Sky_Blue_Daz
Well-Known Member
Really enjoying running again almost up to 6 miles , trying to do something everyday weather that’s running , dog walking for an hour swimming and have started to play badminton
Running (17 Viewers)
- Thread starter Macca
- Start date
Skybluefaz
Well-Known Member
Took 55 seconds off the 5k PB at Kingsbury Water Park Parkrun yesterday. Nice and flat and far fewer people than the memorial park there.
I like Warwick Racecourse Parkrun.
You do get at least several hundred people there, but because of the nature/route of the course, there is little congestion, and no lapping of other runners.
There is a short hill at halfway (but the rest of the route is completely flat), and not a good course for a windy day.... but on the whole i find it a "fast" course.
Skybluefaz
Well-Known Member
Sky_Blue_Daz
Well-Known Member
Been promising myself a run from work through into the back of Combe abbey just under 6 miles really enjoyed it
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
Entered a half marathon 6 weeks away despite not running more than 3 miles in the road and 5 on the treadmill in a very long time (a year)
Did 3 miles in the heat and the afternoon the other day, both things that make me perform worse (I prefer cool and empty stomach m).
Went out today thought I’d breeze 4/5 miles and stopped at 3.5
Gonna be a long 13 miles at this rate
Did 3 miles in the heat and the afternoon the other day, both things that make me perform worse (I prefer cool and empty stomach m).
Went out today thought I’d breeze 4/5 miles and stopped at 3.5
Gonna be a long 13 miles at this rate
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
Not wanting to be too negative but you’ll do very well to finish. Is there not a 10km you could switch to and try and do the half at a later date?Entered a half marathon 6 weeks away despite not running more than 3 miles in the road and 5 on the treadmill in a very long time (a year)
Did 3 miles in the heat and the afternoon the other day, both things that make me perform worse (I prefer cool and empty stomach m).
Went out today thought I’d breeze 4/5 miles and stopped at 3.5
Gonna be a long 13 miles at this rate
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
You underestimate my stubbornness my friend
I think I’ve got this, was just a bit rusty…right?
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
7 miles today, 4 weeks and 1 day out from the half
9:45 a mile so very slow just getting miles in the legs
9:45 a mile so very slow just getting miles in the legs
Ran the 5000mtrs in the Midland Track League yesterday for Godiva.
Finally broke the 18 minute barrier with 17:49
On paper it went exactly as planned.... build a cushion in the first 3km and go through in 10:20-10:30 (i actually went through in 20:26)....... and have enough in hand to finish under 18mins when i inevitably start to suffer in the final 2km.
In reality it was a bit of a struggle.... i had a massive struggle in the 4th km which took me somewhere between 3:45-3:49, and shipped half of the time cushion i'd built up. Fortunately i'd kept enough in hand that i managed to get back almost down to 18min pace again for the final km. But i didn't know it was in the bag until i hit the bell and realised i had loads in hand for the last lap.
If i can sort out that 4th km i can give 17:30 a push.
The main thing is i can now qualify for the sub-18 race at the Podium 5km next March, and find myself in with a big group of similar paced (or quicker) runners and hopefully get pulled round to another pb then.
Mountain running takes priority now, its only three weeks til i fly to the Pyrenees for the World Masters.
Finally broke the 18 minute barrier with 17:49
On paper it went exactly as planned.... build a cushion in the first 3km and go through in 10:20-10:30 (i actually went through in 20:26)....... and have enough in hand to finish under 18mins when i inevitably start to suffer in the final 2km.
In reality it was a bit of a struggle.... i had a massive struggle in the 4th km which took me somewhere between 3:45-3:49, and shipped half of the time cushion i'd built up. Fortunately i'd kept enough in hand that i managed to get back almost down to 18min pace again for the final km. But i didn't know it was in the bag until i hit the bell and realised i had loads in hand for the last lap.
If i can sort out that 4th km i can give 17:30 a push.
The main thing is i can now qualify for the sub-18 race at the Podium 5km next March, and find myself in with a big group of similar paced (or quicker) runners and hopefully get pulled round to another pb then.
Mountain running takes priority now, its only three weeks til i fly to the Pyrenees for the World Masters.
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
10 miles today 9:29/mile
9 days out from race day. Think it’s in the bag
9 days out from race day. Think it’s in the bag
Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon
Well-Known Member
Impressive ramping up of the mileage there, best of luck on the day!
