2012 Marathon thread

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  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭
    Gosh Spoons you almost sound like a mentor! image
  • Hi there

    Did the 10 k last Sunday; VERY wet n windy, and will now apply my mind ( and miles) to the marathon

    Trying to work on a plan; based onthe variuos versions here on the site. Only problem is I ENJOY th elong ( 10/12/14 ) mile runsand most of theplans seem to ditchthese for quite a few weeks; any thoughts

    Rach; sorry about your scare; hope it doesn't put you off

    Rob

  • Gaz- 3h52 on the back of 2 months training... impressive.  Just think what you might be capable of next time!

    Holly Liz- fast if very subjective.  What's fast for you and me is probably super slow for others and at the same time I'm sure there are many folks out there who wouldn't dream of running as fast or far as you do!  For the first one I would say- don't worry too much about the speed but make sure you get the miles in. Nothing wrong with having a time in mind but don't get too hung up about it.  And whatever you do don't get carried away going off too fast.

    Jennie- you'll be fine... just keep on adding the miles.  Don't think about it in terms '13 miles all over again'.  It makes it sound a lot more daunting...

    Hi Gobi- calm and reasoning is what I will need for sure so good to have you on the thread.

    Jeepers- hope all goes well and you're back in the game soon!

    15 miles for me on Sunday with 6 at MP.  Wanted to give it a try as a bit worried about all these big chunks of long runs run at MP in theP&D schedule.  Managed ok but it wasn't easy.  Looking for some 20mile races in March / April to do use them for this purpose.  Found Finchley 20 in March but April seems a bit more tricky...

    9miles home tonight with 5@ LT.  Hopefully the wind won't interere too much this time.

  • Shuddup with that mentor nonsense Minni. I don't have a clue what I'm talking about and you know it!
  • Rob - I wouldn't call a 12,14,16 mile run a long run. 18,20,22 mile runs are long runs. What's your schedule looking like?
  • TeknikTeknik ✭✭✭

    Mon: There's a 20m in Oakley, Bedfordshire on 1 April.

    http://www.bedfordharriers.co.uk/Oakley.htm

  • Teknik- Thanks... but I'm doing Reading on 1st April.  Would have to be the following week (the 8th) or the week after (15th). 
  • Wow, Looks like Gobi has come in a stirred things up in a positive way. Lots of activity !!!

    Welcome to all the new folk on the thread, your being well looked after by mr spoons, gobi and NP whom are very generous with their time. I appreciated the  Hope you are all able to stick around and we can spur each other on through to the spring marathons.

    Last year was my first marathon and I built up the mile slowly and gradually. This meant that I did not do the speed sessions this far out as Gobi states is a good idea. However thats because I felt a solid base and injury avoidance were more important based on my history and I pleased I did that as I got to the start line fresh and injury free and with enough miles under the belt to make the race "comfortable". To me that is a key aim for any person attempting their first marathon

    However this time I am better equipped than before as I have more miles under the belt, so am taking Gobi's advice and ensuring one speed session per week, be it tempo or Intervals. Both will be a lot faster than MP at this stage and I think the body can cope this time around

    Game on.....

  • Nice tempo run home at 4min38sec/km average.  The fastest yet.  image

    Couldn't agree more about getting enough miles in before doing speed work and about the importance of recovery/ not doing too much too soon.  Took me a year and a half to learn how to back off and start listening to those who know betterimage.  I think I could've improved a lot more over the last year if I wasn't hammering it every time and going into most sessions exhausted.  Oh well... better late than never.

  • Hi,

    Thought I'd join in, just starting running seriously, have jogged before and done a couple of 10ks have been reguarly going to the gym so coming at it from a fairly good basic fitness level, I'm aiming for my first marathon next year, shooting for Chicago in Oct, have entered a half in April and May.

    1 week into training I'm doing smaller runs ready to build a good basis before starting marathon training, this week I've done 5 runs, 3 of 3 miles and 2 at 5 miles, I know thats not going to get me anywhere, I've just been aiming to slow down, establish a steady 8 mile a minute pace before I start to build up the distances, as a first time distance runner, anyone got any good suggestions to build up the miles? think i've read too many different training programs and been baffled by science 

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Best advice for now is keep the pace slow/steady for a month while you build some distance, if you can give the following 2 to 3 months you will appreciate it.

    The how

    Leave all 3 3 milers alone

    Midweek run - just add .5 - 1 mile each week
    Weekend run - add a mile each week.
    (Read the cutback section)

    Keeping adding to the midweek run until it reaches about 10 miles maybe 12.

    The long run - Keep adding a mile for about 7 weeks which will get it out to 12 miles(assuming you do 7 straight up weeks). At this point consolidate here. Your marathon is not until October so you actually marathon plan does not need to start until around June.

    Consolidate means - time to add some speedwork to that solid base you have while maintaining the mileage not adding.

    Cutback weeks - a topic people like to enforce like a gospal ruling.

    Personally think these are personal and should not be enforced they should be felt by you the runner. What this means is if you do 4 weeks and feel extra tired then yeah have a cutback. If not just keep adding. If the pace is all under control you may feel like me and just not need an enforced break.

    To do the cutback week

    1. do exactly the same as the week before(more consolidate than cutback)
    2. Just knock a mile or two off the longer run and drop a 3 miler for that week.

    Good luck.

    Oh and remember, when you come in here don't get concerned about what mileage others are doing. Not everyone is training for the same event. We also have different levels of experience.
  • Thanks for the welcome folks and comments and I'm im total agreement about building up miles slowly - that's one of the benefits of HR training (well, for me) in that the emphasis is on gradual build up at recovery rate / slow pace. 

