2012 Marathon thread

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  • Spoons... ((man hug))... Hope you are "'ok'"
  • I'm OK mate! Hopefully I'll be doing Xmas with the kids on 24th. Xmas day will be a nice long run. image
  • Has anyone decided to follow the sub 4 plan in the latest edition of runners world? According to their marathon plan generator this is what I should be aiming for despite my current PB being 4H48 which seems a little optimistic. However looking at the plan it doesn't actually look too difficult, did anyone else think this might not be enough training? It is based on time rather than distance which takes you up to 3hrs and the weekday runs are generally interval sessions. I kept an old editions sub 4H plan which is a lot more mileage, obviously I'd like to follow the easier one but is it enough?!
  • Liz,

    I'd did 4, 20 mile runs and that felt about right to me. I felt fresh on race day but also confident I could cover the distance. The first one was a killer though!
  • When do folks do their last long run before the main event - last time in 2005 I ran 20 miles two weeks before the race and totally hit the wall at 22 miles .... was that too close to the marathon run?
  • Ian - generally the last weekends look something like: 20, 22, 12, 8, 26.2
  • Hi guys.  Liz don't worry its my first time too and Im slow but Im enjoying reading these guys posts and thinking maybe one day i'll be writing about sub 3.30 etc but for now Im a get rounder! What are the shades plans like?

    Had an awfully scary moment on my run last night, only had about 2 miles til I got home and as I rounded the corner near some flats a man jumped out in front of me all he said was "allllrrrigght!!?" but to be honest I was shook up, he was massive with a big long beard and like a shepherds crook, very strange.  Needless to say those two miles were quite abit faster than I was used to!

  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭

    Wow Rachael - scary stuff (unless that was some Nativity based joke I missed).image

    How's your foot, by the way?

  • Rachael, thats horrible...  make you realise how vulnerable you are.  I often jog around a local industrial estate where most businesses are empty other than nightshift workers, cleaners and similar....  possibly not the best route for a lone jogger! 

    13.1 miles covered yesterday!!  Still a long way to go for my 1st marathon in May, but thats the furthest I have covered to date!!  Trying for 4 sessions a week building on overall distances.  Rubbish on speed but try to do some faster jogging between lamp posts if I can!!  I do find the though daunting as my legs were dead the last 1.5 miles yesterday, not sure how i will manage to add on another 13.1 miles!! 

     Thanks for the motivation folks!!

  • Well done jennie. Keep up the good work. Just run a slow as possible on the long runs and you will hopefully have energy at the end!!
  • Spoons - appreciate your advice - 20, 22, 12, 8 is exactly what I will aim for - is the last week made of very gentle jogs
  • Ian - nothing too fast, hard or long in the last week.

    However, I always think a few bursts of speed can help keep the legs loose. The main thing is to keep the mileage low. Basically drop your mileage in the taper by around 20% in week 1, the another 20% in week 2, then another 20% in race week. So if you run 6 miles on a Monday, then do 5 in week 1, 4 in week 2 and 3 in race week. If you usually do intervals then carry on doing them, just do less of them.
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Spoons, loving your posts, some of the content sounds very familiar :¬) Oh and I'm a split Christmas parent as well and can recommend Pizza as a Christmas lunch and mention there are parkruns on Christmas day and a number of boxing day races.

    Ok so I'm not coming in really until January but....

    Relax people, most of you are racing in April or May, a marathon schedule is designed to have you ready to race but it also means there is no rush. If you are racing in May then you have no need to be at 13 miles in December, hell I just had a go at a 1.20 half runner in my club for proudly announcing he did 16 at the weekend.

    Speedwork, crucial in all parts of the program. Not just talking a little tempo work. Do some raw speed, if you want to make MP feel easy then running much faster than MP is useful.

    Pacing the long runs, if your long run feels hard then a few things are worth looking at:

    1. are you running too fast?
    2. are you fueling well enough?
    3. is it too much too soon

    Most people especially novice runners are guilty of No.1., number 2 is something you have to learn as you go along so is a bit hit and miss in training. No.3 is usually in line with No.1, it would not be too much too soon if you were not running too fast.

    So my first straight tip for 2012

    Don't do your long runs anywhere near race pace.

    Have a nice day

    Gobi
  • Jennie it was really scary! I saw the man yesterday on my way back from town, hes obviously a tramp and Im hoping that hes moving along, but like you say it makes you realise.  When I have done a few miles I am not entirely sure I could outrun an attacker! I dont run with music or anything but still feel abit worried.  Might invest in a panic alarm, suppose it cant harm!  Well done on your run yesterday.  I am no where near that.

    Teknik - thanks for asking about the foot its still abit sore especially when Im on my feet all day at work, but not too much of a pain when running? Think I'll get it looked at by the doctor see what he says, if nothing to worry about I'll have to fit in a gait analysis.

    Gobi thanks for the info there, Ive got to admit I have had mini heart attacks reading some of the mileage on here especially as im up to 8 miles at the very most!

    Yesterday I had a rest day, tonight it will be a 4 mile fartlek run then out for a meal with my cycling group - cant wait for that! Tomorrows club session is speed training so it'll be my first go at proper speed work, Wish me luck lol

    Rach

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Rach - no worries I guess at some point I should introduce myself properly but a lot of the old guard know who I am and my coaching/running background.

