My first Marathon and first log log

marathon19

Me- born 1973, about 10kg over weight(Red wine and Chips). Have a small family, the misses and a little one. Work a lot during the week and taxi the little one around at the weekend.

I've been running on and off the last 4 years, never more than 4 or 5 months at a time with long layoffs due to laziness. I really enjoy running when I build up my fitness.The main things I get from running are a bit of peace and holding the belly back. Also good for the heart.

I wasnt into athletics when I was younger but remember doing one race 30 years ago for school (Santry stadium) and coming second last so no foundation for competition.

I ran the disaster Dublin half in Newbridge demense 2017, 1.56 finish time,walked 6km to get there cause of traffic and stood around for an hour waiting for a late start. The course was beautiful though, pity the location doesn't lend itself to 10,000 runners arriving at once.

Like most runners I kinda had the marathon in the back of my mind since I got to a decent level of running and during a mad moment purchased an entry last year when the KBC released some cheap tickets.

I would love to run a sub 4 hour but I dont think I have the foundation as I did feck all during the spring and have a little niggle last few months on my left hip, nothing bad with 1-3 out of 10 most runs, max 5 out of 10 pain after I push myself.

After getting some advice from coogy and Mr Guappa I set down some starter times for the main runs

PMP or 8.45 to 8.50(maybe a bit ambitious)
Easy at 9.20-9.30
LSR at 9.40 to 9.50

I tried having a peanut butter and toast type thing a few weeks ago to break fast 30 minutes before the run but found it disagreeable so I run empty at about 5.30-6.00am on the Tue-Thrusday runs. Will get up the same time Saturday for LSR but eat a proper breakfast and go out around 9am

Anyway I started the Boards 2019 plan this morning.

3.8 miles at 9.32m/m with HR average of 139bpm. Felt good

Wish me luck, only 90 odd runs and 550 miles to go before the big day

woop woop

Kellygirl

Best of luck with the training and getting to DCM! You are in good hands on the Mentored novices thread. Train slow and consistently and you’ll have a great day out.

Mr. Guappa

Great to see another novice taking the plunge over here! Best of luck with the training. You certainly seem to have the enthusiasm for it anyway, which is great to see.

As kellygirl said train slowly (I prefer easy ) and consistently. You've dropped the pace of your easy runs by a decent chunk already, they can come down another notch, but an up-to-date race time would be very helpful on that front.

Anyway - I'll try keep the mentoring to the novices thread - best of luck with the log!

coogy

marathon19 wrote: »

Me- born 1973, about 10kg over weight(Red wine and Chips). Have a small family, the misses and a little one. Work a lot during the week and taxi the little one around at the weekend.

I've been running on and off the last 4 years, never more than 4 or 5 months at a time with long layoffs due to laziness. I really enjoy running when I build up my fitness.The main things I get from running are a bit of peace and holding the belly back. Also good for the heart.

I wasnt into athletics when I was younger but remember doing one race 30 years ago for school (Santry stadium) and coming second last so no foundation for competition.

I ran the disaster Dublin half in Newbridge demense 2017, 1.56 finish time,walked 6km to get there cause of traffic and stood around for an hour waiting for a late start. The course was beautiful though, pity the location doesn't lend itself to 10,000 runners arriving at once.

Like most runners I kinda had the marathon in the back of my mind since I got to a decent level of running and during a mad moment purchased an entry last year when the KBC released some cheap tickets.

I would love to run a sub 4 hour but I dont think I have the foundation as I did feck all during the spring and have a little niggle last few months on my left hip, nothing bad with 1-3 out of 10 most runs, max 5 out of 10 pain after I push myself.

After getting some advice from coogy and Mr Guappa I set down some starter times for the main runs

PMP or 8.45 to 8.50(maybe a bit ambitious)
Easy at 9.20-9.30
LSR at 9.40 to 9.50

I tried having a peanut butter and toast type thing a few weeks ago to break fast 30 minutes before the run but found it disagreeable so I run empty at about 5.30-6.00am on the Tue-Thrusday runs. Will get up the same time Saturday for LSR but eat a proper breakfast and go out around 9am

Anyway I started the Boards 2019 plan this morning.

3.8 miles at 9.32m/m with HR average of 139bpm. Felt good

Wish me luck, only 90 odd runs and 550 miles to go before the big day

woop woop

Great to see the start of another log! The more you update it the more you will get out of it. Best of luck!

biketard

Best of luck, marathon19!

marathon19

Thanks Guys,

Had a nice easy 4m at 9.35m/m before 5 x 100m strides.

I was a bit apprehensive for the strides in case it aggravated my hip but they were fine, actually I quite enjoyed the effort after so many days easy running.

Side note, I have been wearing NB or Asics for running since I started but decided to change to Brooks Ghost 11 just for the support and so far I can't fault them, the strides today really brought out the positives of these shoes.

Roll on tomorrow

marathon19

Today was nice slow 3mile at 9.25m/m

Weighed myself this morning - 91KG. Im not trying to loose weight during this training as I love my grub but will log it periodically as a metric. I reckon I'm about 10kg over weight but I've been floating between 88 and 96kg the last few years so not new.

Anyway tomorrow I'm going to take a break with my planned LSR Saturday AM.

As the weeks progress I can see myself dropping Monday or Friday rest day for a 3 or 4 mile easy. For now I will do the three midweek, LSR and recovery run to build up some fitness.

over and out

marathon19

LSR today

11.2 miles
9.27 mins/m
HR averaging 146

Pace is my only regret, wanted to run 9.40-9.50 but zoned out and my watch wasn't set properly so no warning.
Had a small scare at about 40 minutes when my achilles felt a pinch, heart went into the mouth thinking it was a strain but luckily it went away as quick as it came-no idea what it was. My hip wasn't bad, bit of ache at the end of the run but only slight.


