The Running Thread Vol 2

[Stephanie Plum]

RizzoTheRat said:

You say you leafleted local running clubs, but it could be worth an e-mail to clubs as well, I'm assuming most, like ours, send out a club e-mail fairly regularly that includes local races people are aware of and results of races people have done.

One easy way to find local clubs is look at the results of local parkruns and see which clubs have lots of people running.

Yep we are on that - we compete in the Surrey XC League, Surrey Athletics and other smaller leagues so we all cross fertilise. We also leaflet local parkruns etc.

[john2443]

naturals said:

Has anyone here run Brighton?

Entry opened today. £59.99 and only an hour's drive from me. After the hassle of physically getting to Paris this weekend, and given how much I'm looking forward to running the super local Royal Parks Half, I'm seriously considering a Brighton entry.

Is it PB-worthy? Is the crowd support decent? I know it's changed 'ownership' during the last year. Has anyone heard any feedback from the new organisers (I think it's the London Marathon company).

Haven't run it but volunteered every year but one. I live in Brighton.

Yes, it's now LME, they took over in December and it was a st show for a lot of the run up - no info or replies to runners or volunteers, race packs delivered too late, vols didn't get confirmation emails until the day before, but amazingly on the day it was fine.

We were hugely short of volunteers but the runners I've spoken to were all pleased, as far as they were concerned it was all under control. Hopefully they will listen to our feedback and as well as having more time to plan and it will be much better next year.

Course isn't flat but is undulating rather than big hills; unless it was straight up and down the prom it's impossible to find a flat route, it's a hilly place!

Crowds are good on most of the course, a bit quiet miles 9-14 when it's out east of the town centre.

If you're driving either use park and ride or do some research on where to park, near the seafront is expensive and limited, inland is free, not too far from start but a long way from finish.

Don't think it would be a PB course due to hills and turn but on the other hand much less crowded than the big city marathons, only about 8000 finishers this year although I suspect LME will ramp that up next year. There was a lot of distgruntledness beforehand due to the old organiser going bust so people stayed away and waitied to see how it went, now they've seen it happen they'll probably come back next time.

Course record is about 2:10 by an African who was good but not Premier League, this year was 2:24, obviously the top people will be at Paris, London, Manchester, so won't be an extremely fast finisher.

[Smitters]

Stephanie Plum said:

We've always steered away from fancy dress - there are plenty of options in Surrey for that, and as part of a championship we are wary of devaluing the series.

Yeah - that's fair enough - I sort of meant a wider point though, which is that "serious" races are quite scary environments for beginners. If you're only marketing to a serious runner, your pool of potential entries is that much smaller. Finding a way to make it more inclusive and seem less scary will attract more mid and back of packers. Perhaps having a "Novice Racer Ambassador" who can meet the nervous first timers, and show them what's what, or put on some pacers at slower target times so folks can group together? It doesn't have to be out and out silliness like those colour runs where there's paint everywhere, or fancy dress, just a way of making things less intimidating.

Coming back to the original point, if you are already online in various places, it might be worth canvassing in the club to see if anyone has any expertise on search optimisation - getting the right key words into the right places in the race ads will help bring them to the top on searches. Other than that, flyering places like leisure centres, tennis and other sports clubs, large local businesses and also considering how long people might travel for could open up new avenues. If there's a few fast train lines that run on race day, maybe consider flyering up them a bit and drag some of that populace out to you?

[The jiffle king]

Maidenhead Easter 10 mile race for me today
Did ok given only running 20 miles a week average and no speed

A really well organised event and even childrens races to keep little ones amused.

A really nice course after the first 3 miles and evening marshalling from a former Prime minister.

Was 90seconds better than I thought so very happy

[over_the_hill]

fiatpower said:

The jiffle king said:

I was a member of our club's 12 stage road relays race on Sunday 60 teams running around Olympic park.

For the 45 miles, our clubs average pace was 5:41/mile which is pretty rapid but the winning team won with an average of about 4:46/mile.
Great to see those runners really shifting and nice to see so many fast runners in 1 place. Lets just say that we did not finish in the top 25 who made it through to the nationals

this is the type of event that a little running club like ours does for experience and also to see quality runners (I'm told the winning team had 6 internationals in their team) Amazing to see those people really run at pace. Ellis (Who beat Mo Farah in that 10K) was there and ran a casual 20:32 for 7.2km (4.5 miles)

Some amazing running and well worth going to an event like this to see how it plays out.

