Sub 3h15

Why not base build for a bit longer and start the 12 week P&D at the endo fo Jan AR?

I invented a new game today: Garmin Top Trumps. You and a running mate start the watch at the same time. Due to slight differences in the Garmin Satellite reading there is a variation in some of the key figures. At various points on the run you call out 'Pace' or 'Distance' or Heart Rate' and whoever has the better figure wins. Makes those 15m LSRs feel much more like 14.5miles!

Hpe no damage done AR

Welcome back OGL

Good session TR

Been away for a few days, base has gone well, last day today with a steady 75 min run on the back of a decent parkrun up in York yesterday in 18:57. So all is looking good as the 16 week plan starts tomorrow.....

Take care all

Keir - like the game. You could develop it a bit further so that if you're passing someone (even a stranger) who's running with a Garmin you could challenge them spontaneously. Obviously relies on them knowing the basic rules!!! Maybe we could even create our own pack of TT cards based on forumites.  Any suggestions for categories?!

AR - ouch! Hope you're feeling OK now and that there are no side effects.

Good running from RFJ.

Big welcome back to OGL.

Rest day for me today, so had a game of squash with elder Lorenzito. Planning to get one last run of the year in tomorrow. 

Other than VLM I haven't got any races booked for next year - anyone out there done the Fleet Half (in mid March) as a pre-London tune up race?

SJ: A 30 week schedule for the ironman is a long bit of time, is it a slow steady progression with the aim of a single peak at the end or are there minor targets along the way, ie A- races or such. 30 weeks is a long time to keep the enthusiasm.

Keir: Like your thread, hope you smash your target but it's a bit too quick for me. Although I aim to pinch a few ideas from it, such as the 8 week training block. Intrigued by what the final 4 weeks will have in store.

Martin: An easy 16 miler feels good but I'm surprised that your longest week since March is 44 miles, whats your normal weekly mara campaign mileage.

AR: Hope the heads okay. did you have the garmin on auto-stop or are you going to manually adjust the figures to reflect the time lost?

Lorenzo: Can't offer any suggestions on races for you as I don't get south that often.

13.4 miles for me today in 1:58:57 which is 8:48m/m pace, might try to claim it as a progressive as the first half was at 9:30 pace and 150bpm, the second half was sub 8:00 pace and a HR of 139bpm. The snow and high winds might have had an influence. Longest run for 10 months.

Keir, the best place to play the GPS game with mutli players is during a long race. When you are approaching a mile marker you can hear all the beeps going off at different places. Then you can go on line afterwards and listen to all the bullshit theories about weaving.

Anyway. 8+ miles on the rolling course, knocked out at a very pleasing 7:40m/m. The legs knew about that one. I think that we'll call it a lactate threshold session.

Some nice long runs being posted again.

I decided to give my 16 miles a miss today. Firstly to rest the leg, which is now pain free and secondly and more worryingly I just can't be a**ed at the moment. I feel guilty and stress about not running but I really have to push myself out of the door. I normally have a quiet couple of weeks when I first get home and I believe returning home right at the start of an 18 week, 6 days a week schedule is the issue. I spend all my time thinking/stressing about running and schedules. I know this is not good.

There are surely enough things to stress about in life without adding running to the list.

AR - ouch. As for giving up the schedules, I sense that you may be a leftfield runner anyway so schedules may not be much of a loss

Lorenzo - Paddock Wood HM down nr Tonbridge in March, cant be too far from your patch.  Fast and well timed for VLM. 

Nice parkrun by RFJ

12m this afo along the canal, brought up a tantalising 2149 for the year. Better get out tomorrow.

Very jealous Minni, sadly work intervened  if only the opposite had been true. Boulmer has mud all year round too.

It was indeed a lovely run, which brings me to 2695 miles for the year. I have a 5 mile recovery run planned for the morning .

The shoes and socks I wore have had to go in the bin, so it's a good job I wore old ones! And Minni forgot to mention that the gale force wind was a headwind. You've got to love point to point runs.... On the plus side, we got free Microdermabraison on the beaches. Some folks pay a fortune for that. 

DS2/AR - See, I told you it was dangerous out there. Hope there's no lasting damage.

OGL - Welcome back! Yes, the race is hilly, it's effectively along the seafront but it goes up and over the headland that links the two main beaches in an out-and-back circuit you do two loops of, so you're climbing four times...even so in 2011 I did it in 21:20 which is 3:48/km pace, so not too shabby..

Poacher - They were hardly cast-offs! That's quality, that is...

DS2/Slokey/Jools/Lorenzo/Martin - Actually, you're not too far off the mark, although all I do is have a couple of beers, ffs. I don't exactly get bladdered! It's just that they don't drink anything and so I do find it a bit awkward, but not enough to want to deprive myself. They don't say anything, though, because they hardly notice me at the best of times. And I don't say anything when I come back from an 11-miler (like this morning) and they're all still in bed.

 I have looked at my trainers a few times since getting back from my run, wondering what to do with them. Thanks for the answer

It's a pity garmins don't have old style car mileometers to tantilise you with doing a few more miles. 

In my angst, I forgot to say:

Speedy/Minni - Normally it's a pleasure to spend time in your company, but I have to say I wouldn't have fancied it much today. Ankle-deep mud, gale-force winds and getting sand-blasted? No, you're all right, thanks.

My efforts got me a 40-mile week for the first time in a good while - since May, in fact.

11 for me in Cumbrian gales and 49 for the week.

Yes Slokey I ran about 1/3 up Skiddaw today as a trial, but it was too cold and windy so I turned back early and settled for Latrigg instead. It made me appreciate how tough it is, too steep to run in sections and snow on the top. I'll have to take a spare jacket and snow grips for my shoes for the real thing on New Years Day.   

Skiddaw on New Years Day should be fun OO.

Lots of tough runs being bagged by everyone today.  The northern coastal run sounds like anything but fun and there is clearly something wrong when towpaths in the southeast start collapsing 

Welcome back to Martin and OGL.  It sounds like you're both in good shape at this stage.

Last run of the year for me today.  16 miles with some MP effort (7:15 m/m pace) towards the end (should have been 8 miles but only managed 5) to give me 56 miles for the week.  All relatively slow at the moment but getting in the volume and remaining injury free are the main priorities.

1064 miles and no races for the year.  VLM2011 was my last 'race' and it's been a struggle to get back in to shape since then.  Tentative sign of things heading in the right direction at the moment but we'll see what the New Year brings.