RW Forum Six – Sub 3.30

Mr Puffy wrote (see)

One of the benefits of running I think is if you don't know where your next breath is coming from it's hard to worry about work.

Thats actually spot on!

Hi Sarah....I just day dream and think about how much I will be able to eat when I get off the damn thing. I tend to be ok for the first hour, although anything after that can get a little dull. Occasionally I feel like turning it off but I always think of how much satisfaction I will get when I step off it completing my goal and how annoyed at myself I would be if I just stopped early....it tends to keep me going!

The massage was great although because I said I was hopefully racing on sunday I think they took it abit more easier than usual. Legs feel so much more lighter now.

Training Diary for forum 6 sub 3:30 (VLM)

Week 3, (Day 19). Aim; 3 mile easy

I went to the gym and did 45 mins of resistance training with warm up stretches inbetween. Following this I did an easy 3.1 miles at 8:57 min/mls, followed by an hours (gentle) sports massage.

My legs actually felt great running the 3 miles and I kept getting the urge to go faster and further, so hopefully by sunday they will fly round BM (depending on the weather).

My legs feel so much more lighter and flexible after the sports massage also....think im going to have to get them done more often

Now for my walk in to town and back...hopefully before the snow decides to show! 

We've had some snow today, I don't think our race will go ahead now.

So I will do 3 miles in the morning weather permitting then do a long run on Sunday, might have to get to the gym.

Sarah.bad news but understandable............nowadays..........

 still its great to get out and run in snow.....ice and slush not so much fun......

the snow that fell early yesterday is still with us as the temps are so low.looks like we will have snow rather than ice for a few days

Right Sarah.  Shame about the BM.  Annoying for you who lives local but for me I'm quite relieved since travelling in all this snow would not have been the most sensible thing to do.

As far as the bigger picture for your marathon training is concerned its not a bad thing you missing it, to be honest.  Its only 4 weeks till your next HM and if you'd really gone for it tomorrow and been left tired for next week it would have meant perhaps missing more quality miles.  So this way you can continue your build up and still have a HM in hand.

I think you should still do a long run tomorrow.  You'd planned a 2-3m warm up + 13.1 miles at HMP so that would have got you up to 15-16.  You did 16 last week with no problem so I'm going to suggest you do 17 tomorrow.  17m at a similar pace to last week would be great, remember you're still trying to build up your endurance, but I know you're itching to get going. 

When I start to introduce MP miles into my long runs (usually in February) I start with something like 4 easy/4 MP/4 easy/4 MP.   This is a really good way of getting MP miles in without it taking too much out of you.  If you'd like to do a faster pace tomorrow why not try this?  Then add an easy mile on the end to get it up to 17.  If you find you're tiring on the last set of MP you can easy the pace.  Its still more important to get the miles in. 

Then you can increase the long run next week and the week after then have an easier week with a cutback long run before the HM.

How does that sound?

That sounds great.  If you're going to do it at the same pace as last week I'd be tempted to go up to 18.  You had no problems last week and I think a jump of 2 miles would be ok, but again play it by ear. I don't think there's anything to be gained by doing a shorter run (ie HM) at race pace.  Keep that for another few weeks.

I think you should keep the speed sessions going on a Tuesday.  You've been doing mostly HM paces intervals but how about trying some K reps at 10k pace?  Do you think you could manage 4 with 2 min recoveries?  Then on your run next Sunday (10m) perhaps do some intervals at HMP using MP as recovery? Say, 4m warm up followed by 0.5m @ HMP/0.5m @ MP for 5 miles, cool down.  You're long run on Friday will be easy miles and distance depending on what you do tomorrow and how you feel, but hopefully 18/19.  2 x netball but if either of these are cancelled then fit in a recovery run.

You're doing really well - keep it up!

My race is cancelled too .   I know how you feel Sarah, though I didn't ease off as such, I just needed a rest!

I'll do a long run as usual,  I have to drop puffy Junior off at 8:30 so that'll be perfect, A huge choice of routes from where I'll be, but I really fancy doing the "old" Chester half marathon route with a loop of the racecourse added on.  That'll make it around 15 miles but a nasty hill at the end, I think I'll walk up that, silly to risk an injury for the sake of a hundred yards.  He's at a leisure centre so if the worst comes to the worst I'll go on the treadmill.

Sarah - try and run outdoors!

a huge congratulations Mr P for getting out there and having a fabulous run. Full admiration to you, especially for running up that hill at the end too.

15 miles @ 9.04 in those conditions is great, I think you derserve alot more than chicken soup and home baked bed....although home baked bread is great....you have my mouth watering now.

I bottled it and ran on the treadmill today. I drove to the race course to collect my t and on the way tried to judge the roads and pavements. Some pavements were completley clear as were the roads, but then some paths looked deathly.  There were loads of runners around knavesmires running in their newly collected tops, however you could see some of them slipping and running with a very short stride length to try to prevent themselves from falling over.

I had a couple of jelly babies today towards the end of my run to tie me over until diner and last week I had a few jelly beans. Im going to try a gel next week I think and see how I get on with them. What gels have you tried in the past?

Whats did you do today Minni?

Training Diary for forum 6 sub 3:30 (VLM)

Week 3, (Day 20). Aim; rest day

I walked in to town and back with my husband, this was roughly 5.5-6 miles in the end. I didnt find out that the brass monkey was cancelled until I was in town so it was too late to change my plans and run instead.

Training Diary for forum 6 sub 3:30 (VLM)

Week 3, (Day 21). Aim; Brass monkey half marathon with a 2-3m w/u

Actual; due to the race being cancelled I opted to do a longer run as per Minni's advice above. I inspected some of the pavements that I would be running on and decided that it didnt look safe in places so I chose to go to the gym instead and run it on the treadmil.

My amended aim was to do either 18 miles @ 8:20 min/ml or to do 17 miles @ 8:20 - 8:00 min/mls

I set the treadmill to the hill setting but only had it on level one (which ranges between 0-1.5% inclines). I did this to try to mimic running outdoors a little, to make it a bit more challenging and also less likely to cause injury due to the variation. I decided not to do it at a higher level due to VLM being a flat course.

My Paces;

0- 1.3 miles @  9:30 min/mls - 8:20 min/mls

1.3 - 4 miles @ 8:20 min/mls

4 - 8 miles @ 8:00 min/ml

8-12 miles @ 8:20 min/mls

12-16 miles @ 8:00 min/mls

16-17.8 miles @ 8:20 min/mls with the last 5 mins at 8:27-9:30 min/mls

I had a successful run, my legs felt great up until the last .5 mile when they then started to tire a little. I found running at 8:00 min/ml actually easier than 8:20min/ml for some daft reason.

The only negative is I dont want to see a treadmil again for a while (although some people may see this as a positive)

Weekly mileage 36.3