Shades Marathon Training

1261926202622262426253564

Comments

  • JugulaJugula ✭✭✭
    6 miles this morning in cold, windy conditions with a blast of icy rain to top it off! A nice refreshing start to the year. I've got a 10k and a half booked in February but no marathon planned as yet.
  • That sounds more sensible. But calling it RED (Run Every Day) would make most people think you have to run every day. Ignore my rant, I just find some of these challenges in January a bit tedious.
  • Happy New Year all

    My 2018 'Goals' nicked from Fetch

    Goals for 2018

    A goal with no time target to start with, just to be able to get back into running marathons and resuming my journey towards 100 of them. Currently on 60 so the one in a few weeks will be number 61 then i'll take it from there.

    5k - Get back towards sub 27 for now being i am doing park runs in 29 mins roughly at the moment.

    10k - Trickier one but i'll say sub 55 as i have always struggled to go fast as i focus on long stuff so there is never much difference between 5k or 10k speeds

    10 mile - For now sub 95 will do as it'll take time to rebuild full running fitness

    Half - Under 2:10 would be nice

    Full - Under 5 hours will do for now, the one in a few weeks will be 5:30 at best i would say

    Fetch Standards - Managed to hit Reindeer in 2017 which is the 47% one so for 2018 getting back to Pewter or 50% will be nice.

    Weight - Er yes..... Weighed myself this morning and i am just over 180 lbs where as back when i was at peak performance in 2012 i was more like 160 so i shall get that back under 170 by the summer for a start. Eating sensibly and less takeaways will help here so being i had chicken and wedges last night and dominos tonight i'll have no more takeaways until Feb with the exception of possibly stopping on way home from my marathon and whether we have a gaming night this month.

    Distance targets will be 1000 miles for both biking and running and i am currently 88 miles away from 9000 miles in total.

  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    mowzer - I don't think I could ever doubt your fitness, you're superwoman

    Jelly - it's not easy doing the fundraising especially as you are already a committed runner, difficult to get sponsorship for something that you already do.

    steven - glad you survived the NYE shift, hope work will be a lot quieter now for you.

    Ian - 10 seconds a mile is significant especially as you weren't running on fresh legs

    SK - I agree, running every day is not for novices or anyone that's unfit and they are very likely to fail and then go back to the couch, it will put them off exercise for life.   But your OH's friend has obviously started with great enthusiasm and he is in for a very painful time, he needs to walk every day not until his shins splints have cleared up.   I have a friend she's just run every day for December, she is a marathon and ultra runner and she found the commitment to run every day really hard.

    Good luck with your son's change of diet, I feel he may be tempted to fall off the wagon quite easily.  You did well to persuade him not to try a vegan diet.  I've never heard of Veganuary, I'm not sure that's a good idea especially if it's attracting children to take part.

    Jugula - I sense that your resolve not to run any more marathons might be weakening a little ;)  

    Big G - hope you're starting to feel a bit better.

    Lovely run this morning, no rain, no wind.   Back to Pilates class today, I hope she's kind to us.
  • mamafoxmamafox ✭✭✭
    SK - That bit about your son made me laugh  :)

    Jelly - Thanks for the RED info. You should be able to use that as part of your usual training anyway.

    Keith - Good list there.. not sure about the takeaway goal though  :)

    Shades - Our marathon list looks a bit more serious this year  :p
    You've really stuck at your fitness/Pilates classes.. do you do any gym work as well? It must be 2 years now since you started doing all these classes, what sort of differences have you noticed? I bet you're much more supple now.

    Day off for me today. Since my bike accident in mid October my training has been drastically reduced and I've not run at all now (apart from one forest potter) since the marathon at the end of November - and before that I had over 2 weeks off since the half on the 10th Nov. Thus after running two days on the trot I'm having a day off.. just in case  :#
    Yes Shades, I still need the collar as it does make a difference, it's not that awkward to run with either. I confess I've always thought people used these for effect.. to look more convincing for whiplash claims etc. I'm having to eat my words now!


  • Happy New Year Shadies...wishing you all the best for 2018!

    Finished December off with 175 miles, to take me to 2041 miles for the year (1847 in 2016). Happy with that and the PB's at all distances along the way. Should hit 2000 miles again in 2018 I think.

