My Last Run

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  • Just back from another 5k run. Felt cold when i did the school run so dressed appropriately. About 5 minutes in i realised it wasnt as cold as i thought!

    Distance: 5.01k
    Time: 31:52
    Pace: 6.22km/min.

    Does anyone have any tips for how to pace yourself. At the minute, i start my run, get the music going and then run. 

    At the minute, im not overly concerned about times, im more interested in distance. But today, when i tried to pace myself it felt slow and unnatural. I found myself speeding up to what felt natural. 

    The last 1km feels like a real slog and i dont know if im trying to do too much too quickly.

    My overall short term goal is to run 10km.
  • Hi MLRers, busy week again!

    Run wise, tuesday 4.7 recovery.
    Wednesday second Covid jab.
    Thursday, completely wiped out.
    Friday 4.7 tempo in driving rain.
    Sunday, half marathon. Windy accross the fields! All runs on trail.  Banana on the move today.  Still undecided on gels/flapjack bites/ banana. 500ml water consumed.

    I have managed to do 18 x 10-18 milers in a block since my big injury, and am so appreciative of that because, for me, that's the best I've managed to string together.

    Great running John B!.  Nice that your son runs too.  I'd love to visit Worthing.  Heard the pier can be good for fishing?  I know it has produced some big Conger eels on occasion!  Good luck in your 10k.  Hate to think of the demise of my 10k time, but hard to know until I try!  There's one planned where they shut the streets of our little town, (Sandwich) in the summer I will do as it's home turf.

    Hope you're recovering well from your fall Hazlenut.  It is clearly still much colder where you are.  Shorts have been out a few weeks now.  Hopefully the ice will pass soon. Edit.  I see it has.  Sounds a nice group run.  Lots of dogs here too.  Met one slightly scary German Shepherd, most others affable.  Agreed, running in daylight on trail after work feels fantastic.  I sometimes feel summer and winter running are almost like different sports in how much they differ!  I remember someone telling me spring races are won in the winter, and I guess that's true.


    That is great news that you're recovering well Guardddog! 9 miles is certainly getting there..Hopefully things continue to improve.  Nice fuelling!

    Good going Bearded Gru!  I'm no expert, but I went from doing almost all my training at between 8-9 min miles on roads and being constantly beaten up, injured and taking ages to recover, to switching to 10 min miles on trail and improved so much.  Someone told me pace hurts, not distance, and it's true.  Obviously it depends on what you want to achieve (marathon).  But decent mileage, slow, easy pace on soft, forgiving surface improved my running alot.









  • Hey all

    Just got in from a 5k, what lovely weather it was here in sunny kent. It makes such a difference running with a bit of sunshine. If it continues i may have to crack out the t shirts!

    Today was my fastest 5k at 31:35 which i was surprised with. Legs started to feel really heavy the last 1k though.

    My previous run was 7k in 45 mins which felt really good.

    Hope everyone has a good week and i look forward to reading about everyones runs!
  • GuarddogGuarddog ✭✭✭
    The Worthing 10K might be one to go for, john. It's a couple of weeks before the Brighton half and should be a good bit of speedwork. Still trying to crack that 50 min barrier and was convinced I would have done it last year if there'd been any races. Good luck with the training for it, I'm sure with the way you're running at the moment, and the times you're setting, your 'rival' has everything to fear.

    Excellent running BeardedGru . Pacing is a tricky matter as at the beginning of a run we all kind of set off with the adrenaline pumping through us and feeling we can keep a pace up for ages. My preference is generally to start off at a reasonable pace and then build into a run, so my first mile tends to be the slowest. With your new Garmin do you have the ability to set target pace? With that you can set a pace range, i.e. based on your current pace 6:15-6:30kmh, and then have it warn you if you're going too fast. This enables you to find a pace that you can consistently maintain for some of your runs whilst you build up that endurance. When that starts to feel comfortable you can then up it and see how you go.

