Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Moraghan Training - Stevie G
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Well put on all points Johnas, and a quality big week in the final run up to the big one. Hope Sunday goes as planned. Not sure I can agree about the lankiness and short distance speed though, or I'd be quicker than Dean on 200s with my stumpy legs
SG-perhaps I should join you for the full 14
I always have a love / hate relationship with marshals and road junctions / crossings etc. Firstly I know marshals are volunteers and without them the race wouldn't go ahead so they are valued, but I do wish the race organisers would brief them better sometimes.
The role of a marshal is really to provide information. The primary way this is done is by standing in the road in a high viz vest so passing cars can guess something is happening and hopefully slow down. They should also help runners know what way to run. I have come up to T-junctions and a marshal is standing there and watching me approaching with no indication of left nor right until you shout at them. I have also had marshals wave cars out of side roads as I approach. I know it is not their role to conduct traffic but at last they could do nothing rather than encourage drivers to shoot out at runners.
Indeed Philip - bless 'em!
Just to add to the potential issues tomorrow, the forecast is for strong winds - beginning to wish I wasn't bothering (especially as it means a 6am wake up!)....
Hey ho, 3 miles easy with strides this morning and the rest of the day spent setting up our new PC. Exciting stuff!
When I read that post Phil, I presumed I'd missed someone on the previous page mention some massive road/steward mix up.
Checked back, can't see one, so was that just a random rant?!
I did some bootleg 5k once (actually 5.4k, the sign of a truly bootleg race - can't even bother to measure it properly), and the marshall instead of standing blocking the straight ahead road to show me not to go that way, was actually hidden behind a hedge having a nice little sit down.
I had to shout which way, and almost surprised, the guy then said "to the left".
Horrible conditions this morning for my 14. First 10miles were rainy and windy, and just to tease myself a bit, I went past the 2 places I normally stop, work and home, with over 10miles to go... Also threw a steep hill in before half way for kicks.
for the last 4miles the weather just turned for the better. 7.13 pace, so that kinda qualifies as "very easy" for the log. Ish.
Had lovely F-OFF.
But ended up enjoying the sunshine and drinking plenty of beers, then went to a BBQ and continued until 3AM. I didn't drink loads but it added up (like it does). So today was an AM 4.5 (with a bit of a thick head), and a 7.5 this evening with 3 miles @6:02 tempo pace. Nice tidy 12 for the day leaving 15 tomorrow to cap a 70 mile week!
That'll be the first time I've put back to back 70 mile weeks together!
Just replying to the inane ratings of an goldfish.
Hillingdon Half this morning - disaster!
The course was horrible - dull, dull, dull, mostly on pavements crossing multiple drives, bus stops, roads etc and quite twisty and turny, with several inclines. It was also quite windy, seemingly a head wind in whatever direction I was going! I also spent the vast majority of my time completely alone - could have been on a training run!
More than all of this though, my legs were mashed from last weeks fun! The first mile was fine - 5:44, but then it quickly started to unravel. It's a two lap route, and just before the half way point I came VERY close to packing it in and heading home!
Went through half way in about 40.30, but knew my legs were tiring fast, and the miles were getting harder. At some points I was struggling to maintain sub 7 pace, against my original target of sub 6 for the whole thing! The worst point came when I was overtaken by a man dressed in pink vest, lycra shorts and a pink headband, to be shortly followed by the indignity of being overtaken by a bloke in football shorts!!! Disgraceful
Picked up ever so slightly to the end, and managed to overtake a guy who seemed to have had a very similar race to me, and had to work hard just to go through the line in sub 1:25 - my slowest time since 2008, and that was at Marlow!! Still, I'm in good company as Marders was also 5 mins behind his Wokingham time (though he did win today!)
. It's also left me feeling nauseous and with very sore legs....
Plus points? Not many! The race HQ was pretty good, parking was easy, there was some good marshalling to be fair - one guy in particular at a difficult crossing -and the very attractive lady handing out the medals at the end made me smile, but those are clutching at straws to be honest!
Hey ho, we live and learn.....
What made you pick that race? Promise of flat course?
In Altrincham to meet ALD for footy.my word its windy. Seen a few signs up for Manchester marathon next sunday
Hope they get better weather!
Thanks SG. I picked it as it was rumoured to be fast and it's pretty local - less than half hour away. Quick look at the results shows a couple of the runners near me were also down on expected times, including a multiple winner of the Rye parkrun, who did Reading in 1:20 something, finished just behind me. Maybe not all down to the hills last week then!
Live and learn bus, put it down to experience and carry on. I just looked at the results and you were 17th out of 367 so there are 350 people who had worse outings than you, but agree, being behind a man in footy shorts is a thing you need not to happen.
