Giving up the booze

Hi All,

I start with a wo ho.

I managed 7.46 miles this morning, in a moving time of 2hours 10 minutes. I'm really pleased with that. Although may not be as fast as all you in here, but its so hilly in the Yorkshkre Dales, and I had to watch out for ice on the pavements, where there any pavements.

What made up for ice were the scenes of snow on the surrounding hills.

Apparition your welcome to give me a hand with boat anytime, work never stops on her.

AG good going with thee swimming, it takes time but you will get there. Good going ith the training, its always good when you at least bank in the miles. Agreed AG with letting your hair down, I still feel your doing well in cutting down, stopping the beer. Wow with the distance, I'm only up to 7 miles.

SL the running will look after itself, sorry to hear about the cold coming back. This weather does nt help you, but spring is just around the corner.

Its more like Ice than snow now Cinder's. I had  to take it easy on paths until they just became roads. Forecast says snow again tonight, just got to wait and see.

I got merry yesterday, one reason why I was determined to do a eun today. But there was some goods news. SL i'm back having two pints of fresh orange (it really does help), and instead of spending loads  on beer, I got some cereal and other fresh food, and still a little cash in pocket, so it was an interesting and successful two days.

well done on getting the miles in Sinbad. just careful of the icy conditions. No fun going over on your arse in the cold

Cinders, yep I almost drowned in a swimming pool when I was about 4 or 5. Had to be fished out and water pushed out of me. Nice! I'm not so afraid of the water that I can't go in a pool, or even the sea, I just don't really like being out of my depth. I start to tense up, which isn't good for relaxed floating. Dealing with it little by little. It's the only real thing that causes me anxiety, or that I have any phobia of. My girlfriend reminded me of that when I was being a dick a while ago and saying something like "i don't understand what's so difficult about losing weight, why don't people just not eat so much and exercise more". She pointed out that perhaps they don't see what's so difficult in jumping in a pool, and that everyone has their hangups. That kind of brought me back down to earth. I remind myself of that whenever I find myself being a bit dismissive of something I might find easy. Everyone has their own achilles and it's not fair of me to scoff when i'm not in their shoes.

Sunluvva, I take your point about the long runs, I was thinking of making my last 20miler a 22 miler. I think 24 might just be pushing it for me. I know the elites often go up to, or even beyond the race distance in their training, but at my training pace, i'd be out there for 4 hours, so might just take a little too much out of me.

Hi All,

One day at a time with the swimming AG

Snow's melted here but we did have another flurry this morning.  My daffs are shooting up and in bud - I'm sure they'll bloom at the first sight of sun or warmth 

Well done on the run and the OJ and healthy food, a wise choice.  Don't worry about times at all if you're running in hilly areas - even the elite runners take much longer when there are hills involved!

You're doing well just swimming at all AG if you've had such a scary experience!  How long is it till the marathon - if you can get the 24 miles in and have time to cut down to a 17/18 wk 1, then half marathon next week, 10k the next and the race the week after you'll be fine and will have recovered before the race itself.  If you're going at a slower training pace then the time on your feet will help not hinder.

I'm having another lazy day today, I was so tired when I got up this morning my legs didn't want to work on the walk to school!  Training at the agency was cancelled so I went k to bed for an hour but couldn't sleep.  I might have a little trot tomorrow and Thurs just to remind my legs what running is so they don't get a shock at Brighton 1/2m on Sunday but then I'm going to have a whole week to 10 days of no running and concetrating on getting back to my 100% raw food diet so I can be well again. I can't stand this fatigue and going down with one virus after the other - it's getting to me now so time to take radical action!

SL, are you and HTF both doing Brighton this weekend?

Good running sinbad

AG, you really are doing well after that experience.  I was worried when they had to fish little C out of the pool the other month but thankfully he is ok.  I only found out last month that the reason my dad couldn't swim was that he had a similar experience at a young age. 

yeah, i've always been quite cautious around water, and was jealous when I was a kid of the other kids who would be playing about in the water apparently carefree, whilst i'd either make excuses for getting in, or get in but always keep one eye on how far i was from the edge of the pool.

then i grew up and spent less time around the water, and ignored the problem, but last year I decided i was missing out on a lot of potential fun, so started tentative steps to sort it out. now i'm kind of ok in the water, but still get tense out of my depth, so just keep going to the pool and getting used to it. Seems to be working so far. My breathing has improved, and i can do a few lengths without getting knackered, although if i swallow water or breathe at the wrong time and inhale any i do freak out a bit. baby steps.

Hi All,

those baby steps appear to be working AG.

SL the Manchester Marathon is about 10 weeks away, April 28th.

That thought really scared me into action. I'm going to have 2 long runs a week instead of one, and as you said work on the distance, with runs of 2 to 5 miles on a daily basis.

SL sounds good about the half marathon.

Question, I have noticed (more on treadmil than road), that my legs feel shaky. Is this common, when building up distance etc?

Is it possible to get up to 20 miles in 10 weeks?

I made mistake of working on 5k speed rather than distance.

Cinder's how's your training going?

Sinbad, are you doing the manchester marathon too? I'll be at that one.

If i'm reading your question correctly, do you mean is it possible to build up to a long run of 20miles in 10 weeks? I guess the answer depends on the shape you're currently in, and your capacity to train whilst avoiding injury.

