Sub 3h15

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  • St Neots Half marathon for me yesterday. Odd one and a little out of place. A work colleague lives there and invited a load of us up for a social run many months ago and so I had a clear calendar and booked it in. Since then a number of race dates have changed and fallen on the same day so I missed out own XC race and a few other local races, but decided to keep a date with the half.

    I can't seem to get myself into race shape at the moment. I have some long term ideas of what I need to do and always end up shooting at long term goals rather than customising stuff for the short term.

    I got up and it was a nice day for running where I live, but a 70 mile drive to flat and exposed East Anglia told a different tale with strong winds clearly going to play a part in the race. Got to the event and was soon at the back of the longest ever queue I have seen for registration. Last year the event was 1200 entries, this year 2000 and it was collect numbers on the day. Chaos! Sad to see this happening to old club races as they get handed over to event management companies.

    1 mile warm up and a quick relief in the back of an industrial estate (10 portaloos was never going to work) and form up in the start pen. I had no real plans and thought that sub-1:30 had to be the minimum and there was a 1:30 pacing team so I lined up alongside them.

    First mile 6:43 and then we turned left and went downhill with a tailwind. The pace team held even but I decided to let the legs roll and 6:08 for mile 2. Another flattish mile (6:43) then one uphill and into the wind (7:17). The next 4 miles were a square so all combinations of up, down, head and tail wind. 7 to 8 was into a headwind and I was on my own and struggling and a few groups came up to me and I caught and held onto them for a while as each passed but couldn't stay in one. Just after 8 there was a big group containing the lead ladies and the 1:30 pacer and I was able to tag onto and stay with this group.

    Back in a pack, suddenly things were easy again. Did 8 to 10 in the pace group and then the two ladies pushed ahead and a few of us went with them. Last 3 were downhill and largely tail or side wind and I managed a couple of 6:30 miles to cross the line in 1:29:02.

    So I can run a half in sub 1:30, I need to do two of those back to back in London. Looks like a hard task but I need to draw positives from it. Sub-3 pace feels very easy, and can easily tick along at 6:30 pace for a while. Just need to get the endurance up.

    It is hard to judge what impact the wind had. Up front, people who ran 73 minutes a few weeks ago were running 77. I don;t think I was impacted that hard but probably 2 minutes and a 1:27 would feel good at this stage.

  • Jools - x-post this morning! sub 39 is still very respectable and I'm sure it wasn't the best day for racing!
    Birch - nice one. After the tumble on Friday, my toe was more painful than the ribs. However by the evening, the toe was fine, but the ribs were worse, so I canned Saturday's recovery run. Then on Sunday morning, I had to dash home from Church to fetch something and I knew something was up with my ribs! 2 x 400m probably didn't help and it was very uncomfortable sleeping last night. Hopefully they'll settle down in a couple of days.
    PMJ - nice sub 40 on a hilly course and a windy day.

  • Nice racing from everyone in bad conditions.image

    Gul- time to take a few days off running and maybe see the doc ? , long gone are the days when we can bounce on the pavement and get straight back up as if nothing happened ...image

  • PMJ - sounds like a tough, but useful run.  I can relate to the long term thing too, but I'm a big time procratinator.  I like the idea of a plan more than the actual nitty-gritty.  Well done to you.
    Birch - that's a brilliant XC result, regardless of the missing Top Dog.  Nice one.
    Joolska - what would you expect to post as a 10k time?  Excuse my ignorance!  If that's a disappointing time you can clearly really shift it!
    Very handy 10-milers by OO & Lorenzo, hats off to you both.
    BikeIt - enjoyed the report.  Seems a bit of toughing out was required, well dug in there.Fishy - another good read, and running with Mrs F1 would have indeed lifted the spirits! 

    rodeo - hot toddy was a nice idea.  Went with lemsip instead!  No running for me other than my 50th parkrun on Saturday, and unspectular steady run at 21:4x while the weather bahved itself.  Still not feeling that great so will be off it until at least Thursday.  Being sensible's boring.

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    PMJ wrote - I need to work out the steps in the old git progression. VoGIT is V60, so what are v40 and v50?

    Hmm - maybe NoGit (Not old) for V40, & PoGit (Partially old) for V50 ?   

    6 sedate recovery miles done . . . . .

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    Some excellent racing on a weekend of tough running conditions; PMJ, Jools, OO, Birch, Fishy, BI and Lorenzo all doing the thread proud, even if absolute times weren't quite what some were expecting/hoping for. Particular congrats to BI for going the distance.

    Healing vibes for Gul's ribs; painful business.

    Pleased to say I got on the turbo for 50 mins yesterday with no reaction from the ITB-impacted knee, so heading in the right direction. Visited the local running shop at lunch to try out a few new shoes too; I've been a Brooks Adrenaline user for years, but haven't got on with the current edition as well as previous versions, so am swapping to see if that helps things. Tried on all sorts (Mizuno, Adidas, Asics) and have ended up with a pair of New Balance 860, a brand I haven't run in for more than a decade, so interested to see how I go in those. Felt good on the treadie in the shop, but hard to tell without going for a proper longer run in them. Should be back out on Wednesday after a swim tomorrow.

