Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Sub 3:15 - FLM 2009
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Jools - I'm happy enough with the result given the build-up, but it shows how far things can slip if you're just ticking over. I'd have been chuffed to bits with 1:29 2 years ago, but like you say standards shift (even as you close in on V50 status!).
Lorenzo - Nice 15 only a week after your ultra duathlon.
Poacher - Must be quite an experience staying in SA. Not really somewhere I'd choose to go, as you said yourself. Must be hard living there when you know the cops are as bent as the crims and gangs.
AfE - Enjoyed the Viz reference. A really good time for someone who's not run that much recently. A good base fitness to bang that out with such slow people hampering you early on too. Did you really give Ms McAndrew a kicking a few years ago? She healed well.
BarryB - Bad luck on Friday. Have I misread it or were you intending to run 20 at 7:20? You're going very well and shouldn't let whatever it was dampen your determination or change your target.
FW - Sensible decision from you. You're in better marathon shape than ever so pig-headedness wouldn't have got you anywhere. Glad it feels fine now. We'll have to sort out a 'hello' at the start of LN before you bugger off into the distance.
Yes TAR, steady, no Scooby, not gentle! Friday's was a solid confidence builder. I was running with (probably too) high cadence as advised by Moraghan, as I hope this might solve some knee problems and give me better form. I don't know what the session would have felt like without cartoon legs. There's still absolutely no chance of sub3:15 but I'm hoping to get to about 17ish before I really struggle to hold that pace to hopefully come in around 3:30 but I've not attempted a 20miler yet.
According to the runnning shop I've managed to ditch my very pronounced heel-strike to be a mid-footer now, which I think has helped me record 45 miles last week. Feeling fitter than ever.
Proud Scoobs! We'll let you get away with that as you've been through so much poo and crying you're allowed to show off!
Nice one Andy. Did you stop for the beer?
Scoobs great pic, my youngest started school 2 weeks ago, and the oldest is in the last year of juniors!! so she'll be in secondary school next year
!! Then the teenage sh*t will start hitting the fan.
Jools is that the nephew you beat in the headstand contest?
. All set, or are you still planning on cutting it short, 10k/HM?
But would Tony A run around Jo'burg dressed as a banana, then he'll truly be able to join the nutters on here.
Lorenzo, I like the Toptip on the "Rand Athletic Club" website.
"Run slowly, run daily, drink moderately and don't eat like a pig."
- Ernest van Aaken, Doctor
Run slowly 'check', run daily 'uncheck - dicky knee,' drink moderately 'uncheck - where's the sport in that', don't eat like a pig 'uncheck - Pah!'
1 out of 4 aint bad is it?
Just checked (in a mildly obsessive fashion) how many people were in "pen B" at GNR which was the first one behind the elites, s'lebs, speedy club runners and the "ever-presents" - just over 4,000! With times from 69mins to 4hrs+ - although the majority were in under 2:30 there were still a LOT of people running well over 2hrs from the front pen of the main start. I was 280th in my pen, I think. So it still seems like lots of people are putting unrealistic times on their entry forms.
B&B - Nell Mc runs quite a few races round Yorkshire - I think she's a member of a club here, and certainly seems to do Dewsbury and the Abbey Dash most years. Think I ran just over 39mins that year and she was about 42 mins - I imagine she's been training to get her own back ever since...
I can't understand people's logic / overoptimism when they put themselves in the front pen like that. Makes you wonder what advice they've been given.
Any chance of getting Nell to start posting on here?!
15 miles on the bike this morning before U14s rugby training - a quick reccie of the Ballbuster course on 2 wheels (I ran it yesterday, but it's amazing how different a course can be when you're cycling it)
Hi all, just checking in from a cybercafé as I've changed computers and won't be online til mañana.
Speedy - Nice run there, esp. as it was warm.
Andy - I reckon you pulled a good run out of the bag there - this game is verry honest and there's no hiding place in a race when you just haven't put the requisite miles in. Which leads me nicely onto...
Subida al Naranco 2010
I was more than a bit terrified of this, as I haven't done any runs longer than 7m for - oooh, ages, and while I've got things together a bit recently, I've been running mainly on the flat, and even that's been a bit of a struggle.
So, to enter an 8m race where you go up 350m in the last 4.5kms wasa tad bold, I'll admit. Still, the day dawned with bright sunshine, so I reckoned any pics would come out nicely, at least.
