MM - I think they might need some training - strength work etc. I'll introduce them to the idea.
We finally watched Gravity last night in IMAX 3D. Wow, that is one tense 84 minute film. I still feel a bit funny. Would love to go into space though.
ooh, PSA - Eurostar are currently booking tickets up to and including April 2nd. I think that means we should be able to get Friday tickets, this Friday! Whee!
Ooh, fantastic time - hopefully we'll be running about the same in Paris (if I get my skates on a bit) so there'll be a posse if you fancy it!
Definitely! Really enjoyed running bits of Amsterdam with Emmy and Weedy so more company in Paris would be great!
Thanks TD for the P&D advice. Think I'm going to struggle to find 3 races of 8-15k on Saturdays (if only parkrun was 10k!) but I'll give it a go... (have to admit that I'm still confused about what "(total 9-13mi/14-21 km)" means immediately after the 8-15K instruction though - how does that relate to the 8-15k race??) Also, sorry to hear about London but glad to hear we get the benefit of you running Paris instead!
Got my first run in on the P&D 55 plan this morning. 8 miles with 4 at 15k (ish) pace. Hoping I can speed those faster miles up as I get through the plan. Surprised myself and actually really enjoyed running the streets in the dark, I stayed well away from my usual park routes in London and picked some well lit roads - there were so many other runners out at 6.30am I felt like I was part of a club!
I'm fully mince pied up in preparation for being fully turkeyed up later in the month. Not sure if that's the right start to marathon training right enough!
For me to hit my marathon target I think Santa needs to bring me a new groin, one that isn't broken please. Oh, and some Kenyan legs to replace the Herman Munster shufflers I have right now.
COME ON EZZA! time to roll back the months and look at those Paris13/London13 medals - fantastic double, or the year before with the sub3.50 for inspiration. time to awaken the BEAST!
I want to roll-back the clock, or more to the point get back into the condition I had for Paris 2012 and that 3:49.
I've not been able to run well since October 2012 after picking up that groin injury though. If I can't shake that injury I'm not confident I'll deliver a time I'll be happy with. I'm going to give it a right good go though.
Motivation wise I've been struggling over the last few months because I've not been able to train well, consistently or improve. If anything I'm going backwards. If my training for Paris is still impacted by injury I think it'll be time to hang up my marathon running shoes after April.
Emmy - Trauma? Hardly. You and Weedy are 2 of the loveliest people I could think of spending time with.
Brix - Be careful what you wish for! You're going to get a lot more than just "more company" in Paris!
A proper runner will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the idea of the run length you're wondering about is that you'd do a run of 14-21 km TOTAL, which includes a race of 8-15km.
Just think of it like a normal run with a portion of the run at a particular pace (eg marathon pace).
So you'd look to do perhaps a 3km warm-up and cool-down either side of a faster portion. If you can find a race, great! It gives you a sensation of proper race conditions and some adrenaline to spur you on. If not, no worries, just aim to do a run in simulated race conditions. And there's no reason why you couldn't do the Parkrun and tack on extra distance, so at least you get a bit of racing. Or just swap the day.
I think even P&D make a comment buried way in the back of the book that they recognise people have lives and training programs are sometimes aspirational!
Brix - I run that session exactly as Maus has described. If you PM me your email address I can send you the spreadsheet.
Eggy - I suffer(ed) with groin and abs injuries - is it an adductor issue you have? I found two weeks if intense stretching and core work really helped stabilise it.
Emmy - I cant get my head around the number of maras you put in
I have never bothered looking at weight or body fat percentage but am one of the leaner types generally, and I always find that after a good programme for a marathon I look painfully thin anyway.
Mennania - So far the GP and two physio's have been unable to really any use at helping to resolve the problem.
The GP did a simple test, told me it wasn't a hernia and sent me packing. Both physio's have told me it appears to be a groin strain and to rest up and do some core work. I've done both with mixed results. The pain is no longer as bad as it was with the original injury, but now increasing distance or increasing pace causes pain from the injured area. I was limping after some of the longer training runs last year because of it. I also notice sometimes just sitting at my desk that there is a little discomfort in that affected area.
