sub 4 hour group,if anyone wants to get together

I have a head torch. But I think you're all mad

Is there specific kind of head torch for running? The one I have I bought from a DIY store and have mostly used for rummaging in the loft. It feels like it'd slip about if I ran in it ... Perhaps I should give it a try one morning. Though living in fairly well lit suburbia I might feel a little self conscious.

You should try experimental running in moustaches on elastic! Went down really well on my estate. Ahem.

Sounds painful. Try Inov8 fell shoes love them.......run a few fells in the Lakes and round here lovely shoes. Bit slippy on wet rock but most shoes would be I reckon.......

Lots of reading back... Well done Jovi.. You've come on, Martin! Great report Susan...

Cicero I wear the head torch round my hips - sure, it looks like a luminous willy but it makes the ground shadows longer.

We are on hols, going to Malta by train. So far have got to Sicily. Ferry tomorrow. So I have been running "naked" in Paris, Rome and Turin (no garmin /ipod)! Has really helped as @ start of week got a text from HR man to say my job was at risk I.E I was on the redundancy list  -heard today I got to keep my job, but you can imagine however levelheaded you try to be, you still feel stressed.

Wabo did you get the club place? 

Have booked Frankfurt for next autumn and Malta and Riga are pencilled in for spring. Plan is to go along to the regular club track sessions weekly as well as the other training and see if I can get a 3:58:xx or even better. Whether the ambition will last...!

Fido glad to hear you survived...........not nice.......had to go to a factory this week to collect some of our kit, 50 gone as the factory is shutting. Times are tough still out there. 

Fido. nice to see you. Enjoy naked running. hope your stress levels are lowering now.

Riga?

Track sessions definitely work. As shall be proved v soon.

Cicero, car mechanic head torches are heavy and will flop down with the movement as mine did. cheap enough to buy a light running one. They give a better light anyway. Ikle can run with a moustache at the same time perhaps.

Ikle, a Cheap pair of Adidas Kanadias will do fine for £25-35 by the way.

Hello all.  Hello Fido - haven't seen you for ages!  Hols sound fab. Are you marathoning in Malta?

I use a Petzl headtorch from Blacks when I'm coaching in the dark on the grass - mainly so the runners can see me. But on Tues we did a point to point session and I did almost as much running as them and the bloody thing fell down the whole time. And nearly broke my nose. Love the idea of having it round your waist. Why not?

In other news: I've got another edition of my blog out.  Sorry if you're all blogged out. Have been a bit zealous with the self promotion .

Not waist - arse!

hi all, very new to this forum,( apologies in advance my enter button doesn't work so sorry for the sentence structure. I'm running the london marathon next year and looking to achieve a sub 4hr marathon and anything under that is a bonus, I enjoy running but its more the competitive side of it for me, I havent run since the bath half in 2009, so i started a month ago and have been doing about 20-25 miles a week and riding to work, I ran the sodbury slog on sunday which went really well, it as given me some renewed vigour, does anyone live in Bath who is also training for the London Marathon?

ooooh me legs!

Tuesday's sprints left me sore and achy and last nights swift 5 miles has compounded the DOMS.... Gopsort Half maybe more of a challenge than I'd hoped!

Martin - at least you're only thinking about entering a 100 mile race  - let's hope your day is better today and you think again. Although I'm sure you'd be fine. BTW I did get your FB message the other day - I'll let you know about that! 

Welcome Andrew - don't think any of us are near Bath we're fairly spread across the country. Mileage-wise you sound on course but what sort of times are you doing at the moment? Have you done a Marathon before?

AH - I'll find you on Sunday morning (assuming you're in club kit) - will you have a muster point? Looking forward to seeing you.. been ages! 

Nice blog Artful you are bonkers swimming in the sea in November!!!!!! Crazy........ Respect!!! Just entered the Grindleford Gallop for March 9th time to get training up the hills seriously........

Silly Dtf with a half so soon. I was chatting to running pal last night (doing Brecon Beacons 45 miler Saturday)  as we run a steady 5-6 miles at 8-9mm.. many at the club still aim to do every session hard. Just not possible, body needs some easy runs to recover. Its actually one of the reasons I was against joining a club.