Apart from that the session was very nice, lovely hour and 45 on the road, pleasant morning with 16-18 degrees out, sun came out for about 20 minutes but mainly cloudy.
Used this run to try out a gel, I usually run long with 300ml water bottle with the high5 zero tabs in summer to negate the sweating.I planned on swallowing the gel at 6miles and drinking about 1/4 of the water with it and then add the zero after for the rest of the run. No digestive problems so looks like I have a winner.

The one thought I had while running was the use of gels over long runs. The advice online and from logs isn't consistent.
My long runs are preceded by a medium breakfast mainly carbs two hours before; which I assume should get me to 10-15 miles without gel?
In a marathon situation some people are taking gels from 5 mile and some at 15. If I have the energy from the breakfast does this mean I can delay the gel till mid race and then take regularly? or should I start at 5 mile and take one every 5? Can too many gels be an issue? using every 5 means minimum of 5 during a marathon, this seems excessive.

Lots of thoughts,

love running

skyblue46

marathon19 wrote: »

LSR today

11.2 miles
9.27 mins/m
HR averaging 146

Pace is my only regret, wanted to run 9.40-9.50 but zoned out and my watch wasn't set properly so no warning.
Had a small scare at about 40 minutes when my achilles felt a pinch, heart went into the mouth thinking it was a strain but luckily it went away as quick as it came-no idea what it was. My hip wasn't bad, bit of ache at the end of the run but only slight.


Apart from that the session was very nice, lovely hour and 45 on the road, pleasant morning with 16-18 degrees out, sun came out for about 20 minutes but mainly cloudy.
Used this run to try out a gel, I usually run long with 300ml water bottle with the high5 zero tabs in summer to negate the sweating.I planned on swallowing the gel at 6miles and drinking about 1/4 of the water with it and then add the zero after for the rest of the run. No digestive problems so looks like I have a winner.

The one thought I had while running was the use of gels over long runs. The advice online and from logs isn't consistent.
My long runs are preceded by a medium breakfast mainly carbs two hours before; which I assume should get me to 10-15 miles without gel?
In a marathon situation some people are taking gels from 5 mile and some at 15. If I have the energy from the breakfast does this mean I can delay the gel till mid race and then take regularly? or should I start at 5 mile and take one every 5? Can too many gels be an issue? using every 5 means minimum of 5 during a marathon, this seems excessive.

Lots of thoughts,

love running

Well done on trying to keep the paces slower. The rewards for that will be huge if relatively unnoticed until the day itself.

Coming to your question regarding gels. I don't use any for long runs. As you rightly point out most of us have glycogen stores which can easily manage a 2 hour run without replenishment assuming diet has been decent in the lead up. Your pre-run breakfast would provide that.

For my only 2 marathons (I'm from the class of '17 Novices/Graduates) I took the gels as per manufacturers instructions which meant having 6/7 gels if I recall correctly. My reasoning was simple. They are the experts and I didn't want my day ruined by bad fuelling.

My MP was 7:30 and my easy and long runs were all in or about 9:00 mins per mile so the demands on the body are greater than on a long run and more fuel is used. That's why people begin the topping up early in the race. It is too late to begin fuelling after the 2 hour mark because the body can only process a certain level of carbs in any timeframe. If you started gels mid race you would not be able to get enough usable energy in the late stages of the marathon when you need it most.

marathon19

skyblue46 wrote: »

Well done on trying to keep the paces slower. The rewards for that will be huge if relatively unnoticed until the day itself.

Coming to your question regarding gels. I don't use any for long runs. As you rightly point out most of us have glycogen stores which can easily manage a 2 hour run without replenishment assuming diet has been decent in the lead up. Your pre-run breakfast would provide that.

For my only 2 marathons (I'm from the class of '17 Novices/Graduates) I took the gels as per manufacturers instructions which meant having 6/7 gels if I recall correctly. My reasoning was simple. They are the experts and I didn't want my day ruined by bad fuelling.

My MP was 7:30 and my easy and long runs were all in or about 9:00 mins per mile so the demands on the body are greater than on a long run and more fuel is used. That's why people begin the topping up early in the race. It is too late to begin fuelling after the 2 hour mark because the body can only process a certain level of carbs in any timeframe. If you started gels mid race you would not be able to get enough usable energy in the late stages of the marathon when you need it most.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. So I have looked at the manufacturers website and found some very good information.

https://highfive.co.uk/high5-faster-and-further/running-nutrition-guides/marathon/

RACE DAY BREAKFAST
Breakfast should be light and high in carbs. Cereals, toast and porridge are good options. Drink 500ml of Energy Drink for additional carbs and to stay well hydrated. Take an Energy Bar with you to eat on the way to your race.

NOVICE RUNNERS
If you weigh more than 55kg: 15 minutes before the start take two Energy Gel Caffeine sachets (with caffeine) and drink 200 to 300ml of water or ZERO.

If you weigh less than 55kg: 15 minutes before the start take two Energy Gel sachets (no caffeine) and drink 200 to 300ml of water or ZERO.

DURING YOUR RUN
Take one Energy Gel Caffeine sachet every 30 minutes. Wait until 30 minutes from the start of your race before taking your first sachet. If you are on-course for a long time, only use Energy Gel Caffeine (with caffeine) for the first 4 1/2 hours of running, then switch to standard Energy Gel (without caffeine) for the remainder of your run. Use a Gel Belt to carry your gels.

marathon19

Week one complete

5 mile recover this morning at 10.25min/mile

Did the junior parkrun with the pup and slowly slowly home for recover run,

ending the week on 27.6 very easy miles

Roll on the next 17

love running

marathon19

Just had a look at Strava detail for June, July tomorrow

15 hours running
25 sessions
99 miles

solid month and feeling good

marathon19

Rest day today, no miles

Was thinking about how to fit in some races so went and registered for the three race series, only realising after that I am away during the 10mile but how or never.

