Manchester Marathon 2013

Ran 1:28:15 at Wrexham Half today after a 70 mile training week and a 20 mile run on Thursday. I was knackered at the end but think it bodes well for getting under 3:10 at Manchester.

Keep up the good work everyone.

Strangely Brown wrote (see)

18 miles LSR successfully accomplished, my longest ever run.  I'm finding that by following the training plan, the jump up to the next longest distsance is so slight that you don't really feel like you're doing anything out of the ordinary.  Certainly nothing out of the comfort zone.  After a very long period of doing nothing but 5 or 10k runs, the idea of running 18 miles as a training run would have seemed ridiculous to me. Now it's surprisingly routine.

20 miler due now in 2 weeks time and then the peak training distance will have been conquered.  Just the small matter of the Blackpool HM between then and now!

Which plan are you following SB?

Completely agree, did 16 last week and it was mad to be running the last 2-3 miles where that section was my whole run 2 years ago.

Another 16 miler as this week's LSR tomorrow, then step up to 18 next week and then another couple of similar runs before Wilmslow Half

I think the 20 miler on my plan falls at the start of April a week or so before the taper

I too enjoyed the weekend running.  Felt almost like Spring, and the morning/evening darkness certainly seems to be receding down here.  Chalked up another 20 miles or so (either side of parkrun) reasonably comfortably.

Can I join the 3hrs-or-there-abouts party?  In preparation for Comrades in early June, I've booked London and Milton Keynes either side of Manchester and it would be great to manage '3 in sub3'.  I'd consider that a huge achievement for me but it is just as likely that I'll be in agony by the time I get to the Manchester weekend as I've never tried marathons on consecutive weekends before.  I should learn something about myself either way, but would like to line up intending to do 2.59.59.  Gaz, with that sort of 1:28 hm form, can you be tempted as well?

On drinks, gels and electrolytes, I'm out to Seville for this weekend's marathon and this is what I'll be doing.  From Weds, I'll be starting to drink some diluted Torq (electrolyte drink with carbs) to get a bit more carbs without having to eat lots whilst abroad travelling/sightseeing.  I'll have a gel at the start on Sunday and then three during (something like 9m, 16m, 21m).  I'm not convinced about this placebo argument.  I think it makes a difference to me, at the very least in terms of my time.  I've lowered my pb since establishing my routine.  Would I race better without it?  I don't know.  Would I enjoy the feeling of regret if I stopped this routine and then raced a lot worse? Absolutely not.  I guess the best thing is for people to experiment - carefully - and learn what works for them.  Everyone tells me I need a huge bowl of porridge before a race but this always makes be feel sluggish and heavy.  I'll be having a cheese and ham baguette on Sunday, if I can find one.  And I wouldn't touch Lucozade at London ever again, but can handle other, thinner, drinks.  The panorama thing was as SlokeyJoe described about the idiocy of inactive people or kids drinking it.  Fair play to the chap who runs a marathon on a jam sandwich and water, although it's not something I'd be able to do.

Good luck to everyone else racing this coming weekend.

I have thought about it Ally but I think I'll be just short and 3:05 would be the best I could hope for without risking making a compete hash of the race. I've got a 20 mile race on March 10th that I'm going to run as hard as I can, if I get over the line in 2:17-ish then I might be tempted to look at sub 3 for Manchester again.

Good luck with the 3 in sub 3 quest, that will be some achievement  if you pull it off.  

See how the training goes and how bullish you feel Gaz. 

Thanks for a bit of perspective, Jonah. 

In the Autumn, Berlin, Abo and Nice were 5 weeks apart and all of the order of 2.56.30 and I felt knackered at Abo (drafting mostly of 5 great world record holding lads tied together) but then ok in Nice.  I think trying to moderate myself in London will be challenge number 1 as I've never not made a hash of it in 3 attempts and have a best of 3.12 from last year.  After this Sunday, I think I'll not look any further beyond Paris.

Happy training everyone.

rockinrocky_robin wrote (see)

Strangely Brown wrote (see)

18 miles LSR successfully accomplished, my longest ever run.  I'm finding that by following the training plan, the jump up to the next longest distsance is so slight that you don't really feel like you're doing anything out of the ordinary.  Certainly nothing out of the comfort zone.  After a very long period of doing nothing but 5 or 10k runs, the idea of running 18 miles as a training run would have seemed ridiculous to me. Now it's surprisingly routine.