    Great set of runs LTT. Sound as though the trail running is really helping you in upping the miles whilst also avoiding injuries. And well done for getting out in the worst of the weather. Takes real commitment to look out of the window at driving rain and still go for it.

    Two runs over the weekend, although a change in where we ran. With the strong westerly winds down here we decided that running into it first was the sensible option, and as I've become a bit bored with the Adur we went to Saltdean and ran along the undercliff path on Saturday. Rather gusty and with the waves breaking over the seawall there was the potential for a soaking (thankfully avoided although I did get sprayed and we were fortunate to avoid a wave that hit two women literally 2 seconds before we passed them). Actually enjoyed the run into the wind as it meant I was just digging in and my partner wasn't running off into the distance. Kept a sensible first half pace, as opposed to last week, which meant I was able to finish relatively strongly and even when she started to wind it up with about 500m to go I stayed in there and pipped her in the sprint for a 10K. A nice confidence booster.

    Sunday we ran from Shoreham to Worthing, again going into what felt like a stronger wind. We had originally planned on 10 miles, but as we're due to start the 'bubble' runs tomorrow we decided to cut back and do another 10K. Again kept the pace steady going in to the wind and buoyed by the fact I seem to be stronger in the adverse conditions. The times both days weren't exactly speedy, but I feel I'm slowly getting some form back.
  • LTT, I'm not into fishing but yes, I think we do get the odd Conger Eel off the pier. The prom is very 'runnable' -  but not as busy as Brighton. I don't really know the Kent coast. I stayed in Herne Bay for a few days in the late 70s(!) and we had a short break in Folkestone a few years back. I've never run in the area, though. 

    G'dog, I'm not sure whether the Worthing 10K is still accepting new entries but it might be worth you checking it out.

    Finally, it's been a lovely day here! Even the wind has dropped and as a novelty switched from westerly to an easterly. Unfortunately I've been out of the game for a few days with a back problem which was probably sparked by a rare trip to the allotment and a bit of digging. So a rather uncomfortable weekend with the 'runner's anxiety syndrome' that with each day all the decent training you've been doing is gradually unravelling. However, I gave it a test today and not too bad - 3 miles at 7.37 pace and not going flat out.

    There is a 5k event in East Sussex coming up on Easter Monday. The previous events have been of an intimidatingly  high standard - something like a 21 minute time would get you 300th out of 350 or so! I'll give this a miss............................


  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    *delurks*  Hello to all the MLRunners.  Great to see the wide range of activity.  I've made another comeback, this time from a badly pulled hammy.  Running every other day, daily strengthening & stretches.  88 miles last month, so I'm p[leased to report progress.  

    Safe running, all!  :-)

    *relurks*
  • Ups lazy posting again.

    Starting backwards - hi swittle - nice to see you on here.  Thought of you again a few days ago when I completed a year's streaking (and still going..). Kept half an eye on fetch on what you have been doing, well done and keep it up.

    GD: the ladies in my group are currently fitter than the men - one is 66 for example and coming back from diverse issues and he mostly runs shorter stretches just for fun these days.  He used to be a good runner - 10 miles in around 1 hour and 10 x 100k for example but has run more or less continuously.   Good advice regarding pacing - much better to start easy and finish strongly than too fast and struggle.  Like the idea of a run with wave dodging - I imagine I would manage to get soaked.  Good weekend of running last week.

    No idea when I will be racing again JB - here in Switzerland public events of any size are still banned and there is little perspective of that changing soon.   I like trail runs but am not as good as I would like to be over technical ground especially if it gets hilly - up or down.  I should practice more.  Your 10k time should be doable with your 5k times - you need to build up the endurance for it.  10 weeks sounds sufficient for it.  Good your back is okay and I know what you mean about runner's anxiety - I am postponing Sunday's run to Monday so I can go walking with my OH and it is making me nervous somehow to get out of my routine - a good thing as such though.  That 5k sounds high standard indeed.  

