Sub 3h15

Great to see some more new faces. Welcome Jane, Pipes and Neil. Busy weekend on the thread  I see!

Good luck Speedy with the racing,  sorry I mean pacing.

I really enjoyed my 12 miler yesterday morning. Aimed for MP+30% for first 4 miles and was somehwere around +25%. MP+20% for next four and was around +15%. Last four +10% was just a fraction under. So 12 miles in 1:43, avg 8:35m/m. Total for week 30.2 miles.

Enjoy your LSRs today, guys. (Bit frosty round here this morning ).

Frosty out there this morning and a spot of ice in places, but otherwise pretty much back to normal.

20.5 miles for me this morning - an out and back route along the North Downs Way so a decent mix of level trails and a few hills thrown in for fun.

Just over 3 hours on my feet which meant I was just back in time to take elder Lorenzito to a rugby refereeing course and see Mrs L and younger Lorenzito disappear out of the door to head out for a run with the club younger L runs for.

So now it's decision time: a nice relaxing bath or writing the outstanding Christmas cards? 

Good progressive 12 miler there GD.

A bit fresh out there this morning.  Couldn't find the hat and despite initially taking the gloves I decided it wasn't cold enough as I waited for the Garmin to pick up the signal so put them back inside.  Bad mistake as I discovered 5 minutes later as he finger started to resemble icicles.  16 miles in just over 2 hours with the last 8 miles at 7:15 m/m.  A bit of a struggle for the first half but picked up some enthusiasm once I'd reached the turn.

Brings me up to 54 miles for the week and time to start the VLM 2011 schedule

Do the cards Lorenzo, the brownie points you will gain for that little task will be incredible!! Nice 20.5 miler.

Solid progressive run there Gul.

Welcome to Pipes and Neil and Jane (and any others too)

I haven't posted too much as I am still not quite over the back issue and it's rather boring listening to people be miserable or describe their injuries etc, far better to listen and be inspired by solid training or a stonking race.

Hopefully, hopefully, the end is in sight for the injury and I shall resume (slow and cautious) training shortly before I sink into insanity!!!!

Sue C wrote (see)

I haven't posted too much as I am still not quite over the back issue and it's rather boring listening to people be miserable or describe their injuries etc, far better to listen and be inspired by solid training or a stonking race.

Hopefully, hopefully, the end is in sight for the injury and I shall resume (slow and cautious) training shortly before I sink into insanity!!!!

Some good running going on. I've barely run for the last 2 weeks, just getting over a really nasty viral head cold, the kids have it too.

I'm just mooching round the Internet looking at different training schedules, I'm going to follow a 16wk plan for VLM, which if I've counted the weeks properly, starts on Jan 2nd.

How much mileage should I do in the next few weeks?

And what is the minimum mileage per week that you think a sub 3.15 is possible from?

Generally for a fit person.

MM - make it a 1:23 and I'll mention it.

KK - depends if you have an IM goals in 2011 or not. IMO the best thing you can do between now and Jan 2nd is to try and run frequently rather than long. Regular 5M runs will toughen your body up and make you more durable. You may have to put the Jan 2nd date back a bit too. If you have IM goals in 2011, then you need to focus on a weekly LSR, maybe a midweek 13 or 14M and 1 or 2 other runs. If 3:15 is a stretch target then its still going to be tough off that mileage. if you can run 6 days/week and cut out the 4 and 5M recovery runs  (and do them in the lido instead) then you will be running plenty of miles.

TR wrote (see)

MM - make it a 1:23 and I'll mention it.

KK - depends if you have an IM goals in 2011 or not. IMO the best thing you can do between now and Jan 2nd is to try and run frequently rather than long. Regular 5M runs will toughen your body up and make you more durable. You may have to put the Jan 2nd date back a bit too. If you have IM goals in 2011, then you need to focus on a weekly LSR, maybe a midweek 13 or 14M and 1 or 2 other runs. If 3:15 is a stretch target then its still going to be tough off that mileage. if you can run 6 days/week and cut out the 4 and 5M recovery runs  (and do them in the lido instead) then you will be running plenty of miles.

