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Sub 3h15
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I'm struggling with number 4. at the moment. Over the last few weeks I convinced myself that I would have a 6 month break from marathon training and try and improve my short game...... but VLM is a bit special.
I need to start running again and stop eating NY size portions. 4kg added in the last week to keep me warm this winter. Just one HM booked so far; it is Bath time for me.
Oct 27 - Frankfurt - Jools - sub 3
Nov 17 - Gosport HM - Lorenzo - 1.27.xx (optimistically)
Dec 8 - Newcastle Racecourse Marathon or 50K - Minni
Jan 19 - Brass Monkey - Minni - 1:29.xx
Feb 2 - Kaiser HM - MsE first race post-injury
Mar 2 - Bath HM - AR - 1:19.xx
Mar 16 - Barcelona - Barry B sub 3:15
Mar 29 - Eco Trail de Paris 80Km - SJ - uninjured completion
Apr 6 - Paris mara - Mennania - Sub 3
Apr 6 - Manchester mara - knight rider - Sub 3
Apr 13 - VLM - PMJ - 2.4x, Ant - sub 3, Bike It - 3:05, Lorenzo, Minni - 3:10, Abbers TBA
May 11 - Fred Whitton Challenge - SJ - no crashes
May 31 - Kent Roadrunner - Gul Darr sub 3:15
May 31 - Stockholm - SJ - sub 3:15 with match retention
Jun 1 - Comrades - Poacher
Jun ? - Swim length of Ullswater - SJ - no drowning
July - Minni - Thunder Run - winning ladies team
July 27 - Outlaw - SJ - 10:xx
Oct 26 - Frankfurt - SJ - sub 3
I'm afraid no VLM for me next year, I'll defer to 2015. So I'm going to target Reading as my spring A race. I like the sound of ARs target.
Oct 27?? - Frankfurt - Jools - sub 3
Nov 17 ??-?? Gosport HM - Lorenzo - 1.27.xx (optimistically)
Dec 8 ?? - Newcastle Racecourse Marathon or 50K - Minni
Jan 19 ??- Brass Monkey - Minni - 1:29.xx
Feb 2?? ??- Kaiser HM - MsE first race post-injury
Mar 2?? ??- Bath HM - AR - 1:19.xx
Mar 2 - Reading HM- moof - 1.19.xx
Mar 16?? - Barcelona - Barry B sub 3:15
Mar 29?? - Eco Trail de Paris 80Km - SJ - uninjured completion
Apr 6?????? - Paris mara - Mennania - Sub 3
Apr 6?????? - Manchester mara - knight rider - Sub 3
Apr 13?? - VLM - PMJ - 2.4x, Ant - sub 3, Bike It - 3:05, Lorenzo, Minni - 3:10, Abbers TBA
May 11??- Fred Whitton Challenge - SJ - no crashes
May 31??- Kent Roadrunner - Gul Darr sub 3:15
May 31??- Stockholm - SJ - sub 3:15 with match retention
Jun 1?????? - Comrades - Poacher
Jun ????? - Swim length of Ullswater - SJ - no drowning
July?????? - Minni - Thunder Run - winning ladies team
July 27 - Outlaw - SJ - 10:xx
Oct 26?? - Frankfurt - SJ - sub 3
list is looking good - nice target AR! I sthis still the sub 3.15 thread as it's looking more elite these days?
Minni are you doing the Racecourse in Dec or wimping out?
If Joolska is "sub elite" does that make the rest of us sub average or what?
Questions, questions
I have started to think I am sub normal, now...
Not sure why all those question marks appeared when I cut and paste.
No plans to whimp out Poacher. Plan is to do the 50k but I might stop at the marathon distance if I'm losing the will to live! I've not trained for it but going to do a 20 tomorrow and the next two weeks. Entries are closing on 15th as it's almost full so if you've not already done so get yours in.
I'm not VLM-ing either (it clashes with rehearsals for an orchestra tour - couldn't resist the lure as I haven't gone on tour with an orchestra since a youth orchestra tour in 1997!). Main race will be the Bath Half (same weekend as Reading) when the aim will be something in the 1.20-1.22 bracket.
