Greater Manchester Marathon

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Comments

  • 15West - and anyone else considering it: sports massage FTW. I swear by them both before & after a mara. And as often as you can afford during training. Your legs deserve a little decadence. Look what they just did!
  • I also swear by P&D. I followed the 18/55 to snag my recent 8 minute PB ...in THOSE conditions image
  • Hm, I may have to have a look at this book. Does it mention ultras at all?
  • Said I would not get this P&D book as I have set up my own training plan which a tweak each year and it has produced PB's each year but I have just been on line and looked at some of the contents and have just ordered it from Amazon and lets see what it can do for me
  • ShivaShiva ✭✭✭
    I want to look at P&D, but probably when baby is older and I am sleeping better so I can train better. I ran 6 miles home from work today, felt ok, but a bit slow up the hills. It doesn't feel right running in nice weather now!
  • ShazmoShazmo ✭✭✭
    My legs were very sore Monday and Tuesday, especially my quads. I had a sports massage Tuesday night and hey presto, they feel almost back to normal today. I would highly recommend a massage.

    I managed a short easy run tonight and my legs felt ok, but I was surprisingly puffed out!!

    I need my body to recover quickly for the rest of my fell running league races (one a month between now and September) and then I MIGHT do another marathon in the autumn. Liverpool or Chester perhaps Eeek!!
  • Thanks for the schedule Mish.   I won't manage the 5 miles tonight but training starts again tomorrow!

  • Still basking in completing my first marathon – 3 days on. How long does that immense feeling of achievement last … it’s ace?! I enjoyed the race and course so much I took 5 hrs to complete it! (Wanted 4.20 but had to run with an IT band injury and painkillers, so happy with managing to ‘run’ it all). The force 10 that whipped around Trafford Park was awesome; the ‘Everest’ section, otherwise know as Altrincham was a lovely mid-point challenge in case we were getting bored (locals lining the streets brill by the way); Dunham Massey reminded me of some the more muddier Wilfred Owen poetry; and the close, darkening lanes of Partington were like being back on mid winter training run! Each turn of a bend brought a new chapter to the epic tale of the GMM… Who needs London? The people of Manchester/Trafford were amazing, as too were the course marshals. Xtra Mile should take note that these people are a powerful resource and compensated in bucket loads for the organisers incompetence and misdemeanours on the day.  I’m not even bothering to go through the rigmarole of applying for London 2013 as I would much rather run this one again ….. BUT Xtra Mile have got to get a grip and address ALL the issues raised on the day and on this website – and make some serious promises - before they go near it next year.  

    Congrats to everyone who finished, we were all amazing !!!

    (You lucky lot running already - swimming for a while for me!!) 
  • P - totally agree with you and keep basking in your race as you are one of only a small percentage that do a marathon
  • Debra I'd recommend reading "Running through the wall" for Ultras, good book and very encouraging stories from many different runners, have you any lined up?
  • I was thinking of doing the Nottingham 50k but the robin hood half is the week before & i really want to do that.
  • MartznwMartznw ✭✭
    thanks for the offer HO2, just ordered the book form Waterstones
  • EG Graham: yes, I'm planning for Croydon Ultra 30 miles 8th July, NDW50 (miles) 11th August. Also starting to get tempted by the idea of the Vanguard Way 66 in October (two-day)...

    Ran just over four miles with the club this evening, in 40 minutes - would have been okay except my left knee hurting - need to get the quads & ITB loosened up more.

  • I also have Croydon (if recovery goes well) I did the Born to Run 37 recently, Manchester last week, Sunderland this Sunday, so I haven't run yet this week, I'm planning just a 4 miler on Friday. I have the Dukeries ultra 30 also in May, then I have Hadrian's Wall 70 in June, with Croydon 2 weeks later. I am doing 12 in 12 and not yet sorted for August - thinking of the Northumberland Coastal Marathon
  • Would this P&D book be any good for me? Manchester was my first marathon and I did 4.42 but I would love to chip away at that time until I was running it somewhere between 3.45 and 4 hours. I'm convinced I could have gone under 4.30 this time, in better conditions, as that was what my training was indicating I was capable of.

    I still have the problem with plantar fasciitis in my foot but I'm being very tempted by an Autumn marathon! Decisions, decisions!

  • So the organisers called me up yesterday, they're going to send my stuff to my work address, and were very apologetic. Makes up for it somewhat.
  • bionic-hipbionic-hip ✭✭✭
    Rosko - no harm in doing both unless you were planning on racing the half. The 50k by the way is a fantastic race - did it last year just 4 weeks after Robin Hood marathon. Am thinking of doing it again this year unless I find another challenge.
  • alison preece 2 wrote (see)

    Would this P&D book be any good for me? Manchester was my first marathon and I did 4.42 but I would love to chip away at that time until I was running it somewhere between 3.45 and 4 hours. I'm convinced I could have gone under 4.30 this time, in better conditions, as that was what my training was indicating I was capable of.

    I still have the problem with plantar fasciitis in my foot but I'm being very tempted by an Autumn marathon! Decisions, decisions!

    Alison - there are several training schedules in the book with the easiest being the "Training up to 55 miles week" schedule. It states that in order to do the 55 schedule that ideally you will have a built up a base that sees you running at 33 miles going into the first week.

    As you get into the schedules from about week 3 onwards the weekly mileage varies from around 40 miles to 55 miles and is spread over 5 runs per week.

