sub 4 hour group,if anyone wants to get together

hi all

jovi thats pretty amazing that time! Well done you, considering you have had a lay off this year as well

bl**dy hell hen! Seal salute! Nippy.....

frc, oh yes you got to be happy with that! Nice one

oh susan, how very sad.  sorry to hear that, you just so have to live for the moment eh? xx

cicero, still thats a good time! well done

I so hope I get a vlm clubplace, got to wait and see. Been told its pretty odds on so I am upping training now.

On a different note, jodie gian and cleo want to come to the uk for 6 months!!! Jodie asked could they...like I could ever say no??

Yes mcs, hills and more hills and let's not forget single leg squats, eh?! I'm really looking forward to starting marathon training. I've started a diet healthy eating thing today. Want to lose 7 kilos and eat healthily. Wish me luck! No more sweets, beer and chocolate! And just one day off for actual Christmas. Heh. =)

Just had to have a snicker, oops they were four for a £1 in the Coop and I was very hungry after 30 plus miles last week. I am lucky at 6.2 inches weighing in at 175 kilos 12 stone, all the time but I tend to steer clear of the alcohol which is the only thing that puts weight on me........Hills it is then. My route home is flat need to change that me thinks.

Nothing wrong with a snicker that a marathon won't fix

I need to eat a bit extra for blood sugar level so with you on the food front.

+1 for the hills. Either as one of your speed sessions or stick more in your midweek or long run. 6-8 weeks you will be flying. We have a regular club session named "the 10 hills of Hell", aptly named, different length & gradient hills 200-400 metres, flat out with recoveries. Sunday run has hills too.

Lots more you can do than single leg squats. I go for single leg hops, lateral skaters. Box jumps - then when you can do them, single leg hop onto the box or a step (from 4" to 24"). Add weighted split squats and reverse lunges both work each leg. Standing up on a box or bench alternate legs with kettle bell or barbell great to improve that leg "drive" - like in hill run. Can do all of these at home. Doing intervals, hills, jumps will give you 7-8 % increase, say 2-3 % each

Related http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/increasing5k10running.shtml

Next year's thread meet-up sorted - take a peek! 

What about an up north event! LOL  

Dave - have had a look at that mara.  Wierd site.  No info at all about the course. Suppose they coudl make it more or less all flat but they have done a bournemouth mara in the past and they had to run up and down the overcliff which is quite major although maybe there isn't much of a cliff between B'mouth and Boscombe - not sure. What do you think?

Rob - Susan said what I thought.

Ikle I love your sound effects. "Thbbb"

FRC - thanks for that link re cold water immersion.  The blog post was a bit imprenetrable but I'll listen to the podcast it's about and see if I can make any sense of it.

I think it's too early to notice any benefits to be honest. Certainly not sleeping well, but that's because of other things. I think I must be acclimatising to the temperatures though.

4.14????

Trouble sleeping, Ikle?

Off for a swim.

Rob - although I have done a lot of miles in the last 3 months generally I am a big fan of less is more - I ran an ultra off the back of only 25 miles a week.  Even in the lead up to marathons I've only twice done 50 miles a week and usually peak at 35 so by most training plans that is quite low.  I am a huge fan of the FIRST programme - three runs a week - they concentrate on quality over quantity so you do a speed session, a tempo session and a long run. Several of us on here have used it, Paces are quicker than some other training plans but you do a lot less miles.  They also suggest cross training but I've only ever done that one one schedule and usually I just stick to the running bit. Re whether you can do less is more ie 3 runs a week for sub a sub 3:30 I'd definitely say yes! I've done a few sub 4s now and can def recommend the plan. I just did 3:36 this weekend (on the comeback from injury trail - see below) and would am confident I would have cracked the sub 3:30 in April at VLM had I not broken my foot and ended up at A&E at halfway! They do one thats for people who've done several marathons but that is basically just more mileage so I always stick to the beginners plan one. Here's the link:  http://marathon.harvard.edu/images/first_first.pdf

I can definitely recommend the Thunder Run as a good meet up. Entries are open for it now - I'm back with my old team in 2013 - can't wait.  

Thunder Run..........interested.  a chap on another Forum ran solo this year and did over 100 miles Taffy. Anybody know him. Ex army I believe. He has been injured since though so not recommending a solo effort.
Leg working time. Starting a 16 week training schedule for a race on 9th March a 21miler.....Grindleford Gallop and its very hilly all round the edges of Derbyshire above Chatsworth, recommend you check out the photos on their site.  Used the smart coach on here.........so many to choose from, but had to choose a marathon one. Unless anyone has any other briliant ideas?

At least I will go sub four on a 21 mile hilly fell race!! Hopefully!!