Shall I get on with it? All right: feeling quite perky as the gun went and 482 runners (and me) set off. The first couple of kilometres are fast and mainly downhill so I passed the second km in 7:45, with my HR already up to 165bpm. I knew my fan club (two, one of whom was there for the coffeee afterwards) would be hereabouts so I tried to stride gazelle-like and look nonchalant even though I was starting to feel it, and cursing my lack of preparation. Still, on I went and as we turned and started heading up I got into a steady stride, chugging out 8:45mms and reminding myself that my goal was just to finish.
All the time in this race you can't help being daunting by the mountain you've got to go up being horribly visible, and you have to stop yourself thinking "Bleedin' Nora, all that way still to go?". My lungs felt good and legs were carrying me reasonably well, but it was hot (26ºC) and getting hotter, and my head was giving me the most grief. I began to slip down to 9:30mm as it got progressivly streeper and I remembered once again how easily I'd forgotten how tough tis race is. At least my HR stayed constant at 165bpm. I had had visions of heart attacks, seriously.
Anyway, I passed the 7km marker and began to feel more like a runner. I was overtaking people and knew the climb was nearly over, giving way to the last 200m on the flat. Looking at my watch I knew I was miles off anything like my PB, but also well inside my PW, which I thought was in danger before I started...so, A quickish sprint for the line and there it was - 42:38, whereas in other years I'd done 40:40, 44:05
, 40:17 and 37:15 (last year). This placed me 212/475.
I am happy with this, as I thought I'd never been in such a poor state of fitness, but obviously the old magic is still there, I just have to rub the lamp a bit harder to get the genie out.
The t-shirt is white (boo) and the trophy defies description (photo tomorrow, hopefully).
This is a great race, brilliantly organised and in beautiful scenery. I totally recommend it to anyone who fancies a weekend break and a nifty race.
Sorry for such a ramble.
Deleted for bizarre double-post
Andy - to knock out a sub 90 on limited training is a fair effort. No doubt Nell is prancing around her living room in her (very tight, cropped) "I beat Andy from Embsay" T-shirt at this very moment.
Ant - likewise. It will come back soon enough.
Some good longer runs from FW (sharpish as ever), B&B (another quick one), Barry, Lorenzo et al.
Sounds like my run was similar to Barry's. I went out this afternoon (unusual for me) and set off quickly - around 7:25 pace for the first 5m or so. Decided I would try to keep it up but after halfway I slowed. Probably averaged around 8m/m for the second 10m. So 20m in 2:35 was a decent workout but was a regressive rather than progressive run. Maybe it was last weeks duathlon stil in the legs or more likely not enough (hard) miles in the legs. it was a legs issue - HR was fine.
All things considered, Andy and Ant did a great job this weekend, I think. Well done, guys.
BOTF - hang in there, I'm sure you'll soon be flying again.
Another 2 x 5mins for me this morning. It is so tempting to see what the ol' legs can do, but after waiting the best part of 5 months for the comeback, I can't afford to take any risks and jeopardise the whole thing. In any case, I've got Wednesday to look forward to. A massive 50% increase to 3 x 5mins
This seems to be the case with most big races and the problem is organisers rely on runners honesty. The case is not many people are. Too many people for my liking. Great effort Andy and getting another sub 90 minute 'arf is another notch on the bedpost. I don't think running a sub 90 is classed as an easy run and it will feel though.
After a bout of on/off lurgi, last weeks' running was my best for a long while.
5 x 2000m reps @ 6.12mm pace Tuesday, 4.5 miles @ 6.28 pace Thursday, 10 miles @ 6.48 pace Friday and 15 miles @ 7.45 pace last night. A rest tonight I think and then see what I can do this week.
In relation to predicted race times, I just think most fun/non runners have no idea of how much training is required to get to a certain time. "If the best do it in an hour, I will be about 90 mins"
I believe 90% of fit people would predict a sub 3hour marathon, based purely on ignorance.
Edit: By fit, I work with a lot of younger people who go the gym and play sports at least 5 times a week. None of these could run a 90min half in my opinion, but I am sure most believe they could.
Crikey KR, there are some seriously quick miles mixed up in that lot. I think it's fair to say you're in good health again!
BOTF - 12.5miles after 10 days of lurgy? Not surprised it hurt! At least you're back out, huh?
Gul - So 3 x 5mins, what's that, 5k?
I'm guessing your legs actually feel ok overall if you've wanted to step it up quicker than advised?
GE - Ha! 20 miles the week after an ultra and you're disappointed at slowing a bit...get out 'o here!
AfE - You obviously really did rile Ms McAndrew as she whooped her 10k time against you on her way to a really nifty 1:26:30, assuming there aren't 2 Nell McAndrews.
Ant - Not sure how but you've made that race sound wonderful and horrible at the same time! Congratulations on getting through it. I look forward to the interesting photo...
