Edinburgh 2014 - chasing the hairy haggis

[Mitchy1nge]

thread for anyone training for the full marathon or the half or any of the other events

it's my first marathon so am very excited, I know that in theory if I can do 21 miles then 26 (plus 385 yards) is achievable but only started running again a few months ago, it's so much more addictive than it used to be

[louwn]

No, my longest run so far is 9 miles and it was about a 9 min/mile. I anticipate that slowing down once I add in some miles. Think I will do 10 miles next weekend and see how that feels.
I know what you mean about the time. I have a v demanding job so find it difficult to fit the training in!
Your pace goal sounds really sensible to me, we have 25 weeks tomorrow! : )

[tonightsthekindofnight]

Hi everyone.

Feeling very inspired reading this thread, you are so motivated and determined! I would really like to target 2014 as the year to do my first marathon. I have done a few halves but not sure how on earth i will sustain twice that, its such a long way!!

My best 5k time is 20 mins but that was pre babies. My youngest is 6 months and i am doing 40ish miles a week with the longest run10 miles in 90 mins. Not sure how long i need to prepare for the full 26 or which one to enter? Any advice welcome! X

[Mitchy1nge]

yay another one :)

tell me about your 40 mile weeks tonights? am wondering how it actually works to do so many miles - how many days a week etc

surely that is already a very good base for marathon training?

[tonightsthekindofnight]

Hey Mitchy,

I run everyday usually. I always have done, makes me feel good!! I try and do at least ten miles one day a week which means averaging about 5 miles a day for the others. I tend to run in the evenings once the kids are in bed, I am finding it harder to keep the mileage up with the miserable weather and dark nights though. I do feel in pretty good shape but have no idea how I could keep going for 26 miles. It seems soooooo far! What is your weekly schedule like at the moment? Do you use a treadmill or always outdoor?

[Mitchy1nge]

I was just reading about running every day, running streaks, am quite tempted. Instead of a day every now and then of not running/resting you just do one mile, which would be a tease but sensible. What happens the day after a marathon though?

I did think about treadmills but no, although ran on one for a little while yesterday at the running shop for gait analysis. It's not very nice is it, no wonder some people call them dreadmills. I was running round the farm where our horses live but it's not very free draining soil, there are no lights and it's too dark after school now. So am being brave about running on roads, finding new cycle and footpaths, conquering various of the villages nearby. Think have run to and around most of the ones that have sensible roads, now am working on their neighbouring villages. I sometimes get out there, maybe a few miles from civilisation and feel insanely anxious - running and panic are hard on the heart and lungs when they occur simultaneously. Ideally I would have a nice silent companion to run with everywhere. My favourite thing is just running around and across the fields for ages, where there is no public right of way (I have permission) and no roads so my dog can come too, and the sound of my own breathing and feet hitting the ground. Small things, small minds etc

I don't have a very consistent pattern though, beyond the Long Run on a Saturday (or Friday or Sunday) and trying to run every day in the week. The weekly/monthly target is good, only 22 to go before Saturday.

[louwn]

mitchy/tonight,

I bow down to your many mile weeks! This week will be 22 miles for me and thats a stretch - v demanding fulltime job and long commute! Must get out and do 5 miles now, and 10 miles on sunday. Have worked on my speed a little in recent weeks so trying to ease into a slightly longer run now. Definitely my longest in over a year, eek!

[Mitchy1nge]

are you feeling ok with the mileage so far?

I've put on THREE kg THREE running is making me fat :( or tired and hungry at least

14 miles in a minute

[Mitchy1nge]

the 14 miles were all quite challenging - I was tired and pissed off, it was raining, I forgot to eat first, my new water backpack thing weighed about 90000 kg

but did them and exceeded my 100m goal so am awarding self a nap

[louwn]

Well done! What water backpack thing do you have? Have put one on my xmas list but would love some recommendations. 10 tomorrow for me....eek.