    Few tough sessions over the Xmas holidays, an LT run (10 miles with 20 & 16 mins) did 6:33 min/mile for 20 mins and 6:38 for 16 mins. Also a 16 mile progressive run starting at 8:51 min/miles, averaging 8:17 min/miles for first 8 miles then 7:28 min/miles for next 6 miles and finally 6:37 min/miles for last 2....that was a tough one!!

    8 miles with strides this morning to open up my account for 2018, although this week is a cut back week.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    mamafox - No, I still haven't been back to the gym, I should really but seem to 'forget' to do something about it.    Yes, 2 years since I've been doing Pilates, I don't think I'm any more supple than I was, I don't want to be really.   As a runner to be too supple and flexible can lead to a whole load more injuries.   But my core is stronger, I used to get occasional backache say when over zealous at the housework or doing the decorating, that doesn't happen any more.   And I can now roll up from lying to sitting in a very slow and controlled manner, couldn't do that when I started Pilates.   And I can run a marathon or ultra and not have a twinge of post race tiredness in my upper body.

    Pilates teacher didn't show up today, don't know why.  We missed the first 15 mins of our class and then joined the other group, was really good, totally different type of teaching, very controlled and you have to do every move right so it's quite hard, but it was good and enjoyed it.

    Good that the collar really helps, they look most uncomfortable to wear.   I'm sure you'll soon be back to daily running, you do seem to heal quickly from all these misfortunes.

    Steve - you've had a great running year. :)    You seem to have started the work sessions earlier this year, or have I imagined that?
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Keith - sorry I missed your post earlier.   You are the first to list all your 2018 goals.  Bit of a shock to see 'eating sensibly' on there ;)   I hope your local takeaways know that their takings are going to be down this month at least.

    That 20 pounds has crept on mostly I suppose when you had that foot injury and didn't run for a long time.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Well done Steve, some great running there.  What was/were the highlight/s for you from 2017?

    Shades, I'm feeling a bit better in that I felt okay to go for a short walk into town today (I didn't step out the front door yesterday), although that has wiped me out a bit so back in bed watching TV now.  Foxy has said I can defer my entries to other of his races if I want to.  I'll decide Thursday/Friday about if I'm travelling up, but if the race was tomorrow I wouldn't be going....

    Some good goals there Keith.  Good luck with it.

    Jelly, I did a month's streak 5 years ago I think it was. I can't say I especially enjoyed it though!

    My goals are:
    - Try and do 24 marathons (this will take me to 50 overall).  I won't be off to the best of starts if I don't get up to Milton Keynes this weekend!
    - Try and get under 20mins for a 5K.  I got close this year, but didn't manage it.
    - Try and get a few more minutes off my marathon time.  I don't think 3:15 will happen partly due to my main goal above, but I would be happy with 3:25.

    Having said all that, for 2017 my goals changed a lot from the start of the year to the end.  I did have sub-20 5K as a goal at the start of 2017 and I didn't quite manage that (I did 20:01 at a parkrun and 20:14 at an official race), but really the marathons took over last year, which weren't a goal at the start of the year.

    --
    As an aside, what are people's thoughts on medals?  Do you enter races because you like the bling on offer?  Can a medal ever be too big?

    My preference is a smaller medal, with a good design ideally with the date on the actual medal (not just the ribbon), but some of the medals these days are huge and some seem to do particular events for the bling on offer.  I was wondering what people's thoughts were on here?  I saw one recently which must have been about 30cm wide, and it hung 3 other medals from a series off of it; it was incentive for the runners to complete the series, but it's not my cuppa tea.  Each to their own though :)  

    Someone posted pictures of some of their marathon major medals from years gone by, and they look really good in my view.  Small by today's standards, but very good.

    I think my favourite medal is the one I got from Leiden Marathon.  I think it's a good design, and part of it glows in the dark as it has stars/moon on it (this isn't my pic).  The spelt "May" wrong though.... 
  • Shades - I know a few vegan families and their kids are healthier than most other children. But I don’t fancy cooking lots of alternative meals. I’m going meat free for January and may continue if I feel better for it. I think a lot of the time I cook meat it’s because  it’s an easy option.

