The Middle Ground

Hi everyone. Sounds like training/racing is going well for many of you following a trawl back over the thread. 

YP - I can certainly see where you are coming from in not running Gosport tomorrow and if you were attempting a PB. I ran the course today and have also had a typical cold all week with lots of coughing and spluttering...started off ok in just under 1:30 pace for the first 5 miles or so but the lurgy then took over - although I knew after a few miles that it was going to be a big ask to get a good time today. So 6.5 miles or so in I finally coughed my guts up which led me to being sick.....this happened a few more times throughout the rest of the club race (as club members all marshal tomorrow)...but I didn't expect to feel as drained and leggy as I did and really struggled to hit 8 m/m for the last 6 miles or so (at times it felt like my body wanted to shut off). I did think of giving up but dug in to finish in a time of just over 1:40.  Nowhere near recent efforts but in hindsight it's not an official race time and I can put it down to more mileage, etc. 

Simon and PRF  - I can certainly vouch for the times you have got today in your parkrun races (re: above) with my half performance today. And indeed I did question earlier whether I have lost any fitness in such a short time.... However, in a funny sort of way it just makes me realise that we can't all perform to how we want all the time and that it's not just me! 

PhilPub - very impressive duathlon racing last weekend! I realise that the standards of some of you on this thread are very high indeed! 

YD - I've not read the training programme yet but will have a look....but compared to someone like me, I completely appreciate I am on a different level right now....but it makes me think I need to raise my game in a funny sort of way That said I will be hitting 30+ miles for this week when I go out for a recovery run tomorrow which is a level I would like to maintain. At the moment I am just concentrating on getting more miles in my legs. You certainly seem to have your plans worked out though that's for sure (I am not sure if a lack of threshold/speed work over the last few weeks would have contributed to my poor race today what with how I am currently feeling).

Duck - well done on the park run PB....sub 18 must surely be close. Having people to pull you along definately makes a huge difference Planked last night for the 2nd time in just over 2 mins so a little progress there from me....

Second wind...going by that recent discusson, I think for me it is more of a spur from the crowd when it comes to a boost in performance in the middle of a race. However, that soon diminishes for me once the crowds dissapear which often happens (e.g. the Great South Run is very well supported particularly around the 5/6 mile areas but they slowly cut back in the lead up to the final few miles!). As for 5k's and 10k's, never a 2nd wind more like surviving the misjudged pacing over the 2nd half of such races from my experience! 

Following running the Gosport half course today, I will be marshaling in the Gosport half tomorrow (in the Daedalus airfield)....the marshals at the club are very friendly and very encouraging so will hopefully spur many of you on - if you need it of course The forecast looks good for those of you running and there was no wind at all today in the exposed airfield......

.....something of which has raised a few comments on it's undoubted PB potential in the past! The only thing I would say from my experience is to possibly watch for walkers, etc along the last mile or two along the stretch on the promenade. There have been no issues in the past but have marshaled in this area previously having to ask public to be careful so this just a heads up more than anything! Good luck to everyone else racing elsewhere tomorrow  

That sounds like a rough old run WJH, well toughed out!

Great eyeballs out stuff Duck, congrats on the PB.  I was in t-shirt & shorts today but as it was raining in York I do admit to wearing a lightweight gillet & a cap for the Parkrun.

Didn't feel fully race fit after a week climbing hills & drinking wine & beer in Turkey.  Therefore pleased enough with 20:05 for 15th place.  One young lad offered to pace any sub 18 hopefuls, trouble is no-one could quite catch him so he won!  (he normally runs circa 16:30-16:45 ish.  I was convincingly chicked by a young teen girl in an England vest who finished 4th.  5m Club XC for me tomorrow, I shouldn't really be running races on consecutive days at my age but what the hell. 

Can't wait for the next upward curve on your graph PRF!  Best of luck to anyone else doing Abbey Dash, conditions look good.

Duck – just to expand on my last post (I was on my phone…) really well done. I reckon the 18 will go next time you go full beans in the right conditions. Your body will be ready for that last mile next time as it won’t be such a shock, so holding the pace should be on the cards. Good stuff.

prf – I forgot you were running the AD tomorrow,  all the best in your sub 45 quest. Some of those tasty 10 milers will soon get your fitness on the upswing!

Simon – I should have said 12 miles including 10 x 200m hard hills. I did 6 easy before breakfast and another 6 including the hills at lunchtime.
The law is a good one, I certainly suffer from it. One thing I have found is previously earned fitness is pretty quick to return once I put in a reasonable period of consistency. Chin up.

WJH – well toughed out, as I was saying to Simon, don’t panic, get well find some consistency and it will all click back into place. Yes thresholds and intervals are great, but they are nothing without a healthy body and consistency to back them up.

Wardi – nice one, great going on beer fuel! Enjoy the XC tomorrow.

Joining YP in DNS for Gosport. Disappointing, but I've added a tight twingey back to a couple of other niggles, so when you add in a 90mile drive it would be pretty silly to risk. Hopefully this decision minimises time out, rather than multiplying it!

Curly, if you're still racing it, it's down to you to do the thread proud now!

Have a good one to everyone else racing or training....you miss it when it's not there, although hopefully temporarily!!

Stevie - bad luck fella.  I guess you've got a great 10 mile under your belt as consolation, but a shame not to be able to convert to get a decent HM on the scorecard.

Duck - Great going for the parkrun PB.

Wardi - You're a machine.  Mountain sporting and double race weekends.  Av it. 