The 10k is not far of, I was wondering whats the best approach to this, do I run like the clappers or just with a little bit of effort, whats the effect of running easy for a few weeks and then digging deep at a 10k, is the recovery long in doing this?
Done want to get injured

ReeReeG

marathon19 wrote: »

Rest day today, no miles

Was thinking about how to fit in some races so went and registered for the three race series, only realising after that I am away during the 10mile but how or never.

The 10k is not far of, I was wondering whats the best approach to this, do I run like the clappers or just with a little bit of effort, whats the effect of running easy for a few weeks and then digging deep at a 10k, is the recovery long in doing this?
Done want to get injured

Only see this new log now, well done on starting one!
The Boards plan includes the races as races, so I would say go for it at the 10k.

marathon19

ReeReeG wrote: »

Only see this new log now, well done on starting one!
The Boards plan includes the races as races, so I would say go for it at the 10k.

Thanks you,I was hoping that was the case.

marathon19

Easy 3.9mile today at 9.45min/mile with the HR at 131bpm.

Seen some mention of cadence on another thread, will look it up tomorrow. I've checked my logs and its usually 160 to 170 (166 today)

Starting to get the slow mode and only have to work on pace. The first Mile from my house is slightly downhill (about 50m) for about a mile so this keeps pushing the first mile out.
On the flip side the last mile is slightly uphill which gives me the sweat after an easy couple.

Looking forward to tomorrow with the mile warm up and PMP for 3 then anoth mile warm down.

Will stick with the 9min per mile PMP plan for now, see how I progress

marathon19

What a beautiful day out, kinda glad I did the run this morning, out at about 5.45am on empty as usual with the short runs.

My watch is giving me hassle so I had to run by feeling

Mile 1 - 9.31/mi W/U
Mile 2 - 8.43/mi PMP
Mile 3 - 8.54/mi PMP
Mile 4 - 9.01/mi PMP
Mile 5 - 9.35/mi C/D

HR 141
Cadence 171
Overall pace 9.09/mi

All in all I'm happy with this, warm up and cool down identical in and around my planned easy pace,
My PMP could have been slightly better paced(maybe 10 seconds slower) but overall 8.53/mi averaging across the 3 miles PMP will do for a blind run.

My thought on the way it felt:
The easy miles were as expected. The PMP miles did feel a bit labored but not too much, my head was telling me that it would be hard to do nearly 9 times the distance at that pace with current fitness but I have 16 1/2 weeks left to fill the bank.

Anyway, out for some vitamin D now

Love running

marathon19

This mornings run was an easy 4 mile, my legs were a bit heavy, nothing much but noticeable after the ease of the first week.

4 mile at 9.29/mi
HR was ticking over at 133bpm
Cadence was 168 (still not sure what this is)

Weight at 90.8kg

The one comment I have about this run is that I was slightly fast compared to the 4 previous easy runs on this route. The difference is slight but I will keep an eye on it, don't want to speed up on these easy runs

04/07/2019
Morning Run
9:29/mi 38:05 133 bpm

02/07/2019
Morning Run
9:45/mi 38:21 131 bpm

26/06/2019
Morning Run
9:35/mi 38:40 137 bpm

25/06/2019
Morning Run
9:32/mi 36:41 139 bpm

So I've read all 66 pages of the sub 4 hour thread and its fantastic reading, some really interesting contributions. The other thing on my mind was related to this thread.Its not important now but later in the Boards plan there is no PMP adjustments in the LSRs. They seemed to be an important part of the pre race training mentioned in that thread.

How valuable is putting in a few PMP miles in LSRs?

For example when we reach 16/18 miles, would it be advantageous to run say 10 miles LSR pace then 4 or 5 miles at PMP and a C/D to finish the session?

I know I'm running ahead of myself, haven't even got to the hard bit yet but hey,

marathon19

Week two - complete

Yesterday I did the LSR

12 miles at 9.35/mile
HR 146

Nice easy run, hard to fully enjoy as I had to go to work after. Poor me. Also a bit fast but my watch is a bit dicky, will probably pull the trigger on new one after this post.

Today I did an easy recovery
4 miles at 9.57
HR was 136

legs a bit tired and again I had to rush to work after, hopefully no more weekend work in the near future, I love to do the LSR and relax with the family in the warm after run glow

Summary of week two
5 runs
29miles
4 hours 38 minutes of running

Still loving it, from next week on I am in uncharted territories, I've done the half distance a few times in the 1 hour 50s without any structure, just running it when I feel it.

As my LSR is at fastest 9.30 (should be 9.45) if I do anything over 13 miles I think it will be my longest time running. and after that I will be running longer distances than ever, exciting

marathon19

Week three

Started yesterday with an easy 4mile at 9.42/mi pace with HR ticking along at 136, bit disappointing with this as the mile on mile pace was gradual and slower. Ordered a new watch so hopefully will be able to pace better

Todays planned run was nice, the 5 mile with hill sprints,

Did the first 4.6 miles easy at an average 9.40/mi and HR averaging at 132, pace a bit better than yesterday- steady.
Then my chosen hill called, 8-10 second sprints uphill and walking down. Felt like a workout. then a little warm down to the house.

Overall this morning run including hill sprints was 5.5mile at 9.49/mi and HR 134.

marathon19

bit of an update - did an easy 4mile on Thursday at 9.39/mile pace and HR averaging 133, felt OK after the hill sprints, legs a bit tight but nothing fuss over,

Yesterday was a rest day, nothing of consequence to note.