I don't know if I'm going to do an IM in 2011, I'm going to train as though I am because it is looking like I may get to Almere. I also have a 100m ultra in June, but will see about that.

Yes, I agree, consistency...

Gul - Nice running, please remind me are you doing VLM (or another) this year or just concentrating on getting fitness back?

KR - Did you get any advice on what to do during this period before the results are known?

Lorenzo - do both.

SBD - Another nice run and a good starting point for the campaign ahead.

Sue - Shame about your back and I heard that you are not doing Lochaber but are possibly going to do Edinburgh instead. I never did get round to posting the pic of us Lochaber this year, now where did I put it......

OsloNeil - Sounds like you are a few weeks into a schedule already or are you just ticking over and maintaining things?

MsE - Would definately reccomend a HR monitor, if you get used to them and know how to read the output they can tell you so much about how you are actually performing.

Took a sneaky drive round my running routes yesterday afternoon and they are all basically unrunnable. the majority of the course is free of snow but there are several patches of 400metres or more where the snow is still six inches of slush and running on the road is just not safe (blind corners and 60mph traffic).

So another 20 miles at -3 degrees on the treadmill at 70% WHR, leggings, shorts, one top and gloves. Legs were cold but bearable, hands were frozen, torso and head - sweating like a hot pig. Crazy days, but at least it is helping to get the weight off and I'm now they lightest that I've been for twenty odd years. 

Hello OGL. No - don't post that picture!!! 20 miles on the 'mill is some going. I would have slowly lost the will to live I think!! Do you plan to do Lochaber again? I am gutted. I love that race.

MsE - I would recommend a HRM. I wouldn't try to fit into any prescribed 'zones' though. Just wear it for a month and note what HR shows for what perceived effort. I think the whole HR thing is such an individual thing that this is the only way to go. I know without looking what my HR is likely to be in the region of at any given time for any given effort. I find the data useful though.

KK - thanks, hope you feel better too. My kids have both just had gastric-flu, which was pretty awful. Little germ-ridden balls of snot, that's what anyone under the age of 10 is at this time of year!! I agree with TR, lots of easy miles - maybe with a touch of MP work thrown in once a week for good measure?

Nice miles SBD

Welcome Neil and nice to see you back Sue - hope the back gets better.

Some good long running this weekend - SBD, Barry, Lorenzo, MM

The conditions where you are sound pretty terrible OGL and that is pure dedication to the cause running on the treadie dressed up like that.

KK - Can't give you any advice re: minimum mileage, I think a better question is what key sessions do you need to do and what mileage do you need to put in to each of those sessions each week to make them count. Also, I always start my marathon schedules a week early to allow for the inevitable injury or illness.

 Keir wrote (see)

Cheers for the tip AC. Will use elevation as well to break things up and looking forward to tempo runs and intervals with the Tready setting the pace and only having to follow.

However why kms? I do everything in miles normally. In fact, as the Tready is all in mph I am trying to work out the mph speed equivilant for every time between 8.45 - 6.30 min pace. Anyone done this already?Mph not available on McMillian.

KMs go more quickly and doing the mental arithmatic of converting mph pace to kmph and vice versa makes the time go quicker too

Lastly - the impact of cold weather running - I was reading Noakes on Friday hoping that he would say someone had discovered that running outside in lower temperatures has a positive training benefit. Alas not. But for those of you who have a copy I can tell you that the story on page 254 is pretty funny and recommends an interesting use of socks for male runners who want to avoid frostbite

AC - it never ceases to make me smile (in an ironic way), that I spend many winter hours running on a cold coast in the early mornings in some pretty cold temps and wind chills, in various layers of clothing for the Sun or humidity to come out for a warm run round a land-locked city.

KK - if no IM then you can do  PnD type plan. Maybe the 55 mpw one. and ont worry about the hilly terrain just go on perceived effort. I will add though, that I'm not one that does 20M runs off road on the trails, I'm training for a pancake flat 26M on the tarmac, so I'm teaching my legs to expect that on long runs. So IMO you should run long on the road even if its hilly.