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P&D Spring Marathon 2021
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I was going to do my BA vets 10K today but my hamstring was particularly achey yesterday afternoon and I didn't want to risk it. I went out for an easy 7 instead and it wasn't too bad. I don't think I'm in the right mental place for pushing myself at the moment but I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I've until the 31st to log one if I do do it. If I don't, I've only wasted a pound.
18m here, intention was 10 easy, 8 ~mp +10% but the effort came out a bit on the slow side. Legs didnt like the shock of distance and a bit of effort. But its ticked off and theres gains to be had.
Speaking of... Very cold today but I decided I would do the Masters 10K, so I went out just before 10 (allowing frost to melt), ran the three miles down to Battersea Park, then did the three and a half laps that made 10K, then huffed and puffed three miles home again.
Not to put too fine a point on it, it was awful and I hated every minute of it. The run there was fine so I figured I'd be able to manage a reasonable effort, if not one on a par with recent races. I decided not to look at my watch (other than to check distance) and just go on feel/breathing.
Hamstring was noticeable but not horrible (I do think it doesn't like the cold, and it was 1 degree) but I also started getting a stitch and I was struggling mentally. I checked my watch during what I thought was the final mile to find it was only 4.5 miles and I had a bit of a sulk after that. Last mile was quite a bit slower than the others.
I finished in 56:32 which is bad, for me...given I ran just over 50 in January, and even significantly worse than the 53:xx 10Ks I've done this Autumn.
Garmin suggested my HR was very high (average 171/max 192) which might have been cadence lock, but it definitely felt tough.
Then I had to pick myself up and run the 3 miles home again (which included a big hill) and for once I was glad I had to stop at roads on the way back as my legs had nothing in them and I did not feel good.
Anyway, it's done. I now have just one mile left to do tomorrow to bring me up to 2020 miles for 2020. I'll probably just jog around the block or something.
Anyway, that is it...2020 miles for 2020. Feet up now. (Aside from grocery shopping, that is).
10m here, 3531 total. Good riddance 2020, onwards and upwards.
Good total TR. Sorry CoViD compromised it especially as I have you to thank for keeping me on it til the end.
I finished 2020 with 10.9M averaging 7:47 even with another 1,000ft of climbing to surpass my total by some way. Pretty sure that’s 405M for December which is my highest by 30M & means I end the year on 3,706. I was 1500ft shy of the 300,000. I could’ve done it but preferred a looped run to hill repeats.
I’ll be drowning this sorrowful year shortly & hope 2021 sees a return to more normal pleasures: racing & socialising.
Garmin made it 373m of climb (Strava made it 1,333 feet, but it always seems to exagerrate a fair bit) and hamstring wasn't too bad at all. I think hammy dislikes speed more than hills.
Cal - strangely no ice or frost here today either but it was still bloody cold.
Seeing as my niggles are improving with management im going to try to run a bit quicker at times as i think it might help my body longer term, and ive eased it back up after the CV19. So.....today was 9m inc 10x3min. Will see how it goes.
Cal - sounds like a great NY day half marathon. Strava has an elevation double check option, I tend to leave it alone as it often reduces the elevation. Well done on the annual total and the virtual 10k. I recall that day being particularly frosty so I binned my speed session so you did better than me.
Jools - ridiculous/fantastic elevation total, on top of the mileage. I reckon you are in great shape right now too.
TR - another great annual total given the last couple of months. If you can manage the niggles and pick up where you left off I expect to see good things.
John - the stuck turkey was due to a narrow esophagus (Schatzki ring), so happens quite frequently. Take the treadmill PB, the legs still have to tickover at a rate. Fingers crossed for the trail ultra, I’m starting to see Aus parkrun’s pop up on various feeds so you should be closer to racing fully than us.
I closed 2020 out on 4,090 miles (450m Pb) and consider myself lucky to have raced a 20 miler, a half and a 100 and shed loads of virtuals.
