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2013 Marathon Thread
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Well done Mace - Whats your next big race? Are you doing a marathon next spring?
MG, nice long run yesterday, have not got beyond 10 miles since Baxters
SM, good too see the RHR has come down, good time at parkrun
Fiona, sorry to hear the calf injury is a tear, listen to the physio and we will see you back running soon
OH, well done by the sounds of it you were battling the elements as well as the terrain
NP, hope the hip is behaving itself, good that the house has been sold, all the DIY work will no doubt have added value, hope the run today goes well
Jason, hope the race went well for you
AGF, well done a good 10k time will be a while before I'm seeing those numbers that must have been a tough hill
Mace well done with the long run today, being over dressed would have made it a lot tougher
Tek, can't wait to hear all about your race today
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just back from the culloden run, a really tough hilly race made a little harder by a stiff wind, still got a course PB by 7 mins, fully report to follow later
Stats: 10.68, 1:33:39, 8:46mm, avgHR 170(89%)
Was going reasonably ok until the feed station just before km 35, where some idiot cut across me and knocked me over. I got up too quickly and cramped my left calf. After that it was stop/start as the calf continued to play up. No hope of rallying once it calmed down as the wind had hit the city by then...
Still, a 15 min PB, full report and catch-up later...
Teknik, I am sorry to hear that you fell and this imopacted your race. Thats said a 15 Minute PB is fantastic in 6 Months. Top Drawer !!... And you know theres more to come with less wind and a little more luck.
I hope you enjoy a beer this evening - youve earnt it fella !!!
Congrats on the shiny PB !!!
AGF - I'll be doing Brighton again, hopefully 1min 53s quicker though
You missed Brighton through injury last year ?
Well done Stewart, cracking pb
That is a real shame, a fall followed by your calf cramping must have been tough, bright side you have a whopping 15 minute PB, well done and I'm looking forward to the race report, enjoy a beer or two this evening well deserved
Good luck with Brighton Mace. Yes- I missed brighton due to Injury...but have entered Manchester as a chnage of Scenery !!
Congrats on the pb
Tek,
Sorry to hear that, however a pb is still a pb
MG,
Yes I did - 2 miles in glorious sunshine. I had the perfect weather window.
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Well done on everyone's training/races.
Fiona - That doesn't sound good on the calf front. Hopefully it's back to normal quickly
OH - Well done
AGF - Well done on the hilly 10k. Wish we got post race sausages in local 10ks here
Mace - Nice long run
Stewart - Great racing. Can't argue with a 7 minute PB
Tek - Gutted to hear things didn't go to plan, even worse that your race was negative affected by someone elses actions
Still, a 15 minute PB is good going and there is still more to come
NP - Good news about the house
HM - Well done on the run
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10 miles of hillwalking near Loch Lomond for me this morning.Only done 1 of the 2 planned hills as the weather was brutal. We were absolutely soaked, and at times I was getting man-handled by the wind.
Still 10 miles, over 1000m ascent and just under 5 hours on my feet is a decent days training. Was considering a short run when I got in, but the Chelsea game was more appealing
SC great PB well done mate
Teknik fall or no fall that's still a great PB taking 15 mins off your old time fantastic result
HM4 well done,
Mace nice long run.
MG the DIY is on our other house and has been an on going project now for two years just plantation blinds and a new bathroom to get fitted this week and that's it finished
so the house sale has come at the perfect time.
10 miles this morning with the first 4 miles up hill, my mate is getting great pleasure getting his own back on me...... Hip not ok but not too bad.
Nice plan AGF with the tough training runs!
mace that's a long run out of marathon season.
Great PB Stewart! It was breezy out there!!
That's a fantastic PB Teknik!!
Shame about the fall but you did great! 
Have a fab time in Frankfurt.
Good that you got out HM4.
Stuart that's a tough day out, a long time on your feet and in poor conditions.
NP good that you got out but such a pain about the hip still being niggly, I hope it is ok tomorrow. Am I right in saying it was fine before VLM?
10 miles on the turbo this morning and 14 tonight. In between out tidying up the garden as it was a lovely sunny morning here. So I have been good this weekend with no running so the leg had better appreciate it!!
