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P&D Spring Marathon 2021
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Westy - thats not a bad approach, i had to stop for a while in 2016, didnt race for 18months, or do a mara for a few years and it was a shock !
Kate - top mileage then if its a record amount, good one. Those pacing questions sound normal.......yes, a reference to wanting to get to 3hrs but not for long, its like the death zone at the top of everest where you need to get out asap. I did the full mara distance one year in training (3.20ish), and i dont think it did me any good. I do fuel long runs better now though.
8m yday, BAC 20min, 5x4min, 20min today with wu and wd it totalled 14m.
Just caught up after a few days away camping in Pembrokeshire.
Class results from Macca & SQ.
Very decent parkrun Westy. I was almost working at Greenman but the (almost) FiL's funeral clashed with it in the end.
Milford Haven parkrun for me Saturday in 19:47. Took a carful from my camping posse which was fun although one chap just did one lap & they still gave him a finish token as he didn't understand the system so the unknown runner in 4th meant I was 9th rather than 8th.
I've entered Newport marathon for October & deferring Brighton to next Spring.
Did a gentle 4 miles this morning, then off to Wimbledon this evening for the last race in the trail series. After running a 52 (July, very hot) and a 50 (August) I was hoping to get back under the 50 minute mark this time. (My best time was 44 in 2019 but I'm a way off that at the moment).
Once I'd got the lumpy Alps out of the way (I always get overtaken on the descents, which I am still terrible at) I was able to push on a bit. Thankfully there was less mud this time around so I didn't have to waste too much time skirting around it.
My watch made it 48:13 - it's a gun time race so that might go up a second or two but, regardless, I'm pretty happy with that as it was two minutes quicker than last time.
Hamstring held up OK but achilles was a little tender afterwards - I have been feeling it a little bit recently so I'm making sure I do my exercises.
Slow 6 mile plod yesterday, then Chalkwell Beach parkrun today (with my customary one mile warm-up). This is a lovely flat, fast, out and back, and very close to Chalkwell Station on the line out of Fenchurch Street. The course takes you almost down to Southend Pier before you turn around and go back up the prom.
A very friendly parkrun - not just the runners but the locals (a huge number of dog walkers) all seem very welcoming. I actually met a cockerpoo called Honey I'd also patted at Wickford Memorial two weeks ago...I guess the two events aren't too far from each other but it's still quite a coincidence.
There are also a number of hare statues painted in different designs and patterns along the prom, so I enjoyed spotting those.
Unfortunately I wasn't in the kind of form to do the course justice - I think I still have a bit of the Wednesday race in my legs, and mentally I wasn't up for pushing myself into the pain zone (and, well, I have a 10K tomorrow, so there's that). So a pedestrian 27:14 - slower than last week, but at least it was quicker than Wickford and Dartford. Another parkrun logged...the next one will be my 80th different event.
You cant smash it every time cal, improvement in the overall trend has to be the aim.
Couple of easy runs since Wednesdays session, wanted a big block of mp+10% in todays run, which i managed with 8m easy, 13.1m av 7.13.
Good to see you posting Westy - remember you from a couple / few years back. Good luck with your training for Manchester. Seems things are going ok with a decent parkrun. Is it this weekend you are doing the 14@MP, if so hope it goes well!
Agree that grass can be a pain to run on Kate - the longer the more so. Well done on getting the first 20 done. Darkness can be an advantage as you can't see the difficult bits coming up. Great August miles. I also agree on the pacing dilema - easy enough to have a desired goal pace. Have you done any recent races you can put in race predictor?
Sounds like you are sorted with your mara plans then Jools. Nice parkrun.
Good luck for the 10k tomorrow Cal - quite a racing week for you.
Another good training week for your TR. Great long run today.