Next weeks ultra has just been cancelled, totally expected and the right decision so Dorney in April is up next. A pleasing solo 5k this morning in 18:02 was my 2nd fastest ever but reflects badly on my NY Eve debauchery, still, better days ahead to celebrate.
Brilliant total there, Jools, and a speedy 5K to get things off to a good start.
TR, that sounds promising.
Finished the year on 2420M - 80M short of the initial 2500 goal. No bad given the stress fracture. Or a poorly chosen goal 😆.
Did a second track session last Tuesday - 5 x 1k. And then launched the year with the classic primer session of 6 x 12s hills, and 8 x 100m ish strides.
I hope the thread continues apace this year, we welcome old faces and new, and get to do so actual racing!
That session sounds rather tough!
I got myself out for a slow 4 mile recovery run this morning. I was quite surprised to see rain when I opened the door but luckily it stopped within the first mile. It was less cold than yesterday but the rain was making it chilly. I soon warmed up after that.
Legs aren't too bad but I actually have some minor quad DOMS from running downhill yesterday. I didn't do any steep downhills but there were a few long stretches.
SQ - thats still decent miles given the SF. Agreed, lets hope we get to race, vlm should be on now the vaccine is coming.
Cal - good news then.
Body bounced back pretty well from ydays session. So, 16m , 8 easy, 8 ~mp +10%. The gagdet reported the 3rd easy mile being way to fast, but upon checking the garmin trace was erratic.
8 running days in a row totalling 95m, which is good progress and helped by being able to run at the same time everyday, allowing for max recovery.
I wanted to get a long run done today, but I could still feel a little DOMS from the hilly half on NYD so decided to just go out and see how it went.
Started around 7:30 and ran down to Battersea Park (took a different road this time - nothing exciting but I like to vary things a bit to stave off boredom) then ran along the Thames to just past Putney. From there I took a path I'd not done before which cut through Barnes Common, then I circled back around to Putney, back along the river to Wandsworth then through King George's Park, up Magdalen Road (a hill...any time I go to the river, or any route other than Streatham and Crystal Palace, I always end up having to run up a hill on the way home), through Wandsworth Common and back home again.
I did 16 miles in all which is the longest since September. I could feel my hamstrings but told myself it was all in my head and I actually perked up a bit after that.
Very glad to get a 16 done, even though it was quite slow. That also brings me to 60 miles for the week, though that's purely because I'd taken the previous Sunday off so I'd done six runs rather than five...seven if you count the extra mile I did on NYE to get my total up to 2020.
Whew.
Tomorrow is definitely a rest day.
I broke the run sequence with 60min turbo today (10 × 4min/1min, plus wu, wd).
TR - yep, a disappointing amount of tinnies still lying around here. I’m finding that more than a sniff of alcohol and I can’t be arsed with a pre 8am run. Decent 8 day total there with a bit of pace, a turbo break won’t do any harm.
SQ - decent annual total given the SF, I wonder what the injury adjusted total would be ? No point dwelling I guess, the main thing is you appear to have recovered well.
10@MP for me today, I was aiming for an optimistic 6:15 to 6:20 so pleased with 6:16 ave and falling within “manageably hard”rather than “dying on feet”. Looking forward to a recovery week this.
Macca - i have to walk the dog before i can run, so can shake off any beers. But i dont go too mad either. Top bombing on the mp, thats a good confidence builder. Ill try an mp run in a week or 2......affer that 8 days which had 3min reps fri and 16m yday, id have only done a shortish easy run today, 10x4min on turbo enabled a tough session with no running inpact.
Cal - Nice total as well.
TR - Big total, but not surprised as you were on it for the whole year!
SQ - Nice sessions and mileage.
John - Nice 5k time and mileage.
Jools - 300k feet of climbing??? Insane amount.
I did a 20 miler on Saturday and followed that up with 14 on Sunday to take me to 67 miles for the week. Ran 12 today with 3*2m at MP-10s, those were 13:08/12/15, so was pleased with those as aiming to hit 6:40 for those miles. Not surprising, but after yesterday, my 6 hour event has been moved to 2022!! I might do something solo to replace it, but not sure yet.
