Monday 8th October 2012

Morning.

Lyrics - Pull the blindfold down

Blisters - welcome aboard!

Dustin - hope you can find some time in the girl's hectic schedule.

What's the next target 7D?

Are you missing running OH?

What:            maybe a gentle 30 minutes on the turbo if I still feel ok after work
Why:             signs of improvement and I would like to run again before Abo
Last hard:      not running for over a week.
Last rest:       7/10

Yesterday's lyrics were for chicka, not the title I Think We're Alone Now but the 'we're running just as fast as we can' line - and she was!

morning all,
Blisters - insane
Chick - hope the head isnt too sore this morning!
what - 4 miles VERY easy (if legs work)
why - onwards and upwards
last hard - yesterday
last rest - weds/thur/friday

lyric - not obvious as yet..

Forgot to say - lyrics are for Alehouse - hope the urology appointment goes well.

OH - I guess I didn't phrase that very well as I know that you've run. I suppose what I meant is running target that gets you out of the door and gives you something to aim for.

I don't want to do a turbo if I feel ok after work. I want to run. Need to start cautiously I guess, I am still on antibiotics but getting some regular, if short and easy, runs in has got to be the way to go now I guess?

Morning all. Rest day today.

LMH: I guess the long slow path to a 40 min 10k is next. I also plan to enter my first marathon next year (just to finish, no time in mind) too so I'd imagine those plans aren't massively compatible.

You need to take it easy though!

Lyrics: no.

What: Just a dog walk later 
Why: Off work tomorrow so will go for a run 
Last hard: Parkrun
Last rest: Friday
Lyrics: No idea

Enjoyed the race reports! Fingers crossed for you Alehouse.

Morning all! And thanks for the thoughts, particularly the lyrics (which mean nothing but the thought is there!).

What: a wee test, literally (and a few others).
Why: concerns about my prostate and these concerns remain, with more tests ordered for 18th October. Big question now is whether to proceed with the Achilles op as the next batch of tests carry a risk of infection: have emailed consultant for his view.
Trying to keep cheerful!!

LMH: I wouldn't run but take the dog for a nice long walk, and break into a jog if you feel like it!

Pammie  fantastic race, well done.
Chicka and you too, looking forward to the report
Dustin  well done as well! Have you done Marlow half before?

Sorry I haven't been on here for a while.  Wednesday was a public holiday here so spent the day hiking in the nearby forests and mountains.  Just over 10km in all, up 400m

Then working the rest of the week (mania should calm down, just 2 more weeks of juggling work and German course to go )

Weekend a 7.5km run, fastest longer run I've done in ages.  Loads of core going on and some new hip losening exercises I found.

Ale hope the consultant gives you some helpful advice.  Good idea re LMH and dog.

OH tried my foam roller last night as he'd accompanied me on my weekend run.  He nearly cried in pain!!!

Have a good one all.

Afternoon!

Change of plan following a few phone calls: scan and biopsy on Thursday, Achilles op postponed until results of these tests. I think that is a sensible plan, given the circumstances.

Sorry to keep sharing bad news!

Tom:  funnily enough I was going to say isn't it about time you invested in a couple of new pairs of NBs!

Afternoon

What: Spin session straight in to run (practice transition ish!)
Why: Rest weekend. Straight back in to it.
Last hard: Today, legs have turned to jelly now!
Last rest: All weekend

Lyrics: Nope

Tom:  I hope I'm just being a hypochondriac and that there is nothing really wrong with me!! Glad new shoes are on the way. I would have gone for two pairs whilst they are available, plus it is good to rotate. Hope phys goes well.

right - a bit rushed of me feet at work today, so here's the report. Will catch up with the action tomorrow

Part 1

Where to start? Perhaps a year back when my first attempt at cracking 3:30 was scuppered by an unseasonable heatwave on race day and I ended up running a 3:39. It was still my 2nd fastest marathon at the time and given the circumstances I was reasonably happy. Then my life took a turn for the worse. So much went wrong with our house (we built it from scratch) that I had a bit of a meltdown and my immune system got a serious bashing seeing me in hospital with pneumonia in November. When I came home I could barely manage the steps to the upper floor and I seriously thought that was it, my running days are over. Those were dark moments. But I gradually improved and by the end of December I was able to attempt my first tentative and very slooow runs. Then I ended up with a hip injury which thankfully wasn't so bad and by February I could finally start building a solid base. Things were ok for a while, then came the slow and shit days of summer. A mixture of me and heat being incompatible and seriously low ferritin levels combined with a vit. B12 defiency. Various packs of supplements later and more weeks down the line I had my first true breakthrough run in over a year - 12 September, 12 miles @ MP and it felt easy. I did loads more MP miles and as the race weekend approached I felt ready and confident.

