Target 262 - Ricky Challinor - Spring Marathon

Run Ricky Run

05/12/2012 at 21:58

With this being my first post I'd firstly like to say hello and introduce myself to you all and thank you for reading this thread! My name is Ricky, I'm 22 and live in a small town called Buckley, in north Wales! Iv recently been short listed for public vote in the Asics 262 and would love for you all to read my story and consider me as your vote! I started running when I was 13 and have been involved in the sport ever since, although I do love the competitive side or running, it's he people you meet which really makes the sport what it is! Iv met some fantastic people through the running world from fellow athletes to coaches, officials and supporters! I run for a fantastic club called Liverpool Harriers currently under the guidance of Dave Evans! My training group includes: David Mountford ,Jonny Mellor, Ben Russell, Harry harper, Adam peers and Tom Atkinson, which are some of he best up and coming athletes in the Uk! If I am lucky enough to be chosen I hope a lot of the members of the forum can become involved in my blogs, training, advice and motivation! Feel free to ask me anything you like, I may only be 22 but I can offer some great pieces of advice! Thanks for reading

Sleepy Bear

05/12/2012 at 22:13

Hi Ricky - just had a quick nosey at your Po10 profile* - I take your ability to run 2:20 has been generated by a predictor based on your 71 half?

(* sickeningly impressive reading btw - good on ya)

Edited: 05/12/2012 at 22:26

Run Ricky Run

05/12/2012 at 22:49

Hi there thank you for you reply

Me and my coach have based my target time slightly from my half (ran during my track season build up so low mileage with more speedwork) but mainly on my progress in training over the past year and recent 10k personal best!
As you will know a 71half does not relate to a 2:20 marathon, but my step up to the half was down to how local the race was and because my work was sponsoring the event! I would of like to have ran another this year in order to lower my time but with track, road and xc season it was pushed out of the plans!

Bruce C

06/12/2012 at 06:31

Ricky, Buckley you say ..... I kind of feel honour bound to vote for you now, given you're only about 6/7 miles down the road.

Add in to that a target time of 2:20 (be careful young man you do realise your legs may fall off at that speed) and well it would now be just plain rude not to.

So good luck to you, and if you see a hi-viz semi-mobile roadblock lumbering around Padeswood then give me a wave as you zoom past.

Sleepy Bear

06/12/2012 at 08:10

Morning

Fair one! You do seem to have a good spread of distances to your credit.

Coaching is a major part of the 26.2 prize... and you already have a coach... What would you like to gain from this experience that you couldn't otherwise? How does your current coach feel about you doing this and what his role be for the next 4 months?

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 08:25

Thank you Bruce I appreciate it! Also I you haven't already and would like too, Buckley runners are a great little group which do runs and train together Tuesdays and thursday evenings if you'd like the company on some runs!

good morning sleepy bear, I think the main gain is the amount of support you will have access too from the team! The coaching, strength and conditioning, physio , psychologist and nutrition will offer a vast amount of knowledge that can be used for the future!
My coach is very pleased and positive about this! He will still remain a big part of my training as he will be the one who's there for the sessions, motivating myself and the group throughout them! I'm also very lucky that he guys I currently rtrain with all have a big mileage and have the initiative to work a session around their own needs!

Choisty

06/12/2012 at 11:00

Ricky...it sounds like you have a well formed group already, how often do you train as a group and how do you find running the hard sessions alone?

Also what mileage are you at the moment? and how realistic do you think 2:20 is?

lndyMcQueen

06/12/2012 at 17:03

Hi Ricky,

I don't think we met at the bootcamp but in the interests of sportsmanship and competitive spirit I just wanted to say good luck. I lived in Wales (Cardiff to be precise) for 5 years and loved every minute of it, in fact I wish I'd never left! Only made it up North a couple of times though, spent a wet week in a tent during a dig up on Anglesea, Did get one Sunday of glorious weather though, coincided perfectly with a trip up Snowdon! You must get plenty of opportunities for hill runs up there! Anyway, Good Luck.

Aaron.

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 17:59

I train with my group 1-2times a week, but also I'm lucky to have David Mountford live a couple of minutes jog down the road and we tend to do most of our mileage together! Currently I'm consistently hitting. 60-70mpw, and as I get used to this site I'm going to start a training log! 2:20 is a realistic target but it's all going to be down to hard work commitment and preparation!

