Shades Marathon Training

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  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    I looked at the runners up splits at Brighton and the runners up was over 1 min slower in the last mile so I think he was really unlucky.
    Cal-I'm sure there's going to be lots of clashes coming up with deferrals from last year.
    We are happier with manchester than most,means we don't have to get up at daft o'clock to drive over and we could now decide to get the train both ways rather than messing about with park and ride etc.
    Usual 7 mile loop today and my fastest yet for the same effort,first time it hit 8mm so another good sign.I'm planning on doing 16 on Sunday as race prep,ideally same start time as I'll do in the race as I'm a rubbish morning runner.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - I didn't realise Brighton was your home town.   I've lived there many years ago and loved the place.   I remember you did enter Brighton marathon, wasn't it the ridiculous price of accommodation that made you decide not to run it?

    That's fortunate that you could transfer one of your half places to another date.
    I'm sure the kids at Ealing will have moved on, or more likely still be in their beds when you're running your race.  ;)

    Robert - it's a company that organises Brighton so they probably have employees and therefore would have some sort of commercial combined policy but that doesn't mean they'd have event insurance for all their activities.   As a race permits gives you good race insurance why would you choose to pay to have it added to the CC policy, I don't know.   Hopefully they will have insurance, can't see the council or the police being very happy to find out the event was uninsured.

    I'd never heard of Nutramino, had to google it.   I don't think it matters what brand a race use, most runners wouldn't rely on race supplies.    I don't like gels, but I took one at Frankfurt and loved it, not gloopy like every other gel I've seen.   I spent the following morning trying to buy them in Frankfurt without success.  I did find them later on the internet but too expensive and they are very small, only 17-20 g of carb per gel, so worked out even more expensive, so gave up on them.

    That's a shame about the WJ runners dropping out of Manchester, a fair trek home for them too.

    Good that you've got your race plan re check points for CW50 and thanks for the tracking link, we can stalk follow you now.   :)


    Ian - the guy that was 2nd at Brighton must have had an awful final mile, I expect he couldn't believe that he still hadn't got to the finish line and must have run himself into the ground.

    That's good that Manchester timings works well for you and OH, less stress the better especially for OH.


    8 miles this morning, so dark now in the mornings I had to do the first 2 miles round town.   Legs are trashed after the gym and run felt really tough after 6.5 miles.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - I just pinned the tracking link for CW50, see you're the elite with race number 1  :)
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Another good day yesterday - we down to Marazion, which overlooks Saint Michael’s Mount (we didn’t have time to go across) and then saw friends for the afternoon at the site, which is on the coast path. We then went to the show (Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps) in the evening. Minack is indeed a unique venue!


    Went out for 7 miles, party coastal run/walk (it’s hilly!), from the site towards Sennen Cove on the coast path, back towards Gwynver Beach on inland paths/trails, and then the coast path back to the site. Very tough terrain in parts with walking/scrambling/climbing, but I really enjoyed it. 

    OH told our friend’s about most of Tigg’s funny little ways, except for one, which is his tendency to try and bite through his lead if sitting at a coffee shop or somewhere.... Yep, he bit through his lead again so she had to go and buy a new one!  It’s odd though as he doesn’t run off...he just bites through it and sits there looking pleased with himself. 
  • Big G - Really want to go to Minack next time I'm down in Cornwall, I really enjoyed running around Sennen Cove when I did ACC, I thought it was quite flat and easy to run compared to some of the terrain I had to deal with that day.

    Shades - The lure of the no.1 bib is huge, tbh it's part of the reason to make the start line.

    Considering giving the legs a stretch later this evening for a few miles, just to stop me going insane!  
      
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - lovely pics, you got perfect weather for that performance, looks like it could be an interesting venue in bad weather.

    Must be Tigg's equivalent of coffee and cake, could be an expensive habit!


    Robert - you must get a pic with your race number 1.   :)

    A little run will help with the carbo loading too.
  • Shades - 100% having photos with it, as I'm 90% sure it will be handed in at a checkpoint with a red line though it.  Not afraid of a potential DNF but will leave everything I can out on course
  • Shades, it's not really...My parents lived in Lewes when I was born...Brighton was the closest hospital, I think. They moved to London when I was 18 months so I consider London my real home town as I certainly don't have any memories before that.

    Big G, that play looks cool! Maybe get a chain lead, if you can still buy those. He won't bite through metal.

    Rob, that's super cool getting a 1. Think positive though, eh? I mean, it's an ultra, you can walk a lot if you need to.

