RW Forum 5 - Sub 3.30

Again well done!

Special mention to the clsoe second for Lou Diamonds aiming for that 3.15 mark as well

Enjoy the ride !

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Comments

  • Arrrr. Welcome aboard Marrows , now hop up on the couch and tell us a bit about ye....
  • Well done! Just reading back through everyone's pitches and I see you've volunteered to dress up as a sperm if you don't think you'll get your PB. Of course, I hope everything goes to plan and you are on target, but there's a large part of me wants you to run the marathon dressed as a sperm... image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Dr Daffs wrote (see)

    Well done! Just reading back through everyone's pitches and I see you've volunteered to dress up as a sperm if you don't think you'll get your PB. Of course, I hope everything goes to plan and you are on target, but there's a large part of me wants you to run the marathon dressed as a sperm... image

    +1.. have to agree with this!

  • Congrats Marrows, I think this is going to be an interesting thread image

  • Oh my wowzers trousers.  Lucky me!

    Daffs and Emmy I'm sorry to report that so far it is going OK.  I arm-wrestled a 7 year old girl this week and won.  Am in great shape.

  • .. am busy stalking Cougie now

  • This is definitely my sort of thread. Great result marrows. 

    Will be following and sharing training runs/pains as time progresses image

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Well done marrows!  It was the Forum Six that got me my first sub 3:30 in 2011 after years of trying and I've not looked back. I'm sure cougie will help steer you in the right direction. 

    Maybe you could post your pitch on here?

  • Ah good idea

    marrows wrote (see)

    OK OK I pitch.  This is making my palms sweaty.

    I started jogging while at university to support an ultimate frisbee habit.  Eventually I moved on from frisbee but carried on jogging, entered a marathon on a whim in 2009 and got hooked.  At first I joined the local hash house harriers but then moved towns and (whisper it) became a member of a running club.

    I have a place for London Marathon 2014.  Bullishly I think I'd like to aim for 3:10 but it's a bit early to say.  It will be my third attempt at London Marathon after deferring in 2012 due to injury, and having health issues in 2013.  So, this project now obsesses me.

    I got a brand new engine fitted this spring/summer when my iron deficiency anemia was discovered and treated. My 5K/10K PBs came down from 22:23/47:00 to 19:50/41:23 with frankly no additional effort. I know that for many people those paces are nothing much, but for me - what a shock! What a treat!  I promptly went and ran more races and got injured - possibly something to do with suddenly running a half marathon at what used to be 5K/10K pace.  Now I am ready to go again, and to see what happens if I do make some additional effort.  I am unfamiliar with this engine and want guidance.

    Strengths and weaknesses...
    Physically: at a glance the obvious strong point is my calves.  Looking at the legs of elite runners, I'm not sure my unusual girth confers an advantage, but it is a striking look (from some angles they appear bigger than my thighs).  My weak spot is my bowels but I promise not to fill the forum with poo stories, which apart from anything else are often boring.
    Mentally: strengths are a sunny disposition and commitment to the cause. I enjoy training. Weakness is a tendency to let myself off during races - I always finish feeling OK (but sometimes cry).
    I also benefit from my delightful club and entertaining training partners.  One of my best training partners is in fact imaginary, or rather he died last year - but I can still conjure him up and he is great company on long runs.

    PBs:
    5K 19:50
    10K 41:23
    HM 1:37
    Marathon: 3:33 - but I am more proud of 3:52 at Beachy Head this year

    If it all goes wrong and I know a PB is off the cards, I'll jog round in fancy dress instead.  I think I would dress up as a sperm.  Ideally I would have lots of fellow sperm and someone much faster would dress up as an egg.

     

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Well done marrows indeed and a great pitch. No wonder you got picked.

    Will be following this one with interest. Must be great having that extra burst of pace from your new engine. So with some focussed training I am sure you will smash the 3:30 mark.

    Best of luck. image

  • Well done marrows, with your current times and Cougie's sound advice you should be well under 3:30 good luck!

     

  • Hi everyone,

    I started training for London this week, its the end of week 1 and I realise that my goal of sub 3:15 was ridiculously optimistic and if I carry on with the sub 3:15 plan I am in for 15 weeks of disappointment then disappointment on the big day as well.

    So here I am at the beginning of week 2 and I am switching to the sub 3:30 (which was my original plan anyway so not sure where sub 3:15 came into my crazy brain)

    I have run 34 miles this week so far, and am hoping to keep motivated using this forum.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    SiUK - I'm sure sub 3:30 is within your reach and it's a stepping stone to 3:15. Good luck! 

  • Thank you Minni, you were very right and I was very optimistic! image

  • Congratulations Marrows - looking forward to following your progress at it sounds like we're in the same ballpark.

    SiUK - no need to set a target in stone at this stage.  Just get stuck into the training and see how you feel in the spring.

