VLM 2012 first timers???

Yes, thats what I think i'm going to do, somewhere near the victoria station.

 Thanks for the help

@Badoo - you have my sympathies! I'm hoping to take the next day off as I'm not wanting to push it. At least you can proudly wear the medal around your neck - i'm sure the kids will be very envious!

good evening you lovely people

kaffeeg                                                                                                                                                                           is it a painful niggle i.e does it hurt when you run, walk, my weakness is my left calf and right hip and i always take ibuprofen tablets to take the inflammation down, and a rub called tigerbalm which is fantastic as it has a great warming effect for hours after, you should be able to get this from any good pharmacies, most lloyds sell it (its where i work) or if you ask they will be able to get it in the next day, if its just a tight muscle you could try sitting on the floor and place a rolling pin or something simular under the calf and slowly roll your calf back and forth to release any knots.

i went to the gym this morning before work and i must say i really enjoyed it, watching the morning darkness turn to daylight, but i was starting to lag by 5 o clock,

Hi all

Well I Have taken the monday and tuesday off after the BIG DAY  and I am never going to take my medal off !!!!! [ that's hoping all goes well ]

PIP

I've very lucky in that I work for myself, so home and I'm a very understanding boss so have given myself the Monday off for sure! Actually, my husband competed a 100M bike ride last year, and as a treat I took him to the Bath Thermae Spa for a swim & massage the next day. I'm *hoping* he takes the hints and books up for me too!

Finished my week 1 schedule today. Bit of a rush to cram the 4 runs in - 3 runs in 3 days is not ideal but I do feel I've 'jump started' my body after the Christmas / New Year break! Was supposed to do 60 mins today (shortest 'Long Run' ever!) but I've entered a very scary / hilly / muddy race in just over 3 weeks time so my 60 minutes involved mud / trails / hills, MORE HILLS! but not much distance. Ah well - London is flat, isn't it??

Pip - I think I may never take my medal off either. For about 3 days after my first half,  if i wasn't wearing my medal then one of my kids was!

Kaffeeg - enjoy your 'short' long run as well!

Hope everyone else's training is going well. I have a question that if there are any experienced runners / marathoners out there may be able to help. From week 3 my schedule seems to have a hill run on Saturday, and then the long run on Sunday. Later on the Saturday run is a Threshold run. Is this going to be too much for a first timer marathoner like me? Is the idea that you're doing your long run already tired to help you on the day?? I may well swap the sessions around so I'm not doing 2 'hard' sessions one day after the other!

HI

 Black and tabby you have worried me again now [ doesn't take much !] I am not doing any threshold runs [???] or anything like that.  My plan just tells me how many miles to run, which I am doing, can incoporate some sand dunes into my long run, but that's about it really, just road otherwise.  HELP !!! is anyone just running or should I be doing other things like tempo [ don't know what that is either ??]  I feel really ignorant about all these different types of runs that a lot of you are doing.

pip

Hiya Pip,

It depends on your training plans. I'm doing tempo, slow, recovery, intervals. It's all to build up my strength and all involve a different pace of running. Are you using the RW plan? or?

Hills are always good for stamina building (or in my case: Motorway bridges)

Hi Emmy b

Am doing Hal Higson Novice 1 done half marathons ok .  But back to basics for THE BIG ONE  did 7 miles last sunday going to do nine this sunday if poss.  Some of my routes are a bit up-hill, So not completely flat.  It says about cross training on saturday so thought might take my rusty bike out [ I ride as well and walk quite a bit] so do a fair amount of exercise.  But have nooooooooo idea what all these different types of runs are.  Running 3 times during the week then long run Sunday.  I am sticking to 9 min mile pace which seems ok at the moment, but may have to drop it done for the very,very long runs will just have to wait and see.

pip

Pip - don't panic - I think its just that this is a 'Get Better' plan (the 1st plan seemed to be run / walk all the way through).

All of these terms have definite meanings, but I just take a Threshold run to be faster than a 'Steady' run, which in turn is faster than an 'Easy' run.  9MM pace - you're speedy! I think for a first marathon its just about getting used to the mileage / time running. If you do too much in one of your weekly sessions, you might be too knackered for your long run!!

evening everyone

Black and Tabby - i don't very much about the training plan but when i am doing a long which is normally Saturday i always give myself off the Friday just so i am well rested for Saturday and Sunday is recovery day,  

i'm planning on doing long run tomorrow not sure how far i'm gonna manage, will just plod and see how i do and use that as my marker on the long run, am hoping i can get to at least 10miles, and the weather is going to be perfect, no wind, or rain just cold

Sarnie and Suarez-7 - thanks. I think I'll move the sessions round then, as my first aim is to get the long runs in, get the distance up and FINISH the marathon - not worried at all about speed at the moment!

Stiff legs from yesterday's HILLY run - guess it shows I was working hard!

Suarez - happy rollering! 

Sarnie - happy long run today!

Hi

thanks for all the brilliant advice, SUAREZ-7  we seem to be doing exactly the same, I too am just adding a bit on to the long runs, [following novice 1] long run tomorrow going to try 9 miles.

Kaffeeg you have put my mind at rest ....... thanks

pip