sub or about 4h30 hopefully

Thanks for re-assurance, have spent most of the afternoon... reading about various knee conditions and trying to self diagnose.

 I guess this is the phase in training where I begin to worry about every niggle.

Learning from my last marthon I have taken stretching very seriously and do it everyday. Not much resistance training though in my programme...

sham plodder - I like the heavy wts too, but concentrated on max effort dead lifts today, rest day from running for me.

So Red... any recommendations for ultras? not that I'm thinking of one.....

Fenn, I would recommend some simple resistance work, as I think it helps strengthen knees/hip joints. Body weight squats n lunges are good.

Denise, is Leeds still a hilly-ish course? I did it a few years ago then it started clashing with Sheffield and other races, so I kinda forgot about it!

Morning all,

Hope the niggles are easing!  Intervals on the treddy for me later.

Jen, for a friendly, well organised and safe ultra I thoroughly recommend the Kent 50 (which is actually 52.4, so a double marathon).  Ordinarily I wouldn't touch a marathon based on laps of the same circuit but this one suited me just fine - no need to worry about navigation, lots of marshalls, a Race Director who spends all day out on the course checking that runners and marshalls are OK.  I wrote about it here on my blog  if you want to get a feel for it - (http://www.extremeknittingredhead.blogspot.co.uk/2007/07/my-50th-birthday-challenge-is-complete.html)

I found laps to be helpful when I ran 50k... it was perhaps monotonous on the course (16 x 1.95 miles or so) but with water etc. and support at the end of each lap there was opportunity but no incentive to stop!

Bigeater, I meant the half marathon, that's still open. 

Jim yes it's still a bit hilly - a lot of long climbs on the way out of town that you never really feel like you get the downhill reward for. 

I've ran it twice now getting around 1.54 both times, so it's not too bad. Get entered!! 

the one time I did it, 2005 I think, I ran 2 hrs 27. Euch!

not sure how that'll fit into may plans though; I've got to get fast over the summer so might not be doing more races after Scunthorpe!

Great run BigE! I can only manage about 5 miles at that sort of pace and I'm goosed! 

short runs always hurt more! think I'm doing 1/2 mile sprints with the club tonight; that's definitely gonna hurt!

sprints became hill sprints and I felt shyte; rest again tomorrow, hopefully I'll run properly by the end of the week!

Morning all,

What a damp and dreary day it is!  I've got 10 miles at marathon pace to do at some stage.

Jen, LOL, are you hooked yet? 

Jim, you may still be a young pup but rest days are very important (said granny )

Fenn, glad to hear the niggle's cleared up.  They are an inevitable part of marathon training but most just go away with a bit of rest and ice.

Oh Jim - that's rubbish 

Fenn - glad the nigggle's done one, sounds just the same as mine, came and went for no apparent reason. 

I did sprints on Monday and a 6 mile tempo run last night and my legs are tiiireeeddddd  Planning a quickish 6 miler at lunch today and a steady 12 miles tomorrow pm.  I am half doing this deliberately so that my muscles get used to running when tired.  rest on Friday, 14 miles sat & prob rest Sunday & Monday.  Then I'll be fit as a daisy! 

Jen - I must now read Redhead's blog...... 

most of my feeling shyte was due to the blister that's celebrating its 25th day birthday and is now bigger and redder than ever! just needs a few days rest which it's not likely to get! might be forced to soon enough!

also having raced 1/2M rather than a slowish 15 miler and then try to follow with 5 or 6 minute miling hill sprints.... time to shut up and stop digging holes!

after work I'm off t'running shoppe to get my new trainers looked at, and maybe a new set of insoles!

are daisies really that fit?!