Sub 3h15

Surprised you didn't just get up at 3.15 Lorenzo. 5.30 is a lie-in for you!

Usual 5miler for me today, with a bit of fartlek - speedier up hills and some pacey flat bits inbetween. Trying to get in the miles before my 3 day epic marathon binge later this week (School Xmas dinner Thursday; School staff Xmas meal Friday; going out with friends from Oz on satyurday for.... yep, Xmas meal!) Luckily being veggie I will get a different main course each day instead of Turkey x3, but I do love Xmas pud so expect my new lightweight self to be a few pounds heavier by next week.

I use SIS gels and their PSP22 energy drink Orm. Haven't tried the ones with Caffine in though.

Good racing Ormeski! I make my own energy drinks at a fraction of the price by mixing dextrose, maltodextrin, sea salt and water.

Welcome dm1974!

Keir – Snap! I use Mizuno Wave Inspires too and I’m also a veggie! I wondered if they're related!

Due to the fact that the snow and ice is due again by Thursday I got a bit carried away with my planned tempo run this morning. I ended up running 6 miles in 38:47 including a slower first ½ mile so averaged 6:27. This was at 5am on an empty stomach. It’s certainly not a typical run for week 1 of a 20 week marathon plan!

Time for you to find a local 10k BB to really test yourself

Welcome DM1974 (a very good year )

That was some tempo run Badbark!

Lorenzo, I think today was the first day I have ever been glad to be woken up by cramp in my leg. I lept out of bed and then realised I had overslept by 10-15 mins. I don't use an alarm to wake myself up for a morning run. I figure that if I don't wake up then my body is telling me that it needs a rest

@Lorenzo - i nearly choked on an orange gel on Sunday. It was the first downhill stretch so was moving quite quickly, squeezed the gel a little too hard, breathed half of it in and decorated face with other half!

 @Badbark - where do you buy supplies such as dextrose, maltodextrin? Got any links to share?

Ormeski - SIS go gels for me but I prefer the tropical flavour.

Badbark - Very impressive early morning run.

Sorry, forgot to welcome you, Luna man. And hello to dm1974. But of course, 1972 was slightly superior to that year.

Lovely racing Ormeski. I've used SIS gels, when my local bike shop offered them to me for a knock-down price. Strangely, they had a dent in the box. A cycling friend of mine finds they give him an immediate boost, to the point where, for a few mintues he has the look of a madman.

Speedy - All I have to say is shame on you!

BB - That's a very quick run. 40 min 10k pace in training?!

Keir wrote (see)

Luckily being veggie I will get a different main course each day instead of Turkey x3, but I do love Xmas pud so expect my new lightweight self to be a few pounds heavier by next week.

I thought the bog standard for veggies was lasagne, even at Christmas. I have to agree completely on the xmas pud...best part of the meal. Thanks btw, for your,  SBD's and Fraser's suggestions on the Liverpool HM and jiggled schedule. I've emailed my mate to see what target he's after.

First running last night, since being ill. Forgot to take my Garmin to work and was tempted not to run because of it Pulled myself together and just ran to feel without putting too much effort in. The good news is that I felt absolutely back to normal. Worked it all out when I got home and averaged around 7:30mm for 10 miles, which seemed to pass pretty quickly.

Keir / Badbark - I also run in Wave Inspires but am definitely not a vegetarian.

Keir - was almost tempted to get up at 3:15 and if I hadn't been able to get back to sleep, I might have been tempted to head out just so that I could get back and post before 6am!

Badbark - impressive going. Sounds like you had some speed bottled up inside you there!

SiS gels - I stick to the standard ones (Tropical and blackcurrant); didn't like the cherry flavoured caffeine ones. I ordered some more from the website the other day and it looks like they've got another new, more expensive variant out - £1.70 for one gel!!

Xmas party season for me as well:

Tomorrow: lunch + party with ex-work colleagues
Friday: party at current company
next Weds: departmental Xmas lunch

Oh, and there's something on around the 25th as well. Am waiting to see what Matt Fitzgerald says about Christmas dinners!!

Ormseki - I use 'My Protein' as it seems about the cheapest including the postage and package to N.Ireland.

Here's a link to it's carbs -

http://www.myprotein.com/uk/cats/categories/mpessentials/carbohydrates

I also buy their Oats, Protein powder and Palatinose.

Keir - No local 10k for a while but I might give a 5k park run a go pretty soon.

On a different topic, do you find that being a vegetarian you get less colds and flu’s etc than others? I haven’t had a cold since turning veggie 2 years ago and wondered if this was typical for someone else who marathon trains?

A very icy 4 miles from me this morning.

Does anyone know a really cheap GPS watch? I don't need a HRM. My Garmin battery is dying and I can't afford another Garmin.

So either I get the battery replaced (I guess I'll have to send off for that?) or I buy a cheaper watch....

Any ideas greatfully received

Welcome Luna Man and DM1974. Much to digest on this thread - a veritable gold mine.

I use the High-5 gels - citrus flavour for general use, and the raspberry caffeine ones for racing. You've actually just reminded me I need to restock.

Blisters and beer wrote (see)

I was meaning to ask you a question BOTF. I'm not sure if you've mentioned this before but I was wondering how the raced HM will affect your 20 mile race the week after. You may do few miles a week but you'll certainly be hammering your legs!

Last year these races were the other way round, and the fact that my father was seriously ill meant at times my schedule went out the window and I had to fit things in whenever I could, and I ended up doing a lot in a short period. I ran a very light week before the 20, and because of Dad I hadn't run my scheduled 20's at that point, so I ran it on HR rather than flat out, and was very pleasantly surprised to do 2:23. I did do the first 10 too fast though and slowed a bit towards the end - couldn't stay with Joolska when she came past me, so I'll definitely be looking at a slightly lower HR for the first lap this year. The HM I went banzai for a new 1:26:15 pb, and then I actually followed this with a 21 and a 22 the next 2 weekends. I then had a light week before doing 1:25:15 at Reading. When I came out of this 5 week period I really felt so much stronger and faster, and it was a great confidence booster. I found a hard half nowhere near as tiring as a 20, even a slow one - my legs didn't get as sore and my recovery was defintely faster, so in many regards I actually regarded the half as a light week. Obviously my original plan didn't have so much crammed into such a short period, but having to regularly go home to visit Dad left me with little option If I was to fit enough training in.

This year Wokingham is the week before Bramley, and my schedule has a light week either side. I will do Wokingham flat out as it's a club championship event for me, but again I'll run Bramley to HR and just see how things go. Hopefully this time I'll have 4 x 20 already under my belt which is more than last year, so maybe I won't fade quite so much, but I will run it fairly hard just to find out where I really am.

So when people go on long runs, if you're a gel user do you take gels along with a bottle of water to cover you for 2-3hrs? Or if you mix up sports drink do you take just that or gels as well?

I've never really got this quite sorted or understood the best way to go about it! Ideas appreciated.

Ah ok, that's sounding positive jane, I'm a bit anal about sending off my Garmin, it's a bit like taking my wedding ring off....

God, that sounds geeky!

Yeah, it does KK. Let's face it, it ain't much use if it doesn't work!

Thanks for the explanation BOTF! Looks like you've got it all covered.

KK I have had to send my garmin back a four times. I have always got it back within a week. and if its within warranty you get a new 1 year warranty.

Ormeski -   Each to their own but I never carry drinks/water.  If I'm using gels on a run I'll take enough for one after 45 mins then every 30 mins.