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Overdone it?
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I did a 19.43 parkrun Saturday, not the usual course, in the heat and comfortably finished 5th and first v50. Had maybe 45 seconds to gain on a flatter course and in cooler conditions. Overall though I had to cut my mileage back last week with heat and work reducing my availability of running slots. Did loads of walking though.
Sorry to hear that the foot started playing up a bit Skinny, fingers crossed it dissipates.
7 weeks to go - time to get back on it.
23 miles for me last week. All a bit tiring. Nothing interesting in terms of paces.
I came back from Portugal Wednesday evening. Managed to run 6 mornings of a possible 7 ranging from 4m to 10m easy. Managed just under 40m last week. This week I did 10 Thursday and 6 last 2 days. Big mixed pace long tomorrow will give me about 54m for week.
DT - good effort on the big mixed pace run on Sunday, sounds like a mammoth effort! Are you feeling confident for a PB at Berlin?
39 miles for me last week including a 19.40 parkrun. Just trying to keep ticking over with some decent consistency.
t becomes harder to say as the time gets quicker. Can i imagine running 26m at 6.15mm right now....probably not. I've a couple of key mara pace type tempos pending, the latter of which next Friday will be done in full race kit including brand new alpha 2. That'll give me a good idea.
This time last year pre London I was for sure. Equally, I know I ran 2.50 at MK on a difficult twisty course in May and lost at least 2 mins being sent the wrong way, not to mention the change in desire it caused at that late stage to dig deep and chase a pb. I feel I'm in better shape now and better prepared.
6m recovery Monday then 12m and spin yesterday. Taking a day off today and skipping my 12 x 1k session. Since holiday my calf muscles have been a mess. Too much walking in flip flops with continued running and zero stretching. I've woken up with them cramping twice last week. On yesterday's run I felt the left one twinge more than I'd like, then in spin it didn't feel right.
Have battered them now with massage gun and stretched a lot. Initially they felt worse but have eased off a lot as day has passed. I'm just going to leave them alone today now in hope they settle down with a rest day.
It's that difficult time where any sort of injury would unlikely heal in time to race so priority is making start line.
I can imagine that predicting marathon shape is a pretty tough thing to do. Sounds like you are definitely in the mix for a PB effort if everything comes together. Hopefully the calf issue doesn't come to anything.
Biggest ever week this week with 74m and 2 spin. 20m first thing this morning and big sessions Friday and Wednesday.
Session again Tuesday and 12m mlr Wednesday then tapering starts.
I've had a strange 3 weeks
Week 1 45 miles total including about 6500 feet of ascent and a 15 mile long run on the roads in 2 hours without feeling too tired.
Week 2 Got Covid on Monday and was flat out in bed for 5 days - ran 5.5 miles on the next Sunday but didn't feel well at all.
Week 3 Still feel under the weather but with so little time left need to force some runs out so did
0, 11.5 3800 feet of ascent in fells 2:30, 4.2 (felt terrible after this - random sweating for 15 mins about an hour afterwards), 0, 0, 25 miles in fells 7800 feet ascent 7 hours 10 mins, 6.3.
47 miles total. I'm pretty certain based on my Saturday run that I've bitten off more than I can chew with this 50 mile race with 13,000 feet of ascent but with 4 weeks to go there's not much time left to train and so I may as well bash on and see what happens.
Skinny, you're in balls deep with it now, so as you say, crack on and see what happens.
Submitted my entry yesterday for Boston next April.
Had a weigh in this morning on the bodytrax at David lloyd, was 66.2kg which translates to 10,5 so at a good weight now for Berlin. 12x 1k over lunch but at half effort as opposed 10k. I'll probably just end up running hard ish.
Managed 6 and 8 last 2 days so I'm sure it's just a trapped/irritated nerve - got one more long run in Lakes this Saturday and then just 2 weeks of taper and stretching so hopefully it survives.