Basically the pain seems to come from a line from the bottom of the hip in a straight line to the inside of the top of the thigh. If I continue to push through the pain I then feel the pain spread to my lower abductor muscles.
Brix - I run that session exactly as Maus has described. If you PM me your email address I can send you the spreadsheet.
Hmmm, I think PM's are misbehaving, looks like you didn't get my message last week. Have just sent you my email again - let me know if you don't get the message... thanks again!
Emmy - Trauma? Hardly. You and Weedy are 2 of the loveliest people I could think of spending time with.
Brix - Be careful what you wish for! You're going to get a lot more than just "more company" in Paris!
A proper runner will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the idea of the run length you're wondering about is that you'd do a run of 14-21 km TOTAL, which includes a race of 8-15km.
Just think of it like a normal run with a portion of the run at a particular pace (eg marathon pace).
So you'd look to do perhaps a 3km warm-up and cool-down either side of a faster portion. If you can find a race, great! It gives you a sensation of proper race conditions and some adrenaline to spur you on. If not, no worries, just aim to do a run in simulated race conditions. And there's no reason why you couldn't do the Parkrun and tack on extra distance, so at least you get a bit of racing. Or just swap the day.
I think even P&D make a comment buried way in the back of the book that they recognise people have lives and training programs are sometimes aspirational!
AH HA. That makes sense, thanks. Maybe I can use the parkrun after all. Will investigate! Sure I read something in P&D about the plan coming first and not letting life get in the way though... Absoutely not traumatised by running with Emmy and Weedy - quite the opposite, think those were my favourite miles of the race. I say bring on the company any everything else that comes with it... (gulp)
Aaron Alley - thanks for the heads up on NY - entered but not expecting.
Eggy - I now this is not your thing, but would a walk/run training plan be useful - even if just the first month or so? Might help with the groin injury?
Why all this talk about body fat%? I hate that statistic. I also hate that damn Body Mass Index chart. Im 42 and I run marathons and the chart still tells me im overweight. I do not have a typical runner's frame. I weigh 186 lbs and when I get below 180 people start asking me if i'm sick.
Layeraaron- I fully agree! I hate all talk of weight and Body fat although I know that there are reasons. I am too overweight according to all bm charts, and do not have a typical runners frame either but the most important thing is we run!
LA - I read 1m42 (4'7") instead of Im 42 (years old). I thought you were very small, a very round.
BMI and Body Fat are just indicators, also most scales are inaccurate. A few of us feel that we have excess pounds, we want to lose body fat, I think we're going to be far off the optimal weight for an athlete but we'll be happy being lighter. I think Emmy is right, improving fitness will probably gain more time than losing weight. Many fat people finished before me this year and many more will do next year.
PC-- Ha! If that were the case I would be somewhat overweight! I know the charts are just general indications, but they are still frustrating. And, yes improving fitness is the better option.
Oh, and I also ran much slower than people who clearly needed to lose weight at my last marathon.
Eggy - I now this is not your thing, but would a walk/run training plan be useful - even if just the first month or so? Might help with the groin injury?
Already tried that Danni. I've booked in to see the physio again and see if they can shed any light on this and how to fix it once and for all.
If they can't Paris will end up being a get around, rather than going for a time which is something I hate doing. I didn't enjoy my training last winter as I couldn't push myself and thought this would be long cleared by now, particularly as I've been low on mileage since completing London.
I've noticed that a few have heard if they've been unsuccessful. This includes one lady who went to boot camp but was told she didn't have a place as she'd already run a 3hr marathon.
AH HA. That makes sense, thanks. Maybe I can use the parkrun after all. Will investigate! Sure I read something in P&D about the plan coming first and not letting life get in the way though... Absoutely not traumatised by running with Emmy and Weedy - quite the opposite, think those were my favourite miles of the race. I say bring on the company any everything else that comes with it... (gulp)
Brix - Why not see if a few Parkrun friends could help you extend it out a bit after the 5km, to help simulate race conditions for you? You may find there are other people close to their Spring mara who are in a similar position.
