P&D Spring Marathon 2019

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  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭

    Sounds tough going at the Berkeley 20:20 on Saturday, Jooligan. Everyone reported how windy it was – especially so in your case by the sounds of things. Hope you feel better soon.

    Tough going also TR. Perhaps 4M too long a warm up for a real stab? Although it does sound tough conditions. Still, trust in your training.

    Absolutely fantastic AWC! Great consistency in training and you have smashed your PB. Three minutes is huge.

    Fantastic also for Joe. Really well deserved after so many 100M weeks, bike sessions and shoe lace jokes. Reading sounds like a really fast field, but not quite as fast a course as Wokingham. Bodes so well for London. But ignore that – enjoy the moment.

    Please to see Reg smash his 1:30 prediction. Hope the injury comeback keeps progressing.

    That’s a very impressive time for a race with wed grass and trail, Macca. And a great finish position. I find it so much harder running solo. Why have two ahead been DQed?

     

     

    After a few days of no running, I took my daughter in the buggy to parkrun, with the intention of walking a couple of laps and having a play on the swings etc – get out of the house job. The wind was so strong at times, with buggy acting as a sail, that I ended up jogging very short stretches when it was behind us - but only 12m/m pace average. Another buggy run yesterday for 4.8M at usual recovery pace. Back felt a bit sore and inflamed after. Carried on with the hot/cold treatment, ibuprofen and exercises. Thank you for all the advice – lots of experience on here! And definitely agreed that keeping moving has helped it loosen.

    Enjoyable recovery 7M this morning with spoons, dodging the flooding. Will try out some faster running tomorrow, but no pressure on pace. A pleasing comeback so far.

    I think that for me it won’t be a disastrous little break and reset. I seem to run all my PBs 5 or 6 weeks after starting a marathon plan, so I’m hoping this will be the case at London as well.


  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    Pleased you got a long run in, FBT. How was/is the foot?
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    TR - tough day. Shouldn't be worried to take another easier week.

    Jools - A tough day out for you too. Can't read too much into it with the gut issues.

    Macca - Great time on what sounds like a pretty slow course. Fingers crossed for a belated podium.

    Reg - That's a great time considering your lack of running recently . Low mileage specialist. Need to get an injury free run at some point. 

    Joe - good to catch up. Smashing PB. Certainly makes up for shoe lace gate. With your all your training last year and big mileage recently I think you'll convert very well to the full marathon. A PB in London is calling. 

    AWC - A long overdue PB. Finally got the chance to give it a crack and you smashed it. Well done.

    FBT - good work on the LR. Foot ok?

    Anyway, Reading Half for me yesterday.

    I wasn’t feeling great the week before, nothing specific, just feeling flat and unmotivated. But when I thought about it on Saturday, there was no reason I shouldn’t run well – training had been good, I’d had a very light week and I had a new pair of super shoes. As expectations increased so did my nerves.

    I had the whole family in tow to watch which was great, but wrangling 3 kids from the car and getting everything sorted was somewhat stressful. Pretty lucky to have blagged my way onto the elite start as an elite veteran, which meant no worries getting a good position. Quick chat with Joe before the start.

    Started off pretty fast, too fast really but it felt good. I decided to just run on feel, if I blew up so be it. Sat in with a pack, and went with it. Got a cheer from the family at about 1.5 miles, then felt good and found myself passing people up the hill in the 3rd mile without pushing any harder. By the 5th mile I was starting to feel it and knew a slowdown was inevitable. Through 10k in 32:00. Bloody hell, I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast for a 10k and much too fast for a half.

    Miles 7-9 were a real struggle and pace dropped to about 5:30s, people started to come past me. Pace really dropped up the hill, then a section into the wind around mile 9 but recovered a bit after that and managed to get the pace back down to about 5:25 before the pace dropped again in the last mile along the dual carriageway back to the stadium. Legs were really fatigued coming towards the stadium and I started missing the occasional step. Hit the 13 mile marker and put in a spurt around the stadium to the finish with 1:10:52 on the clock (70:50 chip time).Hung around the finish to watch Joe come in to smash his PB.

    Overall I’m very happy with the time. Broke my PB from when I was 17 (24 years ago) by about 90s and even though it wasn’t the best run race, the time was good and suggests 2:30 is possible in 6 weeks’ time. With my lack of racing I really had no idea how fast I’m running at the moment so, even though I might’ve run faster with a more conservative start, I’m pleased I went out hard and tested my limits and also pleased that I managed to work through some tough patches and held on pretty well.