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
Thanks mate - surely I’ve got 3 miles in the adrenaline reserves right
Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon
Well-Known Member
Only one way to find out.....Thanks mate - surely I’ve got 3 miles in the adrenaline reserves right
DrPoolittle
Well-Known Member
Question for you please: you clearly had a plan for the 5,000 metres. How much are you affected by what other runners are doing ?
Do you stick rigidly to your plan or do you find yourself flexing? Ta
Short answer: I'm not particularly affected by others.
Longer answer....
In this particular race there was such a variety of ability that i couldn't really be affected. There were perhaps 10 runners and the quickest was 15:44..... i was 3rd or 4th..... and the final finisher was over 21mins...... so whilst i lapped half the field, i was also lapped by the winner. So once i was a couple of laps in i was basically on my own.
I'm not really proficient enough at 5km's to race with tactics in mind.... i'm still at a level where i just run as fast as i think (hope!) i can maintain.
On the mountains a bit different... i (perhaps unwisely) think i'm proficient enough to change race tactics if i need to...... example in June i planned to go out hard on the first climb of a race (approx 40 minute climb) and see who could stay with me...... after about 10mins it became apparent there was only one other guy who could stay on my tail..... so realising i was in a two-horse race, i toned it down a bit and just maintained enough effort to stay in the lead, but keeping something in reserve for the second half of the race..... this worked as although he pulled level with me after about 1.5hrs, i'd saved enough to pull away again at the end..... had i not been in the lead from the off, i'd have probably just tried to go flat out the whole way, and it may well have ended differently.
larry_david
Well-Known Member
Got the Yorkshire marathon in October. First marathon and I'm very excited.
Did 16 miles yesterday, hilly route at 8.42 mile pace. Yesterday did hurt, I don't think a huge hill one mile in helped as my knee were sore from half way. Also a monster blister on the sole of my foot.
Still, training is about managing these (hopefully) minor issues
Back in Warwickshire next week so the plan is 18 miles around Draycotte so 3.5ish times I think.
Did 16 miles yesterday, hilly route at 8.42 mile pace. Yesterday did hurt, I don't think a huge hill one mile in helped as my knee were sore from half way. Also a monster blister on the sole of my foot.
Still, training is about managing these (hopefully) minor issues
Back in Warwickshire next week so the plan is 18 miles around Draycotte so 3.5ish times I think.
larry_david
Well-Known Member
Ah, I'll just plod til the bell rings!
DawlishSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
Great effort there
DawlishSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
Just had a waiting list place confirmed for a start at Burnham Half marathon, October 13th. Got 7 weeks to get race ready!
robbiekeane
Well-Known Member
Finished the Santa Monica half just over a 9 minute mile
take it for 6 weeks training
take it for 6 weeks training
Last week i did 3 x 1 mile at Godiva (although it was a solo session as club night was cancelled)
5:32
5:27
5:24
Hoped for a bit better, but not bad considering it was wet and i was time-trialling.
Thursday did 4 mins tempo, then 4 x 2mins
Saturday went over to Shropshire Hills to do some proper hill reps.... just over a km but with about 600ft of climb.
Each rep taking about 8mins30
This week is my final week before flying out to Pyrenees on monday, then racing on the friday. Will do a steadier hill session tonight.... thursday a little track session (1 x 1km, 5 x 200mtrs), then a couple of longer runs this weekend.... but really all the hard training is done and i just need to get to start line without losing any sharpness (and most imprtantly remaining fresh and injury-free)
5:32
5:27
5:24
Hoped for a bit better, but not bad considering it was wet and i was time-trialling.
Thursday did 4 mins tempo, then 4 x 2mins
Saturday went over to Shropshire Hills to do some proper hill reps.... just over a km but with about 600ft of climb.
Each rep taking about 8mins30
This week is my final week before flying out to Pyrenees on monday, then racing on the friday. Will do a steadier hill session tonight.... thursday a little track session (1 x 1km, 5 x 200mtrs), then a couple of longer runs this weekend.... but really all the hard training is done and i just need to get to start line without losing any sharpness (and most imprtantly remaining fresh and injury-free)
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
Congrats, mate!
Last speedwork session prior to flying out to Pyrenees on monday.
1 x 1km, 5 x 200mtrs, on the track.
km went in 3:25..... pretty poor, i can do 3km at that pace on a good day. It was pretty windy though.