    Marginally less awful run this morning. Went out early (lovely sunrise). Legs were less leaden but still sluggish so I was running around 11:30s even though I felt as though I was going faster than that. 
    I had a look back over my runs from 2017 which was another year where I had a big performance drop, but while my parkruns were as slow as they are now, my training paces were still a good deal better.
    I think I'm going to can Manchester - I am not ready, physically or mentally, and I don't want to heap extra misery upon myself in the form of an 11am start. I will have a bash at Ealing, though.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Rob-Good luck with the elite start.
    10 miles today,still feels humid and warm,it's only 2 weeks until October,needs to cool down soon,another positive sign though,started this route when we moved and its my fastest by 15s/m, going to do 16 on Sunday then take it easy.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-I know you were doing research in to Barca,I've been waiting to see of any other Spanish races go ahead and it looks like the Madrid marathon is going ahead next weekend,hopefully its a good sign for Barca.
  • Rob - All the best for the weekend and look forward to the race report. 

    Big G - What a fabulous venue

    Cal - hope you find your mojo back soon. Have you had any word on your scan? 

    Club tempo session this evening which was again a good one despite the lights inexplicably being off in battersea park which made for some slightly treacherous conditions. Interestingly in the first tempo interval we went too fast and I realised we’d done 4.75km in 19:49m but my HR was firmly in tempo  zone and I didn’t feel like it was a stretch. As such I think I’m probably in sub 20 5k shape at the moment which almost makes me want to find a race to cement it so I never have to run a 5k again! Probably best to be sensible and wait for post Florence though. All in all was just under 9 miles of running in the session. 
  • Cal - sorry to see you’ve chosen to can Manchester, it’s a hard decision but usually the right one.  

    Ian well done, moving onwards and upwards towards the big one, I’m hoping for cooler conditions too for Dorney.

    Rcouture I’m sure your 5k will be sub 20 after your 10k time at the weekend.

    3.5 miles this evening felt okay, next time I go for a run will be a little bit longer! Had an email at work today to say another 23 redundancies are due to happen this year, the insurance side only has 100 members of staff so it’s a big cull.  Will find out next week if it affects me or not. 


  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    RCouture, if I was you, I would find a 5K.  You can build it into your running plan that week - maybe just ditch the club session that week and do the race instead, and move things around if you can.  From your 10K, which wasn't top conditions due to the narrow paths etc, you are 100% in sub-20 5K shape.

    Fingers crossed all is okay at work for you, Robert.  Maybe we ran on different paths as mine was really a scramble/climb in parts, particularly to the east of my route.  7 miles, 991ft, 1hr35mins, and I was going so slowly in parts that Strava thinks I was stood still for 10mins, but actually I kept moving all the time.  

    Ian, isn't there talk of stopping the PCRs on this side?  That would make things much, much easier.  I am usually quite good at researching this sort of stuff but I have been pulling my hair out at all the options, to the point it has really been putting me off booking anything.  The Spain guidance of PCRs being 'advised' was bothering me, with me thinking that it may later become mandatory.  LFTs would be much easier (not to mention, cheaper!); I think I am right in saying that you can just take them with you and do the test yourself and upload the results, can't you?  

    Sorry to hear about Manchester, Cal :(   

    It has felt a lot like 'normal' here for me this last week.  The Half Marathon, Eden Project, the outdoor theatre, seeing friends etc.  All outside things and again we've been really lucky with the weather.  I have done regular LFTs just to try and ensure all is okay (I know they are not totally effective), but it has felt very normal this week.  Cases are rising still though aren't they, but we've had a great week.  

    OH is back at work today :(  The friends we saw a couple of days ago have quite a large motorhome, and they've been in it constantly for the last 4 months.  They have a 4-bed house in Tintangel (a very nice part of Cornwall) that they have been renting out to holiday makers, so they've been having a great time going all over the place, whilst earning what I imagine was decent money from Airbnb (it has been fully booked , and they are almost full next Spring/Summer already).  Their motorhome is much bigger than our van (it has a loo and shower onboard) so we couldn't do that in our van, but we both commented it must have been a great thing to do, just having that freedom to go wherever they wanted.  They've been all over the place in it.

    Dad's going home on Monday, and I can already feel my stress levels rising.  Different people have been calling me this last week asking me questions I don't have the answers to, usually with acronyms I have no clue about.  I am not looking forward to it at all, although I know he is very, very keen to go home, and I do know we have to try it at least.  I have a bad feeling he will just try and cancel the carers when he has settled in, but I hope I am worrying about nothing and he will realise they are still needed.  The trouble is, he doesn't want to pay for them even though he can afford to, and basically from my point of view it is totally imperative that they are there.   I have made it very clear that I am not doing what they will be doing for him, so I hope it has sunk in!
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - just enjoy yourself at CW50 and good luck.

    That's a big % of the workforce up for redundancies by your employer.  Try and not to worry about it.  

    Cal - well London is definitely your hometown then.   :)

    If you do decide to cancel Manchester and I'm assuming you've no other marathon planned this year, I would suggest you stop doing any long runs for now.   They seem to be tiring you out and taking too long to recover from, so they won't be doing you any good. 