There's road relays in my local park a few times a year. Last week was the midlands road relays and next week is the nationals I believe. Always enjoy going down and watching some of the ridiculous paces and how effortless they make it look.

For anyone unfamiliar with these events there are two each year.
The 12-stage (6-stage women) in spring and the 6-stage (4-stage women) in autumn.

There are regional qualifiers in the North, Midlands and South with the top 25 from each going forward to the National finals.

It's all free to come and watch and there are some very quick (Olympians) usually turning out for their clubs.
The Relays are also a really great event for clubs as it is one of the few times that distance runners get to compete as a real team.

Nationals are next Saturday 15th April at Sutton Park, Birmingham. Starts 12:00.

Edited by over_the_hill on Saturday 8th April 13:22

[over_the_hill]

Smitters said:

Scabutz said:

naturals said:

Question on between marathon training; is there a plan available when you're between one marathon and another, aiming to improve time / comfort around the route?

I'm running a full marathon on Sunday (first in nearly seven years), and then I have an ultra and a half later in the year, possibly another marathon. It feels very much like the training is all bets off once past the marathon. Do you just design your own plan or are there customisable plans available?

Have a look at Hal Higdon's plans, he has plans for various levels from novice, to experienced marathon runners and those looking for a PB

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/marath...

You can feed that in to something like Training Peaks and then tweak to your own preferences

I would approach this in a few ways:

1) assuming the second marathon is inside 18 weeks away, I would essentially pick up a normal marathon plan and work it backwards. So you might race this Sunday, then have a couple of really easy weeks, whatever you need to recover properly (I quite like a-day-a-mile as a rule of thumb before pushing anything), then slot into the next plan at, e.g. week 6, or wherever it needs to be, to then use said plan to take you to race day.

2) during the easy few weeks, review what went well and badly in the previous plan and race and adapt accordingly. For instance, if you feel you could take more volume, find a more advanced plan that adds a day. Or if you need some strength and conditioning, add that in, or speed endurance in every other long run. It depends what is required. Loads of folks here have good session ideas so do ask for suggestions and you'll get some "fun" ideas.

3) for the long run, I would do a minimum of two hours no matter what the plan asks for until it asks for more - you will already have the endurance, but you don't want to be smashing super-long runs every weekend which will impact the mid-week sessions. Two hours to perhaps three, if very easy and before a rest week will be more than enough to keep the endurance ticking over until the plan ramps up again.

I would agree Smitters

General rule of thumb for recovery is about a day-per-mile raced when moving to longer distances.
So probably about 3-weeks for a marathon. The easy weeks really do mean easy, no sessions, speed work or anything
more than light jogging. If you find it hard work e.g. going up a hill then stop and walk until you are over the top then drop back into jogging.
Your body and importantly your immune system will have taken a right old bashing so give them both time to fully recover.
If a boxer went the full 12-rounds in a slug fest you wouldn't expect them to be back in the ring next week !

Also as Smitters notes you will retain a lot of the endurance you have already built so you can drop into a marathon plan at
a more advanced point than going back to the start.

Also agree about not "smashing super-long runs every weekend".
I have already written about this recently a few pages back. If you overdo it on the long runs you will just spend all week recovering from one
long run to get recovered just in time for the next one. This will impact on the rest of your training in the week.

For an ultra, the long runs can all be very easy pace with even some walking at times if need be on steep hills.
It's a bit cliched but it's all about time on your feet and just keeping going forwards.

For a HM you can get a bit more creative with the "longer" runs but a maximum of 15/16 miles should be plenty
as that is well over distance and you don't need to be doing that far every week either.

[smn159]

Last med-long run before London this morning - 15 miles at base pace.

Toe is still a bit niggly, but feel fitness is pretty much as good as I'd hoped for considering I lost a few weeks of training to the flu and then a minor calf strain early on, so will see where it gets me.

[ajap1979]

Anyone running in the new Vaporfly 3s? Did my first run in them today, my usual 5K route. Earlier in the week, 6.21/mi wearing my NB RC Elite V2s, this morning with similar effort in the Vaporflys, 5.50/mi. They’re quick!

