P&D spring marathon 2017

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  • RamjetRamjet ✭✭✭
    Sounds like a tough session in the wind and rain SQ. Having a pacemaker helps though.

    Well done on that 5 miler Joe. Still a great time on a hilly course. Are you just increasing the volume until you get injured then? Be careful!

    Hope the hammy improves Macca.

    I have had a persistent calf twinge but two physio sessions in quick succession seemed to have done the trick, along with a daily stretching program. One of them was after my recent HM and I was literally biting the table to avoid screaming. Worked though.

    10 miles steady @ 7:40 pace this morning. Managed to get a break in the rain.
  • Looking back I see it’s two weeks since I last posted. Oops. I’ve been ticking along at 50-60 miles per week, feeling reasonable. I don’t feel at my “peak” but given I’m still 1/2 stone over my usual weight I’m happy enough with the paces that are coming out. I’ve pretty much given up on any PBs for this little training block, but instead just want to keep ticking along ready to really put in some hard training building up to the Worcester 10K and Oxford Half in September/October. Pfitzinger has a HM training plan that peaks at 105 miles, which seems right up my street!

    Looks like everyone has been putting in some good training and performances. Joe in particular is just on fire at the moment, superb stuff mate! Lovely that Katie is also progressing so well at the same time.

    Good choice on the Salmon pack NE, I love mine, super comfortable and they last well.

    Nice looking kit Reg, congrats.

    Not sure how honest I was keeping SQ on the second 1600m which he finished about 90m in front of me lol. I just about held on to around 1:30 per lap for the first set (a sort of rough goal 10K pace), but a drunken weekend and the weather caught up with me on the second set which was much slower. Although I tried my hardest to hang on to SQ for the final 800m and rescued a 3:04. Fun session though, always feel a bit smug after doing some hard work in weather like that. Not surprised you struggled in that 5K later on SQ. Hope the hamstring is ok, good luck against the girls today… ;)

    I’ve also been going out with my local cycling club for both the Wednesday and Sunday social rides they do, usually 50-55 miles. Really happy with how I’ve coped with them. I had originally planned to do a bit more on the trainer but it’s so boring and fitting it in is tough - cycling takes up so much bloody time! I’m probably going to go out for a couple of the earlier Sunday rides which are a bit faster, and without the cafe stop. I think this combined with my running should be enough to get me through the Velothon Wales. I’m just going to enjoy it - not going to be pushing myself all out. It’s quite nice to train for something where there isn’t a big time goal for once!

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017
    Good to hear from you again Spoons. Thought you'd abandoned us!
    Good tickover mileage that & especially in conjunction with the biking. As you say - bloody time consuming.

    Not been posting a lot myself recently as I'm not really running. I'd only done 100M since VLM til today. I've done 1200M on the bike though but amazing how quick my run fitness goes. Did Man vs Horse today: 23.5M of bog, stony trails, stream crossings & HILLS (4,250ft) I thought I'd set off reasonably conservatively but started to die after about 15 miles. Finished it though even if it was my worst time yet.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Just popping in to say I'm still alive. Been very busy with work and going back to Cornwall for 3 weekends on the trot so having to squeeze the miles in when I can. 
    Looks like a lot of triathlon and ultra talk going on since I've last been on. 

    My 2p on ultra carb loading is that it's not as important as it is for a marathon. You will usually be going at an effort level where you can take on decent amounts of calories on the go. 

    Ive just been building the miles up again and am now tapering again for the Giants Head Marathon in 2 weeks. The downside is I'm off on holiday on Thursday so could come back a lot heavier than my racing weight. It's also the local 10k tomorrow which I'll be doing as my LT session. The effort could be determined by who turns up. 

    Anyone else been tracking Macca? He seems to be a natural at this 100 miler lark. 
  • NorthEnderNorthEnder ✭✭✭
    Good effort Jooligan - sounds fun.  Quite some miles there spoons. You seem to 'tick along' at 50-60mpw in the way that I tick along at 15-20.