Did a few ticking the boxes runs until Thursday, cutting down a 12 miler on Tuesday to 10 as I ran another HM on Thursday evening. Wasn't sure how I wanted to run this beforehand - I actually had the good old 7m @LT on the plan so a progressive run might have been a good idea. However as I wasn't overly happy with my attempt at 12 @ MP I decided to have another go at an MP run. Came out better this time with a 4:42/km avg on a not so easy course (maybe slightly short) with a finishing time of 1:38:43. Ploddy recovery 5 miles yesterday and felt fine for 10k @ GA today. How well I am recovering from Thursday will show itself tomorrow however on a long run - will take that easy.
Race report from Thursday (copied from other threads): sorry if long:
Bieler Lauftage HM
2021 saw a return of this event after 2020 was cancelled. A different date – September rather than May and a different location – still Biel, but away from the city centre. Normally the HM takes place on the same day as the 100k on the first part of that race's course, a big loop wandering off around the Swiss countryside. With ongoing Covid-19 restrictions the event was spread over 3 days with the 100k on a 5 x 20k loop Friday to Saturday and the HM and a shorter 8m run taking place on Thursday. Start and finish was at a big sports complex to the side of the city, the 20k course taking in a loop to the East and back on a mixture of minor roads, field tracks and the odd bit of tricky trail with a loop stuck on for the HM. Approximately 150m of ascent / descent, mostly in two nasty bumps and a few rolling bits on the final quarter.
With the start at 9:15pm and not being confident about public transport on the way back at past 11pm I opted to drive and found no issues with parking close by. I immediately got a chance to practice my language skills first being asked if I speak English (errm, yes) by an obvious particpant and then having a brief waffle in French with a lady interested in what was going on. (sorry about any grammatical errors). I thought I had got to the location in plenty of time but with the covid certficate checks, handing over baggage (didn't really need to) I didn't actually have much time to spare and only put in a brief warm-up – legs felt fine and didn't need a longer wake up anyway. As it was I lined up a bit early – the numerous speakers on the start/finish straight were very loud and I spent most of the wait with my fingers in my ears. I placed myself a bit far to the front – nobody seemed that keen to do so and got caught up in the initial charge following the American football guys off the line. 4:16/km – whoops.
Quite a few people overtook as I calmed down a bit for the next few km listening to my breathing which felt fine. I had noticed that two ladies had shot off from the start and disappeared up the road and did briefly think about trying to keep up with lady no. 3 who came past at some point, but decided against it though. She was happily chatting away at that speed and it was pretty obvious I wouldn't keep up.
First hill at around 5.5k – only about 25 m of ascent over one km but noticeable so I let the pace drop keeping in mind the distance left to go. Took a drink at the first aid station – the waiting volunteers called out their wares – WATER!! ISO(star)!! I caused a few laughs by calling back BEER! BEER!. Walked through to take on a few sips and got going again. I didn't bother with drinking at the next two water stations. Another lady passed at around 10k putting me down to 5th where I stayed for the rest of the race. Until the last 3k or so she was only ever about 20-50m up the road from me and I did think about starting an attack but she was stronger over the last few km finishing about a minute in front of me.
I kept working well until the second hill at just over 13k on which I lost a bit of time as my legs suddenly reported they were working a bit hard. I also didn't enjoy a series of short rollers. Now it was a case of ticking off each km to the finish. A sign next to the path announced 20k – just one and a bit to go, this seemed to take forever – I could hear and see the finish line from quite a way out but to make up the distance the route swung away and took in a few meanders across what might well be an overflow carpark – gravel surface with potholes – not nice on tired legs. I also had a couple of moving obstacles to negotiate – the tail runners of the 13k, this race had started 15mins after us. Those I was overtaking kindly let me me past though. Over the line in 1:38:43 chip time – possibly the course was a bit short with GPS measuring 21.05k.
Brief recovery – even drank some Cola which I normally hate, before setting off home. I must have been a bit tired as I shot off down the wrong motorway – I was able to rectify that at the next junction just a couple of miles down the road though. At home I made sure to wind down a bit but it still took me hours to get to sleep. A disadvantage of racing at that time of night.
The conditions were as good as perfect – maybe a bit warm but the wind had dropped down considerably by the time the race started – a good thing as the outbound leg would have got nasty otherwise.
