Shotgun 2020

Tuesday 30 April
Plan: Easy 5m
Actual: Easy 5m @8:22

Simple easy miles this morning before breakfast. Its the sinus that was bothering me but Caz (Pharmacist) has me dosed up and I feel reasonably healthy. The body on the other hand felt not as good. The right Achilles is tight every morning but loosens out soon enough. It took a mile to warm it up. My neck and shoulders are stiff for some reason. Basically taper sucks!

Not that it really feels like a traditional taper. I've run 47m in the last 6 days and there are 15 easy miles left to run before Sunday. Hopefully some of those miles feel light and fresh

I'd like to be a bit lighter again but I can't complain with the weight loss. This time last year I was watching the marathon 10kg heavier than I am this morning!

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I'm playing a bit of catchup here but is the target sub 3? Seems like everyone I know is sick this week from tapering!

It was originally but I didn't have the base built before starting the plan and I missed 2 weeks mid plan with the flu. So that would put it out of my reach this time. I haven't done proper marathon since 2011 (hence the need for a base) so the main goal is to finish strong and get the mojo back for running in general and going after sub3 at the DCM

healy1835 wrote: »

I appear to be sick from the bloody prospect of a slight HM race week taper

I was perfectly healthy last Friday. Just cumulative fatigue. Then had mild headaches over the weekend and slight sniffles. Like the beginning of a headcold but other symptoms indicated sinus. My Wife is a Pharmacist and stepped in to worried marathon tapering hubby paranoia :rolleyes::cool: Sinus is not a concern for running for me unless it turns into a cough, then I'm in trouble with asthma.

Fingers crossed its just a bit of stress and a few days of fluids, calm and sleep will cover it and we will meet with smiles on Sunday

ReeReeG wrote: »

Best of luck on Sunday! It's been a really interesting training block to follow both on here and Strava. Will you be sharing your bib number for the tracker

Thanks V. I suppose I will when I get it, sure why not! Interesting indeed. Its the first time I've followed a structured marathon plan, which is a bit mad if you knew more about my background.

But the thing is, there is a gulf of 18 months+ worth of Injury and Illness between that background and the start of this plan. I broke a few bones falling off a mountain bike which took some rehab after my teammates dragged me (willingly!) through a long adventure race 6 weeks later. Tried to get fit in 2017 only to get pretty ill (enough to change my outlook on life), learned to manage it and got better. I started to get fit again during those 2 glorious sunny months of summer last year but tore my hamstring. That sucked. What sucked more was tearing my glute during the rehab! By winter I started running again to build a base fitness but an illness lead to severe asthma attacks, enough to tear an intercostal muscle, seriously! :rolleyes:

In 2016 I was fit before the wheels came off, figuratively and literally. 2017 and most of 2018 were write offs. So, in a very waffly way, I'm very interested to see how this pans out too! Hopefully the training translates to a decent performance and something positive that I can build upon. Its probably the first time since I did my first marathon in 2008 (DCM 3:33 eating melting mars bars as fuel) that I give the marathon the respect it needs

Last few runs on the plan

Thursday 2 May
Plan: Easy 6m
Actual: Easy 6.07m @7:48

Simple easy miles out the countryside in a cold wind brrrr. The body felt creaky and lazy. As I warmed up I felt better and the pace improved for the same effort.

Friday 3 May
Plan: Easy 6m
Actual: 6.12m as 10min Easy, 10min MP, 5min Easy, 5x200m strides, 10m Easy

I jogged down to the start line, kicked about a few dynamic stretches and ran the first 10min of the route at MP. I felt great, really great. In fact MP felt better than easy slow running! I had to pull the reins back several times but I had a tailwind too on the long Hyde Road so all relative. Bringing it back to easy actually tightened my hamstring a little. On the strides I just accelerated to MP and held it for 45 secs 5 times with a minute easy. I finished the run feeling better than I started and ready to get onto the carbs!!

I was feeling a bit nervous during the week but rather calm today. I've reasoned with myself. I've pushed through all kinds of pain in events before and I just have to tap into that when it gets tough. I also just have to manage the effort, hydration, electrolytes and gels to minimize the risk if cramp. My running buddy is nervous enough for the both of us. He is aiming for a 3:05 for a PB. We both have the training done and at the paces to suggest that is on. His LRs are a bit traditionally longer though with a longest of 21m and longest MP of 13m. He also has a more recent base (3:10 last year). Under the Hansons plan my longest was 18m and longest MP was 10m but I did more midweek MP running overall.

I have a plan in my head with a couple of scenarios. I feel good and the weather looks to be perfect. Busy morning tomorrow as Caz is working. I have to bring the kids to their morning activities and then drag them over to the expo. 50/50 excited/nervous