Speedy is also sub-elite
Or supra-normal?
Uurrgh - that was 'orrible - a 15-miler, trying to go slower than usual. Normally my easy pace is around 7:45 -7:50mm, but today i decided to keep it to 8.00-8:10mm. Result? I went from feeling quite sprightly yesterday and doing 5 effortless miles @ 7.35mm, to dragging myself round, feeling heavier and heavier to a point where at miles I could barely get my feet off the ground and hips, knees and feet all ached. I made an effort for the last miles and bashed them out at 7:20mm, but I vow never to do this again.
Within certain limits, we are all different and different things work for each of us. Just as you should always run your own race, well, imho you should train the way it feels right for you, not because you've read something somewhere. In 2009 and 2010 I had two successful campaigns where I did eveything on feel - going as fast I liked, when I liked. Then I started to pay too much heed to different points of view and apply them to my training even though they felt - and proved in the end to be - totally unsuited to my mentality, physiology and biomechasnics. What folowed were two hugely disappointing VLMs.
Well, this time, I'm not making that mistake again. Easy and long runs will be done between 7:35 and 7:50mm, with a chunk of faster miles thrown in, usually at the end.
This plodding slowly along at a pace which changes my gait sends me off on a downward spiral, just as it did this morning.
Ant - I concur with your view on pace and running to feel etc. Anything slower than 7:50ish pace and I'm all over the shop. That said, you are a much more experienced campaigner than I, this time 7 months ago I had yet to run a marathon! I presume you ran alone? The only time I can run at a slower pace is when I run with someone else who runs at a slower pace than I do, otherwise I find myself having to concentrate too much on my gait etc and it doesn't seem to flow or feel natural. Maybe running with someone else might help you? When is your next race?
This is my longest run since Paris in April and the comments from Ant and GM strike a chord. Running slow is hard but if I have someone with me and we're chatting away I can do it better.
Got soaked as it rained all the way but it was not too windy and really enjoyable (when going quicker).
SB
Nice run there SB!
8 bucolic miles d&d. Some very steep hills covered in horse/cattle sh#t but pleasant nonetheless, the run that is, not the smell! 8mm avg pace dead. Happy enough with that as it's blowing a gale, again! Saw a very unusual thing today, the sun!!
10 miles biked
3 miles run
Boring?
Ah, well. It was going to be a 40 mile bike ride, but the drizzle became rain, and then after a mere 10 miles I dropped a front wheel off the carriageway and went down with a bang. Sitting up, I spat out a front tooth and realised that there was a reasonable amount of red stuff. Unable to walk I crawled into a layby, and the others in the group helped me out. Wife threw a paddy and refused to collect me. Hanging around in the rain for another helper the shock turned into hypothermia.
Home, change into dry clothes, off to A&E. Grazed face. Thumped chin. Stiff neck and back. 8 stitches in top lip. Snapped off my front tooth.
After the anaesthetic I felt much better.
3 miles jogged home from hospital.
Like the way you took that opportunity for an extra 3 miles. They all count!
Enjoy the war wounds. Hope the mrs calms down soon too!
Blisters - That's terrible news, thumbs down for the OH refusing to come and rescue you! One consolation I guess was no broken bones. Visit to the dentist chair for you on Monday then?
Your wife sounds just like mine Blisters. They have no sense of humour sometimes. "It's your own fault blah blah blah"
Recover well buddy.
FFS, Blisters . . . . .
Blimey. Glad you felt well enough to jog home, Blisters. I had hypothermia for the first time recently and it was WEIRD.
Ant- I suppose the main point of the slow easy run is to lesson the impact and reduce injury, but if you're not getting injured from your pace and it feels comfortable then I suppose that is your easy pace.
But if slower running does use fat as its main energy supply and teaches the body to saves the carbs, which is what we want to do in a marathon, then perhaps you are just struggling with fat burning as your main energy supply.