    I'm building up a bit though.  Just come in from a late evening hill run, with close encounters with a fox and a couple of deer in the twilight. Marathon in 2 weeks.
  • Tommo81Tommo81 ✭✭✭
    No running for me this week. I decided to get some down time to give a low-level niggle the chance to heal. I've had it since about a month before VLM so it was about time. Also just had Abingdon confirmed so good to start training off a clean injury slate when I begin. Will be doing 12 week plan this time round methinks. 

    We should get a thread photo for Abo. 
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017
    I hear you Spoons, I have to get my long rides in early in the morning. I am sure you'll be fine for the Velothon, I did it the first year.

    Nice work on a race I would quite like to do, Jooligan, you haven't done much running and then you smash that out!

    All sounds positive Millsy, hope the 10k went well. I've also just been ticking along at NE mileage.

    Sounds like a good plan Tommo, I am looking forward to Abo.

    I had the European Championships on Saturday and it went reasonably well.

    I knew the lack of running would cost me but hoped to get in the top 15 for my age category. Swim went to plan, target was 33 minutes and I did 33:05 which got me out of the water in 32nd place. The bike target was 2:20 (24mph) for the 56 miles and I came in 2:19:xx and had moved up to 6th place so I was now pushing closer to the podium than top 15.

    I had a bit of a disaster in transition and couldn't find my run bag, lost about a minute there but I started the run feeling really good. First 2 miles were 6 minute miles and I moved up to 5th, if I had kept that up I would have got a bronze medal. Alas the wheels started to slowly come off and the lack of running really showed. Went through 10k in 40 minutes but the second 10k was 46 minutes. Shame as that pace would have seen some proper bling around my neck.

    I faded to 11th place in the end losing a lot of time in the last two laps of the run but I am pleased that it came together pretty much as I expected.

    Hopefully I will get another go at it next year in Ibiza and the running legs will be with me. Maybe Joe will put his name down too as I am sure he'd love it.
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Very impressive result Reg. Spot on pacing for the first 2 legs & a very credible attempt on the run off the back of almost no training. Do you think a less ambitious pacing strategy would have given you a better position in the end?
  • Jooligan - just casually dropping in that you did Man V Horse. Awesome work mate. One of the races I've always wanted to do.

    Reg - sounds like you had a great day, especially on the bike, that split is awesome, you're really strong there. When your run comes back you'll be faster than me on 2 feet also and a real force to be reckoned with - I'm sure you could get Kona if you wanted it. Is it in Ibiza next year? I'm planning to race age group in either middle or long distance in 2018 - I think my Chester time will be good enough to qualify.

    Had quite a big weekend of training. 90 minutes on the bike friday night, 10 miles to parkrun saturday morning, 2nd @ Osterley parkrun in 18.50, cycle home, one hour swim at lunchtime. Sunday was a 40 mile bike to St Albans half marathon, ran that as a 'tempo' effort in 1.26 keeping the HR in check and trying to enjoy the day, then cycled 40 miles back which pretty much broke me mentally and physically into a headwind the whole way.

    This ironman training is all good fun!
  • Just a quick check in to say well done Jooligan on the Man v Horse - I'm going to have read up on that one.
    Reg - cracking result,even more so giving the running injuries.
    Joe - what a monster weekend, makes me feel a light weight, hope you enjoyed St Albans.
    Millsy - thanks, I'm a natural at moving slowly and consuming calories but thats about it.  

    South Downs Way 100 for me Saturday and the early hours of Sunday.  A fantastic event, 12,000m of ascent over 100m from Winchester to Eastbourne.  It was tough but the views were incredible and I felt that I managed the race better than last time out finishing more strongly despite the heat of the day and two nights of about 4 hrs sleep in the preceeding two days before the race.  I've now down two of the 4 races in their Grand Slam series so I guess it would be rude not to do the remaining two.
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    Cracking stuff Macca, epic distance.