    Well done on your 5ks Bearded.  Maybe the music makes you speed up as well?  I struggle to run slow sometimes and find it helps to consciously think about how I am running.  I generally run at the same cadence at all speeds and just push off harder for faster paces so try to consciously pull back on that.

    2nd jab already LTT?  I am looking likely at autumn for the first.  Tempo in the rain doesn't sound nice other than maybe encouraging you to run fast in order to get it over with.  Would certainly prefer banana / flapjack to gels but they both take a bit of chewing.  You have a good block of training on the go.  I agree on the winter training and spring racing - easier than summer training and autumn racing if it is hot.  Last bits of snow now gone in the last few very warm days.  Looking at the forecast we might get some next week again though.

    As above I have just finished off a full year of running every day since 31.03.2020 I haven't looked at statistics and don't know if I will.  The first couple of months were hard, on a few days I had to kick myself out of the door.  Will keep it up for now but will break it before I have to.

    Ran a bit too hard on a couple of days this week - 5 milers, one of which had some "hill" sprints and strides leaving me tired for yesterday's 11 miler.  Decided to stick to a hilly route (not much choice here unless I drive elsewhere) but ignore the pace.  Good idea as although the uphills were ploddy I got round it ok.  Legs were surprisingly recovered this morning for a 5 miler at recovery pace followed by a good 34 mile cycle (slow) as it is decent weather and a bank holiday.

    Have a good Easter weekend all.
  • Hi folks! busy week again!

    Bit of a rubbish week running really this week.  Managed to pull my back lifting something at work and have been suffering badly all week.  It doesn't hurt when I run, but does afterwards, and when I sit or do anything.  Secondly my old nemesis, my left knee, has a started playing up. going to have to go to a physio and get some point and try and get a plan together.

    It's therefore been a very light week a 4.5, a 4.8 and a 6.  I have my distance run next week so really hope I can get it good enough to not have to drop out.


    That is an amazing bit of streaking Hazlenut, awesome going.  How many years have you been a runner?  That must be some mileage!  Have you got any running goals this year?  
    I don't really deserve my second vaccination already.  I work full time in the water industry, but do 3 hours a week as an early help and support worker, mentoring young people.  Therefore I have been lumped in with "Health and Social care" and was at the front of the queue.  I wasn't going to turn it down though as I've been frontline all through the pandemic and have seen the consequences first hand.  It's going cold here again! with possible snow next week and freezing temperatures.

    Good to see you back Swittle! 88 miles is a decent month for starting back.

    John Bateman.  Another person suffering a bad back!  I'm using Diclofenac gel and it's helping a little.  That 5K does indeed sound quick!  Folkstone used to be pretty rough, but the  seafront has undergone large investment and is quite nice now, as is the Leas.


    Good running Bearded Gru!  Another Kent runner?  Which part are you from?  Any local events you're aiming at this year?

    That sounds like you're making great improvements Guarddog.  Two decent runs there.  I know what you mean about those coastal runs. They certainly can get a bit breezy!  Glad you avoided the soaking!

    Stay safe all and have a good week.
  • LTT, luckily my back seems to have just about sorted itself and I'm sorry to hear that yours is playing up. By a remarkable coincidence I've also got a dodgy left knee which has never been the same since a bike accident about 5 years ago. Funnily enough I think I found something that has seemed to help both the back and the knee. It's one of those 'ab-roller' things - where you go on all fours and roll outwards on a little wheel thing. This seems to give a good stretch to and mobilise the back. At first I didn't like the pressure on my knee (that's with a thick cushion underneath) but it seems to be helping - maybe breaking up a bit of scar tissue? Of course, I wouldn't say this is without risk. (These roller things only cost a few quid so there's no real financial jeopardy!