20 miler due now in 2 weeks time and then the peak training distance will have been conquered.  Just the small matter of the Blackpool HM between then and now!

Which plan are you following SB?

Completely agree, did 16 last week and it was mad to be running the last 2-3 miles where that section was my whole run 2 years ago.

Another 16 miler as this week's LSR tomorrow, then step up to 18 next week and then another couple of similar runs before Wilmslow Half

I think the 20 miler on my plan falls at the start of April a week or so before the taper

I nearly did Wilmslow but opted for a brisk seaside run instead.  I'll probably regret that when i'm being blown sideways down the seafront

I'm following Pfitzinger and Douglas up to 55mpw plan.  Seems to be serving me well although i'm having to swap next week for this one because of the HM but that shouldn't screw things up too much I wouldn't think.

How about you?

I nearly did Wilmslow but opted for a brisk seaside run instead.  I'll probably regret that when i'm being blown sideways down the seafront

I'm following Pfitzinger and Douglas up to 55mpw plan.  Seems to be serving me well although i'm having to swap next week for this one because of the HM but that shouldn't screw things up too much I wouldn't think.

How about you?

My plan is the Intermediate Marathon plan as per the Manchester website although I've extended some of LSR distances as I was starting the plan from a higher point than it envisaged

Seems to be going well but the prority is to get round and if I get a "good" time in my first marathon then even better

Struggled with the 16 miler this morning, not sure whether it was down to going to the match last night and therefore eating tea earlier than usual, getting in late and then getting up at the crack of dawn to run or whether it may have been down to the cold.

Felt "leggy" from the outset, particuarly thigh-wise but got round and was around 5 mins slower than last week overall. The last 2 miles were great though as it was full daylight and the sun was out, spring is coming (slowly)

Just keep telling myself how far I've come (excuse the pun) and 2-3 shorter runs for the rest of the week before taking on an 18 miler next week

Hi guys,

Ran this last year and won't bother going over old ground with the problems last year as i'm sure they won't be repeated this time arround.

I'm in training for an Ultra in June and was considering running this again as part of my training....... However, i've just looked at the entry fee!!!!

£49.50? Really???? And then add on another £2.48 service fee?????

At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.

Really fancy doing this again but don't know if i can justify the entry fee.

gramck24 wrote (see)

Hi guys,

Ran this last year and won't bother going over old ground with the problems last year as i'm sure they won't be repeated this time arround.

I'm in training for an Ultra in June and was considering running this again as part of my training....... However, i've just looked at the entry fee!!!!

£49.50? Really???? And then add on another £2.48 service fee?????

At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.

Really fancy doing this again but don't know if i can justify the entry fee.

I think I paid £24 to run the Tatton Half last November and £32 for this year's Wilmslow half, so I guess per mile £50 is comparable

There were a couple of discount codes knocking about, not sure whether they are still relevant and entry for the GMM closes on 28th February at the last update

I think one of the discount codes was "Facebook5"....

rockinrocky_robin wrote (see)

 

I nearly did Wilmslow but opted for a brisk seaside run instead.  I'll probably regret that when i'm being blown sideways down the seafront

I'm following Pfitzinger and Douglas up to 55mpw plan.  Seems to be serving me well although i'm having to swap next week for this one because of the HM but that shouldn't screw things up too much I wouldn't think.

How about you?

My plan is the Intermediate Marathon plan as per the Manchester website although I've extended some of LSR distances as I was starting the plan from a higher point than it envisaged

Seems to be going well but the prority is to get round and if I get a "good" time in my first marathon then even better

Struggled with the 16 miler this morning, not sure whether it was down to going to the match last night and therefore eating tea earlier than usual, getting in late and then getting up at the crack of dawn to run or whether it may have been down to the cold.

