Halstead marathon

This is still my PB race and in my opinion one of the best around... would do next year but am doing VLM and not prepared to do 2 in 2 months.

morning all on this bitter morning again!! holding cold tools is not fun in this weather 

running tonight (i promise ) always enjoy my club training sessions as we allways push each other. 

Jason - I'll probably run both even if Halstead is more of a LSR. That way I can run to enjoy it.

It is not really hilly but you need to be well prepared and then it is reasonably fast. Good luck tonight! I went out for 5.5 miles this morning and it was minus 6! Mind you it warmed up and was only minus 5 by the end!!!

Have you voted?

david- wow good on you if you can manage both !

i always thought about getting up at the crack of dawn and running but its so inconvenient for me! definately warming up then !

probably be around 5 miles tonight ending in a nice 1-2 mile slow 'cool down' should really think about getting a GPS watch to accurately track my mileage!

yes certainly have voted  

Not sure I can!!! But I'll give it a go!

I ran for years without a Garmin but feel like somethings missing when I run without it now. Problem is that you can spend so much time looking at your watch you forget to enjoy the scenery!

Hi Jason

Looks like you are training very well at the moment. I'm meant to be out for an easy run at lunchtime after a hard interval session yesterday but it is, absolutely, throwing it down here in bexley at the moment so I might hang on until later. Got a couple of steady runs planned for the weekend.

I didn't get selected for Paris so will be giving my all at Halstead!!!

unlucky david i did see the final five, good luck to them and will be following all their progress.

im in a bit of a rut at the moment i dont know what to do for the new years marathon training. some advise would be good 

im currently at 4 days a week training after work (working 8-5:30 sometimes 6). so dont get out until say half 6/7. Not the most demanding job (im a car mechanic) but on my feet for atleast 8 hours in the day.

my question is....shall i start later running after eating, or early running before work before breakfast? i dabbled with the idea of early running but that means more showering, which seems like a waste of water in my opinion!

also its absolutely chucking it here in sunny great dunmow (essex)

would be nice to meet you at halstead aswell

Hi guys,

just thought I'd join this thread as I too have entered the Halstead marathon. Jason, I see you run for GFDR and have been doing x/country racing? I run for Mid Essex Casuals and am really looking forward to your clubs race this coming Sunday at Stebbing.

Welcome to our little thread, Leighton!

Have you run the Halstead marathon before?

Jason - I used to run quite late in the evenings years ago at about 9 at night but it was hard to switch off afterwards. I think if I was you I'd think about straight after work before dinner. Might be worth having a snack mid-afternoon on that basis.

It's quite a difficult time of year. Once you get into the New Year and you can see the marathon on the horizon you'll find it easier to get out there. It's worth looking at the RW schedules when they come out. Your times are promising. What are you aiming to do the marathon in?

hello leighton pull up a chair as they say,

have you run halstead before?

yes ive been a member for 3 months now and havent looked back since. yes been in 3 XC races so far and loved how fun they are. really enjoyed little baddow even if it was a bit brutal.

good luck on sunday its going to be my first and ive seen the pictures and it looks VERY messy

david- i thought the same with running that late especially if im running a few miles!

stick with the after work schedule then i thinks 

i guess just keep with the running for now and see what comes out of the new year and gradually build up the miles per week.

i dont have a time as yet...well i do but its sub 4 but i think nearer the time and continued training i should get a respectable time

just to finish would be fantastic tho as it is my first

I think that sub 4 is more than acheivable if you are running 10 miles in 71 minutes!!!

When I did my first marathon I had run 71 minutes and then trained for 3 months for the marathon and ran 3:09!!! Aim high and set your training accordingly. Build up gradually but keep some quality. How old are you again?

How do you all cope with icy roads ?  I'm a real coward as far as black ice is concerned and don't go off road in case I twist an ankle etc and mobile reception here is useless.

thanks thats really encouraging i also think im faster than that already  as the training is improving me all the time.

isnt it the endurance that can get to most people? speeds irrelevant (ive heard)

yes its going to be a fun journey  im 23, 24 next month.

Hi teresa its a touchy subject for me. i personally dont take the risk with ice.

there is other ways keep the fitness up.

some say just 'man up' and run but they obviously dont take it seriously and dont care if they break an ankle or injure themselves.

off road i have run when its been frozen, and let me tell you its very hard, and hurts the ankles (all personal accounts) but when you get on the flat mud/grass its fine.