    Interesting to consider how much difference the shoes made. Hard to nail down a number with so many variables. Feet felt good in them though and will see how the legs pull up on a short, easy run today.


  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    SQ - Hopefully the back continues to improve, good signs this morning by the sounds of it. So much consistent training recently you shouldn't worry.
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Just had this pop into my inbox. Media tart.

  • george_george_ ✭✭✭
    Jools-Sounds like an underlying illness to me. Hope you are fit and fighting soon

    AWC-That's a huge PB, congrats!

    Macca-Great result, especially given the wind and underfoot conditions

    TR-Good run and as you say excellent building blocks for the future

    Joe-Fantastic time and a PB. It has been coming after a really consistent training block. Excited to see what you could do at London with a taper

    SQ-I do not envy the buggy runners in conditions like those! Hope the back continues to ease up

    Bath half for me yesterday. Headline figure is 1:24:42 finish and a 3 minute PB. Full report as below:

    Up early for a 3km warm up. I was staying in Bristol the night before so was a little paranoid about traffic and parking. Thankfully the park and ride was like clockwork so got to the race village with around an hour and a half to kill. Bath starts at 11am and it feels like an interminable wait to get going.

    A couple of loo stops, some faffing in the pen and speeches from some local dignitaries and we were away. The plan was to run some even 6:30 miles to begin with and see where we got to. The first mile is downhill so had to check myself to a 6:20 opening.

    Those that have run Bath before will know it's 2 lots of 10k out and back loops. The first 5k of each loop was into a stiff breeze and then behind your back on the way back, although as ever this section feels like the wind drops!

    Managed to tuck behind various groups into the wind ticking off the miles and feeling good. Passed the 5k mat with 5.2k on the watch in 20:33. I cursed GPS although a look back at the results today it seems like the 5k mat was in the wrong place. Everyone I have checked ran that first 5k slower than their average pace.

    Felt really good to mile 7 until the slog back into the wind 2nd time round. The crowd I was with was slowing down and the next group was about 200 metres ahead. Decided to press ahead by myself and catch the group in front but this meant running into the wind by myself until mile 9, which drained a lot of my spare energy, but I think it paid off in the end

    Turned back for home for the final 4 miles and found a good group of three slowly dialing up the pace from 6:40s up to 6:20s, passing quite a few in the meantime. Back up the hill we started on and into the home straight, a quick sprint and 1:25:00 on the official clock, so a comfortable sub 1:25 in the end

    Bath half is a great event, highly recommend

    (long post, sorry!)

    3 weeks out from Manchester and I’m a little conflicted. 3:10 is the target but I’m debating race day strategy. My half time suggests I’m in slightly better than 3:10 shape, but I honestly don’t feel ready for a sub 3 crack.

    So current options are to head out at 3:10 pace and up the pace if I feel good, or go with the 3 hour pacer and hold on for dear life for as long as I can.

    Thoughts welcome!
  • 1SteveMac1SteveMac ✭✭✭
    Joe - Superb PB.
    AWC - Massive PB, congrats!
    Macca - Super impressive time and placing.
    Jools - Hope you recover from the illness.
    HA - Brilliant PB!!
    George - Superb PB. Maybe somewhere in the middle...3:05?

    90 mins on the bike, then a 30 minute drive to Parkrun to meet up with Endure 24 team mates, for a recovery run. 15 miler on Sunday.
  • Thanks for the words people on the foot...

    Its much better but still a problem - it flares up around 2-8 miles and then either gets progressively worse or gets better which does not help decide what to do (keep running or stop)

    The weird part is when you step on a protruding stone or the like and it gets a direct hit on the 3rd metatarsal head it really sends a shooting pain - so that's where the problem must be!

    The PF in the other foot is still there - but manageable... I'm a running wreck at present LOL

  • Another incredible weekend of performances for the thread! 

    Sorry you didn’t have a good one Jools, but horrible conditions on Saturday, and sounds like you had some kind of bug. Get well soon.

    Superb work AWC, a three minute PB in those conditions is fantastic.

    Congratulations Joe, incredible to take a minute off your PB at that level. Glad to hear you’re going to give London a proper go, look forward to seeing what you do. 

    Bad luck TR, obviously not your day but I’m sure it was still good training.

    Great time given the last few months you’ve had Reg, congrats.

    Very solid result Macca, and no doubt slogging away on your own was good mental training for the marathon.

    Glad to hear you’re getting back out there FBT

    Hope the back continues to improve SQ.

    Fantastic result HA, that really is shifting. Not many 40-somethings can run faster than their teenage-selves! Bodes very well for London.