I'm way down on my targetted total mileage and high weekly mileage but have got over 200 miles in my longest 10 runs with lots of ascent and obviously with my foot as it is suggests that I've done all the training my body could handle.
I've done very little this week after a 74 and 61m week, though this'll still be a nearly 50m week by time I run Sunday.
Had 2 massages this week and some easy runs plus a 4 x 1m at mp run. Feeling lean and trim, weighed in 65kg and clothes that normally fit well are hanging off me. Weather forecast looks bang on, certainly world record weather for kipchoge.
Just having a glass of wine before bed then setting off in the morning.
Skinny hopefully the foot holds up for you.
Full report to come.
Mr v, I guess it is, though no longer being a champs time takes the edge off the seriousness.
Can't believe I have to do it all again in 5 days!
The Berlin marathon has been something I had been trying to run since 2017, missing out 3 times in the ballot, then having a charity place in 2020 to be cancelled for covid of course, then eventually with the passage of time to age 45, a GFA place.
The training went well and I no doubt benefitted from two spring marathons. It became apparent that we were going to luck in with the weather, which was the biggest concern and when you have the world record holder publicly saying he was hoping for a pb then you know it’s fast.
My journey to Berlin was rather stressful having opted for the connecting flight out of Frankfurt. I was delayed over an hour leaving Brum and landed in Frankfurt with 45 mins to spare. Ended up sprinting across the terminal to make it. I eventually made my hotel at 8.30 and had a dinner reservation for 9.30, so quick shower and out. Decided to take the edge off with a pilsner over dinner then back for an early night.
Saturday was spent at the expo and a casual wander around the finish area, just getting an idea of the last 1k, then an afternoon in bed. Saturday night was the usual anxious and disturbed sleep then down for an early breakfast.
My stand out observation for Berlin over London was the truly international feel of things. Huge groups of Americans in particular all in Boston jackets, but also Mexicans and Argentinians etc. And they were all obsessed with the souvenir kit, in particular the race jacket.
I followed the crowd from the tube to the start and it was a pretty long walk around the park. The weather was perfect. So still, overcast with the odd break and cool. I made my way to the start line and sat on the periphery as I was an hour before the start. About 25 mins before, I applied my foot cream, chafing cream etc then needed the toilet. Following the comment by Ouch ouch I had toilet roll and wet wipes so just went into the woods. It was somewhat bizarre with people kneeling down everywhere, without shame doing their business. In fact I shared my wet wipes with a guy trying to use a leaf!
I then walk the 25 metres back to the start line and it’s about 9am and it’s suddenly carnage, queueing to access the pen. I eventually get in, in the middle section and can’t move. There’s no prospect of me making it further forward. Pen B was for 2.42-2.59 runners, so guess what happened, the sub 3 pacers joined the pen right at the very front! Surely they needed to be at the back or the front of pen c, where the aspiring sub 3 runners who needed them would be.
9.15 and we were off, taking about 1.40 to cross the line. Initially there was reasonable space then after 1k there was a big roundabout and the left and right starts merged and there were now 4 sub 3 pacers in front of me!! I struggled with the early pace, it just would not come comfortably despite running down a long straight road. However I’d done my research and I have never run an opening mile in a marathon faster than 6.34mm. Not being my first rodeo, I had prepared myself to be patient and let it come as the same thing happens every marathon and trying to force the pace or let doubt creep in are not the way forwards.
Mile 1 popped up in 6.31mm so not too bad, but of course I am chasing a bigger number than previously. The first 4m were spent dodging people, eventually passing a the sub 3 pacers in mile 5. To my surprise mile 2 popped up at 6.20, then 6.21 and 6.20 so average pace was coming down. The course just kept going with long flat straight roads and not knowing Berlin I cannot provide any touristy analysis of where I was, it was just roads.
