Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭
    I think it does, what I do remember is the first time I ran I ran most of the way with my mate. Completely misjudged how far 800m was and launched my sprint finish from there. Slightly up hill as well! Had to hold on as best as I could to hold my mate off, nearly collapsed over the line!

    Learnt from that mistake!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Oh there's nothing worse than a too early sprint in!

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    None taken - I think.......!
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    The Bus said:
    Lol! Actually we know whihc one, as Ric has posted other photos - still think you are punching above your weight there Ric :smile:

    Talking of Man V Horse Jools reminded me that Huw Lobb was the first runner to beat the Horse in the same year he dropped in to little ol' High Wycombe to win the Half Marathon here (2004). He picked up 25 grand for beating the horse but wasn't even given free entry to the Wycombe Half :smile:
    It (the pic) went down well in my wife's home town in New Zealand. Just a chance shot?

    Cross training for me lately. Averaging around 3 hours most days. Those stalking me on Strava can see the bits I can be bothered to upload.

    🙂

  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭
    Stevie G said:
    3rd one too ;)  Strong finish though.


    On another note, while I'm in a bit of a wanderlust mode (always easier to plot races then actually do them obvs!), I had another look at that Norwich Lord Mayor's 5k

    https://conac.org.uk/lord-mayor-5k/


    Intriguing write up. From the being hauled out if you don't hit 10mins for half way, or 12mins for 3k. These sound chimpy limits, but they bill it as one of the "most challenging" courses in the country.

    Apparently, in excess of "50,000" people line the course. :o

    It's a 2 lapper, so 50,000+ are apparently watching over a mere 1.5(ish) mile route.

    1.5miles is around 2413 metres, call it 2500 for giggles to allow the "Ish"

    So 50,000 people are standing over 2500metres, meaning 20 people are crammed in per metre.

    To watch the Mayor of Norwich cruise past (plus the race)

    I'm ever so struggling to see it.
    This is some seriously convoluted maths to get to the answer that half of 5k is 2500m.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Yeah in hindsight the calculator wasn't needed 😘😄

    Was obvs transfixed on wording just how ridiculous 50k people is
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    Stevie G said:

    SW - I can imagine the second castle looms like Reading FC's ground does in the half marathon...


    entries incidentally still available for that one next weekend til Wed...£50 though! And probs £12 to park..

    I just park up the top of the first hill somewhere for free. £50 is a lot but it's got to be worth it for us to all hear about how my parking advice led to some catotrophic event.

    Incidentally I am entered into this one, seems like a wise move.

    The only time I hear Sally Gunnell's name mentioned these days is when I am swinging a golf club. Fast & ugly.
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    I saw a broadcast with Sally Gunnell, interviewing someone after a race where the camera was positioned in such a way that the only part of her being shown was her nose.

    🙂

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    From high mileage every day running, to less distance and threshold fare, I've moved on to sessions every other day plus maybe one long run.

    Today's run wasn't meant to be a session, but it turned into one. Easy enough decision to make when it became clear I wasn't going to keep going at the pace I'd got locked into. So I stopped. Recovered, and carried on unless I felt I was pushing the effort a bit too much.

    Five miles of efforts. Plenty of mud involved.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Some wild swings there Ric. At least no one can accuse you of doing the same all the time!


    Simon - you're sat on the very pleasing round number of 500 turnouts on PO10 at the moment. Almost makes it a shame to move to 501!

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    It's those wild swings SG that snap the body into making adaptations. Why else would it bother?

    The trick is to give the system a hint that you're going to do something even more drastic than you've just done. Then give it enough time to adapt.

    Experience is how long you keep the hammer down before backing off.

    Two examples. First was from book by Coe senior where there was a three week program designed to shift the runner up a level. Forget the details - it looked brutal compared to the training leading up to it.

    But here's the thing. It only lasted three weeks. Then the idea was to back right off of it and then only do half of it, since half of it was all that was needed to stay there.

    The other example was a guy I met whose work forced him into a training pattern where he ran 100 miles on alternate weeks being only able to do 20 miles on the other.
    He thought it was going to ruin his racing but instead he went from running a 5 miler in around 27:30's to a low 26!

    No one likes their training being picked apart SG, but the training which gave you your pb's won't work now. It's not that the training now isn't as valid as it was then. It's what the situation was leading up to that training that is different.

    You came from doing a lot of football type stuff - then structured running training. It was the football stuff that was being adapted. And that's now gone.

    I reckoned that Bus came from hours and hours of mountain biking. That was his base. He could hammer the running and get faster off of it. But that's gone too.

    There's a blog called 'Esox and Observations'. The headline says, 'Won't ever make a difference being the same as everyone else'.* Worth reading just for the attitude.

    *That might have been one of my comments.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    I certainly have to "fancy" something more now than ever.  I couldn't go back to marlow days and doing any race they suggest with perhaps a couple of weeks notice.