F
OH- well done at Snowdonia- good weather for the most part too!
Tek- as the others said, a real shame that you had such bad luck, but still a good pb!
stewart- nice pb
Well, the good news was that I got through my run round the mountain with no issues with my ab strain. Tight glutes from 18m made it difficult running downhill or on the flat, but I was fine on the uphills- lol! This run was never about time and I stopped a few times to chat and run/ support some friends for a while, but pootled around in a PW of 3.52
I am back!
Mace nice LR earlier
Jason well done sounds an enjoyable day for you
Fiona glad to hear the turbo is ok for the calf
HM nice to to see you got out
Stewart well done on the pb sounds hard work
AGF nice run earlier with some decent splits
Just been watching the weather, looks like it's going to be bad. Stay safe everyone!
Jason great that you ran and sounds like an enjoyable one too.
MG1 the turbo is fine as long as I keep the spinning easy for now but hope to run tomorrow. I hope all is well with you.
F
Browsing on iPad so slightly out of touch of the weekend's news. Looks Kline some good and bad... We'll done on the PBs folks! Get well soon t'others!
i suspected a hilly-ish half marathon 7 days after a marathon should hurt. I did this race two years ago straight off the club trip to Barcelona and hit the wall six miles in. Today it was eight miles before I was struggling, though I pushed and fortunately had gained enough in the first half that I was still able to sneak 2 1/2 mins off my PB. Well chuffed!
It really hurt and I felt sick for hours, thus spending most of the afternoon in bed with a bucket to hand. body temp 34.9*C!! Woke two hours later in a sweat, having lost two pounds. Eek!
Thanks guys & well done on everyone's training.
Culloden Run 17.46K Race Report
Got up fairly early and had my usual pre race breakfast of porridge and a cup of tea went outside to assess the conditions, and overall they were good and there was only a gentle breeze. Got up to Culloden Battlefield and got parked, on stepping out of the car I noticed how much stronger the wind was up here, got myself registered and went out for a little jog around to loosen the legs.
The Race
The plan was to set out at around HMP which is around 8:15 – 8:20mm. We were sent on our way bang on 10:45, the first two miles were predominantly down hill, but into the wind starting a little quickly I soon brought the pace back into the 8mm range and reached the bottom of the first incline in good shape (8:05, 8:11). The next mile was up hill not a particularly steep one but it does drag on, once on top of the hill I slowed to a walk to take on water at the station, the next mile was downhill, turning left along Nairnside back towards the battlefield and Clava Cairns, this part of the route was undulating and probably the most enjoyable part of the run (9:25, 8:17, 8:20). Now leaving the 10K route we turned right down towards Clava Cairns, quite a steep descent across the bridge and turning right again into the wind, it was fairly breezy, and I knew it was going to be a hard couple of miles, turning left to tackle the first hill, got buffeted by the wind got up almost to the top and walked the remainder, once we turned back into the wind, the road levelled off and I got back to running for approx half a mile before the next hill once again walking the last section, once I was passed the railway arch, I started running again past the farm and turning left and finally the wind was at our back again (8:14, 9:24, 9:26). The next mile was downhill with a steep descent back towards the viaduct, turning right it was time to tackle the last hill back up towards the battlefield by now the legs were struggling so I walked the steep section, and got running again before the farm as a result this was the slowest mile of the race, (8:17, 9:51), knowing I had a little over a half mile left I picked the pace up again, got back into the Battlefield car park I seen the family gave the youngest a high five on the way past and crossed the line in 1:33:37.
Can’t say I enjoyed it but I’m delighted given the walk breaks I managed to take a chunk out of the time I did it last year, almost 8 minutes
.
SM, the conditions sounded awful, hope you have dried out
NP, hope the hip is ok today and hasn't reacted badly to the run yesterday, I found coming down the hills worse
Jason, sounds like you had a good day minus the butt pain,
IJ, well done, you are churning out those PB's, now get some rest
Great report Stewart, I could just imagine the route! I have to say I find the toughest bit of that route the hill down to the viaduct, it is almost vertical! It always seems to be windier up here than down in Inverness.