    Congrats on the PB George, huge chunk off your PB. I found a lot of the mile markers a bit out at Bath yesterday. Manchester is much flatter than Bath, and hopefully you’ll have better weather. If you convert well, sub-3 might be on in the right conditions. Maybe start out with the sub-3 pacer, but make a fairly quick decision to drop back if it’s feeling too tough early on?

    I was running Bath too yesterday. I was totally unsure what to expect, so the aim was to just try and run hard, without blowing up. Finished in 1:23:51, having achieved that goal - I finished strongly up the final hill, and pace was pretty even considering the undulations and wind. I don’t think it was quite an all out HM effort, as I didn’t feel as on the edge as I would expect for that, but it was certainly much harder than MP effort.

    Hard to know quite how to feel. I think it’s a fairly honest reflection of my fitness right now, and hardly a surprise after the last few weeks. And I’m pleased I kept the effort up and didn’t just give up and jog it in. But it’s hard to be thrilled with a pace slower than my marathon PB, for half the distance. Still, a decent training run and the legs feel pretty good today so at least they’ve still got some endurance. Just need to keep plugging away to rebuild the aerobic fitness…

  • TR - definitely agree with the others, no need to panic. Keep on trucking, marathon training can throw up some weird results, you've put in a fantastic base and I think you're still on for a great marathon.

    Macca - congrats on the excellent placing and time. Very excited to see how the marathon plays out for you.

    SQ - glad to hear you're back on too feet. Missing up to 2 weeks is IMO not the end of the world, so I don't think you've got anything to worry about. Nice little reset and refresh. Keep calm and carry on.

    George - congrats on a cracking run. Really great stuff. I don't see why you don't give sub 3 a nudge.. 3:05 is a bit of a grey zone time now GFA has changed, and if you slow, you can still cling on for a solid time. Maybe assess after a couple more long runs though.

    Spoons - definitely don't allow yourself to get too down. The base fitness you've built is still there, just need a few weeks to get the sharpness back. No reason why you can't go through halfway in London in faster than that and it feel a million times easier. Plenty of time to log the miles and get back on the wagon. Well done for persevering and not throwing in the towel. 
  • HA - As mentioned, a brilliant time from you and I think sub 2:30 is definitely on the cards in London. No more than you deserved after all the work you've put in. I did see that picture pop up in my inbox - I can't help it if they pick the most fashionable people to be in the mass comms. Didn't you realise how fast you went out - 10km in 32 flat - lolz. 

    After swapping stories with HA I though I'd look and see who had the more reckless start. 

    JB - first mile of 5:26 vs. average pace of 5:46.

    HA - first mile of 5:05 vs average pace of 5:24.

    Looks like I just edge it - what an utter tool. 
  • First the commiserations to SQ and Jools on their current situations. Really hope you both can get back to it sooner rather than later. FBT, I missed your issues earlier in the thread but glad to see you have managed to run. RSR for having to slightly postpone the pb hunting but I think a gentler approach will be better for your body and you will give yourself a nice surprise end of April. TR you could maybe give yourself a bit of a pat on the back for the half too - hard to really perform with the amount of fatigue your intensely marathon focused campaign is putting into you.

    And now the congrats to HA, George, AWC and Joe on their seriously big pb and Macca on his nice stroll. Apologies if I missed anyone 

    You can forgive those paces with a downhill start Joe/HA.

    I ran an 80 mile week and thought of SQ as many of his clubmates were around at the Gloucester 20 which was my first 20 miler race, and my first 20 mile run for the London campaign. Due to my excessive mileage I wasn't attempting an all out race, nor even trying out marathon effort. But I did want to give myself a tough test so went with marathon effort less 5 bpm, and managed to get round in 2.06.58 for 1st v45. I felt strong to the finish and felt I managed the inevitable mentally challenging parts of such a long race pretty well. However some strides on slick grass the day before the race involved some slipping, so I'd given my hamstring a bit of a tweak. I could feel that area starting to twitch with the first signs of cramp towards the end, so will be less silly in the future about enthusiastic strides.


  • So I wrote a reply out on Friday that it turns out I didn’t post, it didn’t make much sense after so many people raced on the weekend so in the bin it went.

    Jools - Sounds like you’re ill, it might be worth having a day or 2 off to recover

    AWC - Glad to see your half marathon jinx is over, great result.

    Joe - Fantastic time. Question is, how many texts did you get to tie your laces and how many times did you check they were double knotted? Also, I think HA’s first mile is crazier as a % of overall pace.