Race organisation was good and the course well marked. I was pleased to see quite a few spectators out despite the time of day.
It was interesting to run a late race again – no hmm – I wouldn't mind going to bed soon feelings this year. Running in the dark means you can't see how far away you next goals are, often an advantage and are often running in a fairly small world represented by a small puddle of headtorch light. The trail bits were sometimes a bit tricky though as my night vision isn't the best.
No prizes for 5th lady or the category win. Finisher goodies - decent technical T-shirt and a pouch on a belt thingy which I could do with – hope it works well.
5 Km splits:
5: 22:42
10: 23:30
15: 24:10
20: 23:38
Finish: 4:53
I was equally disappointed with my lacklustre parkrun performance Cal, especially as I’d driven an hour to Cardiff to tick off another new venue. It all felt too hard & my 8M was equally depressing. Slow & sweaty along a new (to me) section of the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal.
Good racing Hazel.
Solid LR TR
Nice to see jools
Turbo today inc 15x3min/30sec
Jools, you're probably still recovering from your recent efforts - I wouldn't be too hard on yourself.
Today's race was the postponed Winter Summer 10K. It was initially postponed from February 2020 due to one of the wind storms with a name (I forget which) and then again due to Covid, but finally they've managed to get it done. It's certainly the most expensive 10K I've done (over £40 at the time of entering, which I certainly couldn't afford now) but is well liked for its entertainment - people in polar bear costumes, snow blowers and so on. Of course they had to retheme it a bit so the polar bears and penguins got sunglasses, a few people were dressed as sharks and flamingos and there were some water sprinklers at on point...eh. Anyway, it's mostly a fun run but there were some more serious people in fast shoes pacing around the start area like caged tigers.
What I found annoying was that, as someone in the second wave, I was asked to get there for 8:20, but once I'd arrived I found the race didn't even start until just after 9:30 so there was a lot of waiting around. I wouldn't call that Covid-friendly, exactly, although I did make friends with a lady from Poole Runners and she was nice enough to wait for me at the finish.
Start shambles aside, I had fun - it was nice running through the heart of London on closed roads (even if the buildings made a nonsense of my splits). The route goes from Trafalgar Square to the city and back so takes in Bank, St Pauls and Aldwych.
I gave myself the modest target of sub-55 (I did a bit over 55 at Battersea a few weeks ago) and after a slowish opening mile (legs took a while to get moving after standing around for so long) I started to move a lot better. I went past the 5K marker quicker than any of the parkruns I'd done recently, which was pleasing. As I said, not sure what my real splits were as they were a bit all over the place, but I started to find it tough after four miles. I guess I must have exceeded my lactate threshold as my legs felt a lot heavier and breathing was getting a bit harder but I kept telling myself to relax my shoulders and land on my forefoot so that my expensive shoes could do their job (I was wearing my old 4%...I still haven't dared wear the Alphas).
I knew the finish was on Whitehall but as went around the corner I realised the extent to which my GPS was out as the finish was a lot further away than my watch thought it should be. I figured my target was gone but kept pushing anyway and was delighted to come in at 54:23.
So still a long way from where I was, but getting back there slowly. I guess the two half marathons I have lined up will give me a better idea. I still feel Manchester is too soon (just 5 weeks away), I just don't feel ready.
Lovely to read such a great race report, Hazel. Well doe you! No way I would be getting to sleep after such a late start/finish. Great to back up with 21M as well.
Good to get back to a big race Cal. I have also been wearing old 4%s. I actually reckon they provide good cushioning as I slowly fade to m,ore of a mid-heel land in the latter stages of a longer race.
Well done for ticking over now you’re back, Jools. Well done for getting some newbies into parkrun.
Nicely paced long run, TR and the BAC tempo sandwiches are always beasts.
Well done on the 20, Kate! And 208 is a super month.
Reckon you will be close to sub 2, Westy – and on the right side of it!
Hamstring has remained sore through last week, although probably on an upward trajectory. A well-timed video from the ‘Pre-Hab Guys’ on Facebook recommend lots of micro-dosing of strengthening exercises. Nothing ground-breaking, but a useful reminder of some I haven’t done for ages.
