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TR.. ha ha, did you ever get brushed off at the night club door with 'your name's not down, you're not coming in'
Al P.. enjoy the rest when you get it! Almost matched you today. Parked at a local nature reserve and ran 2m on a cycle track to the racecourse, 4 laps of the latter then ran the 2m back again - all traffic free. 11.6m in all and left it at that for the day. Probably Park Run plus a few miles tomorrow.
Wardi - I'd usually do the miles too, it would be the effort that would be unusual for me. If the in-laws hadn't moved to us we may have been doing the same stay in Bristol and race but it's a long way for a race without having them to stay with/visit - though further for you of course.
Woke up feeling rubbish this morning - aching limbs and sinus headache and was thinking how glad I was that I have a week until my race - only I don't of course. Hopefully just pre-race nerves, can't really call it taper madness as apart from the day off in the week when I was ill I haven't really.
And well done all for big training runs, Parkrun PBs and some very impressive half marathon times.
Al_P ~ I read with interest that you often post your %HR for your training runs in your last few posts. Funny because I wanted to post a question to everyone on this page about exactly this. For those that use a HRM can you all let me know what %HR you typically run for a marathon? In yesterday's long run I ran 8 miles at MP (4 at start and 4 at end) and to maintain 6.50 pace my %HR was 83% (170bpm/205max). That's right on the limit between aerobic and threshold range. Max HR is obviously a very individual thing and can't be compared between one runner and another but the %HR can. So what %HR is everyone generally running when hitting MP?
Stu - no data here.
6m today, 83 for the week, which sounds a lot (rarely been much over 60mpw and never been 8X), but it' probably only around 10hours and previous vlm campaigns will have been more than 10 hours/week once swim and turbo are included. However 83mpw is a decent week of run mileage.
TR - I won't, I've never been fast over the shorter stuff and especially not on that course which is somewhat undulating and could be muddy or like last year baked dry and very warm. I'm more worried about what tomorrow is going to tell me. My endurance is fine but I don't seem to have the speed I did last year, could be age or could be the five weeks I lost but either way I'm expecting to be a bit disappointed with the result.
Not been much to add really since then. I'm still not fully over the virus. I'm almost there this week, but I've had a touch of a migraine and asthma issues over the last few days that may be related to the steroid nasal spray I was put on - it wasn't doing the job it was supposed to, so I've stopped after Thursday morning, and am starting to feel a bit better today.
I've been doing a bit of running this week, and have offered to pace a sub-3 aspirant at Barcelona tomorrow which will keep me sensible, so hoping to be back at it soon. Slowly slowly catchee monkey approach though.
Who else is out here? OO?
I've been away with work this week and work in general has been manic so I haven't posted much lately, but I'm managing to keep the miles going. I didn't fancy dicing with the evening traffic in Baku so it's been a treadmill this week, but that did make for a nice progressive 10 miler.
Good luck to those racing this weekend, especially TT pacing out in Barca - enjoy it. LMH, sounds like a course that could do anything and if you're worried about what it's going to tell you it's probably best not to listen. I'm with you on the 'endurance is fine, speed is gone' thing, I'm losing speed hand over fist if parkrun times are anything to go by but 10 miles or over seem to be holding up a bit better.
Sure it's just nerves LMH. Endurance will see you through in a respectable time I'm sure - hope it goes well for you.
Good mileage TR & I noticed a fair bit of hard work interspersed in there too. Guessing your week runs Sunday-Saturday?
Stu: ran Wrexham HM as a MP run in 1:28 @86% (150bpm vs max175) by contrast Wokingham the week before was 20s/mile faster & 91% (159bpm) Hope that helps.
60M for me Mon-Fri including a 10M with 10x800m@6m/m/400m@8:45m/m on Wednesday & commuting 8.6M doubles either side meant I certainly wasn't fresh for today's 20M race & the forecast was ominous with heavy rain & 14mph wind on an exposed course. The deluge came down a bit earlier fortunately so apart from a shower around 8-10M we managed to stay reasonably dry on top. However the roads were badly flooded so feet got very wet & heavy which definitely cost me time. I also managed to miss the start due to the toilet queues/flooding & poor communication: they delayed the start but by a bizarre 8mins25! I heard the gun go as I was putting my socks & shoes back on after wading through the 1st flood so set off far too fast, spent at least a K weaving through slower runners & jumping on & off the verge. Not part of the pre-race plan at all
That's me just before deciding to take the plunge rather than the queue. Start was by the 2nd big tree & we had to run through this at 19.8M on the way back as well as 3-4 similar floods on each of the 2 laps. I held 6:3x for the first 11M then a 6:4x another 6:3x then held 6:4x apart from a 6:5x for mile 16 which was slightly uphill & also included the deepest & longest flood.
