P&D Spring Marathon 2020

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  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Cross post Hamo. Smashing year from you. Huge mileage, huge PBs, long may it continue. Good luck on Sunday.
  • Cracking 2019 from all of you!! Happy New Year.
    Won't post up everything I've done over Xmas, but stuck to the P&D plan. 14 miles early this morning (4:15am start!!). Finished December with 245 miles, my second highest ever month and ran 240 miles more than my previous best year (when I ran my 100k ultra!).
  • Morning all. Hope any thick heads have now cleared. I began the new decade of running in style... with a rest day. Despite no partying, there was a distinct lack of sleep on NYE. So after a slow start, enjoyed a family day with lots of park action. 
    10M with 8 x 400 (200 jogs) at the track this morning. 7:02 average pace and 1:26-8 per rep. Pretty slow, but a solid mini session before Saturday’s cross country. 
    Talking of which, I popped into the local running shop to buy some new spikes. The owner (a member of my running club), looked excited at the prospect of a good sale.  I felt a bit guilty saying it was literally just the spikes I wanted as mine seem very worn down. He recommended 9mm. In have no context for whether these are good or not, but they look massive enough to not slip around. As long as I can tear my foot from the ground each step 😆. The cross country is the Glos Championships, so I’ll enjoy seeing the backs of a hell of a lot of speedsters ahead. I believe the course has been changed, so there won’t be the full six river crossings. Jools are you there?

    Wow, Jools, 400 parkruns. That is some consistency right there. Your Christmas running and refuelling sounds very similar to mine. Just stay clear of the special beer before the Speedway...
    Hamo you really have had an incredible year. You’re definitely an shining light of what the consistency and structure a plan can give a runner. I like how you swap and balance things around. Good luck with the marathon. I thought it would be the first of the year from the thread, until I noticed Macca’s little NYD shuffle on Strava 😆. 
    Interesting summary, HA. Good to recognise the lengthier recovery compared to previous years. Wokingham is a lot earlier if you fancy that before London as a half marathon hit out. 
    SBD I’m definitely keen to run a sub-60 10M. I suspect I did during Wokingham Half, although obviously unofficially and probably net downhill. The 10M I have I’m a few weeks isn’t fast, and they seem to be fairly rare unfortunately. A good distance. You obviously had a great 2019 with those PBs. I look forward to seeing your progress continue. Are you, and any other newcomers on Strava? There is a P&D group if you fancy joining.
    Cal - I’m definitely with you on the route option there. Through the puddles is always less likely to lead to a slip than dancing round them. Just got to commit to the first one!
  • Rob1978Rob1978 ✭✭✭
    Can I be added to the list?  I did take part 2 or 3 years ago on one of these threads and still follow a couple of you on Strava.  Did 3:23 Brighton 2018, 3:28 Brighton 2019.... but....

    target is:  18 week P&D 70-85 miles per week plan.  Hoping for sub 3:10 at Brighton 19/4.  Same as Jooligan it would seem.  Good luck all.
  • Happy new year everybody. Lots of impressive running going on, SQ’s 7Sins, AWCs ultra, and Macca’s casual 34 mile long run (amongst an already massive week) standing out.

    I let running take a bit of a backseat over Christmas this year, resulting in several rest days due to hangovers. I did make it out on Christmas morning though for 10 miles along the canal, which I absolutely loved. So peaceful, and the first nice sunrise for a while. I also made it out for 17 miles on Sunday, although it was slower, and felt harder, that I’d have liked. But at least I got out there!

    Keen to get back in to things now. I have the Linda Franks 5, Staverton 10, and Worthing Half in the next five weeks, so hopefully I can use those to race my way back towards some kind of fitness…

  • HA77, I definitely need to be more conservative after marathons - I always seem to end up with a niggle or an illness. I've had post-marathon shingles two years on the trot.

    Jooligan, that's a lot of parkruns! I only got my 100 shirt this year (started in 2016 but there were periods of injury). Currently on 112, with 67 different events. I liked both Wanstead and Valentines when I did them, although I expected Wanstead is pretty muddy at the moment.

