Lucozade Sport Super Six: Wotsit (sub-4:30)

Introducing the fifth member of our Lucozade Sport Super Six… Helen (aka Wotsit).

Helen ran her first marathon last year in 5:08 and loved the experience so much that straight away she knew she wanted to do it all over again.

Helen will be using our sub-4:30 Garmin-ready schedule (devised by former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton) as a basis for her training and will be mentored by Nick Anderson directly on this thread (starting January 5).

She’ll be posting her training progress on a regular basis, and feedback the fuel and hydration advice given to her by the team at Lucozade Sport so make sure you check back regularly to find out how she gets on.

You can read more about Helen’s running background and goals by clicking on the article link at the top of the thread.

Good luck Helen!

<runs into the room, twirling>

Hello all!  Welcome to my thread, lovely to see you.  Do have a glass a virtual bubbly.  I'm celebrating

Great - just the news I'm after 

Marathon training involves bubbly!!!!!!  

There is hope for me

Congrats on winning the prize Helen!

As a previous Super Six winner I know how much the team and coaches can help. You will improve and will succeed. 

I wasn't mad on intervals either (possibly because I was doing them wrong). Coach Steve's plan actually helped me enjoy speed work since there was a purpose and a reason. I'm sure the same will benefit you too. 

All the best! 

*slurps some virtual bubbly*

PS. Five degrees OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, thank you

StJason - I'm seriously hoping that will happen to me too, though having managed to shed a bit of weight since I got the 'congratulations' email its actually feeling a lot easier.  That might be famous last words, given the season.

Pig, marathon training should *always* involve champagne.

Put that champagne away, 'tis Lucozade or water from now on girl

well done Wotsit

good luck

Good luck Wotsit.  You're following the schedule I did this year and with a similar starting marathon PB so I'm full expecting you to get that 4:30.  Just be prepared for some hard work!! 

Sue, pah.  Though its possible that this year I'll not bother having the bottle waiting at the end of the race and might, in fact, go for something slightly more refreshing.

Sezz - Am right up for the hard work.  Given that Wickett is deadly jealous there isn't a chance he'll be letting me get away with easing up for a second or not making the most of this!  I'm trying to keep him and coach Nick apart for as long as possible, otherwise it might get dangerous.

Well done again!!    Really chuffed for you.  Thought I'd drop in for a virtual champers toast to your training!!  Any roses you feel are bothering you at christmas send them my way and i'll do my damndest (sp?) lol!!  Its the least I can do to help your training!!

 Sprocket

arrhhh well done wotsit

*ducks shoe thrown by LB*

*takes schlurp of champers*

I might do some of the runs with you, just for moral support don't yeah know. 

Thank you Farnie.  I'm hiding from LB incase she bumps me off to steal my place   Would love a virtual training partner.  Not sure if I can type and run, but never say never.

Welcome back Sprocket.  You are now personally responsible for preventing me eating all of the father-in-law's chocolate cake.  Well, not *all*.  That'd be no fun. 

well done wotsit

have u told your running club yet

Seren - it wasn't my need to wee!  Though I will be investing in a she-pee so I can wee like a bloke for the race.  That will definately need practice.

BBB - I've started my official pre-training by not training.  So I haven't been and seen them.  I figured that no-one will know yet, given that the announcement was during the point at which everyone be getting back from work and getting changed to go out, so instead I plumped for wrapping christmas presents with the Wockette (my small daughter) and resting my sore back.  Seasonal backache from lugging huge bags of shopping about.

I thought that, maybe, I should write a little something about my recent running, training and stuff. 

So, since I met everyone in London at the end of November I have been pretty motivated to get out running.  Funny that.  I'm not brilliant at stringing together a regular routine of runs without a proper goal and after doing Stroud HM in October I have just been ill, on and off, so haven't got out terribly regularly.  I'm not sure how well I manage to disguise it in my lovely video, but I had the most grusome cold almost from the moment of reading the 'congratulations' email, so the first weeks of my pre-training, training were all about getting back to full health.  Embarassingly, I had to stop Dan & coach Nick when we were out running because I couldn't breathe.  I've promised not to be so feeble throughout the whole of the next few months.

I've been being very good about eating, trying to think of food as fuel, which is nigh on impossible at this time of year.  Wholegrains & veg= premium unleaded, so mince pies = stinky old paraffin?  Or should that be sprouts?  Anyway, I'm down 9lbs in weight and consequently running a bit faster.  Looking forward to meeting the nutritionalist and seeing what she thinks of my 'week before Christmas' food diary.

So, fellow 4.30ers, coach Nick prescribes for the following 2 weeks, 1 long run of about 90 mins, 1 threshold session of 45 mins with 4 x 5mins at threshold pace and a 45 min 'normal' run.  I shall be slipping those in amidst the festivities.  Maybe with a halo on my head.  Or not.

I am doing nothing til after the New Year, I have been well and truely knocked for six by flu and having seen someone get really ill after coming back to running too quickly I am taking things very very easy.

I will join in after the noo year tho Wotsit.  (esp if you are cracking open booze regularly)

*ahem*

If I may be so bold as to take this young madam down a peg or two...

Your 'interesting facts' include your making jam and chutney?   I think there may be some waaaaaaay more interesting facts than just being part of the Village Green Preservation Society!

Subject to me getting really cool Christmas presents, I'll be adding to the following list on a weekly basis;

Facts about Wotsit

1.   Grew up in Hong Kong
2.   Regularly appeared on childrens' television in Hong Kong (I'll have a YouTube clip up by Boxing Day if my presents aren't up to standard!!)
3.   Was a child model
4.   Supports Sunderland and has a brick with her name on it at the Stadium of Sh...... (sorry) Light.
5.   Growing up surrounded by primary school teachers, Wotsit - like her true mentor, Mary Poppins - has an irritating song to accompany every subject or eventuality that may befall her during any given 24-hr period.  Feel free to test her on this.
6.   Will not sleep with any limbs exposed from under the duvet for fear of them being nibbled by the 'Foxes that live under the bed'.

So, two more days of shopping, dear.  Let's not waste them, 'cos there's plenty more where they came from.....

However, her commitment to the training so far has been amazing.  Partly because she knows how sickeningly jealous I am, but mostly because she hates letting people down.  She's already lost well over half a stone since finding out about this, and has lost almost a minute per mile from her long run pace.

We're all really proud of her.

(but not to the point that I won't dish the dirt at the slightest indiscretion....)