Abingdon Marathon

Luvsa - I've had that experience in races. Often a mystery why a bad performance comes in to play. I think confidence is a big factor - never easy to conjure it up out of nowhere epescially if training has been patchy. Also warm humid weather is a major thing - I have stopped using a watch or anything during non mara races, just have the Garmin on for data anaylsis post race. I'm convinced not looking at (or havin the option to sneak a peak) makes me perform better. Once you've seen a "bad" km go by during a race it can be game over and the little internal demons stuff your confidence

This happened to me during last marathon when it was hot and I got myself in a self imposed cycle of negativity thinking the pace I was going at felt far too hard.

I'm too low tech to comment on HR training. I'd prob have the opposite approach from Chillies and suggest just training to feel and perceived effort. For this campaign I'm only using pace feedback for the medium-hard-run-with-certain-paces session midweek. Track is just with stopwatch and LSR by time on feet. All other runs are just by perceived effort. I was guilty of becoming a pace slave in previous campaigns

Try to put the race behind you and move on without letting it mess with your mojo

Have more or less put my drinking days behind me - rather feebly my intake is close to zero now. Funny how you totally lose the taste for it. What a sad fecker...

I use the HRM + Garmin all the time.  I do not really on it in training or racing. I now know what tempo feels like and what easy feels like.

However i do use the data whgen downloading to fetch.

At the moment the beats per mile is normally 1250-1350 depending on how hot it is. If its at the top end of that scale or higher I need a rest, short easy run the next day and/or more sleep. If I do that I find my next run goes far better and I am back on it.

Also I use it to gauge my MP by HR. There is a graph on fetch that shows average speed for HR - it puts a straight line through all runs for the last x Months.  ( you choose). I look at training for the last 1 month and use the graph to ascertain/confirm MP I plan to run at looks possible, basically it does not help in the actual race - but adds confidence before the race.

Its also good to see fitness improvments. When I started runninga  couple of years ago Beats per mile were 1500. So an improvment of a 1/6th is nice to see !!

Sorry for rambling !!

Just thought I would check in to wish everybody good luck in their training.

I am still not nailed on 100% to run this one as my wife is due to give birth three weeks before, I will have to see how it goes but will start the training anyway.

After a promising start to the year London turned into a bit of a disaster (again), a few ill advised 5.20 to 5.10 min miles and it was game over by the 18 mile mark. Anyway 6 weeks off  work now so time to crank up the mileage and see what happens.

My take on Garmins/ HR monitors is that they are great for training but if you are paying too much attention to them during races then you really could be trying harder. 

MG– impressive weekly mileage, although you may be a bit tired now, come October you will reep the benefits.  Must admit I cannot get my mind around MP of 6.30!   Although I do not abstain during marathon training, my alcohol consumption is quite insufficient. Mostly running in the morning puts pay to any significant partying at night…at least until after Abo

Meep – good speedy session

CFB – good effort in the heat

Luvas – while in the middle of marathon training, you get those races where it does not happen. Having said that, it is still a good time in this heat.  As FW pointed out, you have 3 months to get to the boil.

I do not use a HRM myself, and run on feel and what pace my Garmin is telling I am running at, although often I can tell how hard I am working purely based on my level of breathing. 

Jamesito –welcome back, and best wishes for the new baby.

Very warm at 7.30 this morning for my run, glad I am not running tonight.

Jamesito  - Were you aiming to run Abo or win it, that is v quick. Hopefully you'll make it.

I used a HR monitor for a while and became a bit fixated with it, since my return from injury I have n't bothered with it.   I  just use pace per mile as a guide to effort. Regarding Garmins and racing, my best ever 10k, 39:36(those were the days), was Garmin less as it pissed it down just before the start and my Garmin was going bonkers cause the bezel was wet. Talking of Garmin anyone else having problems uploading to Garmin Connect?

Plan for today called for 1600m x 3 with 1min recovery,too bloody hot to be doing mile repeats outside so hit the tready, not sure if it was any cooler but at least the sun was n't beating down on me, 3 K WU then the repeats at 15kmh pace, at least it kept the pace even, rather than doing the first one too quick then dying on the last.

FW - Second it was indeed, I bottled the sprint finish and then turned a nasty shade of blue. Happy memories. I seem to remember you had a good run there.

BB - I have no targets at all for this one, just see how I feel on the day.

Couple of easy runs today an 8 and a 9 nice and slow. I need to burn off some lard before doing anything zippy Lots of big clouds of nasty flies to run through though, swallowed a fair few.

Thanks for all the feedback re HRMs.

I'll probably fart around with mine until either:- a) the novelty wears off,or b) I find it brings no improvement to performance, or c) both a) & b).