    SQ - my spikes arrived this morning. Not sure when I'll get to use them - I was hoping to on Saturday but apparently they're not allowed at the event I'm doing due to a stone bridge that needs to be crossed a few times. Trails it is, then.
    I've hit the 10 mile point of a half quicker than I've run an actually 10 miler too. Not many 10 mile races around and the ones I've done have been in summer when it's been warm.

    Well done all of you who have managed to get out for runs. I was planning on a MLR today but woke up feeling absolutely crap - dead tired and listless, so definitely a virus (I was sneezing quite a lot yesterday). Explains the sub-standard parkrun times. A rest won't do me any harm at this point but I am supposed to be doing a 10K on Sunday. As I had a cold after Yorkshire, I hope my body is equipped to deal with this quickly.
  • Get well soon, Cal. Wow, can’t believe you had shingles post marathon twice. Is there much precedent/literature on this? If you rest today and next two days should could arrive really fresh for the 10k. 

    Welcome Rob. Good to have you aboard. 

    Good to hear from you spoons. Hangovers are a multi day thing for me now! Hope to catch up round the river soon. 
  • I've had shingles a few times before, though in my late 20s (first time was after a bad break-up). I was a bit surprised when it resurfaced - it was at the top of my bum crack, would you believe, and initially I thought it was a bit because it itched like hell. Shingles is a member of the herpes family so it can pop up any time you get run down or stressed, and I guess there aren't too many things more physically stressful than a marathon (and all the training leading up to it). I guess I was lucky I only got a cold after Yorkshire.
  • I guess it’s a useful (sort of) barometer of things from which you require solid recovery. Nonetheless, not nice to get. Hope you avoid it this time and make sure you rest up for well with the cold. You’ve got loads of great training in recently. 
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Cal - get well soon.

    Hamo - you smashed 2019, it was an awesome watch. I remember those winter and spring pbs set on a sunday after a long run friday.

    HA - you had a great year too with a cracking Reading and vlm. Top life bslancing since then, ive been able to race more as my kids got older.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited January 2020
    SQ - agreed, sub 60 is a good target. There was a 10 at Lordshill in November i went sub 60 in a couple of times. Just missed it at Salisbury the one time i did a 10 there, but theres a sharp hill there early on, im entered into that again in March, so ill give it another go......i remember having 12mm spikes for XC when i was a colt.

    Spoons - 4 weeks Sunday til Worthing, looking fwd to hopefully going sub 80. 

    Back to running in the dark and rain today, 12m done.
  • Merry Christmas + Happy New Year all.

    Enjoyed reading everyone's summaries of the year. Hamo, your rise this year has been brilliant to follow and you've had some incredible results. HA - your run in London was the performance of the year for me, and so great to be able to share the experience with you before/after. 

    Welcome aboard Rob. 

    Unfortunately, my Christmas was derailed by a nasty virus, which saw plans for the Christmas Day marathon in tatters. I could've forced myself out but it would've been stupid and would've left me in a hole. First time in 4 years that I've missed it, but the right decision I think. 

    That just left some easy exercise over Christmas, trying to combat the excess without doing anything too intense. 

    Turned a corner just before New Year, so decided to have a blast at parkrun on NYD. We went to Hove Prom - super fast course down in Brighton (the start pretty much the exact point where I cheered Spoons on a few years ago during the marathon). 

    Unfortunately, my legs felt like lead and I felt like I never really got to top speed. Therefore it was quite surprising to run 17:42, knowing I definitely had more in the tank. Having a break in September/October I think has meant I've come into January in better shape than last year.

