sub 4 hour group,if anyone wants to get together

.....[waiting for sensible answer from FRC].....

I was going to follow the taper in RW Ultimate Schedule as we are doing the Berkhamsted half on the same date. Its around week 8 or 9 on the 4 hour training plan. Looks like a good time at 1.45, hoping to get around 1.50. Not sure if I could run a negative split after the hills on the first half. is it better to go for a negative split? my wife is hoping to do around 2 hours.

Sorry about your dog Scott. You always miss animals so much when they go. Bet you have great memories though.

Ha, DtF, you talk sense too... you're a qualified coach ? (hoping to do some later this year)

No need to taper... maybe a mini taper, 1-3 days rest, whatever works for you. And you don't want to go flat out 100% effort anyway and then need too much recovery time or DOMs - likely a 16-19 mile long run the week after.

Tom/ Scott - Don't worry about negative splits, it very much depends on the course... If you can stick to a steady pace (pre-decided) and hold back a bit, get more out second half then fine. If its hilly, then negative split may be not possible.

Last year I did a weeks taper for a half, just light running ..  didn't really gain anything from it - although I was a bit fresher after. Since then I usually stick to my normal weekly routine (Tue speed/Wed gym strength & conditioning, Thu tempo) before any races and just go lighter effort on the Thursday run to leave something in the tank.. If you're not 100% sure go easier earlier that week.

Nothing wrong with doing a warm up before, 13.1 race then 5-6 miles cool down either to get a 20 miler in. It will be slow and definitely in the right pace area by the end.

And what Susan said, where is WT?

afternoon all

susan, ok re saturday sounds good to me, and hope your ache eases off

mcs how annoying re the car windscreen!

hen I did all my ironing last night, watched lots of catch up tv too

frc, I can relate to that crying in a race, totally

had an mot at the gym today, all good some very!

 woo hoo

Aw bless - have you all  missed me  I have been on an"internet break" after Christmas as i was just spending too much time on FB, reading stuff here, there and everywhere - not great when I am supposed to be working from home either! Work is also just horrible, in middle of a very nasty case, hard to justify why I do what I do when innocent people's lives have been destroyed

Running wise, I think I'm just plodding along, nothing massive to aim for. Have Grindleford and Skyline planned and maybe nothing until the Bullock after that, who knows? I am still going to track and pretending to enjoy running fast round and round in a circle, and I've loved the snow on the hills Madam WT is doing wonderfully at sport, fastest in her year and got through various stages of Cross Country school championship until she chose playing a football match over the final  Master WT is coming to track next week with me, hope he likes it. I've also joined this Cross Fit gym, it's slightly scary and I spend the week aching in every bone I have and behaving like a disabled person but they assure me it will make me stronger and faster.......

Feels weird  not training for a marathon though!

Yeh - what FRC says is all true... 

In fact I've never "tapered" for a half, may have eased off the week before. My own Half training (March 17th I think) is a bit sporadic really, so don't know how I'll be by then. There is one other guy from the club doing it so at least I'll have some company (for the first mile at least)

Know what? If I'd kept going on Saturday after my 5k and kept at the same speed I would have done a Half in 1hr35 - and that, Ikle, is a true story too 

Whether you taper for a half depends on whether it's an A race or not.  If it's part of your marathon training and it's a long run, no taper, no recovery. If it's part of your marathon training but you want to use it to see how you're doing/have a hardish run without doing lots of miles, perhaps don't do any hard sessions for two or three days before, and same after. You have to balance the benefit from a hard half with the amount of hard training you'll miss while you recover.

If it's a stand alone half and you're not marathon training, def worth tapering for a week or 10 days and def have a couple of very easy weeks after.

It's tricky, WT, when your children are multi-talented.  They obv take after their mother.

Susan - god I hope it's not shingles... poor you. That would explain the not feeling quite right thing, never mind the weird (Ikle ) rib thing.

Morning all

WT,lovely to see you!

Susan, oh I so hope it isnt anything likeshingles.  Did it hurt if you took in a deep breath?  I have had a muscular thing like that once on the left sort of side and thought i was having a heart attack! But it was a muscle deep inteh shoulder or chest and hurt bad. One problem with Saturday is that clubs have there own pens so we must touch base at the start and suss  out where we are so we can do it.  I have ordered spikes, not used them for years but I just slip slide everywhere in my trail shoes!

negative split is always good susan!

I havent really tapered for a half either but most of mine were probably part of marathon training too

Had such a good run at the club last night,on my tempo bit I caught up with and overtook much faster runners than me, I am really loving therunning right now!

Re: taper/recovery - what the Hen says!

Would have thought spikes were essential for SAturday. Having said that, if I were doing it, I wouldn't be wearing them. I'd just put up with sliding around  - better than having a big fat swollen knee!

Someone asked whether I'd gone sub 4 before. No not for the want of trying though.  My PB is 4.00.15.

Proud of myself.  Did my session on the dreadmill and it was HARD. 

1600m @ 7.21m/m, 400m jog recovery
3200m @ 7.31m/m, 800m jog recovery
2 x 800 @ 7.06m/m.

Because it was on the treadmill I took the target paces for the 3.50 FIRST programme - supposedly to counteract the help the treadmill gives you.  I managed the 1600m but was working way too hard so took the 3200 down to 7.35 m/m and the 800s were 7.15 pace.

Bloody hell. Anyway, it's done.  I was ok, just not used to working at that intensity and had to give my brain a good talking to.

I shall wreak my revenge by setting this as the session for my group at the club next week