sub 4 hour group,if anyone wants to get together

WT - know what? you're spot on! I am very easily distracted... as you can tell

There were a couple of notable slappers on Sunday.  Really noisy.  I actually looked at their feet to see if they were wearing some sort of tap dancing shoes.

Coops - nope, nothing. Will message you to see if that works. Weird. (Ikle )

WT that is AWEsome. Good on you! I think I know how you feel. You look forward to not having to do xyz mileage/pace all the time, and having weekends back, then you miss the structure and sense of achievement. Well, that's what happens to me.

Can't believe the snow that Jovi is still having to put up with.

FRC - glad your fat eating friend is on good form.  To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm doing it. I suppose I think I'm sort of borderline and having endless energy stores on The Day appeals.  If any weight comes off - well lovely.  I don't think I really ate any processed crap anyway so don't think I'm likely to lose much.  Still feels really wierd TRYING to eat fat. So counter-intuitive.

WT - google Tim Noakes diet.  He has a great approach - very realistic and scientific.  He's researching it all at the mo and thinks we all have differnt genetic responses to sugar - some people tolerate it really well and don't have probs while others seem to find it difficult to control their weight how ever little they eat/much they run.  So he's not for a 'dont eat this, never eat that' approach.  He's much faster, thinner, more energetic (and his blood sugar/insulin response is happier) when eating hardly any carbs at all. No pulses, fruit etc. Some veg obv. But, unlike paleo, he's big into dairy.

He thinks he's quite extreme and that others are fine with more fruit, pulses etc. Bruce Fordyce is doing it, and his times have come down again and he can control his weight now.  He seems to be able to tolerate sucrose well.

Have a look at marathon talk - there was a Tim Noakes interview about it late last year. Also look at Talk Ultra Talk Training (via MArathon Talk website).  anything by Marc Laithwaite - 40/30/30 etc. Will make sense when you get there.

WT, read this, too.

And - bloody hell I'm cross with myself - I was showing someone how to stretch the top of their hamstrings last night and I bloody well damaged a bloody muscle in my bum. really a bit sore this am. WAsn't going to run anyway but GOD.   How STUPID is that?

Thanks AH - I will have a look at the Tim Noakes thing as it sounds easier than Paleo, is there a book or anything? I spent the weekend running in North Yorkshire and lived off carbs, I came home feeling absolutely awful so need to do something. 

Have just booked our private navigation course - feel sorry for the poor man who has to teach us!

AH - hopefully it's a short term pain 

Nice to see Bruce Forsythe back in the mentions again. AH, did you deliberately vary your spelling of weird throughout, for my delectation?

Just realised that runs in my training plan don't have a 'run fast at the end' part any longer, it really is just miles now, with a few speed runs thrown in. Slightly terrified about the 22 at the weekend, but I guess I can turn into a 20 if I so choose.

Borderline less tired today. Went to see Ballet Revolucion at Sadler's Wells last night. Great fun and lots of male and femal buns of steel. Heh. Great stuff. Just like the radio with lots of amazing dancing.

As you can see, I'm avoiding doing any work today, because I've got so much to do I can't face it. So far I've written a list and a two day timetable to the weekend so I don't forget anything! Zoicks.

morning all, I lost a bit more weight this week!

Hen hope your bum is ok

wt, my running club did that coast to coast a few years ago and I went along for the first couple of days.  Enjoy it its a great thing to do! I know what you mean about not having direction, I am so happy with my running right now training for a marathon its crazy!

WT one of my mates at work is doing paleo, lost about 20lbs he has.

We did some printing for that show ikle!

susan you do amaze me.  I would be scared to taper for 4 weeks, but then you have done more of this long stuff than me in the last few years I guess

9 miles d&d this morning, am a bit hungry!! early lunch I think..