    H'nut, thanks for the words of encouragement. I appreciate that I've got to adjust my training to do myself some sort of justice at 10k and I can't just rock up (if a 66 year old can rock up!) with a decent 5k time. I want to keep my weekly 5k time trial as it's a good way of monitoring my speed. I know I need to 'go long' but this doesn't come naturally.
    So with 10 weeks to go, I set out on a hilly (road) run yesterday; probably not hilly by your standards but a 0.85km, 6.2% gradient one which I did 4 times and which, with the run there and back, added up to about an hour for 10K. That's long for me!
    We're all different and I find that long, slow runs are  dull, dull, dull so getting a bit of a hilly challenge makes me focus. And there's not many hills around my part of the world unless you go off road - which these days worries me given my propensity to fall over! So if I go long, slow and flat roads it's all dreadful suburbia. There's only so many bungalows you can run past!


  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Thanks for your good wishes, Hazel & Linton.  Rather blotted my 'vertical copybook' last night by only half finding a low kerb and slipping to the deck.  A few grazes but stopped my watch on the way down!  And this after 5 miles of beach and trail in the dark, lit by head torch...
  • Ouch swittle - hope you aren't too sore today.  I haven't yet perfected the technique of stopping my watch mid-fall yet.

    Not such good news LTT - take it easy.  I've been running since 2006 after dabbling a bit in XC at school.  With no racing on the horizon for me I'm not thinking about goals for the year at the moment.  Maybe keeping the streak going and having a go at a few 75% wavas in training. 

    Nice run JB.  Good idea to keep the time trial.  I also sometimes find LSRs boring and tend to speed up to get them done and suffer for it (often afterwards or when I am supposed to be doing speedwork).

    Decent Easter weekend of running for me mixed in with other activities to keep OH happy.  Friday saw a recovery run so we could go cycling (around 35 miles) as it was the only day without much wind and reasonably warm.  Not having done much cycling this year I was surprised that certain parts of my anatomy didn't complain too much.  On Saturday I spent a few hours in the afternoon dismantling some raised beds at my old flat and ran in the morning - 8.8 miles hiding in the woods from a brisk NE wind.  One of those runs I ran too fast to get it done.  I have a bad habit of allowing my breathing to increase up hills and then not reducing the effort again afterwards on the flat.  Sunday was a nother recovery run - shorter this time at around 4 miles prior to a hike with OH.  I caught up with my long run yesterday - 16 miles in 2:11 with a harder 8 mile section.  More wind - west this time - so I treated myself to a nice flat route along a river with trees to break the breeze a bit.  The 8 mile harder section was too hard (went into get it done mode again) but I feel ok today so not totally overdone.

    Have a good week all. 
  • H'nut, some really good runs in that package, esp the 16 mile in 2.11. On the issue of cycling, clearly you don't use this as X-training. Do you do any X-training? I noticed that the competitor (Steph ....) who won the UK Olympic marathon trial uses this a lot - and wants to enter an Ironman event eventually. When asked her ambitions, one of them was to 'do a pull-up' - which raised a giggle. I found that when I was training for duathlons a few years back, my running improved.
    Overdid it yesterday running up and down a path that was too steep, too fast. Will I never learn?
    Hi Swittle - curbs are lethal! I see you are another coastal runner. I'm afraid I just stick to the prom.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Thanks - not my worst fall, probably because I'm not running anywhere as *fast* as I used to do!

    Hi, john b.  Yes, I avoid roads as far as I can and am blessed to be a mile from Waterloo & Crosby beaches, 2.5 miles long and up to 0.6 miles when the tide's lowest.  Antony Gormley's Iron Men are my silent training buddies :-)
  • Oh wow - I lived in Liverpool, 1978-84 (I've got a horrible feeling you might not have been born then!) I worked in one of the FE colleges. I enjoyed my time there although it coincided with a terrible time in the city with the unemployment, the riots and Derek Hatton and co.
    I've got very fond memories of my time there. I wasn't a really runner at the time but funnily enough I lived in a house which backed on to Croxteth Park which I see is now a Parkrun course. 
  • Had a lazy week, only got out once. Work didnt help!

