Sub 3h15

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  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    DT - I guess your cloud has a silver lining - terrific session and should be big miles for the week. And yes, I've been tapering all week.
    Jools - sounds like a great series. One day I will have to nip up to Hunstanton and do the parkrun on the prom.
    3 easy miles today. Planning a rest day tomorrow.
  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭
    Decision made about London after a clubmate offered a transfer on his Newport marathon place (3 weeks later).  It's still going to be tight getting into 2.59 shape in 9.5 weeks, but I at least stand some chance, whereas I have no chance in 6.5 weeks!  It's a pity Newport (Gwent) is not the loveliest place, but hey, I rarely look at the scenery when I race, so I'm sure it'll be fine!
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Glad to hear you are well, Jools.

    Cracking week, DT. Enjoy the fueling session tonight.

    Rested yesterday and did my first core session for weeks. It's an area I know I would really benefit from but just can't be bothered. Now I've started, I'm determined to keep it going as my glutes and hammies are shockingly weak.

    Nipped out for a cheeky 5 miler at lunchtime and the little Achiilles niggle I had has completely gone. Definitely made the right decision to have the easy track session then rest yesterday. Also used plenty of BioFreeze on it.

    16 on the trails with the lads tomorrow and a 5 recovery on Sunday will bag 55 for the week.

    Have a great weekend, all.
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    The core work will do you good G-D.  Good to hear the Achilles niggle has cleared up.

    Good to hear you're back running Jools.

    Serious taper Gul.  I've managed to change Sunday's weather for you.   No excuses now!

    Excellent tempo session DT.

    Sunday will be 14 miles at MP with a 6 mile w/u.  Planning to drive to Greenwich Park and then run to the start north of Tower Bridge as the w/u.  G-D's watch would be useful for navigation but I'll have to rely on paper maps instead!

    13.1 miles early evening as a progressive run, starting at 8:27/m and decreasing to 6:26/m.  Hopefully, 13.1 miles at the final pace on Sunday.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    That's a shame Jools, we will miss you, not least in Chandos 😪
    Good luck SBD. My eldest is also running the Half but in about 2 hours- training for Manchester Marathon.
    I had an easy run/swim day today. Planning a new parkrun in Morpeth tomorrow (also Mrs OOs 100th). Then 20 on Sunday for a 60 mile week.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    Jools - sounds sensible; hope it pays off. Look forward to hearing what you make to the course, as I have a cousin in Newport ;)
    SBD - good progressive run. Don't get lost on Sunday! And thanks for sorting the weather :)
    OO - enjoy the Morpeth parkrun - is it a fast course? Well done to Mrs OO.
    Enjoyed a lie-in this morning with an extended breakfast. Finished reading Charlie Spedding's autobiography which has given me some food for thought - highly recommended. Getting in the right mindset for tomorrow :)
  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭
    Charlie Spedding's book is great. It's one of the few autobiographies where you finish it thinking a night down the pub with the author might be quite fun.

    12 miles this morning with a torrential downpour partway through, followed by a lovely lunch out. A lazy afternoon beckons, as 2 glasses of wine is a lot for me these days! 
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Yes we all got a soaking too at parkrun today- timed perfectly as we started. 19:04 and 4th was the outcome but I doubt I'll be going back. Hopefully fresh enough to manage 20 tomorrow.
    Lie in Gul 😳
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    Jools / OO - you need to get SBD to sort the weather for you :)
    Disappointing day at the office here. Faded badly in the second half and only just snuck under 40 mins. Result via text msg said 39:58. One to forget and move on.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    That's not too shabby Gul. You probably need more races and a bit more speedwork to eke out a couple more minutes 🤔
    I got my 20 miler done with 18 at 8min mile pace. I was happy with this...until I saw Speedy's run on Strava 😳
    61 this week which is good enough for me 😇


  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    I agree with, oo. My first thought was that you are wholly out of race practice. To race your best, you generally need to be in the flow of racing. I'd get a couple more in if you can before London, even if it's a parkrun or two. 

    Hope SBD had a good day? I got up and watched the race this morning. It was quite bizarre watching Jake Smith once he took the lead. Constantly looking back then for most of the last mile asking people in the crowd how far to the finish. It's pretty much exactly how I imagine being if I were ever to lead a race! 

    Oo, what was wrong with Morpeth for you to sat not again? 

    Jools, sounds sensible re London/Newport. Pretty local to you as well. Thanks for the info on Weston. Finding 5m races isn't very easy!

    Out for 20 mid morning. Despite not being overly warm I found it very humid. 20 done at 7.37mm and 72m for week, being my highest ever. 
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    Well done on the 20 miler OO - how many have you done for this campaign so far?  And good mileage for the week.

    That's still a good result Gul.  Was the wind a factor?  And have you got a HM booked before London?

    That's good mileage Jools.  Is the ankle fully recovered?

