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DCM 2015: Mentored Novices Thread
Comments
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Great start bucketybuck! Well done
Any chance of a race report please?!
I started the race, huffed and puffed for an hour and then crossed the line!
More seriously, I'm happy with how it went. I wanted to keep a steady pace of 5.30/kms to meet my goal time of 55 mins, went off quicker than that at around 5.05/kms but felt pretty comfortable so just let myself go. The course was quite uneven which played with the pace on the garmin, and the km markers never matched the garmin either so it was hard to judge exactly where I was at in the race. There was a beast of a climb after 8km, a series of switchbacks up a path and it really took a lot out of me, but I got over it and managed to finish pretty strong, 4.57/km for the last km.
I had felt slow at times and really thought I was going to come in over 56 minutes again, so was delighted to see 54 mins on the timer as I crossed the line! The only downer is that the garmin measured the course as 9.8kms and not 10 so no Strava PB yet again! Thats a small thing though.
Now I have a question. I know a race like that takes a lot out so I should be resting this week, but I was thinking about maybe doing the Docklands 5k on Thursday and going for that 5k PB as well. In general, should I be racing again so soon, or am I likely to be a little off my best pace?0 -
bucketybuck wrote: »I started the race, huffed and puffed for an hour and then crossed the line!
More seriously, I'm happy with how it went. I wanted to keep a steady pace of 5.30/kms to meet my goal time of 55 mins, went off quicker than that at around 5.05/kms but felt pretty comfortable so just let myself go. The course was quite uneven which played with the pace on the garmin, and the km markers never matched the garmin either so it was hard to judge exactly where I was at in the race. There was a beast of a climb after 8km, a series of switchbacks up a path and it really took a lot out of me, but I got over it and managed to finish pretty strong, 4.57/km for the last km.
I had felt slow at times and really thought I was going to come in over 56 minutes again, so was delighted to see 54 mins on the timer as I crossed the line! The only downer is that the garmin measured the course as 9.8kms and not 10 so no Strava PB yet again! Thats a small thing though.
Now I have a question. I know a race like that takes a lot out so I should be resting this week, but I was thinking about maybe doing the Docklands 5k on Thursday and going for that 5k PB as well. In general, should I be racing again so soon, or am I likely to be a little off my best pace?
Hi bucketybuck thanks for that and delighted to see you coming in stronger than expected.
Two races in that short space of time is asking too much from your body. Use this week for recovery. You most likely will be nearly recovered by Thursday but you will get more benefit from continuing to build your aerobic base by just running. Could you save the 5k attempt for a parkrun?
Well done again 0 -
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Running mad wrote: »I've been following this thread for the last few weeks. Lots of great information for novice runners like myself.
I was hoping to do DCM as my first marathon this year. Unfortunately I will be away on holidays for 2 weeks in September and have a family wedding the weekend of the race so won't be able to commit to it this year.
Hopefully I'll do one in March or April next year.
Hi Running mad. You know what? You'll nail that spring marathon. Best of luck and jump in with any questions or just anything really whenever you want in the meantime. 0 -
Hi bluestone and welcome, never too late It's very encouraging that you have a reasonable base to work off and also have been doing some speed work. For that reason, I'd recommend the boards plan. You can tweak it (drop an easy or recovery run) to suit you but I would strongly recommend that you sacrifice a slice or two of life halfway through the programme at the latest to up your weekly running total to 5 and eventually six days. How close do you want to get to your target?!
Let us know how you get on in Portumna, it's a great opportunity to benchmark
portumna did not go great, 2.04 was hoping to be under 2hrs at least but so be it. felt more fatigued than unprepared so wil put it behind me & might try simon 10mile in 2 weeks to see if that's the case or another reality check. wil go with the boards plan & see how that works out.0 -
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Hi bucketybuck thanks for that and delighted to see you coming in stronger than expected.
Two races in that short space of time is asking too much from your body. Use this week for recovery. You most likely will be nearly recovered by Thursday but you will get more benefit from continuing to build your aerobic base by just running. Could you save the 5k attempt for a parkrun?
