P&D Spring Marathon 2021

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  • Well, a few “blasts from the past”  joined in pre-VLM... and I tried too, but just found my post still in draft format, not posted.  So I've deleted a long  but now outdated chunk of text.

    Some great marathon performances and reports. Well done everyone. 

    My training has been destroyed by a dicky knee that started in July. First time I've had that - and haven't got out of single-figure weekly mileages more than 10 times in the last 24 weeks. On the plus side, I have been getting to the gym nearly twice a week for a couple of months now - focusing on strength.  First time in my life I've done that.

    I got round Forest of Dean half in 2:02 a couple of weeks back,  which was decent... but a mile off (more, actually) where I'd hope to be - and then out of the blue, I had a couple of Arghh moments with my knee this week - despite it being no problem 99% of the time. I'm planning to tootle round Newport in a fortnight...  I'll probably aim for 4hrs, but think around 4:15 is more reasonable target.

    Happy running.


  • 15West15West ✭✭✭
    Kate - what HA says. I have done 10 marathons and I'd say about 3 or 4  have gone well, and the rest have been a bit meh, or a bit of a disaster. I also get pre-race nerves pretty badly which doesn't help, stomach issues etc. The mental side is key really, and I guess maybe gets easier the more you do (not sure actually), you just need to find ways to relax as much as possible in that last week. Maybe you'd fair better in a more low key race, London is such a big event. Anyway, don't be hard on yourself, marathons are hard and you still got round in a very respectable time.
  • 15West15West ✭✭✭
    Ok. Managed 3:10:44 yesterday at Manchester. Sort of happy with that as main goal was a sub 3:15 for a GFA time for London, and that will hopefully be enough. The plan was somewhere in early 3s and to set off  7ishmin/mi pace, but of course sub 3 is there tempting me but I tried to stay away from that as my training and previous race times showed probably not possible. So there I go running 6:50s in those early miles, maybe because everyone around me was doing the same, I don't know. Anyway, I was a bit buggered by mile 20 and slowed dramatically, trying to work out how slow I could run to still get sub 3:15. I actually stopped at one point, I didn't make that decision, my body did, and with a bit of encouragement I got going again. So, I don't know about marathons in future at moment, I have signed up for Manchester but not sure I want to put myself through all that again. Halfs much more civilised for poor old westy. My legs were a bit buggered from the start, especially my right hamstring and glutes, not sure why but seemed to get worse during taper, so I had a feeling the race was going to end in a world of pain.
    Still, it was a lovely day, and was a great turnout with runners and supporters.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    HA - good news on the motivation boost, races are good for that.

    Good to see NE

    Decent result Westy, you could sub3 in April. Hammy, glute, ITB etv issues are something i get too, probably due to runners lots of miles as an oldie.

    6m Saturday to get started again, turbo yday and 8m today. My quads still feel a bit abused but that could be due to the turbo as well as vlm.
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    edited October 2021
    Sounds like a well-managed marathon finale to me Westy: more like riding with a flat than trying to ride without wheels! My last marathon, in April, I went through 20M in 2:22:04 but that final 10K took an hour!
    Parke parkrun in 22:36 on Saturday. It's a lumpy off-roader & I wasn't expecting much but disappointed to be 70s slower than I was when I did this course previously back in March 2017.
    Another 20M on Sunday. Averaged 7:56 but it was 7:40 for the 1st 17M then struggled in the last 3. it was a hillier route than last week's & I took no fuel + I'd had 2 night's of awful sleep & spent an inordinately large amount of time driving Friday/Saturday.
    Another 62M week
    Taper time - not that I've really had a proper training block.
  • Well stuck out Westy, I think the last time I heard from you, you were retiring and that was a few years ago! Is that GFA attempt for 2023 then as I thought the deadline was 3rd of October 2021 for the 2022 race?

  • 15West15West ✭✭✭
    Reg Wand said:
    Well stuck out Westy, I think the last time I heard from you, you were retiring and that was a few years ago! Is that GFA attempt for 2023 then as I thought the deadline was 3rd of October 2021 for the 2022 race?


