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Last week they announced they were changing the age category requirements, especially for women, and my 60-64 age group target is 4:30. Yes, I know that each time I've gone for a sub 4:30 pb (at VLM) something's gone wrong (asthma attack mile 18, fell over mile 12) but when I wasn't trying at all, on my 3rd marathon in 3 days, I did it in 4:42. Can I get rid of those pesky 12 minutes? I'm going to have a jolly good try!!! This year in my age group 47 out of 250 finished under 4:30 so I may be a bit ambitious but what the heck!
Before my target marathon I've got 10 weeks to get stuck into some serious speedwork with 2 trail marathons and a 50 miler which I'll just treat as training runs.
Any advice welcome Terry x
Excellent news Red about the formation of dementia revolution but very unfortunate that you don’t get a guaranteed place in next year’s VLM. I’m sure though with your commitment and determination you’ll crack that pesky 12 minutes barrier that’s standing between you and a GFA.
Quick hi to everyone else, (I’m still full of busy sorting my aunt’s affairs but hope to catch up properly with all your posts after the funeral next week) I’m typing this on my phone as I’m getting ready to set off for a 5 mile club race, an annual cup event but one I haven’t done before. Unfortunately I’ve got a 1.5 mile run to get there (and back) so will be taking things very easy during the race. I feel my fitness is slowly coming back, but at the moment it’s hard to find time for running. It’s a handicap race tonight, which is fortunate as I need all the help I can get at the moment. On the down side though there is only about 50 of us taking part, still the important thing is just to enjoy it, whatever position I finish in.
Today is a rest day, which is lucky for a change, as it is forecast rain all day.
WtnMel, thanks for the clarification of the disqualification. I have been in races where the age category winner looked 20 years or more younger that his category. I don't have that problem
My car doesn't have a rain sensor.
Red, good for you aiming to get a GFA for the London Marathon. I'm not an expert on speed training, but your suggestions in your response to BanburyMatt are spot on. You know all about tapering, but have admitted that you don't always follow it
DBIW, your indoor training sessions sound good, and are probably similar to the circuit training that I did back in the day with Team Solent. I'm sure that those sessions contributed greatly to my strength and endurance.
Aquarius, glad to hear that your fitness is returning, and hope that yesterdays 5 mile race went well. The 1.5 mile gentle run out would have been a perfect warm up, and perfect warm down on the run back. Hope you remembered to stretch after the race.
Had a very pleasant morning attending a parkrun to do a short presentation about the latest collaboration between ARUK and Parkrun. Got everyones attention whilst I talked (which makes a change!) and a round of applause afterwards with lots of people thanking me en-route. Mike came too and walked part of the course whilst I trotted around. It was just my sort of trail - UPdulating with some good downs (and I managed not to faceplant!). Pushed all the uphill bits and jogged the downs, finished then went back out to find Mike. I had no idea what my time was so was pleased with 31:49 given I have very few fast twitch muscles any more!!! Total mileage ended up at 5.3 so a nice short leg-stretcher ahead of a 20 miler tomorrow. 2nd in my age category by 1.5 mins with an age grading 60.14% so I might pop back every few weeks to see if my speedwork is taking effect. Finished in 99th place and was the 35th female out of a field of 146 parkrunners. A good starting point.
TE, thanks for the advice and I promise I WILL taper this time, well, in my own unique way ;-)
IW, I'm finding my weekly yoga session really beneficial for mobility. I'm doing lots of sqauts ecah day atm and will be heading back to bootcamp next week.
Aquarius, great news that you are making a comeback. Please don't push too hard too soon though xxx
Red, good to hear that you got everyones attention at your presentation for the collaboration between ARUK and parkrun. That parkrun sounds ideal as part of your speed training, with the ups and downs, and you working hard on the ups. I haven't done a parkrun since my injury, but always treated them as tempo runs, as 5k is an ideal distance for tempo work. Hope your 20 miler went well today.
