Sub 3h15

SJ - thats not bad, 46min non stop ? or were you doing reps ? I'm of similar standard, but never do steady swims and only rarely do as far as 2.5km. as I mostly swim at lunchtime.

Been awol most the week with work getting in the way, had a rest day on Weds then and enforced one and after I got in late only had 20 mins till committee meeting at club... so 2 rest days and a key session lost.

So planned a reasonable double today with 4.5m at MP at lunch followed by an easy 8 tonight, and fet very relaxed.

XC tomorrow should be fun....

Take care all

TR - Got a text from my son's coach today and he is being rested this weekend (good thing as there is a match every week now for a few months). Good news is I can now do my XC race on Sunday .

Carbloader - agree with the points raised and get those long runs in. Rule of thumb for a sub 3.15 on here is to bag a sub 90 half marathon and get your 5 longest runs up to 100 miles, so a combination of 5 x 20 miles or 1 x 18, 3 x 20, 1 x 22 etc. However, we are all different and there are those that haven't cracked a sub 90 and yet have doen the sub 3.15 and vice versa. I was in the latter until last year.

Yes, looks like ill do a half or just smash out my own 13 mile TT, only way im going to know i suppose.

SBD - looking good.
SJ - good bike and swim session.
Carbloader - sounds like you have somr good ability. Put together with the sound advice from others here and you should get a half-decent result. Good luck.
RFJ - nice double there. All the best with the XC.
KR - enjoy the XC too.
What time does the C2C start? All the best to Poacher. Anyone else racing this weekend?
Nice early start today at 4:22am. 13 miles @ 8:27 m/m to complete another 44 mile week. Getting a bit chilly out there.

Gul - Thud.... not at the thought of 13m but the thought of getting up at 0422 this morning would haunt me...

Better. Had a bit of a word  with myself and did 6M @ av. 6:55mm. Didn't feel too bad but don't know how I have bettered that pace over a marathon distance.

Good luck to anyone XC-ing, racing or just plain running this w/e.

I think I'd be up for the 3:15 start on 3/15.

11M for me including Ashton Court parkrun including a modest course pb.  I got 20.31 on my watch and my previous best was 20.39

Hope Poacher is going well...

KR - that game may be rained off anyway, think ours might tomorrow, we've had some serious rain over-night.

SJ - that 20% improvement is something to be proud of and will fuel further progress. Running is effort based rather than technique base unfortunately. I made gains with my swimming when I stopped swimbling up lengths and started doing 100s, 150s, 200s, 400s etc You should be able to swim 15x100 with 10 sec rest at about the pace you could swim a 1500m TT in,  I found out I was simply swimming too slowly. You will have tons of aerobic fitness, so just need to build enough swim fitness and muscular endurance so that on race day you get out the lake thinking that you could do it again (if you had too). The more comfy the swim, the more energy you have for the bike and the run etc If you can target getting fit enough so that you can run the whole of the mara (apart from the aid stations) then you will make up loads of time and places in the 2nd half of the run.

Fingers crossed for Poacher - rather damp and drizzly conditions I suspect which will make it challenging underfoot on the first half and a bit miserable for the second. Deserves the prize for the nutter of the week already, with Gul coming a very close second for another crazily early start. I doff my hat to you two gents.

Out at 6.50 for 15 up and down miles this morning which brings me up to about 45 for the week. Just worked out that if I didn't have to commute 2 hours a day, then the extra 10 hours a week could give me another 75 miles' worth of running time. Just need to persuade my next door neighbour to offer me a job!!

Sounds like the training is starting to come together SBD. 

Carbloader - Your 3.29 PB sounds like the training I did.  I got to 3.04 with questionable training (and alot of luck).  However, since joining in on here and learning that running slow also has its benefits I've made massive improvements.  Running 7m @ 7.07 pace straight after 17 miles sounds a bit too hard to me.  Increased mileage will have positive effects on your fitness but I would keep the day after a long run as easy paced.

TR - Making me feel guilty for driving now.  40m commute is motorway driving so not sure what extra A roads would add on.  Being honest though after a 12 hour day the last thing I would want is a 2-3 hour ride home!!

Good luck tomorrow KR. 

Ant - It's early days.  Sub-7m/m will always feel harder at this stage.

Well done on the course PB Jools.

otd 8:00 (cnba to get out of bed-Gul 4.22!!!) for 18 miles this morning. First 14 @ 7.37 pace then 7.11, 7.02 & 6.45 (got bored) before a slow finish.   Legs tired but ran without fuel or fluid. 