    I am the voice of calm and reasoning

    OR as other will say

    The person who tells most people to slow down :¬)
  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

     Gobi wrote (see)

     If you are racing in May then you have no need to be at 13 miles in December, hell I just had a go at a 1.20 half runner in my club for proudly announcing he did 16 at the weekend.

     I did 18.5m then added on another 3 for good measure on Sunday.  imageimage

  • Probably too quickly too image
  • Hi Gobi, I'm running the Edinburgh Marathon in on the 27th May and completed 13.1 in 2.19 on Sunday!!  Yay, on target!!  Going to be useless at speed sessions but I will attempt some.  Not been running long and speed just kills me, a slow plod I can do..  

    Rachael - not quite sure how I managed it, especially so soon after my wee muscle injury...  sheer determination I think.  I am amazing myself, I only really started running at the beginning of September to aid my weight loss, but I've lost my weight now and really enjoying watching my progress!!  My next goal is 15miles....  mabe not this weekend, but certainly before the 25th if my wee legs can cope!!

    Tonight I will try for a wee bit faster run, with hopefully my last physio session tomorrow morning...

    Keep the advice coming folks, this forum is so encouraging and very helpful!!

    Jen

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Oh I can see it will be fun in here :¬)
  • Morning,

    Another 'new' joiner here. New poster, but long-time lurker.

    Bit of background -
    Have run a couple of marathons previously. 3:13:02 and 3:02:20.
    Have run numerous 10Ks; PB = 39:44
    Again, have run a number of 5Ks (>5);PB = 19:30
    Plus have run loads of fell races, distances from 4 miles up to 13 miles.

    Aims for 2012 -
    Dip under 3 hours
    Take 60-90 seconds of 10K and 5K PB times.

    I'm looking at either Straford-upon-Avon or Manchester marathons in the spring (20 weeks away). Plus assorted club races up to that point.

    Training plan - have followed P&D in the past, now crafting a plan based on Fitzgerald & Hudson. With hindsight, think the P&D plan worked for me in terms of raw endurance, but left me a little light in terms of tempo and pace/zip.

    Hello All!!!
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    David - Shakespeare is a good course, can get a little lonely on the 2nd lap. Just one climb to be aware of and you do it both laps

    3.02 sounds pretty good, you must have a half PB around 1.27 looking at your 10km ? A bit more speed would be useful for sure.

    Jennie - what is the target?
  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭

    Well done Jennie!

    Hi David.  Impressive times...I'll swap the tempo and zip for anything that stops me breaking up after mile 20!

    Tempo run this morning...2 x 5k with a 5 minute rest. Managed both under 23'00" so happy boy today.image

  • Cheers Gobi.

    In terms of 1/2 PB - wracking my brains - can only think of one proper 1/2 mara I've ever done. And that was on a hilly course (Liversedge) so came in about 1:32 (ish). I certainly think 1:27 is do-able on a favourable course. Possibly even 1:25 on a good day.

    In terms of marathons - I just think last time around, I ground all the zip out of my legs with those steady midweek 13-15 mile runs. I know they were there for a reason - but I just felt I was running by 'rote' for most of them.

    Still, all good experience though.

    This time:
    Monday = hill sprints - certainly during the early 'base' phase. But look to keep them once a week throughout (more for variety than anything).
    Speed/Reps = Tuesday
    Tempo = Thursday
    Long runs = Sunday
    Rest of the week to be filled with easy runs (and I mean easy). And maybe the odd long hill/threshold session depending upon what phase of the plan I'm in.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭
    Xmas is cancelled in Spoons's house wrote (see)
    Probably too quickly too image
    All easy pace. image
  • Gobi- I was planning on startting to do 3 runs per week at 15m + image Slowly though....image

    Next year I want to up my mileage and see where I get image

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    David - would not do hill followed by intervals the next day
    Consider doing the midweek 10-15 miler at MP + 60 - 75 seconds

    Jason - why hold back ? 3 x 20 milers all at MP is surely the way to go :¬) (seriously though I do 4 runs a week at 10 miles + all at easy/steady pace)

    I'm off to Pilates
  • Might be a bit premature, my posting on here, after a year out (illness).  But I'm hoping to be able to do North Dorset (May) if not, New Forest in September.  Unless I find something (local) early summer.

    I was tapering for Luton (December 2010) when I became ill (November 2010).  I started back again in August, was given some bum advice on a training programme in September and tweaked the achilles (weak legs after 10 months off). I've been doing physio and have been given the OK to start running again, so I've started building back up recently, now up to 40 / 50 mins x 3 a week.

    I use HR training - suits my age and will probably follow one of the HH plans, I'm just looking to see which one would suit best.

    The plan is to rebuild the base during the rest of December and see if I'm fit enough to start in January.  If so, then I shall, if not, then more base-building.

    Any and all advice gratefully received and acted upon.

  • Hi Jeepers, sounds like more base building would be a good idea and maybe do a half in the spring and New Forest in the autumn. Depends on how quick you are to recover I guess image. Personally I think a really strong base is key.
  • Hello Spoons, thanks for the welcome.

    Well I was comfortable doing around 40 - 50 mpwk, last year - I've been building up slowly over the last few years, so the base is there, it's just been "put on hold" while I've been stuck at home, waiting.  However, I'm old enough and ugly enough to know that it pays to be sensible!

  • If you were comfortable doing 40-50 miles per week I would keep building and see how it goes. You'll know by the end of January whether you are on track or not.
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