    On a course for the next 5 weeks so need to make sure i keep getting out.

    Saying that, went out for a 5k today and tried to pace myself. Felt really good at the end as if i had more in the tank.

    @LintonTravelTavern im a Gravesendian. Im guessing your Linton way which is where my parents live.

    I dont have events planned, although i have signed up for the matt ratana 10k virtual run. A colleague wants me to run a half marathon in july i think. Probably a bit early for me to do runs of that distance!
  • No, no cross training really JB.  Cycling is easy effort for me - unless there are hills involved. I use it to get from A to B or to see a bit of the area rather than for sport purposes.  Interesting you lived in Liverpool as well - nice city - was pleasantly surprised when I visited it for a day a couple of years ago.

    Nice pic swittle.

    Getting out for a run might give you a nice break from the course BG. Good news on your 5k.  It would likely be possible for you to do an HM in July but you would need to increase your mileage quite a bit to get round comfy. 

    Group run yesterday evening, 4 of us out and all 4 ran the longer loop this time.   The morning's snow had melted by lunch but the westerly winds were bitingly cold - after shorts last week I was back to tights, gloves and a hat.  I was pleased that no-one wanted to push the pace, in particular up the hills as my legs were tired after Monday's long run but I got round ok.  6.x miles in around an hour.
  • GuarddogGuarddog ✭✭✭
    Welcome back swittle and hopefully you weren't too bruised with the fall. Great photo btw. I've missed those in your absence.

    Fantastic streak, Hazelnut. You really do put us all to shame with the amount you do. Weather here is much the same with a cold snap after last week's warmer weather.

    Hopefully the back isn't feeling too bad john. And the 10K of hill repeats sounds just the ticket. That will certainly help, especially if you've developed a bungalow phobia.

    Likewise LTT I hope the back is OK along with the knee. Take it steady as backs can be tricky, especially if it's hurting when you sitting down.

    Good 5K effort BG and well done on the pacing. Can quite empathise with work getting in the way of running, but sometimes a drop down week is quite good for recharging the running batteries and also reminding ourselves that we miss running. Good luck with the course.

    Quite a number of runs to report as I've been remiss in coming on:-

    Tuesday last week - first bubble run meeting up with in a group of 5 and the only male. Lucky me until I realised I might be left behind. 6 mile route from Preston Park that included Mill Road which is a touch under a mile and all uphill and as it was single track I was asked to lead out. First time I've done a hill of any note since the end of last year, so I was a bit apprehensive of being too slow or having to walk part way. But I like a hill and it actually felt really good to do and managed to up the pace a bit

    Good Friday - despite saying I was Adur'd out last week we ended up going along there for a 6.5 miler. I think after my partner had been left on the Tuesday hill she was keen to reinforce her superiority and left me both out and back.

    Saturday - three laps of Hove Park, which is just over 5K. Not sure what it is with me and Hove Park at the moment but I feel I really struggle there. Again left for dead on the last lap and happy to get to the end.

    Sunday - change of scenery and went to Henfield and ran a 10K on the Downs Link. A nod to Cal's old flame as we went through Partridge Green. The forecast had been for 4C with a real feel of OC, so back in running tights, etc. As it turned out it felt quite pleasant, especially when in the sun and out of the breeze. Managed to get the route right this time and so no running ankle deep in mud. We did stop at the 5K mark and ended up sitting down for 15 mins on a bench enjoying the quiet, the view and the sun.

