RW Forum Six - Sub 3:30

Yes, the half is flat. I ran 1:40 on my last half which was at the end of October so I'm hoping for an improvement on that.  Next week's LT is 10 miles with 5 @ LT.  Normally I would do this on a Tuesday and GA on Friday but I think I might swap them around?  This would give me more time to recover from the half?  Actually, I plan to do my long run on the Saturday that week so would therefore aim to do the LT on Thursday.

Minni -I think the reason people are posting on Alison's thread is to try to get debate going that she can become involved in. If you think of the work and effort that MM put into his thread last year (and you are putting into your thread) then it is a bit disappointing that there is such a lack of input this year. She did win but surely she (and the others) need to fulfill their part too. You are doing it without the enhancement of shiny new trainers and watches

Anyway, I'm giving up!

Of course the downhill paces count on an undulating course as long as you ran up the hills too.

Cut back week for me this week and it's making me feel a bit nervous as if I'm losing fitness.

CG  It would be good to hear more from Alison, ie whether or not she agrees with schedules, or rather if they are suiting her.   MM did a great job, as did Sue C the year before.  Its great to follow the journey .....  I entered and didn't win and to be honest I'm quite pleased about it.  Seeing the way its going this year I'm not sure I'd enter again.  

What time are you aiming for in York?  I'm I right in thinking you've done it before?   I think my plan will be just to set off and see how it goes...!  Because I don't race that often its hard to be sure of my paces.    The average pace for my last half was 7.38 and my fastest ever was 7.20, so can maybe get something in between.

Oh loads going on here!!

Well I hit 3:29:42 in Berlin in 2007 - my 8th marathon and since then I've done between 3:34 and 3:42. This years London will be my 14th marathon and I'm sure you all remember my words of resignation on my 10th a few years ago!! Back for more as always... The only thing I did different in Berlin was relax more - 3 core runs a week - still probably had endurance build up off London and I did a negative split as I was only aiming for a pb of 3:35. Funny how it works hey!

This week for me 7 miles on Monday - 3.5 at 9 min mile and 3.5 at 8 min mile - that felt hard. Then yesterday was a 5k threshold run at ave 6:45 pace. Rest today then I'm trying to decide when to do my 18 miler this week - its starting to hang over me a bit. Hate that feeling...

Minni - well done on your run - definitely gettting quicker hey!

CG - good luck for York Half. My first half of the campaign is in 4 weeks. Wokingham. pb there of 1h32 few years ago, but way off that at the moment!

AA  great to hear your heading the right way down the road to recovery.  In fact, with those runs it sounds like you've fully recovered.  14th marathon?  I do remember you talking about your last  a few years ago!  Will your 18 miler be outside this week or on the treadmill?

DD what will the temperature be like for your marathon on Friday?  Is it a big one?

It makes me wonder what RW agreed with the coaches and others in the first place - I'd have thought that the contract/agreement would have included things like how often they should be on the forums.

Similarly with the SSXs. They seem to have been dumped into it without much of an understanding of what the forum expects from them. I'd have thought that at some point in the application process there'd be something that says in return for this prize we expect this from you.

Minni: It doesn't matter when you do the LT session as long as you do it, they are incredibly important in the P & D schedules as they don't have much in the way of interval work in there ( their one failing as far as I'm concerned.)

The temperature at Dubai marathon tomorrow will probably be around 18C at the start rising to perhaps 27C by the timer i finish, hot to you OK to me. Marathon field probably around 1200.

I can't comment on last years Super six as to be honest I normally steer 300 miles west of anything to do with VLM but I was asked to get involved this year and to be honest I enjoy the to and fro of it all.  Every year I vote for the those who i recognise from the forums if I have never heard of them I don't vote in that category. It would appear to me that RW should set out clearly what is expected from a SSX in terms of posting etc. Likewise it would be perhaps as well to tell the coaches / mentors what is required from them as I agree that Upsy Daisy seems to have drawn the short straw.

10 miles steady for me this morning. Gonna do long one on Saturday.

DD - good luck with the Dubai marathon tomorrow. Look forward to race report. How many marathons do you run a year?

AA - sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.  I hope she is soon on the road to recovery.  Its hard to fit in running when life catches up on us.

I was thinking of you last night when I did my 5 mile recovery on the treadmill.  I had an hour and a bit to spare while the children were at badminton and didn't feel too enthused to run myself somewhere I wasn't familiar with.  So, off I trotted to the gym, paid my £5.95 (!!), and ran for 50 mins whilst watching 'are you smarter than a 10 year old', which evidently I'm not.   I did 5.2miles with an average of 9.30.  I don't know how you do your long runs that way!  I got really hot as much as anything else.

Minni - LOL!! I actually find treadmill running really good mental training more than anthing else. Really toughens me up. I like the pace control too. Mind you - a recovery run on a treadmill has to be the worse sort. I tend to watch Jeremy Kyle as I run in the morning - I am fully up to date with DNA and lie detector results!! Yawn!!

DD - hope it isn't too hot for you tomorrow

DD Good luck tomorrow Dave!  Be sure to let us know how you get on!

AA What speed do you generally do on the treadmill?  To be honest I speeded up for the last 2k because I wanted it over with, but then I got so hot!  It is a good mental challenge for sure. 

Minni - long runs at 11.4kph which is 8:47 min miles. My speed sessions depends on length of reps and my threshold runs I try and do 5-8 miles at 7 min or 7:15 min miles.

Rest day again for me today ahead of my 18 miler tomorrow

AA - I dread the long runs I have to do on my own too. I think it is more about the fact that I do the same routes each year. I love having my Fridays off now as I can have company for at least some of the way.

Rest day today though in preparation for Sunday. I'll be glad when this week is over and I can get back to my usual high mileage.

MM - I'm starting to feel a bit jittery.  I should be confident in achieving a good time; I've done some good solid training of late.  Although no 'speed sessions', these lactate threshold runs should act as confidence builders in the distance.   But, you know how is goes.... do I have a lurking injury....?  have I trained enough....?   have I over-trained and am therefore tired....?  do I have a lurking terminal illness....?  

On a plus my OH is doing too and its his first half.  He should just about manage it by the cut off time and I will feel very proud of him...... an hopefully beat him!!