    Hi Reg. Yes, it would be for 2023. I have entered Manchester next spring, but in two minds whether to do it or just defer/transfer to the Manc half in the autumn, I'll make a decision sometime over the winter. It's kind of depressing trying to relive past glories but the body not being up to it, but maybe I still have a sub 3 in me somewhere, don't know. Last marathon before this was 2018 in London when I wilted in the heat, and then later that year plantar fasciitis kicked in and it took ages for that to go. Started running more regularly in late 2019, and entered Manchester marathon for April 2020, but even if that had gone ahead not sure I would have made it to the start line as pf still lingering and I was struggling on the long runs and faster stuff. Also had a difficult few years with my daughter who has suffered from all sorts of mental health issues that seems all too common these days, poor kid. Anyway, at least I'm able to run again, for a while it was bloody painful just walking anywhere, so onwards and upwards and all that. How are things with you?
  • Since Abingdon Marathon 2017 (2:45:xx) I've not run a marathon or done anything of note due to family stuff and injuries. Knocked a bit off the 10k with a 34:20 but stlil feel all the PBs are a touch soft. Done a few triathlons each year but mainly just for the fun of it and haven't followed any training plans.

    I am looking at a 2022 Spring marathon, purely to get a GFA and then hopefully a good tilt at London in 2023. Focus atm is 2022 HM PB at Wokingham and I am just trying to build a base from <20 mpw up to around 40 mpw.
  • Great to hear form you, NE. Well done on the FoD. Is the course much different to the spring route?

    Westy - I agree with the mental pressure being bigger for London. There is so much hype around it, in the media and it is the only marathon that is on the radar of colleagues and friends. I do enjoy it, but also love a more low key race as well. Very well done with the 3:10 - especially having got caught up. You could build nicely on that for the spring, should you want to. 

    You do yourself a disservice on recent race results, Reg - you have gone great guns in some tris. Wokingham in the spring is a good call - certainly easy logistics for you! I hope to be there again too. Always a good race (as long as the bloke on the tannoy doesn’t go on too long). Manchester marathon in the spring? I am considering Shepperdine again, or maybe Stratford, or maybe no spring marathon 😱


    A paltry 20M last week, and feeling a bit shit with eating too much crap. Found some resolve today, enjoyed 10 easy miles along the canal with my mate the heron, and feeling much better for it.

    Kind of forgot that I entered the Broadway trail marathon (7th November) back in January - whoops! No aspirations other than to enjoy myself, but think it could be wise to run at least one hill in advance 😆 

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    edited October 2021
    Hopefully see you in Newport NE. I’m planning on being quicker than you but given my record of spectacular implosions you may yet overtake me in the final 5K 😂
    Sounds tough Westy. I work in a school & so many kids have mental health issues it’s appalling. The pandemic has further exacerbated an already dreadful situation. You’re more than capable of going sub 3 again next year if you’re able to build on your current fitness with some consistent training. Depends how important it is to you now & whether a future you will regret not having tried again. It won’t get easier with advancing years.
    Trail marathons are great fun SQ. An easy week or 3 is thoroughly recommended post-marathon . . . apparently 😜
    Double track day’s are back: 3x 3’/2’/1’ all off 1’ at lunch followed by tonight’s club session: 2x1M off 2’/2x0.5M off 1’/4x0.25M off 50” (was meant to be 30” but that wasn’t enough IMO)
    Easy day tomorrow 😀
  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Nice work Westy. Good job on toughing it out and getting the GFA time.

    I noticed that the GFA window for the 2023 London marathon ends on 7 August, so the 2022 race falls outside the window. I'll have to run a spring marathon if I want to run London again in 2023. I can't see me getting back down to champs qualifying times for a HM.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited October 2021
    SQ - 10m is good going.

    HA - agreed, vlm are making a 1 yr gfa qualifying period now, i dont mind that.

    5m yday, 8m today. Body is groaning to get going again, quads are still achey, need to get back on the OP stretches and exercises too as thats been flared up as per usual.
  • Well done Westy - I can relate to the ham/glute issues, alas.

    I've not run since my Dartford Heath parkrun two weekends ago - the core/back injury I got in the gym has subsided but the hammy tendon/hip area has been really unhappy. I saw my physio a week ago and he said it was probable something had gone into spasm as a result of the lifting injury (or trying to run with it). He did some stuff and made me feel a bit better, and suggested I might want to try a run/walk. However, I wasn't quite so confident. I decided to power walk Clapham Common parkrun on the Saturday, which I did (sub-45 minutes, which is a decent clip for a walk) but I definitely felt a whole lot worse after it. 
    I kept up with walks and elliptical in the gym and gradually felt a bit less sore this week so I tried a tentative 2 mile test run today (I would have left it longer under other circumstances but as I'm supposed to be doing a race on Sunday, I thought I'd see if it might still be possible). 
    There is still discomfort there but I managed to run and was able to walk normally when I stopped (no limping) so, if it doesn't start hurting later today, I will try another little run tomorrow and decide then.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Cal - hows things now?

