Shades Marathon Training

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  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, I have just properly looked at mine as I am taking them up to Dorney, and there are signs of a very small number of extra creases in the midsole foam, but the shoes came with creases anyway (it is totally normal, and I don't think the extra is noticeable at all really).  Even the outsole isn't showing signs of any wear at all, although having said that they have been used exclusively on good running surfaces.  I have seen people complaining of getting a stone stuck in the material, but I haven't had that issue as yet.

    Cal/RCouture, fingers crossed you both make a speedy recovery!

    For what it's worth, I am already in Manchester - I entered a few days ago and booked refundable accommodation.  I was due to do it in 2020 but it got cancelled, and it is one I want to do.  If nothing else comes up earlier, that will be my A-race for the Spring.  I do like Manchester as a city to visit as well, so we'd make the weekend of it.
  • RcoutureRcouture ✭✭✭
    edited October 2021
    Big G - I have 86 miles in my Next % and they seem absolutely fine. They no longer feel as ‘special’ or obviously bouncy as when I put them on but that’s down to familiarly rather than performance. 
  • I have entered Manchester too. It was still at the early bird price although there's a small fee so comes in at just under £63. Better than 70-odd though.
    Hoping I'll be back on form by then.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - We can't rely on the shoe companies 'advised mileage' after all they want to sell as many as possible.   Runners used to be advised to put shoes on a flat surface at eye level and it the shoes didn't stand true then the midsole cushioning/support had broken down.   I think a few creases in a spongy outsole is normal in a soft spongy shoe.
    Even if the Next % lose their pop, as you say they can just be moved to a training shoe.
    As my shoes get older they are used more for shorter runs.

    I'd better start a 2022 marathon list now, I expect you've lined up a few others too  ;)


    Cal - good to hear you've entered another marathon, Manchester.   Have you made a decision about Valencia?
     I definitely saw a post yesterday about an early bird entry of £59 at Manchester ending on 30th Sept but seems they've already extended that.   I'm sure they've done this before with numerous price 'offers'.

    Manchester doesn't appeal to me at all so not on my wish list.

    £50 is a lot for a half marathon.   I expect races are going to use Covid as an excuse for the price hikes, but I expect it's to line their pockets while they can.   Manchester use Active so there will always be a high admin fee from those crooks.


    Rcouture - just a couple of more days and you'll be fine.   Injury is the worst part of distance running but something that we have to get used to, unfortunately.


    Heavy rain and strong winds forecast all day today here, thankfully due to clear by tomorrow for our races.


    Rest day for me today.    Flu jab later.   :)
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades-You having the flu jab day before a race? My arm was pretty sore last year after it.OH was due her booster Tuesday but has delayed it until after Manchester.
    Flights are booked for Barca now
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - yes, flu jab today.   Was originally booked for 2 weeks ago when I didn't have a race but deferred due to late delivery of supplies.   I didn't see the need to postpone the jab, as the nurse told me last year a sore arm is due to her sticking a needle in me, not a reaction.    ;)  I only ended up with a bruise on my arm last year so hoping for nothing more this year. 

    If it was Covid jab I would have changed the date, just in case

    Great news on Barcelona entry, what date is that?
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Shades-I was thinking with the sore arm it's hard to hold it up for a few hours.
    November 7th,I'm thinking of leaving Liverpool and giving Barca a good go,bit longer to get ready for and I'm really busy in work around Liverpool time.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - on the list.    :)    I'll keep Liverpool on the list until you decide.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    I had a sore arm after Covid first jab, but not the flu jab.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, I can't go crazy with the entries, certainly not at the beginning of the year, so Manchester is the only one I have entered so far.  Last time I had an entry I had flights from Exeter as it was cheaper/easier (although flybe went bust but I managed to get the cash back from Santander), but I haven't sorted the travel out yet.  

    Good news on Barca, Ian.   I was looking at flights a couple of days ago and easyJet have shot up in price, but RyanAir still have affordable options from Bristol.  I am still not sure though.