    Big G - I do keep my medals but it’s not something I consider when entering a race. What I find really odd are those ‘virtual’ race companies, who send you expensive medals for doing a ‘virtual’ race! I get that some people are motivated by the bling and can see that this is the way lots of races are going, as it obviously attracts lots of runners. But it all pushes up the costs of race entries.
  • JellyJelly ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    I'm a bit of a bling fan but like you don't like the huge designs. My favourites tend to be based on the event it's self. London is my favourite medal 2017 as it was my first Marathon and  physical the challenge of the training and also the day was awsome. Same for my Torbay Half 2016 really. I also keep first distance tee shirts. I do have medal hanger in landing so I see my medals everyday to remind me how far I've come. I am a little disappointed if Marathon and half ones are poor quality. I do have each one engraved with time and year if not on ribbon or medal as in years to come it will be easier to see what times I did.   I don't get the whole  virtual thing, I do have a couple but entered as I wanted to support cause and high amount was going to charity.
    lots of you read the small print on a tiny % goes toward the cause. What I dislike the most are Mugs, love a  snood as you can never have too many. Not sure I spelt that right.  
  • Shades - I had started doing the LT sessions around the same time last year, but they were 2 weeks apart, these ones have been every week (apart from rest/cut back weeks).
    Big G - A few highlights for me, were completing my 100k ultra (SVP) as that was my longest ever distance and something I didn't think would be possible a couple of years ago! Then I would say Manchester marathon for my current PB (3:10), as that race basically went to plan from start to finish and was a big PB for me (13 mins).

    As for 2018, I'm not doing as many events this year as I did last year, so hoping I can focus on them a bit more and pick up some more PB's along the way.
  • As for medals.....yeah I like a nice medal, but I've entered races without them. Like Jelly I also have a medal hanger in the hallway, so see them every day.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - glad to hear that you're starting to feel better and that Foxy will transfer your race entries should you need to stay home this weekend.   That takes the pressure off and I'm sure you'll be able to slot another 2 marathons in somewhere if you need to.   I think it's due to be quite cold this weekend too which isn't ideal for you just when you could do with mild and gentle weather.

    That's a gorgeous marathon medal from Leiden.   I would never enter a race for the bling.    I like to get a nice medal but a good course and efficient organisation are far more important to me.    I think the fashion for those awful big trashy medals are race organisers trying to compensate for poor courses and overpriced entry fees.   They seem most popular in those 'back garden' marathons.
    Slowkoala said:
    Shades - I know a few vegan families and their kids are healthier than most other children. But I don’t fancy cooking lots of alternative meals. I’m going meat free for January and may continue if I feel better for it. I think a lot of the time I cook meat it’s because  it’s an easy option.


    SK - Absolutely, there are parents that prepare and feed their children very healthily on vegetarian and vegan diets and take their children's' health far more seriously than some other parents.   But I meant for you preparing a vegan menu for a growing child is quite difficult, you can tell an adult to eat something explaining that it's good for them and they may persevere getting used to the food, much harder with a child.    

    I've seen a couple of folk have long term health problems due to them cutting out food groups from their diet and it's taken a long time for them to regain their health, one hasn't fully and never will.

    I know a few vegetarians and vegans (not with children) who have appalling diets.  One vegan I know, a runner eats probably ten times the amount of sugar that I do, and she thinks that as she's vegan that she eats healthily, she can't be bothered to cook so eats processed sugary foods most of the time.

    Jelly - it'll cost you a fortune if you carry on doing lots of marathons and having every medal engraved!   I love a snood too as race memento, yes you did spell it right.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Shades, as it happens, I've just done the weekly report and I was sent a pic of the medal, so I've included it in there on the website.  I know he missed a local race (Cornish) as one of the series needed to get that medal was on the same day.  Like I said though, each to their own, but something like that medal wouldn't interest me personally, and I wouldn't miss a local race and have the extra cost needed to get it.  If it was something like do 3 and get reduced/free entry into another one, then I may reconsider.  The Cornish medal is a bit crap to be fair, but even then it wouldn't make me choose a different race for the bling.
    http://www.teignbridgetrotters.co.uk/news/latest-news-updates/weston-hangover-10k

    SK, I keep all my marathon medals and they're currently all hung up on the end of a curtain pole in my living room!  My first London medal is in a presentation frame, with a couple of pics, and that is hung up on the landing (I look really fat in it, and I have knee supports on both knees - I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but really I shouldn't have ran!).  I do have all my other medals from other race distances, but they're in a box.  If/when I get closer to 100 marathons and generate a few more medals, I'll make a better display.  I only have one trophy, and that's on the bookshelf, as is the award I got at the recent award ceremony.  It's not necessarily an aim of mine, but if I ever do more marathon majors (NYC and Berlin seem possibilities if I can get in), then I may make a separate frame of those.