    Followed it up with Worthing parkrun, which I enjoyed much more as all the pressure was off. Said to myself I'd do 'around 20', obviously got carried away and ran 18:20, so a couple of decent times logged early doors this year. Takes my parkrun tally to 215, so I'd like to get to 250 this year..
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Manchester 5/4
    SteveMac - ?? - P&D 18 week 50-70
    Cal Jones - 3:55 (if still in one piece after Tokyo) - 50-60mpw

    Brighton 19/4
    Jooligan - 3:0x, 70M inc a parkrun each week, some XC & a few other races I'd imagine
    Rob1978 - Sub 3:10, 18 week 70-85M

    London 26/4
    SQ - sub 3, 50mpw Mission plan
    SBD - sub 2:50, 18 week 70-85M
    HA77 - 2:30, DIY 50-60mpw
    RunSpoonRun - TBD
    TR - operation sub 2:55, 18wk no doubles
    Hamo - sub 2.35 - P&D 18 week - 85 Miles plus
    JB - sub 5 - triathlon training
    Millsy - sub 2:50, 70-85 (with added back to back LRs)
    Hydeparkrunner - finish before everyone has left the pub, 55-70 plan

    Southampton 26/4
    AWC - 2:59

    Comrades 14/6
    Millsy - No idea on time... yet
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    You're on the list Rob, welcome.

    Shame about the Christmas marathon Joe. Nice parkrun double though. I saw a QI repeat just the other day - there was a question about marathon records and up pops a picture of our favourite media tart in his swimmers.
  • Joe, sorry you had a shit Christmas. Well done on the parkrun - Hove/B&H was a double I was considering until I decided I'd finish Lon-done off at Canons. You didn't go for the obvious pairing though, with Worthing. Katie seems to be on the mend looking at her times.

    Well done on the 12, TR.
    I felt better (well, less shit) today so I decided to run, although as I have parkrun tomorrow and the 10K on Sunday I didn't think it was smart to try and do the MLR I missed yesterday. I settled for 8 miles, and after an easy warm-up mile I settled into my medium easy pace, then went at what I term my steady pace (basically MP+1 or thereabouts) for the last three miles because I was being pelted by cold rain.
    Niggles are there but not screaming. I suspect they get worse when I wear my trail shoes, due to the low drop and all the slipping around on mud. It isn't great that tomorrow's parkrun is a muddy one, but as it's one I can't easily get to on my own and I've been offered a lift there, I'll take my chances.
  • HA...You had an excellent London, and your awareness of your body and adapting is something we should all take note of. At the end of the day we run for fun, family always comes first and rightly so.

    Steve...That is an early start, well done. Big December too.

    SQ...Nice session, best of luck with the XC. Aye, I seen Macca's leisurely stroll on strava too...as you do :flushed::lol: You Definitely have a sub 60 in you no bother, but as you say its finding one, seems a niche race distance...over here anyway.

    Rob...welcome. Looking forward to seeing your progress, HA has you on the list now, so you are tied in :lol:

    Spoons...Good work on Christmas morning, even better hungover rest days :lol:  The Semi break will have done you the world of good, and those races early in the year will give you something to aim for.

    Cal...Hope the virus clears off in time for Sunday. Good luck for it and the muddy parkrun too. Glad to see you back out today.

    TR...Nice MLR. Sub 80 is there for the taking for you, i'm sure of it.

    Joe...tough decision, but the right one with the Christmas day marathon. Brilliant work at the parkruns, two class times back to back.


    12M MLR this morning, then it'll be a 6 mile recovery tomorrow to 'taper' for Sunday :smiley:
  • HA - toying with the idea of bagging another certificate this April..

    Cal - Reason we didn't do Brighton & Hove was because i'd already done it, so fancied a new one. 69 different events now and 215 total runs. Wouldn't mind a green T by the end of 2020. 

    Good luck Sunday Hamo!

    Talking of parkrun. Probably a longer run to Victoria Dock tomorrow morning to bag a 'V' and leave just Y and Z to go..
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Joe - good that katie is on the mend. Seafront Parkruns must be quick if its not windy, theres a few near me that are quick apparently.

