Sub 3

I couldn't see the Valley guy now, and couldn't remember whether he was infront or behind. 6k to go. Everything was tired now and not just my legs. Got to hold it together.

16k - 61:05 (1k - 3:50)

Working very hard now and trying hard to concentrate. The countryside, and the tree-lined roads were now behind, as I hit the outskirts of Eindhoven. The 3:50 k felt too hard, and I contemplated whether I could speed back up to 6m/miles. I knew I needed to - and I put the boot down.

17k - 64:56 (1k - 3:51)

What happened there! I kicked myself virtually and almost muttered out loud - kitchen sink! 4k to go and I was on another planet. Back into the City, and passed the railway station, (underpass) looping back round to pass our hotel. I saw our hotel and realised there was less than 2k to go. Completely missed the 18 and 19k markers. The town centre was twisty-turny but the atmosphere was brilliant. The course was really narrow ant the barriers and crowd made it almost feel like single file. The noise kept me going over the last km and I finished completely on empty.

Finish - 80:50 (4k - 15:54)

Very disappointed after 12 weeks of brilliant training that couldn't have given any more to be honest. Devastated to miss the sub80, but also realised that I hadn't beaten my pb either (80:48). Mood got a little better when official time was given as 80:45 (chip), and a pb by 3s!!! 44th overall (out of nearly 7,000) and 3rd V50 (out of 660). A few beers later it didn't seem too bad at all.....

Back to the drawing board for Brass Monkey.

PP, With you on the Old Pec. Remember the first time I tried it, in a boozer in Leeds which I don't think is there any more. Duck and Drake... spit and sawdust place but the beer and pie n peas were top drawer.

SL - what a shame, any chance of finding another in a week or two ?

Brian - dont beat yourself up, I sometimes find it a bit annoying that folks chase specfic times in A races (which I understand and do sometimes), the best you can be on the day is what A races are about as you never know what the course, conditions will throw up and how you'll feel. Looks to me like you had a very strong race and left it all out there, be proud. Some folks give up when it not going as they'd like.

Back to making puddles today.

TR, Cheers. Great news the little un getting into the smaller squad. Did you not get to do the HM?

A.W. Ta. Good luck with the XC. Once I realised that I couldn't wear spikes, the XC races became bearable.

A bit belated but a massive well done to the racers over the last weekend. Particularly TR for matching my PB on a tough course, CharlieW for breaking 75mins and RaceJase 70mins at the GER, Al_P running a comfortable 80:xx, SpeedyGoth for toughing out a very respectable Marathon in difficult conditions and for chronotopian for a massive PB and neg split and a sub 3, more to come from you that’s for sure.

Another ‘binge drinker’ here, don’t often drink in the house unless we have people round, however, if I go out I get the ‘taste’ and a couple of pints quickly becomes five and then a few more and then onto shorts and so on….. I don’t mind a glass or pint the night before a race but nothing more.
Like PP, I enjoy a real ale though, Old Peculiar is nice, I don’t live all that far from Masham where Theakstons and Black Sheep are brewed + plenty of local smaller breweries so I am well served for decent local ale.

ZaTTu – I tried to drop you a PM for some of those Conova sessions we discussed last week but your messaging is turned off. Nice comeback miles btw.

Nice target at Newcastle parkrun RS78, a sub 17 would be worth more on a faster course. If you want a fast 5k, Middlesbrough Albert park parkrun is fast and certified so it counts on PO10.

Hard lines Brian, a good effort and a great report. Put together a similar campaign for BM, I don’t think you need to change anything too much and you will have a great chance of sub 80.

Jealous of all those with London places and with me not guaranteed a club spot for London and the club drawing the spots in the ballot until Christmas I decided to enter the Greater Manchester Marathon, so I am committed to it now. My club mate and regular long run partner is doing the same race so it seemed to make sense for us to tie up our training schedules, same races and long runs etc.
With the Brass Monkey + a few other races like the Dewsbury 10k a xc and probably the East Hull 20 my spring racing calendar is shaping up nicely. Excited now!

Brian - I was there, AL P ran with me til about 8M and then he put the afterburners on and put 40sec into me. I kept chugging along ok though.

