Sub 3h15

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  • Right, my VLM campaign is officially up and running. Freezing cold this morning (-2ºC) and had to watch for ice. However, I did the requisite 14kms with 6 @ HMP which I tried to keep steady and which came out at an av 6:37mm. The whole run felt quite tough, I don't know if the weather had an effect or not but, yes, I felt I'd earned a cup of tea when I got in.

    I notice that P&D rounds down when converting miles to kms, so those of you who use miles will probably get to VLM overtrained, whereas I will be coming to the boil nicely...image

  • SB -x-post - Take care of that man-flu and don't even consider training with it.

  • Abbers wrote (see)

     I'm taking a slightly cautious approach and going with the basis of an old Runner's World 16 week 3:15 schedule which goes up to 55 mpw. That includes 4x20s and a 22, and starts Christmas week, so this week and next are still base miles for me.

    That is the plan I used in 2011 and it gave me a 2:57 so it works well.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    PMJ - As my current HM PB is 1:30:22, I think a 2:57 is well outside my scope! image Still, good to have a positive recommendation for it; so many plans to choose from, it's a bit pot luck really as a beginner at the distance, finding out what works and what doesn't.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    And 6 more easyish miles done at lunch.

  •  

    Abbers wrote (see)

     

    BI - do you have relatives in SA? Sounds like you're making the most of the training opportunity.

     

     

    Yes Abbers, my wife is from SA.  At best that makes me some kind of honorary Afrikaner or at worse a soutie.  They've got a farm out there and so it is a good place for the kids to explore a different aspect of life that they can't access here and they have lots of space.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    I have very fond memories of SA from our honeymoon (Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Garden Route, safari). No doubt sugar coated from the nature of the trip, but both Mrs A and I loved the place. Fully intend to go back one day with the Ms As.

    I also play cricket with a guy from Jo'burg, and he has some interesting stories to tell from "back home"!

    Presume that's what attracted you to Comrades?

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Gerard - yes, cereal or toast (or a beer or two), its my pre-training breakfast.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭

    Bloody cold here in Geneva. 5 mile lunchtime run was nice though. Interesting to see some of you started your Mara campaigns already. I usually start over christmas with a couple of 50 mile weeks to set the tone...

    I was once offered a job in S. Africa. I turned it down for family reasons- plus they told me I'd live in a secure compound which didn't sound great for my running...  

  • moofmoof ✭✭✭
    Abbers- I also followed the RW 3.15 plan for my first marathon. I think I had a HM pb of 1.28 before starting the mara plan.

    I managed 3.10 at VLM and a 1.26 HM off the back of the plan.

    Don't really think it matters what you follow just as long as you get the basics done consistently.

    I would add another mile or so to the warm up before running the intervals and tempo runs as I do think a one mile warm up is a little on the short side.



    6 miles for me today with no problems with my back. First 3 at 8 mm pace and the return at 6.50 pace, which was quite hard work after a week of nothing.



    Hope the colds and flu don't linger too long.
  • 45 mins on the treadmill today. Still husky. Might venture outdoors tomorrow.

  • If it's anywhere as cold where you are as it is here, you might need that husky, Speedy...

  • Christmas lights turned off again!! That's a bit rum.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Bloody boiling here in the NE. Shorts and t-shirt tonight I tell you. 

  • After 4 days of no running decided to rock up to Westpark Jersey Spartans 5k tonight.

    Cycled 1 mile to the start and did 400m warm up, was cold tonight and only had one layer on so thought ok 1st mistake. Good turnout 40+ runners and some speedy guys.

    Race starts and I do my usual greyhound impression, thinking 1 mile and I'm done. Quick glance at the Garmin and clock says 5:56, feel fine and keep on going, assess my position and I'm 8th, it's very dark and some of the course is not well lit so keep on going and catching up to some faster guys and still feel good. Decide it's hopeless to try and gauge pace on garmin so keep going and eventually reel in one fast junior, pass him with a burst and past the two mile mark, no idea what time is on the clock but know the course well. One runner passes me with a mile to go and I know he's a 18min 5k runner. Head down and it's starting to feel slightly more difficult. Keep pushing and almost chase down one more guy who I've never beaten. Trying to reel him in I save a sprint finish for the last 200m and just can't get him. Finish in 18:46 for a 24 second course pb and a 9 second 5k pb so pretty pleased with that considering I've run about 15 miles in the past 10 days. Maybe I sould less more often seems to work for me in the shorter stuff. Wonder if that puts me in sub 40 10k shape. Good thing was I didn't feel empty when I finished.

    Abbers - Thanks for asking re exams they were brutal especially today.image

  • AR - yes, I'd use those pace calculators with caution.
    SB - I'd say rest until you've recovered from the man-flu otherwise it'll drag on twice as long.
    Ant - good start to the campaign.
    Moof - agree about the need to do more than 1 mile warm-up before an interval session!
    GM - wow, that's fantastic! Congrats on both PBs. I would say sub 40 is definitely in reach on the basis of that performance.
    4 slow miles @ 9:03 m/m.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Nice one GM. 

