Halstead marathon

Hi Jason

No, I've not run Halstead Marathon before but I have heard so many good reports that I thought I would give it a go.  I did London in 2006 in 3:46, so this will be my 2nd marathon and am hoping to get through between 4:00 and 4:30 at Halstead.

I'm looking forward to Sundays race, I did it last year and it was wet and muddy but great fun!

Good luck! I actually don't live far from you, Halstead is my local marathon (9 miles away), I've done it 4 times now, would've been 5 but I had an annus horribilis currit this year! lol

When I saw your post about the XC I thought about doing it, but i've got 16 miles with 10 miles at mp scheduled today (P&D) so I couldn't really cross the two together.

Great fun by the sound of it Jason.

Lardarse - I love this race. So well organised and a lovely, but challenging, course. I'm entered for the third year in a row and this time I'm giving  it a really good go!

Still 21 weeks to go, I think, so for me still in base building mode. Up to 35-40 miles most weeks for the past month.

Did 10.88 miles at 7:30 average earlier including 6 at MP or below (7:17 - 7:25mm). Feeling pleased with myself.

Normally, I get a bit distracted at this time of year and somehting gets lost. I'm determined to keep it going through this period despite so many other commitments!

What time did you get? And how long is the xc race??! I don't even know, I was just going to turn up and run it lol

My current mp is 8.58 m/m as of 4 weeks ago, so that's what i'll train at, for now, though i'm hoping I can get close to or beat my pb come 3 months time at Rome. I need to run under 8.27 m/m to do this.

I don't find Halstead anynore challenging than any other of the marathons i've done, in all honesty it's not really what you'd call "hilly", yes it's undulating, but it's run on roads that have the same topography as where I run and have lived all my life. I imagine if you're from or near Dunmow then you'll find it the same, it will be no different to where you train.

I also saw the Braintree Bog-gle the other night and contemplated entry, but it's only some 5 weeks before Rome, and even running it as an extened lsr I thought might be a bit much that close, i'm also already doing the Tarpley 20 near Bury which is two weeks after the Bog-gle, though I plan on "racing" only about 10 miles to set a pace for Rome, then have 3 weeks to recover.

I don't even know yet if i'm doing Halstead, I've been invited to go on holiday about the same time, though no definite dates as yet, but I probably will do Halstead and maybe go on holiday but for a shorter durration than the others, besides, did I mention i'm going to ROME! lol

It's March 17th, I'm imagining from past Med experience the weather at that time will be similar to our summer, nice days, crap days, never particularly hot, never cold, actually quite nice to run in. I much prefer the heat anyway. You're 23, I didn't even leave the country for more than a day untilI was 26!

You're cross country sounds like some of the farm tracks round here, 18" deep wheel ruts that fill with water and then cover the central part of the track too, I'm sticking to the road! lol

Any other year I would've done the Bog-gle and another marathon 5 weeks later, but I really want to do my best at Rome, i'll be 40 six days after, so it would be nice to set a final pb before I leave the senior catorgary and join the geriatrics! lol

No reason why you shouldn't do a foriegn marathon is there? I've done Dublin, Athens, Amsterdam and Monaco. Many have done many, many more than that, I don't have a well paid job, races like Amsterdam can be done cheaply, others incorporate into a holiday. Rome has been a "want to do" for a long time. Others on the bucket list are San francisco and Bangkok, both have personal reasons and history behind them which make them something I want to do.

Falling in a river in December isn't fun! lol I think you're showing your age, or maybe I am mine!

I know to you 40 sounds ancient! But I don't think it's very old on this forum, besides, time has a nasty habit of creeping up on you...

Indeed lardarse - I'm 49 in April and getting faster again!

Jason - I meant to say a few days ago to be careful what others think you are capable of. We are all different and you are young. Much of the advice will come from old gits (like myself). It's always good to listen to experience but many marathoners come to it later in life and haven't benefitted from youth in their running. Consequently, their advice will be tainted by their own experience.

You are young and have good speed and if I was you I would look to run inside 3:30 at least. From a 71 minute 10 miler much faster than that is possible if you can get the long runs in.

If you train to run faster you will run faster!!! I am at about 72 min for 10 miles at the moment but am expecting to run inside 3:15 at Halstead. I think you could achieve that sort of time as well. Take a look at the RW advanced training plans for sub 3:15 or 3:30 and see if you could fit the training in.

I'm a great believer in anyone can achieve what they set out to achieve with the right planning and training. I still think that in time I may get close to the time I ran back in 1994. Most people will think I'm mad - I may be!

DS2 - ref your earlier question for me its a PB course, because I tend to run better and faster on undulating courses..... its not a hard course, but its not the easiest either.

But in terms of support its an excellent race and good for fuel stops with esp if you wnat your own drinks as they are put out for you if you drop them off in time in the morning, plus as the bulk is on a figure 8 you pass the same point 4 times ideal if you have a small support team, made all the difference for me...

Agreed RFJ. I loved the race. I live on the North Downs in kent so everywhere is hilly so I found the undulations of Halstead quite acceptable.

This year I hope my endurance will be much better and I can run to my potential. What I need to do this year is avoid falling off my bike cycling to work 8 weks before and ending up in plaster!!!

Its no rumour, unless they change it, but would doubt that as its a big sell for the race....

Agreed RFJ - one of the things I love and how I sell it to others.

Jason - that sounds a proper target for you. If I can think that way you cetainly can!

I'm doing about 40 miles a week at present. I get up early and run before work most days. My long term aim is to run Sub 3 on my 50th birthday at London in 2014!

Jason,

glad you enjoyed the cross country, have you seen the photos on www.facebook.com/KellysRunningPhotos ?

I managed a 9.6 mile run today including two runs up the hill at Braintree Discovery Centre.  Think I will have to start doing more hill work though.