Preston Guild Marathon

St annes 10 is one of my club races and I would normaly do it but I am doing a 20 miler in wales on the saturday. I will look into the down gradeing from full to half I cant see any problem so long as you give plenty of notice and not on the day.

I asked about the course tonight and it is going to stay as it is but we will be working hard on the pr side of thing to try and get as much support out on the course as possible.

In a ten mile loop of the course you have 6 pubs 3 schools which the organisers will be trying to come up with some type of entertainment and support for all the people running.

Lets all support this event and make the best of what is on offer and hope in 20 years we are fit enought to run it again I'll be a vet 65 .

As for the cycle route it is 21 miles and I'll be running it as a recci for 21 primary schools in preston to run a mile each as part of the guild celebration so when I have a date I'll let people know as will need a bit of company.

Pete

Which bit do you mean?

Don't know where you mean, Steps in woods and Longsands Lane.

It comes down Midergy Lane from ADSA way and at bottom of hill goes onto what were rough trails but are now 3 m wide tarmac all the way to Fulwood Row except about last 20 yards as at last Sunday so prob done now.

After that down Fulwood Row and under M6 and back onto new tarmac all the way to SPAR on Bluebell Way.

KOB

Hiya Keith,

I don't know anything about the Guild Wheel after Longridge Road going north near you yet, but intend to as soon as our parts are connected up. 

We just decided to see how far we could go east from Avenham along the river and got as far as the M6 motorway. After that the tarmac changes to a cinder track along through Brockholes Nature Reserve but then the cinder track stops just as you reach some steep steps going upwards along a muddy track for about 50 metres into what's called Red Scar Wood.  So that was the end of the Wheel as far as we could tell.

Through Red Scar Woods it was then a muddy dirt track, continuing then through a field with no track at all, then up to a fence and through an industrial estate to get back onto Longridge Road. Hopefully at some point they'll get that track and field tarmaced (or cindered) to join our two sections together.

I won't risk my trainers going any further along the Wheel past Red Scar Wood until a) either the weather improves so it's not so muddy or b) I hear that the Wheel has been surfaced properly between the wood and Longridge Road.  

Another couple of months and we'll be good to go from Red Scar Wood right up through nearer to you to the Spar at Bluebell Way.  It sounds great from there on all the way up to ASDA!  Looking forward to being able to run it.

Gonna go west past the docks before the end of this month so it'll be interesting to see how far is tarmaced going that way too. It'll be ace to run when it's all fully connected up!

Is there a Guild Wheel map anywhere? I`d like to try and use it for training when I`m at in-laws in Penwortham.

If it`s a combined limit for full and half, I`m surmising that it`d shouldn`t be any hassle to drop to the HM if necessary - ? I`m more scared about the 5k though; never done one of `em!

Here you go

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=5989&pageid=38324&e=e

ET

i live in Longton and find the Ribbleway pretty good for off road long runs.

Also, a good run from Penwortham would be through Miller Park into Aveham Park and then head down the old Tram track down to Bamber Bridge.

If you are ever over and want to do a slow Sunday morning plod I am happy to take you out to show you a good route.

Hi Pete

It is complete round here from Spar on Bluebell way up to D'Urton Lane but mainly follows old Midgery Lane.

There is the gap you identified in Red Scar woods and then it is on footpaths up to Bluebell way Mway jct.

D'Urton lane is then back on roads up to just short of Broughton police station on A6.

We hoped to track it that way last weekend but the heavens opened and 12 mile turned in 6.

Will try again tomorrow. Aiming to go round to around Cottam and then back to car in Moor Park.

 Hi Poorly Feet

When you are out training for VLM in cold at silly oclock remember it was Judith who pulled your name from the hat

Keith

PF

You will thank me when you cross the finish line and get that medal!! It is worth it. At least this year has been better for the winter training than last year when I had to do it and the year before.

Looking forward to using the Guild Wheel as long training run before the Guild Marathon. Trying to piece it together with Keith at the moment.

Keith,

Guild Wheel Update:

Went west this morning on the Guild Wheel from Miller Park towards the docks and can confirm that everything is connected up for a good 7.4 miles right up to the Miller Trees Lane/Tom Benson Way roundabout, and it probably is further but needed to turn back at that point.

There's about a 300 metre stretch not tarmaced just after the new bridge over Blackpool Rd but this will most likely be completed by end March.

So this means that for the west, south west, south and south east parts of the Wheel there's now a good 7.4 miles + 5.2 miles to the steps at Red Scar Woods of continuous run. i.e. a total of 12.6 miles. Cool huh!

...and it's just a joy to run on. 90% pollution and traffic free.

Cheers Max. That`s a lovely offer and I `ll take you up on it hopefully. tbh though, I usually arrange to do a race when I`m at the in-laws so hope to do Lytham 10 next Sunday!

 Usually my ldrs in Preston are along Liverpool Road to Hoole or the Chorley sign.