The other reason people might be keen to do a tune-up race is if they are dead keen to see their VDOT improve. The race will give data to recalculate VDOT, potentially resulting in revised paces for training schedules and forecast marathon time (which in turn might mean people change pens).
Malcs is through, in the Sub 3:30 group. He failed last year but stuck around to support the others which is great credit to him. Injury had plagued his other marathons, this year he ran the Great Welsh marathon, 3h32. It was windy, sparse support and hills. Imagine what he could achieve in Paris!
Hi All - first time here and thought I should start with a **Marathon Virgin Alert!!**
Paris 2014 will be my first, after a bunch of halfs this year. My target is sub 4.00 but that might be inexperience talking... Light training underway in a vain attempt to keep the Christmas weight gain at bay.
Just a quick question to the regulars here - is there a hotel/area that a bunch of people usually stay in? All the better to share the nerves!!
Welcome Cudo, you'll be fine here, every question can be answered. All stay near the start at different hotels and apartments, varying costs etc, you won't be alone, we meet up before the race, and at the pub after. Stick around, this place is full of lovely people who have a wealth of knowledge. Congratulations on signing up, now just a small matter of 4 months training
Welcome to the thread Cudo - send a Private Message to Marathon Maus with your email address and she'll send you the Accommodation Guide that she pulled together after this year's race. And tell us a bit about yourself.
YM and TD thanks for the advice I will be heading to a running shop next week sometime and will have analysis done. I have had it done before. More wanted to know what sort of shoes you lots use and why I would like an idea of some decent shoes before I go in there aswell thanks
Aaron Alley - people's opinions about what they wear on their feet really don't matter too much. It's what fit on your feet and are suitable for the way that you run. All brands are pretty much the same and they will have shoes which work for you and will be bad for you. I really don't care about the brands - have had Asics, Adidas, Brooks, Saucony. What matters is that for me I have neutral to mild stability shoes. It's the shoe type that's right you need to discover.
Thanks for the tips guys. So in summary the advice to improve on 3:40 is to 1) lose 14 pounds; 1-2 pounds per week ... This alone could trim 10 mins off for a sub 3:30 2) introduce a mid week 10-12 paced run 3) include a regular hard 40 minute run
Tricky even when I've been as low as 10 stone my fat is no lower than 16%. I think I'd have to get to 8 stone to be sub 10% which is far to light for me.
Some good targets there for me In 2014 once Xmas is out of the way (no hols in February so should be easier to maintain). Also, I need to bring a large neck water bottle to the start line, eg SIS, and be prepared to lose it discreetly and carefully.
It's a mistake to think that dieting alone is the route to speed. It's also a mistake to think that you can manage weight, or you can manage fitness. The two are not independent of each other. I try really hard to not go lighter than I am now because once I am below 7-8% body fat, the only mass I am likely to lose is muscle. So I change my diet to be more protein rich at lighter weights.
Body fat is pretty much the inverse of body muscle. Sure there's water and stuff like organs in your body, but these are the only two variables that can be managed. Working on fitness and building slow twitch muscle is the route to marathon speediness as this means you have the optimum sustainable power to weight ratio.
Brix - Why not see if a few Parkrun friends could help you extend it out a bit after the 5km, to help simulate race conditions for you? You may find there are other people close to their Spring mara who are in a similar position.
The other reason people might be keen to do a tune-up race is if they are dead keen to see their VDOT improve. The race will give data to recalculate VDOT, potentially resulting in revised paces for training schedules and forecast marathon time (which in turn might mean people change pens).
This is an excellent idea. Thanks Maus. I'm quite a newbie to parkruns but I've got a while between now and the tune-up races to make some friends. PLUS, a friend at work has just signed up for the Manchester Marathon which is on the same day as Paris, she's aiming for sub-4 as well so we have agreed to help push eachother along with training if needed!
Sorry to hear about the Asics challenge KS . Anyone know any of the finalists?
Cudo - Welcome to the thread. You've picked a great event for your first marathon.
KS - Sorry you didn't get the Asics place.
Well I managed my 9 miles tonight. Kept it slow to make sure there was no pain. Got soaked for good measure, but strangely despite it pouring down all the way I really enjoyed that one.
