Shades Marathon Training

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  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-isnt Malta point to point?be good if it's a tailwind.
    Shades-interesting to see what she says about it.ive just finished a 12 week study of the effect on endurance athletes getting colds or something,just had  fill out a training log each week and if I had a sore throat to spray something in it,only used it twice but get £100 for it.
    No running yesterday as mum's birthday so visited her after work,annoying news from work though,we've done so well here I've been asked to go and run a bigger store,nice that it's a compliment but annoying as I've got into a really good rythym with run/work and tgis store needs a lot of work so hoping it doesn't change.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2019
    Ian - that seems a very good way to earn £100 :) 

    I will let you know what info I can glean from her.   She did mention the studies on taking a carb drink and just swilling it around the mouth, not ingesting it and that has a positive effect for endurance athletes.  Apparently the brain thinks that the body is about to get food/energy and responds accordingly.  That's something that we often see elite runners do in a marathon.

    That is annoying that you are so good at your job that you're now going to be the hit man for your company :/
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Ian, yes, it's point-point although there are some out-and-backs and loops in the first half.  Trying to piece together the forecast with the route, I think it could be a cross-head wind for the second half.  Who knows though, as the forecast may change yet.

    I was sat at home waiting for the agent to call, which they didn't, so I went out for a 5-miler via the agent....I'm now the proud owner of a new house :)  


  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that looks quite chilly for Malta.  Hopefully with such a twisting course the winds may be cross winds for a lot of the time which isn't so bad.

    Congratulations on the new house :)
  • Shades - Thames Riverside 20.

  • Fingers crossed with the weather  BIg G!

    Shades, any excuse to eat a curry sits well for me.

    Cal not just the blossom is at risk of another cold snap all our Spring races too!!!  Has been a pretty mild winter, I would say that but I've hardly been out.

    Spent a bit of time this morning doing some of the hamstring and calf lengthening stretches this morning, they felt good yesterday and hopefully another plug in to recovery.  I had to jog to the station this morning as late for the train and no issues yet.

  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades-Ive read that before about swilling drink but never had the nerve to try it.
    Big G-I hope the wind dies down or changes as that doesn't look ideal for you.
    Nice and steady run after work,legs nearly right again so hopefully a good week this week.
  • Big G- congrats on getting your keys exciting times ahead.

    Not much chance of a shift swap we don't get many weekends off as it is they are like gold dust so I just hope the service doesn't impose the ban for the whole month. 8 miles today with the second half into a pretty strong wind so quite a little test today.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Any advice on what to do about pace on Sunday would be gratefully received!

    I've just checked last year's splits and the full list is below.  In summary, I averaged 7:36 over the whole race, but the first 6-miles or so are basically down hill and if I feel I'm running well I am wondering if I should just go for it and go for 7:10s or something - last year those first few miles ended up being around (or slower) than the overall average, even though it's an easier section of the course.  This 7:10 estimate is based on the fact that I did around 7:10s on other sections of the course much later in the race.  If I blow up because the fitness just isn't there and I end up doing a poorish time I'm not bothered, but maybe I should just give it a crack?  I usually go off fairly steadily in my events, so this would be a change, but the course lends itself to it.  I know it depends on lots of things and how I'm feeling etc, but any thoughts?  

    Full list of splits from last year:
    8:06, 7:33, 7:30, 7:40, 7:46, 7:47, 7:36, 7:39, 7:27, 7:45, 7:44, 7:27, 7:26, 7:38, 7:39, 7:37, 7:10, 7:14, 7:30, 7:20, 7:16, 7:22, 7:56, 7:36, 7:55, 7:59 (I did coast in a bit enjoying the atmosphere knowing it was a PB…which I kind of now regret!)
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-If you can cope with the possibility of blowing up then I say go for it.Sometimes we need to set an ambitious target to hit ad good a time as we can.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - sounds like a nice area to be marshalling.

    Robert - I'm with you on the curry too.   Turmeric is good for you and she said eat it, however to achieve any sort of effect that athletes are looking for you'd need to eat a bucketful. :o 

    Ian - swilling a carb drink is certainly worth a try.   I should try it as I can't take sports drinks as they irritate my stomach.

    steven - well lets hope it's a quiet Brexit and you aren't needed for any civil unrest.

    Is it this weekend your half marathon?

    Big G - I'm with Ian on race pacing, go for it and run the first 6 miles at PB pace.  Either do a mile gentle warm up pre race or run the first mile a little slower to ease you into your target pace.  Obviously all dependent on how you feel on the day.