    TR - Sorry to hear you had a bad day, but I echo what others have said. It’s 1 bad day against previous good results and training, you definitely have more than that.

    Reg - Great return from injury

    Macca - Very good result and time, even if it is a bit off your PB now

    FBT - back to back running days with a LR in there sounds promising.

    SQ - Saw your run on Strava this morning, good to see you’re on the mend. Sensible not to start pushing the pace too early.

    HA - Stupidly quick time, great running. Even better to get the result after your lack of motivation earlier in the week.

    George - Fantastic race and definitely makes your original target redundant. I agree with Joe, 3:05 doesn’t really mean anything after they moved the GFA. Go with the 3 hour pacer and even if you blow late on you should hit 3:10 no problem.

    Steve - Solid weekend of training.

    Spoons - I think that’s a very good performance after your disrupted last 2 or 3 weeks.

    Muddy - Sounds like a very solid performance and an age group win not running all out. Hopefully the hammy isn’t anything serious.

    92 miles last week for me, which I’m happy with after my injury problems last Sunday. Last proper LR of the plan on Sunday went well. Out of interest I compared it to the same run of my only other marathon and it was 54 seconds per mile quicker for a slightly lower HR. If only I could replicate that on race day. The only questions left to answer in the plan (excluding race day) are if I should do the last intervals and tune up race after my injury scare.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Macca - good run that, racing for position too!

    SQ - good to see that you are getting back to it. Good news.

    HA - great run, well done for going for it on the day. Hope you get the sub 2.30.

    Well done George - big pb, great confidence boost.

    Well done spoons, the low key approach might end up going really well.

    Muddy - thats a great 20 esp for the 1st of a campaign, and after such a big week.

    Joe - well done again. I'll kerp your kerp on trucking comment and save it for Brighton seafront.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Thanks for all the encouragement. I know you shouldnt get bent out of shape over build up races, but its natural to want to be better. As you all point out though, 15 weeks av 75mpw and then a few easy days isnt ideal hm prep. 6.45s should be a lot easier on brighton day after a taper, so ydays 6.30s is a decent blow out. I get the feeling i was too fatigued to go too hard esp as an m50.

    Back to it today and 13m home was fine and i could have done the usual 15 or 16 but thought it best not to go too mad as my legs tired a bit in the last mile or so, so it looks like i didnt dig too deep after all. I guess the body knows it has bigger fish to fry in 4 weeks.
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Lots of great performances over the w/e on a breezy Sunday. 
    George Congratulations on the PB which certainly puts you in the sub 3 target zone. If you go through half way in 1:32 will you really have enough left to put in a 1:28 second half? I'd suggest going with the 3hr pacer if you can handle running in a crowd.
    Macca - another cracking HM time which until a month ago would have been a massive PB on a far from ideal PB course too. Well placed too. Prizes?
    HPR That's another big week after an injury scare - I'd avoid the intervals if I were you especially since the high mileage will have led to muscular fatigue which is a classic injury scenario.
    SQ I reckon that's probably what caused your back to go tbh. Glad it's freeing up already. I'd still be tempted to avoid anything that's going to cause you to twist the core too much ie speedwork. Steady progression is the way forward at this stage in my experience. Save your effort for Sunday.
    FBT definitely sounds like an improvement if not the miraculous cure you'd love.
    Great racing HA - loved the report. Just hope all those 20 mile tempos this campaign have built your speed endurance back up so you can have the marathon we've been anticipating for a while now. Ps DO NOT try the same pacing strategy in the marathon :D 
    Well done on the cat win Muddy & a PB since it's your first 20 mile race. Sounds like you could easily better it another time should you choose to.
    Spoons Decent day out in Bath then - far better than Wokey's misfortune & still time to build a bit more fitness before VLM.
    I restricted myself to an easy out & back 7M Sunday which was OK but guts still weren't happy and any effort sent waves of cramp through me so probably best I turned when I did. I'm obviously both disappointed & frustrated with how Saturday went for me but not going to take it as a reflection of my current form or reassess my marathon targets on that basis either. Decided I'd take advantage of the decent weather & fresher legs to do a bike in/ run home commute today rather than my usual Monday off. Good news is my guts seem to have returned to normality. Bad news was I had a spill around 5 miles in on the bike: bus cut across my path in near stationary traffic & unleashed an unsuspecting passenger into my path about 100m BEFORE the bus stop. He literally stepped straight out of the bus into me. I was doing about 22/23 mph. I flew over the handlebars & hit the ground hard with my head & left shoulder. Thankfully I was wearing my helmet as it is now cracked. Thinking's been tricky today but fortunately I was able to run home OK although the shoulder was agony til the endorphins kicked in after about 2-3K. So 10.4M easy today.
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Shit Jools, hope you're ok and no serious damage done. Sobering reminder about wearing a helmet too. Hope the guts, head and shoulder feel ok today. Good advice about marathon pacing, will take it on board. 