My old Suunto watch actually used to help with this, heart rate based gave each  run/gym or cardio session a Training Effect score of 1-5, 2-3 maintaining fitness, 4 building, 5 at max and then recovery needed. Gave you a nice schedule for the week that adjusted as you worked out, told you suggested level of next workout.

Garmin have now added this TE number to the latest models, 610 & 910. Hope they add it to others in firmware. Excellent feature, like your own little coach.

Welcome Andrew. Just the one half in 2009 and nothing since mileage wise? Take it steady. I'm doing London too. The thread here was kept me going through my first marathon sub 4, to second and beyond, first ultra. They're (we ) are all lovely and lots of motivation, tips and generally just nice people. All inspiring.

Morning all,

DTF - I have a running partner but maybe on the longer runs would be good to find a buddy who is running London, No marathon before, prior to this I play a lot of sport and gym 3 times a week cardio, core with some light weights.

I'm running comfortable 8minute miles with hills which range between 4-7 mile runs, with a longer run on sunday, my flat pace ath present is 7:30, with some in the tank, I ran the sodbury slog last weekend which is a cross country 9.2 mile course, sheep dips, some trudging through muddt hills and a reasonable hills for good measure, I finished that in 1hr 19minutes

Fit running cat - I haven't done any specific running since the Bath half just a 15minute warm up at the gym, and what i get through on a football match, I do enjoy getting through some mileage on my racer.

I'm glad you found encouragement from this forum as I can see there will be times where a little push will help.

One little question, I've started using a golf ball at work at my desk to roll my feet out, does anyone else do this?

Cheers Andy

FRC - the Half is not so serious to be honest and I only entered the other day as I was supposed to be in Canada this week. If I can get around in a reasonable time I'll be happy - a PB and I'll be ecstatic!

Andy - sounds like your on the road to sub 4 but never under estimate the distance. My first marathon was really hard and I thought I was doing so well to get near 4 hours (ended up 4:26 ish). Took me 3 attempts to get sub 4. Time on your feet built up slowly from mid December may be the best way to approach it, along with a plan that fits in with normal life!

Dave, yes I'll be in club kit but it'll be covered up with a faded black WADAC hoodie.  We tend to meet inside the sports hall before the race. TBH everyone does so it shouldn't be hard to spot each other.  Forecast is lovely.  I'm not running today or tomorrow to try to stop my knees hurting.  Did think I'd go to the gym though to do some core and strength work.  Then thought I'd do it at home. In fact I've made some brownies and some lunch. But I AM in my kit so you never know what this afternoon might bring.

Yes Ikle - trail shoes need to be 'right' just like road shoes.

Also Ikle (and anyone else with ITB issues) - have a look at this.  It's quite technical but I think you'd get something out of it that might be useful.  You might not want to read through all the comments at the end but take my word for it, there's a right old ding dong going on - a full and frank discussion among professionals - about who's right, what's wrong etc etc. Suffice to say, ITB causes aren't straightforward and neither are the treatments. I feel a blog coming on.

Dont use a golf ball but do sit on a Swizz ball at my desk more comfortable than a chair for my long back. Enjoy the half Dave and anyone else racing. Done 20 miles this week so far and heading out for a ten on Sunday so keeping the miles going..

Andrew Hicks - welcome - you're on the right thread for support for a sub 4- I first posted here about 5 years ago and have never looked back.  As others have said, never underestimate the distance.  When I did my first marathon I was comfortably doing about 1:45 - 1:50 halfs but did 4:07.  Im sure others have said to you already but the marahton is really two races - the first 20 miles and the next 6.2.  I've now done 16 marahtons and that last 6.2 never gets any easier!  The hardest thing for a first marathon IMO is actually gwtting to the start line uninjured - the increased mileage can tip you over into injury and its a fine balancing act between doing enough and not doing too much.  Personally I find 3 quality runs a week work for me - a speed session, a tempo session and a long run.  Others do more mileage but for target mrathons in a 16 week training plan I usually only do one or two 20 milers in the 16 week build up and the rest of my ling runs are 15-18.

Fido - welcome back - good to hear from you. Good to hear yourjob is safe - hope you can enjoy the rest of your hols - sounds great travelling by train across Europe.

AH - swimming in the sea at anytime is brave - at this time of year its positively bonkers - is swimming in such cold water good for getting heart rate down?