LSR

14.8 miles at 9.40/mi with HR averaging 147

Negatives - still a bit faster than I would like but I think that's pacing and terrain with two of the downhill miles nearly hitting 9 min/mile territory, didn't plan the route right so did a bit more mileage than I had in mind( my new watch is on route *) as i planned 13 to 14 miles.

Positives - felt really good, had a bit in the tank when I got home. 14.8 miles is my furthest ever run and 2 hours 23 of running is the longest time I have ever ran.
Running slow is really growing on me.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the next few weeks as the miles will increase and some life gets in the way.

I have a two week holiday planned late august, normal daytime temperature will be up in the mid thirty's. If I start the planned LSR 16-18mile at 5am I might get away with 25C towards the tail end of the run. Tough.
The main problem with this is that the LSR's over 10 miles should be fueled properly and this currently involves getting up an hour or two earlier for some cereal fruit and coffee. I really dont fancy getting up at 3am on holidays even if its only for two runs so I tried breaking my fast with a gel this morning.
I got up out of bed and took a gel(23g carbs some sodium etc, high five), nothing else. 35 minutes later off I went.
Brought two more gels and a 250ml bottle with electrolytes.
That covered this mornings run as I only had what I would describe as fatigue in the last couple of miles. So this is an option for the morning LSRs while on holidays.

The other option for the LSR while away in warmer climes would be if I get access to a thread mill, I think our complex had a gym. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Would a 16 mile on the thread mill be any less useful for filling the tank than a 16 mile road run? Would it impact my training?

Side note, my HR seems to be a bit faster at the early part of the LSR than during the week even though the runs of late have been almost the same pace and route(my bad).
The 4 mile easy during the week usually doesn't see +130 until the third mile but hits +140 after about a mile on the LSR. Im thinking this is down to nerves, as I dont race I can see this happening prior, will see next week at the 10k.

Thanks for reading this rambling post, happy with today.

skyblue46

16 miles on a treadmill might be mindnumbingly boring but it won't set back your training at all. It's a perfectly viable option.

As for the heart rate....I'm guessing here that maybe your long run is done in the morning and your short runs in the evening. If so, it should be remembered that HR is generally higher in the mornings. If not....maybe it's nerves, heat or a few pints the night before. :pac:

marathon19

skyblue46 wrote: »

16 miles on a treadmill might be mindnumbingly boring but it won't set back your training at all. It's a perfectly viable option.

As for the heart rate....I'm guessing here that maybe your long run is done in the morning and your short runs in the evening. If so, it should be remembered that HR is generally higher in the mornings. If not....maybe it's nerves, heat or a few pints the night before. :pac:

Hey, thanks for the comment, really appreciated.

Happy with the info on the thread mill, might be a the plan savior while I am on holidays.

I'm leaning toward nerves, as I run all my runs in the morning and only have a drink of a Saturday evening and even then its not much.

Update on training,
Did the parkrun with the pup this morning, so a handy 2k, bit fast (8 mile/min)for my liking but the little one was trying hard.
Then 3.7miles at 10.12/mi and HR 141

Week three roundup

33.2 miles
5 hours 22 minutes running(two rest days)
LSR of 14.8miles

Getting exited about the 10k next weekend, only my second ever race. before this I only did the dublin half in 2017.

Obviously I haven't trained for a 10K as I am trying to follow the boards plan more or less so I'm not 100% how it will work for me.
If I feel OK I will try sub 50 but I haven't run this type of pace since last summer when all my running was 8-8.30 mile pace.

Anyone run this course? Is there anything of note to take into account? Any hills or dodgy bits? I haven't received any number yet, is this normal?

Love running

Kellygirl

16 miles on a treadmill sounds like torture. What about eating well the night before, something relatively light for breakfast and just go straight away, carrying gels? That’s what I would do if it was me. I couldn’t stay on a treadmill that long. You could work out your normal pace and how long it would take you to do 16 miles and just run for that length of time but slower than normal ... so you may not cover the whole 16 miles but you’ve gained the time on your feet at least?

marathon19

Kellygirl wrote: »

16 miles on a treadmill sounds like torture. What about eating well the night before, something relatively light for breakfast and just go straight away, carrying gels? That’s what I would do if it was me. I couldn’t stay on a treadmill that long. You could work out your normal pace and how long it would take you to do 16 miles and just run for that length of time but slower than normal ... so you may not cover the whole 6 times but you’ve gained the time on your feet at least?

Thanks Kellygirl, I haven't found any whole foods that don't cause me some discomfort unless I leave about an hour after eating, the gel I tested at the weekend is the closest to fueling on short notice I think I can use. I eat late as well so this shouldn't be a problem to add.

The advice on the time on feet is fantastic, its really given me something to think about. I think I will use this technique if its too warm out foreign.

Kellygirl

marathon19 wrote: »

Thanks Kellygirl, I haven't found any whole foods that don't cause me some discomfort unless I leave about an hour after eating, the gel I tested at the weekend is the closest to fueling on short notice I think I can use. I eat late as well so this shouldn't be a problem to add.

The advice on the time on feet is fantastic, its really given me something to think about. I think I will use this technique if its too warm out foreign.

Sorry - just saw there were typos in my post that I hadn’t noticed. The gel might be a good idea so - even start without one and start taking them 45 mins in?

marathon19

handy 4 mile easy yesterday
9.56 /mi and HR 134

Ah Wednesday, I like you

Today's schedule was a 6 mile trot with 4 mile PMP either side of easy running.