[GregK2]

joshcowin said:

GregK2 said:

Boston (UK) half marathon approaching 16th April. Anyone done this before? Meant to be very flat, so hoping / aiming to break 90 mins. Been following a training plan from Garmin coach since start of the year, have enjoyed it and first time I've had any kind of real structure to my running.

All the best for breaking 90mins!

I am running a marathon that day near Ashford (Kent spring marathon) it is not flat not 100% on road so wont be a quick time but I am still aiming to PB I will be happy with 3:2X

I would love to see how I would do on a flat course later on in the year! Plan is to drop down to improve my 10km and HM times then slowly up the mileage over summer to target a faster marathon time in October!

1:29:54 got it but cut it really close! Perfect conditions and not a hill in sight so had no excuses. Garmin predicted I was capable of 1:35 so I'm happy to prove it wrong!
Had some discomfort in glute that was steadily getting worse, couldn't pick up the pace towards end was spent.

Hope your marathon was a success!

[joshcowin]

GregK2 said:

1:29:54 got it but cut it really close! Perfect conditions and not a hill in sight so had no excuses. Garmin predicted I was capable of 1:35 so I'm happy to prove it wrong!
Had some discomfort in glute that was steadily getting worse, couldn't pick up the pace towards end was spent.

Hope your marathon was a success!

Great work mate! Yeah all went well, really challenging route but did 3:22:13 came 8th with the top 2 sub 3 hrs! So not a deep field but I'll take it

[GregK2]

joshcowin said:

GregK2 said:

1:29:54 got it but cut it really close! Perfect conditions and not a hill in sight so had no excuses. Garmin predicted I was capable of 1:35 so I'm happy to prove it wrong!
Had some discomfort in glute that was steadily getting worse, couldn't pick up the pace towards end was spent.

Hope your marathon was a success!

Great work mate! Yeah all went well, really challenging route but did 3:22:13 came 8th with the top 2 sub 3 hrs! So not a deep field but I'll take it

Good result!
Both times I have ran a half now I have come away with a new found respect for anyone completing marathons, running is hard!

[joshcowin]

GregK2 said:

joshcowin said:

GregK2 said:

1:29:54 got it but cut it really close! Perfect conditions and not a hill in sight so had no excuses. Garmin predicted I was capable of 1:35 so I'm happy to prove it wrong!
Had some discomfort in glute that was steadily getting worse, couldn't pick up the pace towards end was spent.

Hope your marathon was a success!

Great work mate! Yeah all went well, really challenging route but did 3:22:13 came 8th with the top 2 sub 3 hrs! So not a deep field but I'll take it

Good result!
Both times I have ran a half now I have come away with a new found respect for anyone completing marathons, running is hard!

I went through the half in 1:37 and had to hold myself back at mile 11 when they all took off! That was hard not to get carried away! Think they were aiming for sub 1:35.

It was a local race but a great atmosphere I was alone from mile 18 but the marshals were great and there's a little turn around of about half a mile where I saw a few chasers and 1 guy ahead and we all were really supportive! Pod plus kent spring marathon. There's a half and a full

Hilly and about 4 miles off road but a great race and road shoes are fine if you can get to Ashford easily give it a go next year!

[fiatpower]

Been following this for a few days as I 'm a twitter follower of the person who came 4th and then upgraded to 3rd place.

Don't know what goes through some peoples heads to think that no one would notice them getting a 2.5mile lift and then loading the GPS file onto strava showing them doing 35mph at one point!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11987195/...

[Harpoon]

fiatpower said:

Been following this for a few days as I 'm a twitter follower of the person who came 4th and then upgraded to 3rd place.

Don't know what goes through some peoples heads to think that no one would notice them getting a 2.5mile lift and then loading the GPS file onto strava showing them doing 35mph at one point!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11987195/...

I was following all that last night as well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65314241

Scottish Athletics chairman David Ovens said:

"I hope she can put this behind her and that there is an innocent explanation and she can resume her successful career."

The explanation would look to be she's a cheat and also thicker than a whale omelette.

[tim2100]

I am really struggling with post-marathon blues. Anybody else get this?

I 'ran' Manchester Marathon on Sunday. Despite a few injuries my training went pretty well and my speed and endurance have been fantastic at the moment. Including taking over 90 seconds off my parkrun time.

4 weeks prior to the marathon I had a back injury, which when it went ended up being a really painful hip problem, however it didn't stop me running. with my 2nd fastest parkrun time (taking it easy) the day before Manchester.

