Lochaber Marathon 2012

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Comments

  • Kenny, don't worry about the speed. That will come, the miles are more important. And I'm sure the weight will come off as well.
  • Goldeneagle - oops sorry - rather insensitive given your logo. If it's any consolation Wigan and Bolton look far worse than the rest - makes your forthcoming game with Blackburn particularly important. 
  • 14May, obviously things have moved on a bit now. Sorry to see Mick go in a way, Wolves fans should never forget what he's achieved over the past 5 years. Top bloke. But it was time for a change.

    On a more relevant note, although the leg's good now and the chest infection has pretty well cleared up, I've decided very reluctantly to give Lochaber a miss this year. I just don't have enough time to build up the miles and if I try to do too much too soon I'm just risking injury and further time lost. So I'm going to look for a May marathon, maybe Windermere or Edinburgh (where I've already entered the half so have accommodation booked)  if I can get a transferred place. 

    Good luck to all you guys. Hope you stay injury free and have great runs. Hope to meet up with you somewhere in the future. 

  • Sorry to hear you've had to bail out, Goldeagle- I'm still hoping for a late burst of enthusiasm- managed 2x11 milers to/from work in the space of 12 hours- run home, eat, sleep, wakeup, run to work. If I can do this at least once per week, possibly building up to twice, then I'll be fine..............the odd much longer run needs to be thrown in for good measure, but I think the medium long ones are very useful.
  • That is a shame Goldeagle that you have had to pull out....reading this forum recently is making me scared to go out running in case i pick up some injury that means i miss the marathon in april. I have had the odd wee niggle (knee and ankle) but nothing that a days rest and ice wont help!! Fingers and legs crossed that i can make it through the next month and a bit safely!!!!??image

  • Sorry to hear your news Goldeneagle - as you say it becomes a trade-off and trying to cram in mileage increases significantly the risk of injury; hope you get an alternative sorted out in due course.  I always remember the saying (not sure whose it is) that the biggest challenge in running a marathon is getting to the start line reasonably prepared and in half decent shape in the first place. 

    Agree with your sentiments re-Mick - although I think we'll all miss his gruff Yorkshire plain speaking in those post-match interviews!

  • Am now unable to do this but have contacted organiser and am allowed to transfer my place , so anyone dithering and fancies a discounted entry of £20 just message me image
  • Anyone still doing this - it's all gone very quiet!
  • It's going to be a lonely 26.2 miles.
  • Sorry- I'm still here- and I'm sure there are a few others out there too- am FINALLY getting down to some solid training after my ski trip. Oops- perhaps I've left it a bit late, but at least the motivation is no longer a problem..more like  panic at this stage!
  • Nice to see you're still there - I'm sure a ski trip must counts as adding to your endurance base.  20 miles planned for me for the weekend coming and then Alloa Half next weekend - should give me a good indication of where I am.
  • Just back from two weeks skiing (which was great) but has taken it's toll on my old knees. Went for a short run today, which hurt like hell, so I have reluctantly decided to pull out of Lochaber. I knew that this was a real possibility, so I'm not too disappointed. I'm now going to set my sights on Loch Ness in September.  Good luck to you all.
  • Simon- that's a shame...sure it's not worth giving it a week just to see if that was a bad first run back, - things may settle!

    Yup- it's going to be a lot of DNS's!

  • Thanks tricialitt, I'll try and get a few runs in during this week and then a long run at the weekend. If all goes well I may change my mind.

  • Now getting really worried - posting on this forum = DNS.  Good job I'm not superstitious and that I don't ski!
  • Any one still there........................... 4 weeks to go!- am doing a half tomorrow- not looking forward to any attempt at speed- and legs feeling quite knackered from recent relatively high mileage, but must remember, it's not the end goal in itself, just a warm- up for this race, whcih, in itself , is really  training towards an ultra later in the year!

    Any news of your progress, Simon?

  • Had a pretty good week. Two short, fast runs mid week, 12K yesterday and 22K this morning at marathon pace. So a bit of a dilema now... I have only done about half the training that I should have done, and the sensible thing to do would be to pull out and live to run another day. But being sensibile is something I'm not very good at!

    So, I think I'll wait another couple of weeks before making a final decision. I'll try an fit in a 2.5 hour run next weekend and then 3 hours the weekend after. That means a 2 week taper, which is not ideal...??

    How did the half go Triciallit?

  • Half was fine- 1:50, reasonably comfortable- ie I was getting stronger towards the end- but couldn't get comforatble at any faster pace- think it bodes well for my endurance, whih is usually the problem, so perhaps all the slow higher mileage has helped!

    I might be on a 2 week taper too, but since neither of us have a solid couple of months of high mileage in our legs, I reckon we can get away with it.