Felt "leggy" from the outset, particuarly thigh-wise but got round and was around 5 mins slower than last week overall. The last 2 miles were great though as it was full daylight and the sun was out, spring is coming (slowly)

Just keep telling myself how far I've come (excuse the pun) and 2-3 shorter runs for the rest of the week before taking on an 18 miler next week

16 miles for a weekday morning run is crazy.  I have a 14 miler tomorrow and I must admit, it's a little long for my tastes before work.  I normally look forward to my runs but i'm not really looking forward to this one.  It's more a run that I must endure than it is one i'll revel in.  Too much traffic on workday mornings to make long runs enjoyable.  Thankfully, that's as long as my training schedule asks for me to run in the week and I only hit 14 miles the once.  There are one or two 13 and 12 milers and some 9 and 10's.  I can cope with them.

Keep it up, race will be upon us before we know it

Strangely Brown wrote (see)

16 miles for a weekday morning run is crazy.  I have a 14 miler tomorrow and I must admit, it's a little long for my tastes before work.  I normally look forward to my runs but i'm not really looking forward to this one.  It's more a run that I must endure than it is one i'll revel in.  Too much traffic on workday mornings to make long runs enjoyable.  Thankfully, that's as long as my training schedule asks for me to run in the week and I only hit 14 miles the once.  There are one or two 13 and 12 milers and some 9 and 10's.  I can cope with them.

Keep it up, race will be upon us before we know it

I tend to go out at around 5.45-6am on weekday mornings so that I can get back in time for Mrs RR to go to work (my 2 other weekly runs and Saturday run are around 7-8 miles each) and I take the kids to school.My Saturday "wind down" run gives me a lie in and I go out around 7.30 and look forward to a Saturday night and a few drinks knowing Sunday is a day off.

For the last couple of LSR I've been going out around 4.45 and taking 2:25 to do 16 miles so anything further than that isn't going to happen in the morning. Half Days off work coming up plus we have the half term and Easter school holidays where I'll be off for a day here and there anyway

The plus side of going out early is that it's quiet traffic wise and great as we head toward spring, there's something quite uplifting about pounding down the canal tow path as the sun is coming up and there's no one else around

I did go out for a run last Friday during the school run and like you say, it was mad traffic and pedestrian wise and I felt quite stressed when I got back

Looking forward to "enjoying" a LSR next week where I'm under no pressure to get back for a certain time

rockinrocky_robin wrote (see)

Strangely Brown wrote (see)

16 miles for a weekday morning run is crazy.  I have a 14 miler tomorrow and I must admit, it's a little long for my tastes before work.  I normally look forward to my runs but i'm not really looking forward to this one.  It's more a run that I must endure than it is one i'll revel in.  Too much traffic on workday mornings to make long runs enjoyable.  Thankfully, that's as long as my training schedule asks for me to run in the week and I only hit 14 miles the once.  There are one or two 13 and 12 milers and some 9 and 10's.  I can cope with them.

Keep it up, race will be upon us before we know it

I tend to go out at around 5.45-6am on weekday mornings so that I can get back in time for Mrs RR to go to work (my 2 other weekly runs and Saturday run are around 7-8 miles each) and I take the kids to school.My Saturday "wind down" run gives me a lie in and I go out around 7.30 and look forward to a Saturday night and a few drinks knowing Sunday is a day off.

For the last couple of LSR I've been going out around 4.45 and taking 2:25 to do 16 miles so anything further than that isn't going to happen in the morning. Half Days off work coming up plus we have the half term and Easter school holidays where I'll be off for a day here and there anyway

The plus side of going out early is that it's quiet traffic wise and great as we head toward spring, there's something quite uplifting about pounding down the canal tow path as the sun is coming up and there's no one else around

I did go out for a run last Friday during the school run and like you say, it was mad traffic and pedestrian wise and I felt quite stressed when I got back

Looking forward to "enjoying" a LSR next week where I'm under no pressure to get back for a certain time

That's exactly why I enjoy my Sunday LSR.  It might not be some people's idea of a relaxing Sunday morning but I find it really chilling and almost theraputic.

Tomorrow, in contrast, will start nice enough about 6.15am and then by the time I return at 8.15 the roads will be rammed and there will be people and traffic everywhere.  It's amazing the change in those 2 short hours as the country wakes up and gets going for the day.

I've never run before 6.00am before but i'm going to give it a try in the summer.  I fancy a 5.00am run on a warm, sunny morning in June/July when it's perfectly light and mild but nobody around.  That sounds awesome if you ask me