Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • Thanks for all the birthday wishes - Funny old day yesterday weather wise, I was happy that my run to Luton along the busway would be a 'wind behind me' job, but when the sun is out is does get quite warm. Plus doing an extra nearly 2 miles beforehand dropping my bag off at my mate who was running the race, it must have come to 14 or so. Felt it, I was a mess by the time I got to 'Venue 360' where the race was.

    Decent numbers for the race, Darren Deed won it, as he usually does. Four pints of Guinness after on an empty stomach not such a good idea as I don't drink as much these days.

  • Thread killer in the house again ;)
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Yeah, things don't always flow from your posts SC  :p

    Need a more scattergun jibber jabber style like me, that gives about 27 lines of chat that lead from it ;)
  • Stevie G said:
    Yeah, things don't always flow from your posts SC  :p

    Need a more scattergun jibber jabber style like me, that gives about 27 lines of chat that lead from it ;)


    **shuffles away** OK I get the message...I might be a while....

    (until after the 1500m tomorrow night..)

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
     :D just kidding.
    You get the key info in no messing.
    Whereas my gub concentrates on the inane and trivial.

    That's the diffo between you propper runners and us casuals  o:)
  • Oh of course. I try not to do serious if at all possible ;)

    Well now young man - this is the premium training thread on the forum is it not? (Hang on - is there a sub 2.40 thread?? :):) )

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    I think a bunch of big timers hang about on a sub something thread on the marathon tab. 

    But this is where it's at.
    (No i won't do another lurker amnesty ;) )
  • muddyfunstermuddyfunster ✭✭✭
    edited July 2019
    Stevie G said:
     I stopped, gave it a stroke and took it back to its owner 

    I did take a second read of this part....
    Did consider using the phrase 'petted it' - this was the lesser of two evils.

    10k race at threshold for me on Sunday. Hilly course so not much point in thrashing myself for a time on that. Boozy late night watching Glastonbury on the telly the night before didn't help, nor did a mere half a mile warm up. Set off steady and watched about 15 monster off (Copyright - Stevie G). Gradually picked them off to halfway where I was placed third. 1st and 2nd seemed about 30 seconds ahead and I had a decent 15s buffer to 4th so decided to keep a lid on things. In the last 2k 1st and 2nd started coming back and a concerted effort could have seen me in contention, but I took the executive decision to not leave myself in a big hole for the week ahead and cruised in for 3rd, 14s behind the winner in 36 mins bang on. Some handshaking with a local dignatory ensued and I splashed out in Starbucks with my winnings ( £4 net :D )
  • See, there's lots of interesting stuff about me you don't know, like I once snogged a girl with one leg. 

    Each to his own I suppose: never snogged using a leg before, can't see how that works.
  • Been busy with life so off the thread for a few days. My brother came down on Thursday night to watch Al Murray which is a real giggle if you like that sort of stuff, then out over the Chilterns on Friday for a hike and pub lunch. Some days, England just beats everything else hands down and Friday was one of those days. Clear skies, wonderful paths and scenery, good food and beer and all 10 minutes away from my front door.

    Saturday was chaos central: #4 was down in Portsmouth looking at digs for a year out in industry and #3 was packing up and leaving Loughborough after 4 years there so I was already heading in 2 different directions at the same time to get #4 and Mrs PMJ on a train going south and not via London and moving #3 out. #3 turned out to have way too much stuff (so like 2 Volvo XC90s full and I only have 1) so had to drop a car full off temporarily at #1's house before finished #3.

    Sunday long run and England beating India, then yesterday up at 4, Wimbledon queue at 6, on court at 11 and tennis till 7:30, home at 9:30.

    Did my 3 National Trust Houses run today (West Wycombe, Bradenham and Hughenden) but did it in reverse to normal. Seemed to be a lot quicker that way: guess the hills and surfaces play out better so faster to run downhill on a shallow slope on a road than steep on a muddy bank.

     
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2019
    Presume the number 1 didn't live too far from number 3 then.
    ps you also left out your latest "dream killing" bit of work on the Dashers proposed trip to a "Z" starting Polish parkrun....excited chat from the gang, then Phil rocks in to tell them it "don't count son. Diffo letter in Polish"

    :D 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2019
    Right, Marlow 5k last night, for turnout 13 of 2019.

    It'd been 2 1/2 weeks since Endure, and I'd spent the first week pootling out semi paced short runs, taking 3 days off, and feeling ravenous!
    32.5miles that week, which increased to 59.5 last, with 1 session, the 4x1600 progressive mile.

    So it felt a sensible dip back into racing, and I'd watched a fair few others who did Endure turn out in the same week, or at latest the midweek after! Both seemed keen!