Decided that Cheltenham half all out wouldn’t have been wise, with speed being the thing (in the past) that has most upset a grumbly hamstring. So 8M easy from home (cracking to run on closed roads for this!), 13.1 at marathon effort (I think, I mean who really knows…), 3M jog back home.
Total of 24.4M at 7:03 average. The half was in 1:28:00 (should have gone a second quicker!). Started off with the 90 minute pacer. His strategy seemed a little punchy, but he made the valid point of the opening two or three miles being slightly downhill. Lovely bloke and chatting away at 6:45s was most pleasant.
Great to see so many friendly and familiar faces around Cheltenham. Allegedly there were 2-3000 runners, and so plenty of support as we toured round the nicest parts of the Georgian town centre.
Pulled away from the pacer around 5M but only very gradually. For the first time this year, there was also a 10k that you then met the back/mid of at around 8M. Selfishly, this was quite a pain as the paths aren’t the widest at times. But nonetheless good to see a few friends and give them an encouraging grunt.
As it turned uphill at 9M, things got a little more ouchy, and the pace slowed. The final two miles within the racecourse also aren’t easy, with inclines, exposed to a bit of wind, and several soft and sandy sections. Could probably do with starting here, although I suspect road closures would have something to do with this.
Pleased to finish, and HR was climbing along with the temperatures. Surprised the pacer was maybe only 20-30 seconds behind me. This would have screwed over some of those right on the margins of the 90 minute barrier.
Enjoyable run – the second and final ‘mega-long’. Mileage will be greatly reduced next week now students back in, but I seem to have built some solid fitness over the summer break. Hope this doesn’t drop off too much before London, but will try to put some sessions in there to increase sharpness. That said, hamstring very sore today, so will be a while yet!
Excellent running there - that's a lot of mileage at a fast pace. Cheltenham sounds like a lovely place for a half.
Hazel, great 21 there, especially soon after a race.
After a week that was more speed than distance, I knew I needed to get a long run in somehow so I decided (as legs weren't too sore) that I might as well get it done today. 20 would have been ideal but after parkrun followed by a 10K (and also the 6 miles on Friday...I hardly ever run four days in a row) it would be OK to do 16-18. In the end I did 18, though the big hill I ran up at 13 miles nearly finished me off and my hamstrings were fried by that point, but I pushed on until I made it to 18. Not remotely fast but given I did three fast efforts last week, I'm not worried about that. Main thing is miles in the bank.
SQ - oooh, nice. Thats sounds a great day out, a normal race format, folks to run with and a good blow out. 1.28 plus top up miles. We could be near each other on the big day. Hope the hammy heals, i suffer with tight hammies at times, i think a lot of it is back related.
Hazel - top work to back up the hm with a 21 so soon after, you are obviously strong which is a good sign......im trying to keep the dust off my turbo.
8m run commute home
3.5M recovery yesterday, 9m/m pace. 10M easy on the canal this morn at 8m/m. HOT.
Cal - an impressive few days, PR, 10k race and then a LR. Personally I wouldn’t go near a PR the day before a race, or at least not put any effort in. You might not be in PB shape due to the layoff but I think you can run well and enjoy Manchester.
Jools - hopefully it’s just the back to work feeling, I think I’d struggle to go back at all after 6 weeks off.
Hazel - great HM last week and consistent splits then backed up with a good LR.
Macca - not surprised your tank feels a bit empty, you've had one hell of a running summer........when they annouced vlm 2022 as Oct, i deferred my Brighton place over to April 2022, as they said i could defer the entry and the park and ride for £20 total, which gives me an April race.
It was pointed out to me I’ve raced 75,000ft over 300 miles in 2 months, although there was a fair bit of walking in there.
Hazel - nice race report, language skills and 21 miler. My school German did me well when I did Hamburg marathon in 2019 but I'd love to improve it.
SQ - like Cal said I must also look up the Pre-Hab Guys, I know I need to do more strength work, it's just fitting it in, poor excuse I know. Nice run at Cheltenham.
