DCM 2015: Mentored Novices Thread

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Should have done this a few weeks ago :rolleyes: ...actually I think we did but it was probably too early in the plan to be immediately relevant.

Black toenails are avoidable but let's be honest, they're pretty inevitable in marathon training You're in the club now

Have you seen the lock lace video posted a while back? I'll dig it up and link.
You can also try a size up in shoes (for foot expansion when hot) and again use the lock lace technique to prevent slippage. Have a look here. I used the torturous-sounding (it doesn't hurt) method last year and I'm still standing

Call me unsociable but I have no desire to join that club - good fitting shoes, lock- lacing and 1000 Mile Fusion Socks have kept me out of it so far. Personally I think the socks are a major part of it.

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Re your mini-bonk: how was nutrition yesterday and pre-lsr generally? How has sleep been (no need to answer that, I think I know ) and how is health generally lately?
You could just chalk this one up but no harm examining the bigger picture too, you've been training hard lately and asking a lot of your body.
Bear in mind also that an initial too-fast pace can come back to bite you disproportionately. Always ease into a run, especially the longer it gets. It's like you use up too much fuel revving up too quick.

I think there were a few factors... reminds me of Neady83's quote yesterday: "it's the small things that count". It doesn't take much to tip you over, as the little dog I encountered can attest to I suffered a bit from negative thoughts coming up to the mini-bonk, no doubt my physiological state wasn't great.

1. I went for a run late enough the night before. Maybe not enough time to recover before leaving at 10 in the morning (then again, I just ran a 14 hour marathon :cool: )
2. I started off and kept going a little bit on the fast side, after a tough enough week.
3. I ate normally enough on Saturday... i.e. not marathon training levels of grub
4. It was only my second "only water with electrolytes" long LSR. The first one went well, and I was probably a bit too confident that I didn't need snacks on the way.

As soon as I downed the gel and water I felt a lot better. Obviously it wouldn't have kicked in that quick, but it showed me that dealing with whatever problem you have can change your state of mind quickly enough.

Quick question about the 6-mile run the day before the 9m PMP run. Presumably this run is supposed to fatigue the legs before the pace run? I'll have a bit of a problem fitting this in, I've got about 40 mins to work with that day. Any ideas how best to play it? Would a 4.5m tempo have a similar effect? Or just stick with an easy run, even if it is shorter than the required 6m?

Big congrats to everyone who raced at Dingle over the weekend. And a big well done to the EP survivors too

I still need to catch up I'm a bit behind (didn't read since Friday).

Well I did my 20mile LSR tonight. Why 20 mile? I wanted to do it last week but only did 18 as I messed up the route. This annoyed me so I thought if I went early this week I wouldn't do any harm!?

I also almost had a full nights sleep last night (tooth pain is still alive and well :mad: )and decided I should try and do my LSR incase anything gets in the way this week.

I am terrible at these because runs often become a blur to me (I'm no Diego!) but I decided before I went that I was going to try and attempt a LSR race report when I get back.

Plugged in my Garmin only to realise that even though I have it in miles, I had the auto lap set to km so my splits are all in kms. Noooo!!! I have it changed now so won't have the problem again but I did get this info:

Summary
Time:3:15:29
20.00 miles
Average pace per mile: 9:46

I know I'm going too fast but I tried to run naturally and not strain myself. I felt really good for the entire run.


My km splits for anyone interested:

KM Split time:

1 5:35.0
2 5:29.5
3 5:37.5
4 5:24.6
5 5:47.2
6 5:47.4
7 5:57.0
8 5:32.1
9 5:43.2
10 5:48.7
11 5:46.7
12 6:04.9
13 5:44.4
14 6:08.7
15 6:03.1
16 6:08.2
17 6:43.0
18 6:07.5
19 6:14.0
20 5:51.5
21 6:02.1
22 6:02.9
23 6:20.6
24 6:45.4
25 6:45.6
26 6:18.8
27 5:58.5
28 6:05.0
29 6:29.8
30 6:53.8
31 6:41.0
32 6:33.3
33 0:58.3


