DCM 2019 - Mentored Novices Thread

ReeReeG · 14-05-2019 11:53am

passinginterest wrote: »

Quick question regarding training paces. I’m reassessing mine after Sunday’s 5 mile race. I’m starting a plan for the Clontarf Half on 6th July and then I’ll switch into the DCM plan. I’ve always used McMillan and found it ok, but I took a look at runfastcoach paces too out of curiosity and the suggested easy and very easy paces are vastly slower on that. My thinking at the moment is I’ll stick to the slower end of the McMillan suggestions, but curious if others have experience with other pace calculators and which they use?

Yeah, that was something I've noticed from having used both for pace parameters. I know the McMillan paces have served DCM novices well before, so I wouldn't worry about them being that bit faster than the runfastcoach ones, especially with your intention to stick to the slower end of the range.

If you're trying the new paces over the next couple of weeks, maybe assess how you're feeling at the end of the easy runs - do you feel like you could carry on at that same pace for another 40 mins or more etc? I would expect it to be fine however.

passinginterest · 14-05-2019 2:53pm

ReeReeG wrote: »

Yeah, that was something I've noticed from having used both for pace parameters. I know the McMillan paces have served DCM novices well before, so I wouldn't worry about them being that bit faster than the runfastcoach ones, especially with your intention to stick to the slower end of the range.

If you're trying the new paces over the next couple of weeks, maybe assess how you're feeling at the end of the easy runs - do you feel like you could carry on at that same pace for another 40 mins or more etc? I would expect it to be fine however.

Sounds very sensible. There’s a fairly significant increase in pace based on my five mile time. I think I’ll just stick to the slower end and see how it feels alright. Thanks.

shotgunmcos · 14-05-2019 3:39pm

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Hi all, first time marathoner in Dublin 2019, have been running for a little over a year, trained for the Limerick 6 mile in 2018 having watched and cheered the runners for years and promising that I'd do it 'next year' every time, started enjoying the early morning headspace shortly afterwards (all my running is done before 7:30 except at weekends.

Male, 44, about 80kg, played lots of sport when younger to a reasonably high level but had become quite unfit before the running.

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)

5k- 20:07. 12 Jan 2019
I feel I could go under 20mins but I don't like the distance so don't ever go to parkrun anymore
10k- 42:30 sometime in March
Half Marathon: 1:36 Great Limerick Run 2019

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No
How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
4 runs a week approx., maybe 5. 45-55k
What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
3:30 is what I'm hoping for, 42k at 5mins per k feels achievable

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
No plan yet, should be able to do 5 sessions aweek
What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Injury

Why are you running this marathon?
to prove to myself that I can do it, still feels like a mad distance

Fair play for signing up for DCM and well done on 1:36 at Limerick! Certainly suggests that if you do the training over the next 5 months 3:30 is achievable and would be a fabulous debut marathon!

And from one early morning dawn runner to another, fair play getting up and getting it done first thing!

I went for 3:30 in my first marathon years ago and came up short 3:33 (DCM) because I cramped over the last few miles. Looking back I ran all my runs too fast (at 8min miles!) and didn't fuel properly on the day (mars bars!). Things that are easily fixed in hindsight

Off 5 days a week it is definitely still achievable but at 55k a week, now that would be a challenge. I'll leave it to the mentors to do their thing but wishing you the very best of luck!

jake1970 · 14-05-2019 5:42pm

Huzzah! wrote: »

Welcome, Treviso. First off, good luck on Sunday. Be sure and report back on how you get on.

If that's the P&L plan from Faster Road Running, I've followed it a couple of times myself. It should stand you in good stead for Cork.

I don't have the Advanced Marathoning Plan to hand but I'll have a wee look tonight. I'd be interested if some of the more experienced Boardsies could chip in on an opinion on using it for a first marathon.

I used the 12 week up to 55mile P&D plan when I was a novice in 2015. I achieved my target time(sub 3:20) using it.

The important thing with the P&D plans is to have a solid base before starting it. In 2015 I had 1000 miles in the legs that year before starting the plan and the previous year I had 1600 miles run for the year.

So Treviso if u have a good solid base built up over the last few years I would say give P&D a go, it will be tough but doable. Just a word of caution, the plans are aimed at more experienced runners and at the moment you are running only 30 miles per week. The plan gets pretty intense straight away, the ramp up in mileage and intensity can lead to injuries.