    Yesterday - bubble run along the seafront from Hove to Steve Ovett's statue. Six of us this time for a 6.5 miler and a worryingly fast group. We were all tasked with setting the pace for a mile and I went third. Not the quickest mile (that was my partner who had decided another's pace was too much and had dropped back and had then pegged me back on mine) but also not the slowest either. So pleased with that and feel some pace returning as I felt I could have pushed it more in the last part but hung back to keep pace with my partner. At least that's what I told her.
  • G'dog, funny you should mention Steve Ovett. One of my local running rivals (Arena 80 member) has on his running CV that he broke SO's schoolboy record. My cheap jibe in return is that while Ovett set the record when he was 13, my mate broke it when he was 22!
    This particular runner has set me a challenge in the Worthing 10K. He's a few years younger than me, and he'll beat me quite comfortably, so we have an 'age grade challenge' which means that he has to beat me by just about 2 minutes to win. TBH he starts as favourite (although it should be close given that there's about a minute between our seasons best 5ks at the moment). Basically it's a 46.00 minute 10k for me or eternal shame!

    Hence I've got to pull my finger out and do some of the long runs that the likes of you, H'nut and LTT do.   

    Re the Downslink, there used to be a race along it called 'Mel's Milers 10K'. It's a bit further towards Horsham and is a really nice event that starts and finishes at Christ's Hospital school - very posh. There used to be the Henfield Half which was another good run and very pretty.

    Managed a fairly full-on but short run around our rather hilly local cemetery yesterday. Got a filthy look when I said a cheery 'good morning' to a couple walking their two dogs who had just got out of their car. I'm not sure why - perhaps they thought that running was disrespectful but walking a couple of dogs isn't? Nearly said something but avoided conflict; too long in the tooth for that sort of thing.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Thanks again for your kind remarks.  Formby Point last week showed no signs of littering or camp fires, despite press reports.  [Pics below]

    Glad to read that streaking is suiting people well - alternate days running and a walk in between works for me.

    8pm last night: cool, dry, light until about 30 min. into the run.  Coastal park, leisure centre, beach, and along Burbo Bank to the old coastguard station - many cars; night fishing about to start.  Incoming tide needed monitoring to avoid waterlogged shoes!  Just over the hour.


  • Swittle, lovely photos. You still have red squirrels around there don't you? I once played cricket for the Formby Sunday side. Very nice ground; very nice place. Had I stayed in Liverpool I think we would have moved to the Crosby/Formby area.

    My usual Saturday 5k time trial; 22.05 (76.66% WAVA) which is 1 second outside of my SB (apart from a gale-powered time which I'm not counting). A little disappointing as I've stepped up the training and was hoping for a sub-22.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    The pandemic is having such widespread impact: the reds are coming back after the 2019 pox outbreak but projects to support them are on hold.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-53500009

    John, that 21:xx cannot be far away - keep up the training!

    50 minutes of beach and trail just after sunset: dark red, orange and blue bands across the cloudless sky,gradually fading to night in the west.
  • GuarddogGuarddog ✭✭✭
    Still a handy time for the 5K, john, and as swittle mentions the sub 22 min shouldn't be far off once the benefits of the longer runs kick in. I'm still in awe of you aiming for a 46 min 10K. Incidentally I think the Henfield Half is still around, did it back in 2019 when we did our 12 halfs in 12 months. As you say a pretty run, although the half mile trek to the start line in pouring rain wasn't too great and the last half mile through fields with a choice between mud or long grass saps any sprint out of your legs. Barns Green Half goes through Christ's Hospital school as well. Another rather pleasant run (although my groin went there last time). Shame about the response from the dog walkers.

    Fantastic photos, swittle. The light in the first 5 is particularly good. The twilight running is always excellent for both the chance to see how the sky changes and also the lack of crowded paths. Good to hear that sensationalism is alive and well in the press. 

    Two runs over the weekend. A swift (ish) 4 miler on Saturday along the Adur, which included an 8 min mile. Felt good to get some speed going, although a shame I couldn't maintain the pace.

    Sunday we did 12K as what should have been an LSR building up to the Brighton Half. Running east from Southwick and turning at the i360 we encountered a rather busy promenade and figured we should have gone out earlier. I'd meant to set a range on my watch to try and ensure we kept to 9-9:30 pace, but forgot. As such we managed to do the 12K going at sub 9, which was good from a confidence viewpoint, but missed the point of the run itself. Didn't have the sausage and egg bap at the end this time. 

