Sub 3

LS21 - fantastic race, well deserved after all you've gone through.

Dan A - probably sensible to drop out, but doesn't that mean eternal ribbing from your brother for "beating" you?

Very disappointed not to have seen any 50k reports yet. Come on guys! It's almost as though they're enjoying a few days in Italy afterwards rather than getting on t'internet immediately afterwards.

By the way, I wrote a new post on my blog about my training for the last few weeks and next couple of months. Would be interested to know if you knowledgable people think I can run a half-decent 45M race in January with this approach. It's only a B race so can always walk the last 10M or so if needed (or drop out).

Great results for M&M in the 50k, that's seriously impressive.

LS21 - well done at Abo, you deserved a good day out.

Wardi - nice run at the parkrun, that's a good improvement and to think it's only a few months since you were having a wobble, must be good to be back.  Good 5k for BKins too.

Andy D - good news about your shin and this week shouldn't stress it so you should be good to go.

Better, although mixed, week for me last week, seemed to have a weird bug in the middle which I felt fine with but just couldn't run.  Ended up doing a nightmare 10M which turned into 8M but I had to stop and rest every mile and I was only going about 8mm pace.  The next day I tried a 4M easy run which I bailed on after a mile and jogged back home.  From Friday morning I did 4M, 10M, 10M, 16M and felt good on all of those runs and ended up over 60M for the week and my calf/shin is fine so I'm hoping I'm off the bench now.

Marigold - great report. Massively impressed with mile 31, picking up the pace at that point. I also read the official report - love the fact that it says you "sprinted" to catch up the Zimbabwean, when you compare that to the description in your report!

Nice blog, Padams.

That's a real bounceback recovery, LJ.  Glad to hear the calf/shin is improving, but don't be tempted to do too much too soon post-recovery!

Padams, thats a good read. But it made me tired (and it doesn't take a lot) Zzzzzzzzz

10miles with 4miles at 75%. As much as the legs allowed for now.....

Some true fred heroics over the weekend.  I'm absolutely stunned by the World Class performances from Marigold and Marders.  Feel like I should be collecting autographs or something.  Top bombing guys!

LS21 - congrats again for yesterday.  Really chuffed for you.

Padams - I don't feel best qualified to advise on silly-mileage races, but don't those ultra folk like doing back-to-back weekend long runs, to get used to running long on tired legs without doing it all in one go?

I seem to have spent most of the weekend either drinking or racing.  So that's a bloody good weekend really!  We managed to win our first match in Surrey XC League Div 1 against the likes of Herne Hill and Thames Hare & Hounds, and I managed to just squeeze into a strong scoring 10 with what was admittedly something more than a hard tempo effort, with the following day's Cabbage Patch 10 on my mind.  Legs were pretty stiff yesterday morning then, but actually felt reasonably comfortable running at pace with a decent little group and clocked 56:01 for 21st place and 3rd V40.  (Some bloody impressive oldies out yesterday - 55:10 for 1st V50; 56:49 for 1st V60!!)

Best of all, I think I'm back to 100% health, since heart rate was behaving itself yesterday (average 175 / 86% max) and apart from XC-weary legs I basically felt good.  Time to ramp up to some last-minute training volume for the Ballbuster...

PP - good point about the back-to-back long runs. I would quite like to do that, but I want to keep the weekend long ride (and I'm hoping that would achieve something similar). I'm hoping to do a run of at least 30M in the next month or so - just going to do it really slow, with a rucksack for water, food etc.

Now you mention it, I will try to find a weekend where I can do say 20M both days though. All the Bank Holidays in December are usually helpful, but that might be a bit close to the race (3 weeks out).

Nice weekend of racing and drinking! 55:10 for a V50 is ridiculous. Quite pleased I'm not doing the Ballbuster now as I suspect I'd spend the whole morning trying to keep up with you.

*shudders remembering the horrors of doing back-to-back 20M training runs*

LS21 - as per FB, delighted for you. Didn't realise it was a negative split too! Obviously you didn't try hard enough in the first half

Sorry to hear about the DNF Dan, but sounds like the right decision. Congrats to the bro.

Nicely done on the CP10 PP. Especially as part of a weekend double. Glad you're recovered too.

Padams - why not find a marathon and tag a few miles on either end as an overdistance run? There seem to be a few around over the next few months. You could always back up your long run with a 10m+ double the next day as well.
I've got a question for you actually - the Fred Hughes 10; what's the course and field quality usually like? Between my wife's exams (ACCA - last one all being well!!!), my son's birthday, and various other things, the races I was looking at between now and then are out of the window and that's the only one left on my list of potentials before Wokingham.....