Huzzah! · 15-05-2019 9:58am

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Fair play for signing up for DCM and well done on 1:36 at Limerick! Certainly suggests that if you do the training over the next 5 months 3:30 is achievable and would be a fabulous debut marathon!

And from one early morning dawn runner to another, fair play getting up and getting it done first thing!

I went for 3:30 in my first marathon years ago and came up short 3:33 (DCM) because I cramped over the last few miles. Looking back I ran all my runs too fast (at 8min miles!) and didn't fuel properly on the day (mars bars!). Things that are easily fixed in hindsight

Off 5 days a week it is definitely still achievable but at 55k a week, now that would be a challenge. I'll leave it to the mentors to do their thing but wishing you the very best of luck!

All input gratefully accepted and much appreciated

I guess it's good to have a time goal for now but to keep in mind that it might be revised the closer we get to the marathon based on how well training has gone. I revised my own time down by 10 minutes and it was the best decision I made.

Lombardo123 · 15-05-2019 9:11pm

Hi all,

Have set myself up for doing the boards plan. For the next few weeks im just trying to get out the four days, so far so good.
Trying to get used to Wednesday being a day with some variety like the plan says, so tonight i went out and did the attached intervals
(warm up, then 8x500m with 1 min rest, then cool down)

I got giddy and went too quick but enjoyed the variety.. but when setting up the session i just landed on those intervals.
Whats a logical way to structure the intervals week by week, and more importantly - at what pace? Is there a formula?
If i was in the gym, i would do lets say:

5x5 at a weight 3x3 at a heavier weight 3x2 3x1 at the heaviest etc
Taking my 8x500 tonight with 1 min rest, would you go to:

9x500 w/1min rest 8x600 w/1min rest 8x500 w/50 seconds rest
Or are all of the above fine once it is changing? Any help appreciated as i can see the value in the short, sharp session - i dont feel achy and look forward to going again tomorrow already.

skyblue46 · 15-05-2019 9:19pm

Lombardo123 wrote: »

Hi all,

Have set myself up for doing the boards plan. For the next few weeks im just trying to get out the four days, so far so good.
Trying to get used to Wednesday being a day with some variety like the plan says, so tonight i went out and did the attached intervals
(warm up, then 8x500m with 1 min rest, then cool down)

I got giddy and went too quick but enjoyed the variety.. but when setting up the session i just landed on those intervals.
Whats a logical way to structure the intervals week by week, and more importantly - at what pace? Is there a formula?
If i was in the gym, i would do lets say:
5x5 at a weight 3x3 at a heavier weight 3x2 3x1 at the heaviest etc

Taking my 8x500 tonight with 1 min rest, would you go to:
9x500 w/1min rest 8x600 w/1min rest 8x500 w/50 seconds rest

Or are all of the above fine once it is changing? Any help appreciated as i can see the value in the short, sharp session - i dont feel achy and look forward to going again tomorrow already.

Hmm...ok so you are going to follow the Boards plan. Wednesdays are predominantly PMP runs. I'd do less of the short and fast stuff at faster than your 5k pace. It doesn't really offer you much in terms of marathon training or base building.

I'd be inclined to stick with the endurance work. A first marathon is about getting around as comfortably as you can. Times can be improved in subsequent marathons.

Kerbey · 15-05-2019 9:33pm

Hi Mr Guappa

Wasn’t going to post but then read a few novices like me. I’m just doing 3 miles 3 times per week but find it hard to get breathing under control. Harmon showing pace of between 10:51 and 11:51. Any tips much appreciated.
Well done and thanks on the Board

Lombardo123 · 15-05-2019 9:51pm

skyblue46 wrote: »

Hmm...ok so you are going to follow the Boards plan. Wednesdays are predominantly PMP runs. I'd do less of the short and fast stuff at faster than your 5k pace. It doesn't really offer you much in terms of marathon training or base building.

I'd be inclined to stick with the endurance work. A first marathon is about getting around as comfortably as you can. Times can be improved in subsequent marathons.

Absolutely made a b***s of interpreting what i was supposed be doing on Wednesdays. At least i learned it early in the process, no idea why i read it a certain way. Thanks.

skyblue46 · 15-05-2019 9:54pm

Lombardo123 wrote: »

Absolutely made a b***s of interpreting what i was supposed be doing on Wednesdays. At least i learned it early in the process, no idea why i read it a certain way. Thanks.

Yeah, pace is Predicted Marathon Pace. It is not really fast paced running. It is to get you used to running at the pace you will run on the day.