IJ hope you have recovered.
F
Frankfurt Marathon 2013
I had a few worries going into this race – I was still snivelling from the cold virus, and my bi-weekly marathon HR tests were getting slower and slower. I decided that after a couple of days off, I would be fit enough to try 3h23 (7:45mm), knowing I’d be happy with 3h29 if anything went wrong.
The day before had been overcast, but Marathon day proved to be the hotter, sunny day that I was dreading – the19C sun only occasionally obscured by the rain clouds. I had stupidly put myself into the elite pen (sub 3:15) when I subscribed last November, but my fears of having to run a lonely race were removed when I realised that the next pen was going to be released straight after we were off.
1030 arrived, lots of camp German disco favourites blaring out (the Macarena this year), and we’re off. Immediate problem number one was that the Garmin was having trouble with the weather and the skyscrapers, and was sending out all sorts of mixed signals about average pace and current lap pace. Apparently I went through the first mile at 6:40mm – no way. The first marker came at Km 2, and I was just a couple of seconds down on goal pace. I had to do without the comfort blanket of the Garmin, and judge pace by feel, and hope that I’d settle into some sort of sub 3:30 group.
First 5 km 00:24:22, 24:22 for 5k, 04:53 min/km (7:51mm) HR%max 74% rising to 79%
The next 5k was pretty uneventful, but I was surprised just how many people I was still passing, despite being what I thought would have been the slowest runner in the elite pen. The sun was out in force now and I was starting to worry this would be my normal springtime burn-out marathon.
10 km 00:48:38, 24:16 for the 5k split, 04:52 (7:50mm) HR%max 80% rising to 82%
For the next few miles I managed to latch on to two girlies who seemed to be running at my pace. The wind had started to pick up now, but there was no chance of cheeky drafting as they were about a foot shorter than me!
15 km 01:13:02, 24:24 for the 5k split, 04:53 (7:51mm) HR%max 82% to 83%, so HR levelling out on cue.
This was a few seconds slower than the plan, but I preferred to stick with a group and pace myself that way rather than run blind. The rain started for a while here and it was a welcome relief.
20 km 01:37:39, 24:37 for the 5k split, 04:56 (7:56mm) HR%max 84% flatline
Halb 01:42:59 05:20 04:52 (7:50mm) HR%max 85%
I felt good as we crossed the Half way point, thinking that I could keep even splits and come in at 3h26, maybe 3h25 as the last mile is downhill. Unfortunately the two girlies started to slow so I had to strike out on my own and find another group to run with. The rain had stopped by now and we were back in the sunshine.
25 km 02:02:00, 19:01 and thus 24:21 for the 5k split, 04:53 (7:51mm) HR%max 85% climbing to 86%
The route is now getting ominously jammed at the water and feed points, and as runners tire they are getting less careful about who they are cutting up. I nearly tripped twice as the same idiot ran across me. It’s now getting very warm and I threw away the cap as my head was too hot.
30 km 02:27:02, 25:02 for the 5k split, 05:01 (8:04mm) HR%max 86 to 87%
With no-one to pace me, my head is playing games. I can feel myself slowing, and my head is starting to clock each Km marker, checking that I have 3 minutes at least in the bag for a 3h30.
35 km 02:52:57, 25:55 for the 5k split, 05:11 (8:20mm) HR%max 88 to 89%.
Now I’m looking at a 3h28, and I’m watching the Garmin’s lap p
Now I’m looking at a 3h28, and I’m watching the Garmin’s lap paces as they seem to be settling down (finally). I know if I keep it under 8:25 ish I’d be ok, assuming a final mile push. I am still confident that I can still finish comfortably.
Then disaster strikes. Some idiot cuts across a line of us in a rush to get to the feed station. I’m not a small man but he manages to floor me with his shoulder. I get up quickly, shouting abuse at him, but immediately I get a bad cramp in my left calf. I don’t stop but carry on at a slower pace, hoping I can run it off. After a kilometre it cramps badly again and I have to stop and stretch; and then again after another few hundred metres. I realise as I struggle through Km38 that now it’s lost.
