Auviour Paris: So long and thanks for the cobbles

When is GG again, my brain works very poorly with dates and times!

RR does that mean you were 2nd? Don't be hard on yourself and any chance of a report?

MCS, I write my own (and others) training based on experience, reading & coaching courses.  My favoured approach is that championed by pfitzinger & douglas in road racing for serious runners, i.e. a multi-speed approach.  I then tailor this to my strengths (currently endurance) and weakness (always leg speed).  For VLM I will take into account a lot of the learning from Steve as it worked like a dream (despite a cold and injury robbing me of 3 weeks training)

On overseas marathons...I am tempted by completing the british capitals by running Edinburgh and Belfast.  Then adding Dublin.  I also want to run Boston and the Marathon to Athens Marathon.  I also want to run Berlin, but as I do 1 a year and always race this might be too long a list!

Morning!

rr - seconded Choisty's request for more info.  Don't be so hard on yourself - if you did your best on the day - what more can you ask for?  Personally I'm always pleasantly surprised when I'm sub 50!  Is it the Danesfield you're going to?  Ben won a meal for us there when we lived locally (you'll pass by our old house in fact to get to it LOL - we lived in the estate opposite SAS).  The bus goes right past it so you should be ok to get there!  Lovely old country pile - and very friendly staff - at least in the restaurant. Didn't get round to visiting the spa but I've heard its fab. The gardens are also worth a wander!

On that note -  if any of you are down that way - the meal he won was in the Medmenham 10 - there's also a shorter race.  The prizes are ridiculously generous for such a low key event - a meal for 2 for male 1st and a spa day for 2 for ladies 1st - deffo one to add to the list if you get chance!  Rolling, scenic course for the 10 but basically my old training route!  I think it's round about this time of year.  It's one of my favourite marshalling memories - I had floppy eared goats keeping me company!

Choisty - I know what you mean - I'm going to have to be more discerning about which I want to do -  unless I'm still around at 100 (like the old dude)!  I'm quite tempted by things like the Jungfrau but I need to do loads more hilly ones here first me thinks.

Rascal's op (spay) went well yesterday so I am concentrating on looking after her today.  She looks ever so funny as her tummy is still blue from whatever they used to sterilise her skin.  Always suspected she was a smurf!

Oh - Anyone heard from Ten?  Wonder how he got on in his exam...

Also just waiting for the nurse at the surgery to call me back with my bloods - they came back normal which earns a .  She's gonna call me back with my haem and ferritin stores level and then I can compare them to what sports science considers "normal" as opposed to the joe public version.  Will report back - just FYI purposes.

Still managing to stay chilled oscarr?  Hope those feet are up ...

Hi Sleepy, yep still chilled - just stocked up with more carbs from the supermarket - jaffas, bananas, high juice etc plus the ingredients for me to do some cooking this afternoon for the rest of the week, such as spag bol and chicken in toms all to go with pasta and rice.  Weather looks spot on at the moment with temp of 14 degrees and a mild breeze.  Tempted to clear the garden but will resist .

My sun break afterwards has hit a snag - the hotel went bust !!! However, cos i booked through Virgin Hols they are sorting out an alternative or my money back.  Good service from them so far.

My son gave me his tent, sleeping bag etc plus a thermal safety blanket (for the run) all for The Wall so i just need to get a Thermarest now.  Itching to try it all out now but will wait til spring.

Ten - you back running again yet??

Reiki - more race reports please 

Be great to see you at GG if you can make it C, though I suspect the rest of us would only be seeing your back!! Great food and loads of good places for accomodation round here. Edinburgh is a good race Choisty but there are better ones. Its flat but exposed so if the weather hot or cold then can be challenging!! Fancy Stockholm, my OH is from that good northern land but the start time is hard work......Check out the Tall Trees Marathon, an old pro told me in 2010 on the tube to VLM that its the best marathon in the world, the most beautiful place in the world. I have the book by pfitzinger on marathon training, its abit above my level in terms of mileage.......I am going to do more cross country stuff this winter to try to strengthen the legs for GG. 
RR give us your race report you seem to race every other day how come?......congrats to your brother racing for NI thats some achievement. 
Enjoy the carbs Oscarr.......just had a Tiffin box from the local curry house, complimentary as they cocked up a booking! Very nice Masala.....good job I am still running..........

Oooh crikey oscarr - hope they get it all sorted soon for you (and upgrade you whilst they're at it)!

Have you all seen that the 26.2 is gearing up for 2013.  I doubt I'll be able to enter as I reckon the training weekends will clash with my course and that takes precedence but a tiny part of me thinks I'd like to.  The idea of a city marathon still makes me a bit anxious due to crowds/fear of getting lost (I'm rubbish in urban areas, everything looks the same ) + I'd have to actually stop self sabotaging and train/race at a given pace which contradicts my nice cosy "come what may" comfort zone.  I shall leave it in the hands of the universe - if by some chance the dates don't clash - I will consider it a sign - not that I'm likely to get to bootcamp a second time! How 'bout you guys - anyone fancying some more forum abuse ?

As promised - my iron results are

Haemoglobin   11.9  (Normal apparently 12-16 for a woman)

Ferritin 35.3 (Optimally around 60 -  most women are 30-40 which is "marginally ok")

(Source: http://www.running.net/read_feature/low-iron-may-have-you-feeling-fatigued)

So whoop whoop - I am still at the low end of normal and similar to what they were last time the doc gave me tablets but I'll stick with Ruth's recommendations for now I think and keep taking my liquid form.  Next time I happen to be at the docs I will have a chat with her and see what she says - but I'm happy, happy that my dietary modifications (in the guise of supplements) is working!  Next mission - to improve my hydration as suggested by mcs - I think my energy levels are starting to bounce back a little from where they were a couple of months ago so it may just have been fatigue!

