started to speed up a little and were putting in some quality miles at the end. Choosing focus points to aim towards was the key and really helped focus our minds to the route.

    We ran with a few different people throughout the 2days and it was nice to have different people to speak to! But my one constant source of support and encouragement was Mel. From complaining about my sore little toe to singing songs from the sound of music! If Mel wasn't there - I know that I wouldn't have managed the times I did.

    What did I learn from this weekend?

    • Pacing: I know that both days I started off too fast – but then we seemed to pick it up towards the end again in the last miles
    • Nutrition: I realised early on that flapjacks were off the menu and having the option of ‘other’ things made the world of difference
    • Mental toughness: Everyone has good and bad days in the office –but this weekend really amazed me at how
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    cont'd...

    ...tough I was when my head was in the right place. There was no thoughts of: I could stop at the end of this lap – it never came into my head. Having some key mental strategies to get you round really helped me.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    tricialitt wrote (see)

    Emmy- I'm really interested in how your double goes- I've got my name down for a double all in 1 day in april- not at all sure how to tackle it pace/ running break -wise - it is on a canal path, (Glasgow to Edin) whereas my 2 previous ultras have had hills/ rough terrain which forces y outo walk segments.

    I suspect that I am better doing the double as a single event rather than trying to get going again the next day , once I've seized up- have you done either/ both type of double before?

    Good luck.

    Tricialitt - this was my first double and I actually found the rest to be a lot of good for me. I played around with pacing a little bit 10min run, 1 min walk or walking up some of the 'smaller' inclines. The route we were on had no real 'hills' but had some small inclines and I tried mixing it up a little. Running 1 incline, walking the next etc.

    I'd also have a look at getting the time on your feet and making sure that you're comfortable with it. I found that my shoes on the second day were becoming quite uncomfortable as I had a few blisters/wet feet syndrome. I'd also think about taking a spare pair of socks in case that happens.

    Weedy Gonzalez wrote (see)

    Well done Emmy - you're doing great image

    When it gets tough, just remember Father Ted's behind you all the way.

    I may have sung: My lovely horse whilst running past some horses on Day2....

    Tenjiso wrote (see)

    Congratulations Emmy! image  What a great start to the year!  Amazing.... and I mean AMAZING consistancy image (one second!.... that's seriously impressive).

    Thanks Tenjiso - I was a little annoyed about the 1 second difference but was happy to try and have it as an even paced effort.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    To add to my public humilationimage here's some pics from the two days:

    The end of Day 1:

    /members/images/334358/Gallery/304660_10151438942907176_1756314241_n.jpg

    Running on Day 2 (Picture courtesy of: Nozzawales) 

    /members/images/334358/Gallery/day2.jpg

     

  • OrbuttOrbutt ✭✭✭

    Emmy - brill report and stunning all round result.

    Well done image

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    Emmy - Great report. Well done you.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Thanks Orbutt and Eggy... I have to admit - i'm already looking at more 'doubles' and marathons in January image I'm not sure what FF will make of more marathons being added in image

  • Emmy H wrote (see)

    i'm already looking at more 'doubles' and marathons in January image 

    You're nothing like Chuck Norris - you're like the Terminator, but at least he was stoppable. You're not.

    You're the Emmynator image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    I'm sure a few beers could stop me image In all honesty - being in the right mental frame of mind and being with someone along the way really makes the world of difference. I was planning on wearing my ipod but i never turned it on this weekend.... I was too busy singing! image

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