You'd want to do a 2week or 3week taper, so your last long run, of 20 miles, would be on either 7th or 14th April. You would draw a straight line between now and that date, with the 20mile run on the 7th (or 14th) and your current long run from last weekend. Increase the mileage for each weekly long run, remembering to stagger it a bit, so you have some rest weeks each third or fourth week where you run maybe 75% of the previous week's distance. After hitting the peak mileage, you'd then taper for 2 or 3 weeks, ramping down to avoid injury and make sure you're fresh for race day.

so, just to illustrate, you might be on 10 miles for last Sunday, and each subsequent sunday between now and your peak would be something like:

12mi, 14mi, 16mi, 13mi, 17mi, 18mi, 15mi, 20mi, 16mi, 12mi, RACE

Now, ideally, you'd be able to ramp up to 20miles before that date and have about 3 runs of 20miles or so. But depending on where you're at now, that might not be possible. The suggestion above is just that, it's not prescriptive, you should always listen to your body and if adjust your training accordingly.

For example, i'm doing my first 20 miles this Sunday, then again in about 3 weeks time, then again on 7th April, and on the sundays in between this i'll be doing between 14 and 18, depending on the week, and whatever other training i've got planned for that week. But then i've been very slowly ramping up the miles for the past 7 weeks, from about 12 miles around xmas to now. Adding miles quickly increases the injury risk. So it is possible to get to a 20mile long run in 10 weeks, but it's a steep climb, depending where you're starting from.

And yes, it's normal for your legs to feel shaky, but if you feel pain then it's something to get looked at by a physio.

Hi All,

Yes AG I am doing the Manchester Marathon. I just hope I can reach that 20 mile distance in time. Fair comment, aboout training, luckily I only have the boat and training for me.

Thanks for that AG, I will try that wha you have suggested. I'm glad thatt Its not just me with the shaky legs. Its just not been weather, its been storms with gale force winds here. Hopefully, we will get a settled period of weather.

A word of warning with tthe weather. The snow that has fallen in New York, may hit us. As we tend  to get our weather from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Hope your all okay.

Hope your all okay

Morning All,

How is everyone?

Well I surprised myself and got up an hour erliar for a run. Ithink I expected too much for myself as the timewas 47.37 for 5k.etting up my with a mile in 10.08.

But I did surprise myself, by getting up my nemisis of a hill, and not stopping at all through the 5k only second time I managed that.

Weather forecast in Manchester is snow, turning to rain later. The snow is movng eastwards.

Hope people prep for training is going as best they can.

nice one for getting your run in early Sinbad. it's always a good feeling to have got the run banked before the rest of the day interrupts you.

i've got a 12mi run home tonight. my missus has started to voice some annoyance that i'm getting home late a couple of nights a week. Nothing too serious I think, she'd just prefer I let her know in advance so she's not waiting around for me so she can eat. It really eats into your personal time this marathon training lark doesn't it?

Sinbad, what has your average weekly mileage been like over the last month or so? And how long have your weekend longer runs been like? Say, the last 3-4 weekends? That should help to inform what shape you're in at the moment and give you some clue as to how much you can push the mileage up in the next few weeks.

Great going Sinbad - getting up early is something I want to do but never manage  Isn't it just a fantastic feeling when you finally conquer a hill without stopping - well done   That's a good suggestion of AG's re training, either that or just follow a 'get you round' schedule like the kind you can get on here.

Hope the run home's good AG and the Mrs doesn't moan at you - probably wise to let her know when you're going to be late....

Just me doing Brighton Cinders - I don't know what HTF's doing this weekend.  Last time I ran it I did it with Runner Duck - I still chat to RD on fb   

I've decided not to bother running till Sunday - hopefully the 10 days rest will be a help rather than a hindrence - I'll find out Sunday!

Hi All,

it's been between 10 and 15 miles AG. I'm sticking to what you have suggested. The route I'm doing at my home will eventually lead back onto itself. I the think in all that will be about 16-20 miles.

SL its a great feeling having beaten the hill, I'm now onto the next one that is on the opposite side of the road, and goes on for about a mile, then its just a mixture of small nd loong hills too many to mention here .

AG I think letting her know you will be home till late on for her to eat. At least its the running and not the booze your staying out for the booze.

SL hope the half marathon goes well for you. Keep us informed? We don't see much of  HTF at the moment,is she all  right.

Hope you all enjoy your Valentines night

Good luck for Sunday SL

Well done for getting up sinbad, something I too always wanted to do but I'm just not a morning bod!

I did however do a small *run* today, first in....dunno

Hi All,

Good for you Cinder's. Hope it develops in the training, in way you want to Cinder's.

Shows you that I'm single, Ithought Valentines is today

Is it me, or are the emicons not working?

Hi All,

I did a 2 mile run, on the large part on the flat, in 25.46 mins. Those hills may just be working.

Enyoy this your special day people.

Well done sinbad

Today is far too commercial, same as Xmas, Easter, Mother's Day etc......  I did however cut little C's sandwiches into hearts

Hi All,

That's sweet Cinder's what you did for llittle c, and yes its like all celebrations now.

Well, I have found on trak alcholol support place, in cutting down of booze. I honestly would love to think I could stop completly. (not sure if right spelling), it's just a question of ringing them , and getting there now.

I have also sent an email offering Marshal volunteer for Parkrun, if it got there. I will see what happens there now.

Hope all okay?

Sounds worth giving them a ring sinbad, see what they do and offer

Lol, found out that little C actually thought his sandwiches were shaped like ice creams!  Ah well

Hi All,

Lol with little C sandwiches.

As far as I been told, they help you to keep on Trak with keeping up with your own goals with cutting down possible stopping drinking, That's all I know at the minute.

I managed 10 miles this morning, it was dammed hard  but I'm glad I did it. The moving time on my trusty Garmin was 2 hours 32 minutes.

One thing though I'm back on track with getting up to 20 miles within the next 5 weeks, with just one long run, and shorter runs, 3 to 4 times a week.

Hope your all okay?