Mile 1. 9.42/mi HR 128 (estimate from graph)
Mile 2. 9.13/mi HR 136
Mile 3. 9.13/mi HR 137
Mile 4. 9.13/mi HR 139
Mile 5. 9.08/mi HR 144
Mile 6. 9.37/mi HR 142

Felt good, the PMP was easier than the last time, felt more natural and no great effort required.

marathon19

New watch arrived, made up

So this morning I set out on the usual 4 mile easy at 9.40/mi HR 130

Went merrily on my way to work for the day and came home to a surprise, new watch arrived. Really only an upgrade on my previous amazefit so just spent a bit of time on the software update and out I went for a sneaky 2 mile.
The reason I needed a new watch apart form it being 3 years old was because a week or two before the marathon plan started my old one started reading wrong distance and pace when live, which was off putting, luckily when the run went on to strava at home it was correct so I didn't loose any data just the ability to adjust pace while running.

The two mile was specific because its a known 2 mile and the pace downhill and uphill natural is about 30 second per mile different.
Mile 1 - 9.45
Mile 2 - 10.21
HR 130

Anyway, its working fine so now I have no excuses for out of plan pace .

marathon19

No LSR this week, South Dublin 10k tomorrow

Easy 4 mile this morning at 9.30/mi HR137

Not sure what to expect tomorrow as its my first 10k race. Aiming for <50 but who knows, haven't run at 8 minute per mile for a while so not sure if I can keep up the pace.

Anyway good luck to everyone racing tomorrow, hopefully it goes well for the lot of you.

marathon19

My first ever 10K race, the South Dublin 10km and my first race report

finish time of 49.18

Pre race

So yesterday I had an easy day with a 4mile trot in the morning, spent most of the day on a project and apart from half an apple tart and a can of coke I had some decent if not perfect fueling and hydration through the day.

Got up this morning at 7.30am and had a bowl of cornflakes and a cup of nice coffee. Gathered the fanclub and out the door at 9.20 to get to the venue at 10am.
My first impressions where positive, its a nice spot and there didnt seem to be any issues with access and parking.Lots of loo's,

I did a little 500m jog, some stretching and a bit of walking before the race. Keep my mind busy

The race

Walked up the start stretch and decided to sit at the rear of the sub 50 grouping, probably my only mistake of the day.
Off we go, I am plodding along in a compact group running to the start line thinking the pace will increase once we go under the start but the rear of the sub 50 line-out seems to be some type of twilight zone not really trying type group.
It was like running in mud, trying to look for gaps in the melee was frustrating as I had a clear plan to run 8/mi per mile and I didn't want to be on the back foot right from the start. Anyway lesson learned

First mile at 8.21

So it took me till the left turn to the park to get out of this grouping, felt good on the last bit of the stretch and loved the park, was able to move outside or in to get past people.

Second mile at 8.00

I had a decision to make here to push or just plod along and enjoy the race but I'm a stubborn **** so decided to push and get the sub 50 I aimed for.

Third mile at 7.53

This gave me an enormous amount of confidence and apart from high HR everything felt tickedy boo and I started to really enjoy the run.

Fourth mile at 7.47

Motoring along, smiling to myself. Look for people to wave at.
* one thing I did notice was the silence, everyone seemed to be in the zone.

Fifth mile at 7.59

Knew I had the sub 50 in the bag

Sixth mile at 7.52

Loved the canal stretch, fantastic. The hill before the turn home was a nice bit of a curve ball, worked quite a sweat getting it out of the way.

last .2 of a mile I legged it, 7.20/mi

Seen the fanclub and was made up to run under the finish line. Ate a banana, had some lucozade and watched some prize giving. The tee-shirts are lovely so another plus.

In the end I dont think I put in as much effort as I could have if there was a focus on 10k in recent training but it was good to hit a target.

The one thing I did notice was my HR was skyhigh, 0.2 of a mile into the race it was 164 and averaged 171 for the race. This is certainly nerves and I hope with more races I will calm down.

Really enjoyed that and reckon if I make the program to DCM and feel OK about running I will spend a couple of months on the 10k in the new year, see how it goes.

Thanks for reading, and well done to everyone else who run this race

biketard

Fantastic, marathon19. Well done getting sub 50.

I've been the victim of being in that sort of group a few times, btw. Sometimes it actually works out quite well for me because it prevents me from starting too quickly (which I have a tendency to do with all the excitement of an organised run). That said, I do feel you inevitably waste extra energy overall trying to find a way through.

marathon19

biketard wrote: »

Fantastic, marathon19. Well done getting sub 50.

I've been the victim of being in that sort of group a few times, btw. Sometimes it actually works out quite well for me because it prevents me from starting too quickly (which I have a tendency to do with all the excitement of an organised run). That said, I do feel you inevitably waste extra energy overall trying to find a way through.

Thanks Biketard, in retrospect I think it was a good lesson and probably one that sticking the race series in the program is designed to teach us groms.

I like the 10K distance,

marathon19

For some reason this week got away from me, didn't even think about updating the log, family stuff and busy with work.

Monday I took a rest day after the 10K on Sunday, was thinking of sticking a very easy 2 or 3 miles but in the end I got some sleep.

Tuesday was a nice easy 5 mile at 9.40/mi and HR ticking over at 137, I felt OK doing this,

Wednesday was the strides so an easy 6 mile at 9.35/mi and HR ticking over at 133 then the strides at the end.
I have a nice 100m cycle track near my house which is deserted early in the morning, my strides consist of about 70m, easing in and upping the speed gradually for about 40 meters then nearly full throttle for 15m and a 15meter slowdown and a walk back to the start x 6

Left me a bit tight especially at the back of the left knee but overall I like strides

Thursday was another easy 5mile at 9.36/mi and HR of 134, my legs were a bit heavy on the first two or three miles, some serious sweat

Rest day today

LSR tomorrow morning,

Some heat this week

marathon19

The LSR week 5,

16 miles at 9.30/mi pace with HR ticking over at 144

I was looking forward to this one all week, had 16 mile planned and route in mind, high five tabs ready.