Hi Pete

Thanks for the up-date. We did Wallsend Road to a bit past Shaws Arms and back yesterday. Looking at the Midgery Lane/Mountain and Cottam bit probably over Easter weekend. Sussing All the bits out slowly with the bh (Keith). It will be good for a couple of long runs before the Guild marathon.

Hey Coastersgb,

How's your marathon training going? You up to doing a 15 mile run yet?  I'm still keen on doing miles 9-24 of your fantasy guild marathon route which is a good 15 mile loop from Moor Park back to Moor Park, but I'm about 8-10 weeks away from being able to manage that comfortably. ...You up for doing it together? You'd have to lead cos I don't know some parts of your route. Let me know where you're up to.

Keith/Judith

Did you manage to check out the northern part of the Guild Wheel last week, or where you hit by that cold snap? I can confirm that from the end of Merry Trees Lane going south all the way around and back up to Red Scar Wood is all good to go, so we're all clear this south side giving us about a 12 mile stretch of it, but I've not been any further past Merry Trees Lane near Cottam yet.

In fact, now that the St Annes 10 is out of the way I've managed to sit down and put together an outline of the long run build ups I need between now and the marathon, interspersed with the necessary short and long distance races required in between, and I've got about 15 long runs to do starting on Sunday 8th April with an easy 10 then gradually increasing each one by a mile up to 21 miles by Sunday 9th Sept, then backing off again before the marathon, all spaced evenly 2-3 weeks apart.

I fancy doing the majority of my long runs on this new Guild Wheel away from traffic and pollution, and I don't know if you've done your outline yet, or even if my plan would fit in with yours or what races you need to do for your target time, but wondered if you might wanna join me on some of them for some company. I'm 47, so they'll only be 7.30-8 min mile pace (lol!), as my bod needs a gradual long run build up to avoid injuries. I've done 6 marathons before today but my last one was 15 years ago so am a bit rusty.

I was thinking of picking a point somewhere on the Guild Wheel, doing a run of say 5 miles out and back, then picking a different point on the Wheel next time to do 5.5 and back, then 6, 6.5 and so on. What do you think? You up for that?  ...I'm happy to share my training schedule and dates, complete with required races, to see if any of it fits in with yours if needed, noo probs.

Any Guild Marathoners?

In fact, is anybody interested in long easy run group training sessions on the Wheel for this preston marathon? Doesn't matter what club you're from. The aim is to get time on our feet, get our long runs in and keep each other motivated. ...and if we do it gradually we'll be able to run around the full guild wheel twice during September before tapering. Not sure if I'll ever do that again after that! lol.

I'm also thinking of 'getting on the wheel' on Sundays at 9am, as that is when the race is so it'll give me/us chance to practice what patterns and foods our bodies need.

Any thoughts anyone?

We can pick and choose where to meet and start from between us, including which direction to go.

Hi Pete

Good idea about trying to get a group going to train with but you are way too quick for us to think about running with you. We are more like 12 minute miles in half marathons upwards. I have never got past a half but Judith has done Dublin and London fulls.

Our next long run will not be until Easter weekend as having a recovery week this week from Liverpool half and doing Three Bridges 10k in Lancaster 1st April so will report back on Northern strech of Guild Wheel after then.

Hiya Keith, that's ok, no worries. Hadn't really given much thought to our speeds.

Was more about company really and getting the long runs in my legs over this summer with time on my feet, as my mind and bod tends to go asleep on anything over an hours run. You could set off 5-10 mins earlier maybe and see if that helped keep me motivated to keep going. lol.

Nice work on the Liverpool Half. Am not up to the halfs yet as the intensity for that long would finish me off but Lancaster 10k will be good. I'm no good at distance races yet until I can get my legs woke up a bit. 

We'll be going back out to Red Scar Woods this end too at some point over the next 2 weeks so will let you know where they're up to or if they've got started on any of it past the steps. 

Hi Pete

Great idea to try and get group(s) together. 

I usually do my long runs very early (start between 6 and 7 am) on a Sunday and must admit I am starting to get sick of my own company. However, I would be happy to rearrange to do one or two runs for the Guild race at 9am.

I am doing 20 miles on Saturday this week and thinking of running 4 miles from Longton and picking up GW at Penwortham Bridge and running through Miller and Aveham Parks. Should be fun if weather stays like today.

20?! Geeeez Max! That's a long run! You doing VLM or something? ...I'm crap at early morning runs as I'm half asleep and my bod refuses to co-operate so need to practice 9am starts for long runs. 6 or 7am would kill me. lol.

By joining the "GW at Penwortham Bridge" do you mean joining at Broadgate?

Without measuring it, if it's 4 from you at Longton to Broadgate then another 6 would get you as far as Red Scar Woods on the GW, yes? Is that your plan, and then turn back to make your run come to about 20?

I'm at Miller so if you want some company to make sure you keep awake then let me know. Can be on the corner of Broadgate for any time you want as I'm due for a run to the steps at Red Scar Woods sooner or later. Just don't make it too early ok! Grrrr. lol.