Mr. Guappa · 15-05-2019 10:10pm

Kerbey wrote: »

Hi Mr Guappa

Wasn’t going to post but then read a few novices like me. I’m just doing 3 miles 3 times per week but find it hard to get breathing under control. Harmon showing pace of between 10:51 and 11:51. Any tips much appreciated.
Well done and thanks on the Board

Hi Kerbey, you are very welcome! Stick around and you will find yourself learning loads.

Paces are going to be relative to your fitness levels, an 11:00 minute mile might fall in the easy range for some, but for others it might be considerably more work. Perhaps you are going too fast, and that's why you're finding it difficult to control your breathing. Most of your runs in marathon training should be at a pace at which you could comfortably hold a conversation.

Do you have a recent race time that you can use as a guide to determine what your easy pace should be?

Fraggle07 · 15-05-2019 10:30pm

Hi, a first time marathoner here. Thanks for this thread.
Looking forward to the journey....

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Great Ireland Run 10k in 56mins and March half marathon in 2hrs 7.

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No

How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Get out about 3 times a week.

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
Getting to the start line injury free. Completing injury free. I have 4 hrs 30 in my head for some reason as a target time.

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
4-5 hopefully. I like HH Novice 1. Haven't looked into the boards one yet.

What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Having the time to get out and train 4-5 days a week. Getting injured.

Why are you running this marathon?
Once I achieved half marathon distance, it felt like the next logical goal.
Happened to cross paths with a few who ran it last year. I felt inspired by them so decided to sign up as well as last year's Boards thread.

kyomi · 15-05-2019 10:40pm

Huzzah! wrote: »

Welcome, kyomi. You've some nice PBs there and a really nice base. I like your goal for the marathon itself, too. We all have many fears heading into marathon training, whether it's the first or umpteenth time we've done it, so you're not alone. All we can do is control the controllables and train as well as we can for the day itself.

My main knowledge of Professor Noakes is from Marathon Talk, so I must get that book and have a read. If you like, you can post your plan and we can have one of the more experienced Boardsies take a look?

Thanks, Huzzah! Yes, I'll try and figure out a way of posting my plan (maybe in summary as it's a large Excel file).

I've found this thread really interesting so far and I'm intrigued to see other people are running by heart rate. This is something I've started to do over the last three weeks so I don't really have any idea yet whether it's working or not. I calculated a training heart rate of 134-144 based on the max heart rate from my Garmin and I'm trying to do my easy runs at a pace that allows me to stay below that. Some of the information online says that you should do all your runs at this pace, while others allow you to fit in faster sessions on some days. Can others share any websites about heart rate training that they found useful?

I do find that when I do my long runs at a super-slow pace (3 mins/mile slower than my 5K pace) I feel less exhausted and more functional for the remainder of the day. If this keeps up it will make marathon training a lot easier (although a lot more lonely, as most of my running pals run a lot faster than I do!).

When it comes to long runs, though, I feel like there must be a point at which the additional time on your feet due to running at such a slow pace must cancel out any energy benefits from keeping your heart rate low?

Mr. Guappa · 16-05-2019 1:04am

Fraggle07 wrote: »

Hi, a first time marathoner here. Thanks for this thread.
Looking forward to the journey....

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Great Ireland Run 10k in 56mins and March half marathon in 2hrs 7.

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No

How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Get out about 3 times a week.

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
Getting to the start line injury free. Completing injury free. I have 4 hrs 30 in my head for some reason as a target time.

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
4-5 hopefully. I like HH Novice 1. Haven't looked into the boards one yet.

What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Having the time to get out and train 4-5 days a week. Getting injured.

Why are you running this marathon?
Once I achieved half marathon distance, it felt like the next logical goal.
Happened to cross paths with a few who ran it last year. I felt inspired by them so decided to sign up as well as last year's Boards thread.

Hi Fraggle07, welcome!

You're right to look forward to the journey. I enjoyed the training so much last year - ticking off runs as I completed them, running farther than I'd ever ran in a day, or a week. It's not just about one day in October, the path we take there gives a lot of satisfaction too.

HHN1 seems like a good fit. For now, try to work on getting into the regular routine of running 4 days a week, the mileage doesn't need to be spectacular.

You don't mention what type of mileage you cover in a typical week? How long have you been running?

