FLM 09 - 3.45ers!

Not a Dr. Well, not the useful medical variety anyway!! I'm a computer programmer - that's usually a conversation killer!

Not 37 either, but close enough at 36.
And female.

I have been mulling over alternatives to London, given the low chances of getting in. Quite fancy a Spring marathon, preferably in the South East, hmmmm .... off to the race finder tool ...

Hi All,

I have never run a marathon before, but am hoping to get a place for the FLM through the ballot.

Am hoping that 4hrs is a realistic prosprect... I am running the Stroud half-marathon this Sunday which will hopefully give me an indication.

Just wondered what training I should be doing in the lead up to finding out whether I actually have a place as the schedules are for 15 weeks and are for shorter distances than I am doing now.

Thanks!

A

Hi Amanda Z
The training you should be doing all depends on where you are at the moment with your running. Building up on a weekly long run would be the best place to work on, if it is your first mara all you need to worry about is you endurance, but remember to build up slowly. And remember to have a easy week every 3-4 weeks, I find this helps.

Volociraptor and Howard road runner
Thanks for the info, sent my entrance sometime ago now, did not get in last year so here hoping for next year. Just could not remember when it was they started the draw.

Hi Amanda :o)

I agree with Jus - gently building up the mileage, and particularly your weekly long run, and giving yourself a respite by having a cutback week every 3-4 weeks, is a good way to pass the time between now and the start of the schedules. You CAN do a reasonable marathon on 15 weeks' consistent training (I know because I did my current PB off 12 weeks' escalating training from a standing start and then a taper) but it won't be the best marathon performance you're capable of. And marathons are MUCH more fun if you can get them over with quickly and painlessly ;o)

If you don't get a place, there are other well-populated spring marathons. Or you could allow yourself a year to build up to the distance and work on your times in shorter races instead. Which is what I'd do if I had my time over again!

So I have an appointment with a podiatrist on Thursday. Developed a problem in April after the Rotterdam marathon - a pain and tingling sensation on the ball of my right foot just behind the big toe. Went to GP, lots of rest (nearly 3 months no running), lots of anti-inflammatories, GP then referred to physio, wait, 5 sessions with physio, refferred to podiatry, long wait and finally an appointment on Thursday. Physio gave me the go ahead to run so I've built my weekly mileage back up to 25 miles; I just hope the podiatrist doesn't tell me to stop running!!!!

Amanda - Just listen to Jus and Velociraptor. Just increase your mileage slowly.
My main aim is to be doing 2h long runs by Christmas and then start do more quality runs after.

HRR - Hope you are running pain free soon.

Just got some good news. Mrs Eskimo is going to start working days instead of working shift so it should mean I can get out a bit more.

Evening All..Hi and Welcome to Quinn and Amanda..
I agree that the 12 week marathon plans don't seem to have enough slack within them to handle those weeks when thru injury ilness or lack of time we can't do the planned miles. Therefore I will try and gradually increase my LSRs from now on. I've entered a January Half to try and motivate me thru the dark winter nights .

So glad to hear your Dad is doing so well R.D.

Sorry to hear about your injury H.R.R. Hope you get good news form the podiatrist.Sounds like you are managing to run fairly well inspite of the toe though.

V'rap.. I was at Brum from 87-93 but left after house jobs ( Redditch and Sandwell ) to go to Nottingham for VTS. It is a small world...did you spend much time at the Brum teaching hospitals ?

Off now to make Kids, tea / switch off Nick Jr !

I didn't spend much time in any of the centres of excellence in Brum, QQ, and you were safely out of med school before I became an undergraduate tutor in general practice. I worked in Cape Hill in 1993, so probably tried to blag lots of homeless grannies past you on Friday nights at Sandwell.

Which half are you doing in January? I'll be doing Brass Monkey (looking for sub-1.40), then a 20-miler in March, but probably only 10ks otherwise, and the schedules will be interrupted by a week on the ski-slopes :o)

HRR, the podiatrist is unlikely to tell you to stop running. A podiatrist's role is to sell you lots of expensive bits of stuff to put in your shoes under the pretext of making it possible for you to keep running. Isn't it?

;o)

Seriously, hope he/she sorts you out!

Amanda, I hope you have a fantastic race at Stroud and look forward to the report.

I'm up to the eyeballs in chocolate, and it's not a tapermania-binge. My son kindly volunteered me to make lots of cakes for a school multi-activity day tomorrow. I don't mind that - I may be rubbish at making costumes for school shows and turning up for special assemblies, but cakes I can do.

Been too busy to run today, but I'll go out later when the kids are in bed, to remind my body that it isn't time to put on the winter lard-jacket yet.

Have fun in Stroud Amanda.

And Vrap - Abingdon is this weekend, right? Hope you have a brilliant day.

I am planning a nice restful 10 very slow miles, chilling out in readiness for Barnes Green half on the 29th. Nice.

It's definitely time to start carb-loading now isn't it V-rap? Am off to buy some chocolate!

It's taken six weeks to lose 6lbs, and will probably take three days to put it all back on again!

Tapermania is firmly in place here ;)

Thanks, pidge :o)

I think I've already started carbo-loading, Tiger. Or so the scales tell me. I've obviously been trundling along in a state of chronic severe glycogen-depletion for the past few months. The alternative is that I've whanged on 3lb of lard in the past 3 days just from missing a total of about 12 miles of running ;o)

Today was supposed to be a total-rest day, but after not doing my planned run yesterday I need to trot out a couple of miles this afternoon just so that I don't lose confidence.