    I have just taken a punt and ordered a pair Atreyu ‘The Artist’.  Not sure when they’ll arrive as they come in from the US, but I was intrigued last time there was stock, so this time decided to click the button. With delivery they were around £120. 

    I don't think this is totally taper madness, but I had got a slight cold (not Covid).  When I was at Dad's he had a cold, so I think I may have got it from him :(  
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - years ago it was the price of the flights that stopped me booking up Barcelona.

    Just had to Google the Atreyu shoes, I remember now you mentioning them before.   Did you have to pay a subscription and will you have to pay VAT/Import duty on them?    They are certainly different in looks.

    Hope that sniffle is taper madness  ;)  If your RHR is normal, then it's unlikely you have a cold.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, I checked all that before I pressed the button and I shouldn't have to pay anything else as altogether it was below £135, which is the figure you have to pay duty on I believe.  I did test it, and added 2 pairs initially, and the price went up more than just the extra pair, as it went over that £135 figure.  Tax was on the receipt, so I think everything is taken care of in terms of nothing else to pay (a couple Brit YouTubers got them a few months ago and didn't pay anything extra, so I am hopeful).  I didn't get a subscription, just a single pair - I am just keen to try them really.  I only have the Nikes with the plates (Zoom Fly 3 and Next %), so it will be nice to compare.  

    I was going to go down and run around the local parkrun but it is raining very heavily, and it is quite cold too, so rest day today.  I will be leaving after lunch to start the journey up, and then just relaxing the afternoon and evening.  I need to get my head in the game as at the moment I am feeling that I really could really take it or leave it, but I think that is mainly the weather, which is grim here.  Lining up in these conditions wouldn't be pleasant, but the forecast does look a bit better for tomorrow.
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - that's good re your shoes from the US that you're below the import duty level, it can be a nasty surprise sometimes for the recipient.

    Forecast is good for tomorrow so get your racing head back on,  just looked at Windsor forecast and perfect for you.   Windsor - BBC Weather

     Improved a bit for Starcross too.    :)



    Things not to do the day before a marathon:-

    get a flu jab
    spring cleaning

    Just spent the last hour+ spring cleaning the bedroom including turning the mattress.   I've stopped now and will do something less tiring like order some running shoes   :)
  • I hope you enjoy the shoes, Big G.

    Shades, I'd also add going to the gym to that list... My side/back has been very uncomfortable. It's not bad when I move but I groan every time I turn over in bed or have to reach for something.

    Of course that wasn't going to stop me going to my planned parkrun, Dartford Heath, since I'd bought the train tickets and wasn't going to waste them. 
    Dartford Heath is a bit further from the station than Dartford, which I did in August...the website said 2 miles but it was 1.5. I'd planned to run there and back, so decided to try that and how well I managed would then influence whether I attempted to run the parkrun or walk around with the Tail Walker at the back.
    As it was, I managed to break into an uncomfortable little shuffle and got myself there OK, albeit slowly.
    Dartford Heath is a small parkrun (usually less than 100 people) with no amenities as it's on a basically wild bit of land. The course is almost all trail with a couple of short concrete bits, a lot of tree roots and some puddles. I'd been debating whether I could get away with road shoes but decided on trail to be safe, and was very glad of that. 

    Once we started it took me a while to get running properly but my side/back seemed to ease a little and I was able to pick up the pace a bit. Stride length was definitely affected so I had to make up for that with cadence...good job I've been practising! I finished in 28:15 which I was happy with given I figured it'd be a miracle if I got under 30 minutes. Found out when I got home I was also 2nd lady and first in my age category (I was not the only one...the area seems to have an older demographic and vets outnumbered youngsters). The first lady was a young and fast one...ran around 22 minutes so I wouldn't have caught here even if I'd been on my very best form. So second is good.

    The jog back to the station started OK but I could definitely feel my ham tendon more (the side I pulled is on the same side, unfortunately) and I was limping a little bit when I stopped. Not ideal. An Epsom salt bath helped once I'd got home, but I'll take a few days off anyway to let it heal up a bit.
  • Shades - defo not the day to be doing manual work around the house!  Hope you have a more restful afternoon. Good luck tomorrow.