First talk of booze is enough to see Njord raise his head above the parapet!

All my mates are drinkers, so impossible not to get stuck in when I go out, although that is increasing rare these days.  Must be getting old.  Never drink at home, and I'm the only person I know who's never had a glass of red wine.

Remember ten years ago going for a compulsory medical to get my form signed before the MdS.  Doc asked how many units of alcohol I'd consumed in the past week.  I'd just got back from my annual lads' golf trip, so had to confess to about 200.

Another time 3 years ago in Portugal, we came out a bar in broad daylight at 7am, about 12 hours after going in.  I just put on my trainers and went out for a 14 miler along the beach.  Don't remember a great deal about it tbh 

TR - don't you go bunking off Gosport.  I've got myself a place, and with two marathons between now and then, the 5-0 scoreline is looking favourite.  Not sure I could trouble 80 mins for a while.

See I missed some great performances from the weekend.

Charlie - fantastic to finally get under 75, maybe you were more relaxed about the performance and it helped?  

RJ - 70 is a great milestone to get under, well done.

Brian - Toughed out for a PB, you should be happy.  Do you think you could write a race report in under 80 mins now ?

TR and Al - good runs in the New Forest.

CC - shame Munich didn't go to plan but you still got a decent time and nobody likes drinking from cups whilst running.

Good runs for Chrono, AW, DanA, BKins and I hope I haven't missed anyone out.

LondonRunner - If you enjoy a few drinks then I'd keep having them during training. You're not going to win the Olympics so you might as well enjoy yourself and a few pints here and there aren't going to hurt.  I'm another in the happy to have a couple the night before a big race camp, all carbs count.

Njord - Munich is a lovely city and has some beautiful countryside nearby.  Frankfurt was much nicer than expected but I haven't run in either so not sure what the marathons are like.  They both have plenty of pubs selling stong continental lager if that helps.

Back to a bit of running now, managed 47 miles last week and will hopefully do more than that this week.  First big XC race in 3 weeks and I'm hoping to get a bit of fitness for that.

SL -- really sorry you're missing it -- hope you can indeed find other events to make use of your fitness in. At your level, maybe you could ask the organisers to be let into something that is officially full if you explain the circumstances?

Brian -- well done on the PB, sorry it wasn't the sub-80 you were hoping for. Lots of people are ill at present -- maybe you might have a touch of lurgy yourself that could have taken the edge off your performance.

LJ -- very respectable training! I don't think I benefited from being more relaxes really -- I was still reasonably keyed up, but just didn't quite know what to expect.

Still a bit ill myself, nothing serious but feeling generally a bit 'viral'. Plodded 5.5M to work at 8:10/M to keep my legs ticking over while not putting any load at all on the CV system, which seemed OK. I've got my eye on a 10M race in 1.5 weeks I'd like to be fit for though...

SL - awful luck, sorry to hear that mate

YD - will look into it, have friends in Boro I sometimes visit too

Brian - nice pb, not far off the main target too

Well I seem to have picked up a bloody cold too, mild body ache and feeling lacklustre. Felt fine monday but started feeling off tuesday although I feel marginally better today. Still a few days to so see how things go but might just be a trip to London to see friends/family now (which isn't a bad thing)

CW & TR - To be honest I'm lookign forward to a block of training without taper/recovery.  I had an up and down summer and want to get back into it properly. 

What a bummer, SL.  I guess it's either find another marathon in a few weeks' time or just take an end of season break now and focus on next year.

Brian: I know that 4s/mile can feel like a lot, but I think it's the sort of amount which is easily explainable by race conditions, etc.  You were very close to your target, and ran well.

Drink: I have done the no-drinking thing and I think it does help from a psychological point of view (committing to a race).  However, I like to have the odd pint or so and my margin for error is narrow given my size, so tend to limit myself to 2 pints.

Njord: B&W race in the Gwent league.  Brigend this weekend and in December they all have to come to us.  Not sure we'll be up to bilingual signs in this particular part of Gwent...