There were quite a few of those 350 who I actually lapped - which is a bit sobering - but yes, the footy shorts thing is unforgiveable
It is odd though, after Wokingham - nearly 6 mins quicker - I was fine and went for a walk in the afternoon. Today, I have been feeling terrible, with really bad stomach issues. An Old Crafty Hen has me on the mend now though
Bus, well done for sticking it out. If it's any consolation, I had a similar race in 2013, ran 1:24 and was doing 7min/miles at the end. 2 months later I ran 35:50 at the Leeds Abbey Dash. A HM is a right bugger when it goes wrong. Have a couple of easy days and it will, in hindsight, probably end up being a good training run.
The football shorts thing is a constant threat. I thought once I was a sub 36 10K bod these people would be gone, but every now and then they creep up on you to remind that you they are still there.
I did 15.25 miles in horrendous wind, rain and hail this morning. 7:16avg and felt easy enough. I was soaked and freezing though, couldn't open the zip on my shorts to get my door key out my hands were so numb! 70 exactly for the week!
On the football shorts thing also, in the Northern XC champs this year a guy ran past me wearing running tights and a club vest. I was heart broken.
live and learn indeed Bus. The 'learn' being next time you get taken by someone in footie shorts, slide tackle that mother fecker to the ground
Nice long run SS. Conditions sound atrocious! Big mileage though - same as me for the past couple of week but I have an excuse with VMLM looming!
Today was the last big effort. 30km averaging 6.21; 10km easy (6.55av); 10km MP (5.45av/36.37); 5km easy (6.50av); 5km threshold (5.36av/17.24). couple of warm down km make it up to 20 miles for the day.
BRING ON THE TAPER!
Thanks Stevie - nice to see the double 70 finished OK. Just as well it was a door key and not a pee you needed
Will do Johnas
. Very tasty long run by the way. This what you want now?
Jonas-great sessions, look well on track for a great time. Bus- ugh, know what it feels like when you get one of those nightmares!! Never mind, the recouperation sounded ok.
Well I went to Sutton pk yesterday, as the missus is team manager for Bedford. I just did first leg as there was no Herne Hill team. Was bloody windy and ended up 45/67 and 29.54. I have to check the course distance as it seems too long for the time. Typically got chicked by Emilia Gorechka by one second! Well, she is a GB international I suppose
Quiet today! As another edit I found the course was 5.6 miles on saturday - so I think that makes it in the mid 33's for a 10k equivalent..so quite content with that in the end.
Just the to and from work 12 miles today with rucksack.
Eh? What happened to my amusing photo of a Tapir then? It was there yesterday!
Is that 12 miles each way Simon???
Legs are shagged today and I'm constantly hungry!
Bus, tough day for you. Clearly you had a bad run for whatever reason, but I can imagine a compounding factor was that you don't sound like you were remotely up for it from very early on. Once your brain is disengaged, there's only so much you can squeeze out of your legs. Hillingdon sounds a bit similar to the Finchley 20 in terms of drives, undulations and cars all over the shop - I didn't mind it at Finchley because it was just a glorified training run for me, but can't imagine I'd have been too delighted with those factors cropping up in a target race.
I can confirm that once you get into the 33 minute/1:12 kind of zone, you don't generally have to worry about people in football shorts anymore.
SC, sounds like a decent placing on Leg 1 of national road relays. How did you manage to get beaten by Emilia Gorecka in a men's relay race?
Great session Johnas. 5:45 = MP then. I will hold you to that...
Good longish runs SS and SG.
I seem to have forgotten how to run. Everything is laboured and slow. Glad I haven't got any races in the next three weeks, because I would be appalling.
Hang on, didn't the men get a 20 minute head start on Emilia Gorecka?
Simon was chicked in timing terms rather than absolute. Should've done a short leg, I was first woman by four seconds.
Emilia won the skimpies contest yet again though. 
A race where the set-up is that you get chased by Emilia Gorecka is one that I would pencil into my calendar.
Nice HM Bus, can't always get desired result but well stuck out
Johnas - Really impressive last big session. Things have come together!
Dean - very speedy 200s and SG equally
SS - Great to see back to back 70+ weeks, and some good sessions in there too, good luck Wednesday?
PP - Top 10mile run and well done to the Mrs, she's inside my PB now!
Dachs - Nice reps despite the focus on longer stuff!
Matt - keep plugging away!!