It was my Club half on Sunday and I was marshaling, much hotter and sunnier than any day in the previous couple of weeks and it really showed when people got to the incline at mile 8/9. I ran in the afternoon and drank everything in my hydration pack which is unheard of.
Now I've come down with a cold, did 7 mile recovery yesterday morning but now trying to decide whether to rest or fit some easy runs in, supposed to be doing 20 at the weekend so would like to be able to get that done.
Kate, small world! My godfather (he's not technically my godfather, but he was married to my godmother) owned the big antiques shop in Fordham. Well, he still owns it but it hasn't been trading for a long time now.
I hope you manage to shake off that cold quickly.
Macca, you're basically the Terminator. Good luck with the Spartathlon.
Today's effort was a 9 mile run with a section I call Alphabet fartlek (there's a series of roads in Tooting with alphabetical names, running from Ascot to Jersey, so I do a zig zag sort of thing, with short jog recoveries at each end). Rather enjoyed it as it hadn't got hot yet.
After breakfast I then went to the gym for some upper body weights. I am still no nearer to being able to do a pull-up, but never mind.
Good racing Hazel, Cal, SQ. Good luck to anyone racing this weekend.
Apparently it's down to them running the half at the same time, but sending that off first. It would make far more sense to me to send the marathon off first (after all, when Chester does Marathon plus Metric, the Marathon goes first).
Absolutely dreadful sleep last night (I mean, all my sleeps recently have been poor, but last night was especially bad...took two hours to fall asleep and then woke up constantly) I just did a four mile recovery run at super slowmo pace (12:30 miles or so). Also went to the gym for some light leggy rehab stuff.
Cardiologist tomorrow. Yay.
Cal - fingers crossed that you get a good result tomorrow.
Westy - beer is an essential food group in Germany. Your rehydratoon plan sounds similar to mine, i do include quite a lot of grazing beer though.
Creaky 6m today. Had a hip/bum cake issue that was minor but its now annoying, so hit it with loads of exercises and spiky ball, and made all sorts ache.
Westy - good luck at the Wimslow half.
TR hope the aches ease.
Not textbook race planning having run Wendover Woods 100 and Lakeland 100 in the previous 6 weeks but back in 2019, at the finish of this race I promised myself I would return. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. With all the deferrals to 2022 and 2023, opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t say no.
Race journey logistics were smooth, apart from the pre-booked car park not recognising my car, on-line check in telling me I didn’t have the correct documents to fly, the check in desk calling a supervisor over to whisper “he’s going to Geneva” and security emptying my hand luggage to look for a taser (pen torch light) whilst I protested I didn’t know what was in my bag. Top tip, probably not the best thing to say but my fluster must have looked genuine and innocent. I managed to compose myself not to push past the elderly gent with a pronounced limp through the plane boarding tunnel, I reminded myself that that would likely be me on the return journey.
The flight itself was smooth, the mini-bus transfer at the other end did its job. And to gasps of “hardcore“ from the other passengers, I was dropped off at a campsite in Chamonix-Sud. Tight wad would have been a more accurate exclamation and I certainly didn’t feel hardcore sitting next to a guy who was planning to ascend Mount Blanc but I didn’t protest.
With Covid, a few things were different. There was no gear check at number collection and race start was in 3 waves, ½ hour apart, each assembled away from the main square and walked forwards. Cold weather gear had been activated but that was only a pair of shades and an extra mid layer. On the face of it, the weather was near perfect for racing.
Wave 1 assembled before the famous arch and the Viking clap started, early I thought. Then shortly before the start, a friend of the Czech runner who tragically died during TDS spoke a few words and dedicated his race to his friend. For me, it changed the mood dramatically but was entirely fitting and appropriate.
Vangelis began and masked up, we ran through the packed streets of Chamonix, it was just like the old days !
I took my mask off as the roadside crowds thinned and enjoyed the first 10k for being a little less busy than if a mass start. Knowing what was to come, the race plan was to maintain a decent but sensible pace and manage things to hopefully not slow too much later on. As Delboy says, “he who slows least Rodders, he who slows least” or something like that.