200mtrs are definitely not my forte, and i had to run them round the back straight because the wind was so strong.... but managed 35, 35, 33.5, 35, 33.5
9 miles for the session, and 5 easy miles AM.
Couple of longer runs around 60-75mins on saturday and sunday, then when i get over there it will just be some gentle runs at altitude to try and get used to it.
1 x 1km, 5 x 200mtrs, on the track.
km went in 3:25..... pretty poor, i can do 3km at that pace on a good day. It was pretty windy though.
200mtrs are definitely not my forte, and i had to run them round the back straight because the wind was so strong.... but managed 35, 35, 33.5, 35, 33.5
9 miles for the session, and 5 easy miles AM.
Couple of longer runs around 60-75mins on saturday and sunday, then when i get over there it will just be some gentle runs at altitude to try and get used to it.
Great_Expectations
Well-Known Member
This might be an obvious question, but I’ll ask anyway! Context first.
I decided to try and hit a weekly mileage target, so for 4 of the last 5 weeks I’ve hit >50miles. Before that I had 2 weeks around 40 and before that it was very inconsistent but anything up to 30 with the odd higher week and more weeks of a lot less!
Q: What benefits should I be seeing?
Secondly, anyone else running the Great North Run this Sunday? Or done it before and got any tips?! I think the crowds and logistics are going to be harder than the race!
I decided to try and hit a weekly mileage target, so for 4 of the last 5 weeks I’ve hit >50miles. Before that I had 2 weeks around 40 and before that it was very inconsistent but anything up to 30 with the odd higher week and more weeks of a lot less!
Q: What benefits should I be seeing?
Secondly, anyone else running the Great North Run this Sunday? Or done it before and got any tips?! I think the crowds and logistics are going to be harder than the race!
My (amateur) view....
You're probably going to feel a more general fatigue so benefits will not be immediately apparent.
However you should find you perform better and hold your pace for longer when you do races (or harder sessions).
It also becomes like an ever-improving spiral...... eventually your body gets used to the load and you start to find it normal.... you can train harder, which makes you fitter, allows you to train even more etc....
One thing i find with running, is the hard stuff never reaches a point where it feels easy, as you're always pushing your limit.... you'll always be hurting on a hard race or session.... but you'll find yourself performing much better.
The trick is finding the level for you that is correct and not too much....
For me, i seem to be running best averaging 70-80 miles per week..... so lately i've been increasing the intensity.... doing three hard sessions a week instead of two.... rather than pushing for more mileage.
But there's much faster guys in my group who can't operate on that mileage, and absolutely fly on between 30-50 miles...... and of course the top elite marathon runners will be doing well over 100 miles.
As to the North Run, a mate did it last year (not an elite, but still a decent runner, probably 70-75mins, so he was ahead of the main crowd), and he spent well over an hour in the start pen, unable to warm up properly. Like you say, logistics etc will be the main thing.... make sure you have arrangements for having a piss etc before the start.
Great_Expectations
Well-Known Member
Thanks Travs - really helpful!
I think I’m sort of heading out of the fatigue stage now, which is good! Feel as though I could do slightly more each week but as always timing is key, and finding more is unlikely now.
GNR this morning does seem a logistical ballache. There’s definitely going to be a lot of waiting between bag drop and start and the weather isn’t great, so basically standing around in the cold for ages!
I’m not planning anything special today as I have Berlin in a few weeks so I really can’t afford to push and get injured! Legs are on ~40 miles this week so far too.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
I think with mileage, the number/total is far less important than the consistency..... you apparently need 10 years of consistent training to build your "aerobic house" and reach your best potential, and (within reason) that is regardless of age..... which points to a consistent approach being needed.
Great_Expectations
Well-Known Member
GNR was pretty average tbh. Organisation at the start was horrendous and so so so much waiting around in numerous queues. The route itself was also way too crowded. Support was good though, especially considering the rubbish weather.
My aim was to pace my cousin a PB and we did, just! So that was a success.
I’d do it again and give it a proper go I think.
Nice one.
I'm heading off to the airport in an hour or so..... long day of travelling ahead....
Tomorrow and wednesday plan to do a bit of walking out in the mountains, then a couple of easy evening runs up in the ski resorts at altitude.
Thursday recce the course. Friday race.
I'm heading off to the airport in an hour or so..... long day of travelling ahead....