Oh when do we get our packs for the collecting of numbers at expo?  I am out of touch with this marathon stuff

No WT - no Noakes diet books or anything yet.  I haven't listened to it yet, but the Talk Ultra current episode - #30 I think - is a recording of the talk Marc gave in Lanza.  There are food suggestions in there. Don't know if it made the cut but I asked specifically about what fats were ok to eat.  Also, if you can, do listen to the Talk Ultra Training podcasts.  I haven't listened to all of them yet, though.

You can either No Carb or Low Carb.  Paleo is pretty much No Carb, which I just don't think I could do.  At the moment - and I'm no expert - the two things that stand out for me are not having starchy things like rice, pasta, spuds with every meal, and eating a high fat breakfast to get the day's fat metabolism going.

For about six months now, poss longer, we've been a full fat household - full fat milk, yog, creme fraiche etc, although I've only just started the actively eating fat thing.  I've always loved cheese etc but it was always a treat, in moderation.

I'd suggest doing a bit of reading and then perhaps starting to make a couple of changes in the diet to see what happens.  I think its interesting and relevant for someone like you who's doing ultra stuff.  The gippy tummy thing when you have lots of carbs when exercising is dire and if you can avoid it by eating a lot less, but fatty food on the go - and not upsetting your tum, but at the same time giving you boundless energy - has to be a good thing.

Oh Ikle. Bugger.  I seem to use the word a lot - and seem to be able to remember to spell it properly the first time - and feel smug about it - then use it again immediately and spell it incorrectly.  What a dunce.

WT- You are crazy! but amazing. How on earth do you go from not a lot to 190 miles in 7 days.

I probably shoild not say this but training for all seems to be going very well and no ???????

Seem to have recovered Ok from the 20. Legs feel heavy all the time but managed a 5,6 and 7 in the last 3 days at different pace.

It depends on the next few weeks but for the London newbies are any oy you going off blue?

ACoops - I've been onto your profile and there isn't a 'message member' button (or whatever there usually is).

Find me on Face book or Twitter (@LouArtfulHen) and perhaps that'll work better.

FRC - Training schedule says 20 18 12 Marathon. I'm doing Brighton. I don't feel quite ready to taper yet. I felt good after my 20 on Saturday, but not as though I had 'peaked.' I think I will stick to another 20 this weekend. I've planned a special 'treat' run where I get a train and then run 20 miles home rather than my usual out and back. It feels significant somehow.  

WT - hello, and that sounds incredible! How do you train for that kind of thing??

AH - I've tried to message you through facebook on my computer now and not my phone. Fingers crossed..  

Wabo - Impressed with your weight loss. I seem to stay the exact same weight regardless of the hours I put in to training. I'm clearly overcompensating on the calorie front. 

Ah Susan, humour was lost in translation..stalmart .. Thought you might be a big Asda walmart fan. Great 7 miles at MP by you.

Friend does variation of Harcombe eating style some examples here. . Can still eat carbs some meals but not breakfast. Worth a read plus there is a book available.

I didn't realise the 5 a day veg fruit push came from American farmers for example.

Legs were a bit tight today after intervals Tuesday.
S & C class Wed night lots of stretching, Glute & hamstring work, heavy dead lifts. Hips more flexible which were a long term injury so progress. Legs feel like new after too. Only a few more days before taper. Phew.

Hi All

I will be doing 15 this Sat (xctry hard core race) 21 the easter weekend and then not sure about first weekend of april, so my long runs are only 15 x 2, 17 x 1, 18x 1 , 20 and then the 21 which doesnt sound a lot to me but I feel good so I somehow think I am going to be ok! 

Acoops that sounds quite good teh 20 mile runnign back, something mentally good about that feeling of running home! Long miles with a nice purpose!

frc I have had that funny feeling watching the London!

Martin I have been thinking the same about training and I dont want to say it either....

I'm doing a 10k race on Saturday morning, which i hope will act as a barometer, and as encouragement for a sub4 marathon in 5 weeks time. I have no half marathons in my training plan (following the P&D plan) so this is as good as it gets in terms of "tune-up" races. Next weekend is an 18mi with the last 14mi at MP, so that too should hopefulyl give me some sense of whether i'm in the right shape.