    Big G - I decided not to parkrun as a) involving driving and keeping petrol b) wet and cold.  Hope the sniffle improves for tomorrow, I'll be there from 8am, number pick up is simple, I'll probably be in Ware Joggers red and white vest, probably with a red shirt under.

    Ian - Enjoy the race tomorrow, conditions look kind.

    Cal - it seems the big races have hiked their prices up, but our race entries seem lower than a comparable race in the US.  I enjoyed manchester but looking for a race without the costs of transport and hotels.  I want to go sub 4 and it to be my 'fast' marathon for the year, the rest will be plods and challenges.

    Rcouture - hope you're getting better, try not to overdo it when you do come back.

    Stuck to the uni books today, set the alarm to ensure I get up to stretch the legs for a bit.  I'm back in the office for 2 weeks as we have a new admin system, it's been a long time coming and probably one of the reasons that the company have struggled financially over the last year years, very late and very much over budget.  
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Cal - you did well to go and run your parkrun today with your gym injury, especially with the travelling to and from. 

    I'm cutting my gym sessions down to one or two a week whilst I'm doing 4 marathons in 4 weeks.  Once they're done I'll go back to 3-4 gym sessions a week and back on my gym journey to get my fat % down to target.

    Robert - I am on the sofa now, feet up with a coffee.  Just back from flu jab.  Not intending to do anything else today except get my kit ready for the morning.

    Hope you managed to get some petrol.

    Good for you getting the uni work out again.

    Good luck for tomorrow at Dorney Lake, hope you have an enjoyable race.

    Ian and Big G - hope you too run well tomorrow and achieve your target times.
  • New poster - lurking on the thread for a couple of weeks, but all the Manchester talk has me got me to post! Want to try and have some accountability so reading here/posting should hopefully give that! 

    I’m 95% sure I’ll go for Manchester in April 2022, with the aim of GFA for London (and maybe quicker - as a 31F the GFA is usually around 3:30 or so?). <div>
    </div><div>Manchester 2019 was meant to be my first marathon (so completed all training runs! Think around 5 x 20 milers!) but it was cancelled obviously.

    Had a bit of a breakthrough this year managing 19:26 for 5K when previously sub-20 had been a dream, but have struggled massively over summer after having my second vaccine to get anywhere near this! Recent races include 1:33 half and 41:50 10k so not too far, but lots of work to do.

    Think my next race will be Reading Half, aiming for 1:32 (secretly I would like sub-1:30, but I think too hard)

    Good luck to anyone racing tomorrow !!


    </div>
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow,bit of sight seeing last couple of days but not too much,got the tube as much as we could.All settled now for the day so that's it until the morning.
  • Welcome bradders - a lot of people have been struggling since lockdown - I'm one of them. I've seen people wonder if it's the vaccine, but it may just be all the downtime and the lack of races, who knows?

    Good luck Ian and everyone.
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Bradders-Welcome,around 1:30 will set you up really well got GFA,the speed is there,just need to ensure the stamina is.
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Bradders, welcome!

    Robert, thanks. I’ll be on the look out for you. I expect before the race I’ll be in a blue Trotters hoodie and during the race I’ll be in a Trotters vest.

    Got here safely and although there were no serious hold ups, it was terrible weather all the way up. But I’m here and I’ll be relaxing now.

    Last time I stayed here was 11th Dec 2019!  It’s things like that realisation that make the last 18 months feel like a blur in some ways. A Travelodge on the M4 is hardly the most luxurious of places (comfortable enough though), but it’s strangely good to be back.

    Some things haven’t changed. I still unload a car full of stuff for what is just a one night stay pre-marathon :)

    Best of luck to everyone racing tomorrow. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    bradders - you are very welcome to the thread.   If you want to run a marathon you're in the right place.
    Sorry to hear that after training for your first marathon the race was cancelled and you've yet to make your debut.
    With your times for shorter distances a GFA time is well within your capabilities.

