A bit like sub-4 (but 15 minutes quicker) - Page 16 - Spring Marathon

beders oldtimer 1

12/03/2004 at 08:36

morning all

looks like todays run will be in the snow, hoping it disappears for tomorrows 23+ effort. Twin Dad just re-reading your comment about slowing down towards the end of the race no matter how slow. Did Brass Monkey 1/2m last year with a friend who was doing her first race and wanted to break 2.00. Set off at a steady pace and only left her around 9 miles and pushed hard for the last 4 miles. Felt really good, overtook loads of people and ended up with a 1.50 (not bad but more chufed that my friend finished in 1.58) and still felt very fresh at the end. This year on the same race sprinted off at start with whippet mate, sub 7.30 for the first few miles. Ended up hanging on for over half the race and finished in 1.49 feeling crap. You definately don't want to hang on for the last half of the FLM so this year I'm really gonna try and hang back a bit at the start.

Yesterdays easy run round ilkley park ended up quite a bit quicker than i wanted running with a couple of mates who are a lot better than me. However the speed work seems to be paying off, although my heart rate touched 153 in places, still felt comfortable and relaxed so hopefully the 3.45 is not a pipe dream.

good running everyone, catch you later

pete

Donna C

12/03/2004 at 14:30

hello guys! There's been some good running happening whilst I've been away.

Been laid up in bed with a virus all week. Started on Saturday night but due to the early rising required to get me to Reading for the half was there before I realised how unwell I was feeling. Decided as I was there I'd just start it and see how I felt. Thought better of the decision at 11 miles as the wind picked up and the sleet fell. Did 1:41:36 which I'm reasonably pleased with under the circumstances (well done Freddo you must have got into the stadium a minute or so before me.)

Good practise for running in crowds. I was about a minute or two off pace by mile one and two just from sheer numbers. Kept overtaking until about mile 8 or 9 and then again between 12 and 13. Never been so cold after a race.

No running this weeek, until today - an easy 30 minutes or so to ease back in. Still currently planning to run Sutton Park this Sunday but might forgive myself if I drop out early.

I wear socks from Woolies. Have had the occasional blister but feet eventually toughen up! Shoes will be my trusty 2080s have 2 new pairs so one will be my race day pair.

What is the optimal mileage to have in your shoes?

Rest of kit, white vest with name on and a apir of lycra shorts - probably blue ones, and water in a RunAid or Nathan bottle belt.

Woony

12/03/2004 at 15:30

Donna, if you did 1:41 feelin under the weather you should be well chuffed. Anything sub 1:45 on a half should mean a comfy 3:45 Mara. In fact sub 1:47 is still on target goin by d 2x +10 rule.

Well done, What r u lookin for at yr next half? Im doin d Brentwood on Sunday and will be happy with Sub 1:40.

Take it easy

Woony

beders oldtimer 1

12/03/2004 at 15:37

Hi Donna, nice to hear you again, sorry to hear about the virus. 1.41.36 when you're not 100% sounds pretty good to me. Make sure you don't push too hard on sunday, with the training you've already got under your belt, a week off at this stage should make no difference at all.

Just done 2 laps of ilkley park with a mate, again at a faster pace than a normal recovery run. The speed sessions seem to be helping though, my easy runs on tues , thurs and today have all been with other runners who are a lot better than me and therefore have been nearer to a tempo run than an easy run, yet I didn't struggle during the run and felt great after. Just hope it all does'nt blow up nearer the time, I'm feeling a bit too good and it's worrying me !!.

have any of you got some more long runs planned ? doing a 20+ this weekend and the next and possibly again 28th of march, then start to taper.

pete

Donna C

12/03/2004 at 15:42

Hi Pete

Danger would be peaking too soon. It's great that you're finding it easier to run faster now but don't forget why you're doing recovery runs! No point risking injury and illness at this point IMHO.

No more races for me now Woony before FLM. Pacing runs only.

Strange to think there's snow elsewhere in the country, we just get rain here in London.

adam house

12/03/2004 at 16:01

got plenty over night in the east Donna

Ping Pong Boy

12/03/2004 at 16:53

Pete, that's a lot of 20 milers still to go. I'm only planning one more long run very early next weekend which I think may be as far as 24 miles. It depends on how I feel as it's 4 loops of a 6 mile circuit.

Glad to have you back Donna. I thought we'd lost you this week. I've got a half marathon on Sunday so it'll be interesting to see how well I do. I hope I can hang on to 7:30-7:40 miles for as long as possible. I'l be happy with a PB (sub 1:44)though I'd love to get close to 1 Hour 40. My training runs suggest I should really be quite a bit faster over a half than my PB.

Donna C

12/03/2004 at 17:01

Good luck on Sunday PPB. We can compare splits on Monday if you record them!

Save Ferris

12/03/2004 at 17:57

Well done on Sunday Donna, you must have really suffered when the skies opened, it had the effect of making me speed up to try and get out of it as quickly as possible but there's no way I would have wanted to have been out there feeling poorly, I think there was ten seconds between us then if 1.41.36 was your chip time, hoping to go under 1.40 at Hastings Sunday but I know its a tougher course and more bad weather.

Good luck everyone for the week-end

Ping Pong Boy

12/03/2004 at 18:12

Donna - I bet you can do the splits a lot better than me. My flexibility is atrocious.

Sorry, it's late on Friday and I'm still working (sort of).