Hi Aaron thank you for the good luck wishes, i also wish you the best of luck for this whole experience! I agree Wales is a fantastic place to live and run, especially up north as although its hilly, it gives you the chance to see some fantastic scenery, Snowdon in particular is probably my favourite place to visit and run, I always try and make it over for the Snowdon International race and would recommend it to anybody to spectate or even run

Sleepy Bear

06/12/2012 at 18:14

You mention that your coach motivates you... What else motivates you? He's not gonna be there in the race with you so how will you keep yourself motivated? (Given that the others don't already have coaches and will have to motivate themselves during training as well as the race.)

Also - what if your training starts to go a bit pear shaped and Steve and your coach disagree on the way forward - whose advice would you follow?

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 19:39

I get motivated by desire, competitiveness, and pressure!

With regards to coaching, if I was given this opportunity I'm sure between my coach and Steve they could communicate well enough to agree on what would be the best solution for me if training did ever go pear shaped!

Minni

06/12/2012 at 19:49

Hi RRR,

I'm really interested in how this would work. The marathon schedules used in this competition are based on the RW schedules. Is your current coach happy for you to follow these? Also, you say in your pitch '' I have set myself a very tough target time as it is my ambition to gain the qualification time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games marathon for my country'' Are the people who are currently coaching you not able to get you to this position meaning you therefore relying on winning a competition to get there? If you don't win this will you be seeking professional coaching through someone else?

Sorry for the questions but I'm just trying to work out how this is the best way for you to reach your goals.

It is an amazing target and I wish you every luck with it.

Xyloid

06/12/2012 at 19:58

Ooh SB! You are throwing down some big bombs!

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 20:13

Minni - as this will potentially be my first marathon, the competition I believe will give me the best opportunity and build up, it's not just the coaching, but the backing of a professional team which includes psychologist, physio, strengh and conditioning, nutrition etc!
Financially i could not afford the backing that this competition offers!

seren nos

pirate

06/12/2012 at 20:36

from experience the imput from the other back up team was a minimum in the past......you meet up them only about twice the whole way through.the main help was the runnersworls schedules and the coaches help on mentoring you...............

i also think that for someone your speed and aims the RW schedules might not be the best ones to follow....have you looked at them........

if you were to follow a mixture of this and your own schedule then it might be harder for those on the forum following the schedules to relate and replicate.....

I am in awe of your speed and would love to see you get your aims.........i just also worry that these schedules might not be the best and that you having to post several times a day as to what you are doing etc.as well as to do your blogs might not motivate you

Mike Sheridan

06/12/2012 at 20:54

Give the guy a break - it's not about the process, it's about fire in the belly and giving it a go. He's young, he's just passed his driving test and he wants to test drive a Ferrari! Let him have a go - it could be fun watching him smoke those tyres...!

seren nos

pirate

06/12/2012 at 20:56

we ask the questions to see the answers.......no doubt he has looked at it all and seen that it would be his best option...........but the RW schedules are rather generic........if he has seen than and is happy it will be easy for him to convince us.......

it would be great to see him smoke the tyres

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 21:11

Hi seren nos

I am looking at being mentored for a marathon, iv never ran one, never trained for one!
Despite only meeting up with the team twice, the smallest things can help preparation! For example if you were wearing the incorrect footwear for your feet, the strain on your muscles plus wasted energy from lack of efficiency will decrease your ability and could also lead to injury!
I appreciate your concern but given the opportunity, the target I have set will keep me motivated and if you read my story you will see I have said I will show you the ups and downs of the training months ahead!

Sleepy Bear

06/12/2012 at 21:22

I'm just asking the questions that spring to mind - isn't that the point of these threads? It just seems a little awkward to me trying to have 2 coaches at the same time. I'd love to see someone with so much talent get to Glasgow but I'm not sure this is the best way!

I would have thought most coaches could advise on strength and conditioning and nutrition - those I've come across certainly can! I'm not sure how often previous year's teams have gotten to see the physio - maybe once or twice and as far as I can gather they didn't have a one2one session with the psychologist at all??? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

If he answered - I'm 22 - I don't earn much - I'd like a free trip away to do something I love and some new kit - I'd believe him happily and say fair play - go kick some ass. OR My existing coach doesn't know much about full marathons... ???

I'm not having a go RRR - you say you like pressure so handling this lot with good grace and humour will be good practice when it's you up on the podium with a mic stuck under your nose!

Run Ricky Run

06/12/2012 at 21:44

Thanks mike I appreciate that you understand what i am about,

Sleepy bear, if you don't think this is the best way, can you suggest an alternative to what would be?