    Are you going to enter the London ballot now for the chance of an entry in October 2022?



    Big G - didn't look a great day for driving.   Have you got a scenic view as I had last weekend on the M4?  ;)

    I take masses of stuff even for a one night stay, that's the benefit of having the car.



    Tomorrow my race is cupless which I hate so I'm going to use my bottle belt which doesn't annoy me too much as long as I use a small bottle.  I've managed to get my race fuel (sweets and salt tablets) to fit in the pocket on the belt.


  • Big G - we're just there and back for the day but also pack kit for Elle marshalling, have to be prepared for all weathers!

    Bradders - welcome to the forum, in 2018 I did manchester in 3:32:29 and my half time 1:36 and 5km 21.00 were slower than yours so with the right training sub 3:30 is defo doable.

    Shades - I'm not a huge fan of cups either, tomorrow ours is bottles of water and cups of high 5, I also have Elle on hand marshalling.

    Ian - prob best to stay in as weather is awful here!

    Cal - well done on another parkrun, shall we pencil in JF for 20th Nov? 

    Managed to get petrol last night so should have enough until next week when hopefully things will be better.  Got kit all sorted, going with the Guide 13s they probably need a few more miles to wear in but more confident in them than the alternatives, be an early start so have made drinks and off to pack the car in a bit with Elle's stuff for marshalling. 

    Good luck all!
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Robert - glad you could get some petrol.  The problem with supply does seem to be mainly in the SE.

    I like cups in a race, probably prefer them to bottles but hate cupless as the having to stop and refill is so annoying and wastes so much time.  Will be cooler tomorrow than last week so should be able to get away with drinking less.

    I think you're right, Elle will need more kit to keep warm than you will running.  Can be a very cold day marshalling.

    I am going to miss watching London marathon live on telly which I've done for years and years.   But will record it and enjoy watching on Monday.
  • London Marathon ballot for 2022 is open... £49/£47 I won't be bequeathing my fee for the charity if unsuccessful.  Believe that's another £2 increase from last year? Results in Feb
  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Shades, my view isn’t too bad. There’s even some grass!

    But.....I’m actually gutted, but I’m a DNS as RHR is on the rise, and I’m just not feeling right in myself. If I absolutely had to, I could probably run/walk around it, but I know it wouldn’t do me any good, and it’s not what I want to do.  So a long journey back, and a total waste of time and money (diesel). Typically, weather looks pretty decent. 


    In hindsight I knew I wasn’t quite right Saturday AM, although I thought I would be okay so I made the journey, but I don’t think I should run and I’m happy with my decision. 

    I did a test Sat AM and I will do another test when I get home but it’s not really symptoms of covid, but more of a head cold really.  Hopefully after a few days I’ll be back to it. Annoying though!

    All being well I’ll be home to watch most of London, and there’s a classic bike race (Paris-Roubaix) that I’ll watch later too. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    That's a fair price for London 2022 entry.   Certainly shows up Manchester as being very over priced.

    What date is London next year?

    I shan't be entering, gives you all a better chance 😄 😉


  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Big G - xpost. So sorry to hear that, what bad luck.   If it was just this morning's RHR , can often be raised due to anticipation, I would say run but as you don't feel right then you are doing the sensible thing.  
    Hopefully it's just a head cold and you can recover and focus on Newport.

    Have a speedy trip home and you can get on that sofa.  
  • Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    Big G-Gutted to hear that mate,hope it goes quickly.
    Number is 21541 if you want to track me.
  • Oh Big G, so sorry, you must be coming down with something. :(
    Shades, there's an article in the new Runner's World about race pricing. London can keep its prices low because of funding, which the other races don't get. It actually backs the race organisers up due to all their losses during the pandemic...they got hit very hard, most of them.
    No excuses for Brighton though - they've always been overpriced given the fact you don't get as much for your money (having to go and collect your number the day before, etc).

    Rob, yes, put it in the diary. Good luck today.

    And good luck everyone else running.
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