The bug is back.....

yaboya1

I ran my first marathon for more than two years last Sunday and now I've got the running bug back. After some many post-race pints with some fellow boardsies, I have been convinced that my times can definitely be improved with more intelligent training. I have another week's holidays coming up, but as soon as November comes around I will be back out on the roads. I have been doing some research today and think the following races could all be doable next year:

23rd February - Seville
6th April - Paris
28th September - Berlin (dependent on getting in through the ballot)
27h October - Dublin

I intend to PB in all of them. As soon as I sign up for Seville I will start a training log.

I look forward to any comments/observations.

Cheers

ecoli

yaboya1 wrote: »

I ran my first marathon for more than two years last Sunday and now I've got the running bug back. After some many post-race pints with some fellow boardsies, I have been convinced that my times can definitely be improved with more intelligent training. I have another week's holidays coming up, but as soon as November comes around I will be back out on the roads. I have been doing some research today and think the following races could all be doable next year:

23rd February - Seville
6th April - Paris
28th September - Berlin (dependent on getting in through the ballot)
27h October - Dublin

I intend to PB in all of them. As soon as I sign up for Seville I will start a training log.

I look forward to any comments/observations.

Cheers

Personally I think you would be better off running 2 marathons as the time frame between the first two and the second two leaves very little room for improvement.

Perhaps have Dublin as a back up if you don't make it into Berlin and chose one of the spring marathons

drquirky

yaboya1 wrote: »

I ran my first marathon for more than two years last Sunday and now I've got the running bug back. After some many post-race pints with some fellow boardsies, I have been convinced that my times can definitely be improved with more intelligent training. I have another week's holidays coming up, but as soon as November comes around I will be back out on the roads. I have been doing some research today and think the following races could all be doable next year:

23rd February - Seville
6th April - Paris
28th September - Berlin (dependent on getting in through the ballot)
27h October - Dublin

I intend to PB in all of them. As soon as I sign up for Seville I will start a training log.

I look forward to any comments/observations.

Cheers

Pretty much what Ecoli said. I'd alternate a marathon cycle with a period working on improving your 5k / 10k times. Get those times down, add your more aerobic marathon training onto it and watch the times come flying down

yaboya1

Cheers lads. I'm taking this all in.
One in Spring and one in Autumn sounds the way to go so.
Any recommendations on what race I should target in the Spring?

I had it down to Seville, Barcelona & Paris. They all seem to get pretty decent reviews.

ecoli

yaboya1 wrote: »

Cheers lads. I'm taking this all in.
One in Spring and one in Autumn sounds the way to go so.
Any recommendations on what race I should target in the Spring?

I had it down to Seville, Barcelona & Paris. They all seem to get pretty decent reviews.

Barcelona is a popular one amongst the boardsies. Personally I am doing my first marathon in Rotterdam in Apr which I have heard nothing but good things about (bar the odd freak heat wave ) so that is another one to consider.

menoscemo

yaboya1 wrote: »

Cheers lads. I'm taking this all in.
One in Spring and one in Autumn sounds the way to go so.
Any recommendations on what race I should target in the Spring?

I had it down to Seville, Barcelona & Paris. They all seem to get pretty decent reviews.

They are all really good options and pretty fast courses to boot!! Go with whatever suits you best logistically.

yaboya1

I'll give that some thought too then. Could be a case of picking one out of a hat at this rate....

jfh

ecoli wrote: »

Barcelona is a popular one amongst the boardsies. Personally I am doing my first marathon in Rotterdam in Apr which I have heard nothing but good things about (bar the odd freak heat wave ) so that is another one to consider.

Hi ecoli, just out of interest, what's the attraction with rotterdam? Know it's been a popular choice here, have friends of in Holland & it wouldn't be a tourist destination

TRR

jfh wrote: »

Hi ecoli, just out of interest, what's the attraction with rotterdam? Know it's been a popular choice here, have friends of in Holland & it wouldn't be a tourist destination

Fast course. Haven't been myself but heard its a right **** hole. If you want a fast time, Rotterdam should be considered. Ecoli needs all the help he can get

ThebitterLemon

From Barcelona, Rotterdam and Seville in my opinion Seville is the course that offers the best PB potential

TbL

Gavlor

TRR wrote: »

heard its a right **** hole.

I have no interest in it For this reason.

