VLM 2012 first timers??? - Page 17 - Spring Marathon

Speed-10

22/12/2011 at 21:21

Ha ha, your not the only one ... I have 11 miles penciled in for Xmas morning as I will be too hungover to do it on Saturday! Coincidentally, that is the distance to my brothers house and I have been asked around for 10am to watch his daughter opening pressies, I've told him to clean the shower and get the kettle on.

Andrea Connolly

22/12/2011 at 21:46

Christmas day running is great its so wonderful to escape for a little bit and then you dont feel so guilty when your stuffing your face later on

I hope everyone has a new years day run penciled in as well - start as you mean to go on by March all of your friends and family will have deserted you because all you can focus on is running ha ha oh the joys of marathon training it is really fun - honest

geena p

23/12/2011 at 14:05

My longest runs are on Saturdays so I shall be running on Xmas Eve, I had strangely wanted my long run to fall on Xmas Day as I think it would be a great start to the day, but I'm not going to deviate from the plan!

Philippa Brooks - hi and don't worry about where you're up to with your training, I think there's a few of us on here at the same level, my run tomorrow will be 6 miles, so there's a long way to go yet but still plenty of time before the big day!

Emmy H

23/12/2011 at 17:02

Hey everyone,

I agree - for me christmas day running is the best. It's quiet, everyone is happy - it's perfect!

I've completed my first "proper" week of marathon training and am feeling great! I know that i've got a long way to go but at least i've started and made some progress!

kaffeeg

23/12/2011 at 17:09

Hi everyone

I've not been on here for a while - so hello all new people.

Gemmab - thanks for that , will check out the running group - sounds great.

I'm now into my week 2 of my 16 week training plan that I have given myself 18 weeks incase of my (ever increasing) paranoia of snow. 10 miles tomorrow........although, at this precise moment, I'm not sure a lie in will take over the desire to run.......I thought motivation was meant to wane half way through the training, not right at the beginning??

sarnie

26/12/2011 at 13:37

hi everyone

Happy Christmas

hope you have all had a good xmas, as for me i got food poisoning on friday evening and only got out of my bed yesterday, am feeling much better and very envious of you guys out running the last few days

philippa francis aka pippitypoppity

26/12/2011 at 20:27

Merry Christmas everyone. Did my run yesterday got soaked again[ story of my life] extremely wet feet as part of my run goes through lanes which have a habit of being flooded never mind just kept telling myself its character building. Did 6.5 miles [ doing 18 week plan] no problem but had a sudden thought as I was just finishing,' oh my goodness I am going to have to be running for probably another 3 1/2 hours' and had a complete panic attack..... was this really a good idea/ will I ever make it ???. Ah well I suppose early days yet.

pip

kiwiscanfly

30/12/2011 at 13:12

Hi all

Hope you all had good a good Xmas. Seems a lot of you will run regardless of whether it is a holiday or not. Good for you The marathon can't distinguish between what day of the year it is.

I have been out for 50 minutes easy running with mate. I had a lactate test a couple of weeks ago which produced some interesting results. I am getting in some shorter faster stuff on board for the next 6-8 weeks and then increasing mileage again.

I have just been roped in to talking to a group of 15-20 novice marathoners from our club in a couple of weeks time so that will be interesting . It was only going to be low key, but the numbers are growing. At least it is in a pub !!

Many of them are doing London and for the first time.

Black And Tabby

31/12/2011 at 23:01

Not been here for a while - but belated Merry Christmas to you all! Didn't manage to run over Christmas as we were away at the in-laws, and our car so so stuffed I literally couldn't fit my running gear in. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) Very impressed with everyone who did manage to get out - really well done.

My schedule starts on 2nd January - getting excited about starting now! Actually made it out today for a 4.5M run. hadn't been out since 14th December so my HR was sky high despite going pretty slow/ Ah well - I'm sure my body will remember how to do it soon.

Going to have a good read back now (such an exciting way to spend New Year's Eve!) and only remains for me to wish you all a Very Happy New Year. May we all have happy, injury free running this year, and may we all become marathoners in 2012!

sarnie

01/01/2012 at 20:25

hi everyone

Happy New Year to you all,

went out today for the first time since getting food poisoning (xmas eve) and recovering from the flu just a few days ago and OMG it felt like i was starting all over again, only managed 4 miles and had to walk some of the way, hope its because i have been ill and not because i have lost all pre xmas training, might venture out again tomorrow for another gentle run,

Black and Tabby loving the logo

Pip am so glad i'm not the only one having panic attacks about the distance and how long we will have to run, just before xmas i managed 13 miles and had nothing left in the tank, i started questioning myself if i can really run that distance, but hopefully the training plan will keep us focused

sonarmerv

01/01/2012 at 21:23

Hi Everyone, i'm running VLM for the first time this year too.

