Shades Marathon Training

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  • 6 miles for me too at lunch. Not great to be honest. 22 degrees, I’m pretty underslept this week and legs felt very heavy. I’ve also woken up with a pain in my side which I hope is just from a dodgy plank I did in my strength exercises rather than anything else. Doesn’t bode well for planned 20miler tomorrow which is meant to have a bit of MP. Will take it slow if I’m not feeling it. 
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Good luck,didn't release it was tomorrow.
    8 miles today,after London I'm going to increase my after work runs from 7 to 8 increase mileage do tried an extra bit,only problem with it is it is up a big hill so the extra mile creates an extra 100ft of hills.
  • G2E is the 9th not the 2nd ;)https://map.racetracker.no/?race=g2eultra_2021 Is the tracker link i'm sure you can work out what name i am under if i don't bother to post what number i am nearer the tim. They are supposed to be adding the names to the tracker site soonish.
    6am mass start now too.

  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Robert - 305km unsupported, do they get many doing that distance?


    Rcouture - take it easy today unless your energy levels have bounced back and you've had some sleep.   No point flogging out a 20 miler just as it's on the training plan if you're not feeling 100%.


    Ian - just think of that extra mile as extra DD training.   ;)


    Keith - I've amended the Shadies list.   I've just pinned the tracker link.   It looks a long way even on the map  :o   But you've been running well over the last few months so should be feeling confident.


    Shamefully I too joined the queues last night for petrol, I hated myself for doing it as I'm so against any sort of panic buying.   But I am away this weekend and didn't want to be at the mercy of motorway stock/prices, glad I did as it took more to fill tank than I thought.   But although garage was busy, it was no busier than a weekday morning and due to some of the drivers ahead of me in the queue not wanting to use a pump where their petrol cap is on the other side than the pump (muppets) I only queued for less than a minute.   :)

    Rest day today.   
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    SubSports now knocking 10% off remainder of their stock, so everything now down to £7.20

    Products | Sub Sports   use code EXTRA10 at checkout.

    I wore one of their long sleeved compression tops this week on a chilly morning, they really are lovely material, tight fit, so size up and still fits well.
  • RcoutureRcouture ✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Shades - Might get some more of their stuff at that price. 

    Just over 20 miles this morning along the river to London Bridge and back. Humid to start but turned into perfect conditions as not too warm yet and too early for all the tourists. I felt much better than yesterday after decent sleep but this pain in my side seems worse so I didn’t do any MP but more of a progressive run with the second half faster than the first. I also think it’s probably too early to do MP stuff with almost 2 months to go to Florence. I’m not even sure what MP is! 72 miles the last 7 days. 
  • Rcouture great mileage this week!!! Careful with managing that pain! 

    Shades it makes sense to fill up where you can, I’ve told elle that I’ll prob walk to shops and do a couple of trips, a we don’t buy so much but also safe our petrol.  The 305km has a fair few start out but not many finishers if any at all.

    Keith good luck, those A to B courses look long! 

    Westmill parkrun and course set up today, set off steady and plodded around in 28.57.  Quads don’t seem to be trashed as much but legs still a bit heavy still hopefully for Dorney next week if only to get round. 

  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Keith-G2E is on my radar when I move up,meant to be a good introduction to 50's.
    Rcouture-Another good run from you.
    My shoes have turned up and the pics don't do them justice,I love them,can't wait to wear them tomorrow.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Good trip up once I'd got past the fuel queue for my local petrol station.   Lots of irate drivers in the queue.   Then our local roadworks, 6 miles of contraflow mostly at 30mph.  Clear roads after that.  Plenty of petrol at motorway services at 1.53 per litre 😮

    I think my Travelodge wins the prize for the least scenic view but location is good and room quiet and comfortable.




  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - you did well to do parkrun, recovering well.

    Rcouture - glad to hear you are feeling better today and had a good run. That's an increase in your mileage too.

    Sounds like you've pulled an oblique muscle.

