Making a comeback a chat and inspiration

Guys

I have been running for quite a few years now and my Last Marathon was London 2006 - my 11th and 12 marathons in all, 50odd halves so quite experienced

At the end of 2007 the wheels seemed to fall of my running and I lost a lot of interst and my mileage lowered considerably and all the enthusiasm went, this contined so I didnt run enough to even warrant putting in my daily diary for June July August  this year (I have kept a running log)  for at leat 6 years. Unfortunatly the guy I run with is much faster than me so I dont go with him anymore as I am embarrased about my own fitness and holding him back.

I turned 50 in July and got a bit down about it and August went by with minimal mileage picked up in September and the old enthusiasm is back but unfortunatly I have put on a stone and lost fitness and I am now struggling round 4 miles slowly.

I am moving to Scotland soon and want to run Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Locahabar and also have another crack at 3:30 at London 

My other half thinks exercise is a foreign language which doesnt help either. So I am coming back to the forum. Sorry to bore you all but I needed to talk to someone and get this off my chest. Off for 4 miles later ( Dont think I will be in marathon shape again until 2010)

Hello 3:30 - Welcome home

I'm not experienced marathon wise only done 2.

I think you have to start again as a beginner, but it won't take as long for your body to get used to it again something to do with muscle memory. Build the miles back up slowly and probably do the first marathon without any expectations. The weight will start to fall off once you get back into the swing of things

Good luck and keep posting

Pammie

Your right as I am doing this small 3.16 miles route and it seems like a marathon in itself

I could really kick myself for my laziness before and will not be doing that agin in a hurry as its torture starting again I cant believe the fitness I have lost. I will withdraw from London I think in 2009 and concentrate on a good one in 2010. What marathons you done and what times ?

Thanks for replying 

Hi 3:30

First Dublin 2006. Total disaster well training didn't go well would have pulled out but was being sponsored ran the first 18 miles but had to runnwalk the rest. In all honesty didn't feel up to it from the off. Finished 5:19

Then i lost my mojo didn't feel like running this last about 5 months till April 07 but i think i rushed back too soon with speedwork had several niggles prevented training. I had entered London didn't think i'd get in only 3rd time in ballot  but i did so once niggles got sorted been running relatively niggle free since. I started running again in Jan 08 on a regular basis.

Did no specific marathon training just miles hardly any speedwork apart from the odd race. Was in pen 9. Managed to run all the way apart from a few times due to congestion finished in 4:36

Not in next years race but planning on doig Halstead

Hello there,

Be careful not to overdo it 3:30, take it steady and build a good level of base training, you will be surprised how quickly it comes back as Pammie said it's all to do with muscle memory.

Have my 3rd mara coming up on Saturday in Snowdonia, can't make my mind up about the time yet, I want a 3:30 but having completed FLM this year in 3:42 not sure if it's going to happen just yet.

Tom

Thanks mate am uppimg my runs by a safe 10% this week !

As you can see a 3:30 marathon is my dream and my best is 3:42 ! Looks like were in the same boat marathon time wise, but I think I have a longer wat to go than you on that score !

Sounds a bit like my situation. HAd a really good year in 2006 and got a GFA place in FLM for 2007. Got injured early 2007, and recovered enough to do FLM but wasn't happy with the time. Never really got back into running and resolved to retire gracefully back to long distance walking, but there's a little voice that keeps nagging me to run. Deferred FLM place this year but would like to have a good go at it next year and do justice to the fact it's a GFA place.

Would like to aim for 3:30 (GFA time was 3:29 at Loch Ness - great event and wonderful course, even in the pouring rain; would like to do Lochaber).

My poblem is that I struggle to follow a training schedule, and I am a master at procrastination. I should probably join a club, but there are none that I wouldn't have to drive to, and I feel that in the time it takes me to drive there I could have done half my run. Except I don't. The latest plan is to try going at lunchtime as we have showers at work that I can use.

Tom - Snowdonia is tough! I did it in 2006 (like I said, a good year; I even did Beachy Head the day before) and was on for a good sub-4 until the final climb which is a killer. Someone said that Snowdonia is like a hard 21-ml road race follwoed by a 5 mile fell race, and they weren't wrong. When you get to the top of the last climb, you can hear the tannoy announcements from the finish line, way down in the valley below you; and you have a pig of descent, then a little safari round the town, to go before you get there. Great event, though. Nice getting cheered on by the scouts manning some of the water stations. Hope the weather's kind to you.

I'm in a similar situation to yourself, but mainly through a combination of injury, illness, changing jobs and lazyness I now find myself nearly 1.5 stones heavier than last year and was looking at 2 mins/mile slower for the same hr

I've just started my 4th or 5th comeback after missing most of June-September and have now run 6 times in the last 10 days. It does get easier - although it isn't easy yet, but I've found that alternating runs up a hill and on the flat seem to work wonders for myself - perhaps its worth a try?

MostlyLurking - 2 Marathons in 2 days that some going and not exactly the easiest ones to choose,  Snowdonia marathon 2006 was my first and like you I thought I was on for sub 4 then the climb at Waunfaur put paid to that, was going to do it last year but through injury I had to pull out. I want to get to Scotland and try some of the marathons you mentioned, they are a lot better than the city ones.

Scoff - stick with it the weight will just fall off and the HR will drop in no time