Up at 5.50am for a bowl of cereal and strawberry's, cup of coffee and half a high five in 200ml of water.

Relaxed till 7.30 and off I went,

Knew within the first mile my hip was going to give me trouble,it had been Ok ish the last few weeks with only a slight niggle but the periodic trob I felt is not a good sign and almost always means I will feel it.

I paced this run all wrong,I had planned on 9.45/mi but went out on the first mile at PMP (9.05) without even realising it. I mentioned before that the first mile is a long slow downhill and today I also had a breeze on my back.

Pulled it back in for the second at 9.40 but back out at 9.20 on the third. I can only think its the hip as for some reason the slow pace is more likely to cause pain. If I kick on the pain goes down.

So after the third I got some rythm and was able to pace 9.34-9.44 for the next 5 miles then I had a slow one at 10.00 which was fine as the terrain was a bit undulating.

The next four miles I bolloxed up with three miles almost PMP.

Finished with my hip sore but not bad and on a positive note I felt like I could have done another 2 or 3 miles.

Longest run ever, longest time ever and still had something in the tank. The plan is working guys, but I have to work on my pacing.

On a side note I had a normal wholefood breakfast but used three gels at the rate recommended by the manufacturer, every 45 minutes. I am happy now that the gels I am using are fine and will use them for the marathon but in the short term probably take the advise on the mentors thread about minimising the gels till the big day to let the body learn to use the fats instead of carbs.


Thanks for reading guys,

biketard

Good going, marathon19.

If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing outside of the running as far as stretching/foam rolling/core work? I ask because of those niggles you've mentioned.

marathon19

biketard wrote: »

Good going, marathon19.

If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing outside of the running as far as stretching/foam rolling/core work? I ask because of those niggles you've mentioned.

Hey, my schedule is pretty tight so I don't have much time for anything other than a few stretches before and after the running. I do have another outlet but its time consuming and so I've put it on the backburner till November.

My stretching is not structured and probably not good either, as I run mostly run in the morning I do some static stretches to loosen up, I've tried dynamic stretches as recommended prior to running but they always seem to impact my hip if done as soon as I wake up. I usually have a 100m walk before starting the run.
After running I'm pretty bad, a few static stretches if I did hill sprints or anything strenuous but mainly its making breakfast, showering and out the door to work.

Id would say this and pacing are my achilles heal.

marathon19

So we are into week 5, and finished July.

For the most part I've enjoyed it. More importantly I'm learning and picking up little tit bits from the other posters on here. Some of the logs are fabulous.

After the LSR on Saturday I did an easy 4 mile recovery, slow and a small stop in the middle for a chat. 10.13 per mile.

Rest day Monday-

Then yesterday I did an easy 5 mile at 9.40/mi and the HR ticking over at 128.

Today I did and easy mile, tried six at PMP and an easy mile to cool down with my HR averaging at 138 , again the pace was not good.

Mile 1 - 9.35 (to fast by about 10 seconds)
Mile 2 - 8.57 9(to fast by about 10 seconds)
Mile 3 - 8.55(to fast by about 10 seconds)
Mile 4 - 8.58(to fast by about 10 seconds)
Mile 5 - 9.10 OK
Mile 6 - 9.14 OK
Mile 7 - 8.56 (to fast by about 10 seconds)
Mile 8 - 9.43 OK

After some thought the next few weeks will be planned with
Easy at 9.40
LSR at 9.55
PMP at 9.10

I will aim to hit these and build up some feeling so at least the PMP is natural.

July stats

• 139 miles
• 22 hours running
• 23 activities

Building a base (need to sort the pace and maybe stretching)

Roll on August and thanks for reading,

marathon19

Thursday I did my scheduled 5 mile easy at 9.43/mi and the HR averaging at 130

Friday is a rest day, I like the rest day

LSR

18.6 miles at 9.46/mi (3 hours and 1 minute running) and HR averaging 148

Today was a bit of drama; about 3/4 of a mile into the run I realised I hadn't prepared right, no protection for the nipples (this is a sore topic) so I turned around and had a quick pit stop to apply the vasaline. As I'm a creature of habit this changed the route in my head and spent another mile or two trying to adapt a new route to fit in the return to the house for a 17 mile.
Got back into the rythm about 3 or 4 miles in, plodding along at a leisurely pace along my usual route which includes a sandy track which is wide enough for two abreast and grass either side. I can see two other sloggers from about 500 meters so I put myself tight to the left side of the track which would normally be fine as most joggers have some cop on but low and behold the mongo on my side doesn't seem to think its appropriate to drop in behind his partner or in front as would normally happen, decides to play chicken with me. I took the grass and left him to his minor victory. What is it with some people!

Of I go trying to gather any bit of zen left in the universe

next, Ive been in Malahide Castle park a hundred times and today I got a bit lost, well ran in circles is a more apt description. Instead of one lap around the outside walking tracks of the grounds I did two inner tracks and an outside. By the time I got out I was 4.5 miles away from home with 14 miles done.

Had to stop for a pee then, Ive never had to stop during a long run, this added to the strange day. And as I was way over on milage I had drop into a spar and use my emergency €2 coin for a bottle of still water, this coinn has never been used before as I usually have enough hydration.
When I eventually got home and stretched out the run I sat down only to be confronted on RTE news with a recall warning for spar still water which supposedly has elevated levels of arsenic in it.
Then the misses tried to get me too go to IKEA, no fing way, curtains pulled lying on the couch, I'm not even going to answer the door.