    Ian - picture of the new shoes please.

    No word from Big G, he normally checks in.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Shades-Not the easiest results to find but Big G finished the race.
  • Ian as long as the shoes work that’s the main thing

    shades that’s pretty horrendous but spose you not paying for the view 😆 have a good race tomorrow! 

    Hope all went well big G 

    Plan to go for a slow run tomorrow, unsure on distance but will go 4 miles out down the river and see how I feel. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - thanks for checking on Big G.

    Shoes look nice, I like the unusual colours.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Very poor reception here so apologies for delay. All ok though. 

    It was a long/frustrating drive up on Friday afternoon - about 3.5hrs for 110 miles - but on arrival we got set up and settled in at a large country house called St Giles Estate. Campsite was filling nicely and has a good atmosphere, but I felt sorry for Friday night’s music and stall holders as there was hardly anyone there. The race village was a large field, and they were playing to virtually nobody, and a couple of stall holders closed early. 

    I slept well though, and opted for trail shoes for the event, which was definitely the correct choice. The trail was all runnable (even for me!), not too technical and a mix of terrain with virtually no tarmac. From the outset I was hoping for a ‘comfortable’ 3:45ish, but as is the nature of trails for me, I do find them tough. I find I need to concentrate and just not being able to get into a rhythm slows me down. But it was a lovely route, and I went though the first lap/half way at around 1:55ish. 

    During the second lap I had to dig in a bit more than I’d have liked, but passed some casualties who were with the paramedics and looked in quite a bad way due to falls. I carried on though, being careful and very wary of falling. Although all runnable, I did walk a few times especially on the 2nd lap, just to be on the safe side as I was getting a bit more tired. 

    Although a nice course, at 11/24 miles you pass within about 200m of the finish, but obviously there’s still 2 miles from there, which was mildly irritating/demoralising the first time around.  But I knew I was going to get a comfortable sub-4 without pushing too hard, and finished in 3:58:33 (official result). So slower than I was aiming for but I’m happy enough. 

    A nice event and the camping makes it feel like a festival and we’ve had a nice time. There is free SUPing on the massive pond here, and OH is going to do that tomorrow whilst I walk Tigg. 

    Hoping more people turn up for the music this evening as there are 3 acts on. There are some decent food choices though, and a place selling AF beer, so I’m happy :)

    Not totally sure if I’d do it again as I don’t love trail, but I believe the organisers are hoping to go back to the original route (mainly road I think) if they get permission for next year. 

    That was number 90, so finally into the ‘nervous nineties’! 
  • Big G - Well done. Sounds like a nice event

    for those who want a legal stream in English of Berlin, Kenyan TV have it;  https://live.k24tv.co.ke/
  • Good luck Keith.

    Well done Big G! I saw a couple of casualties at Ealing today...not sure if injured or unwell (it was quite humid).

    Shades, that is pretty awful, yikes! I hope the bed is comfy at least.

    Ian, enjoy!

    So Ealing Half today, and I was reminded why I really enjoy this race - the community support is terrific. I knew the first three miles were mainly uphill (nothing steep, but an overall net gain) so kept my pace in check until the downhill mile 4. After that I decided not to look at my watch and run by feel. I actually enjoyed the race - fed off the support and smiled like Kipchoge. It was a little tougher towards the end but after 8 miles or so I was passing more people than being passed, which is a big improvement over Big Half and Richmond. I came in at 2:03:54 official, so I'm still over two hours but the main thing is that I enjoyed the race and didn't feel like I was about to die at any point.

    How I've managed to go from a sub-4 marathoner too a 2+ HMer in a relatively short amount of time is another matter, though I don't think it has anything to do with my heart. I think I've just lost a lot more fitness than I realised. The reason I had such bad races at the last two was because I expected I would be able to run a sub-2 and set out at that pace, then blew up and spent the rest of the race suffering.
    I'm close to the weight I was at Yorkshire, so I know it's not that...the difference I am seeing from my watch data, though, is in cadence and stride length (average cadence today was 175 whereas it's been 180+ for my fastest half marathons). Stride length wasn't too much shorter, but all those centimetres add up over long distances.