Nice report Brian. It certainly sounds like you gave it your all on the day. Don't forget the belief that there's a time lag between doing the training and getting the full benefit of it, so I'm sure your training will pay off in spades further down the line.

Bad luck SL. Fingers crossed you're over it soon. By Hobgoblin do you mean the Wychwood ales? Those are my current favourites.

Wardi wrote (see)

ZaTTu wrote (see)

Also had my London entry confirmed, which makes it the earliest I've ever entered it (so does that mean I have more of a chance of making the startline in one piece? ).

I reckon it gives you more time to bump into something 

lol. Let's hope not Wardi

TR - I'm with CW. Get yourself down to Gosport and leave somebody else do a bit for a change. I don't really understand the cricket setup, but it sounds like your little fella has some talent. Always nice to see reward for work put in.
I agree to an extent on times, but a target during training always helps to focus the mind and it's always good to hit a target on race day, but I guess you also run the risk of doing yourself short if you're particularly good on a day and run to target too, so I can understand the 'being the best you can be on the day' and accepting the outcome. Always better if the outcome at least tallies with the target though

Padams - I've typically found that a period of accepting the increased impact of slower running pays off later in terms of leg strength. I certainly hope so as my first 2m this morning were just inside 9m/m until I loosened up (from past experience this is normal for me for the first week or three back, but I always forget until it happens).

Y D - I've had a few emails through it lately, so it's certainly turned on. Not sure why it hasn't worked for you. Irrespective, I've just pm'd you my email.

Drink.... I used to be a big drinker years ago. Nowadays I just tend to have (literally) a couple of ales on a Friday night, and possibly a scotch (got a weakness for single malts). Occasionally a glass of wine with Mrs ZaTTu, or a Czech beer if I'm lucky enough to be cooked some traditional Czech food If I'm racing on a Sunday I normally leave my couple of drinks until the Sunday night instead, and I don't think I drank during the last week before Berlin, but that's about it.

Belated congratulations to all those who ran last weekend.  Memory is stretched now but I do remember some very nice milestones from CW and RJ along with nice times from TR and AL_P..

I'm surely not the only teetotaller on the thread?  I had delusions of sporting ability as a teenager and never started.  I keep saying that I will start but I haven't yet.

TR - Given that you run by feel and that you have been close enough a few times I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised to see you run 2:4x in April. 

SL - Hope you don't mind me saying this but it doesn't sound like it took too much time to decide not to do Abo.  Suspect a consistent winter will see you break all your PB's again next year.

I guess I'm off the bench now given that I've been doing some kind of running for about 2 weeks.  I even had 2 -3 mins of what felt like 'normal' running today.  Doing my best to take it easy and be patient for the moment.  Spring will come too soon for a marathon but next autumn looks like a possibility.

Nearly forgot to wish LS21, Marigold, Marders and others racing this weekend good luck.

Oh, thanks for the reminder that it's Abo this weekend Clearly and good news about being off the bench!

LS21 - best of luck for Sunday!

Anybody else racing?

I have a flat, should-be-fast 5k on Saturday ending with a lap of a running track. Hoping for a PB! 16:30 is the ambitious aim but i'll be happy with anything under 17.

4x1500 xc last night will hopefully not have a negative effect. First time running in spikes and it felt great!

TR, Apologies - must've missed your report. Which reminds me, missed my dentist appointment a couple of weeks ago so rearranged it. Turned up this morning only to be told it's next Thursday! The Nursing Home beckons!!!!

LuckyJim, Bang On! My excuse for being a J1P

CW, Thanks. And BIG congrats on moving up to the next level, sub-75 well deserved. No excuses from me I'm afraid. Apart from being old that is.

RS78, Good luck fending off the lurgy. Whats your target race?

Jools/ZaTTu, Cheers. Yes hoping to carry on the good work (after an easy month) into Jan and have another go at Sub80 at York.

TT - thats the one, love the stuff.

Clearly - It's the sensible decision plus there's the chance to get back to training ASAP, but I would prefer to be racing it.

Forgot to say well done to CW and nice report Brian shame it didn't quite happen for you.

SL, Shame about Abo. Hope you nail the next one, with an illness-free build-up.