There was then a marked difference in my space from mile 5 onwards and I was able to spend huge periods of the race on the blue line, albeit I was still eating up runners and I just longed to get to a point where there were runners at my pace. The water stations were chaotic, largely because water was given in cups so there was a degree of throwing it at your face and hoping some went in. At mile 7 I hadn’t realised that at the end of the station they were giving out maurtens drink. I didn’t need a drink at this point so grabbed a large cup and tipped it over my head with somewhat regrettable consequences! It could have been worse, I could have grabbed a cup of tea which was also routinely available!
I had discussed with Lewis pre race about 5k splits and he said as long as I am 19.30-19.59 I am in the zone. First 5k split in 20.10 therefore was annoying, however I knew I could make it up.
There was a change in pace from mile 5 due to the new found space with 6.14, 6.13, 6.10 (slight panic now I’m performing a schoolboy error), 6.20 (just in case!) going though 10k in 39.58, pulling me back in to the right zone.
My head was now focused on the halfway split, which we discussed as being around 83.30. A 6.16, 6.16, 6.10, 6.11 and 6.09 got me through in 83.40. OK, so to get anything out of the day I need a big 2nd half. I’m chasing 3 times all in a very narrow margin (sub 2.45, 2.46.07 (club v45 record) and 2.47.08 (pb)) and I am on for none right now!
I was however in cruise mode now, comfortable at 6.10 pace. The roads kept coming, long straight and flat and I was beginning to find myself with others at a similar pace. I was just working to 5k points now and counting down the 1k markers (which I quite liked as they kept appearing and being ticked off every few minutes). In a sense of vanity I knew people would be watching the tracker and what they’d see was my 5k times so I was determined to keep that data solid.
I kept rolling on and feeling at a consistent level of effort posting a 6.13, 6.12, 6.08 and a 6.07. I had a wobble at mile 18, things suddenly felt quite laboured and I was feeling drained. I had missed the previous water station as people were in the way and luckily another at this time popped up so I made sure I grabbed a cup at the start of the station and another at the end and that I got plenty down me. This made an immediate impact and despite this I was enthused when mile 18 popped up at 6.07.
At this point, almost like someone was trying to help me out, we turned a corner and the course took a quite apparent downhill. Not a big hill but a long straight continuing decline and it was just what I needed. Lets just sit at 6.10 here and take the less effort….nope 5.58 for mile 19. Please don’t get greedy and cock this up, there’s still 10k to go! However once you get in that rhythm it’s hard to stop.
The course seemed to continue interspersing flat long roads with some long gentle downhills and I was lapping it up now. Through 20m in 6.08 and that was my queue to let go. The crowd support was picking up and the field had thinned significantly so I had a clear blue line run. The next few miles just flew by with a 5.58, 5.58 and a 5.55. By this point my average pace was faster than my overall average pace for London and I was going through the km markers with my gps much closer to actual distance.
This was now just about managing out the last few miles, I didn’t even need to run faster than 6.20 to get my goal. The last few miles has you back into the central area and at this point the sun came out. It was hurting now and my left hamstring was tightening, nothing of concern but my rhythm was harder to maintain. It was 1 mile at a time just trying to stay under average pace and getting to the 40k marker in tact.
A 6.03 and a 6.02 for miles 24 and 25 took me through 40k and I was only measuring 400m over on my watch, in contrast to the 26.90m in London. I was trying to do some maths but it was futile at this stage, I just had to keep pedalling as we zigzagged around the centre hoping each time we turned a corner it would be the road with the Brandenburg gate. We pass 41k and we still haven’t made the left turn. Having walked the road the day before, through the gate to the finish I begin to panic as it seems I’ve more do than I thought.
Finally we make the left, I feel like I am just shuffling now, mile 26 comes in at 6.12, I’m relatively pleased as it’s not as slow as it feels. The gate is like a mirage on the horizon, it just doesn’t seem to get closer. Suddenly we are under it and I know it’s a gentle downhill for the last few hundred metres so I just keep moving, waiting to release the sprint finish that I normally make after that final right on the Mall. I can see the clock ticking through 2.45.xx, I know I have chip time on my side but don’t look at my watch as I can do anything about it yet, eventually I judge that I am close enough to go, look at my watch and see it on 2.43.xx and I know there’s no more than 200m and I’ve got the legs to sprint (relatively) so the stress levels reduce considerably, I know I am soon to be a sub 2.45 guy so I relax and enjoy the run in, posting 6.06mm for the final 0.6m on my gps for 2.44.32. The 80.52 second half would be my 4th fastest half.