    8m friday, 15m yday but the body is creaking a bit. Turbo intervals today.
  • Sorry you are having a rough time of it, Cal. 


    I note the date the GFA for 2023 closes, HA. Do you know when it opened? Wondering whether my time a fortnight ago will be valid for one or two Londons. Might give next autumn a miss. 


    Relatively last minute decision - Friday evening - to enter Cleevewold with an EOD. On my doorstep (well, a ten minute drive), and perfect prep for Broadway marathon. 


    Have done this maybe four or five times before - a very tough 14M with over 2000ft elevation and tough trails, styles, gates, nettles, through bushes and more. 


    It really is such a brilliant, brutal race. And this was with one hill missing!


    In fifth at the top of the first climb, and absolutely loved seeing the family at the golf club, before slowly worked my way into second. Then top three got lost in a field. A few shouts, scramble over a double barbed wire fence, and then back into fifth. Worked my way back into second/third but probably burnt a few too many matches in the process. 


    Climbs were brutal and relentless. With some interesting nettles and bushes to clamber through! Legs destroyed by 9M and had to let a club mate pull away. Still, delighted to come third. 


    Five local beers (finishing, third and team prize). For me, the perfect race: views, trails, friendly and fun 😃. Legs destroyed now, and covered in cuts and scratches. I really appreciated the change in paces and views - reminded me how amazing trail racing is. 


    Enjoyed a comedy one mile walk/trot back to the car with a cardboard box full on the beers. 


    Honestly, significantly more tired than after London marathon. 


    50M for the week and a definite recovery day tomorrow. 


    Oh - and a random observation. Did parkrun with the buggy yesterday. 95% grass with a few hills. A very surprising number of runners in full on Next% or Alphafly. Very strange. 

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SQ - nice one, good going 2 wks after vlm, i like the beers prize too.........i was on the coastal path near Itchenor with the spo and doggie and saw a guy jogging along the trail in a pair of Next%.......this years vlm time will get you into next yrs race, you need to qualify again by August for 2023.

    12m home tonight, only rained for the first 9m of it.
  • Going back a bit…..

    Westy – that looks like a decent result given you’ve been out the game a few years and dealing with real life stuff.


    Cal – sorry to read you are still struggling, you’ve not had much luck this year, fingers crossed the physio can work some magic.

     

    SQ – that sounds like a great race and great fun, apart from the destroyed legs bit.  I only did 4m on Cleeve Hill the other week and my legs weren’t happy for 3 or 4 days after.

    TR – you’re a glass half full guy – only rained for 9 of the 12m🤣

    Good luck with the taper week NE and Jools.


    Still recovering in a creaky fashion here.  I turned up for Parkrun for the first time since LD1 and a fairly modest time was enough to secure token no 1 – local XC must have kept the speedsters away.  I’ve written a brief Sparta report for work so will try to add a bit more meat on the bones, its on its way.


  • Cheers Macca. Looking forward to the epic report 😉 
    Token No.1 is never to be sniffed at.
     I had a lacklustre parkrun Saturday which got me🥉Should’ve managed 2nd easily however my legs refused to oblige. 😒
    As a result I wasn’t looking forward to that afternoon’s XC however I had a cracking race. Eased in over the 1st K before speeding up & moving steadily through the field. Only overtaken on the sprint in the final 300m - even though I’d managed a Strava PR 😆
    Did a steady 8M Sunday with a fast finish.
    Just easy 4 milers along the canal today & yesterday
  • Had a daily diet of 4 milers all week including parkrun this morning.
    'Spring' marathon tomorrow: Newport & it looks to be set wet'n'windy.
    Green #1244 if anyone fancies tracking https://newportwalesmarathon.co.uk/results/
  • Good luck Jools & NE - hope the weather is better than forecast.  I saw the traditional parkrun on Strava, pleased not to see any Xc or fell racing to go with it 😉

    I couldnt get up in time for PR this morning so did a virtual 5k instead. Volume is decent , 70mpw but speed is lacking, as I write that I wonder if the two are connected, ah well, onwards and onwards.

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Go well jools, i note macca saying you've been restrained today.

    Macca - probably a bit soon for any speed after your spartathlon and vlm double?

