My Forum

Gul Darr - I never put pressure on myself by scheduling in a 26.2 as I always like to complete every yard of every scheduled run. I will just schedule in a 20 and then if it feels right take it to 26.2.

On the other hand I tell myself that I have to complete it to earn my rite to do the race - a sort of "rite of passage". I particularly need this motivation to get me up the last hill at about 17-18 miles just before I turn away from home for the extra 7 miles. Oh, and of course I have to run all the way, any stopping/walking and I am not allowed to do the race!

Also-ran - what's worrying me is, because of you, I found myself looking at treadmills whilst at the local shopping mall.

Maybe next year I will do my 26.2 VSLR in February on a tread mill. Of course I am joking but worryingly it has a suitably crazy ring to it.

So how many people are now going to post on this forum that they do that during training - guaranteed there will be someone out there!!!

Lorenzo - wouldn't want to bring the wrath of the running community down on me by recommending such a thing!

It was just one of those "spur of the moment" things whilst out training for my first marathon. I had done about 19 miles of a planned 20 and was a mile from home when I realised that there was a 7 mile loop I could do to make the 26.

Why did I do it?

I wanted to know what it would be like to run the full 26.2 quietly on my own before I did it in front of 100s of 1000s of spectators.

Everybody had told me that you NEVER do the full distance in training.

When I went into my house my wife, Julie, said "you have been a long time". I said that I had done the full 26.2 and she said something like "why am I not surprised".

I felt fine and sat down to a full roast dinner.

Trouble is having done it once it then became one of those superstitious routines that I must do every year - NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR ALREADY!!!

DS2 - it was my eldest daughters 30th birthday earlier this year, now that did make me feel old.

Every year before London I have done the full 26.2 as a VLSR. The last few times I have done it a little earlier in the training (early Feb). It provides me with a good indicator for my race target and every year I have done a race pb was also a VLSR pb. There is usually 15 to 20 mins between the two as my training route is much tougher than London with over 2,500 ft of ascent and descent.

Last year:

VLSR 26.2     03:13  pb

VLM               02:57 pb

Also-ran,  when you posted that you don't do much training on road mostly offroad and the treadmill, I was intrigued to know what runs you did on the treadmill and assumed your long runs were offroad.

20 miles on a treadmill - that is crazy man!!!

I lived in America for a while a few years back with free access to a gym. I tried the treadmill but when I got off after only a few minutes I almost fell over because I forgot the ground doesn't really move whilst you stand still.

I must admit I have always discounted anybody who uses a treadmill as just not having the mental strength/commitment to get out there in the snow and rain and do the miles - clearly not the case with you!!!