    So I think what I need is more of the boring stuff: strength, mobility and drills.
  • Big G congrats on the 90s, sounds like a good event, think I’d prefer trail to a road version myself.  Only enjoy road if racing fully once or twice a year (zero times currently)  One to keep an eye on in the future. 

    Cal glad you enjoyed the event and you know you’re improving, it’s frustrating when you compare what you have done and what you are doing and there is a gap! Keep working and you’ll close that gap as you showed today and keep enjoy your running.  

    Went out today for a run, hadn’t decided how long, finished 9 miles which was one less than I planned but legs were tired and mine wasn’t really up to it either.

    forecast for Dorney next week looks wet 

  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Cal-Glad you had a more enjoyable run,that's ultimately the main thing.In terms of getting faster again,have you ever just ran every run easy for a couple of months to see if you can improve your base then the speed will just happen ,could be worth a try.
    Shades-Hope today went well and the weather wasn't too bad.
    Big G-Sounds like you enjoyed the race hope you had a good weekend.
    9 miles today,2 either side of 5 at 3:10 pace,felt harder than it should so I think that may be a stretch for next week.
  • Rob - Nice 9 miles. You seem super consistent 
    Ian - I’m sure it’ll feel better with a taper/race setting
    Cal - Great to hear you got your mojo back. Will have to put Ealing on my list for next year. 

    7 miles super slow this afternoon after 20 miler yesterday. HR nice and low. This problem with my obliques seems fine when running fortunately. 

    Look forward to hearing from Shades. 
  • Ian...most of last year, to be honest...I did a few short virtual races here and there but the majority of my runs were slow. I wonder if that was the problem, actually, rather than the reverse.

    Rcouture - definitely sounds like a planking issue...have you been doing side planks?
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - we've just got so used to your updates when you're on your travels.    ;)  It's always a slow ponderous drive to the NF.   The first time I did NF, the road marathon from New Milton, it was the Trotters annual trip and we weren't happy when we got on the coach at Dyrons and the coach driver said it would be unlikely we'd get there in time for the race, the half marathon went off first, so I don't know which Trotter booked the coach departure time.   We did get there in time, but it's so slow going through Bournemouth and the rest at 30mph with a bit at 40mph.

    Well done on your time.  What a shame for the race organisers that so few people were there, hope it filled up last night with the half marathon folk.  If it goes back to the Brockenhurst course that is 50% road, 50% off road, I emailed to ask when they moved from New Milton.

    Congrats on entering the nervous nineties but not so nervous until you've booked the 100th, it's then you don't want anything to go wrong.   :/

    Cal - that's a great result from you today at Ealing, definitely on your way back and the most important thing is you enjoyed it too.

    Ian - you'll be fine when you're actually doing the marathon next week.

    Rcouture - that's good the oblique pain is easing, best not do that plank again  ;)   

