Shades Marathon Training

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  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - glad your plans for number pickup at the Expo went well.

    Maybe when more runners arrive at your hotel there will be more requests for early breakfast.

    Yes, I knew DS was going to Berlin, not sure if LS is running too.   DS is ticking off all the majors I think he's maybe doing NY too this year and Tokyo next and that will be all of them done.  He's fast enough to get GFA places, I think his PB is still at 2:43 which he did in Frankfurt last year.

    Enjoy the zoo.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Ian, they had two. They had a jacket with a lining which was dark blue (€120) and a single skin jacket which was burgundy (€80). I would probably never have worn the single-skin one, but I was half-tempted with the blue one as a day-to-day jacket, but it’s similar to my London one. Also the finisher shirts are black/orange so it’s not the same style - if they had been black/orange I may have gone for one. The logo on the back is a transfer whereas the logos on the front are embroidered. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - sounds to me like you might still pop back for that jacket ;) 

    You could go to Ian's hotel for breakfast maybe ;) 

    Ian - that's an early time for runner's breakfast pre race, but a good idea as means a runner can take a more leisurely breakfast and maybe get some extra carbs in pre race.


    6 miles for me today, light rain and breezy in places.  My legs are suffering quite a bit from yesterday's Pilates and Wednesday's leg session in the gym.   But lots of rest now for me until Sunday's race.   

    The athletics start today too, more sofa time.   Women's marathon is tonight avoiding the heat in Doha, I'll record it and watch tomorrow, a bit late for me to stay up .
  • Ooh, forgot about Doha, good call. Don't envy those runners in that heat.
    8 miles today. Still not 100%. Felt good to start with but was tired by the end of it. Hopefully I'll be a bit more chipper tomorrow for parkrun. I'm opting for Oak Hill in north London...a paved one so no mud.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, ha, no I’m not going back for a coat. The expo itself was great though as it was in an old airport.  Not seen something like that before, with check in desks with their conveyor belts, departure boards etc all still in place.

    Had a great day but weather’s been terrible. Have got soaked several times. Had a nice walk around the zoo, then went and saw some of the start/finish area to get my bearings, and saw some of the sights around there. Back at hotel now drying off!

    Regarding the zoo, it’s a great one and the vet showing us around was brilliant. Saw the pandas, but no access to babies allowed. Interesting as the German workers at the zoo have very little to do with the pandas. They’re effectively leased off the Chinese and they provide two workers who do 12hr shifts for months, caring for the animals. The vet says he has access to the system used to monitor the work etc, and it’s a proper full on job. He commented that he didn’t know how they were allowed to work those hours as it’s against the law. Also the Chinese design the vast majority of the enclosures etc, and eventually these animals will go back to China and into the breeding programme. 

    Saw behind the scenes at the hippos and also sharks. Really interesting that many fish can be trained!  Sharks and rays etc can tell the difference between colours and shapes, so for example if there’s a red block with a black square, an individual fish will know it’s their block. Very handy for giving meds or specific food etc to an individual fish. Rays can be trained to basically jump up from the water on to a slide, which can then be used to ultrasound them to check for babies etc. Absolutely fascinating. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - sounds like an amazing and very interesting visit to the zoo.

    I don't think the Chinese have any rules about 48 hour working weeks or the like, such as we have/had. 

    Hope the weather clears up for the weekend there.

    Cal - don't blame you for choosing a tarmac parkrun for tomorrow.   We've had a lot of rain today and more to come.

    Think I'm coming down with your lurgy, feeling not too bad but sore and scratchy throat.  Made fatal error of looking at my throat in the mirror and it looks just like when I had tonsillitis last year.  But I don't feel that bad and I have my usual healthy appetite.  Hope it clears up as I am really looking forward to Barnstaple this weekend.

    Ian - hope you have a good journey to Berlin and that foot is feeling better.
  • Big G - That's really interesting info about those animals.. especially the idea of those pandas having their own special chinese team. Good luck for tomorrow!

    Ian - I sincerely hope that's a case of maranoia you've got there and hopefully race magic will kick in for you too and banish forever those niggles!

    Honk - Those shorts look a bit skimpy :D I have a pair of lucky purple pants that I put on for every marathon. They're a bit old now so they just come out on race occasions!

    Cal - I love those tights, you look fab in both sorts. Definitely looking leaner now.

    Steve - You're dead right.. the only time I have a chance of going fast is with a wind like that behind me (Or maybe when I know people are watching me run and I haven't got far to go before the next corner).