    George - Massive PB. Well done. I'd think that 2x HM pace + 10 min is a perfectly reasonable conversion considering your training, so sub 3 it is then. Agree with Jools that you're probably not going to make up much time in the second half. I always think that if you're comfortable with your marathon goal, it's not fast enough. It should make you somewhat scared.

    HPR - Great training. That long run pace and HR suggests you're on for something special. On the back of a 90+ mile week is even better.

    TR - That sounds a pretty solid run the day after racing a HM. I struggled with a 3.5 mile hobble.

    Muddy - Great 20 miler on the back of an 80 mile week. Shows you're in great shape despite your mishap and despite this being your first 20 miler of the campaign. I like your steady, sensible approach. Just shows you don't need to be flogging yourself week in week out. 

    Spoon - Keep plugging away. I wouldn't be surprised if you get that light switch moment withing the next few weeks and things fall into place.

    Joe - Going out hard and completely blowing up is utter tool behaviour, but to go out too hard, then hold it together for a solid PB is just testing the limits. Well, that's how I'm framing it to make myself feel better. 

    An easy 5 miles this morning, probably an easy 3 at lunch. Legs not sore but feeling heavy and washed out.
  • hamo44gfchamo44gfc ✭✭✭
    You take a few days off for Paddys day and the thread goes mad, some excellent running by all for me to catch up on.

    Hope i dont miss anyone out, apologies if i do, but..

    Joe..huge congratulations on a excellent pb, super quick stuff.

    Macca..congrats on a brilliant HM time, esp if it wasn't a lightening quick course, and even more impressive placing. Did you get moved up to a podium place?

    AWC...brilliant PB, 3 mins over a half marathon at that pace is some gap, really well done.

    SQ...glad to hear your slowly getting there, and even more delighted to see the intervals on Strava this morning, you weren't hanging about even with your back.

    FBT...nice long run, hope the feet start to behave themselves soon.

    HA77...what can i say, that is some time, absolutely lightening, just class.

    George...top class pb, and with that HM time id be going with the 3 hour pacer and seeing how you get on, esp with a proper taper id say sub 3 is there for ya.

    Spoons...that is not a bad HM time at all, you haven't lost much, and if you keep at it, it'll come back sooner than you think, as HA77 says could just be a light switch moment.

    Muddy...Mighty, really well done on the 1st V45, made even more impressive as you weren't flat out racing.

    Jools...Not good Jools, hope your ok, and it doesn't hinder your running too much while you recover. Definitely stresses the importance of helmets.


    I had a confidence boosting weekend myself. Decided as the alarm went off on Friday morning that it was too early to get up and do my long run a day early, no commitment :D , and that i would just train straight through the 1st 10k race of the plan on Sunday. Saturdays 18 miler was ok, kept it handy enough and didn't push to hard (not as easy as it sounds as the wind and rain were atrocious).

    Wasn't really sure how to approach the 10k, but legs felt ok during the warm up, and while it was windy it wasn't as bad as i was expecting, so decided to give it a go and see how i got on. Started faster than id planned to but got swept up in what was a quality field, and was able to hold the pace for the most part over quite a rolling course, which was flooded in places as the river we ran beside had burst its banks. Finished in 35.05 for 15th place, and a pb of over a minute and a half, and clocked an unofficial 5k pb along the way too. Delighted with how i went, and in how controlled i felt with the pace as well.

    Easy 6 and 4 yesterday, which was nice as i was off work for paddys day, so no stupidly early starts, and a nice stroll with the wife and kids along the canal helping aide the recovery further. Followed by 12 with 6x1km this morning. Sunday was definitely still in my legs, but happy with intervals ranging from 5:30 - 5:38 m/m, and an average pace of 5:32 m/m. Felt fatigued but able to hold the pace, even if it wasn't as sharp as it could have been, still the effort was there.
  • AWCAWC ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    SQ: glad the back is improving and no negative reactions
    FBT: sorry the foot is still giving you problems
    HA: a 32min 10km wow!! That's amazing breaking a 24yo PB. Insane really. That dual carriageway back to the stadium is awful - the stadium just never seems to get any close and there's so little support. Well done - super impressive racing.
    George: great PB - Bath sounds like a lovely course, its certainly a beautiful city and I loved finishing my first marathon there
    Macca: another fantastic result - your consistency is fantastic and you seem so injury resilient
    Spoons: sounds like a really good run given your recent problems
    Joe: great race and PB - I took inspiration from you and HA

    AWC - first mile of 6:22 vs average pace of 6:43

    JB - first mile of 5:26 vs. average pace of 5:46.