Tomorrow and wednesday plan to do a bit of walking out in the mountains, then a couple of easy evening runs up in the ski resorts at altitude.
Thursday recce the course. Friday race.
DawlishSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
GNR is so busy, worse than London i think. Did it a few years ago and it didn't really thin out until about 9 miles in
Back from the Pyrenees and the World Masters Mountain Running.
Arrived a my accommodation on the French side of the border, to discover that there had been huge storms and flooding the weekend before, and the main road to Spain via the Col Du Somport Tunnel had been washed away, and would be closed for at least 6 months. Meaning a minimum 3hr drive to the start of the race, and a potential 4-5am start on race day.
Some hectic rearrangements, and a hastily booked hotel on the Spanish side for the night before the race, meant at least i could have a vaguely reasonable night's sleep before race day.
On top of that, race morning was bitterly cold, and saw the first snow of the season on the high tops. Summit temperature at the finish line was -10
But we persevere..... as to the race.... i don't know whether it was nerves, the non-ideal warmup (being a world champs we had to go through a "call room" and into a totally inadequate warmup area)...... but the first 600mtrs along the valley road felt awful and my legs wouldn't respond.
However soon perked up once we hit the mountain proper.
Treated it like a cross-country..... don't let all your effort go at once..... work up to the next group/person, go past, do the same to the next one.
By the time we cleared the tree-line after about half an hour, i was pretty much in a constant position, everyone around of a very similar level.
With about a mile to go, i don't know if it was fatigue, the cold, or the altitude (probably a combination of all three), but i became very tired, dropping a few places. The last half mile was very steep and un-runnable, and i picked someone off here who was in a bad way.... followed by a flat 200mtr finish sprint.
Came over the line as 15th v40..... fortunately we won team Bronze..... Spain taking Gold on home turf, and Ireland getting Silver.
The rest of the week was almost perfect weather, and did some huge climbs, the favourite probably being up to Pic D.Anie at 2504mtrs.... although crossing a high pass across the border into Spain yesterday was also pretty awesome.
Arrived a my accommodation on the French side of the border, to discover that there had been huge storms and flooding the weekend before, and the main road to Spain via the Col Du Somport Tunnel had been washed away, and would be closed for at least 6 months. Meaning a minimum 3hr drive to the start of the race, and a potential 4-5am start on race day.
Some hectic rearrangements, and a hastily booked hotel on the Spanish side for the night before the race, meant at least i could have a vaguely reasonable night's sleep before race day.
On top of that, race morning was bitterly cold, and saw the first snow of the season on the high tops. Summit temperature at the finish line was -10
But we persevere..... as to the race.... i don't know whether it was nerves, the non-ideal warmup (being a world champs we had to go through a "call room" and into a totally inadequate warmup area)...... but the first 600mtrs along the valley road felt awful and my legs wouldn't respond.
However soon perked up once we hit the mountain proper.
Treated it like a cross-country..... don't let all your effort go at once..... work up to the next group/person, go past, do the same to the next one.
By the time we cleared the tree-line after about half an hour, i was pretty much in a constant position, everyone around of a very similar level.
With about a mile to go, i don't know if it was fatigue, the cold, or the altitude (probably a combination of all three), but i became very tired, dropping a few places. The last half mile was very steep and un-runnable, and i picked someone off here who was in a bad way.... followed by a flat 200mtr finish sprint.
Came over the line as 15th v40..... fortunately we won team Bronze..... Spain taking Gold on home turf, and Ireland getting Silver.
The rest of the week was almost perfect weather, and did some huge climbs, the favourite probably being up to Pic D.Anie at 2504mtrs.... although crossing a high pass across the border into Spain yesterday was also pretty awesome.
DawlishSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
Minus 10!
Indeed.
We had to take a ski-lift down from the summit to a ski-resort on the other side of the mountain....
Despite running a lot in steep and high places (i've ran across the top of Crib Goch for example), i'm not particularly comfortable with man-made heights as i get older.... so i wasn't looking forward to the chair-lift anyway..... but coupled with being absolutely freezing, knackered, and the strong wind blowing me about, it was a bit of an ordeal...!!
I'm now planning towards the European Masters Champs which are next May/June in Sicily..... so hopefully no such low temperatures there..... (although i understand the uphill race finishes at 2800mtrs, so the altitude issues will be ramped up)