Sub 3h15

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  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭
    super report, SBD - that really is a top-notch performance !!   and yes - once recovered, find a 10 mile race . .   

    accounts like yours, and the others results this weekend, emphasise how much I miss the whole marathon thing . . . planning, training, getting to the start line, executing (and adapting in-race if/when necessary), kitchen sink, finishing, celebrating etc etc  . . .    
  • OO - great WAVA, especially considering your shortened training block. I think you've managed to put me off ever running the Yorkshire marathon though ;)
    Rich - nice running/cycling mileage.
    SBD - great report. You really deserved that PB. I would go with the other part of you which thinks you could go even better yet :) Nice touch with your son handing you the sports drinks - now you've practised you could shave a few more seconds off.
    12 easy miles this morning. 
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    SBD, great report but even if you don't want the 4% shoes, get the ones OO has. I'm sure you'd be a bit faster again compared to wearing the asic gts.

    OO- Nice report also, brought back memories from last year for me.

    VT runner, excellent race, sub 3 is definitely within your grasp without question.

    TR, an excellent time still all the same. I'd be more than happy to one day run 2.55.

    Nicko, hope the ankle is feeling better?

    Nice easy miles, Gul.

    Decent week for me last week, with 52m for first time in a  while. Yesterday was the usual spin class and recovery run.

  • More news on the shoes front - Aldi special buys for £12.99 in store this Sunday ;)
    DT - good miles for last week.
    I also meant to say there's an interesting article on saunas here:-
    <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a29513456/benefits-of-a-sauna/" title="Link: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a29513456/benefits-of-a-sauna/">https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a29513456/benefits-of-a-sauna/</a>
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Gul, get yourself stocked up. Though 1 pair is likely to last you a year in any event.

    I use the steam rm as often as I can so assume the benefits come from the intense heat and are not limited to the sauna.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Great report SBD and a great time for a 50 something- really inspiring. I used to get cramps at the end of a marathon but it hasn't happened for a couple of years. I guess it's the higher mileage and weighing a bit less but not 100% sure.
    I think you could maintain that level for several years to come if you keep healthy and trim and avoid major injury- not easy I know.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Decent session of lunchtime in beautiful autumnal sunshine. 3 x 2m of 22 mins at HMP-10KP. Plan as usual was to start at slower end and progress it.

    Went out a bit faster with a 6.15 and a 6.17 but it felt ok. I feared I may suffer a bit later on as I had laid down a position that needed bettering. Next pair came in at 6.04 and 6.12 and again felt ok, though I was working hard in last half a mile. Then the next pair came in 6.04 and 6.22.

     I didn't fall apart as the last mile suggests. I had to stop dead with 0.3m to go and turn back around and run the opposite way as I was going to end up too far away from work and needed to get back. However the complete stop and restart at peak tiredness made it difficult to get going again and by the time I did there wasn't enough left to positively affect the pace of that mile.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Good report SBD, good drinks tactics too. I knew youd smash it from the paces you were posting, i reckoned 2.53 for me if i had a stellar day, but still think i can get there.  With a couple of tweaks, inc looking after my legs and back better.

    OO - im sure youd beat me over 5k too, i last ran one in around 2011.

    VT - good that you feel ok, and ready for more ?
  • MsEMsE ✭✭✭
    SBD. said:

    Abingdon Marathon – 20 October 2019

    ...

    I’ve always felt I would struggle to keep getting under 3 hours for the marathon as I got older, so achieving a 2:51:xx seems a bit surreal at the moment.  And to have done it without the magic shoes is an added bonus!   One part of me thinks this might be as good as it gets, so perhaps I should retire whilst I’m ahead.  The other is thinking the legs are not that trashed so this would be a good time to chase the 10-mile PB and then of course there’s London and Berlin in 2020 …


    Be rude not to. Don't set limits.  See where you can go with this lack of expectation business.  It clearly works!

    OO - massive kudos to you (as given on Strava and FB)!  You too VtR and VT. Everyone on here is on fire.
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    That was a solid run from you TR if not quite what you were hoping for.  It must be good to have vanished the bad memories from last year and get closer to the 2:50 mark.  What do you put the early problems down to?  Would an overnight stay rather than the morning drive have helped?  On the weather - my half-marathon track record is appalling but my marathon record is top notch!

    A solid tempo session there DT - what's the recovery between the 2m intervals?

    Good easy miles Gul.  We had a recce of the course and agreed the drink stops the previous week-end - clearly I was taking this too seriously!

    You need to run another marathon Birch!

    The knee was OK at the end of the race VT and has been fine since - so a big positive.  The legs are also surprisingly good - so a bit of stiffness yesterday but no real doms.  I might try a run tomorrow!  How are your legs? So Sub 3 at Boston 2021?

    The problem with marathon runners is that we keep trying for the perfect run.  So in a few idle moments, I was thinking:

    Abingdon time - 1:51:14
    Solve the death march - (3.00)
    Faster course (Berlin) - (2.00)
    Pink magic shoes - (2.00)
    Result - champs start at London 2021

    Clearly, I'm delusional ... 