Thanks for the commiserations, am pretty gutted not to have gone through to the shortlist, and to have found out looking at the finalist list when we were told we'd be called tomorrow, was a bit pants.
however! Now I can get on with the sub four or die business, hoorah! How many of us are there now? Shall we get the garmiin group going again?
I feel better after a storming 3.73M run at an average pace of 8.15ish, now on the sofa watching Love Actually.
Oh and ListFairy, could you please add me to the Plymouth half please?!
KS - who needs the silly Asics thing anyway - their loss is our drinking buddy Where's this list?
RR - it's the short list that was announced - we now have the canvassing of the candidates until some time in December and we get to have our pick
Cudo - welcome. We have a club that you can join - "Sub 4 or Die" (The 'Die' bit will not be rigidly enforced - there won't the a Jean Reno lookalike stalking anyone who misses)
YM - I think it's a Stool in a hat BTW - i love your confidence. Can I have some?
i went out to run a Pyramid session tonight and ran out of energy half way through. Damn Garmin was screaming at me to speed up * - in the end I told it to p155 off and turned it into a normal run.
I think I was low on fuel before the run and my guts were a bit iffy (Mrs O got home from work, came over to say hello, did a U-turn and called me a smelly git )
I'll make sure I'm fuelled up before the next one.
* speed being a relative term, Jimbob would call it slow short run pace
Comments
Aaron Alley - thanks for the boot camp well done!
MM - I think they might need some training - strength work etc. I'll introduce them to the idea.
We finally watched Gravity last night in IMAX 3D. Wow, that is one tense 84 minute film. I still feel a bit funny. Would love to go into space though.
ooh, PSA - Eurostar are currently booking tickets up to and including April 2nd. I think that means we should be able to get Friday tickets, this Friday! Whee!
Definitely! Really enjoyed running bits of Amsterdam with Emmy and Weedy so more company in Paris would be great!
Thanks TD for the P&D advice. Think I'm going to struggle to find 3 races of 8-15k on Saturdays (if only parkrun was 10k!) but I'll give it a go... (have to admit that I'm still confused about what "(total 9-13mi/14-21 km)" means immediately after the 8-15K instruction though - how does that relate to the 8-15k race??) Also, sorry to hear about London but glad to hear we get the benefit of you running Paris instead!
Got my first run in on the P&D 55 plan this morning. 8 miles with 4 at 15k (ish) pace. Hoping I can speed those faster miles up as I get through the plan. Surprised myself and actually really enjoyed running the streets in the dark, I stayed well away from my usual park routes in London and picked some well lit roads - there were so many other runners out at 6.30am I felt like I was part of a club!
Oooh almost forgot... Weedy - could you put me down for the Serpentine 10K on New Years day? Ta!
You've got over the trauma of running with us?
I want to roll-back the clock, or more to the point get back into the condition I had for Paris 2012 and that 3:49.
I've not been able to run well since October 2012 after picking up that groin injury though. If I can't shake that injury I'm not confident I'll deliver a time I'll be happy with. I'm going to give it a right good go though.
Motivation wise I've been struggling over the last few months because I've not been able to train well, consistently or improve. If anything I'm going backwards. If my training for Paris is still impacted by injury I think it'll be time to hang up my marathon running shoes after April.
Emmy - Trauma? Hardly. You and Weedy are 2 of the loveliest people I could think of spending time with.
Brix - Be careful what you wish for! You're going to get a lot more than just "more company" in Paris!
A proper runner will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the idea of the run length you're wondering about is that you'd do a run of 14-21 km TOTAL, which includes a race of 8-15km.
Just think of it like a normal run with a portion of the run at a particular pace (eg marathon pace).
So you'd look to do perhaps a 3km warm-up and cool-down either side of a faster portion. If you can find a race, great! It gives you a sensation of proper race conditions and some adrenaline to spur you on. If not, no worries, just aim to do a run in simulated race conditions. And there's no reason why you couldn't do the Parkrun and tack on extra distance, so at least you get a bit of racing. Or just swap the day.
I think even P&D make a comment buried way in the back of the book that they recognise people have lives and training programs are sometimes aspirational!