Anyway little snippets of info from the run:
- Had porridge before I left work with a scoop of protein powder 1 hour before I head out. People asked was I having my breakfast for tomorrow to save time. People just don't understand us!!!!
- Have to move fast in the evenings of LSRs as it gets dark FAST!
- SMOTHERED my feet in vaseline, inside and outside the sock. I found I was getting blisters or friction on the top of my toes when I don't do this. I'm almost covering my whole feet in vaseline now. I cannot recommend enough!!
- I had one very steep (but short) hill that I sprinted up and one long tough drag (well, it seemed long to me!)
- At mile 6 I felt my right knee niggle. This has happened before - it's not pain more that it feels tired? Does that make sense? I switch from road to grass for about a mile and this rids the niggle almost straight away.
- At mile 7 I nearly twisted my ankle in a hole in the bloody grass :eek::D
- Mile 11.5 - didn't necessarily need it but took on a gel. I want to practice with these and get my stomach used to them. (I got a box of 20 gels for 17euro from my protein if anyone is interested can link you). I think they are great and excellent value. I was actually glad I took the gel as I felt really strong for the entire run and I can assume this helped. I think for the big M I can see myself taking one or possibly two on the day. (at the moment).
- Took a moment to mentally praise the flipbelt. The amount of stuff I can fit into it and just NOT feel is crazy and the thing doesn't budge.
- mile 15-18 - it got dark FAST :eek: this was a bit of a blur but ran a lot on the grass as a precaution.
- Again kept thinking about how bloody awesome the flipbelt was. This point deserves to be repeated! Totally forgot I was carrying anything on me. Just my water.
- Lasted the whole run on just 750ml of water (miracle for me as I guzzle water). I purposely split the run into two loops so if I needed to refill I could pop in home and do so. But thankfully didn't need to.
- mile 19 - oh my god. My tooth!!! Out of nowhere every step felt like a drill going into my head. There was no way I was quitting though. I has been running for 3 hours and I'll be damned if I'm going to come home just one mile away from what I set out to do. I did it yay! DELIGHTED with myself but couldn't get two paracetamol into me fast enough. God damn tooth!! :mad::mad::mad::mad:
If anyone is suffering with a toothache - even a niggle. go and get it checked NOW. It can take a long time to sort out a tooth ache and mine started as a tiny niggle. Last thing you want is to drop out over a bloody tooth at this stage guys!
- I normally suffer from nausea after a long run and I'm not sure what has changed but after this LSR and my one last week (Thursday) I've been fine. I can't think why this has stopped but I'm so happy!

Good luck to everyone this week. Sorry for the crap LSR report but next time I'll have no excuse !

We seem to be missing week 12 in the spreadsheet.
Don't want to break it so could someone have a look?
Ta

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Very basic and unpolished post this week, more of a recap and linky redirect apologies the leaba is calling

HELLO AND GOODBYE
Skittles...hi and welcome! smashiner are you in proper this year or what?!
No goodbyes!

Hi Dubgal....hope you are well rested zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Yes, I have signed up for the full DCM a few weeks back, also doing the Half on the 19th with a few friends, looking forward to that! Hopefully we will see a lot of Boardies there too.....love TFGR's idea of a secret handshake that only we know.....so funny.

I am up to 25K/15.5 miles and plan a 28K run next monday (day off work)....funny, I thought that training for the marathon would be soooo much easier this year.........it's not:D

I am minding an ankle niggle, but Ice/Nurofen/BioFreeze/Cold basins of water ......oh and Holy Water are keeping things under control .

I will be on that start line come Hell or High Water......keep it going Dubgal.....this Thread is addictive!!

Keep at it gang, we are nearly there, only a few more weeks of madness and then we will be listening to the National Anthem on DCM morning with a lump in our throats and a quivering bottom lip......sob.....sob......gonna be great...

6 miles & 8 x 400 on to do list for today
Just no time to fit all in. So did 6.5 progressive
Run instead. Left house 06.20 darkish, but mild
Enough. Rest week prety easy before weekend
Will get out at 5.30 in morning to get 8 easy miles
And give plenty of time, to keep rest of week in
Balance.

Thought medium - hard session good replacement,
not to sure, but not to many runs off plan so far.

Splits 9.15, 8.43, 8.24, 7.54, 7.23,
Cool down 1.5 miles 9.54 & 05.09

BIRDCAGE1 wrote: »

Kids are only back just over a week and two out of three have already been taken down with a bug, which had them off school at different times. I'm currently living in the shed for fear that I get the same bug.

The shed's going to get cold, get insulating now

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Just had a quick look at the mileage tracker.
Some of you are exceeding the ideal ratio of lsr:weekly total (lsr = not more than 35% of weekly total), indeed there were one or two whose lsr was greater than the combined total of the rest of that week's runs.

Hopefully the few examples I saw on the tracker were exceptions, not rules....?!
It's not a good idea to weight your weekly total on the lsr. Anyone I've seen do this has failed miserably and painfully come marathon day We don't want that for you...

Far better to spread the load over the rest of the week, hence our gentle nagging nudging to up the number of days running to 4 minimum, five better.

I'm guilty of this the odd time.
Last week the LSR was 18m but midweek was only 15m

Finding it hard to get the longer midweek run in as I usually run at lunchtime but can't do more than 5m in the time I have.

I generally get out 3 lunchtimes and then a LSR at the weekend.
Kinda nervous of going out 4 days in a row as it could lead to injury.

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Nope, shouldn't lead to injury at this stage, keep it easy and keep it slow. Have a look at your running pattern for the last few weeks - if you've had a few blocks of three days together, you're good to add a fourth. Watch the form and you're good to go
The real injury danger lies in heavy-weighting your lsr to weekly total, faaaaar more risk of injury here.

Haven't had too many 3 in a row weeks
Generally I'll go Mon,Wed,Thur or Mon,Tues,Thurs with the LSR on the Sat.

Will see what I can do though. Thanks for highlighting it.