  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭

    x-post

    You're right of course, MsE!  Hope you're back off the bench? Will we see you at another marathon?

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited October 2019
    Stay healthy and do another few P and D cycles, keep backing campaigns has to be your path ?.....and pink shoes..........my back played up a lot last wk, possibly due to an easy week with groin issues and then a few quicker runs in the last 10 days, meaning i had tight hammys and a stiff back in the lsst few days, possibly needed a warm up, i was 6.50 pace after 3m and trying to ease into it, went a bit quick for a few miles and then had to ease up, i was on 255 pace from about 9m, and pushed it a bit in last 6m (but had to ease off to prevent hammy cramp in last mile). Id have been 254 and at best i would have been 253 on a stellar day. I can gain a bit more yet........turning up healthier and long tempo runs is my next addition,  i did 10m av 6.37 and 6.38 in Aug when i was off wtk (so about righ), but only a weekly (ish) 6m tempo in a morning commute usually, however that 6m tempo came in handy mentally at 20m. Happy days really, i couldnt run more than a couple of paces in 2016... Yeovils 2.58 was a relative cruise, Sunday was physically and mentally tough so its a day to be proud of......ill expect a windy day at worthing again then, where are you in April next year?
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    SBD, sorry where it says 'of 22 mins' it's meant to say 'off 2 mins'. 

    TR, i was doing regular 10m tempos through the winter and they came in very handy come London. At 16m it was just a matter of a friday lunchbreak tempo.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    DT - noted them, i could see your switch to a coach from the sessions (tempos and 1k reps), people dont do sessions like that without a coach. I would have to do them instead of long runs some weeks to fit them around my commutes, but could rotate mp long runs with 20 milers and 23 milers.
  • DT, great pacing on the 2M efforts. You were flying. Remind me what is coming up for you.

    Gul, I used to wrestle. And I cut a lot of weight (stupidly looking back now). I did some ridiculous things to lose weight and a couple bad experiences in a sauna make that a no fly for me!

    TR, yes, ready for more. But hard to predict what will happen the next time around. This was a really great run of training without any major injuries so easy to want to keep doing campaigns like this. But back in late July, before the fitness really came back to me, I was wondering. Always fun to keep going when improvements are happening. How about you?? Also, is the 6M tempo the only quality (ie near MP) running you did each week)? Or did you mix in other quality runs?

    Gul¸ you seem to be back to good these days. How are the legs feeling on the runs?

    Birch, what have you been up to lately? How are things?? Your marathon triumphs a few years back kept me on the edge of my seat. Are you contemplating another comeback?

    SBD, I definitely have DOMS. Just not as bad as previous campaigns. As to sub 3 at Boston, who knows. Boston is a much tougher course than the one I did (at least IMO!). Plus, living where I do, running spring marathons means doing LRs in really cold, windy, and usually icy conditions. I think I’d like to do the same race again next year. Figuring out what to do in between will be the challenge. But I do like your plan for perfection! I felt really fit at the start. According to HADD, I probably could have bumped my HR up another 5 bpm and worked to get that comfortable (maybe that's my key to getting under 3?). Could I start a future campaign closer to race time fitness to push that limit up w/out burning the cake? Hmmm.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    VT - i have a Brighton and Vlm place for spring.  Did some 3 min rep sessions too, but not enough. Topped out at 20 x 3min though with 30sec rest, agaon only did a few sessions. Its a Brett Sutton IM training session.
  • Leslie HLeslie H ✭✭✭
    edited October 2019
    VTR a brilliant return to form and a massive pb too great running . sub 3 now needs an action plan for you !
    0054 great time and report , some work to do to catch those very speedy v55's still a cracking return for 8 weeks work and another sub 3 !
    SBD cracking report and amazing time , retire now when 2:50 is maybe around the corner I don't think so !!!!!!!!!!! have a rest and take it easy for a while first.
    GUL christmas come early with your favourite shoes , fill yer boots !
    DT nice long speedy reps and always a pain to make a turn at speed.
    TR a bit more in the tank on a day when you are on form sounds promising.

    Club session tonight 5x 1k with 70secs off , unfortunately all the fasties are doing the Dublin marathon on Sunday so were going easy so I was doing it on my own from about 2 secs in and disappeared into the distance ..

    3:56, 3:58, 3:54, 3:57 and a hard effort for 3:50 to finish (6:06 pace) old trainers seem about as comfortable as hob nailed boots so can't wait for my new shoes to arrive.






  • Quick checkin to say amazing work by OO, SBD and VTR this weekend, fantastic performances by all.

    SBD - the pink shoes will definitely help!