I did a 10 mile forest run yesterday morning, which was very painful. It felt as if I was wearing concrete boots, and I was "running on empty." I nearly quit at 3 miles , but I'm not a quitter and carried on. I had intended running 16 miles, but at 5 miles reluctantly decided to turn back. Very frustrating, as I was almost back to full fitness and increasing my pace. My right knee which has been causing me all the problems for so many months, is manageable now, but it was my left knee that was causing the problems yesterday, and is now aching. I've iced the knee this morning with a bag of frozen peas, and it does seem to have eased it a bit, and is now more flexible. I will probably not run on Monday now, but will still attend spin classes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cold and drizzly for my hilly 20 this morning. Just got my head down and pounded out the miles with nothing interesting to report.
Oh dear TE, hope your knee is OK and please be careful with your spin classes. I think I will do a Parkrun occasionally as a check on my progress during my speeding-up phase.
Hope all of you in the South are battening down the hatches ahead of the severe weather heading our way this evening! Stay safe everyone.
I'm not sure of the thinking behind the new GFA rules. After my first London Marathon entry, all of mine were GFA and they were all granted. Now, it seems, despite their pledge to have gender parity, whatever that means, it all looks as if it's a bit of a bun fight, if you read the rules. They will make it competitive within the 3,000 total allocated to each of men and women, which doesn't sound very much divided up between all the different age categories. Therefore, if demand exceeds supply, and you're faster than 4.30 in our age category, then you have a better chance of a place. If you squeak through at 4.30, then it's a bit touch and go.
Nice that you got a hearing at your parkrun, Red. I'm incensed that, after all the money you've raised for ARUK that you don't get some sort of gold-plated place where you're transported to the start line held aloft on a rose-petal litter by a team of muscle-bound hand-picked handsome young men, and a similar treatment when you cross the finish line where, laurel-wreathed, you are transported into Buckingham Palace to be waited on in your own personal dressing room by a team of footmen. The charity should know when to reward hard work and loyalty!! You've been an amazing ambassador for them.
TE. We all have days like that where we feel as if we're running for the first time in our lives. You were right to listen to your body and stop.
WtnMel: I'll look forward to those grandmotherly duties. Mine are toddler and baby at the moment, but I'll look forward to all those events. I received a small video of my 2nd grandson (11 weeks) doing his first gurgles and chuckles this week. I've repeated it about 30 times, I'm ashamed to say.
A long coastal walk, today. Blue gromwell, ladies smock, garlic flower, bluebells, hawthorn blossom and swallows. Cold though!
The heavy rain forecast for last night and this morning did not materialise. The strong wind did appear though and it is still very windy now.
Red, well done for your 20 miler. You seem to knock them out as if they were a "stroll in the park."
WtnMel, hope your granddaughter enjoyed dancing with a celebrity, and that you enjoyed watching. I imagine that you took some photos, or perhaps they were not allowed, as I believe there is some legislation that prohibits photography were children are involved.
Exhausted, I haven't read all the details about the new GFA entries for the London Marathon, but I did see a thread an the subject a few days ago. Not sure it was on RW or Fetch, but the impression I got was that it was only the quickest within the maximum specified times, up to the 3000 runners limit, that would qualify.
Your long coastal walk sounds very pleasant.
My knee isn't feeling so bad this morning, but am resting it for a while. I'm keeping up all the stretches etc and hoping I will soon be up and running again.
Glad I'm not running today.
I think we've got your share of the wind and rain TE as it's horrid here with bits of tree all over the place! Good neews that your knee seems OK today.
Exhasted, I love you! That really made me chuckle thank you
Re the GFA, I find the whole thing rather confusing actually. Does it mean 3000 GFA places within each age group? Or is it 3000 places across all the age categories? I assume it's the latter.
Bright and sunny, but very chilly.
A spinning session this morning, which, as usual, was very tough. We did sprints on hills and on the flat, and 8 x 20 seconds HIIT's with 10 seconds recoveries. I was a bit apprehensive at first regarding the left knee, but I warmed up well, and had no problems.
Had to work extra hard, to burn off the calories from evening meal with Alice yesterday evening. She was telling me all about her London Marathon experience, and said that if that had been her first marathon, she would never do another. Runners were collapsing all around her, and being removed by the medical personnel.
Tonight I did a 7k double lap of Blackpool stanley park in 39mins.
I might just do one more run this week before my 5k race on Monday.I am hoping to beat 25mins.
Damien, good luck with your 5k race on Monday. That is a good target to reach.
