P&D Spring Marathon 2020

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  • Evening all.


    Where have you booked, HA? I have a place in the Bourton 10k to get rid of that Sunday. Sell out race, super fast course and a beautiful village. Sure the other half would love to watch you run! Well done on the long run, hill double. On the up. 

    Well done on the MP run, TR. You really are ticking all the boxes. Recover well from that. 

    Equal PB is a great result, Cal! Really well done. Do you think the parkrun takes it out of you for racing the next day? Enjoyable either way. 

    That is a very tasty MP run, hamo, in amongst a monster week. Cheeky 12 mile day to start a cut back week!

    Well done on the XC, Joe. Love how it is longer than 10k. I’m definitely going to give it a crack one year. Looked a great club atmosphere on your photos. 


    On Saturday I had a busy day and was feeling fairly tired, so decided not to run. Pretty rare, but seemed a sensible decision. 

    Sunday saw the Staverton 10M. It is another local race in Cheltenham, put on by a fellow running club. It loops twice round the exterior of the airport (what, you haven’t flown into the mighty Gloucestershire Airport recently?!), through some housing and a farm track at the end. It is occasionally lumpy, muddy for 400m or so in the farm and certainly windy yesterday. My glute/back felt rubbish in the warm up - not a great start. But then fine during the race (faster running again, I guess). Very stiff later in the day. I managed to work in a group for a short while, but was unlucky to be solo for most of it. I think I need to work on this for local races - picking a runner of similar ability and man marking them for a mile or two, rather than just running on feel. 

    10M is probably my softest PB (61:39) so I thought I’d target that - I thought if I could average inside 6:10 per mile I would be on. So I was a little surprised that the first mile came out as slower than this. Some tough solo work into the wind on the first lap was tiring, but I was just inside target pace and starting to enjoy myself. I managed to catch a few on the second lap and felt really strong. Unfortunately, any speed was relative to those around me - I was actually slightly slipping behind PB pace. Pushed hard to run a sub 6 minute final mile, to finish in 62:06. Good enough for 20/250, but not quite bagging the PB. 

    So, a good hit out and a honest reflection of current fitness. Ticked off another 50M week. Will decide nearer to Wokingham what pace to go out at. 6:12 average pace yesterday - whereas 80 minutes is 6:06. If there is a pacer again, I might be tempted to give it a crack. 

    90 minutes easy this morning - this week’s ‘long’ run in the scheduled recovery week. Legs ok, but generally tired towards the end. Average 7:40 pace. 

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SQ - funnily enough i was going to ignore the recovery week this week as i have some reduced weeks coming up due to races, but then i decided to still take it anyway......another good showing from you, sounds like a tough day and course yday. Youd have been a lot quicker on a quicker course. So i agree with your 6.06 aspirations. Im hoping to get down towards 5:50ish sunday, which would indicate 6.06 readiness (although worthing will no doubt be too windy anyway).
  • Makes sense to have a recovery week. You’ve been smashing it. You need to absorb all the excellent training. And it will give you the best chance of a strong Chichester showing. 
  • Joe...Nice work at the XC, sounds like a tough course, fair play to you.

    TR...Nice MLR. I agree it's nice/helps to know someone else is doing the same sessions and smashing them. Hope the forecast wind doesn't show up on Sunday, i agree with SQ the recovery week will help you fly round the 10k.

    SQ...Well run at Staverton. I'd say if there is a 80 min pacer go for it (infact go for it anyway), you definitely have it in, and i agree with TR, in faster conditions your on for it no bother.


    10 Mile with 10x100 strides in the snow this morning, thankfully most of the roads where gritted last night, so i ran on them rather than the footpaths, or else the strides could of been fun :flushed::lol:
  • Thanks Joe - I entered Hampton Court just before finding I'd got a Tokyo place, and it's the week before, so not sure whether I should do it or not. It's an event I always enjoy, but we'll see I guess. Open to suggestions on this. I have the Winter 10K coming up soon, too, which I entered on a whim, as I wouldn't normally do such an expensive 10K, but again, this was before finding out about Tokyo and the expense that would involve.
    Well done on the XC. I do struggle to see the appeal - I guess it's the camaraderie as it does seem like a lot of pain for little reward.
    SQ - not sure really, I think some parkruns would, so I avoid hilly or muddy ones before a race. I used to always rest on the Saturday but I've had some good HMs the day after parkruns so I guess not.
    Unlucky not to bag a 10 mile PB. It's my softest PB too - I've run faster 10 miles during half marathons than my official PB, largely due to almsot all my 10 mile races being in summer when it's been warm and I've barely recovered from my spring marathons. Cabbage Patch would be a better option in October, but it always clashes with my autumn marathons.
    Good job on the 10 and strides, hamo. I wouldn't fancy trying that on slippery pavements, either.