    So Marlow 5k - my old club's host race, and one I'd managed to make only once in the 13 years I've raced in this series. That was last year, when I was in my top form, whacking in a "16.51" for what was probably about 17-20secs short of the distance. It gave confidence to hit my year's peak of 16.56 at a proper full 5k 6 days later.

    I knew that wouldn't be on the cards this year, as starting the fast work later than last year already probably saw me 20secs off the pace - plus Endure had sort of hijacked things.

    Marlow is race 6 of the 7 these days, and my 3rd in the series. Doing half of them feels like a reasonable percentage, liking to do other events as well.

    Hot evening, so it'd be a sweatfest, but you can always suck that up for a 5k I find. It's probably 5m/10k it starts becoming a bind.

    Had to remind myself that when they say "Marlow", it's not actually the 5mile drive from home, it's actually Hurley, which is double the distance, and you need to allocate a decent 30mins to get there.

    Nice little village, not so nice for them having our hoard of runners storm in :D

    Parked up a decent 50mins before the start, and soon got chatting to a couple of old pals. Meaning I managed to miss out massive team flag and gaggle of Dasher runners congregating.
    Banter with a young lad from the club who told me I was a "count" (may have been a silent o) for my realistic outlook on what he should be achieving, versus his "pipe dream" talk, and looked up to see Mad Dom parked nearby.

    He was deep in some incredible run of about 10 races in 22 days, also fitting a few sessions in, adamant that he's not overdoing it :D 
    We discussed his ferocious starts, maybe take a little bit off...say, instead of first quarter mile in 1.20, and first mile 6.10, why not aim for 1.25 and 6.00 type sentimonies.... 

    Clock a couple of Dasher guys I have lost to before, but don't think they're anywhere near their top form, and 1 was at XC anyway - a totally different game.
    My old Sandhurst girl pal's sister has joined us, so I said hello just as the start line was being called.

    This is when you suddenly don't fancy it, sun beating down, rivals galore out etc.

    Dom's holding everyone up, strolling in to the start from 100metres away, COME ON DOM, I encourage, "Get to the back of the field", just to embarrass him :)

    Maidenhead's Davenport is here, and a few of his teammates, plus the usual AC kid's squad they bring. This time they're not clogging the start line up blocking everyone :)
    Ali from Wargrave and a few other decent runners - Marlow tends to bring the best field since Wargrave's race - the opener.

    The organiser suggests he'll give a right old count down to the start, but all of a sudden it's "GOOOO", and we're off.

    400m grass, and there's a gang of about 10, and I'm a bit boxed in, and then some awkward gravelly stoney stuff - stuff that made me bin off any idea of the Vapors.

    Mad Dom has flown off. Utterly flown off. It's like he's not only ignored the advice, but has decided to make it an even sillier start.
    I think it was when he said he was going to make a "more aggressive first mile" that I knew he wasn't listening, despite my exclaims of "your first mile is already too fast son".

    Davenport quickly into the lead, I get annoyed at the boxing in, and storm round the side for some space, and am quickly joined and overtaken by a Burnham guy and a Maidenhead fella. Those 2 would stay decently ahead. This was not going to be a 3rd or 4th job today like my other outings - and the Maidenhead guy who'd beaten me at both of those wasn't even here.

    The route turns onto some faster road after about 700-800m, and I finally get ahead of Dom. That's usually it.
    This time it isn't, as he surges back ahead, causing me right old confusion, and I wonder if I still have "endure" legs on.

    However, back ahead of Dom, and that'll probably be it this time.

    Nice running between 1k and 4k - this is the fast bit.
    I'm up with a Wargrave guy who i knew i'd beat at Wycombe 5k a few weeks ago, but today I can feel he has a bit too much, so he's off.

    Ali from Wargrave comes by with a Burnham vet at about 2k. I should defs be beating the latter at 5k, and usually can hold Ali off, but it's hot, and it's a right old effort today.

    It continues like this basically, with me in 7th, knowing some guys in red aren't too far behind, not sure which one is Dom, but just a bit behind 5th and 6th who are close.

    I'm basically ticking the kms off. Splits haven't been too bad, 3.20-3.30-3.24, but a 4th km of 3.47 seems a right old blow.

    Looking back now I can see the 3rd km was 0.59m and the 4th was 0.65m, so that probably explains it a bit!!

    4th km is sweet, as you know it's round a bend, through some caravan park, and then two sets of grassy fields. Not "THE" fastest bit ever, but all flat, but you can sometimes use adrenaline to smash this bit. Generally it's a fast course if you're fit. Not a Battersea Park, but fast for this series.