    I've had a number of non-running related injuries in the past, so have adopted the conservative approach.  Training this way has meant that I have been able to increase my weekly 25 mpwk to 40 - 50 injury-free. 

    I'd rather wait and enter the mara when I'm ready than rush into one too soon and suffer the consequences.

  • Morning everyone

     Gary- which halves are you doing?  Are you aiming for a specific time in Chicago?

    9 miles into work this morning.  Nothing like hitting the river in complete darkness with noone around and running into the city. At times like this I can't understand how I could NOT run for the majority of my lifeimage.

  • Thanks for all the advice Gobi, its appreciated and just what i needed, was aiming to start gradually but it's nice to read that im on the right tracks anyway, I'll let you know how i get on 

    Mon, as for halfs Im doing the Tewkesbury half in May and a race in Bath which is more 12.5 mile cross country in April. for a first marathon in Chicago im aiming to finish, but with 10 months to train id certainly like to be in under 4 hours as i didnt think that was too ambitious, what would you aim for on your first marathon?

    I know what you mean about having the world to yourself on those early morning runs, my new favourite place in the world is hitting the downs early then running past the zoo, hearing the animals waking up and growling on the other side of the wall image

  • Gary- what did you do your 10k races in?  It should give you a good indication of what you should be aiming for.

    I think 4 hours is a good target for the first one.  That's what I was aiming for and managed to smash it @ 3h52image. 10 months is plenty of time to get where you want to be.

  • *lurks and then sneaks in*image...hello all, may i join in the banter for 2012 please?..my first mara is in jan 2012 so im pretty close now...lots of interesting chatter that is good  advice too...

    Xmas is cancelled in Spoons's house wrote (see)
    Shuddup with that mentor nonsense Minni. I don't have a clue what I'm talking about and you know it!
    yes you do spoons !! you have already given me some good mara and ultra adviceimage
  • did 10 ks in 48 minutes, hadnt done any training for that though, other than usual gym/cross training so that should be improoved upon,

    Lou what time are you aiming for? how long've you been in training for? 

  • hello spoonsimage...im here now tooimage..

    ...gary, my longest events so far have been 2 HMs. my first in july was an XC , second in sept was oxford HM. my mara training started mid october. my longest runs have been past 3 weekends of 17/19/17 and feeling okimage im aiming for 4:30 .my 19 miles took me 3:05

  • Loula - how did you feel in the last few miles of your 19 miler? Did you feel like you could have carried on? Did it feel fast or slow? Were you slowing down or was your pace consistent?
  • the week i did the first 17 i felt i could have gone to 20 feeling ok but getting tight feeling in my calfs at about 15mile point...the 2nd week on 19 i was ok too..just starting to get a bit crampt/tightness at 17 miles but not too tired...last sunday was the same, tightness wasnt as bad  and had i had time could have got to 20 feeling ok. and monday i felt like i could have repeated the 17...i think on the 19miles week i was prob slowing on mile 16-19 yes..
  • Again Spoons thank you for your great advice - in fact reading through this thread has given me lots of great tips - as I said in a previous post I hadnt a clue what I was doing but decided to do the Dublin Marathon in 2005 around my 40th birthday. I just went out and plodded the pavements night after night with no plan or pattern. I got round in 4 hours and couldnt walk for a week afterwards. Would like to do it right this time so all advice is fantastic - thanks
  • Welcome Lou.  Which mara are you doing in Jan?  It's close now...image

    Gary- based on your 10k time you should be capable of 3h45 according to mcmillan.  However based on my experience and other forumites' opinions his predictions tend to be accurate up to a half marathon distance.  When it comes to a mara he tends to be on a slightly optimistic side.  If I were you I would be aiming for 3h45-3h55.  My 10k time was very similar to yours before my first mara and as I said I managed 3h52 on a hilly and hot course (Madrid).

  • "im aiming for 4:30 .my 19 miles took me 3:05"

    The reason I asked Loula is you ran the 19 mile training run at QUICKER than your goal marathon pace! Therefore - either you're training tpo fast or your goal marathon time is too slow!

    As it's your first marathon I would stick with the 4:30 goal and set off at 10 min mile pace, aiming to finish strong. I know your real goal is longer than 26 miles so this will be good practice for that.
  • thank you spoons..as you say this is my first mara so i want to just finish and feel okimageim not too fuseed abt my time. when i decided to do the mara i just went on 4:30 based on my  HM times and adding on extra time for the last miles with possible fatigue. if i finish faster thn 4:30 thn its a bonus but i agree with you and will still use 4:30 as my aim.

    hi Mon77image*waves* im doing Gloucester..if i cant travel there due to bad weather then i may opt for cotswold mara which is 4 weeks laterimage

  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Spoon worship :¬)

    Lou - he is correct about you running too fast, if you are fatigued at 19 miles and slowing from 16 you may well carry on slowing and even miss 4.30. You meed to be backing that pace on the long runs down by a good 60 seconds a mile. Doing a training long run I would expect fatigue YES slowing down NO.

    I have my first long runs of my 2012 campaign this weekend and will see people at Gloucester if all goes to plan.
  • image i consider myself told Gobiimage..*sits in naughty corner*
  • Lou- it's a busy cornerimage
  • jason d wrote (see)
    Lou- it's a busy cornerimage


    ohhh dear..what have you done Jason?imageimage...*moves up on naughty bench to make space*

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