Manchester Marathon 2013

CUSM - similar but slightly lower LSR 18,HM,18,20,16,13 and then in the final week 3 much shorter runs around 5 miles each so no LSR as such in the final week (may revisit this and lengthen the Mon/Tue run in that week)

Happy with my LSR disances for the rest of the plan but as with most first-timers still worrying that I'm cutting down my mileage too much over the last week or so, especially given that my LSR is Tuesday, so my last LSR will be 11 days before the race (although I'll still have another 6 runs after that of lower mileage)

My tough week is going to be fitting the 18miler in post Wilmslow half as I'll have to do it on the Tues/Wed after the Sunday race and the last couple of 18mile LSR have been tough on a Tues, even following 2 days of rest on Sun/Mon

Slow 8 miler this morning, my first run after the LSR always seems to vary in terms of ease and pace, last week's was quite fast. Felt quite stiff when first out and the cold and damp was in stark contrast to Tuesday's gorgeous conditions

Slokey, sorry to hear you aren't running. Hope you pick up and enjoy the Rhyl Tri. I remeber Rhyl well. As a kid we used to travel over there from the Wirral to the Sun Centre and muck about in the pool, it was great.

18 miles covered for me today. Felt pretty good. Nice and slowly. Managed to get out beofre most of the rain came down. Colchester now resembles the Rhyl Sun Centre without the sun ie wet! After the run we went to the cinema to watch Side Effects, very good film and tonight we are off out for a curry with some friends. What a brilliant day off I'm having!

Mrs Cybarev has just got back from Manchester last night. She spent yesterday wandering round Trafford looking at all the redevelopment and scouting out the area for things to do with three boys while dad is off enjoying himself on the Marathon!

Enjoy your LSR's folks

Hope it's ok to jump in here...I'm running my first marathon in Manchester.  Have just done 18 miles (the furthest I've ever run!) and am feeling good about that.  A couple of questions, hope someone can help... On race day should my Garmin be set to average pace as opposed to lap pace as it is during training runs?  Also I'm a little confused and unsure about pace.  My best half marathon time is 1:46 (that was last November) and was hoping for around 4 hours, but how do I know if I can do this? The 18 miler today was average pace 10:44 but it was quite hilly and muddy in places.  The last mile I did in 9:48 (I just wanted to see if I could run a bit faster after 17 miles).  Not sure if I'm kidding myself that I can run 26 miles doing 9 minute miles??

Ran 30 km today through the Mersey Valley (my usual running setting)... one of those runs where I felt like I was running into gusting headwinds the entire way... lots of colourful language and memories of last year's Manchester marathon! Aiming to beat 3:30 this year, though runs haven't been great since January. Should be fun!

Did the Grindleford Gallop yesterday, fantastic event and a very scenic route.

Tiny amount of snow when we ran across the moors but nothing to dampen the spirits, very wet and muddy underfoot.

2.48 for 21 miles but managed to get 1st vet 50.

No running today for me, legs feeling it.

Slokey - thanks for the encouragement, really sorry you can't do the event

Jonah - Great result, that sounds like a fantastic time for that sort of run.

Sallymax - Have you tried the McMillan race time calculator jobby?  If you put that half-marathon time, it'll give you a fairly decent idea of what your mara time could be with the right training.  I have little doubt at all that sub 4 should be achievable with a HM time like that

Training went well for me this weekend.  21 mile (longest run) on saturday and managed to get the pace up to 9 min miles so was happy with having slowed it down by 15 secs a mile.  I had some HR drift this weekend though, not sure what changed since last weekend.

12m GA run today at 7.50 m/m.  Felt strong and light footed.  Can really start to feel the benefits of all this slog now

SLOKEY- Sorry to hear that. Rhyl brings back alot of childhood memories, my grandparents lived in Rhuddlan and so I spent most of my childhood holidays on Rhyl beach. Sad to say, I watched the SunCentre actually being built but have never set foot inside since it opened. Hope the change of plan works out for you.

CYBAREV - let me know if you need any ideas or places to visit near the race. I live in Altrincham and dependent on what their interests are there are plently of places to visit close to parts of the race. I can also point out which ones to avoid or ones that aren't value for money

SALLYMAX - This is my first marathon and I think you'll do it, my outside aim for Manchester is to dip just under 4 hours. I'm coming in with an average of 9:20-9:30 in terms of mileage pace for my LSR but I'm going to make a conscious effort to go slower at the start of another 18 miler tomorrow and see if that makes the end feel any better.

My best HM time is 1:50 and I'm a little apprehensive about the Wilmslow HM in a couple of weeks time as I'm not running anywhere near the times I was last time I ran a HM, I think this is partly down to the additional mileage I'm doing at present for the marathon. I'm going to have a "mini-taper" that week and see if that helps with the race or my running in general.