Mr. Guappa · 16-05-2019 4:43am

You may have noticed that we’ve occasionally mentioned the importance of slowing down :pac:
I just wanted to explore some of the reasons for this a little bit.

It sounds counter-intuitive – run slower to get faster. But it works!
Running at any distance is a largely aerobic event, but at marathon distance this is especially true. Even for a 10km race, 90% of the energy required to run the race is produced via aerobic metabolism.

We achieve a strong aerobic base through lots and lots of slow, easy paced running (aerobic exercise). A strong aerobic system basically means that your body is supplying enough oxygen to your muscles.

Easy running strengthens the aerobic system and means that your body can withstand more time running and, importantly, easy running also means minimal recovery time.

Regular aerobic training produces muscular adaptations that help your body to utilize oxygen, preserve glycogen stores by using fat for fuel, and generally become more efficient, helping you to better manage longer distances.

When you run too fast, you cross the threshold into anaerobic exercise and you are no longer building that aerobic engine. You are also sacrificing future workouts as your body will not be sufficiently recovered to get the most from the next run.

Hopefully this will sink in for some more of you. There are loads of articles available on this, such as here

TLDR: SLOW DOWN!

Fraggle07 · 16-05-2019 7:06am

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Hi Fraggle07, welcome!

You're right to look forward to the journey. I enjoyed the training so much last year - ticking off runs as I completed them, running farther than I'd ever ran in a day, or a week. It's not just about one day in October, the path we take there gives a lot of satisfaction too.

HHN1 seems like a good fit. For now, try to work on getting into the regular routine of running 4 days a week, the mileage doesn't need to be spectacular.

You don't mention what type of mileage you cover in a typical week? How long have you been running?

Thanks Mr.Guappa.
I did 100 mile challenge in March so averaged 25 a week then. It's slipped since then to about 10 to 15. I have been running about 3 years.

Mr. Guappa · 16-05-2019 7:27am

Fraggle07 wrote: »

Thanks Mr.Guappa.
I did 100 mile challenge in March so averaged 25 a week then. It's slipped since then to about 10 to 15. I have been running about 3 years.

10-15 miles per week is grand at this stage. Keep it consistent, and gradually add a little mileage building up towards 20 per week before the plans start, and you'll be well set. Take a look at the boards plan too, see what you make of it.

kilns · 16-05-2019 8:37am

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

You may have noticed that we’ve occasionally mentioned the importance of slowing down :pac:
I just wanted to explore some of the reasons for this a little bit.

It sounds counter-intuitive – run slower to get faster. But it works!
Running at any distance is a largely aerobic event, but at marathon distance this is especially true. Even for a 10km race, 90% of the energy required to run the race is produced via aerobic metabolism.

We achieve a strong aerobic base through lots and lots of slow, easy paced running (aerobic exercise). A strong aerobic system basically means that your body is supplying enough oxygen to your muscles.

Easy running strengthens the aerobic system and means that your body can withstand more time running and, importantly, easy running also means minimal recovery time.

Regular aerobic training produces muscular adaptations that help your body to utilize oxygen, preserve glycogen stores by using fat for fuel, and generally become more efficient, helping you to better manage longer distances.

When you run too fast, you cross the threshold into anaerobic exercise and you are no longer building that aerobic engine. You are also sacrificing future workouts as your body will not be sufficiently recovered to get the most from the next run.

Hopefully this will sink in for some more of you. There are loads of articles available on this, such as here

TLDR: SLOW DOWN!

So even a short 5km lunch time run should be run at slower pace than what you normally do it in? Or would it have much effect?

Mr. Guappa · 16-05-2019 2:40pm

kilns wrote: »

So even a short 5km lunch time run should be run at slower pace than what you normally do it in? Or would it have much effect?

Correct... it should be run at your easy pace. It should feel like a "what the hell is the point of this?" pace. One run on it's own won't have a massive effect, but it's the accumulation of slow runs over the course of a number of weeks that lead to improvements. Patience is an important trait in a runner.

Baby75 · 16-05-2019 10:14pm

So great to see this thread up and running and off to a flying start as well

The very best of luck to this year's novices and mentors

I was a 2017 novice and loved it, I missed out last year due to injury but hoping to be running this year

I will be following with interest

Huzzah! · 17-05-2019 9:42am

kyomi wrote: »

Thanks, Huzzah! Yes, I'll try and figure out a way of posting my plan (maybe in summary as it's a large Excel file).

