My Last Run

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  • Welcome back LTT, great to see you. Busy times. Good news on your knee. Hope it is quiet tomorrow. Well done for getting that run done in those conditions, you deserved that wine I think.

    Good parkrun Cal, in particular if you bettered your last result despite the wind.

    Friday I did a 5 recovery on tired legs with the OH. Lovely evening but was a bit of a struggle to do the left foot right foot stuff.  To rest the legs a bit I didn't run yesterday but cycled about 14 miles instead. I think my first outing this year - oops.

    Back to running today - 17.2 miles. Around 5.5 miles warm up then half a mile progression to MP and 10 miles at MP (ish, i.e. a bit quick). 1 mile cooldown jog. Had planned to jog the other 2 or so home but decided to walk the rest.  No storm here and in the sun it was pretty warm.  Pleased with the run but I need to get my MP sorted, today's effort felt a bit too hard.
  • Good job on the run, Hazelnut.

    So Tokyo's been cancelled and I've been spending the last hour trying to cancel all my bookings. Joy.

    Went out for a stress-relieving 8 miles with strides.
  • Went out for a hilly 5 miles this morning. It was rough - windy, heavy legs, and I was generally tired with not much in the tank by the end of it.

    Managed to survive though, was actually quite a quick pace of about 9:27mm so perhaps that's why I felt dead on the way round...whoops! 

    Thinking I need to get a new running watch. I have a Amazfit Bip which I bought last year for about £60. GPS is poor, doesn't track properly and cannot seem to get it to track pace in min/mile - only km/mile (and even then, it seems wrong). Time to start saving up over the next couple of years for a Garmin methinks, one with a good GPS and the ability to run Strava too!
  • Also, sucks to hear about Tokyo, Cal. I'd heard rumours it was going to be cancelled but not that they actually would. Have they offered any reimbursement for it/deferred places for next year? 

    I'd love to go to Japan one day - may have to train for a marathon and use that as an excuse
  • Gutted for you Cal.  I hope you can salvage something from your costs as I remember you writing it would be an expensive trip.

    I guess you need to concentrate on getting the cancellations sorted first but is there an alternative mara you could do in the UK to save your training at least?  Although with all the weather related cancellations of the last couple of weeks...

    I can imagine you needed that run. 
  • I'm doing Manchester anyway, Hazelnut, so the training won't be wasted. However, I'll have to stop tapering and ramp up my training again, which doesn't exactly fill me with joy. At least I can now concentrate on trying to get that PB without worrying about whether I was sufficiently recovered or not.
    Unfortunately, Malteser, they will not refund the race fee. We can enter next year but will have to pay again. Scandalous.
  • A rather disturbed night's sleep resulted me going out later for 10 miles, which I did at easy to steady pace (what I class as steady is faster than easy but slower than MP). I won't do anything longer until next week as I have Hampton Court on Sunday (the good thing about not doing Tokyo is I can now give HC a proper punt - it's a PB course). Was happy with the run, apart from a bit of a groin niggle which started then stopped again. It's probably tight due to a lot of sitting around at the weekend.
  • Oh Cal!  That really is ****.  Really hoping any costs can be claimed on travel insurance.  What a pisser.  Still, it sounds like you're very much marathon fit and ready to PB upcoming races.

    Nice running Hazlenut and Malteser.  That's a hefty run Hazlenut! What is your target MP?

    Something new tonight, 6 miles but set my Run keeper to half mile stats and current split pace. Tried to run alternating 9 and 7 minute half miles. Managed to get down to around 7.17s

    I don't seem to have lost much fitness in the last 2 months, but it my knee is still an unknown quantity. 17 miles in the last 2 runs will let me know either way.

    Saw a kestrel and stroked a spaniel pup.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Really gutted for you Cal.I know your hard training won't go to waste but I know you were looking forward to Tokyo.

    Great long run Hazelnut,especially with the 10 at mp.

    You're doing really well Linton,hope your knee is ok.

    First run in a few days,8.35 miles,including 6 x 1k m at 10kp.Virtually everywhere is waterlogged so can across to the other side of the valley and did my interval run along the A5 and used the pavement, bit noisy with the traffic but got the job done.
    Looks like the Rhyl 10 on Saturday is going to be weather affected,up to 50 mph winds,was hoping to sub 70,very much doubt it now.


