Abingdon Marathon

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  • Barry - glad you are feeling better. I find there is always something to moan about, ask my wifeimage

    Porridge - Never thought of doing core exercises while reading the messages here, must try that.

    Just a steady 7 miles this morning. Sunny and coolimage Legs feeling better now.

  • Hi

    Unfortunately I now cant participate so I have a place going spare. Gutted as I sweated blood to get it. have just cancelled my booking at the nearest B&B advertised on the website also fyi. Get in touch if you want to purchase the place for the entry price.

  • AC -  Good news on your legs, I always find the world is a better place when I'm running well.

    Just over 8 this afternoon, 1.5 WU  3 x 11mins with 3 mins rec 1 WD, pace for efforts 6:51,6:54, 6:52 and really enjoyed the run.

  • Hi Daniel,

    Sorry to hear you can't take your place.  I would love to buy it from you, if it's still available.

    Cheers,

    Ms P Power

  • Barry - good running again. Always hard to do long efforts on your own.

    Very quiet on here, everyone must be holiday.

    10.5 slow miles for me this morning. Although slow, did not feel that easy. Club track session tomorrow night, and then Grunty Fen HM on Sunday. Sunday will be interesting, as it will be my first 100% race effort since my marathon in May. Will certainly give me a pointer as to what pace to adopt for Abo

  • AC -  Yeah gone a bit quiet, hopefully pick up as we get closer. What's your plan for Sunday, is it quick course? My Half a couple of weeks ago was my first race since Feb and even though it was hard and not the result I wanted, it was good to be racing again.

    8 miles for me this afternoon in the glorious sunshine.

  • Morning all.  Joined this thread yonks ago but got bogged down in minutiae of life.  That cleared now checking back in.  Looks like some serious training going on.

     

    My first time @ Abingdon.  For anyone done this before - can I ask - the Lucozade stations - are they in bottles or cups, and if bottle, is it the smaller 330ml or the 500ml ones that you can buy at most newsagents?  Thanks for any advice. 

     

    Right, off for 8miles Threshold...

  • Hello again!



    Seems like lots of excellent training going on. Had a delve back to Fido's route description on the first few pages - would recommend a flick through to get the anticipatory juices flowing
  • Shadowed - welcome back. In answer to your question, I cannot recall there were any Lucozade stations on the course, only water stations and the Fetch station. Unless this is something they are changing for this year. I wounder whether someone else out there would know?

    SlokeyJoe - how is the training going?

    Barry - Yes, it is a relatively quick flat course on Sunday. Although the 2 times I have run it, it has been windy, and quite warm. Might be warm, but hopefully no wind. My plan is go off at 1.30 pace (6.50s) and see how it goes, even if it does not get pretty.

  • Shadowed -  Lucozade stn at about 13 and 21 ish(same stn), small bottle if I remember right.   It was manned by young army cadets last year on a narrow track which opens out with a sports field on the left think they were playing rugby last year, any memories coming back AC?

    Welcome back SJ  are you targeting sub 3 there's a few quick guys on here inlcuding Fraser  from the Sub 3:15(but really full of fast guys/girls thread)image

    6.5 miles in the sunshine (again image) this afternoon.  plan called for  1 WU, 3 at brisk pace and WD.  Pace for quick ones was 6:49,6:53,6:36 so pleased with that.

  • Two lucozade stations is good to know, nice touch from the organisers.

    Definitely going to have a read through of fidos description again SJ, probably the day before the race as dont want to get too nervous image.

    How did the 8 @ threshold go SR? Welcome back!

    Nice quick 3 middle miles Barry, have you a race anytime soon, you seem to be flying again after your last race.

    Strange you should say about a harder than usual 10.5 AC, i did 12 Tuesday morning and though it was easy pace it felt awful, legs were heavy and hamstrings through to lower back felt awful. think it was a case of hard work at work tightening everything up. slightly better now, just need to be better by Sundays HM, though a 1pm start with26 degree forecast doesn't sound great! Good luck with your own AC!

  • Shame I could not have done this marathon Abingdon, but it seem's my chance of sub 3 has gone, yet alone better.

    I will have to hope family, if and when, might do better.

    I will not be running this race now, shame as would liked to have had a look at those lakes.

    Edited, as had a few beer's.

     

  • Thanks Aching Calves and Barry B.  Good to know.

  • Yes, training is going well AC. I've been following P&D 12 week 55-70 but replacing the recovery runs with cross training (swim/bike) to ease the burden on the legs. Seems to be working well and I'm feeling strong and have my first tri race next Saturday as a spin off benefit - eek!



    Barry, yes the plan is to go for sub 3 which will be quite a stretch but we all like a challenge don't we?



    Good luck on Sunday AC and MeeMeep
  • Had my Long run today, 22m at a fairly constant 7:30 min/m pace. I am having the next two days off in the hope that I can shake off a niggle that won't seem to go away.

    Is anyone doing Maidenhead HM next week in preparation for Abingdon. I am assuming it is going to be a fast, flat course?

    Good luck to those racing this weekend.

  • Hello all,

    Lack of preparation means I will not be able to take up my place this year and so have   a place available for the original entry cost. 

    Please message me if you would like to take this place. 

    Cheers.

  • Barry B wrote (see)
    It was manned by young army cadets last year on a narrow track which opens out with a sports field on the left think they were playing rugby last year, any memories coming back AC?

    Barry - I think this is an indication of how my race was going last year, funny how the memory tends to block out bad/painful experiencesimage.

    Good pace there again, obviously the new plan is agreeing with you.

    Meep – thanks, and also best of luck with your HM. Mine is 10.30 start, which is better, but still thinks will be warm.