I felt nicely rested and recovered after an easy post-race few days. 45 miles on the bike yesterday.  Highlight was seeing possibly my first ever pheasant-road-crossing. If I'd got there two seconds earlier it could've been messy.  Then today, met a couple of guys for the Sunday club run, gorgeous sunny day running along the river, by the time we went our separate ways I'd done about 13 miles but felt pretty fresh so headed out for another detour and clocked up 21.1, 7:07/m.  So I'm still on track for managing a 20+ per month, Sept - Dec, which can't be a bad thing for pre-marathon training prep.

Duck - Good work, got to be pleased with that. Those races where you know you've given everything are always satisfying.

Kelly - if you keep up that kind of mileage youe fitness will be back sooner rather than later I would have thought.

Cross country for me yesterday and a 16 miler today to bring up 70 for the week. Enjoying my running at the moment!

Alehouse - Loving the way you cant keep a good running mentality down, theres always a target or a PB of some sort to go after

WJH - I like that tradition where clubs run races the day before the official race, it is a way of making sure nobody really misses out. And a 1:40 half certainly wont do you any harm.

Wardi - I read your post as 'drinking beer and eating turkey' and was a bit puzzled as to why you'd been eating turkey all week. Not bad at all if you can now knock out 20:05 after a period of debauchery!!

Phil - Very good signs there if you're itching to get more miles in. It almost sounds like you're chomping at the bit to get on with some marathon training, a very nice feeling.

Kelly - A marathon's worth of running since yesterday morning, you're certainly getting back into good shape. Onwards and upwards...

Mr V - Likewise. 70 miles + enjoyment sounds like a thoroughly good recipe.

Abbey Dash 10K this morning.

I think I was the last thread member home but had a really good time in the crisp morning sun.

It would seem that everything is in good working order as the miles went by in:

6:53, 6:56, 6:58, 6:29, 6:23, 6:27 - 41:34 (21:32, 20:02)

A good race, albeit in slow motion, so that represents the first foothill of the new upswing. It is just a case of now slowly building the lean muscle mass back up over the next few weeks to get ready for the VLM build up.

Next target....a sub 20 at Hull next Saturday and trying to turn the tables on that Hilly after her comments today

parkrunfan wrote (see)

Alehouse - Loving the way you cant keep a good running mentality down, theres always a target or a PB of some sort to go after

Next target....a sub 20 at Hull next Saturday and trying to turn the tables on that Hilly after her comments today

Am unceratin whether to go for time or distance PBs at present!

I think we need more information from "that Hilly".

alehouse - they have very red parts to them! It was either that colour or a putrid green when I got them. 

Wardi, nice running and chicking after indulging in Turkey(ing). 

YD, yes hopefully! Haven't done anything longer to cope with the demands of a 5k so running them will whip me into shape soon. 

Phil, great LR!

kelly, yeah that seems so long ago now! I do think it's a consequence of speed endurance training and losing a bit of weight, I'm hardly a long distance runner build (doubt I ever will be) but it has helped a lot in lowering my road times. Good week's training there.

Mr V, nice week too. Hope the XC went well.

prf, seems like a good place to start from. Nice negative split.

I went along to the Fraserburgh HM this morning. Bitterly cold day which saw some nice pbs for a few friends. Mum didn't have the best race but still dragged herself to 92 minutes despite feeling 'totally flat' and picked up 2nd FSV.

I spent most of the time trying to find a hangover cure. 

Evening!

PRF   I'm confused by your time - taking it easy or just pacing someone??

Sorry Stevie and YP couldnt make it today. The weather was amazing for racing and I really threw in the kitchen sink/went to the well/scraped off lot of icing.

Went off a little fast as it took me a while to cross the line, but otherwise pretty decent pcing of:

7:15, 7:04, 7:03, 7:00, 7:07, 7:14, 6:59, 7:04, 7:10, 7:04, 7:02, 7:12, 6:54, 6:26 for the last bit. Garmin gave over distance so 7:05 avg on that, but race result gives me 1:33:19 or 7:07 mins/mile which is far better than Cabbage Patch predicted and an 8 minute pb I think.

Still in shock really. Have club races now til next year but no more target races so pleased to nail the time and exceed expectations. I have finished my horrible job now too so will have more time to train. Am now working part time which is ace. Have been consistent but not big mileage recently so can feel more to come once that comes in too.

Saw Moraghan today as well which was nice Magpie beat me by 6 seconds

Great race Curly.  8mins off over half marathon wow!!!!

Was even more gutted to miss it hearing both the conditions and Moraghan being there.

Duck - superb race, well done!

Simon - it can take a while for an illness to leave the body.  Sometimes you think you feel okay until you start to try and run hard...

PRF - pull your finger out!

Good solid run there Wardi.

Well done Curly, good to nail races above expectations and a good improvement with more to come!

Abbey Dash 10k for me today too and I thought about 41.30-42.00 would be a decent performance coming off my injury and illness, also I've done 2 hard 7-8 mile hilly sessions this week.  Good conditions, if a little chilly and a pleasing 40.55 finish.  Even pacing really with a 20.26/20.29.  Felt quite good at half way although never really 'flowing', but was hoping to kick on at around 7k if I could, but I couldn't all I could do was maintain pace, but that's good enough for now! Onwards and upwards...

Well done Hilly great to see the return to fitness continues apace for you

Stevie the course is magic. You need to do it next year. Very dull but so fast!