Great results Sleepy.

I think FH may give 26.2 a go as he has tried a few times.  Not for me - it was fantastic to get involved at the boot camp then afterwards on the forums and meetups at the races and i've made some really good friends through it - it would never be the same again though.  Also, i'm pretty sure i would not get through boot camp anyway (if i got that far again) thinking about what they are looking for which is maximum chance of success which is more for the younguns.

Oscarr - going well thanks. Light 5m for me tonight and about 18m for the week....I will be in club vest (Team Kennet), yellow over a long sleeved black/white Helly Hansen top. Vest has "Mike" on front too and No. 637.

SB/Oscarr The prize is special and it takes away the big city marathon trauma...go for it. Remember that KR got to boot camp 2 years in a row.  I'm not going to apply this time! Especially as the prize is still giving (the London place)...you'd get my vote  I'm also looking forward to giving the naysayers a hard time!

Oscarr & Mike  good luck for the weekend and make sure you enjoy it

I will ask the missus about GG

SB good news and yes hydration is good, if I get too dehyrated my knees complain

Bring the missus for the weekend Choisty lovely area to visit
SB good news on the iron job and results, I take wellmans as I having Coeliac condition go to iron deficit if not careful.
Have a good run Oscar and Mike look forward to hearing the champagne bottles smashing on Monday morning!!!
Just been for a four miler felt dead, had a few late nights so bit tired I reckon......bootiful autumn day here leaves changing colour and falling.

It all depends on the dates as far as I'm concerned. Either way - I have a fantastic year lined up next year - and it's already started for me - it's a long build up from where I am just now to where I want to be!

But enough of that - GO OSCARR, GO OSCARR, GO MIKE, GO MIKE

I'm going to be hopeless til I hear how you've gotten on.  First and foremost - please remember that your best is good enough.  There is no added pressure from us - you've done all the training and so all you can do is let your body do its thang! Relax and enjoy - run your best and run sensibly - you both know what you're doing!

And then hurry back / text us and let us know that you're ok and tell us your stories.

Hello again! I'm back for my 3 monthly visit!! I'm sure I've missed loads but hope everything's going really well! Sounds like you've all got some good races lined up.

Am I going mad - did you say the Bootcamp prize is London this time rather than Paris? Not that I've got a chance of getting through again as I thoroughly disgraced myself last time with my complete inability to pace myself!

I've got the Skeleton Run next Friday whcih is a 5 mile hill race (up a beacon Hill near Loughborough), in hallowwe fancy dress and with a toffee apple at the end!

Hi all 

Just popping in to say GO Oscarr, GO Mike!!!!!

Start within yourselves and give it some from 20!

I have a good friend doing it who marathons constantly but seldom trains.  

Choisty, yes, I was 2nd for age. One of my issues is I don't really go for it sometimes, could have run 10 secs/mile faster, finished fast and could have continued. Then I was being cocky as 49:43 had been enough last time, it's a *work* race. 

Speaking of which I am totally mashed due to work being beyond demanding right now, so I won't give you a report, at least not yet, am off to bed!

Maybe I need some tests, have always wondered about iron, take everything else I've ever heard of.  

Thanks Oscarr! Yep - plenty of Marstons Pedigree around this area - would be rude not to have some!  

RR and SB just made me think when you're saying about iron levels and the supplements - it's not the same but have any of you tried chia seeds and actually noticed any difference? After they were praised so thoroughly in Born to Run I kept wondering about them but never see them on sale anywhere.

Go OSCARR & MIKE

I'm thinking to run a hard 5k at the parkrun tomorrrow - which is going to be wet and muddy. A colleague at my work has pulled out of the Great South Run owing to injury and invited me to run. So, I'm going to take that on in a week - want to see what kind of time I can get for a 10m run. The marathon should be out of my legs by then

Hey RRR -oooh oooh toffee apples - that's not all that far away from us - I might join you - is there a website for the race?? Oh and forget last year - that was the past - it doesn't have to affect the future ... unless you choose to let it.  I've never seen chia seeds either!

ps - a little bird tells me you totally smashed your recent marathon - come on ... spill.  We all love a bit of inspiration

reiki for the 2nd place - Go girl!!  There's no harm in getting your levels checked - in fact, it's recommended for runners. 

AC8 - hope you had a good splishy splash.  My advice for the GSR - park as far out of Portsmouth as you can and walk/get a bus in - it was gridlocked last year and took us forever to get away.  It's in my book as one of the worst race-leaving-experiences I've ever had! 

Bike riding time for me today followed by giving 2 practice massages this afternoon - only 97 hours of logged practice to go after that LOLOLOLOL Might have to bring my plinth to Coniston at this rate . 

Interestingly my legs are already feeling a bit tight this week which I am putting down to my change in shoes.  The inner sole was showing through the outer on both my pairs of asics so they've been retired now and I'm now using my shiny Salomon's which I'm pretty much trialling for the Wall.  If I'm happy with them I may well pick up a second pair after Christmas and rotate them.  Otherwise I'll be checking out Asics' trail offerings - oscarr which ones do you have again - you seem to like yours ...