Mine's a Smooth! (formerly Gareth M)

12/03/2004 at 22:19

Evening folks,

Hope you are all keepin' well! I am currently sufferin' from a cold(and as I am a bloke feel like I am dyin'!!!!)
I tried to run yesterday and only managed about 3 miles before collapsing!(not literally..!!)
Anyhow, I have now resorted to the rest and alcohol treatment! Just about to have a wee hot toddy before bed!!!
Managed an 8km race in 33.36 on Thursday just before this 'killer virus' hit me & my next race is on 28th March (26km) which I plan on running in 2hr 10 mins (fingers crossed!)
Donna, well done on your 1/2 time especially as your weren't too good!! I wish I could do the same!
My certificate of completion arrived yesterday confirming my 1st ever marathon time of 3.49 26 secs - just hope I better it!

Regards to you all,

Gareth

Puggers

13/03/2004 at 12:57

Hi Donna and welcome back - we were all missing the female presence around here!

Your race time is really good considering you were under the weather, but as the others have said, don't push too hard too quickly now - you are already very well prepared and there's no need for you to rush back into it too soon.

I also have a half marathon tomorrow, so look forward to comparing splits with you others doing the same. My target according to my training plan is sub 1.37, which would be a PB by 2.5 minutes, so quite a big ask. I reckon on starting off at 7.30 pace for about 8 miles and then quickening to 7 minute miles. I'm not very confident of achieving this target time because a) it sounds flipping fast and b) my foot is likely to start giving me grief. I've not run since Wednesday in order to try and give it time to recover.

Anyway, good luck to everyone with races or long training runs and I'll catch up on Monday.

Woony

13/03/2004 at 15:02

Puggers, That Target time (1:37) sounds like the Ultimate Schedule for Sub 3:30 FLM. You wont NEED to go that fast to aim for Sub 3:45, but if you can do it good on ya. I did my PB of 1:36:02 five weeks B4 my FLM PB of 3:39:46 back in 2002.

Woony

Ping Pong Boy

13/03/2004 at 16:49

Puggers - SNAP. I'm planning on starting off with 7 Minute 30 miling for as long as possible in tomorrow Half Marathon. I reckon I should manage them for about 8 miles then unlike you I'll be slowing rather than speeding up as I'm a positive split sort of runner.

Woony

14/03/2004 at 17:02

Hi All, did the Brentwood half today. Been looking foward to this one for some time, its flatish, well org'd, petty well supported and its my PB course.

Well you know how it is when you foward to something too much......... The weather was really dull and overcast and it was real Windy at times. I wanted to start of at and hold on to 7:30 m/m............ Started of with a 7 for the 1st, another 7 for the 2nd and a 7:20 for the 3rd. Finally got into pace atfer that but lost it at mile 10. The too fast start and the wind got the better of me after that and I crawled in the last few at about 8m/m.

It showed 1:39;44 on my watch at the end, not too bad as I did say I'd be happy with sub 1:40. However it now means Ive got slower on this course over the last 3 years . Its still on par for the sub 3:45 FLM so I'll try to get a couple of longish runs in now at 8 to 8:30 m/m and see how I go.

Hope you all had good runs today, take it easy people

Woony

Twin Dad

14/03/2004 at 20:13

After taking advice and deciding to try to do steady 8.15's at the Ashby 20....I started 7.46...7.32...well it was downhill.
Got to 10 miles on just over 8 min pace then averaged 8.30's for the next 10
So I hit my 2.45 target but not quite how I intended. The forced slow start at the FLM should stop me doing this

Just 2 more long runs left in the next two weekends then bring on the tapering...can't wait

Higs

14/03/2004 at 22:21

Smooth Gareth

What can I say?

Higs

Test

14/03/2004 at 22:39

Evening all.

Been awol from the thread for a bit, but great work everyone.

Twin Dad - great going today! After 8:15ish at a much easier Wymondham, I went for a more leisurely 8:45 at Ashby, but ended up 8:35-ing on average. 8:15-ing would have been pretty hard today. Absolutely impossible to pace yourself properly, wasn't it? Depended on the size and direction of the hills as well as which way the gale was blowing. Anyway, I felt pretty good mostly, though worryingly I started to feel a bit wobbly around the 19 mile mark. Half-wondering if I should let my ETA slip five minutes to 3:45 on the day.

Anyway, that's my sixth and final 20-ish miler, and I'm officially tapering from here (for Bungay in three weeks - apologies again for tagging along with you FLM types!).

Fruit Cake

15/03/2004 at 08:14

Morning all.

Like Donna I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week. Not enough to keep me in bed but enough to make it hard work training. I felt a bit better on Sunday so did an 18 mile fell run in the wind and rain. And surprisingly enough I loved it and felt really strong at the end (must still be ill 'cos I never feel like that). In fact I liked it so much I think after this marathon is over I might switch to a bit of fell running.

Some good times being posted here by everyone. Keep up the good work. I'm planning lots of speed work this week with a 23 miler on Sunday. Then just one more 20+ before the taper. Yippeeeeee...

beders oldtimer 1

15/03/2004 at 09:29

Morning all

Sounds like everyone had a good weekend run, apart from me !! Was planning another 20+ but ended up doing 16 miles as my legs simply ran out of steam. With hindsight, after last saturdays 23 miler when I finished strong I should have got in a coupe of easy runs, however I felt so good I did 2 hard speed sessions and 3 moderate/tempo runs with some mates who are a lot better than me. I felt good at the time but paid the price 13 miles into my long run. At least I hope that's the reason, otherwise I'm just starting to run crap !in which case HELP !!

Anyway had a day off yesterday, will try a speed sesh today but then will have a VERY easy day tomorrow and see how I go.

Donna,I'm remembering your comment about not peaking too early, we will see