    What date is Ealing?

    Ian - Conditions in early October are usually ideal for marathon running, it's too soon for a decent forecast that far ahead.    Good news on the training pace improvement.

    Rcouture - great tempo running, bit hairy in the dark though.

    Big G - I was reading recently that LFT's are far more reliable than they originally thought.   Cases are coming down here now quite dramatically, we were up to 600+, now down to about 250ish but I expect there'll be a blip after the schools have been back in a week or so.    New travel guidelines to be updated today I've just heard on the news.

    Well that is progress that your Dad is going home although it's going to be a really stressful time for you more than him.   I do hope that finally being home will mellow his attitude towards the care that he does need at home.   Good luck.


    7 miles this morning, I know I've been going out a bit later but the traffic seems to have increased dramatically over the last few days, more folk back at work I guess.

    Gym later.
  • Rcouture, just pick a fast parkrun...Burgess or Dulwich or Vicky Dock.
    Shades...I still have Valencia but I'm not sure about that either. It's not until December but I'm not sure I want to have the stress of overseas travel. Plus I'm also skint.
    Ealing is the 26th.
    Big G, sorry you've got to deal with that - I found that once my parents got old, it was almost like I became the parent and they were the child. You're definitely right to be firm about it.

    Gym day today.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Yes that's all we did,packed some and uploaded a picture of the result to a website,certificate came through instantly,easy to abuse though.
    Rob-Hope your job is OK. 
    Rcouture-I would definitely find a race or parkrun and nail that sub 20,won't even be close.
    1st positive in a long time in work today so means shifting rotas around,I'm still very surprised at how little positive cases we have had,this is only my 3rd out of 36 staff.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - I'd forgotten about Valencia.   Even if you decide to do Valencia once you've done Ealing you could take 2 or 3 weeks off the long runs.   Surely you'll have had your results/consultation by then.

    A parkrun wouldn't count for PB purposes would it.

    You're right, our parents look after us and then one day the roles are reversed.

    Ian - re positive employee, it's remarkable really that your staff have done so well, working together for long hours.

    Gym very quiet again, but enjoyable.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    13.5 miles afternoon with some hills thrown in, and it was an enjoyable run out.

    Trying to practice what I preach to RCouture, I have entered a 10K for Sunday - Glastonbury Levels 10K.  If I don't do many Halfs, I do even fewer 10Ks and again my current PB is very soft.  The first and second 10Ks in my recent half (42:35, 41:39), were both quicker than my official 10K PB from 2017 (42:37).  I was going to go down to Tavy 5K but that can wait.  There aren't that many opportunities for a 10K locally and this one, although 2hrs away, has come at around the right time in that I am definitely in PB shape and relatively niggle free at the moment. 

    Interestingly, putting my Half time in McMillan gives me.......39:59!  I guess you know what I will be hoping for and I will go out at that pace and see how I get on.  It is supposedly a flat and fast course on closed roads, but it is an out and back so hoping for a tail wind in both directions :)  It is a waved start and although I am in the first wave with 39:59 as my estimate, I think I am the slowest so I hope I don't end up running on my own.  With my Half, there were loads of people around me to focus on, which does definitely help.  I am not tapering for it in that I will do around 6 miles tomorrow, nice and easy (including parkrun), but that is what I did before Torbay Half too :)   
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that 10k should be just at the right time to nail that sub 40 PB.   Will be worth the drive if you do it.

    I expect you know Torbay parkrun is cancelled tomorrow, I assume you've lined up a different one.


    It's the Ladies 10k on Sunday, if I was in better running shape I was going to do it but my training pace is mediocre at the moment.

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, I didn’t know about Torbay parkrun’s cancellation so thanks for letting me know. I may go and do another parkrun or I may just do a short run around here. I’ll see. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - I just happened to see a post on FB, no run director I think.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Todays announcement has made it easier to look at foreign races now.
  • Big G - Good luck Sunday, I’m sure you’ll smash it with the form you’ve got. I’ve gone ahead and booked a 5k but earliest I could find to suit schedule/not a hassle to get to is on the 20th of October. I’m not in a massive rush and It’s midweek so won’t interfere with long runs and as you say, will replace the one speed session for that week. I’m rarely free for parkruns sadly. 

    10 miles this evening after a crap day at work so run was much needed. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - good luck today.   :) 

    Start time is 8:30 for anyone following on the tracker. 


    Rcouture - hopefully you'll nail that 5k target in October and then no pressure to do another.    ;)


    Rest day for me today.
  • Best of luck Rob!

    Shades -Enjoy the rest day

    Aside from London on the beeb, does anyone tend to show coverage of the other marathon majors in the uk? Any streams? Wouldn’t mind catching a few over the next few weeks. 