Brix - I run that session exactly as Maus has described. If you PM me your email address I can send you the spreadsheet.
Eggy - I suffer(ed) with groin and abs injuries - is it an adductor issue you have? I found two weeks if intense stretching and core work really helped stabilise it.
Emmy - I cant get my head around the number of maras you put in
I have never bothered looking at weight or body fat percentage but am one of the leaner types generally, and I always find that after a good programme for a marathon I look painfully thin anyway.
Good luck to all the bootcampers.
Mennania - So far the GP and two physio's have been unable to really any use at helping to resolve the problem.
The GP did a simple test, told me it wasn't a hernia and sent me packing. Both physio's have told me it appears to be a groin strain and to rest up and do some core work. I've done both with mixed results. The pain is no longer as bad as it was with the original injury, but now increasing distance or increasing pace causes pain from the injured area. I was limping after some of the longer training runs last year because of it. I also notice sometimes just sitting at my desk that there is a little discomfort in that affected area.
Basically the pain seems to come from a line from the bottom of the hip in a straight line to the inside of the top of the thigh. If I continue to push through the pain I then feel the pain spread to my lower abductor muscles.
Hmmm, I think PM's are misbehaving, looks like you didn't get my message last week. Have just sent you my email again - let me know if you don't get the message... thanks again!
AH HA. That makes sense, thanks. Maybe I can use the parkrun after all. Will investigate! Sure I read something in P&D about the plan coming first and not letting life get in the way though... Absoutely not traumatised by running with Emmy and Weedy - quite the opposite, think those were my favourite miles of the race. I say bring on the company any everything else that comes with it... (gulp)
Aaron Alley - thanks for the heads up on NY - entered but not expecting.
Eggy - I now this is not your thing, but would a walk/run training plan be useful - even if just the first month or so? Might help with the groin injury?
Why all this talk about body fat%? I hate that statistic. I also hate that damn Body Mass Index chart. Im 42 and I run marathons and the chart still tells me im overweight. I do not have a typical runner's frame. I weigh 186 lbs and when I get below 180 people start asking me if i'm sick.
Layeraaron- I fully agree! I hate all talk of weight and Body fat although I know that there are reasons. I am too overweight according to all bm charts, and do not have a typical runners frame either but the most important thing is we run!
LA - I read 1m42 (4'7") instead of Im 42 (years old). I thought you were very small, a very round.
BMI and Body Fat are just indicators, also most scales are inaccurate. A few of us feel that we have excess pounds, we want to lose body fat, I think we're going to be far off the optimal weight for an athlete but we'll be happy being lighter. I think Emmy is right, improving fitness will probably gain more time than losing weight. Many fat people finished before me this year and many more will do next year.
PC-- Ha! If that were the case I would be somewhat overweight! I know the charts are just general indications, but they are still frustrating. And, yes improving fitness is the better option.
Oh, and I also ran much slower than people who clearly needed to lose weight at my last marathon.
Already tried that Danni. I've booked in to see the physio again and see if they can shed any light on this and how to fix it once and for all.
If they can't Paris will end up being a get around, rather than going for a time which is something I hate doing. I didn't enjoy my training last winter as I couldn't push myself and thought this would be long cleared by now, particularly as I've been low on mileage since completing London.
' Just a quick ' Good Luck' to everyone hoping for a place in the asics 26 Team, tomorrow.
I've noticed that a few have heard if they've been unsuccessful. This includes one lady who went to boot camp but was told she didn't have a place as she'd already run a 3hr marathon.
Fingers crossed for Keyser Suze and Sticky88
How does the Asics thing work? Are the people hearing today definitely in, or is there another stage where we all get to vote?
Brix - Why not see if a few Parkrun friends could help you extend it out a bit after the 5km, to help simulate race conditions for you? You may find there are other people close to their Spring mara who are in a similar position.
The other reason people might be keen to do a tune-up race is if they are dead keen to see their VDOT improve. The race will give data to recalculate VDOT, potentially resulting in revised paces for training schedules and forecast marathon time (which in turn might mean people change pens).
