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Sub 3h15
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Right, that is it, Gul. Your destiny is in ultra running. I can feel it in my bones.
OO - good luck today! Hope the teeth are not feeling too sore today.
Gerry - thanks for the thought about Manchester. Am hoping it will be a fast one. I like you goal setting. You seem to be naturally quite speedy. Am sure some focus will hone those fast twitch fibres and get you where you want to be with a bit of targeted pain. Formwork is an easy way to add a bit of running economy. A bit like sticking aero bars on a road bike I reckon.
Good to see you getting the midweek MLRs in again, Abbers. Remind me what your next races are? Be good to set some goals given you are getting back into it.
You sound in really good form, GDMOH. Looking forward to seeing how your training goes.
Leslie - apologies for coming across as blunt having not met in person, but you are quite clearly sandbagging with a 40 min 10K.
Long run day for me. 90-105 mins time on feet was scheduled so I took the dog with me for an easy out and back along a flat trail covering 13.1 mi @ average pace of 7:56 min/mi.
Great training 10K there Leslie - there's a big chunk to be taken off that PB when you next pull a number on.
Hope your 10K went well OO, and it sounds like you need to get one in the diary GCE. Not sure whether a sub-18 5K or a sub-38 10K would be more acheivable. Suspect the latter if you can find the right course.
Sounds like another good intervals session from GDMOH - have you signed up for the Surrey Half yet? I'm toying with it for a Spring Half - I did 1:27:14 in 2014.
ChristMsE - not sure about the idea of sticking aero bars on a road bike. I tried that last summer and they melted - boom boom!! Sounds as though you had a decent run this morning - how's your ankle?
Long mixed terrain run for me this morning as commitments for the next few weekends mean that it's going to be a challenge to get another decent long one in between now and my mid-January Ultra. I decided to experiment with taking a set of road shoes in my backpack so that I could change into them halfway round once I'd done the off road section - the C2C has got the first half running on trails and the second half on hard surface next to the canal and the previous time I did it, I was in trail shoes all the way. Not sure it made much of a difference, but at least the shoes didn't feel too heavy to carry round if I do decide to go with that option.
Anyway, today's route involved a 3 hill challenge: Holmbury Hill (very misty so no views from the top), Leith Hill (where I had a short break and a natter with a few other runners who'd just made it up there) and Box Hill (where despite the inclement weather there was no shortage of cyclists).
In total, about 1000m of climb and 30 miles in total, so the rest of the day will be a combination of eating and resting.
The dentist was cancelled yesterday as one of the parts for my implant tooth was missing. This allowed me to drink even more at the running club Xmas party last night
Blew the cobwebs away with a slow plod at the parkrun pacing my eldest daughter in around 30 mins.
Up next was Saltwell 10k for my last race of 2016. Pleased to report a 38:10 on the twisty hilly course which was good enough for 1st V50 and a crate of beer for 1st mens Vet team.
Better still Junior 00 came second lady- a remarkable run in sub 37 minutes, finishing just over a minute behind Olympic marathoner Ali Dixon. It's the best I've ever seen her run- not sure I'll ever catch her again.
ChristMsE nice half mara ,you are right I'm sure about the 10k time
my legs were still not recovered from sunday's hard 20 miler and I was hoping to put 6 x 6:15's in a row but 6:15 felt much too hard right from the start so most were around 6:20,with no trackwork for months I just don't have the leg speed to go any quicker.
Lorenzo ho ho ho 1000m of climb sounds a hell of a lot ,I had 221m today and some really hard hills. 30 miles is a very long way
Sn00w53 you are having no luck with this dentistry ,must be torture getting it put back again, Id rather get in and get it over.On the beer and ran 38:10 I recon you can still catch junior if you really want too
although she is getting seriously quick now so you had better hurry. Nice prize 
19 miles with tough hills then 5m hard progression to finish ,coming over the footbridge near the end of the run a group of ladies was taking the whole width and one veered into my path closing the gap as I was approaching fast so I said a "coming through " in a loud voice , well she leapt a foot In the air legs everywhere and shouted something unmentionable
as I scared the bejesus out of her, once they realised they were not about to be mowed down by a crazy cyclist they nearly fell over laughing 
19m at 7:38 m/ mile average. not bad for after nightshift !
Please note everyone - despite numerous smackdown victories this tear, snOOw53 is scared of facing a rematch at Hull..
Some good runs recorded by SBD, Leslie, GD, MsE, Lorenzo, snow & jnr and others.
Lorenzo I have done C2C45 twice in road shoes all the way - trail shoes would surely be hell on that long towpath. The first half is survivable in road shoes even in winter weather. The trick is to get to the canal in a decent position then speed away from people in heavy clunky shoes.