    Cold here today, too, though that was down to the icy. I woke early but didn't go out immediately as I heard rain (which weather forecast said was actually hail, yikes) but once that stopped I got out for around 5:45am. I was going to do 10 miles but got to 9.5 and realised I'd be too far away (the wind was bitter, and I didn't fancy walking further than I needed to in it) so I added a mile, and then that mile became three more until I'd done a half marathon. However, it was all at recovery pace - averaged just under 11s. Crazy to think I ran the same distance on Sunday over half an hour quicker.
    I do have a couple of niggles, neither new - one just inside my right achilles and the other being my left foot, which has been temperamental since I slipped on the stairs last summer. 13 miles was probably not a sensible option, really, but there you go. I'll keep an eye on them.
  • Morning all. Too much to go back over since my last post, but I have been lurking and there's lots of great training going on. In particular, Hamo is absolutely smashing it and I can't wait to see what you do in London!

    I had a reasonable run at the Linda Franks 5, managing to average 6:20/mi when I'd only managed 6:30/mi for parkrun the week before. It was also the first faster running I'd done for a while where it felt pretty good, instead of a struggle. It seemed like a positive step, but unfortunately since then I've been suffering with my hamstrings.

    I'd had a specific niggle on my left hamstring, but that cleared up with a few days rest prior to LF. However, both are very tight and have a persistent general ache, and just don't feel right. I've had achy hamstrings before, but usually they feel better once I get running. On Sunday though, I gave up on a planned long run after just two miles, as they just felt achy and weak. They feel worse than when I'm in the middle of marathon training, despite having a fraction of the mileage in them!

    I've booked in to the physio later this week, hopefully he can work out what's wrong. All very frustrating!
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    That's a bugger Spoon. Fingers crossed you get it sorted.

    SQ - staying about 3 miles from Bourton so it might be an option. I'll let you know.

    Joe - Great work at the Southerns. I never get round to going, always clashes with family stuff.

    Great training everyone else.

    Easy few days for me, just an 8 mile GA on Sunday. Had car troubles yesterday so didn't go into work. Went for a pub lunch with the wife instead and had a few too many pints. Not a bad way to spend a Monday. No running unfortunately. Car all sorted now. 
  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    edited January 2020
    Sounds like you’ve got it a couple of degrees colder over there, hamo. Stay upright!

    Good effort in tough weather, Cal. Recovery effort, but still a very long way. You’ll need to recover from that too. I’d say Hampton Court a week out from Tokyo would be fine - at the right effort. I love XC - purest form of running! But I totally get why it doesn’t appeal to everyone.

    What a pain, spoons. Hope they physio can help. 

    It’s there if you want it, HA. Blimey, I need some car trouble. That sounds a great Monday :smile:

    Recovery 50 minutes today. Windy, but otherwise lovely and sunny. Pretty tired from two longer days back to back. Probably around 8:50 pace. 
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited January 2020
    Hamo - 10m inc stides here too.

    Cal - well done on the mlr. How far is the,Hampton race?

    Sorry to hear that spoons, hopefully the phys will get you back at it soon.

    HA - the lunch sounded great fun.

    10m inc strides.
  • It's a half, TR. Well done on the 10.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Cal - wel i usually do 12 or 13m inc 5 or 6 mp one week out, so you could do that, depends how disciplined you can be in a race environment.
  • Cal...Nice impromptu half. I sometimes think to myself on a training run "i'd have a raced 10k/half in this time and I've 'only' done X miles today" too. Keeping an eye on the niggles is sensible, you are building well toward Tokyo, don't want to undo all your hard work.

    Spoons...Glad to have you back posting, nice work at the Linda Franks, not so good about the hamstrings. Hope the physio can work some magic, and they aren't too bad.

    Ha...I was going to say sorry about the car trouble, but it sounds like you'd a cracker day. I'm like SQ, i might want a bit of car trouble myself :lol:

    SQ...Nice recovery running, on a nice sounding day.

    TR...good work on the strides. Are you front loading the week to 'taper' for Sunday?