Malcs is through, in the Sub 3:30 group. He failed last year but stuck around to support the others which is great credit to him. Injury had plagued his other marathons, this year he ran the Great Welsh marathon, 3h32. It was windy, sparse support and hills. Imagine what he could achieve in Paris!
VOTE MALCOLM BARBOUR SUB 3:30. Thank you
Hi All - first time here and thought I should start with a **Marathon Virgin Alert!!**
Paris 2014 will be my first, after a bunch of halfs this year. My target is sub 4.00 but that might be inexperience talking... Light training underway in a vain attempt to keep the Christmas weight gain at bay.
Just a quick question to the regulars here - is there a hotel/area that a bunch of people usually stay in? All the better to share the nerves!!
Welcome Cudo, you'll be fine here, every question can be answered. All stay near the start at different hotels and apartments, varying costs etc, you won't be alone, we meet up before the race, and at the pub after. Stick around, this place is full of lovely people who have a wealth of knowledge. Congratulations on signing up, now just a small matter of 4 months training
Unlucky kS
Welcome to the thread Cudo - send a Private Message to Marathon Maus with your email address and she'll send you the Accommodation Guide that she pulled together after this year's race. And tell us a bit about yourself.
Aaron Alley - people's opinions about what they wear on their feet really don't matter too much. It's what fit on your feet and are suitable for the way that you run. All brands are pretty much the same and they will have shoes which work for you and will be bad for you. I really don't care about the brands - have had Asics, Adidas, Brooks, Saucony. What matters is that for me I have neutral to mild stability shoes. It's the shoe type that's right you need to discover.
It's a mistake to think that dieting alone is the route to speed. It's also a mistake to think that you can manage weight, or you can manage fitness. The two are not independent of each other. I try really hard to not go lighter than I am now because once I am below 7-8% body fat, the only mass I am likely to lose is muscle. So I change my diet to be more protein rich at lighter weights.
Body fat is pretty much the inverse of body muscle. Sure there's water and stuff like organs in your body, but these are the only two variables that can be managed. Working on fitness and building slow twitch muscle is the route to marathon speediness as this means you have the optimum sustainable power to weight ratio.
This is an excellent idea. Thanks Maus. I'm quite a newbie to parkruns but I've got a while between now and the tune-up races to make some friends. PLUS, a friend at work has just signed up for the Manchester Marathon which is on the same day as Paris, she's aiming for sub-4 as well so we have agreed to help push eachother along with training if needed!
Sorry to hear about the Asics challenge KS . Anyone know any of the finalists?
Cudo - Welcome to the thread. You've picked a great event for your first marathon.
KS - Sorry you didn't get the Asics place.
Well I managed my 9 miles tonight. Kept it slow to make sure there was no pain. Got soaked for good measure, but strangely despite it pouring down all the way I really enjoyed that one.
Thanks for the commiserations, am pretty gutted not to have gone through to the shortlist, and to have found out looking at the finalist list when we were told we'd be called tomorrow, was a bit pants.
however! Now I can get on with the sub four or die business, hoorah! How many of us are there now? Shall we get the garmiin group going again?
I feel better after a storming 3.73M run at an average pace of 8.15ish, now on the sofa watching Love Actually.
Oh and ListFairy, could you please add me to the Plymouth half please?!
KS - who needs the silly Asics thing anyway - their loss is our drinking buddy Where's this list?
RR - it's the short list that was announced - we now have the canvassing of the candidates until some time in December and we get to have our pick
Cudo - welcome. We have a club that you can join - "Sub 4 or Die" (The 'Die' bit will not be rigidly enforced - there won't the a Jean Reno lookalike stalking anyone who misses)
YM - I think it's a Stool in a hat BTW - i love your confidence. Can I have some?
i went out to run a Pyramid session tonight and ran out of energy half way through. Damn Garmin was screaming at me to speed up * - in the end I told it to p155 off and turned it into a normal run.
I think I was low on fuel before the run and my guts were a bit iffy (Mrs O got home from work, came over to say hello, did a U-turn and called me a smelly git )
I'll make sure I'm fuelled up before the next one.
* speed being a relative term, Jimbob would call it slow short run pace