Come on Joolska, we're waiting for your final decision, if it's been made yet...
On the subject of runners starting in the wrong position; I began my 1st race, the Liverpool half, with the 8mm RW pacer and thought overtaking the hundreds of slower people in front of me was just part of the game. I was following a big lad and about 400 metres in, as I looked away, he dodged to one side to reveal a short woman who was almost walking. Unfortunately, I bundled into her and nearly knocked her over.
Great results there Andy and OO - especially in view of the prep.
As for BOTF/Ant (and GE)- 'the force' will come back eventually, just stick at it....
Nice reps from KR too
Oddly, it was Tony/Bob who first encouraged me to go fancy dress
. Even more oddly, sis & I bumped into him at the VLM finish line in April - me in drag, he in a nappy with a dummy - sis was a little perturbed. He's a decent ultrarunner too.
Blisters and beer wrote (see)
Thanks, 110 cops killed so far this year I'm told. Dangerous roads too, someone managed to kill 28 people in just one minibus at the w/e by overtaking in the wrong place. A country with so much potential though.
Scooby - aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh - nice pic.
Have a good autumn training campaign everyone - it's too darn hot here.
OO - you and I were fairly close together at 10k then - I was 42 to 10k but then did a 43 for the second then no meaningful acceleration in that last 3/4 mile for my 1:29 - probably got passed by more people on the seafront than I did in the whole of the rest of the race. I'm trying to find out how you get in the "faster club runners" pen as I have a 1:20 half to my name this year and several sub-85's - I'd have thought that'd qualify you to not get in the way. A tip seems to be to start on the right of the motorway as you're behind the fast club runners there and not the s'lebs and assorted biffers on the left.
Took my stiff achilles out for a steady 4m at about 8:15 pace (started slower, finished quicker) tonight which seems to have done them the power of good. I have my "marathon training" head on now - objective is to get used to running 4 times a week and up to 18m by xmas, ready to start the proper work afterwards. Going to try my first run along the quayside in Newcastle on Wednesday as I'm going to be up there most weeks now - any tips for which way to go (staying near the Tyne Bridge)? Upstream or downstream? How far along before it gets horrid?
Andy - It's not great running in the middle of Newc but you can get in a few miles from the Quayside by going upstream past Scottswood, or downstream towards Wallsend. Up seems more straightforward than down. OK for a few prosaic lunchtime miles but nothing special. If you can get up past St James Park or onto the Town Moor it's better. No doubt CC2 or others have more local knowledge though
Good GNR from OO, too - I think that that start would drive me mad. Totally agree with Scooby about fit non-runners expectations - the comment I always get is "What time are you hoping for?" (Me): " 2:58". "What's the world record...?"
Anyway, still without internet at home so, a quick stop here to send, nay - regale you all with a pic of yesterday's race. It's taken just as you get to the flattish bit at the top. Guess which one I am?
I think non runners have ABSOLUTELY no idea ( and let's face it why should they!) of what it takes to do a certain time for a given race. I'm certain I didn't have a clue what a sub3 or whatever really meant before I started trying to do it properly. I can see Muggles' faces glaze over if I even start to talk about times etc so generally I don't bother. The line over which you can step into running bore territory is a fine one indeed
I suppose if you asked me now what commitment it's take to excel at show jumping, macrame, tiddlywinks or any number of perfectly worthy pursuits I'd have no idea - each to their own eh
No 233 was the reason Ant ran so fast - it looks like a tow rope between them!
The reason you get held up by walkers even at the front of the GNR is that the celebs, people who work for Powerade, Nova and Great Run and folks associated with the official charites, oh, and the ever presents, all run from the front pen. I was in that pen as one of the Super Six. There were folks dressed as chickens and massive hearts lining up in front of me and I had to shove past that Gethin fella off the tele in the pen when I heard him say he was going for 8 min miling!
Ant I'd run fast if I had that lady to chase! Andy may be right about the right hand lane but everybody had the same idea as it was much busier. I started right but switched lanes about 3 times to get a clearer run or avoid a bend. I usually fade on the John Reid road but this year as I was under par had something left in the tank- probably gained 50+ places in the last 2 miles.
You can't call his todger a tow rope!
Ant, the Union Flag shorts look almost as tight as her running knickers
. (It's only a Union Jack when hanging from a boat apparently - And I only know that because I heard it on a 'QI' repeat on Dave last night).
And as for Queen and country, you didn't let the tubby bloke (No. 191) beat you, did you?
OO, excellent time considering under-prep'd and only getting in last week.
& finishing strong too..... obviously a degree of fitness stored up or in tune to a competitive race situation.