Gerry those are nice targets - need to find fast flat road races for PB attempts at 5 & 10k.
Solid if unspectacular parkrun at Orpington this morning, 20.05 on a slightly slippy twisty course for 5th place, 75% WAVA. Pompey tomorrow.
Still pursuing the car driver over paying for the bike - I told him that I teach investigative journalism so if he has any sense he will know that he can neither run nor hide; and if he tries to run I may outlast him...
Lorenzo, the C2C is quite close to me and I do parts of it on a regular basis. Trail shoes for first half, road shoes for the second half. I am happy to meet up halfway and second for you so you can have dry shoes and socks. I did that last year for a few from our club and it is by far the best way to do it. The first half is muddy already.
PMBC / PMJ - thanks for the advice / offer of support. Will give it some thought and let you know what my plan is.
Aiming to get out for a short recovery run with younger Lorenzito tomorrow morning.
Leslie - Great running again. I had a few calamitous moments the other night in the 5k which I omitted to mention and your story reminded of them. There were 3 and they went like this.... #1 I wore specs for the 1st time as I wanted to see my half split on my smaller timex watch and a lens popped out after 400m, so I ran the rest of the race half blind (unbelievably a friend found it the next morning when out on a run) and it's scary dark with cyclists and walker along the prom. #2 Saw a guy with a large Siberian husky dog who took interest in one of the runners ahead of me and it tried to jump me before I went past! I ran through the hedge that runs along that stretch and got a few grazes from them. #3 in the last mile I was running past two ladies who were out walking and as I ran past they screamed and I said sorry, they were laughing their heads off. I got a fright too!
Lorenzo - 30 miles! Good lord. Well done.
Nice WAVA for your parkrun and good luck tomorrow Poacher!
OO - Great 10k after a night on the beer and a super run by Junior. I am under no illusion that sub 18 will be easy but I feel I am near 18:30 shape at the mo and I plan to lose another 9lbs or so in the new year. I'm still too heavy for a runner of my size and with the right training and a fast course I think it's doable. The good thing is the local club puts loads of 5k's on and the one I did the other night is an out and back along the promenade, although night racing is tricky as there are lots of people out walking their dogs, bike commuters going hell for leather and it's very dimly lit. There should be ample opportunities to make incremental improvements.
MsE - Nice trail half. Does your dog run alongside you or does it cover more mileage by running off sniffing stuff etc? From recollection there is a slight drag uphill just before halfway or thereabouts in Manchester but it's nothing really but I only noticed it because when you pass the turn you come back down the same way and it seemed more noticeable then.
Haven't run since the 5k on Tuesday and won't be able to until I get to Paris as I have my boy now and the schools broke up on Thursday. His mother decided to book a last minute 2 week trip away, so it meant having to finish up work earlier than I originally planned to. My mother, sister and brother will be on hand in Paris to look after Seb while I go for a run or two with the brother in law who will most likely be on a bike. Did a similar thing a few years ago and when they lived in Brussels and managed to get some very decent running in. Will play it by ear this year and may just go for a few easy runs to do some sightseeing.
Odd few days to end the week. Thursday had plantar fasciitis in my right foot and could barely walk so had Thursday and Friday off. Felt better this morning so did parkrun with the intent of an easy 21. 1, 2, 3 and go! and I was off and felt easy. The local club (Wycombe Phoenix) picked today as their Christmas parkrun so the start was a mass of youngsters speeding off and away so I got into the pack and as they started to fall away as they are really 400 and 800m runners I started to pick them off and had a good line of them up to about the 3k mark. Eventually ended up with 19:35 and didn't really push it (and recently I have been doing about 19:30 full out), so an odd but pleasing outing.
NIce parkrun PMJ. Plantar fasciitis is a real pain. I have had it over the years and it just seems to come and go with no warning. IMHO rest is the only thing for it.
I assume you are in Croissy Gerrard. I'm sure you'll have a grest time and get in lots of quality runs along the Seine
Great racing from OO and OO Jr as ever. Such a privilege to be able to share her development (especially as a mother).
Another stonkingly decent run from the machine that is Leslie. I think it was when my LRs were feeling easy in the sub-7:30 range I knew I was in decent sub-3 shape.
Poacher - you absolutely need compensating by that driver. I cannot believe someone could be so irresponsible to question it. If it were me, I would be dashing out with you to buy it for you with all extra embellishments and thanking my lucky stars you came out of it in one piece. Some people really do need a good shaking sometimes!