    Well toughed out cal

    Hope you go well Hamo

    7m inc strides for me
  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    edited January 2020
    Evening all. 
    Well done on the dark and rainy running, TR. I miss the morning runs, whatever the weather! Worth a go at a parkrun, TR. I’ve run 90% of mine super easily. I always love the atmosphere and enjoy how you can make of them whatever you want. 
    Pleased you’re on the up, Joe. That 215 parkruns must be a lot of venues (edit - just saw your later post. It is) much like Jools and Cal. Which X have you done? I heard someone say the only X was in a prison, but I assume that’s just an urban myth. Otherwise much commitment required. 
    Thanks for the list update, HA. The QI celebratory mention made me genuinely laugh out loud. 
    Cal is it worth getting trail shoes that are a little less aggressive on the heel drop? mine sound like yours but I only race in them very rarely. 


    Bit of a nothing run from me today. Just home from the park. 6M and just over 8m/m pace. Lower back a bit sore. Perhaps from using the carrier lots. Hopefully nothing to worry about. Looking forward to tomorrow’s cross country. Always a ridiculously good standard and no chance of coming anywhere even close to the front. So a good excuse to just tuck in, work hard and enjoy it. 
  • SQ, they're 4mm drop - when I got them I was doing all my running in Nike Frees which also had a 4mm drop, so it wasn't an issue then. But I had to switch to less minimal shoes because the balls of my feet got beaten up when I started doing longer distances (I am cursed with thin fat pads there - I could never wear high heels for long either). I will look at alternatives once I need new trails, though.
    Joe - impressive stats! I only got my 100 shirt in the autumn (but am on 67 different events, so there's that). You'll love Vicky Dock - smaller field than the other fast ones so you could bag a high placing if things go well. Not sure where you live but I found the best way to get there was Jubilee to North Greenwich and then the cablecar. It stops right by the parkrun.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SQ - ive always preferred to run (or bike) long on saturdays, so it doesnt loom over the weekend. But i could do the odd parkrun out of mara season.

    17 with 8mp was on the schedule for today, id already done 8 and 10mp early December, so i did 17 inc 10 again today. A lack of prior planning led to most of it being into the wind but managed to scrape undee 6.30av with 6.28, so happy days (2.49 pace).
  • So, Squerryes Winery parkrun today. I thought Walthamstow was muddy, but it was nothing compared to this. Trail shoes were no help at all. I spent it slipping and sliding and cursing and recorded my slowest ever time  - 32:46. I've never done more than 30 minutes before. Despite that I was still 6th lady and first in my age cat, due to the small field.
    Shoes were so trashed they went in the bin when I got home.
  • Great pace for the MP, TR. 
    😆 you know it’s been muddy when the trainers go in the bin. The question is, Cal, was there wine?!

    Gloucestershire XC Championships this afternoon. It was again held at Rendcomb College - an boarding school that is essentially its own village. Stunning Cotswold buildings and scenery. Last year the course went up and down the valley beneath the college and through the river six times. Absolutely savage. Upon arrival, it was clear why this had been changed: the entire bottom section was completely flooded. I enjoyed hearing one dramatic description of ‘risk of drowning for the U11s’ 😆. I thought, therefore, it would be much flatter and essentially around the sports fields. I couldn’t have been more wrong: three laps, each starting with a massive climb. The flat was then enjoyable with beautiful views, before some proper XC descents: twisty, rooty, muddy. I rarely get to do XC as it clashes with coaching/refereeing, but I really do love it. Ridiculously cheap, great atmosphere and a huge range of ages and paces. If I could only do one form of racing for the rest of my running days, this would be it, even though I tend to finish far lower down than lost local road races. Kept the effort steady on the first climb, although there was never any massive surge from there on. Really pleased to finish 26th and 14th SM, finishing just ahead of a trio that usually beat me in road races. 41:00 for the 10k at 6:43 pace. 3M WU and 2M WD made it a great afternoon of running. Left lower back still and bit sore on starting and during the cool down, but not noticeable during the race. Now enjoying some well deserved wine. 
  • There was (in the shop) but as I ran two miles to meet the lady who was giving me the lift there, I didn't take any money! (Mind you I have plenty of wine already - would have been handy for the cheese and other nice things in the arm shop/cafe, though).
    The shoes were old anywyay - bought them in 2015 and have no idea how many miles they've done. I had a second pair, same model, that had been sat in a box in the cupboard for the past four years so they've finally come out.
    Well done on your XC. Those kind of descents sounds like my nightmare. :D
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Well done XC. Good to chase a few rivals down. I think the difference to road racing is that road racing is about keeping the effort even, but xc needs some pushing on in places and then some recovery in other places.