Lorenzo - hope the neighbour pays well !

Martin - sounds like it would be more like 50M each way by bike, maybe not so do-able. Maybe one way and then the train home ? Theres a local bike racer that rides into the City (London) on Fridays as his long ride (think its about 70M each way !).

SJ - tingly indeed, you're on a fantastic journey and will be very proud of yourself when you come out the other side. The 3.8k swim, 112M bike and 26.2M run, are each each an achievement on their own let alone together. As a strong runner triathlon is good fun.

Martin H - "I got to 3.04 with questionable training (and a lot of luck).
No time is achieved by luck - that's the beauty of this sport - by and large, we get what we deserve - yes, race day may bring favourable conditions, for instance, but no-one else turns your legs round and gives you the drive to keep on keeping on, and to do the training (even if it's questionable ) to achieve this.  btw, MH, 1170's arrived this week - not tried them yet, though.
Was out today 20 mins after Lorenzo at 7:10 (late morning, I know, Gul) - 12 miles on tarmac and trail with three patient pals, pace slow, of course, but nice to put in the diary, even better to walk upstairs unaided afterwards  . . . .
Looking forward to the Poacher report . . . . .

I've just picked up a nugget of wisdom.
Marathon training off 2 runs per week, such as a 7 and a 20 will result in quads on fire and a desperate desire to give up for good.
Hmmm. Seems familiar. Just remember that you've got to set off way too fast as well for it to have the full effect.

Righty ho. As I'm racing a marathon next week, I thought it worthwhile reviewing progress. My typical training week has been 2 runs per week, with a longish one alternating every 3 weeks with a 22 miler. A bit of biking too.
My taper has seen very little running (how can I cut back?) and a most pleasant burn off today 3 hours on the bike (45 miles) solo, with a bit of headwind for interest.
I promise to be careful over the next 7 days. If anyone wants to place bets on the finish times, this could be quite humourous!

First 20m bagged average pace 8:02.  Well pleased with this as this is the fastest 20m I've done without MP sections in it.  Completely unfuelled (nothing to eat since 7:30 last night) and water at 6 & 17 miles (where I'd left a bottle in the hedge).  Felt comfortable and even speeded up in the last couple of miles to 7:47 & 7:44.   If anything I think the lack of food made me feel better.  I was hungry by the end but didn't feel sluggish with it.

Carbloader: Lots of good advice has already been given, but I'll add my tuppence worth.

If you are running 40mpw you are not incurring the same amount of fatigue in your legs that someone running 60/70mpw, hence you will be able to do your miles at a faster pace and still find it "easy". Your two cycling sessions a week will also help your aerobic side without punishing your running legs. That is the good side.

The bad side is that you aren't getting as many impact miles into those legs and not developing the endurance side as much. A seven mile run is just over a quarter the distance of the marathon.

Your 10 miler @ 6:45 pace is good and you state that you try to break up your harder running sessions with road or mtb cycling sessions, it might be that if your hard running sessions are three/four days apart then you are actually doing a mini taper for them and running them at your peak on fresh legs. This will give you fast times and a great feeling but might not be the most appropriate training for the day of the marathon.

To run well in the final quarter of the marathon you need to get the impact miles into your legs through long runs and medium long runs, you also need to learn restraint and hold yourself back in the early miles when it all seems so easy.

Decisions on what is MP on race day should be made no more than a couple of weeks out, current training should be based on current performance, preferably from a recent race.

There is more than one way to run a marathon you just have to find what is suitable for you.

RFJ: Sounds like life getting in the way again.

KR: good luck with the XC.

Gul: How's the 10K training going? are you following a specific program or just doing general running and seeing how it goes?

Ant: I too have been reading Julian Goater's book, interesting read. Have found it very helpful, not your normal running book.

Jools: Congrats on the new PB, is that a course PB or an all time 5K?

TR: Yet more sound advice, you should try to get a writing job with one of the fitness mags, they may even be prepared to pay you more than a few matches.

Lorenzo: Another decent run, miles in the bank.

Martin: 18 without fuel or fluid, do you do that distance with sustainance often?

Birch: 12 miles slow is still a decent run, any bad reaction to it?

Blisters: Will be interesting to hear how you get on. How many words meaning pain do you know?

Minni: Congrats on the first 20, how many 20s are you planning and will any more be unfueled?

Parkrun for me today 19:10 or there abouts, was slow to switch of the watch. Too busy getting breath back after last hundred metres sprint. No speed back yet but getting stronger.