40 km 03:22:00, 29:03 for the 5k split, 05:49 (9:21mm) HR%max falling from 89% to 87% as I slow down / stop and stretch.
The last 2k were agony – everything hurt, the wind was now whistling through the skyscrapers blowing me left and right, causing cramp in the inner thigh as I struggled to keep a straight line. No sprint finish this year.
03:34:46
A 15 minute PB, but way off what I was expecting. If I’m honest I can’t blame the guy who floored me – from my HR climbing in the last third, all that excess lactate meant that any false step would have triggered cramp somewhere – I just can’t handle the heat: It was -2 to 2C last year; this year it was 19C with only a brief interlude of cool rain. And this year, unlike last year, it hurt.
Fiona, me too, I was a little concerned about the hammy going down that section, hope the calf is behaving and isn't causing you too many issues
Tek, a great report and an almost pefect execution of your race plan, take heart from the massive PB, and I'm sure you will take a chunk off that time at your next marathon, congratulations, you deserve one of these
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Easy 4 mile run along the river a little wet and breezy, the good news the legs feel fine after yesterday's race, will look to run a couple of easy runs through the week and I'll get one with a couple of miles @ HMP on Wednesday.
Hope the legs are recovering ok.
Stewart another good report from you sir
Fiona , yes good thanks, I bet its sooo tempting to do more than the turbo work !
9 m @ 8.11 for me tonight along the pavements, forgot what it was like to run at night in the dark streets, may have to invest in a running headlight or start doing some pre work morning runs
Stewart,
Great report & well done on the run.
Tek,
Great report.
HM how's the car holding up?
Stuart that was a great hill walking session - in the wind and rain, too !
OH well done at Snod
- must have been a tough day out !!
IJ well done on that brutal half - stay in bed and hope you recover soon
MG nice 16 miler Saturday, and well done on the pacey 9 miles in the dark yesterday
Stewart great running at Culloden - that's a big PB well done, and nice report
Fiona sorry to hear about the calf - good to hear you can still get something done on the turbo, though.
NP great news on the house
. Hope you fix that hip soon
AGF well done on the Ilmington 10k - that must have been some hill !!
Mace well done on Sunday's 18 miler
Jason well done for jogging round Snod, and great to hear you're back on track for that Ultra
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The recovery plan has me resting until Thursday, so that gives me a few days to trawl through possible marathons for the Spring
. It's a cruel sport this, so why do we keep coming back?
Great report Teknik and well done again. Despite what happened it is a huge achievement, wish I could make that sort of improvement to my time!! I suppose if it was easy we might not bother to do another.
Good that the legs are fine Stewart after the battering they took on Sunday.
MG1 I always carry my headtorch even in town as the street lights are not best in places.
Did nothing last night, the garmin cadence counter needs a new battery and my butt hurts from all the turbo time. A two mile run planned for tonight!
F
Tek, great report! sorry to hear your sub 3:30 was scuppered by stupidity - and worse still, someone else's! - but a massive well done on the PB. You'll have much more confidence next time and 3:25 will be on the cards!
It only took a couple of hours in bed on Sunday for me to get back to my usual sluggish Sunday afternoon self. Didn't run yesterday, but was at work all day, and back today having cycled to work too. Blimey, first bike ride since August and it hurt!
Club run tonight!
MG - I'm not sure yet when i'll start. Possibly take a rest in the Xmas week and start on 30th December. I figure if i can get some good long runs before Xmas i'll have earned a rest
and that will see me fresh to start P&D
Thanks Stewart and Tek for your reports, both made good reading.
jason - well done on your warm up race and good to hear you're back in the swing of things.
Fiona - take care of your calf
Jim - well done on yet another pb, have you broken the streak yet or are you still going ? Sounds like you put yourself through it as well
Stuart - great training for the quads
NP - your mate's pleasure will be short-lived, i'm sure
Tek - it seems from other reports that the conditions were far from ideal which hit expectations. And the fella knocking you over will have cost you. The bottom line is you've pb'd by 15 mins which isn't to be sniffed and with some better luck you'd have been under 3:30. And you'll improve again and will get that GFA !! That's why we keep coming back