    One question for you SK - do you still have your 50 parkrun T-Shirt?  I saw something a few months ago that one ended up in a charity shop/eBay, and there were a few comments that were against that as someone could be wearing it and not done the 50.  But if someone has a 100+ T-Shirt, are they actually going to wear the 50 T-Shirt?  I just thought it was good that at least it was recycled in someway.
  • I have revised my takeaway clause, it'll mor ethan likely be a mcdonalds brekkie stop on way back from plym trail marathon somewhere but other than that i can cope without any takeaways quite easily. Never said anything about NOT getting sticky toffee pudding from Tebay  on way home ;) Or the many pies they also do
  • Big G - I still have my 50 shirt, but I haven’t worn it since I got my 100 one. I probably wouldn’t want to get rid of it though! May use it for the blanket that I want to get made one day from all my race shirts. Or give it to my 11 yo when he runs his 50th (hopefully this year) if there is a long wait for the shirts.

    Re the medal thing, my dad did races throughout the 80s/90s, probably for 20 years, racing 2 or 3 times a month. But I think the only medals he has are his VLM ones. He even got some VLM ones for volunteering. I don’t think he binned any, just that it was quite unusual to have them in those days at the races he did. In a race I did in Spain, you only got a medal if you placed in the top 3 or were an AG winner. My medals are all in a box, together with all my race bibs. My OH just bins any that he gets.
  • JellyJelly ✭✭✭
    I have a special deal going on a Trago with the engraving. So doesn't work out too bad and I'm there anyway so not like a special trip. I wouldn't miss local for bling either. 
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Steve-i'm not surprised you're proud of your 100km,immense distance.
    Big G-I like a medal but I've done races without,it's not high on my agenda but nice to get one.
    Got a reply from London incase anyone wonders in the future,6 hr races are not eligible for GFA as it has to be a marathon distance race,and even if I stop at marathon and get a time it wouldn't count as the race itself is 6 hrs.
    Another wet 8 miles after work tonight,at least it was a break from the wind,but only short-lived as we are meant to be getting the storm tomorrow,meant to be doing my last 20 so will see about that.
    Had a quick check and despite a poor xmas week I still managed 193 miles in December which is my 2nd highest.
  • I like a nice medal too but yeah, some of those enormous plates they give out at those teeny races are almost obscene. My favourites are the Richmond Running Festival medals, because sparkles, and also the Liverpool one I got (also sparkly and quite chunky though not large).
    I like to have a medal as a record of doing the race so I admit I tend not to do races that don't give them out (though I have in the past). On the other hand, I wouldn't want to get one for a virtual race - I just don't see the point. A medal should be a souvenir of an occassion.

    Aaaanyway...today was a no run day (sticking with every other day for now, but that may well change next week) but I did double yoga - Bikram am and Vinyasa pm. Admittedly I only did the Bikram because I was bored.

    There's no residual grumpiness in the TFL following the double parkrun (Saturday and NYD) which is good news. I do have a small issue in the front hip/groin area which I think is possibly sartorius, but that could be from yoga. I'll book a massage soon and see what my masseur says.
  • Oh and Keith - your running goals are almost identical to mine at the moment, time-wise (though I'd like to get a faster marathon done, and a new PB, if not this Spring then at Chester).
    Tebay is the best services isn't it? It's almost impossible not to spend a small fortune in the shop.
  • Cal - what’s Tebay?!

    9 miles with two from my club tonight. Very wet which meant my fingers got a bit cold...
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Steve - I suppose now you're more experienced at the LT sessions it makes sense to do them weekly, doesn't necessarily make them easier though :D 

    Big G - I've read your write up and seen the pics.   That huge medal is gross, the small ones are OK.  But each to their own.   Amazing that he drove all that way for that and missed the Cornish, different breed of runner I guess.
    Nik set up a FB group  Global Marathon Challenge and he automatically included me in the group, I didn't know at the time and couldn't understand why I was suddenly getting these awful tacky pics coming up, I've removed myself from that  group now :) 

    The Cornish medal is OK, small and not spectacular but I'm OK with that.   I love the race even though the hoodie goes straight in the bin, wish they would do an entry without the hoodie, I might ask him next year as it's such a waste of money for me anyway. 