    Hullavington Marathon - I wasn't expecting too much from my run today, haven't done any long runs except for one 14 miler and last 2 marathons were very disappointing.    A 10 minute drive to Hullavington, free parking in a field, a half mile walk to the village.   Everyone very friendly and welcoming and good to catch up with a few marathon junkie friends, one very cross at having done a GFA at Brighton of 2:58 and been told it won't be recognised.
    After my photo of the ugliest hotel view yesterday I was rewarded with 26.2 miles through chocolate box scenery, the Cotswolds at it's best.   All run on rural roads, some as narrow as Devon lanes but what little traffic we had were the most courteous of drivers.   The most amazing and encouraging marshals and eight drink stations and a bag drop and a mass start made it feel like the first normal race I've done since the pandemic.   The course was a sort of figure of eight and we passed by the finish at 10 miles and then headed out on the second loop.   The course was definitely more undulating than expected but there were only a couple of actual hills, they were small too, but there were lots of very gradual climbs, such as over the flyover over the M4.   My Garmin has the total climb at 783 feet, so not much.   What did make it feel harder was the weather, started in a good breeze and overcast, after 90 minutes the sun came out suddenly and it was blisteringly hot in places, a good 26 degrees.   There was a fair bit of shade and that was cool and pleasant but out in the sun it was very tough and we had a few long stretches in the very hot sun.     I started at the back and the sweeper took one look at me and decided that we would probably be running together but after a couple of miles a couple of runners dropped back behind me and I didn't see the sweeper again.  At about 3 miles I teamed up with a girl running her first marathon and we ran comfortably together until 8 miles when the sun came out and she dropped back behind me.    I then caught up and passed 3 more runners at about 19/20 miles, although I had slowed, they had slowed more.   I enjoyed the 2nd half of the race better than the first.   Finished in 5:11, my 2nd fastest this year so not too bad considering the lack of training.    Homemade drizzle cake at the finish and a gorgeous medal.    The plane spins around. 


  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Cal-Fair enough,just a thought as that seems to work for me,hopefully today is the start of better things.
    Shades-Very nice report and it sounds like you had a good day,well done.
    Plans now coming together for our few days in London, going to the expo nice and early Friday,hopefully before it gets too busy.
  • Shades - Great running and sounds a top event. I love that medal. Why a plane exactly?

    Cal - Yes I’ve been doing planks (normal and side) and side-lying leg raises with a band every other day for about a year now to keep the IT band demons away. This issue started while I was asleep but I’m almost sure it’s due to a wonky session and my sis who is staying with us and is a doc seems to think so. I was mainly concerned initially that it wasn’t organ related. 

  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian -warm weather is due to break tonight, rain and gale force winds for my recovery run in the morning.   Should be cooler conditions for you at London too.

    Yes, loved Hullavington, hope to go back again.

    Rcouture - Hullavington is famous for its airfield apparently.

    We used to do those exercises with my previous Pilates instructor.   If you want to increase the effectiveness on the ITB then do the same exercise with the resistance band but standing up.  Put band around ankles and step so band is taut then with soft knees take 5 steps to the right then 5 steps to the left, repeat.  It's easier on the oblique muscles but much harder on ITB.
    If band is long knot it so feet are only about 30cm apart at starting position.
  • That's a super medal, Shades...well done on your time, too. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Thanks Cal.

    5 miles recovery run today.   Woke to the unfamiliar sound of heavy rain and strong winds but by the time I went out for my run the rain had stopped and the wind was easing.   Legs are fine, as usual tired for the first 3 miles then the magic click and fine for the last 2.

    Lazy day at home today, must clear down/watch some recorded stuff to make room for recording London marathon at the weekend.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    I finished 56th out of 65, didn't remember overtaking that many  ;)   I think they had a lot of DNS's as entries were deferred from last year which usually leads to more DNS's.


  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Well done Shades.  Sounds a nice race, with a nice medal.  Mine was a bit hiller than I had expected too - 1400ft or so.

    Drive was fine on the way home yesterday, but after a long day I did 30-mins on Zwift last night and 7-miles on my usual route this morning.  Quite cold today but I had a decent run out.  Left hip very slightly sore, and I must have got a small stone or grit under the tongue of my left shoe at New Forest, as the skin is sore there.  It is not infected and I am sure it will be fine, but I covered it with a plaster this morning just to give a bit of protection.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Looks like the biggest weekend in a few years this weekend,4 of us racing.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    Big  G - yes I'm hoping Hullavington will be on again next year and revert to it's original scheduled week in September so it won't clash with Barnstaple.

    I had a good drive home too, heavy traffic was going the other way.

    Is that your hip niggle you've had before?   It might just be from the camber/uneven surface, if you ran on fire breaks they can have very steep cambers.

    Ian5 said:
    Looks like the biggest weekend in a few years this weekend,4 of us racing.
    Back to a normal weekend in marathon seasons of spring and autumn    :)
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