My Forum

Paul- Got my times down with 2 major changes. Firstly I gave up alcohol!  I know that might be met with a groan but I totally knocked booze on the head and started noticing major performance improvement. secondly I really started to believe in myself.

I didn't really change my training technique I've always used intervals and hills along with swimming and rowing as cross training once a week but I just intensified it. with my max intervals getting longer.

Also a really bad habit I picked up of my father. He was (and still is) a runner and when I was younger used to get me to run the first 2 km relatively slow which is what he did and then increase until I hit a race pace over the next km. Now I hit my race pace straight away and am an explosive finisher( I actually sprinted the last 200 metres of the marathon)!  

Paul i'm sure going by your marathon time a sub 38 minute 10km is achievable maybe look at other factors ie diet and lifestyle, these are two things I've really looked at over the last 18 months maybe because I was approaching 30. The results have been better than I ever imagined, and I take great pleasure in regularly caning my running partner who is 25!  

Paul- I've really honed my 10km and 5kmn running over the last 18 months Last summer I was literally knocking off half a minute each week off my PB getting it down from 41 to 37 mins I have somewhat plateaued however will re focus with the british 10km coming up. I hope I haven't reached the peak of my powers at 10 km. My marathon training was a completely different experience. Back and knee problems effectively wrote off any training in February and I think I was then very tentative about overdoing it in march however I am determined to go quicker. Great achievement on your time I have a new found respect for any marathon FINISHER!

Neil- absolutely fantastic time I bet your full of pride and you should be, sub 3hours is an amazing achievement. I think now I've entered the bournmouth and Brighton next year i'll look at seriously getting my time down aiming to sustain my 10 km pace. perhaps I got too comfy running 5 and 10km. By the way has anyone ran the bournmouth?? I've been told the Brighton course was very beginner friendly?

Hi everyone have loved reading your stories. I turned 30 this year and have been a  good short distance runner for about 12 years. (18 min 5km and 37 min 10km) after years of saying I could do a marathon I finally did the Brighton on sunday. 4 hours and 5 mins with the last 4 miles being THE MOST painful and humbling experience of my life. I'm entered for next year as i'm convinced I can run a sub 330 ( my first 13 miles on sunday was 1hr 44mins). Anyway for the first time in years my legs ache as if i'd never ran before in my life but I also am filled with enormous pride. Thanks to all the volunteers, race organisers, supporters and fellow runners for a day i'll never forget. see you all next year. P.s I've entered the bournmouth marathon too so maybe I've caught the bug!

I have experienced this on only a few occasions in ten years of running. I went to my GP who did checks said i was in very good health etc. Happened again about a year ago. GP then sent me for an ECG. Again everything very normal. Everytime i experience these symptoms is when i push myself very hard.