I Would love to run Paris. The scenery would make the time fly by

ThePiedPiper

Yaboya, I've no doubt that you'll improve the times, but definitely keep it to one spring and autumn race, 5k,10k and speed work will do wonders in between..

Regarding the choices, I've done Seville and Paris, preferred Seville slightly, but its very hard to get to, adds a lot of extra stress. Both are beautiful cities, very fast courses, well organised. when I did Paris in 08, congestion was a problem, not sure would these issues be sorted by now. That was my only issue with it.

ThebitterLemon

You can get a cheap Ryanair flight to Madrid and the speed train down to Seville.

You can go Friday ( even Saturday) and back late Sunday night if you wish.

TbL

ThePiedPiper

I'm very tempted to go again....

ThebitterLemon

I'm in again already, €35

I find Spanish marathons very well run, cheap and fast (not that I'm anywhere near your league!)

I doing Valencia again on 17th November

TbL

yaboya1

RunForestRun wrote: »

Yaboya, I've no doubt that you'll improve the times, but definitely keep it to one spring and autumn race, 5k,10k and speed work will do wonders in between..

Regarding the choices, I've done Seville and Paris, preferred Seville slightly, but its very hard to get to, adds a lot of extra stress. Both are beautiful cities, very fast courses, well organised. when I did Paris in 08, congestion was a problem, not sure would these issues be sorted by now. That was my only issue with it.

That's three votes for one spring/one Autumn.
This time I will listen to what I'm being told.
Thanks

ger664

I am in for seville as well next spring.

jfh

ger664 wrote: »

I am in for seville as well next spring.

would be tempted but would mean no real break after dublin.

al984

Hi Guys

looking for some advice I am doing my first marathon in Dublin next week but I am a bit worried I have not trained enough, since July I have done the frank duffy 10 miler, the athlone half marathon and Dublin Half marathon after the Dublin half I was out injured for a week and a bit I have managed to get up to 17.2 miles last week and I was meant to do 19 miles last Saturday but I have a heavy flu. is 17miles enough to get me through to the finish I was hoping for a 4hr finish or just under but I don't think that's realistic now. should I do a long run this week in order to push on to 19miles
thanks

drquirky

al984 wrote: »

Hi Guys

looking for some advice I am doing my first marathon in Dublin next week but I am a bit worried I have not trained enough, since July I have done the frank duffy 10 miler, the athlone half marathon and Dublin Half marathon after the Dublin half I was out injured for a week and a bit I have managed to get up to 17.2 miles last week and I was meant to do 19 miles last Saturday but I have a heavy flu. is 17miles enough to get me through to the finish I was hoping for a 4hr finish or just under but I don't think that's realistic now. should I do a long run this week in order to push on to 19miles
thanks

Probably not the thread for this but whatever. Nope 17 miles isn't gonna get you a PB- I'd jog the marathon nice and easy, make sure you get around, as long as you go within yourself you'll be fine if you try to push for a stretch time, you'll probably have a pretty uncomfortable time past 18 miles or so....and no- don't run anything long between now and the marathon- it will have zero positive impact on your time and will only leave you fatigued on the day.

al984

drquirky wrote: »

Probably not the thread for this but whatever. Nope 17 miles isn't gonna get you a PB- I'd jog the marathon nice and easy, make sure you get around, as long as you go within yourself you'll be fine if you try to push for a stretch time, you'll probably have a pretty uncomfortable time past 18 miles or so....and no- don't run anything long between now and the marathon- it will have zero positive impact on your time and will only leave you fatigued on the day.

Thank you for the advice. I am just aiming to finish it now at this point and just jog my way around hopefully I will be ok and get around in a respectable time enough...

yaboya1

I've decided to go for Seville.
Signed up this evening and also booked my flights & hotel.
Will sort the train nearer the time when booking becomes available.
Now to start training.....

ThebitterLemon

In case you booked the last flight out of Dublin on the Friday night, you'll probably have to overnight in Madrid as I don't think you'll make the connection for the fast train to Valencia.

TbL

yaboya1

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

In case you booked the last flight out of Dublin on the Friday night, you'll probably have to overnight in Madrid as I don't think you'll make the connection for the fast train to Valencia.

TbL

I'm on the earlier flight that gets in at 1.40pm. Think I should be ok?

ThebitterLemon

You'll be fine so, the last fast train leaves at about 9pm.

Good luck with it

TbL