    59m for the week here (sunday was turbo only), 16m today. Body is still groaning, but it feels like the usual post mara groans as i get going again. Gosport 1/2 in 4 wks is my next fixture.
  • Well even going out more conservatively failed to prevent a crash at 20M :s Halfway in 1:37:28, 2nd half in 1:47:35 so a disappointing fade. 
    Looking back at my training it was inevitable though. Only double digit runs in the last 8 weeks were 3x10M in September & 2x20M in October. Did a 10M, 20K & an 18M last fortnight of August too but that’s not a proper marathon training program 🤣
  • Sorry the 2nd half was a bit disappointing Jools but that’s an honest assessment, agreed, there’s no substitute for regular double digit runs, weekend and mid week.  I recall some cracking hilly runs from you over the summer so hang on to those.

    TR - agreed. a bit too soon to be worrying about pace although I’ve half an eye on a couple of 5m races late Nov/Dec (probably my softest PB).

    Managed a 17m LR yesterday, longest training run for months, felt more like a 22+ but good to get in the bag.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited October 2021
    Quiet on here.

    Bit of an under powered and light headed trudge of 16m today brought up 6 runs for 64m this week plus 2 x turbo sessions.
  • Quiet on here indeed, TR. Slightly inevitable, I guess, but always keen to hear running tales!

    Jools – I thought you ultra exploits of the summer would have you in good shape for Newport, but perhaps it was just a little too long ago. How are you feeling now?

    A solid week of running with just shy of 60M, including a first non-buggy parkrun since its return. The course has got harder and the conditions atrocious – lots of standing water, mud, slipperiness etc. Excuses!

    Really enjoyed a hit out including a few tussles with local runners I know well. Pleased to find an extra gear in the final uphill to the finish to beat my neighbour – neighbourhood bragging rights are critical!

    19:48. So whilst I am lacking in top end speed, it gives a good indication of how much harder the course is, but especially the conditions.

    11M buggy run on Sunday and a return to work today. Desperately need a healthy week – too much food and drink in the last fortnight has left me feeling distinctly sluggish. Especially need this in advance of my forgotten trail marathon at the weekend. Currently scrounging round the house for various bits of medical kit runners are obliged to carry.


  • Felt like crap all week SQ - Thanks for asking.
    Not Covid but feels similar: wiped out, headachey, spaced out & now a cough too. Not the greatest holiday & a rubbish start to the term.
    My long distance stuff was at a much lower intensity & was indeed quite some time ago though I did think I'd be able to hold on better this time. I was probably already ill as I'd had a few headaches in the week prior. I came down with the lurgy the following day.
    Cheltenham parkrun must've got a whole lot tougher if you only just managed to go under 20! Best of luck with the trail marathon at the weekend.
    Think this thread is suffering from still being the Spring '21 marathon thread TR. You're back into marathon training already it seems.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Sounds tough SQ, good job you didnt have the buggy

    Jools - sounds like you were underpowered at Newport then, its unlije you for somerhing to se you back, hopefully you'll be back to it better soon.......im hovering a bit below marathon training for a while, long run of 16ish and mlr of 10 to 12.

    Good point re the thread........
  • Sounded a pretty good time Westy, even if not perfectly executed.

    A podium finish for you SQ... in quite an eventful tough race... and a Park run win for Macca... showing that you're good at a pretty wide range of distances!

    Jools...  I had half an eye out for you at Newport. But I'd amended my target time to 4:15, so started near the back... and you'd have been long gone before I got back!

    My training was ridiculous. In the 12 weeks up to race week, I ran a grand total of 123 miles! And 61 of those were packed into a two-week spell in part-way through. And that's about typical of my whole year. So I decided to just use it as a training run.... BUT.... of course the competitive juices flowed and before I knew it, I was thinking 9:09 pace to give myself a chance of sub-4.

    In short, I was reasonably comfortable at that pace... but never felt I had much in hand.  I was consistent, and according to my watch, I was still on pace at the 19 miles... but the reality was that my gps was lying to me a bit... and I was just about to run out of gas!  From there to mile near 25 I was averaging about 11min miles and metaphorically limping home having resigned myself to missing 4:15... when a woman I'd run with earlier passed me and just told me to get going.  It took me half a minute to flick the switch - but I did... and I gave chase to her... passed her... and finished strongly for 4:13:xx.  That was an average pace of 9:35.. which was 2 minutes per mile slower than last time I ran that course in 2019.

    Anyway... Maybe it will be Manchester in the spring... and, frighteningly, that's 18 weeks on Sunday. So time to dust off the old P&D book!
  • Good luck with getting some more consistent training in NE.
    Wasn't a day for hanging about at Newport.
    Probably time for a Spring '22 thread if it's only 18 weeks to Manchester.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    You're n the wrong place NE, there is a spring thread...........its right on to Brighton (breezy) for me.
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