    Also the big loss from the moz stuff was the confidence you generated as you went. Plus knowing he'd get you where you needed to be. That's very difficult to recreate, especially this many years on and with the 2015 situation never quite having left the thoughts.

    It depends how you define what "works" as well. Is it beating pbs from 6-7 years ago? It is matching age grading?  Is it how it "feels" racing?
    How do you judge what "works" for you for example without races to go off?

    Another difficult thing was today's 13. Probably harder for motivation as the half dream went, for one.

    Plus as windy as ive ever run in. At times dribbling along.
    7.22 in the end will do well. There was one bit i had the wind for about 600m. Literally magixal sweeping me along.
    Nothing else like that though
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Probably right Ric though my MTB exploits were a lot less in the few years before taking up running. It was lack of time to get out on the bike that lead me to run - kind of ironic really, given I spend more time running  over a week now than most of my biking!

    Yes - VERY windy here today, so you did well just to get out SG! Feel sorry for anyone racing and chasing a fast time today! As there are lots of branches and things flying around, and a lot of my route will be in woods, I'm going to wait until later today to head out, when it's forecast to die down a bit. 
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    That's very difficult to recreate, especially this many years on and with the 2015 situation never quite having left the thoughts.

    Know the feeling SG. I still have 1997/98 stuck in my head, which is one delusional mistake if I still think of six minute mile pace as standard.

    The biggest problem with race pace/effort right now is how a particular 'tempo', which isn't even a pushed effort can still be enough to blow me up after two minutes.

    Such is running on memory. 

    Bus, in the past I'd be out doing things for 40-50 hours/week, but stopped all the time dependent ambitious stuff before I settled down.

    Ironic that now I have even more time to spare, I can't be bothered. 

    I won't run in the woods in high winds now. One giant tree coming down within 30 yards of me was enough of a warning.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2019

    There's a road up to Beaconsfield our way, that is basically like an arch of massive high trees.

    That always has that risk look in high winds!


    It was the Big Half today. Caught the end of the race by accident scrolling tv channels. Didn't even know it was televised. The Silverstone half, the last version of the "London" Half never was.


    What struck me, was how amazing it is that Farah and two pals can be sprinting in, after doing what must be something like 4.45-4.50 pace for 13miles, finish, and just stand there looking fresh. If you'd turned the tv on then, you genuinely wouldn't know that they weren't just about to start.

    I know it's all relative, this game, but I don't finish my 13milers at my "easy" pace, looking anywhere near as fresh at that!


    ps Ric, these days I'm a lot more content with the whole "package" of a race. The choosing of it, the drive there, the pre and post chats, obvs the race report!

    Something short, somewhere different, different people to race, and lots of turnouts. Rather than big build ups to one race over a few months.

    The former approach just strikes me as a lot more enjoyable, lot less pressurised way of keeping it all going well. As I've seen this last 6months, in the latter approach you can find you come away after 2months with an underwhelming one, or no turnout at all!


  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Interesting thoughts Ric. Didn't you just say you were XTing 3hrs a day on top of the running right now tho?
    Agreed SG. No point in spending 3 months between races only to have it ruined by a dodgy belly, unfortunate injury or inclement weather. Today's gales being yet another example. That said I do spend each Spring working towards a marathon performance - VLM was certainly ruined for me by the heat. I was, without doubt, in the shape of my life yet blew up so badly I had my worst time there since 2012. Fingers crossed things go better at Brighton this year.
    Big w/e for me: a 30K progression run which went really well after a shockingly poor parkrun performance made 24 NAD for me yesterday. Got out for a trot round my local (hilly trail) HM this morning in blustery but gorgeously sunny conditions with some clubmates. Legs felt ridiculously good after the first warm-up mile (8:38) so 2 of us pushed on. Really pleased with the pace/effort combo & a 1:42 final clocking is around 3 minutes quicker than my first ever race over more or less the same course back in 2006 B)
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Only around 3hrs average all in Jools. Sometimes more, usually less. 2hrs today. Tomorrow will be less. 

    SG, I get the impression your easy runs aren't really easy. You mentioned the sound of your breathing once. I think threshold is closer. Put another way, 7 minute mile easy pace converts to 2:25 marathon race pace. 

    🙂

  • ioweriower ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Easy 4 yesterday. Long (windy af) run today - a clubmate had organised a ‘frolic’ style running event based at a local pub where various loops and routes were available and people could do just one or multiples thereof. Ended up just over 20 miles, ran most of it with a clubmate or two which helped a lot. Hills and obviously wind/rain/hail didn’t though. Pace was about 7:25 I think. Definitely not, strictly, ‘easy’ at times but never that taxing and legs and lungs felt ok throughout. Recovery burger and chips at the pub was inhaled in record time afterwards
  • alehousealehouse ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    SG: Mo's half best is 59:22. That's just under 4:32 pace. 4:50 and he would be jogging!

    Wondering what Dean has to report...
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    FS! Just seen (I think) SG invade the pitch at the Emirates.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    RicF said:g
    Only around 3hrs average all in Jools. Sometimes more, usually less. 2hrs today. Tomorrow will be less. 