Well done again
I suppose rationally I already knew that it wasn't a great idea, I feel grand now but I suppose its only when trying to push hard that I would feel the deadness in my legs.
I think its just that I had heard the Docklands race was going to be very flat and fast and a good environment for chasing that PB, so I wanted to go for it before the slow training starts. Its not a big deal though, so I'll probably just take it easy this week and start refreshed again on the 23rd.0 -
portumna did not go great, 2.04 was hoping to be under 2hrs at least but so be it. felt more fatigued than unprepared so wil put it behind me & might try simon 10mile in 2 weeks to see if that's the case or another reality check. wil go with the boards plan & see how that works out.
Hi bluestone, thanks for letting us know and sorry it didn't go exactly as you had hoped. 2:04 over that distance still leaves you within the same area for a benchmark as a sub 2 would do so don't go rushing out to race again. It will take you 10 days or so to fully recover from the HM and IMO a 10 mile race would be too soon. You'll be better served by entering the plan cool, calm and collected
Hopefully you'll be able to pinpoint exactly what didn't go right over the next few days and work from there.
Any chance of a race report? These are great for organising your thoughts but there might be things in there that jump out to a more objective reader. I know I have learned so much from other runner' race reports.0 -
I have a 10 mile run lined up in August as part of my build up, the week before that I'd the Cavan Kayakarun, 5k run - very tough, some pretty big hills, - 1k kayak - 20k cycle.
Even if I do it at a fairly handy pace, would it be too close to the 10 mile? Should I be forgetting about any events other that running for this year?
Think you answered that yourself
As for the other question, up to you really. Personally, I'd prioritise running (plus core and s/c) if planning to run a marathon with cross training as a peripheral activity. As you enter into the full swing of a marathon cycle, you shouldn't really have the energy for anything else...0 -
Well done on slowing downIn prep for the HHN1, I've been trying to slow down my 4 x weekly 6k runs to from 5:15/5:20 to 5:30. Not very intuitive, but I've managed it for the past 3 runs. As mentioned elsewhere, once I start clocking times for the various SSE race series, I assume I'll get a better handle on what my overall pacing should be.
I started core training classes last week. Woke up the following day feeling like somebody had been punching me in the stomach while I was asleep.
Also went out for my first cycle on Sunday. I took it very handy (21k in 1:15). Again, not very intuitive, but I'm seeing the "slow down" message appear continuously on this thread.
Question on the HHN1... the standard weekday program is;
Mon (rest)
Tues (run)
Wed (run)
Thurs (run)
Fri (rest).
Can I switch these weekdays around a bit? The core training classes are on Wed & Fri, so ideally I'd like to do the following:
Mon (run)
Tues (run)
Wed (core / no run)
Thurs (run)
Fri (core / no run)
Week-end schedule will be as per standard HHN1 Have a read through the last couple of pages, that should explain why slowing down is good!
Yes, absolutely you can swap the days around. These plans are not set in stone and they need to accommodate 'real life'.
Generally, always make sure a hard day is followed by an easy day. for HHN1 this would mean don't have two higher mileage days back to back.0 -
Well done on slowing down Have a read through the last couple of pages, that should explain why slowing down is good!
Yes, absolutely you can swap the days around. These plans are not set in stone and they need to accommodate 'real life'.
Generally, always make sure a hard day is followed by an easy day. for HHN1 this would mean don't have two higher mileage days back to back.
Grand, thanks.
Yeah, I've been keeping up to date with the thread, so the "slow down" message is received loud & clear.0 -
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The Slow One wrote: »Second week after Edinburgh went as follows:
Monday 3.5 miles
Tuesday 3 miles
Wednesday 4.5 miles (all easy)
Thursday, Friday abroad
Saturday 8 miles lsr
Sunday 2 miles (easy)
Tried to put as much s into lsr as possible and feel I'm getting better at it after Edinburgh put manners on me. It felt fine but was out at midday Saturday so it wasn't too easy. Paid attention to teacher and running with my back straighter than I used to!!
Thanks for the info on urine colour DG. It may sound incredibly naïve but I was told by a doctor many moons ago that a clear colour was a sign of being correctly hydrated and took that as gospel.