    Another t-shirt run this morning. image

  • GM,

    Peter Riegel’s formula is: t2 = t1 * (d2 / d1)^1.06

    This formula was devised by Pete Riegel and published (in a slightly different form) in Runner’s World. Riegel later refined the formula for other sports. This formula has stood up well over time, and has the merit of simplicity. It says, roughly speaking, that a person’s speed declines by around 6% when the distance
    doubles.

    Means a tick for sub 40 (closer to 39).

  • Time to re-institute the Nutter of the Week award?

    Nice run GM, easily sub 40 territory

    Pitch black in Northumberland, bit of work then out the door

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Slacker Poacher! I was out at 5:30! 

  • You need to get a job which can be done on a laptop without getting out of bed image (except to put the kettle on for another cuppa)

     

  • Nice 5k GM, suggests there's a bit more there in better conditions as well image

    04:45 Gul?? I love running, but not that much!

    3 x 8 minutes with the club last night with 3 mins recovery. Very cold and I'd had physio at lunchtime on my right glute & thigh, so not the most comfortable session. First rep came out at 6:42 per mile, then 6:27 and 6:23 for the following two. Not sure what happened with the first rep as I would swear I was slowing down on the later reps, and I was definitely hanging on at the end of the session with not much left, and still 25-30 seconds per mile down on where I need to be. Right glute is rather tender this morning, so evening MLR may need to be downgraded if it doesn't ease off during the day. It definitely seems to be that my right leg is going to be the key factor in this campaign - it's very fragile at the moment. At least I had no night cramps in my right foot though which makes a change.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    Good 5k time there GM. Definitely suggests sub-40 I would think. Glad the end is in sight for you with the exams.

    Take care of that leg BOTF

    Thanks for the feedback Moof - it seemed as good a starting point as any and as you say, the important part is probably the consistency rather than the details of the plan itself. Making progress as you did on the back of the training is definitely the objective.

    Speedy continues on the comeback trail, early miles banked by Gul & Minni.

    Ant - did you mention rum? image

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Nice one, Gerard - I concur (in my completely unscientific way) with PMJ - easily in sub 40 territory there  . . . .
    Have to shame-facedly admit to all you early risers - didn't get up until 9:05 today - woke at 06:30 as normal, got up for bathroom visit, but felt inexplicably tired, decided to "doze" for half hour or so - next thing it was the aforementioned hour !  Bah !

  • Nice work GM - probably help clear out the stress of the exams too.

    Your honeymoon sounds similar to mine Abbers.  We were in the Cape - Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Robertson, Hermanus.    Excellent really and I would love to go back there.  I first learnt about the Comrades in a book from which I learnt a little Afrikaans and then learnt more of it.  It is a huge part of the culture there - something like the Boat Race, FA Cup Final or the Grand National.

    Compound living or at minimum burglar bars on the windows is one of the realities of living in a country with huge differences between the least and the top wealthiest is a fact of life.  Strangely I've always though the biggest danger when running in SA  is to be hit by a drunk driver or by lightening and there is a lot of both.  In fact I often run just up and down one of the farm's internal roads, which also happens to be almost exactly 800m too.

    Weightlifting and Spin class yesterday lunchtime. 6x800m planned for today

  • Bike it - I used to live near Stellenbosch and Abbers the Garden route is indeed a special place. I have a wonderful book about the comrades which my late Father in law beqeathed to me, it's an illustrated one about a Capetonians satirical view of Jo'Burgers and the iconic race itself. It's priceless. You are correct in your risk assesment regarding drunk drivers. The more rural you are too the worse it is. The Cape is in my view one of the most beautiful places to visit or to live. I don't ever see myself doing the Comrades but would love to do the Two Oceans.

    The reason I ask about the sub 40 is that I have never found it that difficult to run 19:3x for 5k and more recently have improved on that time by 45 seconds but have failed so miserably each and everytime I have run a 10k. Closest was 40:20 Apr 2012 and that is not even close! There are not many of them here and the last two I attempted it it was hellishly windy on an out and back course with a 25mph wind on the back leg. Now need to find another 16 seconds for the 5k and I will be happy.

  • GM - Book yourself in for one and get the monkey off your back!! Nice 5k

  • Menn  - The next one here is boxing day and I can't see myself doing that as a pb attempt but I amy run it as a training run. One after that is February so I will have to wait until then. Will give me a bit of time to get a bit fitter as well.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    GM - I guess you're a little limited with race options on the Channel Isles compared with the mainland.

    5 easy ones ticked off. Nice day now the sun's out!

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    My cold is a bit better today. Wasn't sure if I ached or not! Decided to do 5 dead easy miles. Didn't start the watch so as not to be tempted to up the pace but ran on heart rate which wasn't too bad. Resting HR is usually 45bpm but today it was 53bpm, so I'm defo fighting something.

    Legs needed a spin over after an accidental treadmill tempo on Monday and it's 5 miles in the bank. Job done albeit cautiously.

    SB

    Woking beat high flying Kiderminster 1-0 last night...didn't see that coming!! image image

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