2012 Marathon thread

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  • For the last two years I have pushed the pace in everyother long run to MP or below for the last 4 to 6 miles. Also I run up to 10 miles the day before, I also try to run 10 x 20mile runs with a few upto 23 miles. This has worked for me.

  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭
    Thanks NP. I was kinda hoping for a magic potion...were the 10 milers at a slow pace?
  • 6 miles this morning very windy very wet and cold... nice!!!!!!!!! out again tonight for another one.

    Teknik my run the day before my long runs is a very hilly run with 4 miles uphill and 4 miles downhill with 2 on the flat.

  • Teknik- if you find a magic potion for the last 6 miles can I please have some?image.  I did my first mara in Madrid in April and slowed to a crawl in the last 6 miles (admittedly it was all up the hill from then on and ridiculously hotimage).  In Amsterdam (my second one) it felt like a crawl but actually managed to keep the pace quite well considering... Not sure what I did differently.  I think it was just a combination of more training and easier course- no hills/ cooler weather.   Both times did around 7 x 20+ milers with a couple of around 23-24 miles and one 26 miler (I know, I know, not clever but I got carried away). 

    This time will definitely do more running at MP and follow a schedule for the first time. 

    5 recovery miles last night.  9 miles with 5 @ tempo tonight running home from work. 

  • NP- how long have you been running for?  How many maras?  Just wondering if there's a chance to getting to 3h in this lifetime...
  • Did my first a few years ago, done 8 now, first was done whilst going though a divorce and wanted to drop a few pounds in weight and get fitter, got to the half way stage in 1:30 but finished hitting a wall around mile 22 and finished in 3:52 I said never again. I stopped running and put back on more weight about two years later I came home from a holiday in the States and saw a photo and thought AAAHHHH Where did the fat man come from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...... So i started running again that was 26/09/2008 I did 3 miles as a run/walk and it took 30 mins and killed me. Since then I have just run more and watched what I eat, I will never go back to being that big. I am now down to 10st 11lbs and feel 1000% betterimage I was close in 2010 with 3:02:20 but got under that magic 3hrs in April this year. I'm now 50 and a grandad and think I can still go faster. I do very little interval/sprint work as these seem to cause injury but I do think tempo runs and long runs with the last few miles at marathon pace are the way to go.......Building up to doing doubles is a great way to increase your milage. I used to think 50 to 60 miles a week was a lot, now I aim for up to 90.
  • NP- very inspirational.  Well... I did my first mara this year in exactly the same time (3h52min) so who knows what I'm capable of...image.  Will perservere.

    I think it's one of the main things I like about running.  You see people improving all the time and it doesn't seem to stop until you're well... I don't know how old you have to be to start slowing down.  Some of the guys in my club are in their late 60s and still way ahead of me.

    Mental note:  lots of tempo and MP.

  • No Pain -   Incredible - Well Done!!
  • Hi Gobi you joining the fun next year...

    Second 6 mile run doneimage

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Yes NP but don't like to contribute really until 2012 so I will be on the old thread mainly until January.

    My first marathon of 2012 is on the 8th of January.
  • Wow NP thats amazing! Dont think I could ever get to your standard, you definatley have to be very determined.  Where "up north" are you from?

    My foot is still sore, the last time I had gait done was when I first started so about two years ago now! Maybe thats what I should do.  Also though I have to wear steel toe capped shoes for work - and I think these could be contributing to the problem.   Core conditioning was fantastic really enjoyed it.  Its ran by a young lass who obviously knows a thing or two but is great at supporting weaker members (thats me!!)

  • No marathons for me until 25th Feb. I'm trying to be sensible and train properly for a spring marathon so only 1 warm up marathon. Bit boring really. There's a few good ones over christmas / new year I would like to do.
  • What was it with the wind last night...image.  My tempo turned into 'let's try to move forward rather than backwards' pace and get home somehow...
  • Ok

    Got our park 10k on Sunday ( Tatton, Cheshire) then can start to think in detail about the marathon; missed doing long ( for me) runs the last couple of weeks.

    Have a goodweekend you lot

    Rob K

  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭

    First long run this morning since Berlin. 4 miles down to meet my running club, 6 miles in the woods, and then 4 miles back uphill to home. Campaign starts today! 

  • Hi

    Just popped in for a nose - hope you don't mind!image

    Happy running this wkend and hope the weather's good 2 you!

  • Nice One teknik, Good to get started.

    Now I am at 29 Miles this week, it starting to feel like I am building too....Keep this up during December and then push on again in January.....

  • Friday 50x25m front crawl and 2 Christmas dinnersimage just over 10 miles this morning including my hillimage long run tomorrow.

    Rachael a small town called Carrickfergus north of Belfast.

    Gobi and Spoons nice starts to the new year.

    73.34 miles for the weekimage

  • 21 miles for my week so far image
  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭
    I'll be on about 60 after my long run tomorrow. image
  • Hi all,

    I'm training towards Manchester marathon at the end of April, I did my first marathon in Chester back in October and got 3:52:50 on the back of just over 2 months training so I'm hoping to get down to around 3:40 with a lengthier preparation.

    I'm currently up to just over 40 miles a week and, like No Pain, hate intervals and would rather do tempos and running marathon pace over the last few miles of my long runs.

    I'm coming up 43 soon so its great motivation to hear that NP is still getting faster into his late 40s (and without doing intervals!)

    Cheers
    Gaz
  • Mini (Ding Dong) well done on a solid weeks training.

    Gaz nice early base building for Manchester, I'm now into my early 50's lol but still aiming to improve over the next few years at leastimage.

    Met up with a mate this morning and did a road/trail run and realy enjoyed this and ended up doing just over 20 miles first of this campaign and could have done a lot moreimage.

  • Marathon training starts tomorrow morning at 6am image
  • End of week 2. Not too bad, missed one run, but I did miss the shortest easy. Discovered I don't enjoy going for a run after a full English breakfast. Good learning point there. image.

    I'm struggling with the dark a little. Routes that seem fine in daylight are sometimes a lot less sensible when it's dark. Even with a headtorch, I nearly went ar$e over t*t a number of times during Friday's tempo run. Probably would have been OK in the light, or at an easy pace, but the combination wasn't a good one.

    Seeing this thread seems full of repeat marathoners, and speedy ones at that (I'm not worthy) what are the top tips for training and running* the first one?

    *term used loosely, but I don't intend to "jog" it.

  • Holly - lots of miles. Not too fast. What time you aiming for? Do you have a recent race time?
  • I'm doing Brighton. Publically, my goal is simply to finish - I don't want to add any extra pressure. Time wise, my most recent half time (all of 1 second sub 2:20) suggests a target of just under 5 hours, MP works out at 11:17. This sounds awfully fast to me though! Slowness is not usually one of my issues...

    Trying to follow one of Shades' plans, 4 runs a week (when I manage them image) and has 5 runs over 20 miles. I thought a lot of the beginner plans started at very low mileage and ramped up very quickly in order to get to 20 miles at all. Overal they looked light on miles, hence going for this one.

  • 5 runs over 20 sounds good. Try and manage the 4 runs. 3 isn't really enough. Shades' plans are pretty sound for a first marathon.
  • Spoons why is Christmas Cancelled in the Spoons house?

    Holly it's open to everyone no matter what timeimage.

  • Because I am on my own this Christmas and I have no money.

    Pizza for Christmas dinner this year image
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