    Solent  - sorry to hear the bad news, I am sure you will be back.

    SlokeyJoe - Thanks, and enjoy your tri race tomorrow. All good training for Abo.

    Also-ran - good 22 miler there. Good decision to rest up. We are not too many weeks from taper now.

    Club track session last night. wu and then 50mins fartlek, consisting of 50, 100, 200 & 300m efforts. Kept it relatively easy as could feel my left leg adductor. Hopefully should be OK for Sunday.

  • AC/Meep   - Good luck for tomorrow.

    AR -  I'm doing Maidenhead next Sunday, yeah I think it's flat I've read there was a bit of confusion at the start last year so hopefully that has been sorted.

  • Just over 24 miles yesterday at 8:00 avg quite a lumpy route with one hard hill at 17%.  Very pleased with the run but got some bad news last night, one ot the guys off the sub 3:30 thread died of a heart attack last Monday, I had never met him but he was always very supportive and will be missed.

    How did the racers get on?

  • Barry - first of all sorry to hear of the bad news, it keeps everything in perspective. Good 24 miler by the way. Following my race yesterday, hopefully this makes your race a few weeks back does look not quite so bad. see below

    As planned I set off at 1.30 pace. This is a flat course. My splits were as follows:- 6.39, 7.09, 7.12, 7.24, 7.20, 7.34, 7.43, 7.48, 7.46, 8.03, 8.43, 9.20, 8.36, (0.18) 8.07. Chip time 1.42.38 (PW!) Although very gutted, it has as I wanted told me where I am at the moment, although maybe not in the fashion I had expected.

    This coverts to a marathon time of around 3.30-35, so if put my sensible head on, this makes a MP of 8.00 for Abo. I suppose you have to get on with, and accept this time around you are not in the shape you want. This will be make Abo more enjoyable, as now I will be going off at a more realistic pace, although still cannot get my head around doing a marathon tempo at 8.00 min milesimage

    Meep - hope your race went better

  • Sounds like a bad day AC ,  did you make a conscious decision to slow down or was there nothing in the legs/tank. were the last 3 as grim as the splits suggest.   At least you gave it a go and you have taken the small positive from it and can plan for Abo, better a bad half than a bad full one. Currently looking at 7:40's as a target for Abo, see how Maidenhead goes this Sunday, but I think we'll be close to each other at the finish. 5 miles recovery for me early this morning, legs not happy for first mile then not too bad.

  • Barry - yes, I am afraid the last 3 miles were grim as the splits suggest. I felt I had no energy as this point (as bad, if not worse, as the last 3 miles of a marathon). My legs did not feel too bad, although still a little stiff on my run this morning, which I am amazed at given my av pace on Sunday was 7.48 for just 13.1 miles!

    I have another HM in 2 weeks time, so more of a steady (realistic) start required I think. I also have planned 17 miles (last 6 at MP) on Sunday. So might try 7.45s for the last 6 and see how that goes. If this is too hard, then will have to consider slower next time, otherwise I might join your 7.40 train at Abo.

  • Looks like i made it the hatrick then, not going to dissect it again as my head is wrecked, will just say that 4m in i wasnt feeling great at all, slowed right down from here to the end, 1:32. Not sure what time to aim at now, no other races before so a couple of monster sessions 3 or 4 weeks out to help with the decision.

    Also sounds like you had a rough one AC, lets hope these HM are the bad races!

    Very nice 24 Barry, good average pace, nice confidence builder!

  • meep -  we all seem to be having a mare with our races, better now than in October though, hate to ask but what were you aiming for for the half, any problems with the heat?

    AC -  Very welcome on the 7:40 train.

    8 miles for me this afternoon including 5 miles fartlek.

  • Barry, minimum of sub 1:25, more in the region 1:23. Training going very well, all paces hit, so wait and see i guess.

    Hopefully yourself and AR will smash Maidenhead and break the HM hoodoo this Sunday! 

  • Question to the floor...

    I've got a half marathon booked 7 days away from Abingdon.  Now, I have a moral dilemma!  Do I go all-out and try for a new PB (current is 01:29), OR, do I use this to 'feel' what Marathon Pace is during race conditions, so we could say go out for first 3 miles at conservative conversational pace, then ramp up to MP for the last 10(.1!) miles?  Will I ruin my chances at Abingdon by going out hard and obtaining a PB - anyone else done this or similar?  Keen to get thoughts of those who've done/contemplated similar....

  • Meep -  Anything better than 1:37 will have me smiling but as its a flatter course 1:35 or thereabouts is the target. Hopefully AR  will do us proud, no pressureimage.

    SR  - I raced a HM back in 2009(1:28) and ran my mara PB(3:16) a week later at Abo but I had not done much running for the previous 6 weeks due to injury and the HM was a test to see if the mara was possible.  So the sensible answer is no a week is too close to be racing  a HM.  What time are you aiming for at Abo?

  • Does anyone have a good rule of thumb for HM pace vs marathon pace, i.e. in terms of scaling up the minutes / mile from one to the other.

    I've run two marathons but feel that I could / should run these faster in terms of pace, Currently I would say my half marathon pace would be 7.10 m/m (a lot slower than my HM PB of around 6.50 due to injuries and speed dropping over the last year) but my marathon pace for marathon PB pace would be around 7.44 (this was on a very hot day thought so clouds the issue somewhat).

    Any thoughts on reliable predictors from one time to the other. As mentioned before, I have a similar issue to ShadowedRunner in terms of not peaking too early for Abo (although 3 weeks from HM to marathon).

  • Oh, and good luck everyone running Maindenhead this weekend image

  • Stevan I swear by this:

    feelrace.com/marathonperfect.html

     

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