    Shades - That's really interesting regarding your protein diet and the changes it's having on you. That, coupled with all the specific gym work and pilates is surely going to mean you will be in the best possible shape you can be. Are you pleased with your running training at the moment.. that all going to plan?

    I got my 24k done the other morning, followed by a steady 8k yesterday and a good run up over the wind farm today. It was drizzling a bit when I went out and this then turned into a full blown downpour for the duration of my run. When I finally got home and peeled off my sodden kit I was convinced it weighed about 3kg more. I was actually toying with the idea of weighing it but was late for work so just dumped it in the laundry basket and leapt in a hot shower.
  • xpost Shades - Hope you don't have to go out again. Have some soup/ honey etc and curl up in front of the athletics!
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Arrived safely in berlin,hotel is a little out the way but very easy to get to and clean which is great.
    The plane was like a runners express,with the amount on it.Off to the expo nice and early tomorrow to get it done.
  • Shades one thing I hate is the crap food we buy in, I’m sure when we’re ready we’ll cut the crap and train we’ll.

    Cal I’m not a fan of leggings (I try to sneak out in Thursday evenings without Elle seeing me) love those tartan ones.

    as a spectator and no kipchoge I can’t get too excited about Berlin but looking forward to hearing your reports and following friends.

    nothing to report here in term of improvement. The physio is on the back burner with a £500 bet had to say goodnight to my best mate Marley dog. those that have had pets will understand both myself and Elle are heartbroken at our loss 
  • Big G, your zoo trip sounds fascinating. Always nice to have some behind the scenes info. I've done that at theme parks but not a zoo.
    Ian...glad you got there safely. I bet it'll be a similar deal when I go to Japan. Haven't thought about the logistics yet...just been booking trains for York.

    I see the women's marathon in Doha was carnage with a third dropping out. I don't blame them... I wouldn't want to run 100m in that heat, let alone a marathon.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - so sorry for you both to hear about Marley, it's heart breaking and you feel so helpless.

    You're right, not buying the crap food is a big part of it.   But as time goes by I don't even look at the stuff I don't want to buy and I really don't want it either.

    I don't know how you can say that about Berlin when we have 2 Shadies there running ;) 


    Ian - enjoy yourself at the Expo, treat yourself to something nice...I hear they've got nice jackets ;) 


    Cal - I haven't watched the marathon, the finish times were as Paula Radcliffe predicted with the winner over 2:30.   Shame Charlotte Purdue DNF'd, I know she did preparation in the heat but nothing really prepares you for that humidity.  I'll watch it later.


    mamafox - LOL at your lucky purple pants :D 

    Well done on getting your 24k run done, in difficult conditions.  

    Re my running, that's all on the back burner, I can't train effectively when I'm on this plan to lose fat and gain muscle.   So for the next 5 months, I'm just keeping my mileage at a steady 50mpw, no long runs, unlikely I'll run anything over 10 miles unless it's a race.  To try and gain muscle I have to lift as heavy weights as I can to get any effect and I'm such a weakling they're not heavy at all except to me, I don't quite lift to failure but fairly close, certainly to where my muscles are burning.  I have to up the weights as soon as I can for each exercise, there are a couple that I'm still on the starting weight as I find them hard.
    I didn't actually ask the instructor how long it would take me to get to where I want to be just told him I had 6 months before I need to step up my running training, so I'm hoping I'll get somewhere near my target, we'll see.  I suspect it will take longer.   I'm doing all I can, on a non race week I'm in the gym 5 days, race week I can only manage 3.  Plus 2 Pilates classes and one circuits class.

    Rest day today, throat is no worse, maybe a little better 🙂
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    edited September 2019
    Thanks all. Yeah, it was a great zoo.  The history of the place in relation to WW2 is sobering too - the place got flattened and there are pictures of tanks going over it. All but 11 (I think) of the animals perished. After the war a decision was made to rebuild it in its original style and many of those buildings are famous (in the zoo world anyway), still very well maintained and in use today.

    Ian, great news you got there ok. Do you think you may get a jacket?

    Decided last night that I wouldn’t do parkrun. It’s 45-mins away, so as I was tired I decided for a leisurely start to the day and have breakfast etc. Shame about parkrun but it’s the right decision as a relaxed start to the day has been very nice.  Still got quite a busy day planned, but weather looks better than yesterday so hopefully won’t get a soaking again!
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Sounds the right decision about parkrun.Will be buying something,I'm usually a bit if a scrooge when it comes to buying overpriced stuff but promised OH I'll treat myself.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that's a bit of a trek to the parkrun, so a good decision to take things a bit easier today.