    Tested the ankle with 12 miles of muddy hilly trails in preparation for Gower, very slow as expected but ankle held up - achilles the next day was super sore on the other foot but that's to be expected with hills and didn't manage a proper cooldown; due to that I pulled out of Monday's club session to rest up a little more. Easy run tonight then will do the Weston prom 5 miler tomorrow. Not expecting big things as I am shattered from house stuff. (also I won't be on the pink shoes  :))
  • DT - Yes, I assume that steam room would also give at least some of the same benefits, but might possibly be different because of the humidity? No idea! Great lunchtime session. 
    VTr - I shall proceed with caution with the sauna! Legs are fine thanks, but just in base training at the moment, so nothing remotely approaching fast stuff yet (26 weeks on Sunday till VLM!)
    TR - I love short tempo intervals and try to incorporate some 400m/200m reps at some point.
    Leslie - another good club session. Didn't Emil Zatopek train in hob-nail boots?!
    nicko - hi. Pleased to hear the ankle has improved and hope you can make it for Gower. How is the house coming on?!
    6 mile recovery run followed by just 30 mins swim to allow time for 10 mins in the sauna.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    TR- one of the main reasons I took that leap was because I found that I was dodging anything that looked like a session as I train 100% alone. Whenever I planned to do something it would be like 5 x 800m at 5kp off 2 mins or 5m at mp so not really anything stressful.

    I'm quite fortunate as it's generally accepted in work that Tuesdays and Fridays I take a 90 minute lunch and do a session.

    Good news on the ankle, Nicko.

    VT, next up is the Derby 10 miler, which is my one a year crack at that distance.

    Nice reps, Leslie.

    Good work on the sauna training, Gul.

    Just an easy 8 or so planned tonight. Hoping to get home and out as early as possible so I can hit the lanes before it's dark for one last time post work.

  • Gul - it's bloody chaos; last 3 days have been a rewire so a lot of mess and not been able to get anything done around the electricians really. Looking forward to getting at least one bedroom done as currently living downstairs on the floor!
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited October 2019
    DT - agreed, a coach will get you to do what you need to do. Most runners end up doing what they like to do or usually do, often avoiding things they dont like.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    I've never had a personal coach. Then I do struggle to do as as I'm told 😒
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Something of a breakthrough tonight. 10 miles at 6.58 pace. Quickest double digit run since London.
    Started steady enough and was surprised to see the first split was quite quick yet I felt fine. Carried on with the odd push and tried to keep the pace around 7.00. Seems the slow time on feet sessions may have been making me stronger.

    A really good sign, just a shame there are not the missing 10 weeks of training to go rather than just 10 days. I’ll take it though...
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Good sign indeed G Dawg. I only had a 1 week taper for York, which seemed to go fine. Maybe you can reduce the taper and keep training too
  • GUL nice bit of cross training ,had  too google Emil seems he was some runner holding 5k, 10k and mara records all in the same year and he only stepped into the mara at the last minute  , see if I can find any of his sessions to try ! New shoes arrived yesterday evening and as it turns out its my legs are battered not just the shoes as the new ones feel crap too ...oops !
    DT 800's at your true 5k wouldn't be an easy session in my book . On days it dark when I leave for work and dark long before I get back .
    Nicko get the bed sorted asap 
    0054 doing not too bad without a coach.
    Gdawg back in the game and just in time too.

    5m easy quite windy and felt very cold , temp gauge said 11c but felt like 1c with the wind.


  • DT - hope you snuck in your session in the daylight (forgotten what that's like!)
    nicko - it will all be worth it :)
    GD - that will boost your confidence.
    OO - yes, tapering is overrated :)
    Leslie - Zatopek was a legend. He is often credited with inventing interval training with his 400m tempo / 200m easy sessions. I can highly recommend that session - try 20 to 30 reps :) Perhaps better wait till your legs are recovered first!
    12 easy miles again this morning.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    Sounds positive, Gdawg.

    Nice 12, Gul.

    TR, yes that's exactly what I was doing. Lots of easy runs and who doesn't like 5m at mp as their weekly session.

    Leslie, I think that given I do 10 x 800m usually off 45s, 5 x 800m off 2 mins is a fairly casual session these days! I'm not sure I could cope at all with shift work like that!

    Got out last night by 5.40 but as I was heading right into the lanes for quite a while I popped my headtorch on as a precaution. Just as well as it was pitch black by the time I got into the last few miles. 9m mlr done though.

    Stacking them up this week With 5 at mp tonight so looking at around 6.40. Travelling to Manchester tonight as a stopping point on our rd trip to Edinburgh with the kids so will be off the running radar until next week. It'll be quite nice as I've been to Edinburgh about11times now but it's either always been for the six nations or stag weekends so i'm looking forward to actually doing the tourist thing.

    I purchased these today-

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/790888388/spryng

    I have a history of buying gimmicky looking things like this but ran them passed the guy I use for physio and in view of the fact that my lower legs are always in a right state he , to my surprise thought they were a decent buy.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Couple of cardboard boxes would have done the job DT 😂
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Wow! they really are something, DT. I usually put my calf guards on for post-run compression recovery. Enjoy Edinburgh. I was there earlier this year and managed a cheeky run. Nice place.

    Managed to get a lunchtime run today. I have to be in London 3 days per week now and our shared office now has fancy showers and a towel service. Much easier as not so much stuff to pack in the commuting bag. Just over 4.5 miles as a recovery run sorted with not much injury pain after last night's 10.

    Another 10 planned off-road on Saturday, possibly a short recovery on Sunday and then nothing but leg rehab for a week.
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