    Jooligan - Funny you ask about pacing the run as it's the one thing I wasn't sure of and probably didn't have a plan for. It goes to show how proper preparation makes all the difference. I don't regret going out hard because I decided to go for a medal, I'd rather fade to 11th than come 7th or 8th not giving it a go. Having said that I didn't need to go out as fast as I did to get a medal so I should have gone out around 6:25 pace which may have preserved the energy. The other question is whether I should have hammered the bike, I could have gone 10 minutes quicker there and who knows what that would have done to the run.

    Joe - I am sure you'd get in on that time. I think the distance is only just valid though as it needs to be within 5% so I make that about 12.43 miles for the run or 20k. Was yours about 12.5 miles? 
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    Joe, that event may not qualify as there needs to be 250 entrants and looking at the results there were 240 including DNFs. If you decide to register I'd check with Brent Perkins, the team manager to see if the event is valid as you could easily do another and get in sandwiched between a 200 mile bike ride or something.
  • Reg - yeah I think I'd then just do another 70.3 at some point to make sure. Quite fancy doing the long course worlds instead though, waiting to see where they're going to be held..

    Macca - unbelievable running again, you seem to excel at this ultra lark. The only problem now is you have to write another report!

    London GFA entries just opened with a deadline of next Friday (23rd). I'm sure loads of us will be there as always. 
  • Joe I was hoping to get away with that brief summary :D
    Thanks for the GFA heads up.
  • Back in at the deep end Jooligan! Nice work on MvH.

    Well done at the Euro Champs Reg, sounds like the podium would have been a real possibility if you’d actually been able to train for the running leg!? Fingers crossed for next year.

    Busy Sunday Joe, top stuff. Not surprised your felt broken on the way back.

    Epic performance again on the 100 miler Macca. I hope we’ll be getting another similarly epic race report.

    Thanks for the heads up about GFA entry being open Joe. Application submitted!

    I had the local (the start was literally 700m from my house) Pitchcroft 10K yesterday. Quite blustery conditions and I knew a PB wasn’t on the cards anyway so treated it like a glorified training run. Was hoping for around 39 minutes, but was running on my own by the 3rd mile and found it hard against the wind. Finished in 39:39 which I’m happy enough with given the conditions, and legs feel good today so that’s a plus.

  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    Where's the worlds next year, Joe, I am always put off it's outside Europe?

    Nice 10k Spoons
  • Reg - just seen it's in Odense, in Denmark.. 4km swim, 120km bike, 30km run. 

    Nice work on the 10km Spoons, was windy out there yesterday. 
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017
    Interesting distance, that's one for a real all rounder. I'd be tempted by that actually. Maybe I didn't need to waste all my Krone on Lego in the airport.
  • 1SteveMac1SteveMac ✭✭✭
    Jooligan - Well done at MvH...looks like a great race.
    Reg - Awesome work, sure you'll get in the medals next time, once the run training comes together.
    Macca - Another epic performance over 100 miles!!

    Was Endure 24 this weekend, so I was there with my GF and 2 other friends for a team of 4 (originally 6, but had 2 drop out and didn't have time to replace them!).

    Arrived on Friday morning, pitched tent and gazebo and then promptly took gazebo down as the wind almost blew it away despite being anchored down at the time :o Saturday at 12 midday and the GF (and team captain) goes out for our opening team lap. I had decided to do my laps together, so they were just long training runs, so had planned 5 laps on Saturday and another 3 on Sunday to make 40 miles for the weekend.

    Started at about 1:45pm in very hot weather and ran the whole of the first lap including hills and got a few well done comments for running up the "Heart break hill" around 6k into the 8k course. After the first lap I had decided to have walk breaks for taking on food and water, so obviously my pace slowed. Laps got tougher as I got warmer, but finished my 5 laps, which Strava recorded as 24 miles at an average pace of 9:14 min/mile.

