DCM 2015: Mentored Novices Thread

araic88 wrote: »

Some quick questions-
I'm hoping to increase my long run by a mile a week for the next few weeks (currently at 15) but I'm not sure should I be doing more during the week. I'm doing about 50mins of interval sprints, another 50mins of hills/sprints etc and an easy run of 4-5 miles. I'm not too worried about time for my first marathon (but would likeuto get in under 5hrs if possible) but should I try and increase my mileage a bit. I'd be inclined to leave it as it is to get as much recovery in between long runs but maybe that's just an excuse to stay on the couch ;-)

Phoebas wrote: »

Some of the more experienced runners will give you better advise than I can, but I think they'll say that your lsr is too big a proportion of your weekly mileage.

If you haven't filled in the questions in the OP already you should, as it will give Dubgal and her crew a better picture to base their advise off of.

TheBazman wrote: »

While I know the importance of doing your long runs slowly, for among other things avoiding injury, I'm wondering (given my own experience above) if I should just continue doing my long runs at a comfortable pace, whatever that may be?

TheBazman wrote: »

I hear you...I suppose I felt so demotivated after the last LSR that I felt it was the pace that was the problem and needed to do another long run where I felt fairly upbeat afterwards. I'll be aiming to slow it down again on the next one and hopefully feel okay afterwards.

I did a 10k race last Sunday and followed it up during the week with 3 x 10ks at around 1min/km slower than race pace so just need to extend it to the longer runs.

eyeball kid wrote: »

Have had pains in my knees the last couple of days since my run on Thursday so didn't do my lsr today. Might see how they are tomorrow and just do a 10 miler or something. Hopefully its nothing too serious.

Sounds like the Phoenix Park run went well today. Hope you all enjoyed it.

JacEim wrote: »

I had two beautiful bottles of cider when I got home, followed by a nice curry, toblerone cheesecake (made by yours truly) and 6 or 7 more bottles of cider!!!

18 holes of golf / walking around a golf course this morning surely counts as my recovery??
Trip to get new runners tomorrow - urgent need at this stage!
Well done everyone on Lsr's

BobDylan wrote: »

Hi all,
14 mile LSR done this morning. Nice weather here in Cork so enjoyed it.
Anyone else finding that after all 7 weeks of "the plan" their pace is naturally slowing. No need to be told anymore Dubgal!

Singer wrote: »

Today's group LSR was the easiest long run I've ever done - time flew by while chatting away, I felt like we almost could have kept going for another 11.5 miles and get this bloody marathon out of the way Thank to all for organising, showing up and hanging around for chats afterwards!

Myself and FeenaM were chatting about running books, so I said I'd share what I've read on the thread.

The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823

While the book covers the basics of novice marathon training, the interesting part is that it's based on the material covered in "The Marathon Class" in the University of Northern Iowa - 98% of people who took the class finished their marathon, and they all came from a very low base (running less than 5 miles). A lot of the book is spent covering the psychological aspects of getting through the training and race, but also how empowering and life changing running a marathon can be. The training plan itself is very easy, they tell you to not worry about time at all for your first marathon (d'oh!).


Advanced Marathoning:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Advanced-Marathoning-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600

Mostly laughably inappropriate training material, but the science aspects are interesting. When I'm looking to go from sub-2.59 to sub-2.30 I'll be reading this


Faster Road Racing:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Road-Racing-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/1450470459

I bought this out of idle curiosity, thinking about training for a shorter distance after the marathon. Similar enough material to Advanced Marathoning at times, though I found it easier to read.

I tried to buy the Chi Running book, but the damn things aren't available on Kindle. I might have to go to a bookstore and buy a real book :mad:

Deleted User wrote: »

Up since 6 to watch the ironman take off from Dun Laoghaire. Going to head in and watch the runners in the park. Body feeling much better today. Wonder if they'd notice me just hopping in and doing the IM half marathon route with them

ratracer wrote: »

Weather conditions weren't ideal here, it was very wet and windy before the start, although the rain then stopped, it was still windy. I was aiming for 36 mins, with my cunning plan being to follow the 35 min pacers for as long as possible (hoping this would be until 6km or so!) then see how I was feeling from there. The first 5km of the race would be mostly into the wind, but this is through the town so I hoped it wouldn't be too much of an issue, with the last 2.5-3k along Salthill Prom, which is flat, and a side/tail wind in our favour. I did a gentle 2.5 km warm up/stretch just to ease myself in!

So, started the race grand, just a bit behind the pacers but with them in sight all the time. Stuck with them until 4.5km, when a testy little hill seemed to affect my pace but not theirs!! I was disappointed to lose them so early, but I didn't let it affect me and just kept plowing on, knowing the water stop at 5k was the last of the inclines, and the wind would be in my favour shortly after that. On the Salthill Prom I could see the pacers in the distance and with the wind in my back I kept at a just above comfortable pace to the finish, coming over the line in 35.28, so not too far off the pacers in the end, and delighted with myself.