I was buzzing and at the same time borderline emotional about it all! I managed to get myself to the massage tables before any real queue developed and had a pretty decent 10 ish min free massage, then grabbed 2 of the alcohol free beers and sat on the grass in the sunshine.
I then headed to the u bahn and as I arrived at my stop (which was 120m from my hotel and a road I had walked several times a day since arriving inc that morning) I was somewhat surprised to see the marathon running up it as the 4.15 paver went by. I asked a marshal and she told me it was pretty much the 35k point. I don’t understand how I never noticed it in the race!
I went back to my room and had a shower, stretch and a massage ( I took my massage gun) and my recovery drinks all with one eye on Chester this weekend then headed out for beers. By the station was a currywurst stand that I had promised myself one of them as soon post mara as I could, so I stood there in the sunshine with a wurst, a beer in my finishers t shirt and medal watching the race go by. Then headed back towards the gate and met a mate and we sat in a café just down from the gate watching the race end, including the sweeper buses slowly edging closer to a group as the final 1k went on.
I haven’t felt I’ve been able to train quite bang on this year, starting with the hamstring tear in January. With foreign holidays in February, June and August, plus recovering from Milton Keynes, plus an illness in March and covid mid-May, I’ve felt like I have been back pedalling all year. I go away for half-term in 4 weeks then after that my next holiday is when I travel to Boston to run a marathon so feel (injury and illness permitting) this could be a really promising 5-6 month block.
That said I had 4 targets this year being a parkrun win, 80% wava, England masters vest and a sub 2.45 mara and all have been met so I can’t complain.
Great time, great report and all your targets hit for the year - excellent!
Are you doing Chester this weekend too? If so good luck with that.
Cheers, Skinny
Yes will be at Chester. Will set off circa 7mm and see how I feel after a few miles. I dont intend pushing too hard but it'd be nice to be sub 3.
I thought if I can do that I'll just pedal on. Half way in 84.10 with a 41.12 and 38.57 first 10k splits.
Then got really going with a 38.19 to 30k. Legs started protesting at around mile 20 during a never ending out and back and miles 25 and 26, with a few nasty climbs that floored me cost me a good 40-50s. The final 10k split was 39.11 and finished in 2.46.24 with 82.14 second half.
Would have been a pb but for Berlin last weekend. I suspect runbritain will actually rank this as a better performance. I certainly feel more tired than I did last Sunday.
Probably an even more impressive performance given the fatigue you must still have been feeling.
Enjoyed the race report as well - quite a week you've had!
Also still can't shake off this fluey head and stiff hip I've been left with post covid. So end of last week I amended all my target split times from a 13 hour goal to a 14 hour goal to be sensible.
Then I've seen that the route is going to get about 100mm of rain midweek and it's going to be wet on the day. Some of the bits were boggy in the middle of summer so it's going to be an absolute quagmire - just as well I love cross country......
Think I'll just be happy to pass the kit list and finish!
In terms of the faff I need one bag (less than 5kg) which they will transport to the finish for me (so towel, shower stuff and dry warm clothes), then I need anything that doesn't fit in there in another bag for driving down on Friday with my friend to leave one car at the finish for driving back the next day and then I have the mandatory kit list bag to pack too plus any extras I think I might need.
Then you have to think about what you're going to eat both stuff to take yourself plus the feed station menus.
One of these definitely enough which makes it even more of a shame it's looking like a wet day.
Crikey, Skinny, I'd be nervous as well with all those factors. It is a lot to manage aside from the race. Hope it goes well!