See ye tomorrow

Thanks for reading,

Laineyfrecks

marathon19 wrote: »

Thursday I did my scheduled 5 mile easy at 9.43/mi and the HR averaging at 130

Friday is a rest day, I like the rest day

LSR

18.6 miles at 9.46/mi (3 hours and 1 minute running) and HR averaging 148

Today was a bit of drama; about 3/4 of a mile into the run I realised I hadn't prepared right, no protection for the nipples (this is a sore topic) so I turned around and had a quick pit stop to apply the vasaline. As I'm a creature of habit this changed the route in my head and spent another mile or two trying to adapt a new route to fit in the return to the house for a 17 mile.
Got back into the rythm about 3 or 4 miles in, plodding along at a leisurely pace along my usual route which includes a sandy track which is wide enough for two abreast and grass either side. I can see two other sloggers from about 500 meters so I put myself tight to the left side of the track which would normally be fine as most joggers have some cop on but low and behold the mongo on my side doesn't seem to think its appropriate to drop in behind his partner or in front as would normally happen, decides to play chicken with me. I took the grass and left him to his minor victory. What is it with some people!

Of I go trying to gather any bit of zen left in the universe

next, Ive been in Malahide Castle park a hundred times and today I got a bit lost, well ran in circles is a more apt description. Instead of one lap around the outside walking tracks of the grounds I did two inner tracks and an outside. By the time I got out I was 4.5 miles away from home with 14 miles done.

Had to stop for a pee then, Ive never had to stop during a long run, this added to the strange day. And as I was way over on milage I had drop into a spar and use my emergency €2 coin for a bottle of still water, this coinn has never been used before as I usually have enough hydration.
When I eventually got home and stretched out the run I sat down only to be confronted on RTE news with a recall warning for spar still water which supposedly has elevated levels of arsenic in it.
Then the misses tried to get me too go to IKEA, no fing way, curtains pulled lying on the couch, I'm not even going to answer the door.

See ye tomorrow

Thanks for reading,

Very funny read I also had a game of chicken today :O idiots!!! Enjoy the rest haha

skyblue46

I just dropped in to see how you're getting on and I'm a bit confused by your paces. Your planned easy pace is only 30 seconds slower than your PMP and your LSR pace only 45 seconds (though you actually ran it only 36 seconds slower than PMP). I'd strongly suggest getting the easy and LSR paces in the range of 60-90 secs slower than PMP, closer to 90 in fact.

marathon19

skyblue46 wrote: »

I just dropped in to see how you're getting on and I'm a bit confused by your paces. Your planned easy pace is only 30 seconds slower than your PMP and your LSR pace only 45 seconds (though you actually ran it only 36 seconds slower than PMP). I'd strongly suggest getting the easy and LSR paces in the range of 60-90 secs slower than PMP, closer to 90 in fact.

Hi Skyblue46, i really appreciate your taking the time to review and advise on my current pacing. I loved your threads on here, essential reading.

My pacing is certainly off and I am tight on the slow runs. I have read the advise you guys and previous mentors are giving and I know I am a bit on the fast side for the slow run. I suppose I am aiming for endurance by sitting in the 30 to 60 seconds slower than the PMP. I cant see myself going over the 60 seconds mark for LSR as it stands but I am chewing on it.

With some slight alteration on milage the boards plan is perfect for me and I am 100% that it will get me to the finish line but I am majorly concerned about the last 10K.
I suppose my fear(unfounded and no scientific basis but ) is that by making the LSR pace too easy I am reducing the chance of getting through the last 6 miles without some major malfunction.
This is the one area I see time and again in the logs as when people struggle, even the guys and gals that trained perfect and had good half and 10 mile times.

Also I am finding running natural doesn't allow the pacing to be perfect. For example this morning I did 1 x easy 6 x PMP and 1 cooldown. I made no effort to alter pace accordingly and ran how I thought 9.07 should feel
Terrain and breeze had some miles at 8.51 and some at 9.17. This is how i see the Marathon going. From reading hundreds of posts I see the first 7 miles are slow and should be taken easy or it can dramatically effect the later part of the race, I would see this as 9.15 to 9.25 pace and then dropping into maybe 8.55 -9.00 after the 7 miles to re align for 9.07. This is partially where the 9.45 LSR comes from

Maybe Im over thinking the whole pace thing,

The last 3 runs since my last post are a bit more conservative.

Let me know what you think, Im not soft so be honest if I'm making a balls of it.

marathon19

Sunday after LSR Stiff but OK, hip a bit sore but nothing to write home about

5 miles at 9.58/mi with the HR high at 148, very warm and a black training vest didnt help.

Monday, rest day, howth cliff walk and pizza, all good

Tuesday I woke late so reduced milage
4 mile at 9.52/mi and the HR at 132

Today, 1 mile easy 6 miles PMP and 1 cool down HR averaging at 142
Mile 1 - 9.46
Mile 2 - 9.11
Mile 3 - 8.53
Mile 4 - 8.52
Mile 5 - 9.17
Mile 6 - 9.07
Mile 7 - 8.51
Mile 8 - 9.34

All over the shop

I thoroughly enjoyed this run though.

Thanks for reading

skyblue46

I won't harp on about the benefits of running slowly. You've read the novices thread and know the science. My total faith is based on my own experiences over the 2 marathon blocks I have done. I had a quick look back on Strava at this week in 2017 and 2018. In 2017 I did 2 easy runs this week at 10:29 and 10:00 paces. I ran 3:47 in DCM, I had a 1:57/1:50 negative split and the last 10k was my fastest 10k. In 2018 I ran 3 easy runs this week at 9:22, 9:21 and 9:15 pace. I had done a recent 40:07 10k so you can see how easy I run. I ran a 3:16 marathon, a 1:40/1:36 negative split, last 10k the fastest and mile 24 was my fastest. Trust the science, pace sensibly and there is no reason to fear the last 10k!