    HA - first mile of 5:05 vs average pace of 5:24.

    Muddy: well done on first V45 - sounds like a good training run
    TR: sorry the race didn't go as planned but that's really consistent training and a good sign that you could have continued on to 15/16 yesterday
    Jools: blimey thats scary! Take it easy especially if its affected your thinking and cracked you helmet. Maybe a little bit of concussion? GWS

    Weymouth Half Marathon Report
    I was a bit apprenhensive going into the race due to the forecast gales. Went for a run on Portland the day before and was running still at times!
    Thankfully the wind speed dropped from 50/60mph down to 20/30mph by race time and the sun came out.
    When the race started I shot off because I was in a big crowd so drafted as much possible and cranked out a 6:22 mile.
    Miles 2-6: these are an out and back along the seafront, and by mile 5 I was running alone back into Weymouth into a very strong headwind. To slow down and draft I would have lost more time but luckily someone crept up and I nudged in behind them for half a mile back into town. (6:37/35/46/38/51)
    Miles 7-10: the course winds round town and there are lots of little short sharp hills which really affect the pace/rythym and I ran a couple of 7:xx miles but was still way under 1:30 pace with plenty in the legs (6:47/7:10/7:09/6:43)
    Miles: 11-Finish: with the big hills over I really was feeling good and passing a few people now. The 3 miles back into town are along an old disued railway line with an incline, then decline so not bad for running fast and then it drops down to the beach to finish.
    As soon as I hit the turaround at 11 miles I said to myself now is the time to drop the hammer and see whats left - 1:30 is in the bag, its me versus the clock now, I ran 6:54/6:35/6:17 to the finish
    Really delighted with 87:52 in those conditions.
    A 5 mile recovery yesterday and the legs were feeling pretty good - I think the headwinds stopped me from completly rinsing my legs which is why they aren't as sore as normal.

  • Hope you are ok Jools, could have been a lot worse I guess.  As careful as you or I ride, there’s no accounting for what others might do.

    Loved the report HA, and the attitude.  I’m not sure I’ve the balls to run a race like that, great stuff.

    Grorge - enjoyed your report too, longer the better imho.  Definite sub 3:10 shape, I converted a 1:24 Half to a 2:59 some six months later so you are there or there abouts. As above my conservative approach would be aim for a low 3:0x then nail it in the autumn, guess it depends on your attitude to risk.

    SQ - great to hear the back is progressing quickly, frustrating but could have been worse.

    Great LR HPR, I’d be inclined to ditch the speedwork here on in.

    Decent efforts from RSR and Muddy and a good weekend Steve.

    FBT - as you say, hard to know what to do, fingers crossed though.

    Hamo - fantastic 10k especially the day after the LR.  Time to stick a (realistic) target on board ?😉

    Easy day yesterday, not sure what to do today yet.  I think there was a problem with the results of my half as I’m back in (correctly) 5th but they’ve knocked 2 mins off my time😂 I’ve emailed again re the time but I’m not that fussed now I’m not so near the prize money £150,£100,£50 1st, 2nd , 3rd. When I was showing as 4th I knew I had passed the guy in 3rd so thought I might have podiumed. One of the guys ahead was running under someone else’s name but he was quicker on the day (and probably any other day) so no gripes from me.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Wow, so many great runs this weekend. I think that all that can be said has been. It will be interesting to see people’s predictions for their Spring “A” races.
    Jools, glad things aren’t too bad after the bike incident. I try and avoid going anywhere near town centres on mine as it’s lethal.
    A brief update from me, after 75 & 80 mile weeks with a few speed sessions I cut my mileage by half in the lead up to Fleet as really wanted to give it 100%.
    My clubmate who was also going for 81-82 mins had to pull out at the last minute so tagged onto a couple of Andover runners who have been just ahead of me at all the league and XC races this year. Went out on PB pace and it felt ok. Started to make my way through the field from 8 miles and had a strong finish to cross the line in 80:56 (a 28 second PB) so delighted with that. May have to re-asses the London target if the next 3 weeks go well.
  • 1SteveMac1SteveMac ✭✭✭
    Millsy - Superb PB!
    Hamo - Nice 10k PB after a long run!
    Jools - Not good, get well soon!
    10 miles this morning, nice and slow, keeping the HR low.
  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    HA that really is a fantastic race. Well done mate and great the family could be there to see you. All time thread PB I suspect. 
    Great racing, George. You’ll get lots of opinions about marathon targets here. I tend to be quite conservative so would favour 3:05pace with a strong finish. Depends how much you’re prepared to gamble. Sometimes you’ve just got to roll the dice. 
    Well done at Bath, spoons. Trending upwards I’d say. 
    Nice prize winning at G20, muddy. Looks like the course has changed a bit. Bodes well for London. Annoying when something innocuous like strides lead to a niggle - hope it’s ok soon. 
    HPR - run the intervals, but progressively. You’ll be fine. 
    Really hope all is ok Jooligan. Get yourself checked out? Heroic run home!
    Hamo that’s an excellent race. Especially on the back of the long run. Bordering 2:44shape I’d say. Looking forward to seeing how the half goes. Can’t believe you managed intervals today already!
    Fantastic AWC so well deserved. 
    Yes Millsy! Puts you in super shape. 