    The type of runs included in the schedule (in which the book goes in to more detail about):

     - Long runs (anything above15 miles)

     - Medium-Long runs (between 10-15miles)

     - Marathon Pace runs (running at your target pace i.e. one of your longest runs in 55 schedule is an 18 miler with 14 miles run at target pace)

     - General Aerobic runs (normal midweek runs between 8 & 12 miles)

     - Lactate Threshold runs

     - VO2 Max runs

     - Recovery runs (with strides)

     - Normal recovery runs

    It might not be everyones cup of tea but i think it's a superb book that has a lot of useful information even if you ultimately don't use the schedules. There maybe some sessions that you can take from the book and incorporate into your own schedules should you wish.

    I used the 55 schedule for Manchester and it woked well for me. I missed my target by 7 minute but put that more down to the weather and conditions on the day. On a good day i'm sure i would have hit my target and that by and large was down to the P&D book.

    I'm currently contemplating using the next schedule up (55 - 70miles) in my training for Liverpool. 

  • EC Graham: So, I should see you at Croydon. This is my first year doing distances longer than half-marathon, so I'm trying not to overload myself (although all being well, by the end of the year I'll have done more races that all my previous ones put together, not including parkruns - and maybe even including...). NDW50 will be my longest to date (did London Ultra 50K in February as an intro to ultras). I'll look up the book you mentioned. I'm presently reading "Feet in the Clouds" to help inspire me as I settle into a summer of trail running.

  • gramck24 - yes that is what I am hoping to get out of book. I have adapted different training plans over the years and have set new PB's but now feel that I can go alot further than my targets so am looking for new ideas to incorporate into a training plan. I do not believe one plan is right for everyone but by looking at alot of plans you can adapt a plan to suit you.
  • gramck24 - thanks for the info. I do quite a few of those type of sessions already so it's just the increase in mileage I'd need to get my head round. I start my runs at 5am so I'm back and showered before the kids (four!) get up so I'm a bit restricted as to the distance I can cover during the week. Maybe I'll get the book and see exactly what I could commit to.
  • bionic-hipbionic-hip ✭✭✭
    Just realised I've done 5 marathons/ultras in just 11 months. Not bad for someone who was told he would not be able to start running any real sort of distances until June 2012 following hip surgery in 2009.
  • Bionic, I real inspiration!!!

     55 miles a week? crickey! I average 27 miles a week for manchester with the peak week being 39 weeks which was a one off.

    No idea how I could run 5 days a week with my work pattern but I supose I could take my running shoes on the road with me.

     Was hoping to increase my milage to about 40 a week for Berlin in September and then call it a day marathon running wise unless I get in via the Ballot for London. That said I know what I'm like when in a routine so you could see me at Manchester again next year as it's on the door step image

  • DB - If you're reading Feet in the Clouds, watch out! I read it and had to go and find a race to try out fell running within three months, great book
  • 15West15West ✭✭✭

    Some of you lot do a lot of running!

    I'm going to get this P&D booki. I've asked for it for my birthday in a few weeks!  I was running up to about 55 a week for this marathon, may increase this a bit for Chester in autumn, we'll see. I still have lots of aches and pains - so no running for me yet. May do some cross training today. Will be interesting to see if xtra get the chance to run the marathon again next year...

  • ShazmoShazmo ✭✭✭

    Quays, I’m glad I’m not the only one who did a relatively low mileage training plan. I found out in Feb that I had a mild scoliosis of the spine so I reduced my running to 3 times a week, occasionally 4. I don’t know how some people fit in 5 or 6 runs a week or how their body holds out! I was starting to panic heading into the race that I hadn’t done enough, but obviously the less is more approach paid off (for me, anyway).

      

    I have the marathon bug now and think I might eventually try for a ‘good for age’ spot (only need to shave a ‘mere’ 8 minutes off my time image)

    Incidentally – am I reading the good for age range right? For my age (43), I fall in to the category 18 – 49….seems a bit harsh! I would expect an 18 year old to be considerably faster than me, so seems a bit unfair that we all have the same target time!
  • anyone still have pins and needles in fingers??
  • Shazmo: Re. five runs a week: I like to run Sat & Sun, and Tue, Wed Thur, with Monday and Friday as rest days. If I'm ultra training, that will be back-to-back long runs Sat & Sun (e.g. 20+10), short (5-6 mile) runs Tue & Thur, and semi-long on Wednesday. Depending on my work etc. it may slip to Sunday long, Monday 10-mile, Tuesday rest,  Wed & Thur runs, Friday rest . I make sure I always have two rest days a week and it's sometimes three. (long B2Bs are not every weekend- vraious plans have then every other weekend, or two out of three, or three out of four).

    For marathon training, it changed to Saturday as a short run (easy or parkrun), Sunday long, Tuesday speed trainig (repeats) Wednesday 9-10 miles, Thursday tempo or easy.

    Re GFA, it's more that the younger women get an easier time to get a GFA place, rather than we older women get a harder time than is fair - just compare with what the men have to do for GFA.

    JB: No, but then I didn't get pins and needles.

  • Shazmo - I only run 4 times a week, between 25 and 30 miles in total although I did reach 39 for one week of my marathon training schedule. I just keep reading that if you really want to reduce your racing times you need to increase your mileage. Having said that if you can't increase your weekly mileage  the general consensus seems to be to make sure you do the 3 key sessions every week - long run, tempo run and speed session.

    JB1978 - no pins and needles now but I did get them during the marathon and I've had them a couple of times in training. Do you know what causes them?

    15West - no running for me yet either!

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