    Ian - go on buy something nice for yourself, it's all part of the memories of your trip.


    I've just been doing the usual trawl of the weather websites for tomorrow, conditions look good for Berlin, quite cool.

    Not so good for Barnstaple, yellow warning for rain today and tomorrow.   Heavy rain due at our start time, but not cold, rain to lessen as the race goes on, wind 30mph gusts.  😢  
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Went for the blue jacket,looks really smart,and 2xtshirts.
    Weather looking great for tomorrow,decided to have a jog to the train station and leg felt ok,hope it stays that way.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - that's great news, on the shopping and the leg.

    someone will have jacket envy... ;) 


    just reading my race info for tomorrow..

    Now comes the exciting bit, running across the base at Chivenor! Be under no illusions, this is tough. Yes it is pretty much flat, but due to security reasons we are not allowed to put anyone on the base. The route now becomes a lonely trek around the perimeter track. There are no spectators allowed on the base for obvious reasons but there will be marshals, a water station, first aid and some snipers provided by the base. Apparently if you drop below your goal speed the snipers will offer some encouragement for you...… 
  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭
    Don't get Sniped Shades! Luckily I don't even know my goal speed so the snipers certainly won't.
    Latest forecast suggests the heaviest rain will be over with before we start, think it's all coming down on the M5 now as we make our way towards Barnstaple.
    Have a good run if your doing Berlin tomorrow.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Honk - every website is different re timing of the rain, what will be will be.  I expect it'll be a bit windy especially around the airfield.

    Have a good journey and I'll look out for you tomorrow.
  • Blimey, Shades, talk about motivation!
    Ian, good news on the leg and Big G - sensible. Good luck to you both tomorrow.
    And good luck Honk and Shades.

    I chose Oak Hill parkrun today - a fully paved one that is mostly flat (a few inclines/declines...despite the name of the parkrun, it isn't actually hilly although the surrounding area certainly is). I was going to do Bexley but some regular posters on the Facebook parkrun tourists group were at Oak Hill so I decided to go and meet them.
    It's a three lap route and while laps aren't my favourite, it's a pleasant enough park. I got into an epic battle with a man in blue shorts (well, he thought he was in a battle - I was just trying to stick to sub-25 pace) - every time I pulled alongside him he put a little spurt on. I fantasised about producing a Farah-type sprint finish to destroy him, but as always, I didn't have much left come the end.
    I ran around 24:50 which I'm happy with. The official time came back at 24:22 which seemed wildly wrong to me (nice as that would be!) and so I checked on Oak Hill's FB page and there was a post about gremlins in the timer. Looks like I won't get an official time until tomorrow as the results guy had some other business to attend to for the rest of the day. Anyway, hopefully it'll confirm another sub-25.
    Had coffee with the people I met up with so didn't get home until 1pm.
    Last long run tomorrow. Looks like rain again.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades/Honk/Big G-Good luck to everyone tomorrow,been pretty crappy weather day,looks like were going to be wet right from the start tomorrow.Looking forward to it,just deciding about tea then settle down for my early start.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Good the test run went ok, Ian. Best of luck to you tomorrow.

    Shades/Honk, good luck to you too. And anyone else racing.

    Busy day sight seeing today. Went over to the Berlin Wall and tried to get a feel for what it must have been like there. Of course, lots of people like me there these days, but I’m glad I went over. Went up the TV tower which is the highest structure in Berlin for good views over the city, and also went to the Bodyworks showcase, which was good - they had a runner there, which was interesting.

    I’ve done a large number of steps the last couple of days, so I’m just hoping it’ll be okay tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll be fine - I often do a fair bit on this marathon weekend away. Not trying to be funny/rude, but I’d say the hotel staff are what may be called typically German. I think a lot of runners have asked them to open breakfast early, but there’s no chance. We’ve been informed that they always start breakfast at 7 and there’s no chance of changing it :) I’ve got myself a porridge pot, a couple of pastries and some fruit so it’s no issue.