    One of my biggest regrets is that when I did my last marathon PB, I didn't go for 4:19 which I could have got on the day.  But I was injured and as it was frosty and that hideous Abingdon course, once I knew I had a PB in the bag I slowed up to try and protect my injury.   Highly unlikely I'll ever do another marathon PB as age has caught up with me since then.

    6 miles today, bit windy but nice and mild.   The moon was behind the clouds but as it is so bright I was able to do my return run on the back road which has no streetlights, first time I've managed to do that this year, spring is coming. :)

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Ian/Shades, thanks.

    Shades, the first half mile is up a hill through the old town so that will hold me back a bit and ease me in - I definitely won’t go off like a rocket and just get up that first section and see how I feel after that.

    It’s funny the memories that come to mind. I remember before the Malta start last year I wasn’t really feeling that up for it - I was ok, but I didn’t really think I’d get the time I did. I was in the queue for the loos at the start feeling a bit grumpy, if I’m honest! I can’t remember exactly when it was but I overtook the 3:30 pacer at around 4 miles feeling really comfortable and wondered if I may later regret that decision, but it just all came together on the day. 
  • Big G - I agree with Shades/Ian, see how you feel, nothing wrong with taking a gamble and blowing up later in the race....we have all been there. I do think it's those gambles that can pay big dividends PB wise. I remember when I ran my then HM PB of 1:26:xx from my previous 1:29:5x...so a 3 minute PB. I went off hard not expecting to maintain, but at 10 miles was still on that pace, so knew a big PB was on the cards, if I'd have gone off at 1:28 pace no way would I have hit 1:26 that day.
    Anyway, 5 miles yesterday, but no running today, did 22.5 miles on the bike (90 mins). Might stick with the bike on Saturday too until this cold has gone.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Thanks Steve.

    Shades, regarding that Haldon parkrun and car parking, a group from my club are going to the first one this weekend. They know of a place to park which is around 3 miles away from the event, so approx 9-10 miles in total. I will do that one weekend.

    Just done 4 miles to turn legs over a bit before travelling to Brum today. We got a good deal on car parking that included a night’s stay over, and as it’s a fairly early flight we thought it best to travel there today. Last year I flew from Bristol but you have to go for a week then, and OH couldn’t get that time off work. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that first mile of Malta marathon is ideal then to warm you up and also stop any temptation to go too fast that early on.
    Funny how last year you felt grumpy and then ran so well ;) 

    That will be a decent run then when you do that new parkrun.   That's quite expensive parking I think.

    I like Birmingham airport, always had nice food there too.

    Steve - you are so right, we have to be brave in races if we want the results.  Hope the cold clears quickly.

    Pilates was good today and only really challenging due to my DOMS from Tuesday's class.   Others also had DOMS from Tuesday too so I wasn't the only one.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Good luck for the flight over.
    Steve-I've had that type of run in the past,i'm pretty rubbish at speeding up so need to go off a little fast sometimes.
    10 miles today,nice and steady,Achilles is a little sore but it always is after a race so I just need to be careful with it this week
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Forecast is currently looking worse for Sunday :( High chance of rain for when the race starts, and 40mph winds. I really don’t like starting a race in the rain and at Malta there’s nowhere inside to get in the dry. I’ll need to get a bin bag!!  I’m hoping it’s wrong, as it ended up for Loch Ness. Of course, currently today, Saturday and Mon-Weds are looking quite good weather-wise!

    Got up to Brum ok, having endured Ikea on the way. OH is looking for garden furniture, which is one thing neither of us has (well, I have a bench, but nothing else). Didn’t buy anything though except Ikea does a Daim Cake which is very, very nice!

    If you’re ever flying from Brum and need parking and hotel I’d recommend Airparks. You park your car, hand the keys over and then it’s a 15min bus to the airport. We’re staying at the Ibis 2mins from departures and for 6 days parking and a night at the hotel (which is modern, quiet, clean and tidy - although there is no AC) we paid £71.  It seems good value.

    Flight is at 10am so hopefully all will be on time. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - oh no, maybe try another weather website until you get a more favourable forecast.  If the weather is against you on Sunday you still have Rotterdam as a potential PB race.

    I used Airparks once when flying from Brum, pre satnav (for me) days and once I found it I was very impressed with service, new comfortable roomy buses.   Airport parking is so expensive now, that was a good deal.

    Ian - I do hope that at some time you won't have achilles pain at all :/ 


    8 miles for me today, a little cooler but no wind, nice running weather.  
  • That does sound good, Big G. There's a bit of uphill at the start of Chester and I ran my best marathon there.

