Moraghan Training - Stevie G

Thanks Stevie G, I think I'm a similar point to where you was before you changed the training.  We do a decent track (speed session) on a Monday with the club I'm at, alternating with hill reps every other week.  I do a longish run on a Sunday and everythng else in between is just fitting in a run when I can and doing it at I pace I feel like doing on the day!.  Looks like the training is paying off as you're putting in some really decent races.  

Thanks for the advice Dean, makes sense and a lot of decent runners I speak to seem to do a lot of easy miles combined with quality speed sessions and this seems to pay off.  The rate of improvment has been phenominal for you, with a quality HM time to boot, respect!.

Stevie See - Good to see you're back running after your injury and hopefully soon back to full fitness.

It's a great thread you lot have got going on here, with like minded people all wanting to get the best results from running.  Hope you don't mind me stalking it and chipping in from time to time!!.

PBs are at the top of the agenda for me too next year and will hopefully get some tips and motivation from you guys.

All the best,

Darren

Hi Darren, I imagine your way faster than me (I'm the thread back marker..), however I have seen huge gains by spending a year doing base training with a little bit of speed work (max 10min/weeek) to break up the monotony. The past quarter I've added in a tempo each week and a track session each week.with a fastish long run too. I've also done a lot of base work on the bike to build the cardio side too.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and santa brought you what you wanted, be it the latest garmin, or 30 minutes to run away from the family. Managed a 13miler to the in-laws on Boxing day, run at 7:55/mi overall - not too bad considering the Thames was up to my knees at one point. I had planned to run along the Thames from Thames Valley Park (site of Reading parkrun), though the Thames path was a metre or so under water I guess, and atleast 5m from the waters edge in the wrong direction!).

Darren, no worries, stay around. We lose and gain the odd chap or 2 every so often.

Luvsa, where are you by the way old son.

Iron, nice run. Anything over a 12 I think is always a good long run. I don't overly look forward to the 16s coming back anytime soon.

Hope all's Christmases went well.

Footy watching wise it's been a real let down so far. Wycombe's home game got postponed due to pitch conditions,  going to Manchester straight after a 10am race for a 3pm kick off would have been ridiculou on Boxing day, and the Old Trafford trip I was banking on tomorrow looks off now, as ticket demand for mere West Brom seems to have hit World Cup Final levels.

Hummmp.

Howdy all, Hope you had a good Christmas!

SG wheres this end of year summary format your cooking up?

Well done everyone for training hard over the festive period, I've been absent because I messed my Achilles up again doing some fell running up Bleaklow in the peak district, bottom 170m elevation, top 643m! in 3.25miles.  just about made it down again hopping half the time! So I had 5 days off and diagnosed myself with Achilles Tendonitis. Back running now, put on 2KG's though! 8m yesterday, 6m today all at 7min/mile

very soon Seb...have spent a lot of today trying every contact possible for United tickets. and failing

I'll create a format sometime tomorrow, give you all a couple of days, and then on the 31st we can all post our year's summaries..how's that?

Seb, achilles tendonitis was my first running niggle...remember it well...for years i wore these pathetic flimsy little supports around the ankle/achilles that probably did jack all, but made me think it sorted it! Hope it sorts itself.

Seb, reminds me of one time in New Zealand when I had a go at a local challenge. It was an ascent and descent of an extinct volcanic stack called Mount Maunganui, 232m from base to summit. I nailed this in less than 20 mins, a run that was notable for the fact it was the last time I can remember sprinting downhill, and that my quads were so stuffed afterwards that I could hardly walk.

Here's another hill from NZ. Baldwin Street. Known as the worlds steepest street. 1 in 2.86 at the steepest gradient. I did it in 1min 51 seconds, despite being a fat git at the time.

Ric, I actually thought of you when running today. (not like that )

Was running on a road through some woods, and to my right was what must be the steepest uphill over 200metres I've ever seen.

If I a) had a decent phone/camera, and b) had it with me, i'd have taken the shot quick smart and boned it up here...

Your shot might be deceptive, but it looks positively flat compared to this hill!

Going well with the come back ran for 4 days now with no issue, 3.5, 7, 8 and an 8 today. Will have a go at an hour with 10 x 2mins in the middle to ease into some quicker running.  Looks like I'll hit the new year running (cymbal crash )

Hills, I love them! Tommygunn you mentioned they should be used periodically, why so? Surly they are beneficial session to do all year round?

Below is a 0.25 mile stretch from the bottom to the top of Old Pale hill in Delamere Forest. Nice arty shot too

Our club has a hill session every Saturday including short/medium hill reps. I try to do one every other week to keep a bit of strength work in there rather than 'all out' track reps all the time. I really feel they have benefited my form when running quickly.

Love a long run with hills but usually tone the distance down by 1 or 2 miles and do one every 4th long run as it can really take it's toll week after week.

Hey thanks for the tip tommygunn.  I kind of do a tempo run with my club on a Wednesday but usually starts with the first 5 miles being slow then speed up for the last 3 but again no real structure, so something I need to work on.  As for core work, I do a gym session once a week involving weights and core work, so hopefully ok on that side of things.  

I understand where you're coming from IronCat and I know I definitely need to work on my aerobic/cardio system.  I find the 200m reps a lot easier than the 2000m reps when doing the track sessions!. 

Anyone doing a marathon next year? Booked into Manchester a while ago but wondering if it's a benefit or hinderence to preferred shorter races!.

Marathon! around here! nooooooooooo!

The trouble running marathons has caused around here Darren is to believed.

The event appears to suit only the super talented due to recovery issues. For most of us, running one seems to compromise and hinder us for weeks if not months afterwards.

The training is a commitment for a start. I'm of the opinion that races during the final phase are just 'take out' items, but that's me.

As for the aftermath. Much as we want to get cracking again, most evidence would show we need to take six weeks off before even trying.

Having said that I know someone who races the week after London and has apparently already recovered.

Usually at least two years between them for me! I find it takes that long to forget how painful they are!! It is odd how some people seem to recover from a marathon with ease, but others (like me!) take months and months to fully recover. So Abingdon next year then but if I manage to crack 2;50 then I'll not feel the need to do another one, ever, ever!!

I like your views on hills tommygunn - a fellow masochist!

Right, off to the Malverns now for some R&R without the kids in a nice Spa hotel. Might even get out onto the Malvern ridge tomorrow. Only need another 8 miles to hit this years target!

Had some physio yesterday, and the physio herself said halfs are fine, but marathons are very damaging. I wonder if any physios would say not.

There are supremely efficient types like Sam Amend who can do 2 in 2/3 weeks and not even seem to have a glimmer of a problem, but the evidence of this thread is that they can really ruck you up. And not straight after either...so you think you're safe, then you get hit.

Matt, i doubt he'll risk much football now he's getting into pretty serious terrain. You can arse around with football when you're strolling out 3hr 26 marathons, but not with 2.47s im sure.

I pb'd 5k and 10k in the 2 weeks following a sub3 hr marathon but 3 marathons in 3 weeks is just ridiculus