A bit like sub-4 (but 15 minutes quicker)

Like you I could barely get under 8min miles a couple of months ago. Only did 10 miles in August and was a few pounds heavier. No change in diet, just more regular running and I'm just under 13 and a half stone. The intervals and tempo sessions have proven to be the difference again. My work colleague says he's never trained like this before and is collecting lots of PBs at the moment. Hopefully it will pay off in Florence for him in 4 weeks.

It;s going to be a chilly run on Sunday. Might have to wear a long sleeved baselayer. Can't remember ever wearing long sleeves in a race.

SB

A chilly 1 degree forecast for 6am Saturday. When Im running like this n feeling good, I wonder how I ever let things drop n not get out. Wish running was like my golf or pool, when I might go 6 months without a game, but the old magic is still there. Im sure it'd be the same for football if I ever pull on the boots again. One sliding tackle into a mouthy 20 year old forward, and it'd be like the old days in the Bristol Sunday Welfare Premier League against 11 Linford Christies from St Pauls, with the usual witty "You dirty Jock @#£$!"

How cold does it have to be before you dont feel ashamed at pulling on the leggings? I'm nowhere near that stage yet, but the sight of an icy blue blob on the weather forecast pushing the orange blob South had me wondering...

Im bang on 13 stone, even with the mountain of food my Momma is feeding me. I'm sure if I had a running partner to pull me along, I'd venture a little deeper into zombieland, and thus be a notch or two quicker. Maybe I'll ring old Dogfish.

559 miles so far for the year, and the last 4 months have been a much more regular 68, 70, 74 and 71 with hopefully another 20 to go onto October.
My years on fetch are
2007....1084....hip injury rules out FLM, then train hard late in year for 08.
2008....1240....the height of my enthusiasm. Hail rain or shine, I'm out!
2009.....744.....trained brilliantly for FLM09. Ate dodgy chicken, then fizzled out.
2010.....602.....average, then decent Aug/Sept for Loch Ness.
2011.....508.....probably only kept up by training with protege for our halfs.
2012.....559.....should be about 720 year end. Glad Ive reversed downward trend.

LS

Oooh, you're throwing stats! Back atya girlfrren!!

2007...1028...3.47 at FLM06 makes me a runner. New target for 2007 was 1000 miles
2008...1003...2 x HM campaigns kept me going, just.
2009...1306...FLM was the focus and then 100 each month. Missed Nov & Dec.
2010...259 ...Hip operation in April. 12 months of rehab followed.
2011...404  ...end of rehab but being able to play football again was too tempting
2012...396  ... too much football in the early part of the year butwill hit 500 miles. Really got my running appetite back since September.

News just in - Just had a serious conversation which ended up with the wife encouraging me to enter the Paris marathon next April. Places are still available. In my current form, I think I fancy it!! 

SB

Out the door at 6am. Checked the weather last night n it said it'd be -1 but feel like -5, so I put the extra layer of my old FLM08 kagoul on, as well as the leggings. Frosty morning, n some pavements were a wee bit slippy. Cold wind blowing through as well. I think I may have run the first half quicker, which had an impact on the second half, and so ended up doing my 13.23 miles in 1.46.01, for 8.01 pace. Factor in the raw windy day, leggings n kagoul, n less enthusiasm for the run, and I'm quite happy it was only 3 secs per mile slower than last week. Another 13 miler in the bag. Wondered today if after Glen Campbell I'll want to continue the Saturday 13 milers?
Did the venue have any influence on Mrs Badger agreeing to you doing this race?? Remember, it cant be a dirty weekend. Wimmin weaken legs !! Is this the first marathon since 09 Badger ? I'm no running expert, but with most starting from much further back on a 16 week training plan, you should be very well prepared come race day. How is the hip? Will you be able to resist the phonecalls to help out when yer mates are a man down for football? On my run this morning over the frost in the dark, I remembered a thousand Winter runs in the early mornings in the dark countryside around Brechin. One was so raw, I remember asking Nursey to knit me a willy warmer as my old man had shrivelled away to nothing, blasted in my shorts by a Siberian wind. Or umpteen occasions, squatting down having a mid run Brad Pitt with maybe a herd of cows yards away staring at the strange man. Moments like that, you look around at the dark countryside, realise most of the world is asleep, yet in your wisdom, as you reach around for a handful of frozen grass, you incredibly feel smugly superior to the 'idiots' sleeping cosy in their beds next to the warm bodies of their loved ones......?