    13M MLR this morning, was quite icy in places along the tow path but overall not too bad. Decided to push the pace a bit, and ran it between MP+10 AND +20%. Hard enough work, but a good decent run.
  • Hamo - Superb MP run in the middle of big training weeks.
    TR - Same, you are consistently smashing it! Enjoy the recovery week.
    Cal - Nice PB equal time in the half!
    HA - Nice long run, well saved by SQ on the birthday!
    SQ - Nice 10 miler.
    Spoons - Nice race, hope you recover soon though from your niggle.
    Did 22 miles on Saturday, similar to the previous weeks long run, started slow and probably finished around MP+10% for the last 3 miles, felt good overall! 6 miles on Sunday to finish off a 63 mile week.
    15 miler on Tuesday morning then 7 with strides this morning on the way to work. 6 miles home later.
  • Sounds like you had a much more satisfying 13 than me, Hamo.
    Steve, nice runs.

    8 today - I'd already decided to go out a bit later so I could take advantage of the sunshine (even if it was accompanied by the same cold wind as yesterday). The problem is, the longer I leave a run, the harder it is to get myself out the door. But eventually I did. Easy pace - faster than yesterday but that's largely down to it not being dark.
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    SQ - Thanks for the Bourton offer. I might let you know closer to the date. Don't save it for me or anything.

    Cal -  I think you'd be fine to run the Hampton Court Half. Like TR says, just got to be disciplined and not race. Hope the niggles all settle.

    Steve - some good mileage recently. Keep it up.

    Standard fare from Hamo, which for the rest of us would be smashing it out of the park. Great going.

    Got out for an hour progressive tempo last night, which was alright. Built up to about 5:40s over 7 miles or so before warming down, for almost 9 miles total. Backed up with a short lunch fartlek today, just 7x ~2min on, 1min off. Legs weren't completely fresh but not too bad.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited January 2020
    Well done on the 10% 20% run Hamo, my mlrs are all evening commutes so all come in at 20%, but thats ok...........im doing the week as set by P and D on the days id usually do the runs. I will swap saturday and sunday, so i do an easy run saturday and sundays 10k becomes my long run (10k with wu and wd added on). Last yr at Chichester i did 5m, 10k, 9m !

    Steve - you are holding up well then. How do you feel ? Any fatigue building yet?

    HA - good stuff, you must be healing up.

    12m tonight.
  • Evening all. 
    Good point from TR about discipline if doing a race a week from the big goal. Certainly a fun way of getting the last Sunday run in. But perhaps be strict on HR, or stick with a pacer if there is one. I can remember pacing a friend in a ten miler the week before Snowdonia. Absolutely perfect. 
    What surface is the tow path, hamo? I love the canal and river near work (where spoons live) and miss not having them near my house. 
    That’s a cracking long run and week, Steve. Remind which marathon you’re doing? You’re higher mileage than in the past so sure your consistency will hugely pay off. 
    5:40 pace first thing in the morning is impressive, HA. Great to see you getting the double session days in again. 

    Intervals this morning. 8 x 3:00 fast with 90s recoveries. Total of just over 7M at 7m/m pace. Not sure on paces, but enjoyed working hard. Windy, but eights reps was sufficient to ensure it came from all angles. Then, for the first time this year, sneaked in a double! 3M recovery on the treadmill before gym. Back on the up, despite the consistent niggly ache. 
  • Steve...Brilliant LR, backed up by an impressive MLR...your definitely putting the miles in at the minute.

    Cal...Nice 8. That's why i get up and out the door within 5/10 mins of waking up, if i sat about i'd never force myself out running.

    HA..that is a good tempo backed up by a fartlek. I'm assuming the ribs aren't too bad now?

    TR...That is a big day you put in at Chichester last year with a raced 10k in the middle, impressive, i can just about stick a standard 3 mile warm up/cool down with a race :flushed::lol:

    SQ...The tow path is a mix of tarmac and gravel, so quite a good surface, with the odd bridge to cross the river/canal. It's lovely down there first thing in the morning with the trees, swans, rabbits etc, but as its quite flat (obviously) i feel like i'm cheating if i run it too much, and that i miss out on hills :lol: Good intervals, and then double, you'll be thinking your following a p&d plan soon if you keep that up :lol: Glad the back is feeling better.


    6 mile recovery this morning.
  • SQ - Doing Manchester. Nice intervals.
    TR - Nice MLR again. Overall, I'm feeling OK, but feel a bit of fatigue in the legs on this mornings run, but that's to be expected.
    Hamo - Likewise you seem to be smashing it despite the miles you are running.
    6 miles after work yesterday and 13 miles this morning, legs felt heavy but I'm not surprised. Cut back week next week though!
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Nice one SQ, i kind of miss then 3min reps.

    Hamo - ill do something like 3m, 10k, 7 ot 8m Sunday, as its only 16m scheduled. Im a diesel so can only go a 'slow' fast, si will be ok for extra easy miles.

    Good that you are coping well SteveMac

    8m inc strides today. Pretty regulation.
  • Haha TR but you tend to do a few more 3 minute reps than me! Good luck Sunday. 