Another tough spin session this morning, which included 8 x 5 seconds with 2 second recoveries. That was quite brutal, but effective.
More rain forecast meant I just managed to get home from my run before it started with a vengeance. Yesterday I did 10 x 300m intervals and boy did my legs let me have their thoughts on that this morning! They settled down eventually and I managed to plod around a 10 mile route followed by yoga to stretch me out a bit.
TE, you and your spinning are making me tired! Alice's experience at VLM must have been disappointing. I've run it in similar condiitons and it's really upsetting to see people collapsing around you.
Damian, good luck with your 5k target.
It's bright and sunny, but I have decided to take today and tomorrow as rest days, and then run on Saturday. Mr right knee, the original injured one is nearly 100% now and the left knee, feeling a lot better.
Red, I got soaked yesterday morning on the way to and from spinning.
Take care doing your sprint sessions, because if you don't normally do them, you could pull a hamstring or quad etc. Ensure that you have warmed up before doing them, including some dynamic stretching, and do static stretches afterwards. The yoga sessions will definitely be beneficial.
I've been for a few runs. I'm not sure why or where it's leading.
TE. Glad the left knee is not causing you any repetitive problems.
The sun's out and it looks as if we might actually get a whole Bank Holiday without rain. I'm just off for a trot to bootcamp which I'm resuming to get me in tip-top shape for my pb attempt (I may even try going alcohol-free for the training period although I'm not quite fully commited to that yet!). I've also had an offer of pacing duties from my faourite young man, James, who helped me in the 100 miler. Get me with my pacer - eat your heart out Paula!
TE, trying to up my speed was indeed an interesting experience and I was careful not to push too hard. I suspect the next few weeks will be somewhat challenging until my body gives in and gets with the programme! Take care of those knees too please and have a lovely weekend whatever you're doing.
Exhausted, I'm pretty sure those runs are telling you that London's calling! How interesting that you have connections with Blackpool too. I spent many happy months there both in the centre and at South Shore back in the 1980s when I was a Banker (in the days before it became a dirty word!). I was deputising for the Assistant Manager who had done a runner with his secretary! I remember going down to the beach after work and hitching up my suit skirt to go for a paddle, stilettoes in hand.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Another bright, sunny morning, and looking good for the Bank Holiday Weekend.
Exhausted, I think that I probably posted on here some while ago that as a teenager, I went to Blackpool with the Youth Club to watch Cannon and Ball.
Hope your running is leading to a marathon.
Red/Exhausted, thanks. Both knees are feeling good now, but I think I will take another couple of rest days, making a week's non running. This should mean that next week should begin with a trouble free run. Having said that, I might run tomorrow, depends if I can find my sensible hat.
Red, I suggest that you only do one speed session a week, until your body gets used to them. One may be enough, if you are also doing tempo pace runs.
I've got an appointment this afternoon with my Bank's Financial Adviser, being a new financial year.
I found my sensible hat, so will not run until tomorrow.
Two Banks have now closed in the village, Barclays and Nat West, leaving just Lloyds and HSBC. I was really amazed when I was informed that the very young looking man behind the counter of my Bank was the new Manager. He looked as he was just out of school. A sign of old age, I suppose, when everyone looks young
I ran 6 painful miles in the forest yesterday. My legs felt heavy and when I tried to increase my pace, there was "nothing there." I believe this was due to digging and pulling up weeds that had grown up through the gravel in my front garden, Saturday afternoon. It was back breaking work, but I have found in the past that applying weed killer was ineffective.
I've decided not to run today, but am pleased to say that after completing my morning exercises, my legs are feeling much better.
Hope you are all taking care in the heat. It was 28 degrees yesterday afternoon in the New Forest region.
Oh my it's HOT again today! Yesterday we got up at 4am to celebrate World Morning Chorus day and it was glorious. The birds did us proud and I got out for my run at 5:30 and did 15 hilly miles before settling down in the shade with my newspaper. No running today thank goodness.
TE, I've just been doing the same thing. Our gravel drive seems to have more weeds than gravel in it and I don't spray either as the seeds just blow in from elsewhere anyway. Glad your legs are feeling beter today.
Stay safe in the sun everyone and don't forget your suncream.
I ran the last 2k with a lace undone too.
Over all I am quite pleased with how I coped in the heat.