Finished in 19th of 449 & won the MV45 prize too. Official time was 2:15:39 but watch was 2:14:31 & the 68s handicap was confirmed by Stava Flyby.
Unfortunately my HRM battery packed up Wednesday & the replacement only arrived this morning after I'd left so my average HR of 122bpm is meaningless.
TR - cranking those miles out ! Top stuff.
18 today, should have been 20 but left hamstring felt a bit dodgy and my ankle was stiffening up too. Mainly due to running on trails with some mates who were pushing along from the off. So whilst 18 @7:20 avg seems a decent session - it appears to have come at a cost.
Will see tomorrow how both issues have settled before adding to this week's total.
Cheers CD. I'll certainly aim to enjoy it.
Nicely done and congrats on the AG win Jooligan.
Fingers crossed you wake up pain/niggle free sj.
Thanks Jooligan - we always hope to pleasantly surprise ourselves but at the end of the day it's only running and it's only a race - I need to remember that.
Hope your ankle and hamstring feel ok this morning SJ.
Jools - do you think you can aim 6.45 the whole way at vlm now then?
21 hilly in 2.51 today, if it wasn' for all my recent miles I'd be getting concerned that I'm getting slower. 4 long runs to go, need to get on the flat for those. 2.51 is good time on feet though.
Good time on feet indeed TR.
I was pacing/keeping company for a sub-3 attempt today. He assumed he was going to slow and had factored that into his pacing strategy and wanted to hit halfway at a 6:40/mile pace (87:24). We hit that at 87:21, so near as. Unfortunately he had some problems during the second half - I think his brain glycogen was depleted long before his muscle glycogen was (any thoughts as to how/why?) as he was saying he could lie down and sleep, eyes glazed over, and, at one stage, started to veer off course. He then had some cramp issues, but we made it to the end in 3:08, which was still a pb, and a gfa (both his B targets) if not quite what he wanted.
For me that gave me 76m for the week, so hopefully I can build from there. I think mentally I needed to do the distance without any asthma issues as that freaked me out a little Thursday (haven't had an attack for years), so I'm happy with that.
It was a decent course, but too many big climbs to be fast (even allowing for the long gradual downhills). Personally I reckon if somebody went sub-3 there they'd be 2 minutes quicker in Berlin or London.
TT - I was thinking that too but didn't want to highlight the negatives. Quite a few of the people I went with had cramp issues. Glad you think Berlin would be quicker as that's the next one for possibly a last sub 245 attempt. We'll paced run for you today and must be a relief having no asthma issues.
TT - sounds like your mate had a tough day!
Jooligan, very solid sub 3 pace in those conditions.
Over 50 miles for me this weekend
Sounds like a good day's work TT: solid training benefit without any damage + helped a guy to a PB & GFA
Cheers Dan. Not surprised sub 1:30 didn't feel effortless after 28M the previous day!
TR: Pretty confident that with a better starting pace, no floods to wade through & a few less miles in the legs: 30M over 6 days rather than 60M in 5 I'll be there. Reckon I could definitely have held on for a 45 minute 10K yesterday which would have snuck me in under 3hrs. I had no gels/energy drink/electrolytes yesterday just half a little snickers about 9M & a couple of jelly babies at 14.5M washed down with water. I plan to go out holding 6:45-6:50 at VLM to be on the safer side.
TT.. you must have been pleased to get round without any problems, decent training run for Paris too. Agree with your mate probably being low on brain glycogen. I tend to take a bottle of energy drink in a marathon and run with it for a while and drink most of it to keep my concentration up. I did feel light headed at the end of the Frankfurt Marathon but found that a couple of cups of the flat coke they were offering post race were an instant cure. Hope you are supping a few well deserved ales too.