    Steve you really are in the thick of things. Ticking over well. 

    Sounds lovely, hamo. Not cheating if it’s flat - just means you’re in for a nasty shock if you do a hilly race!

    Planned an hour easy today, but found my body was only keen for recovery pace. So about 8:40s rather than 7:30s. As it wasn’t any kind of session, but it was best to settle in, chill out and enjoy a cruisey pace. 
  • Oh, a couple of things from today’s run:

    I picked up my Cheltenham Half t shirt. Turns out it was my wife’s.... very, very tight. But it was that or skins 😆 

    And a lady was walking with her dog - off lead, in a perfectly safe way. Whilst reading a book (owner that is, not dog). Impressive by a canal! 
  • Steve...Big, consistent week you're putting in, nice MLR, enjoy the cut back week, well deserved.

    TR...Good strides. Yea, the 16 mile 'LR'  has came at a good time for you to squeeze the race in, I'm looking forward to the relative lie in I'll get on Sunday morning with it being 'only' the 16 to do before Junior Parkrun. All the very best for Saturday.

    SQ...well done listening to your body and adjusting paces accordingly, not something i always do but should. Fair play to that woman, very impressive indeed, I'm a typical man and doing more than one thing at a time can create havoc, I'd have ended up in the canal had i tried that :lol:


    12 mile MLR this morning, averaged near enough bang on 7 min miles, so nothing spectacular, just a nice solid run. 
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    SQ - Surely the lady with the dog was more interested in your muscles bulging out of your skin tight shirt than her book? I went to get changed the other day at work and found I'd packed a pair of my daughters pink undies. Luckily I always keep spare undies and socks in my bag. Good plan to knock back the intensity. I like those sort of intervals too. My standard now is 2 min on 1 min off.

    Great work TR, Hammo, Steve. Consistent as always.

    13.5 miles for me this morning. Didn't feel that great actually. Pace was decent, about 6:45/mile but didn't feel like I was in a good rhythm. Ribs are still sore Hamo, doesn't hurt much to run but still quite painful every time I clear my throat or blast out some boogers. I didn't realise how often I do both of those things when running. It's also sore in bed, which has meant my sleep hasn't been the best recently, but that's getting much better the last few days. Will probably get out for an easy hill session at lunch with the work group.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SQ - good job she didnt fall in, youd have struggled to save her wearing your boob tube.

    Hamo - agreed, i think the 'only' 16m long run or 'only' 13m mlr provides a mental break as well as physical.

    HA - still improving ! Good job you had some spare pants, youd have copped some chafing, and your daughter would refuse to wear them again.

    6m inc strides. Not sure the wind is going to play ball sunday, but it will be good worthing prep. Mighr unleash the 4% for their first run.
  • SQ... :D

    Seems to be a few of you feeling the effects of higher mileage. Not feeling up to much myself, either. I was hoping for a MLR yesterday but felt under the weather again, and decided to rest. Still wasn't feeling all that fantastic this morning but I did 6 recovery (10:30s and 40s, although there was one faster mile but it was net downhill) and feel a little better now. Ankle seems a bit quieter.
  • TR - Chichester is definitely time to wear the VFs. If not for a flat 10k with lots of fast runners to block the wind, then when?

    Come on guys with your 16M easy long runs - I’m yet to get to that point. Worrying  :D 

    Hope the ribs improve, HA. Lack of sleep will slow everything. 

    5M progression run this morning. Went form about 8:20 pace to 6:40 with a bit of a chill out last half a mile. Don’t often run this kind of run, nice to do something different. 
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SQ - the 4% have been cleared for take off as expected, so i will unleash them.

    Meant to say earlier, 317m for January. Slightly less than last year, but ive been doing the P and D structured long runs rather than chugging out 20m+ each weekend.
  • That's a lot of miles, TR. 205 for me (although I round down fractions so it's closer to 207 in actual terms).

    Queen Elizabeth parkrun today was pretty tough - definitely the hilliest I've done (one of the miles had over 70m of climb) but the worst bit was the slippery muddy downhill on the first lap (the first lap is smaller than the second lap) and I had to walk some of that. I got a pretty slow time - over 32 minutes again - third time this year! But I'm not worried - I know I can run fast when I need to, going by my 10K PB and equal HM PB this year.
    However, it is a nice parkrun - scenic, with a great cafe and not over busy. A good chunk of the runners were parkrun tourists going for their "Q".
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Nice Cal. Queen Elizabeth country park? By Butser Hill ? If so that's near me.

    6m easy inc strides. Something like 3m, 10k, 7m for tomorrow.
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