    Vitality big half this morning.  Bit of an early start, arriving at Bleackheath just before the gates to Greenwich Park opened at 7am.  We had heavy thunderstorms when I left home at 5:00am but thankfully it was dry at Greenwich.  Seven miles w/u to reach the start line with the final mile at MP. I was running back along the course for most of the way which worked well.  The start was more relaxed than I had feared and I only had to get in to the starting chute 15 minutes before the gun.  Other than the Waves, the start was a normal racing start, so no social distancing nonsense.  So c. 30 seconds to cross the start line and heading off to the Limehouse Link Tunnel.  It was at this point I realised the Garmin was probably not going to be much use today!  The mile markers had digital clocks, so I was just trying to keep the pace under 6:30/m.  Sadly I forgot about the time taken to cross the line.  I went through the ten mile marker with the clock showing 1:04:15 thinking it was getting a bit tight for the Sub 1:25, but then crossed the line in an unexpected 1:23:36!  Will be interesting to see what the splits are on the official results but I ran a pretty even effort on the heart rate.  It felt a little harder than marathon effort but the heart rate was in the right zone.  So a good day all in all.  A couple of miles w/d to give 22 for the day and 83 for the week.
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    x-post A good 20 from you DT and well done on the weekly total.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Gul - ive had plenty of below par races in mara build up, even a few easy days first doesnt help much if you're doing decent miles. I dont bother tapering for them anymore and just make it a best you can do on the day, with some miles before and after. Made the Chichester 10k into a 20 a couple of times with 5m wu and 9m wd.

    Good going SBD, all the recent work has paid off nicely. You're rounding into decent shape nicely in time.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    That's excellent SBD in a high mileage week you must be chuffed indeed. It was my 3rd 20 miler today- hopefully 2 more to come and I'll not taper much for Berlin.
    Morpeth was an awful parkrun for me DT which didn't suit my strengths. I don't like constant changes of pace or sections with runners in both directions. I just couldn't get going. Lovely folks though and my family all enjoyed- just the grumpy old man who didn't 🙄

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Top work, SBD. 

    We really ought to receive final instructions gor London this week or soon after. 

    Shame, oo. However the good thing with parkrun is, you can go again next week. 
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    OO - nice miles for the week :)
    DT - good long  run and top miles.
    SBD - that's a cracking run especially after all those miles this week - has that helped you decide on a target MP?
    Yes, more racing would be good, but it's just something I choose not to do in favour of other things. 11 steady miles today. Might have a bit of a temperature so maybe that was a factor yesterday?

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Take care Gul let's hope it's nothing serious 🤞
  • PoacherPoacher ✭✭✭
    Gul you are still in good form, don't be put off. Marathon day is different.

    Newport - not glamorous, but pretty flat locally so it should be a fast course.

    SBD that's great stuff, sub 3 pace if that's what you're looking for.

    Looks like I will have to bin London or at least defer due to complicated work stuff. Having only run about 15m this year, it may be a blessing. Had a meeting with a colleague in Berlin this morning, it really made me want to go back there; good city, good race.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    That's a real shame Poacher we are falling like flies. Never mind the training, had you decided on a costume? 
  • PoacherPoacher ✭✭✭
    LM falls in a window between two unturndownable gigs and I can't afford to go to a superspreader event. Let's be honest, anything resembling a normal big city mara has that potential.

    Costume: was planning to go as an old git who can't run, with a giant arthritis truss on one leg trying to stop the knee falling apart. Simples.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    Poacher - that is a shame. We will miss you.
    15 miles this morning with some MP to finish (5 easy, 5 steady, 5 MP).
  • WFH today so I can catch up with the thread again.

    Everything went a bit wrong here. Too much intensity, too many failed attempts at massive sessions in rubbish weather with other big sessions in the legs. I hit a wall. Partly my coach's fault for setting a bonkers schedule, partly mine for just following it blindly. His other half just had a baby, so I suspect his mind was elsewhere. She was about to drop when he was writing it. I had to drop all intensity and just run easy for a week, then I asked him for advice on what to do next and got told to leave him alone because he's on paternity. I'm not sure what will happen now. It was going so well working with him, but now I'm a bit in limbo. Maybe it will sort itself out when he's back, or maybe his priorities have just shifted and I should just take what I've learned and move on....

    That last schedule was stupid. But I have to take some ownership too. I should have looked at it and thought, er, no, don't be daft. But I didn't, I just followed it. This is what broke me:
    Saturday - 3 miles tempo plus hill reps (it was meant to be 10k pace tempo but I only managed HMP on a hilly course, which was frankly all out effort for the 5k). Strength training.
    Sunday - meant to be 10@ 7.29s then 10@ 6.40-6.45s (it was initially faster on the schedule but I queried that). I failed to hit MP in the second 10 other than 1 mile with a tailwind. It still averaged 7.12s for 20 miles.
    Monday - easy 8 mile run. Strength training.
    Tuesday - easy 5 am, monster track session pm  of 6 x 2000m off 400m at 90 second laps.
    Wednesday - hilly 12 @ sub 8 min miling (over 1000ft ascent). Core training.
    Thursday -  easy 5am, evening session WU, 3 @ 7.30s, 3 @ 7.15s, 3 @ sub 7s, CD.
    Friday - rest
    Saturday -  an hour offroad around 7.45s. Strength training.
    Sunday - supposed to be 4 x 30mins progression 7.15s/7s/6.50s/sub 6.40s but I was broken and simply couldn't attempt it. I did an easy pace 22 instead.

