Sub 3h15

Well, I've run 3.03 off no better than 1.27 (I think my chip time for the 1.27.00 which stands as my official pb was 1.26.40), so I figure I only need a 1.23/1.24 to go sub 3.  Not that I'd reject something faster!

I think it's difficult to generalise on half to mara transiion and depends on the person. I'm capable of 1:21 half but it took me many years and 12 failed attempts to crack 3 hours. Some people are just better at the shorter distances.

Nice day trip to London today- hoping to get back in time for a run then the footy..

Also-ran wrote (see)

PMJ - I live in Maidenhead. I would like to know what joing a club offers, and so have been meaning to go down to Maidenhead AC one evening to see what it is all about, what sessions they run, and what their events calendar is like. Do you recommend any club(s) in the area. I never seem to see any Maidenhead vests in races, but loads of Marlow, Datchet, Burnham etc.

Also-ran, Maidenhead AC seems to be a fairly OK club. A lot of what you get from a club depends on what you put in but you also need to check what they offer. For me I do cross country in the winter and Maidenhead does both the local leagues and then I also do track in the summer (they don't do track) and then road all year round. I run for Wycombe Phoenix and Datchet as one does track and not road and the other vice versa. Tonight we are actually doing a summer 5k which has Maidenhead AC in it and then we race one at Maidenhead on July 4th (see http://www.maidenheadac.co.uk/uploaded_images/files/userdocs/tvarc/tvarc.htm).

If you live in Maidenhead then I think they are a reasonable enough club to join, nothing indicates contrary but all good clubs will let you have a month or so as a tester up front before they chase you for a signature and money. Do be careful as it is easy to join but hard to change clubs.

Thanks for the heads up PMJ. I often use the track next to their hq - its a perfect 1.5miles there as a warm up for me. Shame about some of the pot holes in Lane 1!

Did some shorter intervals today in the sun (8 x 400m) - getting used to some new paces as I've now amended my training times in Mcmillan Calculator based on a sub 3hr Marathon.

7M easy for me at 7.52m/m.  It was quite exciting to see blue sky, fluffy white clouds and the sun!  I happened to notice that my Garmin reckons I burnt 588kcal and that the ice cream I bought to eat on the walk home was 288kcal.  A pleasingly tidy bit of arithmetic.

No idea MSE- you'd best see the doc.

6.5 mile race this evening along the Tyne path at Newburn. Should be fast and furious.

wow Bike it, fantastic report and top achievement.  Inspirational.  But not quite enough to make me want to do it!

MsE - I had such a bump last year and a lot of pain.  I think I caused it by hill running when I was in a fatigued state and over streching it.   For me it meant a 6-7 week healing process.  The blood flow to the achilles is very limited so it takes a long time to heal.  Ice is very good and I suggest to rest and go to the physio.  It is fully recoverable and it will not mean an end of running. I know SF is rather hilly in parts maybe best to stick to the Embarcadero as you recover.

Good to see some people are thinking when to run Comrades rather than to run Comrades.  It is definently within the capabilities of anyone on here and there is not so much difference to regular marathon training.

Poacher - I'm already starting to think of the next ultra.  Maybe the Lakeland 100 would be a long term intention, but not this year.  Something around 50 miles first I think.

Upto autumn I want to try to add a bit of speed and finally get a sub 3:15 marathon.  Which should be possible now once I am recovered.

Endurance Life Real Relay of GB has updated stages as far as Oxford this morning. 

Sorry to hear that, MsE.  If you spend an unfeasibly large amount of cash on sports massages and physio, waste endless hours with your raised foot resting on a bag of frozen peas and guzzle anti-inflammatories with the gayest of abandon, then hopefully you won't still be whining about your misfortune four and a half months later to strangers on the internet.  

If you happen to discover an alternative approach, then do please let me know.

Meanwhile, I wish you and your bump the speediest recovery possible.

MsE - Get it looked at and take it easy for a while. But above all, don't worry too much. When I had achilles tendon problems, I was always told not to stop running completely as it was important to get the blood flowing through it. Good luck, anyway!

Minni wrote (see)

Endurance Life Real Relay of GB has updated stages as far as Oxford this morning. 

Gul, chance to get the King's Lynn stage in ...

http://www.endurancelife.com/realrelay/run-1.asp?stage=593

Clenchwarton to Sandringham via King's Lynn, South Wootton, (avoiding A149)

Also-ran wrote (see)

Thanks for the heads up PMJ. I often use the track next to their hq - its a perfect 1.5miles there as a warm up for me. Shame about some of the pot holes in Lane 1!

Yep, that track is a classic, used to be there when I was an 11 year old kid doing track work at Desborough School. Any track is better than none, but that one only just so.

Minni wrote (see)

Endurance Life Real Relay of GB has updated stages as far as Oxford this morning. 

It's getting closer! Just need to wait until it crosses the lower reaches of the Thames now.

Fingers crossed for you MsE.

Bike It - have a look at these guys: http://gobeyondultra.co.uk/ . I've done the Country to Capital (once) and the Thames Trot (twice) and they've been well organised.

5k race yesterday evening (so I missed the boring first half) and the figures are 17:49 for a new PB. Fingers crossed it all gets ratified and put up on po10.

I did a gentle 3 miles at lunchtime then jogged 2 miles to the race and back for 10 miles in the day. Race itself was a bit odd as last race in the series I was 11th overall and 6th finisher for my club and this time I was 5th overall and 2nd for the club so we were missing 4 fast guys. I was also about a minute faster than last time so it seems that (thankfully short) series of crap runs is over.

Race itself didn't through up too many issues. Very fast first km (3:20) and even with that I was back in 7th at the back of a group of 4 behind 3 spaced out leaders. The next km saw one of those leaders come back and drop out the back out our group of 4 and by 3km our group had spaced out with me in 3rd (so 5th overall). The course was in a narrow park so the turns at the end were very sharp and as you turned you could see the guys behind you so towards the end it was a case of everyone smiling behind a grimace and happy to hold position.

Impressive run PMJ- you are definately the benchmark!