Split times were: Km1 - 4.13, Km2 - 4.20, km3 - 4.17, Km4 -4.21, Km5 - 4.33, Km6 - 4.42, Km 7 - 4.35, Km8 - 4.32. I'm happy enough with the consistency of these. Certainly at the finish line I had no more in the tank to give. What I love about this race is the support from the crowds all aorund the course, even in poor weather, and this is something I am really looking forward to in Dublin, the crowd can really motivate you to keep going when you feel crap.

I took my 9 y.o. for a 15k cycle this morning, which was a good way to just spin out the legs before foam rolling. 35k run this week and I'm happy to have done the race, but I will be looking forward to getting back on-program now with no more distractions until D-Day:D:eek:

jake1970 wrote: »

Week 2 of 12

Sunday: 15 miles @8:36 LSR
Splits:
8:45
9:07
9:00
9:02
9:00
8:54
8:42
8:41
8:26
8:19
8:15
8:13
8:12
8:09
8:12
Running is going well at the moment, long may this last:)
I was at the Physio on Thursday for some maintenance, he concentrated on my calves which are a bit tight and he also highlighted a weakness in the muscles above my knee, so plenty of squatting going on here.

denis b wrote: »

Really enjoyed yesterdays Novices LSR in the park. Got some great advice and the run has provided me with plenty of motivation. Great to hear what other people are doing. At some stage during the run we were chatting about "form" and I have just come across this James Dunne video which offers some realistic advice http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/how-much-do-you-really-need-to-improve-running-form/

JMSE wrote: »

Hi Dubgal72 and all you fine people, last year I joined Ososlo's thread and by this time I think I was out of it again. I know its well into this years program but the training has been goin fairly well lately. Not wanting to let that go to waste and to try and push on, I'll throw my name in the hat here if its not too late.....

Heres me:
I dont have a background in athletics really, I'm 44 and up to last year it was school cross country when I last ran. Last year though I joined C25k and have been at it since. No other sports, ever. Still am a skinnymalink and lucky didnt have any weight to loose.

I like doing races every now and again, have a 5k best of 20.44 May '15, 4 mile 28.56 Mar '15, 5 mile 34.10 May '15, 10 mile 79mins Feb '15.

Am currently only managing 3 days a week, was getting 4 days in up to end May but then changed job and its been impossible lately. No structure on it, am trying to do a long run at the weekends and then maybe an 8 miler and a 6 miler during the week. The LSR 2 wks ago was 17miles, last week 10miles, today 16miles. I dont do cross training.

What I want to achieve is finish a marathon under 4 hours, its not something I've been dreaming about, its just what I want to drive at, and get from myself.

I am brutal at structure and programs, but thats probably why I'm joining the group. I think I said more or less the same thing as that last year, but then injurys and niggles had me parked up for too long so I jumped ship.

Thanks for reading, Jim.

mobfromcork wrote: »

Before this morning's LSR which was a loop in Cork city I had a big bowl of porridge about 1 hour before leaving at 9am. I brought 700ml of water in a small running backpack with a small pack of Haribo jellies. I also brought 2 High 5 gels that I got from Lidl last week. I tried the for the first time on Monday's LSR in Carlow taking 2 - one after 10 miles and 1 at mile 15. I'm not sure what benefit they had but I didn't feel sick or have a dodgy stomach after taking them so that's something I suppose. For this morning's run I wasn't too pushed about taking the gels to be honest but I popped them in the bag anyway. It was a humid morning but with a nice breeze down near the harbour.
I had a few of the jellies at mile 12 and decided against the gels. I'm going to try this for the next few LSRs if I can. The less I have to remember/worry about on the day the better. I also quite like Haribo. I forgot to bring my HRM with me to Cork but didn't feel under pressure except for two big enough hills in the last 2 miles and had even enough splits the whole way through.

I'm not sure if it's running related or not but over the last few weeks I've been craving sugary foods like never before. Chocolate, biscuits, any sort of badness. It's almost as strong as the cravings you'd have for a cigarette after giving up smoking. Skulking around the kitchen, guiltily concealing the fact I was stuffing my face with chocolate digestives from my inquisitive three year old daughter. 'It's just brown bread'. Her knowing face looking up at me almost sympathetically, then jealously, then conspiratorially. 'I like brown bread too Dada'.

It looks like a warmer week this week. Enjoy the running

Mob

JMSE wrote: »

Thanks Dubgal, I hope you're wrong on the endurance .
My average pace for todays 15.83mls was 8mins 20secs. I did something today though I wont be doing again .... after 2 miles, I got to a 1 mile stretch where on shorter runs I like to go as fast as I can for that mile, and so not wanting to break the habit, I hit the gas. But that gas was definitely missing in the last 3 miles of the LSR and I struggled to keep running but did.

Average pace on my last 17 mile LSR two weeks back was 8.27 though so thats where I'm at. Its just my comfortable pace, can't do it much slower and I know I need to.

On my 2nd of 2 beers before I head to bed, (does anyone else find that the body can be a bit restless after a run and it can be harder to drop off and stay asleep?? hence the beer) and looking forward to the next run....