Shades Marathon Training

Rattler - I heard they set up a room with all of the most significant exhibits at the natural history museum! Might be worth checking out. You might also want to check out the basement of the science museum round the corner. There is a great softplay area and a fantastic water play thing. There is also something called the bubble show which you should go to - all free (well they like a donation).

Big G - LOL from me too re the teacakes!  Did you enjoy them?   Try hot cross buns, yummy warmed in the microwave.

Re the laps, I've done a couple of 3 lap marathons and it's hard.   Shouldn't be so bad for a half and as it's flat you can just focus on keeping your pace steady.  Try and run an evenly paced race if you can.

Khanivore - that's good news about the muscle on your lower leg.   Re your hamstring, all you can do is stretch regularly, maybe a little  gentle massage (always towards your heart).

If you feel OK a gentle 10 miles tomorrow?

Rattler - I saw the headlines on the paper re snow and I though it was related to the USA!   We have rain, then showers but about 9 degrees forecast for tomorrow so shouldn't be too bad for my long run.

Enjoy your day out today.

Back to the paperwork

4:40 dead today and it snowed for a few hours this morning despite met office saying 20% chance of anything all day bar some rain in the morning

Allday brekkie to refuel on today, apparently several of them had read its a good post marathon recovery meal. Personally i think they have been reading a blog from one of us Not mine i hasten to add.

Keith - well done.   All day brekkie is a good recovery meal as masses of protein but not good if you've got to run again, won't leave enough room for carb top up.

KingKenny - you've tweaked your soleus or calf, take it easy for a day or so with gentle calf stretches and no fast running until it's gone.

Are you doing the Snowdon race in July or do you mean Snowdonia marathon in October?   Superb marathon, have never done the July race.

Clag - well done on the loops, that's a tough week's training.

Re your half marathon, if you feel fit and well, race it.  You're in good shape.

We have very heavy rain here, don't envy VR doing that off road marathon not too far from here......your best trail shoes I think for today.   But it's milder.

Rain not snow today for us, so better add extra lube/bodyglide then

Shades- Carbs is the hot cross buns later on when i am back in my room. Today it shall be large roast lunch.

Keith - have a good run.   Better make that more than one hot cross bun and you'll have earned that roast lunch

I did it yesterday in the dry!

Tough tough tough! Because of landslides they diverted the route and made it longer!
So it was 29 miles. Still good training and I wasnt last! WhooHoo!

VR - that was a bit of luck and an ultra too!  Well done.

Well done Keith! Enjoy your roast!

Happy Birthday Emmy!!  Enjoy your day doing Genk Marathon! Good luck!! 

Happy Birthday Emmy - hope you have a great day...

That,s one of my favourites KingKenny.Love that Marathon

VR - 29 miles!  Well done!

Shades - not sure where to begin with my half marathon today.  I was up for it and felt I had prepared very well in terms of fluids/food/rest etc, although I was feeling nervous.  Then, 5 mins before the start I was told that the race distance had been adjusted due to flooding and it was only going to be 12 miles - this was confirmed on the start line by the person on the tannoy.  This threw me to be honest, and I was standing at the start feeling a bit annoyed and not sure what to do (in hindsight, this was a stupid reaction - I should have just set off at a steady 8 min/mile pace as I had planned, but I kind of just thought "Sod it, it's not going to count as a PB...let's see what happens").  All in all, I went off too quick but from about mile 8 the mile markings on the course (and my Garmin) were suggesting that if anything it was going to be over distance.....and it was!  It was 13.22 miles in the end.

Anyway, enough of the excuses.  The first 8-9 miles went well (in terms of how I was feeling), I needed a pit stop in mile 11 and ended up doing the 13.22 miles in 1:47:49...this is averaging 08:09 min/mile.

The last 2 miles were slower (by some margin) than the first 2, which I know is not a good thing, although I did pick it up a bit on the finishing straight.

It was a flat course, and the rain did stop at the start of the event.  It was funny, because at mile 4ish people were taking tops off as it was hot, but the temperature dipped and mile 9ish onwards it was very cold.

So, the big question!  Based on this could you give me a hand with my marathon training pacing, and what time I may be capable of at North Dorset which is 12 weeks away?  Should I be training for a 4hr30 finish, for example, or is 4hr15 or 4hr within reach I wonder?  Still the main aim is to enjoy this one but I'd like to think I can achieve a sub-4:30 if I concentrate on the pacing of the LSRs in particular.  If you say otherwise though, I will reconsider this.

For info, I did a 10K (in training) on a flat course in mid-Jan in 46:18.

Happy birthday Emmy....

Well i have never understood the reasoning behind a LSR till today... I went out with a mate of mine and did 10 miles in around 1hr 20 min (which is slow for me) average pace around the 8 min mark.. really enjoyed it and absolutely no aches or pains at all. was able to focus on the run and save my energy for the last mile which i always push as hard as i can go..last mile done in 6:02. really pumped from my run which hasnt happened in a long while..

Happy birthday Emmy

4:18 again today 7 seconds faster than thursday. Also sub 4:30 average too.Failed to eat all my supersize roast too... I left the peas as i couldn't be arsed chasing them around the plate to eat as well as a couple of spuds (they were small)

Right shin hurts now when i move around and when i poke it.... Best not be too bad tomorrow as i kinda use that foot to drive with.