RW Forum Six - Sub 3:30

I had a fab day too Minni 

Do you know Brass Monkey entries open 7am on Saturday 20th Minni? A chance to set off in the dark in the middle of the night to travel halfway down the country from where you are to obliterate that 1:32

Mini Team...

Yes Carrot - I'll be entering.  You too?

Thanks BecsA and Carrot. I was pretty sure I could run sub 1.30 but didn't expect to be quite as fast, which is always nice.

Have you seen the RunPix stats for today? Always interesting.

Minni my training is simple. Train during the week depending on how I feel and race every weekend but take most of the results with a pinch of salt. Have a few key races along the way to target.

 I did spend a whole year base building (around 3000 slow/easy miles) when I first started back running and saw very little reward at the time but feel that really is the backbone of what is happening now.

Keep up the good work all and look forward to hearing about the Town Moor adventure!

Right, so I need to run 3000 miles in November then race every weekend!

x-post I was wearing shorts honest!

You've probably already got a huge base Minni because you've been running for so long. Just the races then.....

Hmmm, Daren did all those slow easy miles when he was HADD-ing.  Maybe there's something in it!  3000 a year must have been a high weekly mileage. 

Yes will be there again Minni, the last two years we've taken Parsnip's parents and gone out for dinner afterwards.  His Mam seems to like all the men in shorts (and tights)

Nice pink trainers Forever! Those race tshirts are always like tents

So - short race report before I keel over from the wine!  Glad to hear the team [minus Daren] were having a warm up for the TM.

Woke this morning to sore throat, headache, tickly cough and bunged nose, which is an occupational hazard at the start of a new Uni term - the dreaded Freshers Flu.  We both also had dodgy stomachs due [at least in my opinion] to the unorthodox use of the pasta saucepan by Mr O4S, which he strangely forgot to mention to me until this morning

Swindon is a toughish course, when it is not undulating it is hilly and when it stops being hilly it is mountainous!  I usually reckon 2-3 minutes slower than Bristol, so having done a crap time at Bristol [1.49] I wanted to equal it at Swindon, which would be an improvement.  Given how I felt this morning I amended this to sub 2 hours and not having to walk

I wore the garmin but decided not to look at it but try to run at constant perceived effort, so that I wouldn't panic when the uphills were slow and the downhills fast.  This worked remarkably well and I was soon in a rhythm that felt equal paced all the way, but in fact varied from 6.59mm to 8.45mm depending on the gradients.  For the first time in ages the miles flew past and I was able to look around and admire the fantastic views from the top of the highest hill [we got a mile or so flatish before it went back down.  Even the horrid uphill drag from 11.5 - 12.5 didn't seem too bad and I actually had something left in the tank.

My garmin squeaked 13 miles at the sign saying 400m to go and we plunged downhill [the hill we had had to come up from the start] where I was passed by a few macho blokes who had been huffing and puffing up the hills, but had plenty of body mass to propel them downhill

Finished in 1.47.xx - about 2 minutes faster than Bristol, average pace 8.10mm and felt great - we even walked for 2 hours in a country park on the way home.  Mr O4S got his come-uppance for the waterproofing incident by having to stop at 11 miles at the last en route loo - the time he allegedly lost there has been getting longer all afternoon!!

I was pleased to win the W60 but having looked at the results I realise I could have stopped for a 3 course lunch at one of the pubs and still have won.  However I would have been 3rd W50 and 7th W40 had I not been so old

Before my eureka moment I was seriously considering ducking out of the forum for a while so I didn't get even more depressed by all the fantastic times people are posting - but in the end thought I should continue to prove what is possible with minimal training, a frontal lobotomy and a Government pension.

Footnote:  our only soup spoon has just been discovered in the garage where apparently it was being used for something involving engine oil

Morning

Cooks / Darren / Forever fantastic runs and PB's, you guys are seriously speedy these days

Minni Does the 15 seconds mean you don't have a 2 second PB? Confused.