    Finished at about 5:30pm, then basically refuelled, hydrated and strechted then went to bed at about 9:30pm as I had an early start. However the DJ didn't finish until 10:30pm and I could hear the music despite ear plugs! Got to sleep at about 11pm, only to be woken at 3am by the rain. Went back out at 3:45am for another 3 laps, first lap was fine, but I really struggled on the second lap and was considering dropping out when I had finished, but my GF was waiting close to the finish line, I left my head torch and hydration pack with her and carried on for my final lap. Seeing her boosted my morale and the final lap was easier than the previous one and I finished my 3 laps, 14.5 miles at an average pace of 9:43 min/miles.

    Must say it was great running through the woods in the dark with a load of other runners, some of the solo runners were amazing, staying out for hours in the rain during the night!!

    Anyway, the team as a whole did 22 laps (I think) for a total of 110 miles, which wasn't bad considering we didn't run for the whole 24 hours. With another runner doing 6 laps in one go on Sunday, with another going out for multiple laps at different points during the 24 hours. GF did one lap and decided against going out for her final lap due to the conditions on the route after the rain.

    All in all, a fantastic event, well organised, everything was spot on. We are already thinking about going back next year!!
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Lots of tri talk on here. 

    Some seriously good efforts on the weekend. 
    Reg - Great result and very promising given your lack of running recently. If you can string a few injury free months together you'll be looking good. Buying Lego can never be a waste of money.

    Another sly 100 miler from Macca. Awesome. From your limited report I get the impression you weren't as emotionally drained at the end as last time. You'll have to expand a bit more in the full report.

    Steve - Sounds tough, great work.. I think I'd struggle going out for that second stint.

    Just a typical weekend for Jooligan. Great work. That's another race that will go on the list but I'll probably never get around to doing.

    Solid 10k Spoon. Good to see you've got your GFA entry in.

    Another big weekend from Joe. Great commitment week in, week out. 

    Mona Fartlek again today for me. Seemed to be pretty much the same as the last 2 efforts. Was hoping to see some improvement at this stage. Maybe any improvement has been offset by weight gain. Might try to cut back a bit before I hit 70kg.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Got my GFA entry in as soon as I could this morning.

    Reg, 11th is a good result considering the lack of running. Just need to get that bit sorted now. 

    Jools, Man v Horse sounds awesome. I'll have to get round to doing it one day.

    Macca, another great 100 in the bag. Was glued to the tracker for most of Saturday. As you say, it would be rude not to do the other 2.

    Spoons, sounds like another solid 10k. 

    My 10k went much better than expected. Didn't really feel in a racing mood and was intending on using it as 6 miles at LT in the middle of my long run. As it was more of a charity event (results still appear on runbritain) I wasn't expecting a high quality field as many of our clubs faster runners were at other events.
    lined up on the start realising that I had the best 10k PB  out of all the locals, 2 club members had better 5k PBs and there was one other guy that looked fast. 
    The plan was to keep these in sight for the first 5k (flat road) and then try to reel them in during the hilly, off road, second half. Got to half way in 3rd and pushed on. Moved into second at about 7k and finally moved into the lead at the 9k mark. Managed to hold on and gained my first win in a proper race. Not the strongest competition but a win is a win and a nice trophy for the cabinet.
    away with work until Wednesday and then off to Crete for 8 days so won't be getting many miles in for a while. 
  • AWCAWC ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017
    Millsy: well done on 1st place - must have felt great passing those guys and hanging on for a win!

    Macca: great result again in the Ultra. I'm looking forward to the full report as I'm on the look out for any last minute tips and ideas before mine next week.

    Steve: no idea how you went out at 3am again for another 15miles! Brilliant running - I had a few mates doing Endure and it sounded like hard work.

    Reg: great result and even better when you have done so little on the running front. That run time would come down hugely if you stay injury free and you could really be challenging at the front which is exciting
  • RamjetRamjet ✭✭✭
    Well done on the win Millsy! Racing is so much more exciting when you are going for a place rather than a time.