Reigel's Marathon prediction formula puts my estimated time somewhere between 4:00 and 4:30 based on my runs this year

At the end of the day, getting round the first marathon is the great achievement in itself, a good time would be the icing on the cake (that and good running weather on the day )

RRR - Thanks for that. Could be a great help. We've been looking at the course map and it seems quite feasable that the family will be able to see me in quite a few places by jumping on and off trams but the boys will be desperate to see more than a load of lycra clad sweaty people huffing and blowing around the maraton course! Any suggstions greatly appreciated. The lads are 7, 10 and 11.

Just completed an 8 mile fartlek in a blizzard! Very bizzare, could hardly see my hand in fornt of my face!

Really looking forward to April. Feeling a bit more real now.

Knowing the Glazers, the United museum will be open on the race day although not sure whether stadium tours run on a Sunday and I think you have to book (although the lads may support other teams!). Legoland is OK but a bit pricey, the Imperial War Museum is good but can be a bit dour as is the gallery at the Lowry - most of which are walkable from the race start

Manchester City centre is only 10-15 minutes on the tram and then there's the Trafford Centre itself, bit of shopping or something to eat or indeed the cinema, game of 10 pin bowling, visit to the ChillFactore etc. Plety to do there although it's not everyone's cup of tea and it can get mad busy at weekends

You can get a family ticket for the tram which covers the whole day for 2 adults and 2 children and means you can indeed "jump on and off" trams all day and see the race at various points. There are plenty of places to eat or have a drink in Sale and Altrincham town centres but nothing out of the ordinary

I guess alot depends on the weather on the day

I'm sitting in the office and watching a mixture of heavy snow and then brilliant sunshine. I'm going to have to unpack the hat and gloves for running tomorrow, was in short sleeves only this time last week

SALLYMAX - based on what you've said I'm certain you can do under four hours, probably comfortably. Last year's race was my first marathon and I went into it with a best HM time of 1.53 or something. I wanted to get under four hours but I couldn't really see how I could, going off the times I'd been doing in training. On the day, though, I came in at 3.52. So don't underestimate the lift the buzz of the big day can give you (and your training times are better than mine were anyway).

Having said that, those last miles can be tough if you've never run that far before! How far are you planning to run in training?

Thanks for all your comments.  So helpful and inspiring.

Sam_Turner - I've 2 x 20 milers left to do and after yesterday's 18 miles I feel lots more optimistic about the distance but I'm a bit worried about setting off at 9 minute mile speed and not being able to keep up with it.  Thought I'd try and run a section (maybe the last 8 miles or so) of the 1st 20 miler I've to do at marathon pace.  I'd love to do sub 4 but don't want to make my first marathon (and maybe my last as I'm 51 now and not sure I want to be doing too many of these mammoth runs!!!) a real nightmare.  Looking forward to it though in a perverse way and feel optimistic now after all your comments. 

Sally - I'm doing Manchester too. I did a 1.50 HM and then a 3.58 marathon so you CAN do it. I even felt I could have run a little bit faster too. The secret is to run steady and even all the way through. Work out say your expected times every 3 miles so you can keep a check on how you are doing. I knew mine off by heart and mentally it takes your mind off running too.

Thanks for that Molly.  I'll work out those times - give me something to think about, ha ha...

I ran a 3:53 marathon off a 1:51 HM about 18 months ago so it def. can be done Sally.

Sally_Max,

I agree to an extent with the previous comments .....but just a word of caution. The marathon time predictors such as the macmillan one work well provided that you have done plenty of miles in training - especially the 20+ miles runs - at least 2 as a bare minimum and preferably 3...and had a successful taper. For a first marathon a sensible goal is to finish in relative comfort regardless of the time. Post 22 miles on marathon day is a whole new experience. Learn from it and have a time goal on your second marathon.  

Thanks puremanic.  I'm really trying not to get too obsessed with time.  Think I can only fit in 2 x 20 mile runs now.  Would it be of any benefit to make the 2nd one 22 miles do you reckon?  Be great to have "run a marathon" anyway....

Sally - Puremanic speaks words of wisdom, really the first time is about getting round and being fine when you finish. I wouldn't do a 22 mile run, 20 is ample. Don't worry about the last 6 miles, try and imagine what a six mile training run would be from home to say the library or a supermarket. You know you can do 20 so six is just getting home from the supermarket.

p.s. I don't think it'll be your last

I was 41 when I did my first last year and I also thought I'd only ever do one marathon. But thing about those mammoth long runs is that the more of them you do, the more enjoyable they become. Now I look at them as three and a half hours of lovely me time.