    Gyms open today so I was in there at 6am (along with half of Brighton it seemed - never seen it so busy). Good to get back and tried to be sensible and not overdo it. Sitting now watching it snow!!
  • Ups missed most of the week again..

    Enjoying the return of swittle's pics.... Would love to get back onto a beach.

    Good news regardig the return of the bubble running and gyms GD.  I'm also watching the snowflakes (when not looking at my screen - supposed to be doing some work).  Good running this week.

    Close to 22 mins JB - those few seconds will come off another time.  Like the idea of the age-grade challenge.  Wierd behaviour from the dog-walkers. 

    Looking forward to LTT dropping in - spotted a massive run from him on Strava...

    Hard week last week - a new weekly mileage record of 71 miles.  Not something I will repeat in a hurry.  Average over 2 two weeks was ok though - the 71 happened due to postponing a long run to Easter monday.  I will be careful this week pacewise.  From Wednesday to Sunday I put in 3 11-12 milers and a recovery run - nothing with fast miles.  Only exception was a hard speedwork session on Saturday with 4 miles @ tempo pace which I got through well.  Legs were tired yesterday though and I made the mistake of doing a flat river route with no real relief from the standard left-right, left-right.  On the return leg I could see the tall buildings of the sugar factory next to which I had parked for about 45 minutes which was also mentally tiring - it never seemed to get closer! Out in T-shirt and shorts - don't think that will be happening in the next few days though the snow should stop soon. 
  • H'nut, that's a terrific week of running from you. We had a little flurry of snow today. Very unusual for these parts at this time of year.

    G'dog, some good training. So the gym is back and into your schedule. Are you going to go back to the same routine, or take it easy while you get the muscles back in tone? I suspect there be a few pulled muscles around in the next few days as folk try to pick up where they left off.

    Swittle, thanks for the encouragement, but...............

    Achilles problem for me. Over the years I've been plagued with this. so you'd think I'd know what triggers it - and I do. But then I forget (or get complacent) and do some hard hilly runs and bingo! The Achilles is back. So a bit of a rest and some stretching for me. (I took Cal's advice last time and it worked - I'm assuming she's injured now?) I'll then stick to the flat for a while. With a bit of luck I'll only miss a week of training and I've still then got 8 weeks until my 10k showdown. 
  • Hi all, hope you're all well.

    As spotted by Hazlenut, I managed to achieve a life goal and manage a marathon on sunday, really pleased.

    My training has been bumpy to say the least! but I've managed a heap of halves, 2 x 15, 1  x 16.5, 1 x 18.  So I've been slowly getting there.

    Sunday's first race back after lockdown was an SVN lapped challenge event, 4.37 mile loops round an old colliery and country park, a really pleasant place, but to me quite hard course.  So really 13.1, 17.5. 21.85, 26.2 and 50k with a little out and back.

    I've been really struggling a bit lately with a bad back and a worse left knee, it's been a rubbish, but the event, (which was over two days) looked to be rainy saturday, but cold and windy sunday, but dry.  I woke up and did my standard raceday ritual of watching the last 20 minutes of london marathon 2019 and Berlin marathon 2019 whilst I ate my Readybreak and thought if i could get to the 17.5 mile loop I'd try and keep going!

    Arrived and started looping, it was 3c and the side of the loop in the colliery was pretty damn cold, the other side more pleasant.  I took it very, very easy, just jogging along really.

    At one hour I had a gel, then alternating gel and flapjack every 45 minutes, 1 litre of water throughout.

    Got to 17.5 miles and carried on chugging away, 21.85 and it was hard going, last lap was a bit of a battle but made it!

    Time wise I managed under the five hour, 4:57 from 0-26.2.  My Strava does moving time and made it 4:49, but we had to use our car boots that flanked the run-in to the checkpoint as aid stations every lap, due to, avoid bunching round the race HQ and the "rule of six", so lost a little time, not that it matters at a bit.