    6 miles this morning. Legs felt heavy for first time this training block so hit the soft trails on the common and took it easy. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Rcouture - sounds like you need an easy week.

    There used to be regular TV coverage, condensed into a one hour programme, for Snowdonia and Yorkshire, might have been one other I can't remember.  They stopped a few years ago, maybe still on YouTube, I don't know.

    I have watched Manchester on YouTube, that was quite good.

    I don't think there's the interest from viewers for it really.   No other marathons in the UK line up and pay for an elite field except for London.

    Other majors will be on YouTube too.  Some are shown live on Eurosport etc but I don't know how many, or if you can still access them now.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    RCouture, in the recent past Eurosport have had New York, Berlin and Chicago.  Trouble is, it is very difficult finding what is scheduled on Eurosport past the coming week.  Sometimes, buried somewhere in the FAQs, the individual Major websites have the coverage details.  I.E., NYC has this that says Eurosport has it for Europe, and Freesports (I don't think I have ever used Freesports) has it in the UK:  https://help.nyrr.org/s/article/race-day-broadcast  

    Often, the sub 3 group on Facebook is very quick to spot any live streams and post them in advance.

    Ian, yes, it certainly will be much easier without the prospect of PCRs abroad, plus the binning of the day-2 PCR in favour of cheaper/easier LFTs will definitely help.  I am still considering Barcelona, but OH can't come at the moment, so I am not sure currently.  

    Opted for Parke parkrun this morning and saw a few regulars from Torbay there.  Very different courses as Torbay is flat and 2/3 on tarmac, whereas Parke is on trails with two very steep hills.  I just took it steady and with half a mile from the car and back it was just the 4 miles in total.  Very humid this morning but I am glad I went.  I used to go quite regularly to this one, but the last time I did it was July 2019 and before that October 2016, although I have been other times to the estate to walk the dog. 

    On the way back I dropped in at Dad's care home for what is hopefully the last time.  He is very much looking forward to going home, so I am trying hard at being positive at the moment!  He has agreed to at least trial the carers for a month or so, so that is something.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that sounds more promising re your Dad.   :)

    I've got a recording of Boston so that must have been on the BBC red button for me to record it.   Once they had Berlin too.   Before that it was only if a prominent UK runner was taking part, such as in Paula Radcliffe's time.

    The  cost of TV rights is expensive, that's why we don't see them I guess.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert is doing well 😊
  • Well done, Big G - heard Parke was a tough one. Good that your dad has accepted the carers.

    Today didn't go so well. Plan was Mile End parkrun (which I've done before, but it's the closest to Victoria Park) followed by the Pride 10K. 
    After a mile warm-up I did the parkrun and felt fine (I did have my concerns as I've been sluggish all week and felt a bit spacey yesterday). I opted not to push too much but to stay around 9 minute pace, so I came in at 28:17, which was well down the filed but at least top of my age group...Mile End has a young demographic so there were only three VW50s anyway.
    Walked from there to Victoria Park for the Pride 10K, which turned out to be a couple of miles (but it's a nice walk along the canal).
    There was a reasonable gap between the two events but I certainly felt more like sitting on the grass than running a race at that point...didn't help that it was over 20 degrees by then, too. But no excuses. It was diabolical. I ended up over 1 hour and 1 minute. I've not been over an hour for a 10K since I started doing races. Yes I did a parkrun first, but I did that in 2019 (and equalled my PB at the parkrun then got my second fastest 10K time despite very windy weather). I wasn't expecting much this time, but I'd expect to be somewhat under an hour.
    I held 9 minute pace for the first mile but got steadily worse (looking at my Garmin stats, I go from 180 cadence and 1m stride length for the first mile down to 167 cadence and 0.9 stride length for mile 6). First mile was OK but then legs got worse and worse. No phantom chest pains or anything like that...I just couldn't run.
    The best thing I can say about this run is that I really, really wanted to give up and walk, but I didn't (although I stopped briefly to drink from a water fountain on the last lap as there was no water in this race and it was warm).
    Once I got through the finish I had to sit on the grass for a bit to recover. I was done. Although I then had to walk 2 miles back to Mile End tube, of course.

    My diet's decent and I've actually slept OK this week (I still wake up a few times per night, but I've managed over 7 hours for a few nights now) so I'm running out of things to blame. Still haven't heard back from the cardiologist but the fact they've been slow makes me think there's nothing very serious going on. So I'm mystified.
    I'm not sure about Ealing now...I can't face another awful half marathon but the optimistic part of me still thinks I should give it a shot (but maybe not do parkrun the day before). I don't know. I'm wondering if I should concentrate on parkruns and 5Ks for the time being as it's speed endurance that seems to be the problem. I would definitely appreciate any thoughts.
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