I was aiming for a sub 4hr. ideally around 3:50. Went out comfortably running at 5:15 per km which would have given me a time cushion for when my pace inevitably dropped towards the end of 26.2. However after mile 15 my hip had become agony and i had to run / walk and then mostly walk to finish ending up with 4:15 (still a 14 minute marathon PB), but barely able to walk at the end.

I should be really happy with this marathon time but I cannot help to feel I have let this opportunity go so i am really pissed off about the whole but cannot get myself out of this slump.

[fiatpower]

tim2100 said:

I am really struggling with post-marathon blues. Anybody else get this?

I 'ran' Manchester Marathon on Sunday. Despite a few injuries my training went pretty well and my speed and endurance have been fantastic at the moment. Including taking over 90 seconds off my parkrun time.

4 weeks prior to the marathon I had a back injury, which when it went ended up being a really painful hip problem, however it didn't stop me running. with my 2nd fastest parkrun time (taking it easy) the day before Manchester.

I was aiming for a sub 4hr. ideally around 3:50. Went out comfortably running at 5:15 per km which would have given me a time cushion for when my pace inevitably dropped towards the end of 26.2. However after mile 15 my hip had become agony and i had to run / walk and then mostly walk to finish ending up with 4:15 (still a 14 minute marathon PB), but barely able to walk at the end.

I should be really happy with this marathon time but I cannot help to feel I have let this opportunity go so i am really pissed off about the whole but cannot get myself out of this slump.

Maybe look for a marathon in 2 - 3 months. You've got most of the fitness there now. Get the hip right and use the training you've done to date to get the sub 4.

Do you know why your hip hurt?

[joshcowin]

tim2100 said:

I am really struggling with post-marathon blues. Anybody else get this?

I 'ran' Manchester Marathon on Sunday. Despite a few injuries my training went pretty well and my speed and endurance have been fantastic at the moment. Including taking over 90 seconds off my parkrun time.

4 weeks prior to the marathon I had a back injury, which when it went ended up being a really painful hip problem, however it didn't stop me running. with my 2nd fastest parkrun time (taking it easy) the day before Manchester.

I was aiming for a sub 4hr. ideally around 3:50. Went out comfortably running at 5:15 per km which would have given me a time cushion for when my pace inevitably dropped towards the end of 26.2. However after mile 15 my hip had become agony and i had to run / walk and then mostly walk to finish ending up with 4:15 (still a 14 minute marathon PB), but barely able to walk at the end.

I should be really happy with this marathon time but I cannot help to feel I have let this opportunity go so i am really pissed off about the whole but cannot get myself out of this slump.

First well done on finishing, that must have been really tough mentally!

Make a plan of how you are going to recover from the injury then how you are going to get quicker.

[smn159]

Picked up my race pack from the Excel this afternoon, so all set for London now.

[tim2100]

fiatpower said:

Maybe look for a marathon in 2 - 3 months. You've got most of the fitness there now. Get the hip right and use the training you've done to date to get the sub 4.

Do you know why your hip hurt?

I am now on a training plan for a 70.3 triathlon in July, to take advantage of the training. Good idea to look at another though.

No idea what has happened. It started with a bank sprain last month, but then 'moved' onto my hip. Osteopath has looked but doesn't seem concerned about it, so hopefully just muscular.

joshcowin said:

First well done on finishing, that must have been really tough mentally!

Make a plan of how you are going to recover from the injury then how you are going to get quicker.

Thank you. current plan is a week and half off running, just Gym / cycle / swim and then a weekend in the lakedistrict.

Edited by tim2100 on Thursday 20th April 09:32

[MesoForm]

First race of 2023 for me last night - a 5 mile race along the promenade in Great Yarmouth. Snuck in under 42 minutes which is fine, but as it's a 3 race series I'll see if I can get that under 40 minutes in 4 weeks time... Was really windy last night so it might be possible and I've got a 10k and 10 mile race coming up before the last one (yes, I went a bit race-entry happy) so who knows what the extra distance will do.
5 mile is a fun race distance that I've never done before, not that common (and doesn't have a PB slot on Strava :/ ) but being more than the "long effort" of a 5k and not needing as much prep as a 10k it's something I'll be looking out for a bit more in the future.