I've found this thread really interesting so far and I'm intrigued to see other people are running by heart rate. This is something I've started to do over the last three weeks so I don't really have any idea yet whether it's working or not. I calculated a training heart rate of 134-144 based on the max heart rate from my Garmin and I'm trying to do my easy runs at a pace that allows me to stay below that. Some of the information online says that you should do all your runs at this pace, while others allow you to fit in faster sessions on some days. Can others share any websites about heart rate training that they found useful?

I think you need to get your true max for it to be useful; one way of doing so is to race a 5k flat out. I don't train exclusively by HR but use it as a guide. I think the HADD method is as you state above: doing all your runs at a pace that allows you stay below a certain HR but only in the base building phase: https://www.angio.net/personal/run/hadd.pdf Another method is the Maffetone Method but I don't know anything about that: https://philmaffetone.com/what-is-maf/ Maybe something for after marathon training is done?

kyomi wrote: »

I do find that when I do my long runs at a super-slow pace (3 mins/mile slower than my 5K pace) I feel less exhausted and more functional for the remainder of the day. If this keeps up it will make marathon training a lot easier (although a lot more lonely, as most of my running pals run a lot faster than I do!).

Running is really a solitary sport but I think running long runs alone, even the odd time, is something that will stand to you. We need to train our mental resilience as much as anything.

kyomi wrote: »

When it comes to long runs, though, I feel like there must be a point at which the additional time on your feet due to running at such a slow pace must cancel out any energy benefits from keeping your heart rate low?

Certainly, there is a point where additional time on your feet will increase the risk of injury but I don't think increasing your pace to get them done more quickly is the answer. Keep them slow and hopefully the risk of injury will stay low.

If you upload your plan to Google Sheets/docs, make sure it's on public and share the link here, that should work.

veronymus · 17-05-2019 3:23pm

Hi All

Posting here in the hope that I can secure an entry in July (I'll have my finger on the trigger as soon as the entries are released. I have signed up to the HM in September to keep me on track.

Been running on and off for years: ran quite a lot in my thirties but it all went by the wayside when I went to uni in 2013. Running has been sporadic since then but I have stepped it up lately.

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
5k 24:24 all the way back in 2011
10k 51:xx in 2012

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)

No

How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Currently running around 30k a week over roughly 4 runs. Last week I recorded over 32k on Strava but I generally jog a few more that I don't record because I think they're too slow. (I realise that I need to change that mindset after reading about the importance of taking it easy)
I do kettlebells workouts a couple of times also.

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?

Dream finishing time would be under 4 hours but that might be a pipe dream. I'd be happy to come home under 4:30

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
I'm fortunate that I can devote 4 or 5 days to running. I have not fully decided on a plan yet, going to spend some time considering them in the next few days.

What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Like many of you, picking up an injury along the way and having to bow out. at 41, Im starting to feel small niggles that I had not previously suffered.

Why are you running this marathon?
In general, I prefer shorter distances but I feel that the marathon is an itch I need to scratch at least once.

Looking forward to getting started properly and joining you all on the journey. I appreciate the effort that the mentors put in and I'll be heeding the advice you guys give.

Huzzah! · 18-05-2019 9:06pm

veronymus wrote: »

Hi All

Posting here in the hope that I can secure an entry in July (I'll have my finger on the trigger as soon as the entries are released. I have signed up to the HM in September to keep me on track.

Been running on and off for years: ran quite a lot in my thirties but it all went by the wayside when I went to uni in 2013. Running has been sporadic since then but I have stepped it up lately.

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
5k 24:24 all the way back in 2011
10k 51:xx in 2012

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)

No

How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Currently running around 30k a week over roughly 4 runs. Last week I recorded over 32k on Strava but I generally jog a few more that I don't record because I think they're too slow. (I realise that I need to change that mindset after reading about the importance of taking it easy)
I do kettlebells workouts a couple of times also.

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?

Dream finishing time would be under 4 hours but that might be a pipe dream. I'd be happy to come home under 4:30

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
I'm fortunate that I can devote 4 or 5 days to running. I have not fully decided on a plan yet, going to spend some time considering them in the next few days.

What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Like many of you, picking up an injury along the way and having to bow out. at 41, Im starting to feel small niggles that I had not previously suffered.

Why are you running this marathon?
In general, I prefer shorter distances but I feel that the marathon is an itch I need to scratch at least once.

Looking forward to getting started properly and joining you all on the journey. I appreciate the effort that the mentors put in and I'll be heeding the advice you guys give.