[Mitchy1nge]

it's camelbak, not sure which model but has a separate squiggly bit you can put things in, yellow and grey and holds up to 2l (why did I fill it all the way up though? obviously not going to drink that much over the course of 14 miles? so just had to carry it, it was So Heavy) and my top tip would be to squish the air out of the water bit. Although am sure any normal person would do that anyway? It sloshed with every step and what with the wind blowing into my face, and the fucking rain and severe porridge deprivation and morbid obesity I was gritting my teeth the whole way. Plus I hadn't adjusted it properly so it bounced up down up down up down argh

but will get the hang of it?

[Mitchy1nge]

good luck tomorrow, you don't need it of course

I've lost my Garmin (grandson has probably taken it, he is a bit obsessed with it) and seriously upset about running without it tomorrow

[louwn]

Hope you found your garmin mitchy! Have done my 10 miles, quite tired now, but 10 feels like an achievement as its double figures!

[Mitchy1nge]

well done! did you enjoy it? I think 10 miles is nice, twice in the past week I have woken up with Distance Anxiety about the marathon. I can't remember why I wanted to do it except I won't be happy if I don't do it. Maybe it's my age but am not pinging back from the long ones, tired and hungry

but I found my Garmin anyway, just need to do 15 miles in the week and 15 on Saturday. not sure what happened to the 'no further than 13 before christmas' but I know the long one is the most important

am missing having a gym and also yoga, might shop around for a new place

[louwn]

I haven't run since last sunday, been too busy and stressed at work : (. I actually quite enjoyed the 10 miles! Hoping to do 5 tomorrow - was out last night and tonight but not planning on drinking too much later!

[Mitchy1nge]

glad you enjoyed the 10 miles, maybe the week off will work out well. Do you get anxious about missing a run now and then or do you simply pick up where you left off? That's a general question for everyone here!

Didn't make my 30 mile target, in fact only ran 10 miles during the week and my legs were quite uncooperative during the long run yesterday, but managed 13.5 of my planned 15. Why is it sometimes so grueling and other times easy and nice?

I will never be able to stick to any detailed training plan, am just going to pare it down to a minimum of 3 enjoyable runs in the week and keep The Long One as my priority for now.

[Mitchy1nge]

24 weeks from today :)

[Mitchy1nge]

first run in freezing (not literally) and very dense fog today, it was creeepy as fuck but I enjoyed it

(only 25 miles this week so hopefully won't be as tired and hungry as before)

I also enjoyed this comic strip

[louwn]

Eeeek 24 weeks! I ended up through work being insane having almost 2 weeks off. Started again yesterday and did 4 miles and then 6 today, so to answer your question I tend to back off a bit on distance if I've had time off. I am upping my running to 5 times per week now which feels a little scary. Am following actual marathon programme, these two runs were part of week 1! Baby steps.... : D

[Mitchy1nge]

which are you following? although you probably already said. Good luck with the 5x a week, hope your body doesn't notice and start to complain about it

I am definitely struggling to push past 30 miles a week, which is probably still ok at this stage, sometimes I think I deserve a medal just for trying to maintain this mileage at this time of year - dropped the long run back to 10 this weekend and feel much more human for it

[louwn]

Cool runnings beginner marathon. Im only on about 20 miles a week, the programme builds up to 45, madness!

[Mitchy1nge]

it looks good, it zigzags around a lot - which is what I seem to end up doing, I think I'm averaging their weeks 5 or 7, some of those long runs are a fucking big leap aren't they from 15 to 18 to 20

I only ever add a mile at a time. I suppose you could skip a shorter mid-week run and cross-train instead (spin?) if you had to.

[louwn]

oh yes they do jump about! not looking forward to the 12-15 jump particularly...

[Mitchy1nge]

apart from in a minute when I run to where ever I left my car on Saturday night am not sure how many miles I will manage this week or next - almost wish I'd asked Santa for a treadmill instead of upgrading to a forerunner 220

[louwn]

I've just been out to do a freezing, windy, rainy 5k. Now to have a hot shower and make soup : )

[Mitchy1nge]

oh my god

fuck this shit, this must be why we invented treadmills