    The organisers SVN were awesome and I met some truly amazing distance runners, a good few doing weekly marathons, a fair amount had turned up to do marathons/50ks on both the saturday and the sunday, truly inspiring!  How do they do it!

    I heard all the statements of a marathon not starting until 20 miles an the last 6 miles were pretty damn emotional/awesome!  I just tried to keep going and not fall over anything.  I was really only jogging a marathon and that felt great,  I'd imagine racing one hard would be a euphoric, amazing feeling.The elevation on Strava was 863 feet but I'm sure it felt more than that?, I have epic blisters.

    So marathon done!  Would I do another, yes!, but I hope I haven't hurt my knee too much and don't pay too badly.

    Great running all, glad you're all Ok, fantastic week Hazlenut. I would write more but so tired!

    Have a great week.




  • Well done LTT nice report - thanks!  You ran that off not a lot of long runs.  Hope the blisters heal soon and give yourself plenty of time to recover now. 

    4 and a bit miles recovery trot.  Legs were a bit less tired than on Sunday and I struggled to keep the pace right down as my gait felt awkward.  All traces of the morning's snow had vanished - cool but sunny. 
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Your description brings back many of those 'pre-first Marathon' hopes and fears, LTT, the most significant of which I believe to be actually out on the course, whether it's a low point, or a significant mileage point.  Organisation sounds spot on for the current situation.  Many congratulations!  :-)

    Hazel your training diet is even tougher than I remember it!

    Guarddog: it's a happy sight to find out the pace was better than hoped!  [A long time since I saw it myself...]  Thanks for kind comments about the pics. :-)

    John - I'd noticed Cal's absence: there'll be personal experiences of Achilles problems, and their solution in eaelier pages here, and I hope you sort it soon.

    8.30pm last night: trails & beach - radar tower, parallel to an almost waveless sea past the baths, then a trail loop and down the beach again before heading inland to the coastal park.  55 min. at a smidge over 10 min/mile pace.  Had a secret smile ;-)
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Hey guys - and nice to see you back here swittle - and Matt too. As you know I've been benched with a flare up of the old proximal hamstring tendinopathy so decided to take a complete break (unfortunately that has resulted in a few extra pounds, which I only found out this morning as I've stayed off the scales as well as off the forums) but hey. I'm making a cautious return and have managed to Jeff a couple of 5Ks. Sunday's was one minute run/one minute walk and today I did two minutes run/one minute walk. I can feel the hammy but it's pretty mild compared to how it has been so I think I'll be able to continue my return as long as I'm cautious.
    I had to can my spring marathons (deferred one and managed to sell my Richmond place) but I've some races in the summer, mostly ones that have been postponed. My first goal is to get back to some kind of form in time for parkrun's return.

    Linton - fantastic job and congrats on the marathon. 
    John - hope you get on top of it. My achilles has been pretty good (not that it's had much to do recently...but it held up during the January elevation challenge) so keep doing the isometric stuff, it worked a lot better for me than the regular heel drops.
  • Cal, good to hear from you. Yes, I'm still following your isometric guidance. I hope the caution pays off - and the pounds drop off!

    LTT, great run and great report. It should feel like you've joined an exclusive club. Indeed, your account has made me wonder if I've got one more marathon in me. Answer: probably not. Hope the knee recovers - you've really tested it, big time.

    Swittle, you certainly make good use of your (idyllic sounding) locale. My local prom can't compete with that other than in one way: it's very, very fast.

    Still nursing the achilles but it's gradually getting better. I did a rather odd workout today. I've got one of those mini-trampoline thingys. I only use it for warm- ups but today thought I'd see how many steps I could do in an hour. Thought I might notch-up 10,000, but only reached 9,425. Effort-wise I'd put it somewhere between slow running and walking. Boring-wise, I'd put it very near the apex. But at least it's low impact, so no damage done.
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