Sub 3h15

Everybody seems a bit accident prone since I went away!

Well after the double interval session (at Churchill Playing Fields for the track Minni), my calves were mashed. They feel like somebody has hit them with hammers. So I had a day off yeaterday, followeed by a 12 mile plod round Derwentwater this am. It's very wet in the Lakes but still mild and enjoyable. Hope my calves recover before the assault on Skiddaw on New Years Day.

Great distance run in those conditions Joolska. I need 13 tomorrow to meet my target of a 50 mile week. 

The oddest thing about the Chandos session is that I (and Scooby no doubt) have been training all year in Ant's cast off clothes  

Gul c'mon 8 more miles for the big landmark

Joolska, Lorenzo, nice long ones in challenging conditions

Parkrun is now getting silly, it's like the Somme, even the spikes barely connect with solid ground. More ringers this week so down to 5th in 19.21

Decision has been made (more importantly - permission has been granted), I'm having another attempt at the marathon in 2013, Last completed one was in 2010 and that wasn't a great success. So the training begins and I can stop lurking and start posting again, without feeling a fraud.

Did a parkrun this morning, 19:08 for 25th place.

Gul: I assume the sub 40 is for 10K? If you can hit 5:17 pace in intervals I would have thought you would be a cert for a sub 40, what's your current PB?

Ant: Is the 5.6k a hilly race or is the fitness still to come back?

DS2: Nice bit of base building.

SJ: What's your target this year?

TR: Good to see that you're still sharing your wisdom and helping those that are prepared to listen.

Jools: Have you beaten the sub 3 demon yet?

TR - yes, I got a bit silly a few weeks ago when the Asics thing was on the horizon but I'm feeling blessed I didn't make it now. I wouldn't have been confident of an assault on sub 3:15 on 7 April. The extra 5 weeks has given me extra confidence. Lovely place to be - sub 3 on 5 runs a week. Mind you the cycling work must really help.

Jools - great tenacity. Luckily my 4.5 miles was windy, but dry and mild. 19 miles in those conditions at this stage........

It is Saturday today isn't it? I've lost track! Especially with all that long running going on and talk of Chandos. Spring marathons must be getting close!!!

Welcome back onegoodleg. Nice Parkrun. What time are you aiming for and what marathon are you targetting?

Welcome back onegoodleg, it's been a while. Woke up to pouring rain again, so it must have been parkrun day. Really wasn't feeling it after too much junk food and gallons of fizzy pop yesterday, so ran it at MP. I hope to god I feel better than that after the first 5k of the marathon! 

OGL, glad to have you back.
Lorenzo and Jools, you two are proper hardcore.

Joolska wrote (see)

Well, that was a 19 miler on knackered legs to put hairs on your chest (if only I wanted them!).  Conditions were windy, wet and altogether vile.  Took 4 attempts to get the front door open when I got back because my hands were so bliddy frozen.  I enjoyed the last 5 minutes simply because it meant the run was nearly over...

Personally, I spent an altogether far more pleasant 3h20m on the turbot, knocking out 52 miles. Whilst bike training I double tasked with watching a PADI Scuba Diving DVD, so I was Scuba training too!

DS2 - I was concerned that you'd be a mentally spent force by Feb the way you were going, so its nice to see that you've calmed down. Keep the 5 x week going, building the distances and then you'll be ready to push on a bit by Feb.

OGL - which mara ? I'm happy to help those that want it, but most folks dont need it here nowadays, lots on here have raised the bar a lot simply by seeing others do the same, more folks are running PBs and sub3s, but more folks now post about higher mileage, PnD, MLRs etc so its no surprise. Its still not rocket science, although I respect that keir might need a little bit of it to get under 2:50 (and see teh ladies equivalent which is sub3). Approaching 2:45 (or sub 3 for the ladies) is a step up in class from where I am, but like i said to DS2 I'm happy with my lot.

Blisters - 3h20 watching the TV ! 2hr top limit here, but it was a hard 2hrs today (15min w/u, 5x12min(pushing a biggish gear ~80rpm)/3min steady, 2x12min(trying to turn a gear lower at 90rpm)/3min steady. Good job I can swim ok now as the puddle was getting a bit large.

OGL welcome Back

Jools and Lorenzo Very impressive, especially giving the conditions.

SJ Cheers for the advice. I stretched last night, my shin felt better but I could still feel it in bed. I stretched this morning and pain disappeared completely. So much so that I contemplated running today. However as I actually ran a 9 mile recovery run yesterday, there was no need to do 5 today.

Question is should I risk planned 16 tomorrow, as pain free (I believe it was caused simply by running on very tired legs) or be sensible and give tomorrow a miss. Rest day Monday and start new week on Tuesday?

Any advice greatly received. Just shows the importance of stretching/core work. Whilst I know this, I always ignore it.

Scooby - 2M or 4M loops, being (properly) prepared to bail if it starts hurting. I've done this when rehabbing sore calves. If it doesnt hurt then you bag the 16. You have to be honest with yourself though.

Thanks for all the "Welcome backs".

Was considering doing Edinburgh this year, despite not liking the course and the risk of training in dull winter conditions only to burn on the hotest day of a Scottish summer. But that is not an option as entries have now closed, they're full.

So it looks as though it will be Lochaber again, in April a week before VLM. This is handy as I booked the accommodation three months ago on the off chance that I might have permission to run.

Target time will be decided on the day (probably after about 4 miles) and will depend on how things have gone in training. Hopefully will run a good race and get a new PB currently on 3:11:xx

Minni: which parkrun did you do? no cross countries for me, my legs don't like the punishment and I need to clock up the miles.

TR: have you ever entertained thoughts of concentrating on running only for one season to see what you could acheive?

Scooby: Listen to TR, 2M loops sound a  very sensible idea.

OGL - Lochaber is a popular race, should be good. I did my first mara (VLM2008) off a run only approach, 6 days week with no doubles for about 60 mpw. All just steady running as I knew I had poor endurance as a novice.

Just watching it after videoing earlier SJ.

Welcome back OGL. 

Utter madness of the week award goes too....

Blisters wrote (see)

Personally, I spent an altogether far more pleasant 3h20m on the turbot, knocking out 52 miles. Whilst bike training I double tasked with watching a PADI Scuba Diving DVD, so I was Scuba training too!

I know you were mult tasking, but 3.20 FFS! 

Gul - Very impressive mileage considering your were being very sensible at the beginning of the year.

Impressive multi-tasking Blisters.

Don't push it too much Scoobs.  Any pain or discomfort and stop.  Not the time to lose weeks out when missing a 16 miler is not the end of the world.

Ant - Do you inlaws talk about "those English" as you slowly get drunker????

Good long running Jools & Lorenzo.

Nice to see you'll be marathoning again OGL.

A very easy effort 16 miles for me this morning at 7.51 pace.  My longest run since VLM and longest week (44m) since March.  Pleased to get that done before the end of the year and takes me past last year's total mileage.