P + D training for VLM 2013

180 miles for January, my highest monthly mileage ever, by a long way (Dec and Nov were ~100) and feeling ok. A little tired on some days, but legs feel good.

Rounded it off with a 4.5mi recovery jog home last night. first mile was at ~15% slower than marathon pace, but then i accidentally brushed shoulders with a guy at a crowded busstop and he dropped his phone, i stopped to apologise, his phone looked ok, but he gave me a glare, so i picked up the pace and buggered off. from there i ran about mara pace home. too fast for a recovery run i know, but the difference in form and feeling was enormous, felt much more comfortable to click along at that pace than the slower plod. i actually felt like i was running more lightly and easily. i know that's not really the point of a recovery jog, and i'll try to keep them slower, but it's reassuring that it's not harder but actually easier to pick up the pace a little, for a shorter distance at least.

AG is that guy available for London?

180 miles for me which is my highest too I think -  I also took 4 days off around my v02 test. ave pace of 7.56mm.

Club session last night with a couple w/u and down and then 3 x 400 intervals, 1 x800 twice with the 400 being between 1,16 and 1.20 (4.44mm and 5.10mm) and the 800s in 2.50 (5.30mm). So thats the speedy end over with this week, a recovery jog of 4-5 home tonight and on to tomorrows 20m first thing(ish). Will take gel and might stash a bottle on the way home.

Just spotted something on the up to 55M schedule for tomorrow's run: "General aerobic + speed 7 mi (11km) w/ 8 x 100m strides p.m." That's the only time that 'p.m.' is specified in the whole schedule as there are no double run days. I'm thinking it's probably a typo but could there be a reason for it?

HeOw - I would love to get under 4 hours but although my half marathon and 10k PB's indicate this is possible my previous marathon experience (Manchester and Chester last year) have left me feeling less than confident! That's why I wanted to give myself the best chance by putting in lots of miles and building up my endurance before starting the P&D schedule for Chester but now this marathon in Shrewsbury has come up all my plans have gone to pot!!

Yeah- it's an amazing field...should be quite a battle.

Hi all! Just nipping in quickly - having a rough old time @ work with 10 hr + days at the mo . On top of it we are going away for the weekend and I promised hubby I wouldn't run which meant today's MLR was replaced by the LSR (17 with 8 MP miles). Slept badly the night before due to another raging storm but glad it's done. Not as quick as I wanted but what can you expect at 4:30am with no fuel to speak of and against a howling gale. What doesn't kill you ...

217 miles for Jan. which is ok as I missed one week due to the pesky vomiting bug.

Very impressed by some of you mileage monsters  and speed monsters too!

AlRuns: I bet that's a copy & paste error from a higher mileage plan that would have 2 sessions that day.

Afternoon..
Just got up and now thinking about getting out for that 11 MLR
acp and steve c Welcome keep posting , you will find this thread inspiring and supportive
Heow , looks as if you are learning the hard way..but at least you have learned in time not to go full pelt at every session onward and upwards for you now..you say you have 3 children ..boys? girls? how old are they I am impressed how you find the time to even think about marathon training I didn't train for my first marathon till my youngest was 12 and the eldest had left home..sound like you have a lovely supportive hubby 

AG it look as if the schedule is really working for you..fab miles well done
Mennania have you been doing a weekly speed session with your club ? what will you do when VO2 max sessions are introduced in the plan ?

NP running the doubles has really clocked up your miles , looks like the plan has me doing some doubles from next week, I am hoping to fit them in..starting Tues with a 4 and 6 mile recovery runs

Chick have a nice weekend and well done on getting that MP run done, I guess that is the most important session out of the weekend runs to get done..I guess hubby doesn't run ?

283 miles for me in Jan..my highest EVER I cant believe how its added up

Al runs - I noticed that too, but like Chick just assumed it was a copy and paste error.  I certainly am not going back out for 8x100m strides. I'm going to do those during parkrun so I might look a little odd, but that's the beauty of parkrun

NN - very impressive mileage.

HeOw - look after yourself please.

Hi everyone, I haven't been on for a while . Life seems to be a revolving door of working and running at the moment! 

Some impressive mileages coming in.  168 miles in January for me which beats my previous highest by 6 miles.

HeOw I hope you are feeling better and well and truly on the mend. 

acp - I think I will do the Shrewbury Half - I don't think I could manage the full marathon just a couple of months after London, but far too tempting to miss it altogether as it's my local town. Not sure I would fancy 4 laps in the full marathon though, maybe next year if they have another.

The main thing I feel I am struggling with at the moment is getting back up near to the tempo pace that I ran last year, I feel so much slower. The longer runs are going okay, did 16 with 9 at MP last week (should have been 10 but it's just the way it worked out), we have had quite a few floods, had a lift through 2 of them on the back of OH's push bike so the feet didn't get too wet with a good few miles to go, must have been a sight.

I am wondering if I should shed a mile or two of just one or two runs a week just to fit things in timewise, for instance 10 miles with 5 at tempo, how much am I benefiting from the extra slow miles, would it make too much difference to make it 5 tempo plus a mile warm up and a mile cool down if I am still getting in the quality session? 

Good running everyone 

Pottermiss - as long as you do the important parts - the tempo miles, the intervals and the long runs, shedding a few miles off here and there is fine. Keep working on that tempo pace!

How will people do their VO2 intervals - track, road/trail or treadmill?

Had a lovely hilly windy 11 miler late afternoon on one of my favourite routes, its been too dark to run that route recently when I get up, but it looks as if the days are gradually getting longer..I had to peg it a bit the last couple miles as it seemed to suddenly draw in and I had no head torch..

11 miles in 1.40 ave hr 72% nice and low so pleased considering the hills and wind

Pottermiss nice to see you..and like NP says its quality not always quantity that counts, so drop a couple of slow miles but keep up the pacier stuff

NP the doubles are just once / twice a week max , and to be honest I don't think I will be able to do all of them, ie I can never run after a night shift until I have been to bed so if  a double falls on one of those days it will be just the one run when I get up.

15w...I may join my club for the V02 sessions if they are long enough..ie 800s 1k, or do them on the treadmill I can handle intervals on a treadmill its a bit more interesting

Did my 11 miler tonight.  Felt good so went at LT pace for the last five. 258 miles in January for me.

Well, my stats are: 202 miles in January, 1 lost toenail, 0 cold baths, 1 sports massage and 1 injury . But... leg and bottom still ache a bit from the massage, but no achilles niggles at all since then and I'm allowed to start running again on Monday. So things are looking (cautiously) up, I hope.

Lots of good training going on as usual. HeOw, hope you're feeling better.

No lost toenails for me, just 2 black ones 

Literatin roll on monday..

Solid running everyone. Just back from my 11 miler in 1.19 (Ave pace 7.12). Felt awful at the beginning and took out slow, but loosened up at the end. With 4 miles to go a young lad on the flagons of Bow decided he wanted to race me, so naturally I obliged. Which meant I got a bit excited and did the last 4 miles under 7 min pace - Doh again!

Just got a ticvket for Wales v Ireland game tomorrow as well, so this should be a test of my resolve not to drink, so that I can still do my 21 miler on Sunday. God what's happened to me, I'm putting running before rugby and drinking. Somebody help me!

Good luck on the comeback Literatin.