  • HC will give you something to focus on in the meantime Cal - that's good. 

    Nice running LTT.  Do you do a decent warm up before that? I would advise a couple of miles of gentle pace (9min miling sounds good) and some drills / strides.  And then a cool down as well.  And maybe a session like that just once a week if you are building back up.

    Nice intervals from you too JD.  Not another weather blighted race weekend in the UK.... About time you guys and girls got a break from it.

    6 and a bit mile group trot yesterday.  Struggled a bit to run slow enough for one member.  He hasn't run much at all in the last couple of months but does come out with us every now and then.  We both enjoy the run in company but if it is too slow for me and too fast for him it is a struggle for both.  We aren't enough people at the moment to make it feasible to split into groups.  I guess if I want to run faster I will have to go on my own which is a shame somehow.   I can hardly force him to run faster and saying he can't come out with us isn't on either obviously. 
  • 10 miles late yesterday afternoon.  The evenings are definitely getting lighter now.  Met Mr. Red Tracksuit and another guy out for a run. 

    LTT forgot: potential MP is around 7:38 (based on HM and 10k times).  I will be running a 10k on Sunday and will reassess after that.  My old mara PB pace is quite a bit slower @ 7:54 but I am trying to close the performance gap between 10k, HM and mara. 
  • Interesting, Hazelnut...my paces are quite close together now, which is why I often struggle to hit even MP in training, never mind HMP - my easy pace hasn't really changed at all! I'll have to see what I manage at HC and Manchester.

    8 mile recovery run today. I have a lot of niggles - might need to do a preemptive physio visit soon.
  • MP and HMP are definitely hard work in training I agree, in particular MP as the distances I will run at it in training are quite a bit longer. 

    13.4 MLR yesterday afternoon.  On a long out and back with little distraction for the mind.  Did at least see a small herd of deer and lots of birds of prey.  Kept to the lower end of my long run pace range as I have a 10k on Sunday.  Warm in the sun but as soon as that was down it became chilly quite quickly.  
  • 5 miles after work. Fairly nondescript but all good. Felt quick but was running 9+ minute miles, weird.

    Great running Hazlenut and Cal, that's a rapid marathon pace Hazlenut wow!  Nice deer spot. I find running even pace hard.

    There's a local half I really fancied (Deal), but couldn't do it due to injury.  Fortunately (for me) it fell on the day of storm Ciara and was rescheduled to next weekend.  Due (I'm assuming?) to marshalling limitations, instead of a winding, hilly course, it's 6.5 laps of a cycle track at an old colliery.  I'm going to give it a punt as I thought its perfect for me, as any discomfort I can easily bail.  That said, it will be a gentle training run rather than any sort of time effort.  I haven't done an event since December 21st!! So it will just be a gentle introduction again.


  • Fast 6 miles on the treadmill this morning, bringing weekly mileage up to 14 miles.

    Planning on doing 9 miles on Sunday with the running club. It'll possibly follow the half marathon route, which is known to be really hilly, so that'll be fun...especially with the weather set to be wet and windy again...
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Evening all

    That's a good MP Hazelnut,that was about the same pace I was training on in the summer.Good luck on Sunday.

    Hope your niggles clear up Cal,enjoy your parkrun in tomorrow.

    Good idea Linton,it'll see where you are on your recovery.

    Due to the weather I've used the treadmill a couple of times this week,3.85 and 3.1miles, that's all I could do before boredom kicked in,both before a gym class.Keep checking the weather reports for tomorrow's race,hoping that'll get better,but no,it's still shit!





  • That's fortuitous, Linton - best of luck!
    I'd struggle to stay on a treadmill longer than that, JD - it's mind-numbing!
    Have fun on your hilly 9, Malteser.