For me things been going ok (ish) MTSS came back so had two weeks low 30mpw but was able to get the mileage up last week to 47 and seem to be niggle free now but no runs more than 5/6m all month just with doing smaller doubles. Less than 2 weeks till my race I've managed to do (in the last two weeks)
5 x 1m (90s) AV 5:09
10 x 1km (90s) AV 3:11
2m, 2m, 1m (3:00) 10:39 / 10:36 / 5:03
5km tempo today 16:38
So it's gradually coming back but feel I lack strength and some endurance as I've missed the long and longer steady runs but averaged mid 30mpw for 11 weeks continuous with only minor blip since Christmas now so I'm happy
Just two maybe 3 more sessions (funnily enough SG you mentioned a peaking session it'll be 8 x 1km of 2:00) now before a 10km on the 26th then I'll be in hospital on the 28th meaning I'll be out for at least 2-3 weeks
Good running by all the last two weeks really good to see!
Some good speed in there Scott - wish I could trade you some of my endurance for some speed
MTSS?
You could just try stealing her handbag
You are right about the psychological bit Dachs - the physical limitations of my legs probably cost me a fair bit, as did the course and conditions but a minute or two must be down to mentally "giving up" early on.
Evening all. Some cracking racing and training going on.
I've marshalled at Bracknell HM last year and after the big start, it rapidly becomes a pavement job. That said I did stand in the way of some cars and shout at pedestrians getting in the way.
I've been out of it with family, work, etc. Currently in Helsinki where despite being sunny, tomorrow morning's run will be a freezing affair. Shame I only packed summer kit.
Scott, what did Soton ladies do to get DQed?
Bus, that sounds like an annoying twisty-turny bastard of a race, and in no way indicative of, well, anything really.
Did a 4.5 and 5 miler very easy today. My knee got sore after my long run yesterday and was hurting again today. Tried some heel flicks at the end of run number 2 and it twinged quite badly then. Hmmmmm, this Wednesday 5 miler outing might be in doubt. Will foam roll the quad and ITB to see if that relieves some tension.
Scott, I did have a skim read of your thread the other day, and wondered if you do any runs outside of quality runs! Those certainly are quality runs, super fast stuff. Seems amazing, you mix that level of running in between your appointments and treatment!
Bus - I think these chaps have got it spot on with your half. Wokingham you're always bang up for, but this one just felt a bit smuggled in. And your post the day before about being sold a pup wasn't the stuff mental prep was made of
SS- heel flicks? I remember those from footy training. How come you through those in at the end of a run, thought they were warm up stuff? If it doesn't feel right, you can swerve it with no harm done, but fingers crossed it's a classic pre race niggle!
Last day on holiday today. Slept off yesterday's drive until 10 or so. Got a 6 in, lounged around a bit, then got a 4 in. It's like being a teenager, but with a colossal running habit.
Down some well to do area, I saw 2 kids walking the sweetest, little white dog, absolute soft as anything. It was on a huge elastic lead though, so I switched to the other side of the road. Was massively shocked when it sprinted over, "climbed" onto my knee with sharp nails, and was then yanked away.
Jogging off, I was wondering if I should have shouted something about reporting it, some general scolding, or whether I'd just hallucinated it. Let's go with the third one. Odd.
Bailed out on the Green Belt Relay. I'd never actually said yes in fairness, but our club do it as a social turnout rather than being anywhere near competitive. It's a heck of a lot of racing mileage over 2 days (24miles or so), and it's a stay over job in some heck hole midway. What would have made it even more awkward was that all of the rest of the club would come from Sandhurst, whereas I'm coming from 40miles away, so logistics would have been tricky.
I'd only really considered it because the Norfolk one fell through, but that was more like a trip down memory lane to see some old places round there.
800s at 3k pace tomorrow. Bearing in mind I found out what happens when you start 600s at 3k pace too hard, i'll make sure I start more cautiously tomorrow!
I've missed out on doing many runs over 10m just 'cos it took so long to build up then I got MTSS when I had a few bigger weeks (maybe my body isn't for the bigger mileage and more suited to track where I perhaps wouldn't need as much mileage) shin splints in the right leg which was the start of my problems last year before Achilles issues took over so was very weary..however two cut back weeks and halving my steady runs to 4/5milers - this last week seems normal but I did 9 runs keeping them small but came in 47mpw
Also I run most days with my Physio (other than sessions) and he's been welcome to help me out with some Maintenence work here and there so I've been lucky but also looked after
My thinking was I can run quality sessions without much problem as it seems to be when I'm on my feet for 30-40 mins in one go I get the pain. Just a case of layering the mileage but focussing around the hard days
My current week is 2 sessions and 4 x steady runs and stuck to one day off per week and cutting back every 3rd / 4th week too..
Seems to be better although taken longer to get back into fitness it's coming gradually and feel I've been pretty sensible. I've also only done one session with reps less than 800m / 1km so I'm not blasting my legs like before smashing 400s!
Good luck for the session! Sounds like a lung burner