Edit to say this week's paces are a lot better, well done.

marathon19

skyblue46 wrote: »

I won't harp on about the benefits of running slowly. You've read the novices thread and know the science. My total faith is based on my own experiences over the 2 marathon blocks I have done. I had a quick look back on Strava at this week in 2017 and 2018. In 2017 I did 2 easy runs this week at 10:29 and 10:00 paces. I ran 3:47 in DCM, I had a 1:57/1:50 negative split and the last 10k was my fastest 10k. In 2018 I ran 3 easy runs this week at 9:22, 9:21 and 9:15 pace. I had done a recent 40:07 10k so you can see how easy I run. I ran a 3:16 marathon, a 1:40/1:36 negative split, last 10k the fastest and mile 24 was my fastest. Trust the science, pace sensibly and there is no reason to fear the last 10k!

Edit to say this week's paces are a lot better, well done.

I just hope hope I have a similar experience when the day comes, I know the months before are when it matters.

marathon19

For some reason I was thinking it was week 6 but no, its week 7.

Thursday I did an easy 5mile at 9.40/mi and 140 HR

Friday rest day

This morning I set out with a bit of a plan, LSR 17 miles no pre run fuel and only one gel. Half a tab of high five in 250ml bottle of water.

Done 17 mile at 9.49/mi and HR averaging at 153 (gradually slowing down, might try 10min per mile next week)

Ive been testing gels and fueling methods for the marathon the last few long runs so I decided to go old school this week and only fuel after the 2 hour mark to get the body used to using fats instead of carbs. The plan was to run empty for the first 13 mile and then use the gel.
That was tough, once I hit the 2 hour mark I was really struggling, tired irritated and really not liking the feeling.

Apart from that the run was awesome, pissing down and breezy so no civilians for the first couple of hours, my hip didn't give me any problems for the first time in ages and I more than likely could have stuck another couple of miles at the end once the gel kicked in.

A hard day done, now for some grub.

marathon19

Week 8,

Travelling a bit this week so the schedule lapsed slightly

Monday - rest day
Tuesday - squeezed in a 6mile at 8.55/mile PMP(to fast)
Wednesday - planes trains and automobiles, no miles
Thursday - 7 easy miles at 9.49/ mile in 28c, tough but nice.
Friday - rest ( spent the day in the sea)
Saturday - 18 miles at 9.55/mile and got lucky with a cooler morning, only 22c. Felt good.
Today - easy 6 mile at 9.55/mile. Scorcher. 28c.

The next week is looking like 30c days so will try to keep of the vino and hydrate but.

Will update a bit less the next 10 days as I try to drop out while away.

Love running

marathon19

Quick update,

Still on holidays, hot and sticky but right beside the beach and a pool in the complex.

Tuesday - easy 6 mile at 9.57/mile
Wednesday - pace 10mile at 9.08/mile
Thursday - easy 6 mile at 9.40/mile
Today - 15 mile : easy out first mile then 13 pace and last mile easy.

Would have loved to do the FD 10 today. Running a 10 mile fast here would probably wreck me so I planned a half at pace to get a feel for it. Was OK
9.59 first mile
9.05 average over 13
9.56 last mile

To much PMP this week, I know I read the link on the main marathon thread. Will stick more to plan when I am home.

My thinking on this week's pace is simple enough, I was in two mind about the Dublin half to either race or test my PMP. Got the PMP over, 13 out of my system so should be able to race the half. Will decide after the half on my A target time for the big day.

Be gentle

marathon19

Second last run here, 32C Sunny and sweaty

Did a very easy 4. 2 mile at 9.49/mile

Rest tomorrow then a run Tuesday and back to Ireland Wednesday for some normal weather

marathon19

Last day on holidays

Did an early morning run but still 25C, fierce warm and sweaty

6.2miles at 10.04 per mile, hr average 137

Great holiday but won't miss the mosquitoes, legs eaten by the lite bast××rds.

Tomorrow I will be running in my beautiful North County Dublin

marathon19

Back to reality and hopefully more regular updating,



Wed -8 mile at 9.08/mi and HR ticking over at 140
Thur- 4 mile at 9.58/mile with HR ticking over at 134
Sat - 19 miles at 9.48/mile and HR averaging at 146 over the run.
Sun - 5 mile recovery this morning at 10.30/mile


Wednesday I did the first and last easy with the middle 6 miles at 9 mins per mile PMP. Felt great to run in normal temperatures but my achilles was sore during and after.

Thursday did an easy all the way,

Saturday LSR of 19 mile was a bit nervy, the first 10 miles I was mentally checking my right achilles which was sore since Wednesdays 8 mile. It didn't get any worse so that was a big big relief and getting a long run is only great once its done.
Did an easy 5 mile recovery this morning at 10.30/mile, slight pain at the back of the knee on the right leg, probably as a result of trying not to aggravate my achilles yesterday.

184 miles for the month of August over 21 runs, strava seems to be down this morning so no in dept analysis but I'm very happy with this month.

Side note, anyone who runs in and around Malahide probably knows about the water dispenser in Malahide Castle beside the start line for the parkrun. I only discovered it yesterday.
This is fantastic, seems to be perfectly designed for joggers and even for putting the head under if your warm.
Im usually at about 10 mile on my long run when I hit the park and yesterday I did three laps filling my 200ml bottle each time to re hydrate.

Its the little things, fair play to who ever put this in, makes my long run less painful to know I can get a water refill without having to go into a shop and queue

All good,

marathon19

Ran a lovely 4 mile this morning

10.02 per mile
HR ticking over at 125

Getting darker and cooler in the mornings.