Enjoy your time with your son, Gerry. Such a magical time of year for kids now.
Hope the PF sorts itself out, PMJ. Goes to show what happens when your mind is off the idea of "racing" (even for such a seasoned racer as you!)
Lorenzo - you obviously have a faster HM in you. It is worth doing the same race if only because you are familiar with the course so have a real chance to run it much faster in your bid to go sub-3. Ankle good for now thanks but I am being really careful and have decided not to do any XC this year to play it safe.
I have just an easy 30-45 mins to do today and will do that before MsEsq plays his first game of rugby since his time off for concussion which the led into time off for a shoulder subluxation (on his first match back). I am dreading him popping that shoulder again.... Fingers crossed he is strong enough now after 11 weeks out of the game. Happy Sunday to you all.
Poacher nice parkrun ,n doubt you will get a new bike but it will be a slow process I suspect.
Gerry another lucky find after the watch ,you are having a few dog issues this last while or more likely the idiot owners who can't be bothered to control them.Enjoy the little holiday with the nipper.
PMJ I had a mildish case of the plantar type foot pain for a few months earlier this year ,not bad enough to stop running but a bit annoying,Nice parkrun.
MsE MsEsq is having a time of it on the bench with injuries ! and good to hear my pace is heading in the right direction
Out for 9m with a friend who I met by chance then 4 steady around 7:30m/m to finish on very tired legs. 13.5m at 7:57m/mile.
68m for the week.
MsE - fingers crossed for MsEsq. Hope his rugby has gone well.
PMJ - very encouraging that you can knock out a 19:35 and it felt easy. I'll probably be a parkrun tourist in York on Christmas Eve and if I can get 19:xx I'll be happy.
Sounds as though you'll have a fun time with your lad GCE.
Great mileage Leslie - not surprising your legs were tired though.
Had to go out on my own this morning as I couldn't entice younger Lorenzito out of bed at 7am (he went out later!) - just over 4 recovery miles through the woods to match Leslie's 68 for the week.
Well, the inevitable happened; just towards the final ten minutes of play MsEsq's shoulder popped out again...
Ouch! That sounds nasty.
Back from Portsmouth, pure Laurel & Hardy as I missed the start,
forgot the vaseline 
, and, in a surreal twist, was trapped by a spectator in a portaloo half way round 
. Apart from that, I'm a classy athlete who really knows what he's doing. Not! 
MsE - Aaaargh ,,, Speedy recovery - perhaps it's time for your son to take up rowing?
Lorenzo - a recovery run after 30 on Saturday is good going.
Good weekly mileage Leslie
Fast running from PMJ and OO - OOJnr is flying ...
16 miles for me today. The schedule had it as 16 with the last 8 at MP. I've always hated these MP runs outside of a race but today's went quite well. Conditions were really good (shorts and no wind) and I was out on my favourite long run trail (The Phoenix Cycle Trail between Princes Risborough and Thame). 16 miles at an average of 7:20 m/m, with the last 8 at 6:56 m/m. Quite pleased with today's run which brings me up to 64 miles for the week.
x-post
Well done on notching up another marathon Poacher - it sounds like it was adventurous.
And the finish time was?
Nice one PMBC - sounds an interesting day! Is it OK to ask how the spectator trapped you in the portaloo?!!
He leaned his bike against the door and jammed the handle. Report anon - it will make embarrassing reading.
SBD you are flying, what a comeback.
Want that report on our desk first thing in the morning, Poacher!
You are indeed flying, SBD!
Nice one SBD. I like that trail but not too often, good for an out and back so I assume you did 8 out and 8 back for the 16.
Need a fuller report poacher but well done.
MsE - That's awful news re your son. Hope he's ok and it must have been very upsetting. My boy plays for Jersey U9's and it';s his first year of contact and he is only a little thing compared to some of the other boys and often gets hurt by the more cumbersome type. Luckily he's smart and reads the game well and is quick too so he can generally weave his way through or out of danger but I do worry about it.
Poacher - That's trés bizarre! I look forward to reading the report. Another one done, so well done.
Lorenzo - An early start after yesterday's 30. Half your weekly total too in 2 days, nice work!
Leslie - Another big week recorded there, so I'm not surprised you were feeling a bit jaded.
SBD - Showing some fine form with that run and a very good weekly total.
OO - I arrive in Croissy late on Wednesday and I'm looking forward to running along the banks of the Seine.
Gul - Oops re the double drop.
Had a mild panic today as I was sorting through my itinerary and looked to see if I could check in online early, only to discover that my son's passport wasn't in my travel compartment where it usually is. His mother was meant to fly out to Oman yesterday but was fog bound and again today. I called her in a panic and she had it in her house! So so lucky that she didn't make her flight otherwise I would have had to try get an emergency one!