I'm no brave Kenyan, so waited til the sun went down before I snook out to do a comfortable 14 miler in 1hr 52mins.  If anyone's interested, max heart rate was 144.

Track tomorrow.  I wonder how warm it'll be around 6:45pm.  And will I be brave enough to attempt 6x 1 mile reps off 2 min recoveries

Jamesito - I remember you coming second at Abo, and starting London when ill last year. I hope you recovered from that quickly. Congratulations on the impending

No running today as I had to be at a (work) training thing in Maidenhead an hour after work - I cycled to it though, and got there early, so added a little out and back to Bray to fill the spare 15 minutes. I am reaching that point in the year where Mrs C starts to tut and shake her head at the weekly mileage - she firmly believes marathon running is mental.

Luvsa, your HR is only relevant when compared to your personal maximum and resting HR - this link made sense to me, but I would be interested in what the more experienced (& faster) runners here think

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

Trail race tomorrow at Broadmoor.5 & a bit miles, and should be nice and warm

MG15 - Haven't settled on MP yet. Would hope to be a bit faster than 6.46 but we shall see.....

CFB- Mrs C is prob entirely right. Enjoy the trail race

Lovely day up here - just the trifling irritation of a day at work to get through then go out to play in the sun for a bit

Your training looks to be going really well Martin, very nice 11MP miles there, and following it up withh 22 tomorrow, not in the heat hopefully? Fraser also with 8 @MP, agree with the irritation of work, would be a lot easier if that 105million Friday night had my name on it

Jamesito 5:10-5:20 within a marathon makes my head hurt, Your marathon pace = my 1500 pace, on a good day, downhill, with the wind!

Good luck with the trail race Chillies, lovely evening for it.

Nice miles at mp there MG.  Must build confidence for the main event ahead.

Back from the track & I gave the 1 mile reps ago.  The humidity definitely made it feel harder.  Managed 4 at 5:38,5:59,5:58 & 6:05.  Glad to get them over with as the body was feeling it, illustrated by the drop off in times.

Not sure what to do tomorrow.  Probably another easier run around 14 miles.  Long run planned for Sun. Should hit 60 miles this week.  Last 10k race before Abo is next Weds, then should be all clear to hit the 70 mile mark in full-mara training swing!

Chillies- Hope your race went ok  My max heart rate works out at 176.  Tonight I hit 157-160 at some point, which is 90% & felt like it!

Luvsa, Meep - that race was hot - not a great time, but within 30s of my last outing over the trip, and on the two trips up the steep hill I really went for it and got my HR up to all but 100% (174 on  a 176 estimated max - the highest I've ever reached)

Hope everyone else enjoyed the heat and humidity this evening

BB - well done on the treadmill repeats. arguably tougher in this hot weather.

FW/Martin - good fast runs. Martin don't be too jealous, my garden thermometer, which is in direct sunlight, late yesterday morning reach 40 degrees.

CFB - I have same problem with my Mrs. My sanity is often questioned as to why I or anyone would run a marathon..my answer 'because it's there' does not aways go down too well      Sounds like a tough trail race, and good workout if your HR was at 100%

Luvs - fast reps, especially after the race on Sunday. I assume you are still looking for a sub 39 in your next 10K on Wednesday.

11 miles (av 8.05) for me yesterday morning, followed by a 1 hour Fartlek this morning incorporating 10x90sec efforts. Certainly slightly cooler today.

Yeah my OH does n't get marathon running either but I don't get horoscopes and all the rest of that stuff.

Chillies - Good effort on your race, can't ask for much more than max HR.

Luvsa -  Impressive reps in this heats, points to a quick 10K

Fraser - Nice MPish miles.

AC - Glad it was cooler for you,  how many times are  you running a week.

MG - Impressive 11 miles.

Too hot again for running outside this afternoon, driving home from work at 2 O'clock temp showed 31 degrees C so headed straight for the "cool" of the gym. Only cool place at the gym seems to be the changing rooms.  2 miles WU 3 miles at 6:38 and 1 mile WD, v sweaty at the end.

Decided on a rest day today.  The heat being an obvious factor.  Should finish on 60 for the week, culminating in the long run Sunday of 24 miles.

Chillies-100% of heart rate!! That's impressive{or scary!}  Hope the recovery goes ok after you gave every thing for the cause.  Save a bit for next Weds

AC-An hour's effort in the current heatwave is going to feel like a major workout.  Would love sub 39 next week, considering same 10k last year was done in 37:05

BB-If I could transfer current training paces over to race performances, i'd be a v. happy bunny.  Surely it's gotta cool down soon!