Only had previous experience with a half marathon (2 years ago) and have plenty of other stuff to do (like looking after 2 babies)

So far it's been going well with an 8.5 mile run last tuesday (27th december) and i'm looking to increase my mileage 10% every week starting with 10 miles this week up to 28 at the end of march which will hopefully include my longest run of around 20 miles.

Joining the local running club has really helped as long as you don't get phased by all the "athletes"

Glad to have found this thread as the whole things seems very daunting

sarnie

01/01/2012 at 23:58

welcome sonarmerv

are you following the RW schedule, well done for finding the time to run with 2 little ones to look after.

Another good thing with joining a club is that you get reductions for races and most good sports shops as well.

sonarmerv

02/01/2012 at 08:43

Thanks for the reply Sarnie.

I have a schedule which was downloaded from the VLM site but i have had to move days around because the club goes out every wednesday, sometimes these are shown as rest-days.
I also play football monday nights however this may have to get cut down to once a month.

I was thinking of increasing 10% each week for example like this,

week 1: 4 miles, 3 miles, 3 miles. (10 miles in total)
week 2: 5 ,3, 3 (11 miles)
week 3: 6, 3, 3 (12 miles)
week 12:, 20,4,4 (28 miles)

Hope this makes sense....

cregmallin

02/01/2012 at 18:34

Hello
First marathon for me too - did great north years ago then no running for ages for various reasons - broke ankle in May2011 then find out in october I've finally made the VLM after 5 year lottery. So can hardly believe I'm going for it but I am - slowly built up to 8.5 miles b4 Christmas and now following a training plas x4 runs a week.
happy training !

sarnie

02/01/2012 at 20:19

Sonarmerv that looks good, everyone i have spoken to have said the same as your plan, less chance of injuries

Cregmallin This is also my first marathon as well and after 6 years of trying i got a place with the running club last year but got injured last xmas and had to defer it to this year

I did 9 miles today and hated 5 miles onwards and had to run/walk, i had nothing in the tank again, am panicking a bit as i was managing 14miles non stop 3 weeks ago and after a few weeks off i seem to have lost all the pre training i had done. Am planning on returning to the gym after work tomorrow to do restart the strengthening exercises for the legs and hopefully it will help,

cregmallin

02/01/2012 at 20:48

Sarnie

I think we all get days like that so don't panic. I'm up early tomorrow for a 5 miler and worrying already - glad I found this forum it helps to know I'm not alone with my mixture of far and excitement!

Speed-10

02/01/2012 at 23:20

Sarnie, don't fret about the loss of fitness. I got up to 12 mile long runs (11 min miles), was doing 48 mins for 5 miles but had a sore shin then a cold which stopped me running for about 10 days. I started back and on my normal 5 mile route I had to turn back after 2 miles and the 4 took me nearly 50 minutes as I had to walk run. That was a week or so before before Xmas and within a few days i then ran my quickest ever time for my 5 mile route and on Xmas day I did 10 miles in 1 hour 42 and felt I could have done 4 or 5 more! It comes back quick and for me I felt even stronger than before i was ill, for some strange reason!

Edited: 02/01/2012 at 23:22

steph lewis 3

03/01/2012 at 01:45

Hello fellow road burners

I'm new to the board and this is my first marathon, I have half a dozen 13 milers under my belt and in general i tend to run to and from my work place (all together 11 miles) so i'm hoping the marathon wont be too much of a shock to the system (although i'm not taking any chances)

I'm running for whizz kids so following their running plan which started 1st october and includes alot of fartlek sessions (i was the only person out of 30 people in a running class who sniggered at this )

Finding the training not difficult from a distance perspective but i've never ran 6 days a week and have to confess over the holiday period it was really difficult to switch from slipper to trainers and the first month lost the ability to stand for long periods (i work as a hotel receptionist and they dont believe in stools behind the desk grr)

Len 2 (I'm a girl)

03/01/2012 at 11:39

Good morning and a belated happy christmas and new year to everyone!

I completed week 2 on Sunday with a 6 mile run (in wind, up hills, had to walk loads of it ) but it's done - I did it! I still have a spare 2 weeks in hand for snow/injury so I thnk it's going okay! Bit nervous now it's 2012 and this year...15 weeks on Sunday... eeek!

philippa francis aka pippitypoppity

03/01/2012 at 13:23

hi Len 2

I did 7 miles on Sunday with no problem, but slightly concerned as some people seem to be doing longer miles already !! Wish you hadn't said it was only 15 weeks to go as I was trying to forget that !!!

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek

pip