    Shame about yr shoes Cal, but it sounds like you have a few pairs !

    8m easy peasy for me today.
  • It was their time, TR. :D

    So anyway, after that slip and slide-fest, I was not expecting to do well at the Battersea 10K today. First up, there was a rail replacement bus service (Battersea's normally three stops on the train from where I live - nice and easy) so I considered running there, but then realised I'd have to stand around in the cold in sweaty gear until the race started, and opted instead to walk the mile or so from Clapham Junction.
    Got there OK, then did a mile warm-up and my legs felt heavy and tired. This wasn't going to be good.
    But then I got lined up at the start and just gunned it. I'm never very good at judging pace for the first mile so was a bit taken aback when I did it in 8:01, which is very close to my 5K pace (I'd need 8:15s or so for a PB). Second mile went in 8:04 which was still a bit too fast, really, but I just settled down to work. Mile three was 8:07, but now my legs were full of lactic and my breathing was starting to sound like a donkey humping a set of bagpipes. Mile 4 was my slowest at 8:21 but I wasn't panicking as I had a good chunk of time banked. I pulled back a bit for mile 5 with an 8:16 so as long as I didn't get a cramp or something, the PB was there for the taking.
    I got some encouraging shouts from the superfast Chasers training around the edge of the park which gave me a boost and I knuckled down for the last mile and a bit. Held it together for 8:11 and then found something from somewhere to get me over the finish.
    Official time - 50:12 - a minute and a half PB (and tantilisingly close to a sub-50).
    After the disappointing 10K I ran in December, I am very happy with this. It also made me realise that 10K is probably my least favourite distance - all the pain of a 5K but twice as far. But the Runthrough events do have very good flapjacks so it's all been worth it.
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    Well done on the PB Cal - I'm sure you'll be even faster closer to Tokyo.

    That's a really strong MP long run TR - 10 at that pace so early bodes well.  Yes - no doubles for me, apart from a couple of extra recovery runs in the four week block before the taper.  I've got Canterbury 10, Wokingham HM and Bath HM lined up as MP long runs.

    Hope the race went well Hamo.

    Good result at the XC Champs SQ. I half fancied running the Bucks version but having not run any XC for a number of years I was worried about picking up an injury. Maybe next year!

    Hope you manged to tick off the V from the parkrun list Joe.

    P&D said 17 with 8@MP, but I didn't really fancy the MP miles today.  So just an 18 mile LR with the last 5 miles at 7:16 pace (MP+10%ish).  Hard work, but just good to be volume building at the moment, so 73 miles for the week.

    Planning to run the next MP long run session as race - so Canterbury 10 or Stapleton 10 on 26 January if I can get a transfer place.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Excellent Cal, goes to show what folks can do if they ignore the watch a bit.

    SBD - it is difficult to hit the mp on a given day, i had the same fall back approach as you planned yday, but luckily felt ok. Are all your mp sessions now planned as races ? I was taking the approach that i need to see if i can do them without numbers, but your approach will probably keep you fresher.....Farnborough hm is end of Jan if you need a race that day.
  • Evening all. 
    I kind of agree about the XC, TR, but I try to keep effort even, although pace will vary wildly of course. 
    Cal that is fantastic! First thread PB of the year. What a great result when you were feeling less than flush. Perhaps being forced to go slower on Saturday helped. I entirely agree about ‘all the pain of a 5k but twice as far’. I reckon that’s why I can only handle an occasional all out 10k - I really have to dig deep to get the most from myself. 
    Tidy long run, SBD. 

    Pretty tired today post-XC. 4ish M recovery at 8:40 pace. More importantly, THE PLAN starts tomorrow! 
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    TR - yes, I'll run the MP sessions (10, 12, 14) as races.  I find it hard to hit MP in training.  I'll try and find races for the tune-up races or use a park run.
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