Sub 3h15

Well done KR - now get some sleep!

Hill reps session this morning. Legs felt truelly mashed - good feeling to complete it without ducking out of a rep or two.

In other news VLM Registration form and magazine just dropped through the door.  

Yes got the vlm mag about 30 mins ago.

Running wise my legs are still battered from sundays H/M.........is this normal?.Managed 3 runs since sunday all felt awful after a few miles 

I'm kind of feeling pleasantly tired at the moment. I know I am pushing as hard as last marathon campaign, but don't feel on the edge as I did last time (touch wood and all that).

Long Run tomorrow am as the weekend is looking too busy. Needs must. It will be a long slow one before something more progressive next week.

CL - Yes, the general rule of thumb is 1 day recovery for each mile raced.  But I'm sure you'll be fine after a few more easy runs.

Good to see you've found the ring KR.  I'm going to be racing Maidehead 10 miles on Eater Friday and may even do a parkrun the following Saturday so a couple of opportunities for faster times.

Some quick miles there Martin - you're in good form.

Welcome RC - I'm hoping to get faster when I turn 50

Hope the Carbo Loading is going to plan Ant

Good news on the MRI Scooby - assuming you don't want to play tennis!

Sounds promising Gul.

5 mile recovery today.  All nice and easy and nothing complaining too much. 

Looks like the Red GFA Start for me this year.

I am on the 'not quite as good as the others' good for age green start too Lorenzo so will see you there 28067. Looks cozy compared to the others though. Just the 4199 of us there. Errr, does this mean there are 4199 GFA ers trying to get as close to the start as possible?

Lorenzo - what time did you run last year?  I'm on Green!

Bloody annoyed about not getting a fridge magnet.  Its going to ruin my ladder design on the side of my fridge.   Might have to ebay....

The Green start is cool.  The celebs start from there and they get right at the front but you soon pass them.  You'll be over the start line in seconds.   I've been on both and prefer the Green to be honest. 

Millsy1977 wrote (see)

Hi, sorry to butt in on the thread but I found out today that I'm starting at the Red "fast good for age" start and reckoned that a few of you guys will have started from there in previous years.
Does anyone know how much this differed from the other starts as in the magazine there isn't much detail about what's there. All of the other starts look like they have a lot more in the way of toilets etc.
Cheers.

It's the equivalent of a business lounge in the airport terminal - it doesn't get any better.  Well, apart from the Champs start ...

Millsy1977, a few of us all started from the FGFA last year. It is good but it isn't that exclusive so don't get lulled into a false sense of security: if you want to get a clean start you need to be up front as there are many hundreds there: just compared to the many thousands at other starts it is bliss.

KR, bad news good news on the ring. It sounds like it's not an uncommon experience for us, from the straw poll of responses, primarily blokes. It happened to me too, during peak training, when it was barkingly cold. I was the office of some tinpot glazing company in Wales who didn't go in for heating. Shook my arms and hands to get some blood into the fingers and TINK TINK off went the ring.

Worse than that: this weekend we were at Wedgewood visitor centre and I felt a scratchiness on the ring finger. When I looked, the ring was broken. Major problem now.

Good news.
Managed a very pleasant, unstressed, wrapped up warm, 8 miler. Even had a chat with a 1:28 HM runner who was out for a plod.

Bad news Good news.
Bike wasn't fixed. Was fixed. Wasn't fixed. Was fixed. Eventually Specialized have replaced my wheelset with a significant upgrade. Well chuffed.

Good news.
Got a pay rise.

I have been off the FGFA start a couple of times now.

The first time there were less runners in it and it was a real treat.

Unfortunately since then they have made it easier for the "young whippersnappers" to get GFA - they only have to do 3:10 not sub 3:00 so there are more people in the pen now.

I still think it is a privilege to start from there - almost feel like a real runner!

OK, you all answered lots of questions for me - so FGFA sounds like it is one of the more 'comfy' places to start from, but from what PMJ has said, some 'elbow work' may be required to get into a clean starting position.

Wish I hadn't been told about fridge magnets though - I would never have known about what I wasn't getting. Did Virgin blow the fridge magnet budget on Mo?

Big blow on the fridge magnet- I love those

I'm promoted to red this year, not been there before.

10.5 miles for me tonight, though I'm having a poor week so far and will struggle to get to 50 miles.

Also tried out my new mara shoes Asics DS racers. They fit well but I'm not as impressed as I was with the old pair- they feel a bit more rigid.