Finish 2020 with 2668 miles a PB by 387 miles, looking back feel lucky to have raced and PB'd at 10k and HM distances.
Rest day yesterday...then out for a 6 mile plod today. Cold, grey and not nice at all. It's also that time of year when (in my bit of London anyway) people chuck out their Christmas trees and going for a run is like the bloody Grand National.
Cal - thought of you as i put my tree out for collection this morning.
10m run home last night, 6m back again this morning, niggles ached and it was flipping grim out, so just did the minimum today.
Not sure if Dorney will be on, will tread water for a week or so training wise. The vaccination rate will no doubt dictate things.
TR - an early morning walk can do wonders for a hangover. I did that with the wee lad on NYD - a beautifully quiet and frosty morning. Really enjoyed it.
Very impressive weekend, Steve. Sorry to hear that the ultra is postponed.
Lol - enjoy the horse jumps, Cal.
Crested the new year with a 52M week. First half-ton since the stress fracture 🙌.
Measly little 3.6M jog yesterday, before the plan had a 20 minute tempo today. It was in amongst 9M, but didn’t have time. WFH now so theoretically an hour non-journey time to play with, but seem busier with work and family simultaneously.
Anyway, really enjoyed getting out for 40 minutes and could genuinely feel the mental health benefits - fresh air, daylight and didn’t take my phone with me.
20 minutes came out at 3.24M, average 6:12 pace. Flat route with minimal turns so a good test. Very pleased with that - definite signs of improvement. Think it equates to about a 19:15 5k.
Cal - lol at the Grand National, we’ve the wheelie bins here too, people don’t have a clue when’s bin day so leave them out all week.
quite a difference as you noted a few days ago, the cold doesn’t help either. Not sure about Dorney either, I guess all we can do is either ease back or crack on. ( I might need to look into hiring a dog for an hr in the morning at weekends for clearing the head).
SQ - thanks. That’s an impressive return
to some speed especially a bit rushed and
probably sub optimal warm up. Agree on the benefits of just getting outside, even on the grey days.
Lighter week this week started with a recovery 7 yesterday. A bit quicker than ideal recovery as it felt so cold but 5m in I was approaching a traffic junction, heard a loud smash and glanced to catch a shape falling out the air to the floor. A car and motorbike had collided. It was sickening, just hope the rider pulls through.
Not a nice thing to see. I remember coming out of my house several years ago and there was a motorcyclist in the road. Ambulance was there but the guy looked dead. Checking the local news after, he was pronounced in the ambulance but I think he'd already checked out when I saw him. Hope the guy you saw comes off better than that.
SQ, awesome. Don't be giving yourself another stress fracture though!
Not nice Macca.
I'm struggling with motivation just now. I don't enjoy wfh & now with the cancellation of exams it all feels slightly purposeless. I don't envy the kids at all.
Then another club mate has come up with a virtual climbing challenge (running from today to the first Wednesday in Feb) where we're all in teams and logging our elevation from our runs. That sounded a lot more like something I'd want to do so I set out around 9:30am to do a hilly MLR. I did a very similar route to the one I did on NYD, but with a couple of extra reps of my favourite nasty hill, Hill Path. Some of the hills I took easy (just get to the top) but I pushed on a few others. I was enjoying myself so much I ended up doing 14 miles with well over 400m elevation (Garmin made it 438 while Strava made it around 480 - a bit of difference but not as much as usual).
Hamstring was complaining towards the end but feels OK now after my customary dunk in Epsom salts.
I won't be doing hills every day, but it's a good motivator. My team's in the lead on the basis of that run - let's see where we end up in a month.
Macca - Not nice at all.
Jools - Yes, I think keeping it varied kept me interested with no races around. Will however go back to P&D for the next marathon prep. Any idea when you'll be back and not WFH? Will it be Feb after lockdown?
SQ - Nice pace on the tempo run and a great start to the week.