14 yesterday gave me a 52 mile week. Just need 35 minimum each next 2 weeks to break my 2250 target for 2016.
MsE - sounds like an ejoyable trail run with your dog. Hope your son's shoulder popped back in again okay!
Lorenzo - cracking VLR. You should be in good shape for the Ultra - just go easy on the Christmas pudding
OO - lucky reprieve from the dentistry; set you up nicely for a cracking 10k victory. Congratulations to you and off course junior OO in amazing form.
Leslie - excellent long run. Be careful you don't frighten anyone to death moving at that pace.
Poacher - nice parkrun prep for Portsmouth. Okay, that's enough aliteration. Did some of my nerves rub off on you? Quite an eventful day; presumably trombone free.
GM - enjoy the time with your son and the trip to Paris.
PMJ - good parkrun after the PF. Hope it's just a one-off.
SBD - cracking MLR with MP miles.
Had a bit of a cold last week and it got worse on Friday, so had a few days off. Fortunately, I only have 26 more miles to go to hit my target so plenty of time yet.... The good news from work is that we now have official NHS recognition for a couple of our products - a process which has taken an incredibly long time, but could be well worth it.
Some good running going on, GM's sub 19 5k and Leslie's sub 40 pavement run and OO's 38.10 10k race to name a few. Great stuff for this time of year.
Good to read some of your training has started already for next Spring, seems early, but I think Manchester is 2nd April? Sounds like you are well into your training MsE. It's a good course and really flat. There is only one hill and that is the road bridge that takes you into Altrincham.
Been busy lately so not been able to post much. Did an XC race last weekend which was tough and reminded me that I prefer tarmac! Toying with running a Spring marathon for fun off a minimal 3 day training plan. Anyone done a 3 day plan before?
(rubs hands with glee at seeing KR lured back into 26.2)
What's a "plan"?
Anyway, Portsmouth. 4th time for me, very mixed terrain, mostly seafront & footpaths with bits of muddy field, muddy beach, sea wall & shingle. Always a good pre-Christmas blast, running mainly by the water with misty views of the Solent and formations of geese & duck overhead or feeding on the mudflats. Surprise no. 1 was finding that the vital vaseline tin was missing. Many men know that this is potentially disastrous but an obliging masseuse came up with some tape which she even volunteered to stick on to my chest (!
). Phew. The 2nd surprise was the start. I and loads of others complacently wandered out of the leisure centre with a few minutes to go, to find that the start had moved since last year to a spot maybe 1/4 of a mile down the prom. On reaching the start line, it was clear that a very quiet gun had gone off and the race was already under way. So I began more or less at the back, with the elves, santas, slower runners etc, and the usual glut of oafs who think a (sometimes extremely) narrow course with obstacles, cyclists, cars and no road closures, is a good place to run with earphones.
This was mara no. 6 for the year, also LR no. 6, and the first time in double figures since Hull in September. No real target, but maybe 3.40ish would be useful training. Starting late forced a slow and steady pace while overtaking back markers. At the half way point on Hayling island, I decided on a quick visit to the men's room. After which the door of the portaloo wouldn't open - surprise no. 3. I managed to force it ajar to find someone had propped a bike against it, jamming the handle. There is nothing dignified about calling to be released from a fetid plastic Tardis; fortunately the fella was on hand to move the bike. I dodged back through the crowd yelling "let me through please - I used to be a runner". Which is true, but I think that was lost on spectators.
The pace stayed steady and although stamina is obviously lacking I speeded up and picked off a few places off towards the end. Final score 3.23.21 for 85th. Nice t-shirt, free beer, then surprise no. 4, a gigantic medal weighing nearly half a kilo! (Will try to do a pic - not working on Mac ATOW).
The dilemma has been that I no longer have the willpower or time to invest in trying to run a fast mara, but want to keep GFA qualifying for VLM and similar events. So the aim is to be able to knock out regular 3.20-ish marathons without specific training, while putting more effort into cycling, off road running etc. So far, so good.
Anyway that's 68 maras/ultras. It would take another 5 yrs to get to 100 - can I be a**ed?
Anyone else racing before new year?
Impressive pedigree Poacher and another decent mara time given the mixed course. 6 in a year makes me look like a slouch with only 3, and a great comedy moment with the portaloo- how long were you stuck in there, and what exactly did you shout to get his attention.
5 miles at the track for me today, mainly 12 times 400 at 5:40 pace with recovery. Nice to be home and not travelling.