Woke up after a solid night's sleep about 5 minutes before the alarm was due to go off. Usual pre-race brekkie of porridge and coffee. Bremen is a 1.5 hr drive from where we live. There was no traffic and it promised to be a beautiful autumn morning with plenty of sunshine, albeit a bit breezy. Got my race pace, pinned on my number and slowly walked over to the start. A bit of jogging around to keep warm but no serious warm-up (never saw the point for marathons really). Shivering in the start pen which is a good sign. I don't like being hot before the race has even begun. Line up with roughly 300 runners in front of me. Gun goes and we are off. Cross the start line within seconds and can hit race pace straight away. I can see the 3:30 pacers in front but they go off like rockets. They usually do - never had any good experience with pacers before. I don't let that faze me and stick to my own race plan. First k marker comes real quick: 4:49 oops. Better back off a little here. But it was downhill and it felt like I was just warming up for my Sunday long run. No harm done. Bit of a shocker next. Guy next to me comes crashing down. Someone had clipped him. He was in a bad state. Guy who did that stayed with him to make sure he was ok, so I ran on. I think their respective races were over before they'd even begun. Shame. The 3:30 pacers finally realised that they were going too fast and slowed down a little. They ran together for a while, then they split and I settled with the slower one of the two. Picked out a few runners that were going to be my benchmarks from now on. They were 3 girls: Ms. Red T-Shirt, Ms. Blonde Ponytail and Ms. Pink Compression Socks. We all stayed with the pacer. Went through 5k in: 24:38, 10k in: 49:20. Full cruise control. All systems go. 12k is one of my favourite spots: there's this guy with his mobile decks in a car and he's playing trance at full blast. As I went past it was Faithless Insomnia. One of my alltime great dance tunes. That gave me the boost that I needed for the sharp incline over a bridge. There's quite a bit of undulation - Bremen has a lot of water so inevitably you cross loads of bridges and run up and down dykes and weirs. Red T-Shirt is falling behind on the incline. Pink Socks and the pacer speed off into the distance. I stick with Ponytail for a while. Then she speeds up and I have Red T-Shirt ru

... running next to me again. I keep to my pace - still slightly too quick but I know the last 4k will be into a nasty headwind so I want to have half a minute or so in the bank. Going through 15k in 1:13:21. Still ahead on pace. At the 16k (10 mile point) I see Mr. Chick with my water bottle. I never mastered the art of drinking from cups and usually rely on him to be at certain points to hand me bottles. It's cobbles for the next k or so and I fall behind Red T-Shirt. Then my first confrontation with the wind. The next 2k are a bit tough as I'm all on my own but I know it's too early to waste energy on the bloody wind. I will speed up later when I hit more sheltered terrain. The plan works. I catch up with Red T-Shirt, pass her and never see her again. Halfway in 1:44:06. Still perfectly on track. Pass a bunch of blokes, one by one. I feel good. Hey, this is fun. Now there's also the 3:30 pacer and Pink Socks well within sight. By 25k we merge with the half marathoners. They timed it better this year and we hit a group of 1:45-1:47 HM runners. Slightly slower than us but not the pack of 2:20 runners that we had to fight through last year. Still feeling good and with loud music blasting and thousands of people cheering (this is a very busy part of the course) I am really having fun. Over the next 2k I drop the 3:30 pacer and Ms. Pink Socks. I've also lost track of Blonde Ponytail. Later found out that she passed the halfway point in 1:42:xx but came in in 3:39 - rubbish pacing. From now on it's very busy with spectators. Also great to see Mr. Chick again, but I have lost my challenges. No more of the girls to chase / be chased. They are all gone, I've passed the pacer and I'm surrounded by slightly slower HM runners. Ah, here we go. A new challenge. Salmon vest tucked in under sports bra to show off toned, tanned mid-section. I am in pursuit. She's running with one of these scary looking types: bald, very lean and head to toe in compression gear. I reckon a sub 3 bloke, if not faster. He is helping her pace a 3:30 marathon (his start number is on the back and it says 3:30 on it). And he's trying to motivate her. but she's struggling and her breathing sounds laboured. Next few ks we keep passing each other. Going through 35k in 2:53. Still all good. By the 37k mark I lose sight of them. Later found out that they came in around 3:30:40ish, it must have been a horrid last few k for Salmon vest... 38k and we turn into the dreaded headwind. From now on there will be no more km markers. I reckon the wind blew them over. This is a bit of an epic battle against the elements. HTFU, HTFU, HTFU. I know I'm slowing down and it sucks that I can't track my pace anymore but I know if I hold on I should be able to make it. Glad I had this little cushion built over the first half. Thinking of shaggy (a 3:30 forumite who sadly passed away a few weeks ago and is sorely missed) and imagining we were running this final bit together. Gritting my teeth, digging deep. I can do this. Trying desperately to speed up but both calves completely seize up and start cramping. Oh no! Hobbling a bit, back to a slowish pace, willing shaggy to help me shake that cramp. And it works. The final water station and they tell me it's 1.5 k to go. I have 8 minutes left, I am going to make it. And yesss - huge crowd support, an excellent rock band and there it is, the FINISH. 3:29:15 on my Garmin and 3:29:15 on the official results. Still grinning from ear to ear. DOMS is ok - it hurts but I think I've had it worse. So all in all a fantastic race. I have never felt so good for so long in a race. That wind on the final section cost me roughly a minute and no negative split this time but who cares - the sub 3:30 is all that matters.

I told ya it was going to looong ... 

Wow Chicka, that is fantastic!

Thanks Chickadee - I enjoyed that

Love the verbal charicatures of ypour fellow runners.
Hate to think how you'd describe me if I ever got in front of you
- fortunately little chance of that

Well done and enjoy your rest!

But great chickadeee - fantastic racing. Do you have pernicious anaemia or was it just a deficiency that you could address with supplementation?

Alehouse - sounds like a plan to me. Sorry the consultant couldn't just put your mind at rest.

As you'll have gathered - first chance to check in since this morning so I didn't see all your good advice. Did 4 miles with the dog at MP instead (no idea of HR as it's a bit stop/start running with her). My legs felt awful at the start, they really don't respond very well to rest, but by the third mile they were coming back and I was relaxing. Providing no repercussions I'm thinking another short one tomorrow (probably with the dog again) and a 'proper' run on Thursday then re-evaluate.

Great report, Chick.

Glad today's run was OK, LMH. Keep reminding yourself that your training is in the bank!