Marathon courses.. I've spoken to a few runners over the years that don't like relentlessly flat courses. They prefer a few gentle undulations to break the stride pattern up occasionally. I don't remember any hills at all in Valencia!
TR.. nice long run in the bag, particularly after last week's mileage.
Dan A.. that's a lot of exercise over the weekend, pleasing that you still had the energy for pace making duties.
Jooligan.. congrats on the V45 prize and good pace throughout, enough to buy a new pair of dry socks hopefully
SJ.. hope your niggles have eased today, still a decent long run in the bag.
Park Run plus 4m yesterday. The add on miles were my usual run down the riverside to a bridge, across the bridge then back up the other riverside to another bridge and back to the side I started from. The Garmin got the distance right but their map suggests I never crossed the bridge or even got to the first crossing point! First time it has cocked up like this. Anyone know if these maps can be edited once uploaded?
18.3m today, nice day for it. Legs were protesting a bit given recent miles but pleased to get it done. 74m for the week which is the most I've done for a year or two.
TippTop - did your mate take on any fuel? Glad you didn't have any asthma issues, they aren't fun.
Mega weekend Dan.
Good time on feet long run TR.
Retford Half for me today, report on the daily training thread if anyone's bored.
Wardi - big miles there.
LMH - so you did surprise yourself after all, very nice prize haul too. You might have a lonely run at Boston.
OO - solid effort, and I guess it's a little warmer there than would be ideal.
TT - nice job on the pacemaking. Are you talking about "big hills" at Barcelona? I don't really remember any significant hills, just a few drags. I would say it's pretty close to London, marginally slower than Berlin, but still my favourite marathon!
Jooligan - that looks like an eventful race! Nice run anyway, and good mileage for the week.
TR - into the 80s is fantastic. A couple more of those and you never know what might happen at London...
Dan - that's a lot of miles in 48 hours!
Stu - I don't use HR, but from memory, low 80s % is a decent target if you've got good endurance so your 83% sounds about right. I've heard of people managing as high as 85% but they were doing 100M+ pw.
LMH - excellent race. I think you need a bit more self-confidence, you always seem to surprise yourself!
5M on Saturday for me with the dog and mini-Padams to let the Mrs have a lie-in. Then yesterday I did 22.5M in 2:30. Longer version: 3M with the dog at around 7m/m (with some stops for obvious reasons), then 4 laps around my 2.25M loop getting gradually faster (15:30, 15, 14:30, 14), 1M easy, another 4 laps a bit faster than the first 4 (15:10, 14:45, 13:55, 13:35), then 0.5M jog. So around 6:5x down to 6:1x for the first 9M section and around 6:45 down to 6s for the second 9M section.
So none of it approached marathon PB pace, but it felt relatively controlled and the loop is a bit undulating (and road crossings, bumpy pavements etc.). I'd also not had any breakfast and did it with no food/water other than a couple of sips of water during the 1M recovery in the middle.
I weighed myself yesterday for the first time in ages and even allowing for the fast that I'd done a long run so was dehydrated, I'm a few pounds lighter than I have been for previous marathons, so that's good news. I weighed myself again this morning to check - I was 7lbs heavier than after the long run but still about 4lbs below what I'd have expected. So that's good news, although I'd still like to lose a couple more lbs in the next few weeks.
Padams - nice long run!!
Padams/Dan - I think some of the hills were bigger than expected, but mainly they were long drags. That adds up though. I've just had a look for comparison (as elevation numbers on their own mean nothing to me). London 480ft, Barcelona 1,837ft. That's a significant difference. Particularly with mile 26 on its own being 103ft.
Apparently just before half way I dipped into sub 4m/m as I tried to catch up my mate before we hit the halfway mat as I'd taken a pee stop. That must have surprised a few of them!
I was going to run this morning, but seen as my shins are a little tender (altered running style) I figured I'd better not. Everything else doesn't even feel like I done a long run yesterday so that's pretty cool.
My mate..... he ran with two bottles of powerade (I carried one until about 18km), and though he reckoned afterwards he probably hadn't carb-loaded effectively, that still doesn't explain the early brain fog. He did do the deplete and then load, so I'm wondering if he possibly didn't reload enough, but that still doesn't explain the fog setting in before his legs ran out of fuel....... It's a bit of a strange one.