    Day off yesterday - parkrun today. I decided to repeat Southwark as it's a flat paved course and easy to get to. I didn't want to be off on a trek somewhere out of town as I have the half tomorrow.
    Southwark's quite a fast course and I was hopeful I could beat my previous best (25:11, set in 2018) but the wind didn't make that easy. My Garmin also did something weird - I must have mashed the buttons because instead of seeing my usual pace/distance data it just gave me the time. I had a fumble with it but at 5K pace that isnt' easy and made things worse. It did record my run but I had to wait for the results to come through to get the proper time and it was 25:09 - a two second PB. Better than nothing but not as fast as I wanted. Never mind.
  • Speedy parkrun before your half Cal.  Sub 25 sounds doable another day.  Good luck for tomorrow - hopefully decent conditions.

    Decent plan LTT with the half LTT.   Next weekend being next weekend not this weekend I assume?
     Otherwise good luck!

    At least you got that far on the TM JD.  Hope you do at least get a bit of a tailwind in your race at some point tomorrow.

    And even further by you Malteser on the TM.  Hopefully the company on the 9 miler will take your mind off the hills and the conditions.

    Rest day for me yesterday (did do an 11 mile local trundle on the MTB though).  Today 6.4 recovery with 6 x strides.  Also pinning on a number tomorrow (10k) and my legs feel reasonably fresh as I haven't done any speed work this week so far.  The race is a substitute for 5 miles @ LT with a bit stuck on.  Doubt I'm in 10k PB form at the moment - a course PB would be nice though.  Conditions look ok but might be breezier than I like.  
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Great course PB Cal,I'd take a 2 second pb.Hope the weather behaves itself.Good luck for tomorrow.

    I'm sure you'll be pushing for a course PB Hazelnut,good luck.

    Rhyl 10 this morning.Route was changed,so you were running through more residential streets,not ideal when car drivers were getting impatient waiting for the runners.Started off ok,first 5 miles where on target,averaging 6.55 P/M.But the next 5 miles were a different story,just running into 40 plus mph winds,it really knocked me out of my stride.The worst part was on the prom,sand was whipping your legs and face,so it was head down and keep buggering on.

    Finished with a time of 1:15:04,which I'm fairly happy with, considering the conditions.Finished 85/548.There's plenty of positives to take into my next race,which is the Chester 10k.


  • Great time with those conditions JD well done.  You are right to be pleased with that.

    No PBs to report for me, 50 seconds down on last year with 43:56. I think it was windier though and about half of the course was straight into it.  Good things to take out of it, I faded less than those around me and it was a good workout at tempo pace.  I also enjoyed hunting down and overtaking several pairs of those flashy Nikes..

    Hope Cal had a good half.
  • Similar story for me, JD and Hazelnut. Started out OK but then hit a windy stretch down the Thames and my pace just got slower and slower. Turned almost in the opposite direction and there was an even worse headwind. I don't know how that's even possible!
    Ended up with 1:53:53 which is almost a minute down on Kingston and Farnborough, and 8 seconds slower than Hampton Court last year (though, given conditions were perfect then, I guess it's not so bad).
    I'm wondering if I should enter another half before Manchester to see what I can do in better weather, but I will need to recover from today - it took quite a bit out of me.
  • I wrote a fairly lengthy tomb that has disappeared into the ether?

    The much abbreviated version of it was "Well done everyone, you're all awesome!"

    I ran 8 miles (4 loops) round the colliery (where sundays race is) in a trial run on sunday. Just me in the whole park! Solid 55mph winds meant one way was a battle, while the other was easy.  Some horses watched me, bemused.

    More undulating than I thought, Found a rock I may hide a Cliff bar or Lucozade under! A little nervous as it looks to be speedy, results wise.


  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Good racing Cal and Hazelnut,hopefully it'll bode well for future races and in better weather.

    Make sure you can remember which rock it is Linton!Are you going to race it or use it as a training run?

    8.24 miles yesterday afternoon,still very windy.Polly was filthy,so tried to get her into the stream at the back of my house but because it was flowing quite fast she was having none of it.

  • Cal to get that close to last year's result despite the wind is great.  You could do another half before Manchester.  Otherwise what are your post marathon plans ?  Maybe concentrate on getting your half time down after?  (I have vague recollections of an ultra though?)

    Annoying regarding the vanished post LTT.  Did you look in drafts if it had been saved?  Well done on battling that wind.  Maybe you could mark your rock with a flag.  Don't worry about maybe being slower than the others - it is your run that counts. 