    SG, I get the impression your easy runs aren't really easy. You mentioned the sound of your breathing once. I think threshold is closer. Put another way, 7 minute mile easy pace converts to 2:25 marathon race pace. 
    Close to one of your most misguided ever posts on here 😄😄

    Just 💩💩
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Ahem.....

    Meanwhile - good work Iower :-)

    Frustrating end ot the week for me - ended up on 48.9M!!!  Somehow yesterday I convinced myself a very long (for me) 16.3 was in order to get to a nice round 50.  To avoid the gales, I went out late today, with just enough time for a slow paced 16. However, 5M in, I felt sick, and weak and wanted to give up and go home and was just trying to get to double figures.  11M in, I started to feel fine and started to run quite well, but my pace had been was SO slow that I was running out of time. At 13M, the sky went black, the wind picked up and I found myself stuck between fallen trees - a massive job in front, and ne behind I'd had to crawl under! They had fallen across a steep bank and the one in front was too big and covered in branches to climb over. Eventually, I got round it, but by then, the light was dying and it started to rain.  I managed to add a bit of distance, but at 14 miles it was hailing heavily and the wind picked up (very relieved to have taken gloves, hat and a windproof gilet at this point!) and got home just after 15, in almost total darkness and in heavy snow!!! Just another mile needed, but discretion was definitely the better part of valour tonight!  This was the tree that blocked my path, and for scale, on its side was about 2 feet taller than me:neutral:




  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Thought I'd check that one again SG....Easy pace equates to 2 minutes per mile slower than...10k race pace! Brisk pace is 30 seconds faster. 

    It's from The New Competitive Runners Handbook, one of the most detailed running tomes I've ever come across.

    Don't know why I thought marathon race pace.

    Tough one there Bus. Such is the risk of running where trees are.

    Not much idea of weekly mileages myself most of the time. I can go weeks without adding them up. I just operate on the day and deal with that.  

    🙂

  • For races on po10, how do you get a number? Do you literally count them?

    If you want friend of a friend type connections to royalty feel free to put me in the chain: I've had a one to one with QEII, been presented as a group of 3 to QEII and been presented as a group of several hundred to QEII.

    The weather yesterday was very odd. We had high winds and there were trees down all over the place but the worst bit I had was in the middle of a flat field. The path was very flat and had a slippery surface and the wind picked up from behind. I started to enjoy flying along on the surface but saw the path was coming to an abrupt end at a gate with a big puddle in front of it and the brakes simply were not working: I had very little grip and if I tried to use what I had, my body was being moved forward and basic physics says that any backward force near the base causes a rotation (i.e. face plant). Thankfully, the mud that preceded the puddle was sufficient to slow me down so I escaped with two muddy trainers and no worse.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    For a man of your stats hungry normal high level of know how Phil, I'm genuinely shocked at your question ;)

    There's a tally at the bottom son!
    You go easy in these dodgy isolated routes you do. You could still be there now it you'd slipped a bit harder!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Ah, just as well Ric, as otherwise I was going to declare myself to be one incredible runner - able to run 60+ miles a week at threshold.

    Plus the obvious knockon up the paces, and my GSR wouldn't actually have been underwhelming,it would have been an amazing performance...10 miles at a minute a mile faster than threshold - that'd be a bit faster than mile pace - wow!

    And as for my mile at Ealing, i'd have basically done a 1mile at beyond flat out 50metre sprint pace
    ;)
  • Stevie G said:
    For a man of your stats hungry normal high level of know how Phil, I'm genuinely shocked at your question ;)

    There's a tally at the bottom son!
    You go easy in these dodgy isolated routes you do. You could still be there now it you'd slipped a bit harder!
    I now see it: Total Performances: 370, it is a long way down ...

    There is a risk running isolated routes but I have started to take my phone with me (I'm thinking about a flipbelt so any feedback on those e.g. with or without zips would be appreciated) and I always have the current route set on 
    https://dynamic.watch/me and my wife has an email with my username and password so if she can find and work that then she has something to pass to the guys with the body bag. 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    It's certainly something you think about when either you get a bit older, do isolated routes, or have had some sort of race collapse isn't it!

    Before that, I dare say we've all disappeared off on massive runs without telling anyone where and when, with no ID on!

    In fairness, the time my 13 became a 19, I actually had my phone with me, and still went massively wrong even following the GPS!Just a bit more awkward at running speed than driving speed, as you approach roads so slowly 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    12 stage relays in 2 weeks then.

    We've got 4 of our top boys missing, but we're just about clinging onto a full 12. It's touch and go though, and 12 is a lot of troops to keep fit and well without a sub this year! (The 2017 sub is in the team!)

    I'd guess we have it all to do to qualify, but it'll still be a good rampage, and the long leg is always shorter at the southerns than the Nationals. And presumably without the real arse of a hill, and soulless out and back bit at Sutton Park!
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