The first few times I ran long runs at slow pace I seemed to struggle with energy and really feel flat towards the end. But now I can happily plod at 8 to 8.30 mm pace for an unfueled long run with no real dip in energy levels.
Does this mean I'm more efficient at burning fat on my long runs due to a slow pace or I've just got used to running long.
How the heck should I know, you lot went to Uni! Go figure.
6 miles today and calf is still a little tight.
Nasty Blisters. I've always said those bike things are dangerous. Recover well and I hope you can get a little bit of sympathy at home.
Ant, sounds like the right conclusion after a crappy run. My easy pace never involves clock watching. It just feels right, and usually is low 7's, and occassionally surprises me with low 8's
First run back today with the grand total of 2.8m. It's a small start.
Blisters - sounds like an interesting triathlon: bike, have stitches, run. Do you think it'll catch on? Hope you're feeling OK now.
Interesting point made by folks on the challenge of slower running. I often find it easy to do long runs off road as it's easier to relax and enjoy the surrounding rather than worry too much about the pace.
Talking of off-road, local XC league match for me this afternoon. Heavy rain in the morning made for a fun muddy course with plenty of puddles and with overcast, threatening skies it was dark in some of the wooded sections.
That said, it was a thoroughly enjoyable run and as I didn't go mad in the first K so ended up running the 2nd lap about 15s quicker than the first and picking plenty of people off. Not sure exaclty how long the course was, but probably around 5 miles in 33 mins and no ill effects on the knee.
Feeling a bit better about next weekend now.
TR, Literatin - what numbers are you at Gosport? I'll probably be in a Dorking and Mole Valley vest, number 271
blisters, not good on the bike, hope you weren't a looker as loosing a tooth never helps.
Lorenzo - 1767, and will probably take the opportunity not to wear my club vest since for once I'm doing a race not on our calendar! Though I'm not convinced I'm 100% over whatever made me black out at Robin Hood half, so if I'm in any doubt next week about how I'm feeling I'll just support my friend Vicky (#1768) and cheer you on, of course!
Shoe erotica
I made one purchase in NY, some Asics Gel Super J33 (mouthfull) which will be coming to a treadmill in Maidenhead soon. It is the new shoe in Asics Oxymoron '33' range - a 'natural' shoe with support for us pronating runners.
Feel very comfy and if no good will make an excellent 90 dollar pair of minimilist slippers.
Blisters - ouch ! I suggest stabilisers.
Moof - yes to both. Your Glycogen stores should last you longer on race day as a result, just as long as you dont spike them before the off with a gel or sports drink. But research shows that even if you've taught yourself to be a good fat burner in training your body will still respond to gels etc on race day. there's a school of thought nowadays that says you can push really hard if you can consume and process enough energy to fuel it. But stomachs dont work well when pushed too hard, so its a juggling act.
Lorenzo - no idea on my number a race pack came (which I assume is from there) but I havnt opened it yet. Red Xempo T shirt, black footy style shorts, black cap (unless its blowing a gale) and big legs. Trying not to look the part.
By contrast, I shall be attempting to look the part with teeny girl shorts and a vest (or two), but may ruin it by also wearing gloves.
Ouch, Blisters. That sounds vile. Recover well...
Best of luck to the Gosport Massive - looking forward to the race reports tomorrow!
Jools - nooooo - it's not till next week, but even though I knew that you just made me go and check!
Blisters - Bet that hurt. Hope your boyish film-star good looks haven't been irrevocably spoiled. Have a quiet word with Mrs. B concerning levels of support.
Lorenzo - Thoroughly enjoyable? A XC? You can't have run it hard enough
.
Yes, it's a rum one, this slow runnng business - horses for courses, I suppose, up to a point. I don't think it's about energy levels, as my HR was below 130bpm for the first 11 miles and only went up because I forced the pace on an uphill section.
Gerard - My next race probably won't be till December now, an up-over-and-down 9 mile point-to-point (logistical nightmare, so will only do it if have company, to take two cars) and then a fast 5-miler just before Christmas. I was going to do a HM tomorrow but family commitments (a.k.a. domestic politics) scuppered that one.