    I'm just a bit too far off the guys in front, but suspect I have the same margin behind. Therefore, it luckily doesn't have to be a hurt locker sprint in.

    I'm comfortable with seeing it through, for around 17.44 for 7th, to log it as a solid one. Didn't quite have the legs today, but can never knock something in the 17s for 5k I think.

    Good chunk down on the "pro rata" of last year, but that's measuring peak form versus not peak form/endure aftermath, so not too concerned.

    Long old jibber jabber after, and with a 1.5mile loop cool down after, was basically last one out for the second year in a row :)

    3mile pootle this morn certainly dispelled any idea that I'd not had a good go at it last night! So what came out, is where I am right now in the circumstances.
  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭
    Belated happy birthday Simon! Good luck in the 1500 tonight

    SG - Great race and report as usual. So how does Dom's first mile compare to his finishing average?

    Muddy - Nice work on 3rd place, I don't think I would be able to resist going for the win! I guess its easier if you have the mindset that its just a training race


    Had probably my best ever session last night. 8 x 1k at 5k pace on the track. 90s recovery. Target was 3.30-3.35 and they came out at 3.30, 3.31, 3.30, 3.30, 3.31, 3.30, 3.29, 3.30. Chuffed with that as I felt in control all the way through and even felt like I could have done a couple more reps. 7m at recovery tonight
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2019
    Doh - Muddy, I did intend to say what a cracking sub optimal effort that 10k was before launching into my jibber! Like SW, i simply wouldn't and couldn't understand not trying to win it if it's that close - which is the problemo with intentionally racing sub par!

    Stevie, you're going great guns, always the best place to be when it's on the up! I'd be surprised if that doesn't turn out to be somewhere near what you can do for 10k per split.


    Had a look at Dom's miles versus mine...
    Doesn't look "hugely" different.

    5.30-5.50-5.54 for me
    5.37-6.03,6.05 for him

    But i suppose a 26sec versus 20 ease down mile 1 to 2 is still a fair reduction, and I'd like to see the 1/4m splits on that first mile.

    I think I was definitely happy to not "ease" it in, late doors, but certainly not the storming it in that often can happen in a 5k
    He's an interesting chap. He mentioned doing a session tonight, and then racing on Sunday again! He'll then race next Tuesday too. I mean, I'm weighing up a Tue-Sat-Tue race combo, but that's a bit of an unusual mix for me, whereas that's been his approach all summer, WITH sessions thrown in on top!

    He must have some decent recovery, but you suspect every run is impacted by the body of work.
    But then again, when do many of us ever race totally fresh. Perhaps in a taper week for a big spring or autumn target, but otherwise you can miss out on loads of fun of constant racing, if you're constantly tapering and recovering. A hard line to get right.
  • See, there's lots of interesting stuff about me you don't know, like I once snogged a girl with one leg. 

    Each to his own I suppose: never snogged using a leg before, can't see how that works.


    You know -I knew I could have worded it better and that someone would make some smart arsed remark...I'm glad it was you PMJ ;)

    great report SG - can't beat a summer 5k, Friday nights are better tbh, shame my favourite one at Cranfield was stopped a few years back.

    SW - Good reps, Muddy - nicely timed and a prize too! bonus.

    Not feeling great today - thought it was hayfever, probably a cold. 1500M will be going for the points, not a time

  • Stevie G said:
    Presume the number 1 didn't live too far from number 3 then.
    ps you also left out your latest "dream killing" bit of work on the Dashers proposed trip to a "Z" starting Polish parkrun....excited chat from the gang, then Phil rocks in to tell them it "don't count son. Diffo letter in Polish"

    :D 
    Pedantic is my middle name (other that it isn't, it's Morris). Yes, #1 is less than 10 miles from #3.


    You know -I knew I could have worded it better and that someone would make some smart arsed remark...I'm glad it was you PMJ ;)


    You can rely on me.

    Wednesday track: rocked up to see many white tents all over the place and it is Clare Court (local posh school) having their sports day (all the other schools now use the painted track on the grass at Wycombe Rye since the track moved). I was planning 6x800m and got 3 done but didn't fancy 3 more when 2 coaches full of kids arrived. 


  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    That's annoying pmj.
    Happened to me a couple of times. Once was only doing 200s so was able to storm those off quickly.

    But another time binned it. It's one thing when you're paid up with a membership but when it was in their year of pissing about changing ownership just wasn't worth it
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    ....... 17.44 for 7th, .....

    I skimmed through until I subconsciously spotted this.

    A handy skill.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Shows character, that 😇
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭

    See, there's lots of interesting stuff about me you don't know, like I once snogged a girl with one leg. 