    Re your question to SK about the parkrun t-shirt, when my friend left the 100MC a few years ago he gave his kit to Oxfam and liked to think that somewhere in Africa some kids were wearing his shirts.

    Keith - stop at the new Gloucester services on your way back from Plym Trail, they do amazing pies, Lamb and Mint is my favourite.  That'll keep you going until you get to Tebay.

    Jelly - smart move securing a deal with the engraver at Trago.  I've never had a medal engraved but my 100 club one is engraved and I've had to have a couple of cups/shields done in the past so I know it's not that cheap.

    SK - that must be quite a big box as you keep the bibs as well!  I've only kept my 100/200/300 bibs with a view to do something with them at some time, I'm not 100% sure where they are though.

    Ouch, didn't you borrow those gloves from your son?

    Ian - speedy reply from London, well at least that's clear now and what we expected really.

    Was woken early with some banging noise due to the strong winds, not bin day so not sure what it was but after the 3rd bang I got up anyway and waiting for daylight now to go for my run.   Very windy here but not as bad as other areas, will head for a sheltered route although there will be a lot trees but not really much choice.
  • SK - Tebay is a independant service station a bit higher up the M6 than Kendal on the climb to the high point thru the pennines. One either side as the motorway is split along there. Also own the Gloucester one. Has lots of local produce in them including more pies than even I or BG could eat.

    There is also the truck stop a bit lower down however which is also good
  • Shades - Pie for brekkie is a tad too far even by my standards ;) The night befores pizza however
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Keith - I thought you were driving home straight after the race.    
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    SK-Wow,definitely need thermal gloves.
    Shades-It was the reply I expected so no surprise and at least we know.
    Hoping this wind dies off a bit later,they've closed the proms by us,which they don't normally do so would have to pick a different route instead.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    SK, I know someone who has some volunteering medals for London too (Shades/Jelly - it's ET and her hubby from the Trotters).  I haven't seen them, but apparently they're quite good.  It's funny how the sport has changed with regards to medals.  I haven't kept my numbers - I do have one race number from 2017, which is when I ran a marathon on what would have been Claire's 41st birthday, and the RD gave me 41.  Not sure what I'm going to do with it though. It's in the box with the non marathon-medals at the moment.

    SK, ouch to the fingers!

    Shades/Keith, that Gloucester services is a good one.  We stopped in there on the way for the Sheffield snooker last year.

    Shades, yeah, when I saw that medal I just couldn't really understand the attraction with it.  But he's done very well to break that club record (50 in a calendar year).  I was having a chat with him the other week, and I ribbed him about the fact his first marathon is still his quickest.  I told him he must try harder :)  We get on pretty well and he took it in good jest, but I think he needs to change that - his first one out of nearly 100 marathons can't be his quickest.  He needs to change that, which is what I told him ;)    Obviously his focus has been on the numbers and that is fine.  I wonder when he's got the 100 out the way in June, if he'll change his focus.  We'll see.  I'm fairly sure the previous record holder (Wurzel) hasn't ran a marathon since he did his 100, but he's on a quest to get 100 10Ks and I think 100 Halfs in.  He's in the DD this year though.  I was chatting to him too, and he's quite enjoying driving off somewhere and doing some random 10K that you've never heard of, so good on him.

    Ian, it's good London replied to you.  I wasn't really expecting that you'd get an answer for some reason (certainly not so quickly), but at least you (and we) know for sure now.  It does make sense really.
  • Shades - the box isn’t that big (shoe box size) as a lot of the events I’ve run (parkruns, club league 10Ks/5 miles) don’t have bibs.

    Re the hands, they were OK on the run with my light gloves, but I think getting very wet brought on the Raynaud’s. Probably didn’t help that I stayed for a drink in my wet clothes!

    Very windy and rainy overnight here too. Stay safe anyone running this morning.
  • JellyJelly ✭✭✭
    I'm a bit of a hoarder on race stuff and have a scrap book for each year with my race numbers and photos and route maps news paper cuttings. One of the original trotters kept on for the first London they did plus other races. It was lovely to see and I hope I can inspire my grandchildren or a random neighbours daughter. Lol love listening to Tom about the old days. Also seen old footage of the Haytor Heller 93 I think it was. 
Sign In or Register to comment.