Have a good weekend folks.

Stoker.

Wasn't there a photo of that Willie warmer?

I thought my ears were burning ...

Just dusted of my marathon schedule for VLM next year anyone else up for it ?

Unbelievable timing Nursey! Unbelievable.

Ive been sat on my lap top tonight thus very minute scrolling back through the pages pre FLM08. Insert 970ish into the page number on the long gobbledegook bit in the bar above n it'll take you there. Saw the pic of yer huge feet. And the lardy group photos. Threats of you n Jelly stuffing sweaty socks in my mouth in the hotel.your son spending £50 on sunglasses in Amsterdam when his mate invested his money 'differently'. Happy happy days. Not to mention the eternal thanks I owe you for the race itself.

Dont be a stranger.

LS

Just coming to the end of an extra long night shift having to put the clocks back at 2 is soul distroying.....unless of course you are actually in bed and getting a lie in , we dont even get paid for  it .

LS yes those were the days eh ? where is evereyone from then ? life moves on I guess although I cant believe they have given up running ....just not going for sub 3.45 anyway I shall be here on and off and posting on the daily training thread...I am going to follow that mad high mileage schedule that got me that 3.40...anyway off do to my few final bits n pieces here before getting off home to my bed..see ya later

Brilliant! Nursey retruns. Welcome back NN!!! 

Did my first race since FLM09 today. The 26.2k Kilomathon (16.3 miles) at Lee Valley. Not a big event and a few organisational hicups but I enjoyed it all the same.

Managed to do it at 7.36 pace, finished 41st out of 391. If I was wearing a dress I'd have got 3rd in the women's race!
Went through the HM distance in 1.38, so beat the 100 mins on that one.
The plan was to treat this as a long training run as it was only my 4th long run of the year and longest distance covered since London 09. Got into a groove early and managed to just keep it there, all mile splits were sub-8. Gave a few high fives along the way and just enjoyed it.

Pleased overall and it bodes well for the base fitness going into the Paris campaign.

Next, sofa, football and beer all night. lovely jubbly!!

SB

Well done Badger. Brilliant running. Ive put in the distance running, but havent gone as deep into zombieland on the speed stuff as you n yer mate, hence the lower expectations in 2 weeks. Next year, wear the frock n get a prize.

LS

Sb first race since 2009 ??? how come ? well done fast pace , what a great distance to race there arent any 16 mile races round here ..so you are doing Paris marathon ?? you will enjoy thats one I did it a few years ago nice and  flat like London.

my last london was 2011 and I hated it crawled round in 4.01  I didnt have a very good build up to it though, I had  flu and chest infection which lasted most of January and picking the schedule up and just throwing my self right back into high mileage was silly and against all sensible advice which knew deep down. Plus London was really warm and after training through that cold winter (which I actually didn't mind ) 22 degs or what ever it was , was a bit of shock I dont run well if its warm.

Hey now I am 50  my GFA is 4 hours  so really unless it goes completely tits up next year I am pretty much guaranteed a place for the following 2 years (if I want it )

off to work again soon, bfn

Nice one Nursey. 

I had a lots of pain and injury stuff going on at FLM09. I got it checked out and they found a bone abnormality in my hip. They had to shave the lump off and reshape the top of my fib. The condition is called femuroacitabular impingement (FAI). Some of your medical mates may know about it. Anyway, had 12 months of rehab as I came back to running strength, rediscovered football and only ticked along on the running front. Started helping a colleague train for teh Florence mara in October, found some new form and now I'm doing Paris. Really pleased with today's efforts.

You work too hard!

SB

Badger.

Night Nursing is like being a fireman without the pool n ping pong. One long coffee break, a doddle round the wards to check theyre all asleep, then a surf on a running website when you realise that your running has never been the same since the day a well thighed Scotsman guided you to your best ever marathon time......

Brave Stoker

He is only brave cos he lives so far away !! LS you missed out the 8.5 weeks annual leave too....and this is my break (well one of them ) funny thing is all the shopping sites, face book , ebay etc have been bloked by the internal server....pleased to say that running site are still accessable  hopefully not famous last words.

Sb thats sounds like a nice op  bet there was plenty of banding and drilling going on...not that I have ever worked on orthopedics...rehab thats more my thing but neuro rehab strokes etc. And yes SB there are up sides to getting old...I win a catagory prize in most races...sometimes with appalling times too lol

Superb Freemers, well done! 

SB