Spoons: Solid run, would have been considered speedy when this thread started.

Freemers: Even better solid run, and finishing in front of spoons as usual

2Old: The performance of the day, that is an amazing time says one old git to another Gives me hope that there may be one more Marathon PB left in this old carcass.

O4S: Don't you dare ever stop posting here, sounds as if you need to but some new kitchen utensils. Nice run.

I had a nice ride across the desert before dawn, the weather is getting seriously NICE, May run tonight but left calf tight, will see how it feels.

Phwoar! More awesome racing yesterday that I totally missed!

Cooks:   firmly cementing your blue HM time then. That is mindbogglingly fast ... not long now and you and 2old bugger off to the sub-3 thread

forever: I want to be you too    What a fab year of racing for you  ...  am with you on the importance of base training. I'm good at that. Slow running is what I like most. I'm just crap at speed

O4S: top class . Glad you feel better and had such a fab race.

Spoons: you took Freemers to seriously there with "around 1:40" . Seriously, after the crap time you've had a 1:39 is not to be sniffed at.

DD: what training would you recommend I do between now and my 10k in 2 weeks time? I'm still marathon-slow and 10mm is about as good as it gets at the mo. Have run an amazing grand total of 12 miles last week

My runpix stats are less impressive

Yes, that Neil Flack is a great runner. I see he is a v40 as well   Daren - you might want to phone them as well as email (if there is a number?) - I emailed them ages ago when I hadn't received a race pack, and never had a reply...heard a few other similar tales.

Chick: In all honesty any training you do between now and a 10K in two weeks is going to have zero effect. Concentrate on recovery, slow aerobic runs, throw in some fartlek when your legs feel like it, a tempo run a few days before would be good but not essential, I can always feel a had marathon for about three weeks, so you should be feeling good by the time teh 10K come around. 

Morning all-tire but still buzzing here

I have now read back and what a day Sunday was! There's definately a benefit in starting at the begiining and reading how the day unfolds.Im thrilled for all the runners yesterday.So many PBs and amazing times and personal successes.

Minni-1.32.40 another PB ! Brilliant ...all your hard work is paying dividends. Remember I ran a 1.32 HM before VLM which was sub 3.15, so its there for you to take and I cant wait for you to do it.

O4S-another-and I dont want to sound dismissive by saying 'another' outstanding result... it was an awesome HM.Age group winner and you put the other age groups to shame on a very tough sounding course in not the best of conditions. Dont you dare 'duck out ' of this thread.You are an inspiration and example to me and the rest of us.

DD-go on ,go for that marathon PB-you know you can do it.To be frank I think the tri training I did alongside my 50 odd average miles a week contributed greatly to my improvement. You have the most idealic training routes of us all.

Great pic of the Team Minni GER squad...so many very happy people, still buzzing

FRC-sorry to miss you yesterday but if its any consolation I didnt see my OH either  on two occasions she was close enough to touch me. I looked out for you at the water stations but everyone wore the same T shirts so that was a no go

Cooks-you are streets ahead ,amazing HM and in a zone I can only dream about.Thing is it means that we expect and you have no option other than to go sub 3 at your next marathon-when is it.? Well done

Barry-too true about the leaderboard but I think O4S and I should not be discriminated against and the board should be on a WAVA basis or at least as an alternative-what do you think Minni?Anyway Im awaiting your Abo result with interest.I think we are going to witness something special there for you

Daren-another superb HM result, you'll soon be knocking on Cooks door.Very fast. It is interesting to see how once a milestone is achieved other advances quickly follow and seem less difficult.

Free-Brilliant HM ,I knew you would do it You should be well rewarded when you translate that run and all those LRs into your next marathon

Spoons-sub 1.40 well and truly achieved,you watch those minutes disappear from now on. Brilliant

Forever-1.28!!! What can I say -outstanding and what's your secret but Youve answered that.

Carrot-many thanks and nice wet run

Chick-thanks

Hope Ive not missed anyone