  • Some good times there Marrows - but it looks like your half time is out of synch with the other times ? Would it be fair to say that you run 6 miles a lot more than you do 13 miles ?



    How many half marathons have you done ?



    One thing you need to be good at is running distance. You have the speed if you're running those kind of times at shorter distance. You do need to be very comfortable running long - I'd aim for 5 or so runs of 20 miles in my plan.
  • SiUk - you'll have a better idea of your time once youve a half marathon ticked off as part of your training plan.
  • Sorted out computer problem. Now i can type more!

    Cougie - I've noticed you issuing useful advice to lots of people so I'm very pleased to see you are mentoring and even more pleased you are MY mentor.  Will try to do you proud.   I thought I already wrote a lot about myself to pitch! What else did you want to know?  I do like bicycles but not especially cats.

    Poo I hope you will keep chipping in!

    I am trying a Pfitzinger and Douglas schedule, 18 weeks of 55-70 miles per week.  It's higher mileage than I am used to but I just finished the third week and so far seem to have got away with it.

  • Sorry, cross-post.  My half marathon time is from a trail race round Wimbledon Common which was not a quick course.  Apart from that I hadn't raced a half since 2010 I think. I hadn't realised it was so long until you asked and I looked it up just now!  I have only ever run two 10Ks (plus two others at the ends of triathlons).  Generally I have not raced much. not sure why, because I do enjoy it.

    When i ran my 3:33 marathon PB my 5K/10K PBs were 23:45 and 47:00 so endurance certainly used to be my strength!

  • Lawks - if you can cope with that mileage - then you'll blitz it.



    Yeah a trail half marathon isn't really a fair comparison - it doesn't do you justice.



    Did I read somewhere that you cycle to work too ?
  • yes I usually cycle to work. It's 9 miles across London and I go through approx 53 sets of traffic lights.  Occasionally I go out for a club ride too and did ridelondon 100 this year but don't race.  Sometimes I ride in and run home or vice versa - that's how I have got most of my mid-week miles recently.

  • MalcsMalcs ✭✭✭

    Well done Marrows! I agree witn the others, you definitely have what it takes to smash 3:30. Really pleased for you.

    I followed Sarah O with Minni last year and they were a brilliant team. Sarah totally caned it  - I reckon you'll have a similar result with cougie.

    Very best of luck to you!

  • Will no doubt keep chipping in. It's my first marathon so I'm brimming with enthusiasm and looking for help wherever I can get it. Difficulty is then trying to reconcile all the conflicting advice.

    P&D 70 is an ambitious schedule. Have you done that sort of mileage before? I'm using a Hal Higdon schedule which is more pace but fewer miles - I estimate it will peak at around 55. However, the schedule doesn't seem to include warm ups or cool downs. I've found last week my total mileage was 42 instead of the scheduled 34 largely due to a couple of miles wu&cd on all the MP & tempo sessions. Will have to keep an eye on that or I might end close to 70 anyway.

    Rest day today. I was going to take my boy out on his new bike but the weather is terrible.
  • Ello ello... Just coming on to say hi... I'm mentoring in the 4:30 thread for Pipski... My own aim is to get  to 3:30 eventually as that would be a Boston Qualifier for me, but I have a way to go, so for now, will be looking longingly at this thread image until such a time as I can be mentored on it myself image

  • Here's what P&D have writ for the week starting today:

    M: rest
    Tu:general aerobic+ speed 9M w 10x100m strides
    W: med/long 14M
    Th: recovery 5M
    F: med/long 11M
    Sa: recovery 5M
    Sun: long 18M
    total 62M

    It seems like a lot of slow running - everything but the strides at least 10% slower than marathon pace.  I intend to disobey on Saturday and have a crack at a parkrun, and maybe swap Thursday and Friday.  Sound OK? The parkrun is non-negotiable so should I trim the mileage somewhere else?

    The following week is similar mileage, but with more quick bits.

  • Lou - no I haven't run so many miles before and I am conscious that I'm right at the bottom of the target audience for that book.  It has lines like 'if it's a really important race, such as the olympic trials...'.  So I know I may need to switch to something easier and I'm hoping you lot will guide me on that!

    Hello Angela

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Marrows - I ran 3:28 with the 'up to 55' P&D schedule. 

  • That does look a lot of miles doesn't it. Certainly more than I'm used to - I run less miles but do a long bike and a couple of spin classes each week.



    So long as I'm well used to 20 milers and get speed work in - then I get a good time.



    I'd go with your revised schedule marrows but adapt it if you feel you need to.



    What have your last few weeks looked like ? Building to this ?
  • M - '...such as the Olympic trials.' All books have lines like that in. As if Paula, kipsang etc just follow the schedules straight out of the book. I'm sure the pay for a bespoke one for the big races.
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