  • Gritty running from the thread's autumnal racers. Very impressive. Particular mentions to BI for a gutsy performance and a smashing result for Birch.

    Personally, I stayed in and ate cake, only occasionally glancing out of the window at the weather so kudos to all of you.



    Rest up Gul and good news on your recovery Abbers - gently does it.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭

    Some great racing at the weekend, lots action in spite of the tough conditions. Well done guys, a mixed bag of ups and downs.

    Very sad at events in France, especially for all those with links to Paris, running or otherwise.

  • Seems like tough racing conditions all round with absolute time results reflecting the racing environment. Well done all.



    Thanks for all the positive comments - much appreciated.



    Left calf and quad rather sore today as a result of my blister. Bike commute was surprisingly comfortable. Next marathon being picked out - probably 13 Feb
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭

    straight back on the bike then Bike It!

  • Abbers - sounds promising.
    Bike It - hope the sore muscles are improving.
    Still no running here. MIght need to take the rest of Leslie's advice!

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    BI - pretty quick turn around to the next one then! Any particular training plan you're intending to follow?

    OO - I know you have ties to Paris. Hard to know what to say in the circumstances.

    Gul - ribs are difficult as it's almost impossible to rest them completely. Every move you make (I can feel a song coming on) can be felt there somehow. I don't envy you!

    Short 3 miler on Monday evening in the new shoes felt OK, but not pushing anything, so back in the pool yesterday for another 1.5k. Should be out at lunch for an easy run, and if all goes well, back into a more normal routine after that.

  • The big dream is to go for another sub-9 finish at Comrades next year.  It's a downhill race next year so it suits me.  On the only occasion I ran sub-9 (8:48) I was a 3:20 marathoner on the flat, at sea-level and in the cold. So now I'm in SA, the marathons are not flat, at modest altitude and definitely not cool so there are a few factors that increase absolute finish time in comparison to a UK marathon.  So I want to compare my previous UK marathon time that got a sub-9 finish and the SA marathon time that would get a sub-9. Legend has it that sub-3:30 in SA conditions could get sub-9, but I don't believe it strongly.  I'd prefer to be around 3:25 in SA conditions to feel more confident.

    My main problem was speed endurance and probably race nutrition.  I basically need to get the long runs in and maintain speed.  Increasing the volume is also something I need to slowly do to get to where I want to be come the end of May.

    The first plan is to recover.  Just my left calf is a bit strained at the moment due to compensating for my blister.  Then I've got about 8-9 weeks of good training to put in some decent long runs and LT sessions whilst easing up the volume.

  • Seems like a good plan there BikeIt. Considering local conditions & altitude looks like a big factor where you are. Hope the recovery is swift.

    Cracked ribs are very uncomfortable Gul. I damaged my ribs a good few years ago falling over and landing on my side. Lying in bed was very uncomfortable, so know how you feel.

    10 miles last night with the running Club in the extreme wind. Luckily it was behind us in the last 2 miles.

  • Come on Jools:

    "I will wait to see if that was enough for me to cling on to a Run Britain placing... "

    Results are up, and you clung onto 9th and a nice little prize. Let's have three cheers for Jools, or at least as close as these emoticons let.

    imageimageimage

  • Bikeit- if you are ready for another it didn't hurt enough you are making the rest of us look bad image Big dreams need big work image

    Gul- yes see the doc even if its just for some pain relief image

    Abbers -nice swim and new shoes, we like new shoes ! image

    Kr- nice windy 10

    Jools - when you're  good you are good imageimageimage far better than all of us on here image

    Had my op yesterday ,apparently the boney bit that needed removing in my knee patella had got a lot fatter since the x-ray 18 months ago and was now about an inch long going by what the surgeon said but to be fair I was of my head on drugs at the time having just came out of surgery so I may have picked it up wrong ( he pointed to his finger and the distance from the tip to the first joint ) image once the drugs wore of later I was in a LOT of pain till the meds started doing their job image much better today though and have 6 weeks on crutches to look forward to image One leggedness is trickier than it looks image

     

  • At least you've picked a good time of year to be crocked Leslie. It's not like you'll be missing out on any dazzling weather! Enjoy the meds...



    PMJ - excellent spot re Jools' placing. Congratulations to you Jools! Great achievement. What's the prize??



    Sounds like a good plan BI and you know what it takes. Are you going for a green number long term?



    Seriously lacking swim/bike mojo here - I need to run! I think I might chance it tomorrow.
  • £250.  Sadly, it doesn't cover the costs of entering and travelling to the 5 races in question...  And the covering email from UKA points out that only 30 British athletes entered 4 or more events.  Still, I was the 9th best lady to do thatimage

  • You are our heroine Jools.
  • Nice one Jools, congratulations!

    Hope the drugs and recovery do their thing Leslie. Be strong and fingers crossed the op has done its job.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    Jools - whichever way you look at it, you've secured a top 10 national ranking and earned the prize & praise. That's certainly a level I'll never get within touching distance of! Well deserved.

    Leslie - glad the op went well, and if your interpretation of the doc's explanation is accurate, I'm not surprised you've been in pain! All the best with your immediate recovery & rehab.