The first climb of around 800m lets you know you are in an Alpine race, as does the descent immediately afterwards but St Gervais (1/2 marathon distance) was reached in around 2hrs 44m, about 10 mins quicker than 2019.
Another C19 protocol was the volunteers handing out food rather than runners grabbing it, an improvement in my opinion. A volunteer pressed second helpings into my fist here so I ran out feeling a little full but better that than empty. The streets of the town were lined with well wishers but the disappointment on the faces of the little children was visible as I swerved the high fives. Given I’ve shaken 2 hands in about 18 months I wasn’t ready to high five every grubby little mitt I ran past.
The 6 miles to the next aid station (AS) at Les Contamines Montjoie were fairly benign although with darkness descending, the headtorch came on. This is a friends/family assistance AS so was quite crowded and one I was keen to shoot through.
After Contamines, it’s a steady climb to Croix du Bonhomme at around 2,400 metres and 2,900m cumulative (Snowdon is 1,085m). Whilst a long way from needing oxygen, I do find effort is significantly greater even at this modest height than sea level.
Summit, summited, it was time to descend and being the opposite of a mountain goat, the descent was not much quicker than the ascent but soon the distant lights of a far off town started to get brighter and Les Chapieux was reached at mile 31 in 8hrs 13mins. On a flat 100 I would be expecting to be near halfway at this time, this race requires a totally different perspective of time and distance. Coke and tailwind washed down a few bits and pieces of food I had been carrying in prep for the next climb to the Italian border at Col De la Seigne.
I took a tumble somewhere here, fortunately at very low speed, and was quite impressed with my where-with-all to reply “ca va” to the concern from a fellow runner, although on reflection, I think that’s more of a question than an answer, never mind.
A short descent from Col de la Seigne brings a cheeky climb to Col des Pyramides Calcaires. Two years ago, this felt like being on the ropes in a boxing match taking blow after blow. This time I was expecting it and even enjoyed pausing to gaze at the snow on the ground with its crystals shimmering in the light of my headtorch.
The previously smooth dusty paths had given way to rocky scree on the next descent and I had an uncanny ability to place my feet on rocks that whilst not having moved for perhaps thousands of years now wanted to roll down the mountain. The people passing me didn’t seem to have this ability. Lac Combal was reached just after first light and a coffee was in order. Forgetting I was now in Italy and not Pret-a-Manager, “au lait et sucre ? ” was met with no.
The climb of Arete du Mont Favre takes us into a sensitive nature zone (sticks banned here) and breathe taking views of the Italian Alps changing colour as the Sun lights them up. Only, my insides didn’t get the memo about the nature zone bit and they were desperate to defile it. Aided by runners appearing from nowhere at the point of almost touching cloth, I managed to make it to the next AS in one piece. Relief turned to dismay on finding a latrine behind the grey door. The only activity in there would have been me falling into the hole, backwards. I found a more conventional throne behind another door and refreshed, was able to push on, downwards to Courmayeur.
Entering the town, I found a pipe feeding a trough with water from the mountains, presumably. It looked so pure and felt so chilled I had a good drink. The geographically “approx. halfway”, but not in time, main aid station of Courmayeur was only a few metres away where a drop bag could be retrieved. 50 miles reached in 15hrs 30min, 8.30am local time and 824th place. 25 mins up on my previous effort.
TBC
TR - hope making things ache has provided some relief when it stops aching, guessing there isn't really any cake involved.
Good luck Sunday Westy, I don't think you're the only one drinking a bit more after wfh but you've acknowledged it and can change it.
I decided to go to our club session last night, did 10 miles with 4 km hill efforts in the middle. Bit snotty but feel ok.
Kate - sounds like your cold is runnable. I think i should have said hip/bum-cake (bum-cake as in glute).
Drizzly 6m here. 3 weeks out 20 inc 13.1m tomorrow, hope to see a similar time for that to Aprils.