    Fab 70.3 Reg. Amazing speed on the bike and not even flat out. Surely the podium is in sight with some decent run training.

    Crazy training Joe but I'm sure it will pay off. Don't forget to have the odd easy day!

    Macca you sound almost casual now about completing another 100 miler. The amount of climbing sounds crazy.

    Nice racing Jooligan, Spoons and Steve.

    Did a low key aquathlon on Saturday. Just a 400m open water swim but managed to complete it without running out of breath and reverting to breast stroke so a step forward for me. Then ran my way up to 2nd (out of 11 who did the short swim.) I have yet to be overtaken on the run leg of a triathlon / aquathlon, mainly because my swim leg is so bad!
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    More cracking racing from the thread this w/e.
    Congratulations on the win Millsy
    13,000m of elevation Macca!!
    Epic endurance Steve
    Insane w/e from JewsonBloggins
    Nice 10K Spoons
    My 4th time at MvH & ran it steady from the off rather than racing it hence being so casual. I was only doing it this year as daughter was riding her horse in it for the first time. Unfortunately I had no idea where she was as she'd overtaken me on the only part of the course where the riders & runners follow different routes (2.5-4.5M) so I spent most of the race worrying about how they were doing until I got back to the campsite straight after finishing. Turns out she retired at the vetcheck (14 miles in) as he'd thrown a shoe & damaged his foot - nothing serious but rather than risk it becoming worse she did the sensible thing. 
  • Ooops - just read my post back - I meant 12,000 feet not metres.

    Well done on the win Millys.

    Podium finish Ramjet :D

    RSR - good solo effort on the 10k, can't beat a race on your doorstep.

    Steve - Endure sounds fun, not sure I could get going again so soon for a 2nd effort.

    Jools - glad to hear about the horse, hope your knee is ok/improving.

    HA - yes, much more positive, I'll pen a few lines shortly.  I'm intrigued with these Mona sessions but speed is about the furthest thing from my mind at the moment.


  • NorthEnderNorthEnder ✭✭✭
    It's all been said.  Great performances guys!

    My ultra training is really working. In April, I could only run 2:35 for a 20 miler. I managed to get that up to 4hrs by last week and then yesterday, with grit and determination, I even smashed that achievement for a new PB of 4:42.

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Nice work Ramjet.
    Time on your feet NE ;)
    I did wonder Macca, still a hell of a lot of climbing.
    No change with the knee hence my risible mileage recently & consequent loss of pace. Bike fitness doesn't seem to transfer to my running unfortunately as last month saw my biggest bike mileage month ever: 930M but only 76 running miles :(

  • runspoonrunrunspoonrun ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017

    Top work at Endure24 SteveMac.

    Congrats on the win Millsy!

    Well done on the aquathlon Ramjet.

    Hope the knee improves Jooligan.

    I was impressed at how quickly VMLM processed my entry, checked my qualifying time and issued the signup link - I was all done by lunchtime.

    Grass track session this morning with SoreQuads. We did 2 x 5 x 400m, with 200m recovery between reps, and 400m recovery between the two sets. Felt much better than last week and averaged 1:20 keeping it pretty consistent (1:17-1:22) so pretty happy with that especially on a grass track, and after the 10K effort on Sunday.

  • 1SteveMac1SteveMac ✭✭✭
    Well done Ramjet on the aquathlon!
    NE - Good to hear ultra training is going well!

    Thanks for the comments guys, next year the plan will be to do individual laps rather than blocks I think! 4 mile recovery run today to get the legs working again!
  • JohnOzJohnOz ✭✭✭
    Great racing everyone - I like the variety of non-marathon racing going on, what a diverse bunch we are! Seems that we are all either ultrarunners or triathletes as a marathon just isn't long enough...

    In other news I've also entered VLM next year. However it's my backup option until I find out if I get into Tokyo, in which case I'll defer. Seems crazy that I'm already planning out my races to 2019!

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