    In hindsight it's ridiculous. No wonder I was dead. 

    So, left to my own devices I ran easy all week, then got a last min entry to a 20 mile road race and did 10 at MP + 60 then 10 @ MP. It went well. Thank goodness. My confidence had gone through the floor as I'd 'failed' to hit the paces for 3 Sunday runs in a row.

    Apologies for the massive ME post. I shall read back over the course of the day. 
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    I saw your 20 miler Speedy, it was immense, especially with the pace in the 2nd half. I think you  could coast now to VLM and still put in a great performance so wouldn't over analyse it and put too much pressure on yourself- all that good work is in the bank. Not too impressed with your coach, maybe leave it now and decide if you need a  new one post mara....💗
  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭
    Speedy, I had a similar experience for the short time I was coached. I knew I was pushing too hard too much of the time, but being very type A I didn't want to 'fail' by not doing what was set. Sadly I didn't realise as quickly as you did. It looks like no damage done on the basis of your recent MP run.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    Sounds like you did well to do your own thing, Speedy. Well played.

    Work has been bonkers recently with today no exception. After delivering a 3 hour product demonstration I was almost asleep at my desk at 5pm and the thought of running filled me with dread. However, we’re in campaign so it has to be done.

    Shut the front door and decided there and then to do 1 mile easy with 5 miles at MP (x2). It was a bit warm, I felt knackered so I picked something that would deliver a bit of quality without running just for the sake of it.

    Very surprised to feel it going well. Had to push on some inclines to hit a couple of splits but nothing major. Finished the session and the last 3 splits were all 6.3x pace as the temp dropped a little and I ran to the same perceived effort. 6.50 average for the 12 miles, really happy with how it turned out, on a warm Tuesday night, after work, and no drinks or gels carried.
    Garmin even upgraded my predictions to the best it’s ever given me. Blimey!
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    Clearly a 3 hour product demonstration is good for you G-D!

    Interesting schedule Speedy!  At least you've escaped injury free and clearly in good shape.   I know you used to like the RW schedules - there's an interesting article from Steve Smythe in Athletics World from 1 Jan 2020, "DIY marathon training plan" which you might find interesting.

    A solid 15 mile MLR Gul with some good miles at the end.  A bit early for MP predictions - just need to keep doing the sessions and see what comes out on marathon day!

    Do you still have an option to defer London Poacher?  A Sub 3 is always good before the body gives up.

    More than enough 20 milers there OO.

    12K recovery Monday with some S&C and intervals early evening today.  Legs still feeling a bit creaky after Sunday so was ready to bail out of necessary.  5K w/u, followed by 6 sets of 2K with 50 jog recoveries and 3K w/d.  More of a mental than physical struggle but the result was quite satisfying, so splits of 3:45, 3:45, 3:45, 3:42, 3:42 and 3:39.  Good to get under 3:40 for the last split and hopefully more to come.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021
    Gul, yes racing does take up a fair bit of time. Solid 15m there. 

    Sbd, nice reps. 

    Gdawg, looks like a good session. 

    Paocher, that's a real shame. 

    Speedy, that does all sound a bit mental. Good that you walked away largely unscathed. I've found from my on going experience that coaches are hugely reliant on you feeding back how you feel. The few times I've started struggling I've spoken to Lewis (like jools, I don't like feeling like I'm failing) and he's pulled it right back. He also speaks to me about progressing to next level (more below). If its working generally maybe give him benefit of doubt, it's stressful becoming a parent for sure. 

    As per above Lewis spoke with me about moving my sessions to next level so I'm now in a block of big Tuesdays. It's something he does with his Loughborough student youngsters but feels I can cope and it'll bring me on. 

    So today was week 2 of 6 of big Tuesdays, progressing in volume and intensity to 10 days out from London.  So 4k at hmp, 3 mins, 4 x 1k St 10kp off 1 min then 4k at hmp. First 4k came out at 5.53mm then the 1k reps were 3.33, 3.32, 3.35 and 3.26. Then the final 4k came out at 5.51mm. The last 4k felt very pedestrian after the 1k reps but mile 1 came in at 5.43 so I pulled mile 2 back what is hmp at 5.53. 

    Easy 12m tomorrow. 

    In other news my wife and daughter flew to lanzarote at 6.30 this morning then at 8.40, after over six weeks of waiting, my sons passport arrived. Couldn't write it! 

    I finally watched the new Kipchoge documentary today.  Very much worth 90 minutes of your time. 
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    Speedy.- wow, that's a bit extreme. Glad you managed to survive somehow.
    GD - great work on both counts :)
    SBD - strong reps. 
    DT - immense run. Better late than never with the passports.
    Involuntary rest day. Miss GD decided she fancied she'd like to go to Liverpool for our family day out. Setting off shortly...
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Paging DT:

    Sir, how close to your birthday do Nike send the birthday discount treat code?
    My birthday is 5 days before London and would love one of their codes to treat myself to the Vaporfly Next% 2 shoes.

    The current member code (BTS21) for Back To School promotions has many product exclusions, including the Vaporflys.
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