    Aiming for 3.5 hours LSR next weekend, then will pull it back to maybe 2.5 the next one. Should be OK, I think.

  • Good day at the Alloa HM today - weather was kind and enjoyed the new start/finish arrangements.  Also pleased with a 1:33:10 which is my fastest half in the last 5 years and is probably an age-adjusted PB (haven't done the re-calculation yet).  Pushed quite hard and never felt that comfortable but was able to maintain the pace and actually finished the last mile quite strongly (ie passed a few more than passed me!). So I guess the endurance base is there. Now just need to work out how to convert my half times into the theoretical marathon times they should produce...?

     Hope plans work out tricialitt and Simon - always difficult decisions when training has been disrupted - no right or wrong answers I suspect.

  • Hi 14may83- you would have been finished and away long before me, but I enjoyed it too.

     I can never "convert" a half time as per prediction, - I think most calculators are grossly over ambitious. double it plus 20 minutes is one I've heard, which puts me on for about 4hrs, which would be fine. The convertor on fetch that suggests that I can do 3:53 is just mad!

    Feeling OK today-  2x gentle 6milers  on wednesday then a good long one at the weekend. (except thatt weather is ghastly at the moment!)

  • Conversion seems to be anything from double+10 minutes to double+20 minutes; my marathon times are tightly grouped around double+25 minutes (or more!).  Even using the most conservative would provide a target time of 3:26 which is a good 10 minutes quicker than my best marathon time - and I simply can't imagine doing it that fast.  Mind you my 10K and HM times are relatively better than my Marathon times - so maybe I'm just better designed for the shorter distances or my training indoors doesn't prepare me adequately to maintain the pace in the second half.

    Glad you enjoyed Alloa - it's a well run event and a good route.

     Felt OK this morning - but was sitting down most of the afternoon without getting to move around much and then in a bus for an hour - hamstrings are now so tight you could play a tune on them.  Hopefully I'll manage a light run on Tues.

  • I'm hoping for sub 5 hours!  I managed 20 miles (my first) in 3 hours 40 mins last weekend, which fetch suggests would translate to about 4hrs 50mins.

  • Last proper LSR done and dusted- 19miles in 3hr 25 minutes, didn't feel too bad- getting a bit weary towards the end, but overall quite reassuring.

    abradypus- welcome, I suspect you'll go a lot faster in the race than in your LSR, as you'll be rested and full of adrenaline- are you tapering now?

    Will aim for about 15 miles next weekend, I think.

  • I am tapering, though maybe not as much as I should be.  13 miles tomorrow, 8 tomorrow week, then a rest week(end) and then just a pootled parkrun on 14th to take advantage of being in Scotland.

  • Did a Half mara time trial plus 4 mile cool down with Bella RR as my last long run. Got a 1:23:29 PB, aiming for sub 3hr but have to be realistic!

    Will see hope the taper goes!
  • Hello all - it is suddenly seemin a lot closer.  Last LSR (20-21 miles) for me later today.  Still feeling the strains from last weekend; physio has blamed it on my glutes rather than the hamstrings - a bit stiff but we will see how it goes today.  My taper starts tomorrow - slightly complicated by being on holiday in Mull for a week from next Saturday - need to find a 13 mile reasonably flat and safe route on single track roads with lots of holiday traffic - any suggestions welcome!

  • Re: tapering-I've decide that usually I don't do enough running during "taper"- it's usually more of a "full stop!" this time I will actually try to do a bit more. (especially as I nver really got up to planned peak milage in training, so I'm not as tired as I "should" be.
  • I usually go for last long run @ 3 weeks to go; 13 miles easy @2 weeks to go and run for an hour @ 1 week to go.  On a 3 runs a week programme - already there is less to ease back from so I keep doing my two midweek sessions (1 tempo and 1 intervals) although ease back a bit on effort until the last week when I barely run at all - usually too busy getting paranoid about strains, pulls, colds, viruses etc etc. I also find it easy to stick on a few pounds during the taper which I could do without.
  • Did 20 miles in 3 hours early yesterday, well before the mercury hit the dizzy heights of 21 degrees. Apart from a couple of nasty blisters I seem to have come through it unscathed. Despite my pitiful training mileage, getting to the start line now looks like a real  possibility. Not sure whether to start the taper now or put in another 20 miler next weekend. The sensible thing to do would to start winding back now, but we'll see!

    Glad everyone else seems to be getting in good shape. Some excellent half marathon times being posted.

    Here's hoping the weather is a bit more seasonal in 3 weeks time!

  • Simon - glad to hear your now feeling more positive - difficult decision re-taper; let's hope the rather unseasonal weather doesn't hang on until the 15th.  I did Paris last year when the temperature was in the mid-20s and suffered badly (although not as badly as many others in the last few kms).  I had hoped high temperatures wouldn't be an issue in Fort William in April. 
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