Welcome, veronymus. Let us know what you think of the plans when you've had a look and, yes, don't be worried about how "slow" your runs are. If that was an issue, I'd have given up Strava long ago.

Do you have more recent PBs? No worries if not.

veronymus · 19-05-2019 4:01pm

Huzzah! wrote: »

Welcome, veronymus. Let us know what you think of the plans when you've had a look and, yes, don't be worried about how "slow" your runs are. If that was an issue, I'd have given up Strava long ago.

Do you have more recent PBs? No worries if not.

Thanks Huzzah

At the moment I’m leaning towards the boards plan. It looks tougher but doable (for now). I’m injury-free and as long as I stay that way I’m gonna try push myself.

I haven’t really tried to run a fast 5k or 10k in a long time. Garmin tells me I’ve recorded a 5k of 26:11 and a 10k of 58:10 this month so I guess that’s my base.

I’m more than happy to slow it down but my form seems to go to pot. Don’t give a fiddlers about how slow I appear. Going out again this evening to try again. I’ll try a slower playlist to see if that helps. ðŸ€ž

rizzee · 19-05-2019 5:33pm

Hi all! Posted in the random question thread there but just seen the sticky for this.

Signed up to the half and full Dublin marathon this year, first time to do either of them distances.

I'm 28, currently running 2 to 4 times per week between 5 and 10km. Best 5km is 23.01 in the staff relay race 2018 (it's on again this Thursday can't wait!) and either 54 or 55 mins for 10km.
Also play football once a week and gym 2 to 3 times per week.

My goal for the half marathon is under 2.35 and I just want to finish the full. Going to check out the plans available on the first post and work up my milage from there. Looking forward to it

skyblue46 · 19-05-2019 5:51pm

Congratulations to Passinginterest and Laineyfrecks for 2 super PBs in Tallaght today. They're great morale boosters at the fast stuff before ye start learning to run slow

passinginterest · 19-05-2019 6:44pm

skyblue46 wrote: »

Congratulations to Passinginterest and Laineyfrecks for 2 super PBs in Tallaght today. They're great morale boosters at the fast stuff before ye start learning to run slow

Thanks. It’s a ‘new era’ pb for me rather than an actual pb (20.18 back in 2014). Considering I struggled to break 30 back in October delighted to see 21.58 on the clock today. Great set up in Tallaght today and a net downhill course with the finish on the track.

Lombardo123 · 19-05-2019 7:38pm

Had a good week with 38k in the bag split over 4 runs.

My problem is I'm away Friday Saturday and Sunday and have no option to run (I really don't) next week

How would you structure next week?

I'm coming off a 9 mile run this morning but feeling good. Planning recovery tomorrow, nothing crazy. But what way should I split the next three days?

As per plan or ensure I get a longer run in Thursday before leaving? What would be of more value?

DBB · 19-05-2019 8:57pm

Can I ask our knowledgeable mentors... I see reference to the weekly LSR not being any longer than a percentage of the shorter midweek runs.
What is that percentage, and why?!

I ran 10 miles yesterday! Finally into double figures in miles, and the furthest I've ever run!
I think I've a bit of a tummy bug at the min, as all my runs in the past week brought on tummy cramps, which I had conquered in the preceeding months by running on an empty tum in the mornings. Nothing changed about my training this week... So I'm hoping it's a low-lying bug

skyblue46 · 19-05-2019 9:06pm

DBB wrote: »

Can I ask our knowledgeable mentors... I see reference to the weekly LSR not being any longer than a percentage of the shorter midweek runs.
What is that percentage, and why?!

I ran 10 miles yesterday! Finally into double figures in miles, and the furthest I've ever run!
I think I've a bit of a tummy bug at the min, as all my runs in the past week brought on tummy cramps, which I had conquered in the preceeding months by running on an empty tum in the mornings. Nothing changed about my training this week... So I'm hoping it's a low-lying bug

I'm not one of your knowledgeable mentors but I will chime in. The percentage varies according to coaches. As a general rule your weekend miles should not be any more than 45-50% of your weekly mileage. The simple reason is that training should be balanced. You should have a base that enables you to do the LSR in comfort. Consistency is king. 3 days of 5 miles on weekdays followed by 5 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday is a hell of a lot better than two days of 8 and one of 15 on a Sunday. It's about letting your body adapt to the mileage.

DCM 2019 - Mentored Novices Thread

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