    BI - sounds like a solid plan. Hope the blister & calf are calming down.

    KR - good 10 miler in the wind. Do you have racing plans? Can't remember.

    An easy 6 to test out the knee/ITB & shoes yesterday went reasonably, but there were still some niggles around the 4-5 mile mark, so not quite there yet. Day off today anyway as the gym is having their water supply turned off between 10 & 2, so no showers available, and Christmas lights switch on tonight with the Ms As. I'll probably stick to the turbo tomorrow and try another short-ish run on Saturday.

  • 5 minutes on the tready! Whoop whoop!

    Throbbing a bit but nothing serious .... image
  • Take care Leslie and get that leg better. I hope you can stay sane on crutches. We are all envious that you will get a daily upper body workout.



    Top work Jools!



    Yes SJ I am going for a Green Number which is the permanent number for 10 finishes - 7 to go so 2022 at the earliest.



    My wife just bought a tredy. It has an elevation setting so have already said I will use it for hill training as my new home town is almost as flat as Norfolk. Collecting it on Saturday.
  • Yay, go SJ!



    Buoyed by my runbritain success, a technical 5M pb of 30.40 tonight (I think it's a pb, but the race in question is ARC so it's harder to keep track of times. Plus my 8k split en route to my 10k pb was 30 dead, so there's a sub 30 lurking within...). Nice to feel a bit more like the Jools who ran so well last autumn and this spring.
  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Yay, go Jools  image

  • Fab stuff Jools - leaving the rest of us for dust on here!

    Good news SJ. image

    Being in that pre-marathon week, it's time to start to knocking back the beetroot juice - not quite the champagne I'd rather be consuming today as I'm now a year closer to V50 (although not quite there yet!); will save myself until Sunday evening!

    It always feels a bit odd in the final week but have kept things going with 4 x 3 min reps on Tuesday, 5.5 easy miles yesterday and a short birthday run this morning - am planning a 4-5 miler with 2 miles at MP tomorrow morning.

  • Jools, congrats on the result! Well earned.

    BI, you are a serious planner. I like your style. PMJ does too (I'm betting). Good luck on the next build.

    Leslie, wow. But just remember, in some cases less is more. Here's to unimpinged running moving forward. Good luck on 1 foot (and really no hands as they are stuck on the crutches). I was in your condition one brutal winter when I lived in Fargo (yes, I have lived in the coldest places in the US!). Took a nasty spill on the ice while still feeling the anesthesia...luckily didn't feel a thing as I was so high still.

    Abbers, when I was coming back from ITB injury, I would go out and get to a point where I could feel it start to tighten up. It was OK in my case to do this. Just remember to shut down before it starts to actually have that ice pick into knee feel. I think it's good progress.

    I continue to test the waters. Runs of 12 and 8 the past two days. Little flare up on near the end of the 12, but no issues today. Trying to tread lightly. Now that I can get 10-12 miles in, no need to go further and I can maybe settle into 40ish mile weeks w/out exacerbating things. It would be good to keep that up while finishing the strengthening/healing stuff.

  • Bike It - nice target for Comrades. Hope your wife enjoys the dreadmill and remember, some of Norfolk is quite undulating!
    KR - careful in that wind.
    Leslie - pleased the op went OK. Sounds like you definitely needed to get rid of that bone! All the best for a speedy recovery and hopefully a return to running.
    Jools - congratulations on both counts!
    Abbers - moving in the right direction.
    SJ - hurray!
    Lorenzo - all the best for tomorrow. Hope the weather is OK.
    VTr - pleased to here you're getting there.
    Getting a bit more sleep now, and ribs not too sore. Thinking about going for a short run tomorrow morning.

  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    Slokey - congrats on the 5 mins! Don't go too silly now... I know how tempting it can be!

    BI - enjoy the new training aid. Have you got a fan to go with it?

    Jools - excellent work, yet again. Speedy stuff that, and probably with more to come too.

    Happy birthday Lorenzo! image Cake for carb loading?

    VTR - sounds like you know what you've got to do. No issues from the ITB/knee when I'm walking, which is what makes me think I can run again! However, I know going back into a routine with a 14 mile run tomorrow morning is a bad idea, so will turbo this evening and then 6ish tomorrow with an option to cut short at around 4 if it niggles. 3-4 shorter, easy runs next week with a bit of swimming and turbo thrown in, and we'll see where we are after that. I'm incorporating some of the exercises from the YouTube link you sent into a conditioning circuit 3 or 4 times a week too.

    Gul - sleeping's a problem with sore ribs! Glad they're settling down.

  • Excellent time Jools, I'm sure sub 30 is there to come sometime.

    Make the most of the sleep Gul. Hope the ribs are healing.

    Looks like you inching back VTRunner. 40 mile weeks is a decent amount.

    Happy Birthday Lorenzo - Enjoy!

    Liking the forward planning there BikeIt. I'm toying with getting a Treadmill in the future, but know Mrs KR would hate it in the house. I saw this by one of my FB friends and think this is the solution. A dedicated shed complete with TV!

    /members/images/77921/Gallery/Running_SHed.jpg

     

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