    Unbelievably I took a more aggressive approach than Jooligan suggested. What is going on?!
    Really enjoyable interval session this morning. Spoons had helpfully shown me his 1k markers, and so had a good, flat, relatively quiet and wind free section to run on. The only concern was the encroaching flood and swans! The back has progressed well and whilst there is definitely inflammation and some stiffness, it is immeasurably better. P&D suggest that vO2 is the first aspect to diminish with a break, so I wasn’t concerned about paces. 12M at 7:14average pace with 6x1k at 5:40-6:00pace of 2:30ish jog. Inconsistent but good enough. Feel a bit rickety now, so will take tomorrow’s MLR nice and easy. 
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    So 2 more fantastic races from the forumites last Sunday. Well done on the new PBs Hamo Millsy. Intervals already Hamo!? Was that 5:52 average pace over 12 miles too?
    Good report AWC - sounds like you had a near perfect race as far as controllables went.
    Glad your gamble this morning didn't go badly wrong SQ. The back must be recovering quickly to cope with those intervals.
    I ran back into work this morning (along the shortest route possible) to be sent packing (after teaching one lesson) to the hospital to get checked out. School offered to pay for a taxi but I figured I might as well cycle back to the car so did that. 2 hrs in the MIU - glad I'd picked up the iPad! Verdict: mild concussion but no broken bones. Remedy: paracetamol & rest. I can manage the former but we'll see about the latter. Certainly won't be swimming for a week or 2 as can't move my left shoulder properly :/ Least I can run, after a fashion.

  • X-post earlier with your race report AWC, that is some strong finish, excellently managed race and hopefully buried the half hoodoo !

    Great to read your back training at that level SQ, faster than my recent 1k intervals.  I’m sure the speed will come back quickly.

    Millsy - fantastic run.  Whatever the training looks like you seem to have an uncanny knack of producing race results when it matters.

    Jools - pleased you’ve been checked over, take it easy (relatively) and hope the shoulder improves.  

    I decided on some 600m reps partly as that is what the plan said and partly as I fancied some speedwork but not as much as the 1k reps.  For the first time I can recall, the reps were “gentle breeze” assisted.  Personal FKT for signpost to end of bridge railings, circa 600m Recoveries were probably a bit long but short of running through the lake, I couldn’t get back to the signpost any quicker. Pace 5:30ish ave.
  • hamo44gfchamo44gfc ✭✭✭
    Macca..at the minute id still be delighted with scrapping a pb, 2:51:4x would do, so that's the target, however ill see how Saturdays half goes and reassess from there, never felt fitter if i'm honest which is a nice feeling, if not a bit nerve wrecking as i'm not sure what to shoot for.

    Millsy...that is a super run, huge congrats on the pb, really well done.

    SQ...2.44 might be a stretch id say, but you never know, the magic shoes and a perfect day with all the stars aligning, and i can dream. :D I was considering leaving the intervals til later in the week, but want to run the recovery days of the plan on Thursday and Friday to have a mini taper for Saturday, so needs must. My plan this week is, 6&4 easy, 12 w intervals, 15 MLR, 6&4 easy, 7 easy, race HM, 12 MLR. All sounds so easy wrote down :D

    Jools...sorry, i meant 5.32 m/m average over the intervals, it was 7.18 m/m average over the 12 whole miles. I'm glad to hear you got checked out, at least you know whats up and what to watch out for. Just take it easy and rest as much as you can, concussions are serious enough. Hope your on the mend soon, i like your style of ditching a taxi to cycle to the hospital/car :D
  • What a lot to catch up on.  Some great race reports.