    Each to his own I suppose: never snogged using a leg before, can't see how that works.


    You know -I knew I could have worded it better and that someone would make some smart arsed remark...I'm glad it was you PMJ ;)


    I was going to say that you could only get a snog from a girl who was half legless, but thought better of it :-)

    Good work on a hot night SG, and a great report too.

    Hell of a session SW!

    Tempo along the canal at lunchtime today. 5k in 19:24 fr the middle section. Happy with that, as I nearly didn't bother going out at all!
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Stevie G said:
    Shows character, that 😇
    Well you know best SG.

    Impressed with that 5k tempo Bus. All attempts at pace for me lately have ended with the realisation I've lost a mass of pace. And I haven't had any illness or injuries for months to use as an excuse either.

    I tried a Strava segment a couple of days back while wearing a HR monitor. HR spent ages getting to 160 bpm and eventually topped out at 168 bpm. Average pace for ten minutes full gas was 6:35's. That's it. Yet I can motor along easily for miles at one minute per mile slower.

    Anyway, glad you're still here. I was wondering if you were still taking the route home where that Dwarf/Dog incident took place. *

    I still find it difficult to believe some on the thread found it the funniest thing they've ever read. I can only imagine they mean 'this thread', and without reading anything Dachs has put down. On that score, no one comes close. He should be doing gags for professional comedians. That's the talent he has.

    *I was thinking more of consequences myself. If that guy had been a real nut job or had connections to people with axes to grind. There's no way of knowing if he wouldn't come back and wait for you to appear - regular habits and all.


    🙂

  • Nicely done on the 5km tempo Bus, and a great report as always from SG! Can't have been easy with the temperatures.

    SW, that's a cracking session, very consistent and controlled - looking forward to seeing what you're able to crack out in the future.


    Last night was my club's race in the Grand Prix - the summer Turkey Trot 4mi. In its 42nd year, once upon a time it was actually held in the winter! Not having run this race before, or racing the distance, it's an easy default PB. I'd tweaked my calf on Monday, so wasn't sure how it was going to be, so was happy for it to be a training run.
    During my warm up, from the edge of Redruth (where my brother lives) out towards Illogan, my calf felt good and so felt I should play it by ear.
    The race starts in a small industrial park, down a country lane, between Redruth and Illogan, and the first mile is all downhill (dropping a good 70 or so metres). Scoping out previous races on Strava show that this is where you bag time, as there's a short, sharp climb at the beginning of the second mile, as you go into Illogan, and you continue to climb as you make your way to the Illogan Highway (main road through Redruth/Camborne etc.) and back to the start. In all, it makes a nice little loop, except for the fact all the downhill is done with at the beginning!
    The gun goes, and with my calf feeling fine I decide to steam on in this mile and see what I can do here, even if the rest goes to custard. First mile was out in 5:35-7 or so, and I've not run that pace for a long time (just under my 5mi PB pace!), but all seems good. Try to motor up the hill without losing too much momentum and take a few of places, but a couple soon come back later in the second mile. I clock a 6:33 for the second mile, with the most of the climbing, and legs in general are starting to complain in the third mile, but still manage a 6:29. The final mile has a couple of drags, with minor dips, and a little climb back up to the finish line. I can't catch the chap ahead, but I'm keeping the person behind me off my heels, with a 6:24 to finish.

    Watch time was 25:03, a bit of a pain not to dip under! Definitely gave it my all at the end, hitting 208bpm for the last crack. Will wait for the official results, but not sure whether it will be any better.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Nice sesh Bus - certainly aint easy in the sun. Anywhere near a turnout of your own soon? Been a long time as it is, let alone for a thread trip.

    A 4miler MH - Got to love an unusual disto. Sounds a textbook race down your way with massively disturbing up and downs ruining any idea on pacing.
    Sounds like you came through very nicely, especially pending the calf. Are there many 4milers round you to have another crack at it soon?

    Like you, I have half an eye on my 4mile pb, ludicrous to call it a pb really, having smashed it tonnes of times in half marathon races, and actual sessions!  
    But..the records (po10 - as I insisted on tidying that account up!) show it as 24:20, from 2008, so that could do with an 11 years on shake up  - IF i can get myself to Jools race!

    I'll judge on Saturday whether it's worth 1) me doing a race on Tue, and 2) one with a long drive!

    6m this morn. Wore the old Marlow vest - love that vest. 
  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭
    RicF said:

    I still find it difficult to believe some on the thread found it the funniest thing they've ever read. I can only imagine they mean 'this thread', and without reading anything Dachs has put down. On that score, no one comes close. He should be doing gags for professional comedians. That's the talent he has.