Also, started taking a High 5 zero tab after lsr runs last month. Don't know if anyone else uses them but I find them useful for recovery after lsr's.
Hi The Slow One, nice week's work there Yes, too much water/liquid will not only have you running to the bushes mid lsr, it also can affect your sodium levels. Clear might be ok for non-athletes but runners want to keep it a bit yellow Well done on running tall! 0 -
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This is one for the music movers If you wear headphones when running, I challenge you to leave them off for one run this week, just an easy run to start with.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'd like you to increase this to two runs, then three taking in a lsr and/or a pacier run.
You can listen to music while running or you can listen to your body. You can't do both properly. Music or podcasts or whatever have their place in training. They can provide a welcome distraction or a personally designed playlist can give your run some punch. But to be your best, you need to strip back all the props now and then and know how to simply run: just you and the road. If you run DCM with headphones, or indeed any other race, I will disown you you are probably being a nuisance to every runner around you :rolleyes: Think of it as another piece in the puzzle
Last week you focused on form: now, without headphones, I want you to focus on listening to your body while running. What is your breathing like; any niggles or aches, any pain? If there is any discomfort, where is it exactly? You'll be surprised at how a general discomfort can be zoned in to thighs perhaps or ankles etc. Does slowing down lessen the discomfort? Are you relaxed or stressing about discomfort? You might be feeling good: how are you feeling; controlled, strong, cadence? What pace do you think you are going at? Can you control your pace and effort better without music?
Come back here and let us know how you get on 0 -
This is one for the music movers If you wear headphones when running, I challenge you to leave them off for one run this week, just an easy run to start with.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'd like you to increase this to two runs, then three taking in a lsr and/or a pacier run.
You can listen to music while running or you can listen to your body. You can't do both properly. Music or podcasts or whatever have their place in training. They can provide a welcome distraction or a personally designed playlist can give your run some punch. But to be your best, you need to strip back all the props now and then and know how to simply run: just you and the road. If you run DCM with headphones, or indeed any other race, I will disown you you are probably being a nuisance to every runner around you :rolleyes: Think of it as another piece in the puzzle
Last week you focused on form: now, without headphones, I want you to focus on listening to your body while running. What is your breathing like; any niggles or aches, any pain? If there is any discomfort, where is it exactly? You'll be surprised at how a general discomfort can be zoned in to thighs perhaps or ankles etc. Does slowing down lessen the discomfort? Are you relaxed or stressing about discomfort? You might be feeling good: how are you feeling; controlled, strong, cadence? What pace do you think you are going at? Can you control your pace and effort better without music?
Come back here and let us know how you get on
+1 to this. I gave up listening to music while running earlier this year and have never looked back. I never thought I'd enjoy it so I was surprised to find out that I prefer it! I'm much more aware of myself and my surroundings without music. I highly recommend it!0 -
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Any tips for a blister? I got a nice little one about the size of a two cent coin right between the ball of my foot and big toe. This is following the half on the head race at the weekend, it was very warm on the day and could feel my feet warm but what can you whilst running. I can walk with it but do feel discomfort but no chance of running with it where it is even with a blister plaster.
Away on hols this week with my family but would like to get some easy runs in ahead of next week to keep up my mileage. The hotel we're in has a gym so should I just use a bike and/or swim in the meantime.
I wear 1000mile liner socks which are pretty good for preventing blisters. But not foolproof and since you *already* have the blister now ...
I was in the same position a few weeks ago, having a fairly large blister which was not being improved with the Compeed plaster (getting slightly bigger even). The suggestion below from aquinn was spot on. There are various webpages discussing the method ... the detail is that you sterilise the *whole* needle with boiling water, then thread it with about 20cm of thread (*don't* knot the thread), then you make a big stitch from one side of the blister to the other side (best if you make the holes even slightly outside the blister perimeter), and leave the thread in the blister for 10+ hours to drain the fluid out. It drained the fluid perfectly and the blister became flat, and the next day I was able to go out for my long run. Of course prevention is better and all that, but in an emergency ....Excellent work and now time to attack assist the blister. Sterilize a needle, thread it (don't knot it), pierce blister and then thread will drain it.0
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