    Jools.. Bloody hell.  I'm really glad you went and got checked out properly. Please take some time off.   How was the pedestrian?  And did you interact with the bus driver at all?
    AWC..  I don't do many halves either (just checked and have done more marathons than halves)... and definitely never done a half anything like as good as the one you just did! Well done.
    Joe... fantastic result.  Not exactly a soft pb... and smashed it!
    TR.. tough race there...  but you already know that it's not a predictor of the big race.
    Reg.. wow. Great time.

    Macca... a really good run from you too. Sounds fun.
    SQ... good encouraging signs - coming along.
    FBT... I think you just coined a phrase 'Macca the Slacker'... bit harsh!   Glad you're progressing but sounds like you need to take a proper break once the marathon is done.
    HA77...  What shoes did you buy?  I think I'd like some.... amazing time!

    george... I'm working my way down the forum, and these amazing performances keep coming!  That 3hr barrier is definitely tempting, especially as Manchester is so flat.  If I were you, I'd try to imagine what time I'd have got last weekend if I'd tapered properly, if it had been flat, and still, and good temperatures etc.  If you think you might have managed 1:22:xx...  and if conditions in Manchester are good...  and if you don't mind a gamble...  well...  I'd definitely be tempted. But to be honest, I've taken that approach a few times in marathons and not managed to quite break a big barrier that way. But you've got to be in it to win it.  If you are (unknowingly) in 3hr shape and decide to go out at 3.05 pace and get past half way feeling good, are you really going to be able to pick up all the time you left out on the road whilst you were hanging back? Unlikely (unless you're unknowingly actually in 2:57 shape!!)

    spoons...  As you say, Bath was a stepping stone to full fitness.
    muddy... WINNER!   congrats.
    HPR.. Big week and a great LR to finish. Bodes well.  Ref the tweak... I'd bin the intervals.  Not sure about the race - depends on how well you can trust yourself in the last half mile.  Need not to go hell for leather.
    Millsy... looking really good for you too.
    hamo..  superb 10K pb. Class.    (did you ever answer to say why you have gfc at the end of your name? Presuming the Gills?)
    Macca... congrats on the FKT!

    Disappointing end to the week as I simply had to spend all day gardening on Sunday, as it's still a  wreck after having had my digger - so it was no long run this week. What's more, I just didn't have it in me to do my usual late-Sunday night week-saving run.  Did a nice run Saturday in amazing wind though... it was causing multiple large breaking waves that you could see travelling upstream along a very swollen River Wye.  We had a club time trial which went 2.5K upriver to a turning point, then 2.5K back.  Wow. There were times on the out leg where I felt like Mo Farah!  Not quite so fast on the way back though, clocking 22.08.  Not too bad for the conditions but hard to judge.  Rounded it up to 10 miles but unfortunately broke my run of forty-mile weeks.    Need to get back on it!

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    NE not bad timing for a cut back week before ramping up the mileage for the next 4 weeks pre-taper. Pedestrian said he was OK but is probably suffering some stiffness & bruising as he also went down. Bus driver got out & checked we were both OK. It was just bad luck really - he shouldn't have been setting anyone down there & I probably should have slammed the anchors on to be fair. I shan't be pursuing it further - not the way I roll.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Hamo - well run then, thats a fast 10k the day after a long run, you have good leg speed.

    AWC - top bombing, i bet you are glad you ran now.

    Millsy - thats a sub 80 on a better day and course, so you are looking 2.50ish.

    Well done on the reps macca

    SQ - good to see you getting back to it. Call it a mid season mini break.

    I did 5m easy today. Im back with eyes on the brighton prize,  my dissappointing race has been dispositioned as accumulated fatigue at my mature age.
  • Cheers folks! I’m starting to feel in good shape ;)

    Congratulations on the half pb Millsy.

    Glad you are back at it SQ-I’d call it a cutback week and not go chasing after fitness though. It’s barely going to register as a loss because you’ve had a long campaign, the rest will have done you some good.

    Hamo - Great pb off the back of a long run but that is one seriously mad week you are planning. Rather you than me; I’d need to do a lot less to race a good half.

    Jooligan - Take it very easy. I had vertigo under fluorescent lights after my concussion. A second concussion is really dangerous.
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