A very easy, but undulating, 14m this afternoon (longest since Berlin actually), followed up with a few sets of squat jumps. I'm hoping to get my finger out and run a few hard hill reps tomorrow morning.

LS21 - well played, I'm pleased for you. Thats one of your quicker ones too.

PP - nice 10M, is that a PB ?

Padams - if you want to keep the long ride then you'll be needing something like a longish run Friday evening and then a long run Saturday morning, or a midweek 10 and 10 double.

I'm defo not doing Ballbuster, I struggled to do 12M y'day and it appears that I have only (just) made it over 100M once in the last 5 months so I have nowhere near enough miles in to be taking that on.

Nice report Marigold (& pics) & congrats on the win again.  Bet those Peronis didn't touch the sides! 

LS21.. over the moon for you young fella, bet Mum & Dad were dead proud.  Hope to see you at a Yorkshire race soon.

Andy D & LJ.. good news on both your pesky shin problems, hope you can stay off the bench.

DanA.. sorry you had to pull out but sounds a wise decision.

PP.. very impressive double at the weekend.  Pleased to see that you are back in good health.

5.4m run around York's business parks tonight.  A local road closure meant the traffic was awful at rush hour.  By the time I had finished everything had calmed down so a leisurely drive home was had. 

Congrats to LS21, sounds like it was an emotional day. 

Off to read Marigold's report. I hope it doesn't take 3 hours to read!

Marigold - brilliant win, all that seafront running must have done you good.

Off to make a puddle.

ZaTTu - yes, I could do a marathon as a training run. My clubmates do a long run every Saturday anyway, so it's quite easy to get up to a good distance e.g. 5M before, 17M with them, 5M after.

Fred Hughes is a good race - nice country lanes, all on tarmac. It's a bit undulating - largest hill is about half a mile at maybe 5% - but not too bad. I would guess it's about 1-2 minutes slower than a perfect course. The field won't be particularly great i.e. you would definitely be in the top 3, although often at least one fast guy shows up which would give you some competition.

TR - Good idea. I'm already doing a longish run on Thursday evening (12M+) so maybe running on Friday morning before work (or on Thursday morning) for 10M or so would give me a good double.

Swapped swimming for an easy run last night, partly because the Mrs was making a nice dinner and I wanted to eat with her rather than a reheated version when I got home from swimming at 9:15pm. Put on the rucksack I'll be wearing in the ultra to see if it made any difference to pace - didn't seem to have much effect (maybe 10s/mile), and it is really comfortable.

Well done to LS21 and PP, great running. 

My other half is building up to the MDS in spring, and big doubles will be a fairly big feature in her training. Shes done quite a few ultras and in her previous races has found the big doubles really beneficial, running on battered legs and all!

Would normally do reps today but going for 8 miles with a section at tempo pace later as have a 5K on Friday.

PP, Sounds like an idyllic weekend. Great 10miler on tired legs. What were you drinking? I had an Old Speckled Hen and tried a Stella Cidre on Sat night. Speckled Hen was lovely, the cidre was a little sweet/bland.

Padams, what Zattu said. Feels/sounds "easier?" using a marathon as part of your long run. But I know nothing about ultras. Did once contemplate the 24hour track thing. But my mates didn't want to know, thankfully! The very best of luck with the training (and the ultra).

Marigold, Loved the read. Can only day dream about the pain and the mental toughness to get you thru that. Sounds a real tough way of getting a sun tan! Many, many congrats. 

Padams - or what about a friday double and then a Saturday long run with your group and then the 3hr bike on Sunday ? I did this a few times before VLM this year and made the 2nd Friday run 9 or 10M.

My pre-marathon weekends are all about long bike ride one day and long run the next (with the odd XC or road race thrown in to disrupt the pattern.)  I've just found out that the velodrome will be open all year round now, which is nice.

Marigold - Hats off to you again, great report.  I take it Peroni isn't on the banned substance list then?

TR - Sunday was a 4-minute PB!  Says more about my utterly pants previous PB than anything, but I always like a PB!

Brian - I like a bit of Old Speckled Hen, although I'm sure it's got a bit weaker in recent years.  Anyway, starting Friday evening and up to Sunday afternoon... 1x Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, 1x St Stefanus Blonde, 1x La Chouffe, 3x Maredsous 8, 3x Fuller's ESB, 1x Adnams Southwold, 1x Fuller's London Pride and 1x Red-somethingorother.  No red wine though - everything in moderation!  Think I'll dry out till next weekend.

Oh, anyone doing the Chichester Priory 10k in Feb? I've just signed up.  Now there's a quality field!