    Just trying to decide what time to leave the hotel tomorrow. I’m about 30mins away on public transport and I’ll need the loo etc.  It’s due to rain, but I’ve got a poncho and plastic bags for shoes, and an old jumper that I can throw, so I’m going to look a bit special, but I’m hoping it’ll keep the worst of the rain off at the start at least. I really don’t like starting a race in the rain due to all the hanging around, but generally speaking I don’t mind light rain during a race. Just want to get going now as I’m nervous for some reason!  I think it’s just all the logistics that make me nervous for these big events. 
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Good thinking on the poncho,I've got an old top to wear but that's it,hopefully it's not too bad before the start 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - well done, another good time from you today.
    Enjoy your last long run, it's never so bad when you know it's the last for a while.

    Big G - that's a bit annoying about your hotel breakfast.   
    My hotel in Frankfurt did a very early breakfast but I decided to eat my own stuff, but I so needed coffee so I went downstairs and asked if I could buy some coffee, they let me have as much as I wanted FOC.
    Why not see if there's a cafe on your way to the start, breakfast and use their loo without the race queues.

    You do seem to have done a lot, hope your feet and legs aren't too tired.

    Ian - poncho or black bin bag can be very useful if you can find one.

    Good luck to you both tomorrow.  Enjoy it.

    Looking forward to the race reports.

    Heavy rain here too now.


  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Ian, maybe try and get a bin liner or something.  Just for future references, I bought a job lot of ponchos off of eBay, and also a load of bags that you put on over shoes.  They’re cheap and won’t last very long but they do the job, and take up hardly any space in a case.

    Shades, yeah, I think I’m going to leave pretty early. Not the most glamorous of places but there’s a McD’s on my way to the race and in fairness their coffee isn’t bad. I’ll probably have my yogurt pot at the hotel, and then make my way to the start, via McD’s, and have a pastry or two there if needed. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that was a spot of clever shopping for the ponchos and shoe covers.
    I still have the poncho I rescued from the hedge in Connemara in my kit bag.

    McDonald's is a good idea, And I believe their coffee is good, you can have a comfortable breakfast and no rush.  I bet there'll be loads of runners doing the same thing.
  • On my phone here so won’t type much.. enjoyed reading your posts, wishing you all fab races tomorrow and looking forward to all those juicy race reports!!
  • I hope your races are going well. I got 18 miles done but got piss-wet through. There was some light drizzle initially but when I got to around 11 miles in Brockwell Park, it turned into proper rain. I didn't mind it that much aside from it going in my eyes, which wasn't pleasant. Then it eased off before the return leg.
    I was a bit concerned as post.tib had a niggle at parkrun yesterday (still waiting on a corrected time for that) and then was quite sore in the evening. It felt a bit better this morning so stuck some tape on it and went out. It had a grumble at first but quietened down during the first mile and has been fine ever since.
    Achilles also had a bit of a tantrum from mile 7 to 10 or 11, but I decided to treat it like a toddler and ignore it until it cried itself out and went to sleep. (In actual fact, it quietened down once I increased my pace - it does seem to prefer going fast).
    I did the run as a sort of progression, going from easy through to steady then old MP then a few miles at  sub-4 pace (actually slightly faster) before a final cool-down mile. Not actually that easy given it's an undulating route...however, Brockwell's hills don't seem as steep as they used to so I must be fitter!


    Still not decided whether to have a go at a sub-4 in Yorkshire... I'm in good shape (niggles notwithstanding) but it's quite a bit faster than I've attempted in a marathon before and I don't want to blow-up and have a horrible last 6 miles.
    I'll see how Kingston goes before making a decision.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - well done, a good long run, you'll be pleased that it's time to taper a bit now.   Yes, wait until you've done Kingston and also how you feel on that start line at York.

    I thought we'd have an update by now from Big G and Ian, I expect they're eating masses of German sausages and having a beer or two.

    I'm impatient so have sneaked a look at the Berlin results. :o 

    I had a good run at Barnstaple and despite the gale force winds and no long training runs I managed a sub 5, 4:55:48, so very happy with that.   If it hadn't been windy I think I could have knocked another 8 to 10 minutes off that, the wind was fierce.   Lovely race, beautifully organised, definitely going to be a permanent fixture on my race calendar.   Flat, fast scenic route, great marshalling, lovely medal and nice shirt too.   Free coffee/tea and cake at the finish and/or a glass of wine for those that wanted it.  Really friendly race, can thoroughly recommend it.

    Got to meet Honk, didn't see him at the start but saw him at the finish and we had a good natter, he had a good run. :)
  • Great job Shades and Honk.
    Just checked too - they should be pleased enough with that in those conditions (I've been doing my club's results - just as wet there as here, apparently!)
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