Looking forward to getting Abingdon over so that I can start training seriously for a spring marathon. I'm getting to grips with the idea that I'm still a long way from needing to do anything other than just build mileage and shouldn't be thinking about speedwork ... after 5 years of running I have finally become a beginner :o)

Ms Raptor, best wishes for Abingdon.

I did my now weekly 13.1 mile solo run yesterday, and was slightly peeved that my pacing (without technology) was marginally off and my time was 1hour 47 and not 1:43:30 like last weeks. I guess I've gotten used to always improving my times, but for a training run, I should be happy that it's now a regular thing and not a monumental challenge anymore. The plan for Glen Clova Half is to collar someone of experience who has a bleepy thing so I can attack the 100 mins target !

Pidge, your photo didn't do you justice either. I had you down as a white van man in his forties ! Anyway good luck with Barnes Green. It shouldn't be too hot for you ! Find someone beforehand who plans a similar pace to you and smash your PB when those gazelle genes kick in from mile 10 onwards !! Just don't bring up your job if you like a chat going round ! Ha! Ha!

I am gonna experiment with these wee SIS gels that Mr Dap swears by at Glen Clova, if it can give me a wee boost to maintain my pace.

HRR, I have big plans for you in the Winter months ahead, so soak your feet in vinegar like a pair of conkers, and fingers crossed you'll be back soon.

Amanda Z, hullo. Good luck in Stroud. Think I've been there when I lived in Bristol. Take it easy and think only of good things, never giving negative thoughts any space in your head.
I've not looked at any training plans yet, feeling that the higher my long run can be come Christmas, the better. I'll have less ground to make up in 2007, so might actually enjoy it, instead of it being the most hellish 12 or 15 weeks of my life !

QQ, does the bloke off Blues Clues on Nick Jnr still sing the Bedtime Business song at 7pm ? A classic !

May have asked this before, but if I'm 6 ft, 13 stone and have run maybe 500-600 miles this year, is it OK to wait for Santa to bring me a new pair of 10 n a halfs ?

LS the thread coach and motivator!!

Get some new shoes now! 600 miles should be the max you keep a pair of running shoes. If you are running 13.1 miles regularly you are well ahead of most marathon schedules. I'm deffinitelt with you on the slow build up strategy. I have a 14 miler planned for some time in the next two to three weeks. However next week I need to cut back. Question should I keep my long run the same but drop a shorter run making 3 not 4 runs in the week? Or should I stick to 4 runs and make my long run shorter?

Anyway did 5 miles at 8 min pace this morning and a total of 26.25 miles for the week so I feel on track but must be a good boy and have a recovery week, I've avaraged 25 miles a week over the last month so I really am due a bit of a rest although I won't like it.

Good news, recieved cheque from insurance people so I can now go out and buy a new beepy thing. I must say though that it has been quite liberating running without one, I don't even look at my watch until I finish each training session.

6ft, 13 stone, and managed to get 500-600 miles out of a pair of shoes without significant injury? Crikey! I hope that high-maintenance bee is still lurking on the thread ;o)

Time to treat yourself to some new footwear, LS! Even I struggle to get that much mileage out of my shoes, and I'm about half your size.

But I'm Scottish and dont throw shoes away until the tarmac touches skin !

HRR, me and my neighbour used to run Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri but never made progress. Now that I'm Mon, Wed, Fri, I have my rest days in between, and feel ready for each run instead of still fatigued from the previous day. It used to feel more of a chore back then. Today I can feel the muscles in my leg "come to terms" with my 13 miler, and a run today would've been no fun, and no great time would've been set. I am chuffed with the progress I'm making on 3 runs a week, and with a day off between each one, I always look forward to the next. I've never run a marathon and have only run 1 half in Dundee, so I'm no expert, but now that I'm up to 13 miles, I don't want to go below that, and so would suggest you keep the long run long, and drop a shorter one.
Last weeks total of 33 miles was my biggest ever by 13 miles ! I plan as I said before on doing a 6, an 8.6 and the 13.1 for now.

P.S. How much are a new pair of Dunlop Green Flash anyway ?

£19 :) Green Flash

Managed 29 miles last week from 4 runs.

500/600 miles seems OK to me for a pair of trainers. I tend to do more but i do a lot of miles of road during the summer.

Good luck to anybody who is racing this weekend.

Hi Quinn! Hi Amanda!

Now there is a blast from the past! Green Flash! If I remember, I also had a pair of amber flash.

Good luck to all the Abingdon runners this weekend. Will be beaming wishes of good luck to you!

V.rap, I can't wait to hear your time. I just know you are going to do well, I just knows it!

Is it today that Aldi are selling running gear?

A question - as there's such a lot of docs on here!

I'm paranoid about cramp, after a very bad experience at Cardiff a couple of years ago at around the 22 mile mark when I virtually ground to a halt with cramp in my quads.

I'm drinking plenty of water now in the run up to Abingdon, should I start munching salty crisps? :)

AMBER FLASH ?

AND BELLBOTTOMS ??

Ripped Dap Yes its today Aldi are selling running gear. Mrs Eskimo has been down and got some winter gear for us both.