    Hey, I'll happily take whatever praise is being dished out, so cheers for that Ric.  My suspicion is that any amusingness I have would dry up the instant someone started paying me for it.

    Anyway, I thought it was funny.

  • Matthew HeadMatthew Head ✭✭✭
    edited July 2019
    SG, nope, just this one race! Shame really, as it's just a long 5km really. What's nice is that my miles were successively quicker (disregarding the first), whereas many others weren't so lucky!
    A common race distance down this way is 7mi - two within our Grand Prix, and one that's local to my parents. Plan is to do all 3 this year.

    Ric/Dachs, strange old thing with humour is that when you try to be funny it just goes down the pan! I also thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of Bus' escapade :D
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Good to see the thread "Candy Man" thing still works ;)
    Welcome back Dachs.

    MH - have to watch some of these races as well. In Oxford they have a few "4 mile" races, but when you actually check po10, they seem to come out as a mix of 4MMT, 4MNAD, and all manner of other gub, pure lotto.

    There's 2 main 7milers our way, both hill fests!
    I probably took the Marlow 7 too easily when I did it 2 years ago - first race that length for years, and first half is quite hilly. I think what said it all, was I finished, and thought "i could have done the half marathon at that pace"
  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭
    Not sure whether I'm back per se.  You guys are too high-maintenance.
  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Excellent racing from Muddy, SG and Matt. 36'00 is amazing on a hilly course Muddy if you weren't full throttle. SG likewise a great run for 17'4x on an off road course so soon after Endure and Matt another very decent run on a hilly course. 

    Mostly agree with Ric on his points. Still think the Bus/SG dog reports were a thread classic and very funny, but I suppose we do need to take care not to upset the dog walking fraternity and  there is always a chance people may have vendettas (and dangerous friends!). Oh and yes Dachs did liven up this thread with so many cutting but witty comments. Get back on if you're lurking!   

    Anyway onto Yateley 10k race 2 last night. Though the temperature was forecast around 20 degrees, it was actually 25 which didn't augur well. Similar field to the last one. No Samson from Datchet but Kevern the Bracknell speed king was there running about his millionth race of the year. Quick chat with Wool and one of our top lads Twomey and we're off on time. 

    1st k is marginally uphill and quite pleased that didn't seem too bad with a 3'35 but the next is slightly steeper up and that drifted to 3'50. Quite surprised how strung out the field was and was passed by Wool much earlier than last time. I settled into running alongside a young Reading AC kid (probably old enough to be his Grandad, let alone Dad). The section from 3k to 7k is generally downhill and we went through that pretty much together. Half way in 18'40 according to my watch but by then the markers were about 100m behind so knew it was likely to be over 10k on my watch at the finish. Hardly passing anyone but also not being passed much, I outstayed the young Reading lad as we moved onto the uphill section from 7.5 to 9.5k. First part of this is quite gentle about 1% but the last 500m or so is around 4% which really hit the pace. I was over 4 mins per k by now and knew it wasn't going to be anywhere near last months 37'41. Tried my hardest to muster a sprint finish but little in the locker and end up 31st of 856 in 38'41. Exactly 1 min slower than last month so not great, but prob 10 degrees hotter so that's some excuse. Watch had the course 10.16k which is quite some margin over, but others generally said around 6.26 miles which, whilst a bit over, is prob just not taking the prefect line. Either I run too wide all the time (quite possible and will watch out for his) or my watch isn't calibrating right but frustrating to add 35 secs for the part 'over 10k'. 

    Didn't even have the consolation of 1st v50 this time as some guy who wasn't in the 1st one did 37'4x. At least held on just for 2nd v50 and a £15 Alton sports prize to add to my £25 from the last one. Will aim for more and hopefully the series v50 prize in the last one and then see what that entitles me to buy (and if they will let me use the vouchers together, Scott?)

    Overall the usual class organisation from Sandhurst and results out very quickly afterwards. A great series and a real credit to them.  
  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Oh forgot to mention my The Wammy parkrun up in Stoke on Saturday. That is one super fast course being a straight out and back 2.5k each way run on a flat, largely shaded, tarmac cycle path. Unfortunately I was too knackered from the day before at Alton Towers then drinks with sis and bro in law after to do it justice (and the prospect of the Saturday to follow back at Alton T) and could only record 18'47. Would def recommend that one to any of you in striking distance who want a crack at a parkrun pb though.  
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Nice turnout Pete - certainly can't knock what temperature can do to performance, so I wouldn't worry too much about the time differential.

    Are those vouchers straight cash off these days, or is it still the off full priced shoes?
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