    Hosepipe JD?  Certainly a tactically placed old towel.

    Not having done a long run last week I got out yesterday afternoon instead for an 18.98 miler (ooops).

    Legs were tired from the outset from the 10k race on Sunday but I was able to maintain a steady effort throughout the run despite it being breezy on the way back and having a few undulations to deal with.  Took on a gel and an energy bar and made sure I was decently fueled up beforehand which seemed to help.  Beautiful afternoon, very warm for late February - just needed shorts and t-shirt.  Did carry extras with me in case I wanted to / needed to bail out on route so I ran with a small backpack (including water).  Rest day today though I will walk a bit later.  Weather to deteriorate as of this evening might even get some snow tomorrow. 
  • The snow did arrive - quite a shock to go from running in 18 degrees to running in around one degree in a snow shower with a frisky breeze.  Gave me a chance to test my new waterproof jacket (an Inov-8), I left my old one (OMM) on a train in January and didn't get it back via lost property unfortunately.  Seems to do the job - didn't get any boil-in-the-bag sensations and the hood is decent.  Nice combination of slightly muddy underfoot but all the trees and bushes sprinkled with fresh snow - no camera with me unfortunately.

    13.8 miles in 2:01:10 - mostly done at a comfy pace though I did do around 3 at the faster end of my long run pace range.  That was interrupted by a couple of road crossings though.  Strangely my legs felt better at that pace than at the comfy pace - will observe my gait a bit as I have the impression I get into a lazy shuffle at the slower pace.
  • I've had three days off with a sore foot (including a trip to the physio) so only ventured out today, and then only at 1pm for a mere 4 miles as there was yucky sleet this morning. Foot held up, mostly, so I'll ease back in gently.

    Unfortunately the insurance is refusing to pay up on my Tokyo flight so I don't think I'll be trying again next year - too expensive and too much risk and stress.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    That must've been a shock to the system going from a warm spring like day back to snow Hazelnut.Back in Blighty there's another storm coming in.I used to find my legs felt better at a faster pace than a really slow pace.

    Sorry to hear about the insurance Cal.They don't need much of an excuse not to pay out.Hope your foot is  feeling better.

    4.45 Tuesday and 5.9 miles today.After just 2 miles,Polly tripped me up,I went crashing to the ground,ripped my best tights,cut and grazed my right knee and was covered head to foot in mud.Polly did a fantastic somersault into the canal,definitely a 7 on the scorecard.Had to pull her out by her collar,don't think she was bothered with tripping me up!
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    That is a bugger regarding the flight Cal.  Current events do put a dampener on doing races away or even signing up for anything at anything other than last minute.  The annoying thing about that tactic is that more and more events get more and more expensive towards the day or have closing dates.  No idea what the fate of my booked events will be.  I have a localish race in a couple of weeks time with several thousand participants which will almost certainly be cancelled if (or more likely as soon as) there are any positives in the region as mass participation events are being forbidden by the authorities here.  Will loose just the entry fee for that at least.

    Sorry I had to laugh at that description JD.  Shame about the tights though and I hope you are not too bruised today.  I do remember you trying to get Polly into the stream for demudding though - seems you have found a solution...

    Stormy yesterday afternoon here - just a short recovery run of four miles fortunately - didn't even bother to try to fight against the wind. 
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    There's another big storm coming in tomorrow Hazelnut,so I'll be using the TM.

    Woke up this morning to heavy snow,so decided to go to the gym class instead and then did a fairly speedy 5k on the TM.Knee is ok ish when moving around,it seizes up when sitting down though.
    Have a nice weekend everyone.
  • You too JD and everyone else.

    Took advantage of the good conditions this afternoon for a tempo run.
    Trotted down the hill to warm up with some drills and a couple of strides.  Then 5 @ somewhere around tempo/HM pace and another mile at around my old mara pace to make up to 10k for the speedwork bit.  The other way around would have been better probably. Ran up and down a section of ditch on a 1k loop - bit boring but unusually I wasnt interrupted by riders or dog walkers. Trotted back up the hill at a slow jog or the cool down.

    Decent run overall. Tempo pace is a bit down from where it could be but these are tough little sessions and at least I was able to maintain the pace. 
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