    Not a great week for me. My two middling runs were fine but after the 12 I went to pilates and my right knee started giving me trouble. I have a niggly groin thing and I think there's something tight in my thigh that pulls on the knee and groin. Doing squats beyond a certain point hurts.
    Yesterday was a rest day (I did do some yoga) although I went out and walked a bit.
    I was a bit hesitant to run today but taped up the knee and did so and the knee wasn't really an issue. Did 6 miles (10K, really) at a very easy pace. Achilles was unhappy though, so I'm going to see my physio on Monday.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2019
    Cal - maybe just as well you're marshalling this weekend so you're not tempted to run long.   But good that the knee didn't really bother you running, just need that achilles and groin to settle down now.

    My post Pilates DOMS has gone today, thankfully.
  • It's not this weekend I'm marshalling, it's next. This weekend I'm supposed to be doing a 20.
    :/
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - oh sorry, I thought it was this weekend.  But you do have plenty of long runs in the bank already if you need to rest.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades-I hope it goes at some point,but resigned to it being here now.
    Big G-Glad you had a good journey,enjoy your break.
    Last day in my current store today so decided to finish early and get a bonus 10 miles in seems the weather was so nice.
    My club is looking at starting a summer trophy and I've put my name forward to help promote and organise it,sent a list of races across and it seems to have gone down ok so just waiting for feedback now.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Ian - nice one.  It’s great being involved with the club in that way. 

    Got here to Malta with no problems at all, and made the transfer on the public busses to the town we’re staying in (Sliema). We’ve got a nice Airbnb a few minutes walk from the finish line, which is already up.

    My legs were feeling stiff so I went for a 3-miler shortly after arriving, which I enjoyed. Then I went and got my race number - there was an hour queue for that, whereas last year on the Thursday I went straight to the desk. No issues though - it’s done now.

    At the number desk there was an older guy there who was trying to get his race number, but the organisers were trying to explain that Running Crazy had picked up the group’s numbers the day before. The organisers were ringing around trying to help the chap (who didn’t seem to have a clue that he was supposed to be with a tour group!) so I don’t know if that got resolved or not.

    I was planning a run this morning but we’ve got some walking to do today so I decided not to run. Weather is good today but still looks crap tomorrow.  I saw on the Facebook group that one person was hoping the race would be cancelled as she thought it’d be too dangerous to run in the rain!  Errrm, I don’t think so!
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - good to hear you're getting more involved with your club.  That sounds like good fun to organise.

    That's a swift move to your new store, hope it all goes well.

    Big G - I don't think runners would be very happy to have the race cancelled due to rain, I take it that wasn't a marathon runner.   The year I was due to go to Malta, (had to cancel 2 days before as my Mum broke her wrist), the course at Malta was partly flooded and they just had to run through the floods.  

    Enjoy yourself today and make the most of the better weather, don't forget to find a bin bag!


    9 miles for me today, chilly and very foggy.  Did my lake run again, one of my favourite routes.
  • Good luck tomorrow, Big G!
    Shades, very foggy here too! I visited Harrow Lodge parkrun with my friend with the car - took over an hour (I'd have been quicker on the tube, probably, but then I wouldn't have company). So 2 miles to get to where she picked me up, then the parkrun, then a mile home from when she dropped me for a total of 6.
    Harrow Lodge is a very picturesque parkrun but we didn't really get to enjoy that aspect of it all that much due to the fog! But it's a fun course - mixed terrain, and fortunately the grass and trail parts weren't too muddy. I kept a good pace but the parkrun itself seemed a little long (3.18 miles) so my time was about 30 seconds slower than my pace indicated it should have been (my official time was 25:51 but I averaged 8:08). Only good enough for 3rd V50 but I was 8th lady. A lady was first finisher, too.
    The good news is my knee was OK, so I should be fine for my long run tomorrow.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Good luck for tomorrow,should have shown that person the videos of Venice last year.
    Went for a nice run with OH and her brother today,10 miles and nice and slow for me but felt nice running with them in the spring weather.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, part of the problem I think is that the rainwater drainage isn’t great. Last year it chucked it down with rain on one of the days and the roads were flooded very quickly.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - that's good that the knee was OK today.  I'm sure that sometimes this running lark turns us into hypochondriacs, but it is impossible at times to know what is a random twinge or something more serious.

    Ian - now you've got your brother in law running too!

    Big G - that must be a recurrent problem in Malta then. But at least if you have to run through a flood it shouldn't be freezing cold water, I've had that in my last 2 races 😫
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades-yes he started a few months ago and been building up,he's currently at the stage of not realising the benefits of running slower,so that was part of the  reason I went,to talk to him on the way round and talk about conversation pace etc.
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