Friday 23rd March

Ah, thx AF. Although I wonder is it worth doing? If there is no structure then will it help?
Surely a standard x min run for x miles is better for the body how to learn to run at that pace rather than how you feel?

Evening

Congrats Matt and Gobi

BR - why not take pressure off and not make call just yet. Keep training and if things do not improve bin it and go for marathon later in year.

What: In foul mood as abductor playing up again from knee all way into groin. Simply not getting better on contrary now pianful to walk. Saw physio again this am and back on complete rest for 5 days with ant-inflammatories strong enough to knock a horse out. Getting really fed up.

Simon

BR.. you are too young to be entering a decline. Purple patches are a delight to us all, I am sure you will have another one. This calf injury - is it a new strain or an old injury flaring up under highish mileage. If it is the latter I think there is hope. I once had to make 4 visits to a physio to break down old scar tissue in my calf in a marathon build up - it was a gnawing type of pain, the treatment was just as painful! If you can get it sorted I say do FLM, a few days missed won't make any difference - the bedrock of work is already done. Best of luck, we can't have you both spectating {O:

Mike S.. pleased to hear you are ok and that the bike wasn't an expensive one! I hope your claim is successful and the wounds heal quickly.

Well spotted on the lyrics.. 'Hand In My Pocket' by the rather saucy Alanis Morissette.

5+6m done as promised, curry and a couple of beers will follow.

What: 5.12 miles
Why: Recovery day
Last hard: Wednesday
Last rest: 5 days

Sympathies to BR and hilly, I saw them as I was coming away from my pilates session tonight at the gym. They both looked a little despondent and I recognised that feeling of hopelessness in their eyes. Chin up, you two!

For me, I did a pilates session, as I mentioned, but felt quite sick in it, probably from lack of food and as I'm feeling a bit washed out from a hard training week. I've been doing mammoth biking sessions in the warm, humid atmosphere of the gym in preparation for this bike trek with legionella and two others in a week.

On Tuesday, I did 22M; Wednesday was 16.8M and last night I did 25M so tonight was a rest from biking. Tomorrow we are going out to get some miles done on the trail with rucksacks on to get a feel of what it will be like, fully laden, and on Sunday, I am tempted to bike to Wakefield to watch the 10k race there.

Lyrics: yep, she's always been like a bitter pill to me...

Thanks to all the people who posted their thoughts. It means a lot from people I respect so much.

The people who are down for FLM, what day(s) are you going down? We're booked in at Greenwich from Weds onwards so we can take in a lot of the expo. Would be great to meet some old friends again and get to know some virtual ones in person:-)

As you may know I've never gone into a marathon knowingly undertrained:-). I guess if I can get this calf under control it'll be suck it and see at FLM.

New (JJB) gym tonight. 20 mins ski machine @ 148 HR, 20 mins bike (WI vs Ireland) @ 151 HR, 20 mins treadmill @ 135 HR so an hour's worth of aerobic work.

FL - that look of hopelessness was the fact we'd just forked out £72 for a first month and a bit's membership:-)

Arrive Friday teatime leave Monday am BR. I will go to the Expo Friday evening, this will leave Saturday free for a short run and then put my feet up in St.James Park and watch them build the finish!

Bad news Simon, you are entitled to be very brassed off.

FL.. tip - my cycling mates reckon panniers are preferable to backpacks for luggage on long day after day bike rides.

Wardi - thanks, I might give that a go, it's just that most of our terrain will be on the trail which gets quite muddy.

BR - good session, I'll be in there on Monday, I reckon!

Wardi - panniers are for girls. Men from barnsley wear rucksacks and cycle for 5 hours four days in a row.

Then again so do nutters. Mmmmm.

SiT - one thought here...

You work long hours in what I guess is a largely office based environment. Do you get a chance to get up and walk around to loosen your legs on a regular basis? You pick up so many strains and tight spots.

BR, sorry that you are so down about how the training has gone. Most of this has already been said, but one thing I too am sure of, is that the BR 2004 vintage will reemerge, even if not in time for this FLM. But if you cross-train really hard you wouldn't loose any fitness, when you and the weather have been well you've run some cracking times this year and you've got several weeks still to decide.

I feel the same about being not where I want to be, (by 22 secs/mile, to be over-precise), but am vaguely hopeful that 3 very hard weeks plus a few pounds weight might perhaps see to it, but I feel much the same as you that I don't want another time with which I'm not happy, and feel that I'd rather not start it, but have the huge advantage that (touchwood) I'm injury free at the moment, so can go for broke with nothing to loose in the next weeks.

Another for whom 2004 was, at least, the best year this millenium (1989 was really my year)

Vrap I don't understand how you know what is an appropriate HR for recovery runs/70%, any more than you don't know what HR for hard runs, if you don't know what 100% is. I'd say both might as well be based on the same guess work till you know, but if 70% feels that easy you've probably got it wrong.

SiT, sorry that the hook didn't help your adductor; if you'd got my email (which for some reason isn't even going tho via RW) I have suggested working on the adductor., but do you get any back ache ? There is also the possibiltiy that your pain comes referred from the sciatic nerve. (As Ithink BR had last year)

What: am: 6ml easy pm: 6.6ml
Why: recovery day

Its been a busy day

BR, don't write it off yet.

Thank you all for the thank yous like MTB I am still grinning.

What: fartlek AM
15K PM
Why: pacing work for next weekends 100K
Last hard: today
Last rest 14 days