Moraghan Training - Stevie G

Bang on Phil, non runners don't care about times, it's all about finishing.

That's why they can't understand someone who's a keen runner not doing the marathon, when they see some old unfit guy finishing it.

It's a good reason why you should never do anything running wise just to please a non runner, as even if you floor yourself for months to get 2.45-2.50 it wouldn't mean much more to them then you doddering around.

Johnas -  Its a long trek from Orpington to Canterbury. Also I was supposed to be doing a half last week in York which was cancelled so this was never on the agenda. It's a nice race though, i did it a couple of years ago but it's not the easiest of courses.Your mob usually win the team event, I think. I won the Kent GP individual championship a couple of years ago, but the real quality Kent runners dont tend to turn up consistently enough. The Kent XC on the otherhand (league and champs) is always stacked.

I always get asked at work if I run to lose weight, and whilst that was true when I started there's not much to me these days. I also get the question 'are you training for something?' and I'm never quite sure what to say. I think the answer is 'yes, I'm a runner and therefore need to train to improve'  but I dont think that would go down particularly well and so it starts with 'well, yes I'm doing London marathon.' and you know the rest....

SG - what could be done to persuade you to do a marathon?

Ric - I have followed this thread for quite a while and as you say respect all of your approaches to training and the hard work you all put in. I like the Middle Ground too. I dont get much time to post. I am usually on the sub 3:15 thread whenever I get a chance but with a 1 year old baby, I dont get much time to spend around these parts!

Couple more recovery runs today 7 and a 5 and no ill effects from yesterday's near bonkage.

RJ, you give the thread a bit of gravitas with your paces, so duck in when you can!

If you're Kent based, I wonder if we've crossed paths at races unknowingly before...albiet it with me a distance behind

I can't at this point ever see wanting to do a marathon. Every time I finish a half, or every time I finish a 14-16 the feeling is always the same. That I would hate to have to go longer.

Maybe there'll be a change one day. Between 18-25 I was mad keen on football, 3 to 4 times a week, couldn't have seen a time where I wouldn't want to kick a ball again! So who knows. I guess the time in the distance where I can't improve the shorter times might lead to a change of tact, who knows. Though I expect just doing random races I fancied would be more my scene.

Thanks for the positive spin on my LSR yesterday RJ! Obviously today's 8 was slightly torrid, with the first 4 feeling like an extension of yesterdays run. Not helped by a ridiculous headwind for 3 miles. Got into eventually, 8 miles at 7:34 average.

I'm off with work on a school residential this week so things will need to be juggled. Tomorrows run will have to be easy, as I will have to get up super early to do my 2nd long run on Wed AM and don't want to be stiff as a brick. Then I'll take my rest day on Thursday then back to normal Friday. No sessions this week until Saturday - not a bad thing to be honest. Then Feb I'm back at it big time till the 10th of March.

Shame as if I had ran Thursday I'd have done 300 miles for Jan! Aw well.

Very good session that Dachs - probably pretty tough running that pace on a full stomach I should think! Yesterday was bad enough at the start, cos it was only 2 hours after breakfast...

Ric - it's funny you should ask about the legs! recently I've run OK the day after a long run, but today I rested, which was just as well as my calves were pretty sore and quads a wee bit tight after yesterday!

Stevie - an 8 miler after that run yesterday could just be asking for trouble. You do need to let your body repair itsefl every now and again (I know, forum old maid again!). Hoepfully the residential will help with that though.

Similar for me this week, as I'm on a course near Bristol for a couple of days, which looks set to disrupt training a bit. I might even need to revert to the hotel treadmill. The biggest fear is that this course has a reputation for a bit of a "sociable" drinking session on the overnight stay, which  1) I can't do these days 2) I don't want to do these days and 3) would bollox up any chance of a quality session on the Thursday morning!  In the meantime, what promises to be a rather wet and muddy double tomorrow!

Dachs, 10mins HMP/10mins STEADY, was the actual session. Subbing in MP makes it very tough indeed! Let alone only using 1mile warm up!

When my pace zones were quite new....I can remember feeling very knackered after a 45min version of HMP/MP with 5min segments, so 15mins further with double the segment time (not to mention you using pace zones in between current fitness and target fitness)....well...you would have slept well!   

You came through it though, and Wokingham should be promising for you. I'd echo Deano though...be wary about leaving your best performances in training!

Stevie, you're having a bit of a crazy spell at the moment? Everything alright mate?  300miles in Jan is getting huge.

Bus, don't let those older boys influence you

Stevie G . wrote (see)

Dachs, 10mins HMP/10mins STEADY, was the actual session. Subbing in MP makes it very tough indeed! Let alone only using 1mile warm up!

Oops!  Never mind, eh... 

You nailed it Dachs, so just recover well, and no harm done.

In the 2 1/2 years of this thread, I think I've only misread/mis-remembered a handful of runs. I remember one where I'd misread most of the session as 1 rep...Luckily the Big man texted me to say "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO", and prevent me obliterating myself

RJ, I can see that. For me finishing a half is much more satisfying then the lower distances, so I can appreciate the marathon would be more on top.

To be honest, at average 6:06 pace, I wasn't exactly hitting my pace zones anyway.  It now becomes clear why ...

The marathon is a completely different experience, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.  Having said that, it could work out quite well, having 10 years plus of progress at the shorter distances, then starting marathons and being able to squeeze a good bit of improvement out of your marathon time as well.  You could end up improving for many years yet.

mattl wrote (see)

Johnas - regarding Ben Nevis, you send off your postal entry but I'm not sure how its decided who gets a spot.

Wad of spondulicks in the supplementary brown envelope would be a standard approach.

Apprehensive about today's run since despite only spinning the bike yesterday felt I hadn't recovered as well as I would like from Sunday.

No problems as things turned out. 10 miles off road in just under 8's average.

Spent some time establishing the most efficient stride frequency, ie the fastest without forcing the issue.

Result, 186 strides per minute. So something to work with.

Had some info about the Staines 10k. A course as flat is hard to find with an elevation of just 12m. 

I do this race every year as I'm unlikely to go faster anywhere else. On top of that, the prize list is most interesting for anyone who can do sub 6 minute miles.