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Original poster

spring marathoners

344 replies

Mitchy1nge · 06/01/2015 20:06

suspect there are a few of us preparing for a spring marathon - any interest in chat about training schedules, black toe nails and so on?

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Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 20/01/2015 11:51

the first couple of minutes are probably the best! It trundles along at the marathon pace of an elderly smoker but I did enjoy it :)

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Pleaseputyourshoeson · 20/01/2015 15:59

Afternoon all. So looking at my calendar and my plans of increasing my mileage by one extra mile per weekly long run it looks as if I'll hit 20 miles one week before the marathon itself - and that's assuming I don't land up with worsening injury, catching a cold etc. so I'm thinking a) how uber imperative is it to run that 20 miles? And. B) is it worth maybe jumping from 15 miles to 17 miles one week and then another week jumping from 18 to 20 miles in order to fit in a taper? I'm up to intending to do 11 miles on my LSR this week. Maybe jump up earlier to 13. And then increment up earlier? I hurt my knee at 15 miles before Xmas so rested and then only did short runs over the holidays so it's just recovering and is noticeably less sore/limp inducing after runs now. But I was wondering what anyone's thoughts were on my strategy? I'm doing two shorter runs during the week on top, sometimes three and two hiit classes and a swim or cycle plus glute/hip exercises. I really just want to complete and get round this marathon but I still want to run it and know I've run it & not run half/walk half. Maybe the odd one minute walk every 10k or something to neck a gel/fluids etc.

Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 20/01/2015 16:09

you can add more than a mile a week, it might be better to add 2 or 3 and hold that or even a big drop back some weeks, then ramp it up again

many many plans do this, some are all over the place

for me it's important to crack 20 miles before the day, although I know lots of people never exceed 18 in training and still do ok, it's just for the confidence in myself I think

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Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 20/01/2015 16:10

the taper will be important too though

could you get to 18 with two weeks to spare so you'll be fully rested and all revved up?

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BafanaThesober · 20/01/2015 16:19

Hey All
Can I join?
I am running Paris in April
Training going ok at the moment, although I am behind schedule, because of bursistis in one hip, and had a torn hamstring in the other leg, which took from September to December to heal.
I veer between excited/bricking/and wondering about my sanity!!!

LadyBlaBlah · 20/01/2015 16:29

I'm doing Paris too

On the 20 miler thing, my plan (Map my run marathon app) does it by the time of my run. Long runs at the
moment are 1 hr 50
And the longest is 3 hours 30 (it's based on my projected time)
It does go up 20 mins a week which is over 2 miles a week. And the longest is 3 weeks from 'race' day

Pleaseputyourshoeson · 20/01/2015 18:10

Thanks for the advice, so maybe I'll go 12, then 14, then 17, then 13, then 20, then 12, and then taper down into the final two weeks? What dya think?
I'm no way aiming for 3,30! More like 4.30 - 5 hrs I think. My half marathon is 2.30 or 2.10 ish if going for it more. My aim is to get through it as injury free as possible as I've half marathons and triathlons/duathlons booked through April/may/June .

isittheweekendyet · 20/01/2015 18:12

I'd go up by 2 miles a week too. My plan gets me to do 20 miles 5 and then 3 weeks before race day. Then it tapers down to 10 miles the week before.

Love that video too - can imagine I'll be watching it a few times in the coming months as can't actually believe I'll be covering these distances soon!!ShockShockShock

LadyBlaBlah · 20/01/2015 19:01

Just to clarify.....I'm not aiming for 3.30 Shock
That's just my longest training run
If I got 4.15 I'd be ecstatic for a year Grin

BafanaThesober · 20/01/2015 19:17

Watching the YouTube video, already crying. I will be a sobbing mess at the end of Paris, and I am only going for a finish. 5.30 hours would be a fab result for me. I am never going to be fast, but I am going to be a finisher ??

Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 21/01/2015 08:45

:) glad you enjoyed the film! I was excited to see Kathrine Switzer in it, her book (Marathon Woman) made me cry allllllll the way through but that could have been my state of mind at the time Blush

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isittheweekendyet · 21/01/2015 14:43

Ooh might have to get that book! Squeezed a 4 mile lunchtime run in today as working at home which felt great after a rest day yesterday. Trying to up my pace for the final mile or so to prove to myself that I do have more than one pace in me!! Going up rest again tomorrow and get another 4 miles in Fri and a long run in on Sunday - the plan says 8 miles this weekend.

isittheweekendyet · 21/01/2015 14:44

Going *to rest. Blardy iPhone.

leemur · 21/01/2015 17:56

Will have to watch the video once I'm on wifi.
I'll be heading out for 6ish miles shortly. That's assuming I can find enough ice free pavements! I usually do a long run of 11 miles home from work on a Wednesday but I decided not to risk it tonight - partly the conditions underfoot and partly my niggly leg. I think it's my piriformis and it's feeling much better but I thought I'd be cautious.
I'm having a wobble about my goal time for the marathon. The runnersworld race time predictor says I should be able to do it but I've read some other things that make it seem less likely. My current pb (from 1998!)is 3.42 so I might just hope I can beat that.

InnocenceAndExperience · 21/01/2015 21:06

Handy 7-miler for me today, after a 5k yesterday.

Feeling positive!

Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 21/01/2015 21:40

leemur those times, to me, are as impressive as the elites with their five minute miles!

I think the calculator is pretty accurate, based on my most recent 10k times my hm time is about right, and for the marathon it says 4:49 which is probably possible but am giving self the whole six hours allowed

nice one innocence :)

have had a restful day, 9.5 planned with a friend tomorrow, I lead a slow 10k thing on Friday, Saturday off, long one Sunday and I must do the full 13 this time

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InnocenceAndExperience · 21/01/2015 21:46

Anyone doing other exercises in between?

Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 21/01/2015 22:09

not really, I run 5 days a week when all is ok and that's my main thing realy

I see a personal trainer once a week, quite limited in what we can do around my bad back at the moment not that we ever do anything very strenuous, but I do have horses and not sure if that counts as exercise but there's quite a lot of physical stuff to do, riding, mucking out etc

used to do a lot of hot yoga but can't afford that and PT

how about you?

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InnocenceAndExperience · 21/01/2015 22:16

Horses are good exercise I would think.

I have a very sedentary job so its all quite a conscious effort for me.

BafanaThesober · 21/01/2015 22:17

I swim and I cycle, hoping to do more triathlons later this year, but running is my first love, and at the moment, pretty much all I am doing, I am a single parent and work full time, so fitting everything in can be a challenge.

Also love yoga when I can get along to the classes.

Rest day today. 6 miles tomorrow after work.

InnocenceAndExperience · 21/01/2015 22:24

Time is the issue for me, too. Also a single parent working FT so I have to work out a timetable and MAKE time for running, especially now the longer runs are getting longer!

leemur · 22/01/2015 07:04

Thanks for the positivity mitchy!
I'm another one who really only runs although I do cycle to and from work one day which is 10 miles each way.

I didn't even make it out last night as my train was late so I ran out of time. I'll have to go tonight instead.

Pleaseputyourshoeson · 22/01/2015 20:18

Yes Leemur, I'd consider myself an Olympian or something with that time!!!
My next question is about fueling - I take a couple of gels with me and now going longer am wondering how often to neck one - every 10k ish? and also re drinks I normally run with a fiver in my pocket which I use to buy water en route planning my runs around being near a shop/cafe at around the 10 k ish point and to buy a choc milk at the end - but now I'm building up those miles is water enough? Do you NEED to drink an electrolyte drink? Into ice after half distance I can be very salty and occasionally crampy, which makes me think I'm losing too much salt in sweat or something?

Original poster
Mitchy1nge · 22/01/2015 21:00

I don't know about those things, it's probably individual and I haven't done super long runs for ages but anything sort of 15 miles and over I take water or something like lucozade sport diluted 50:50 with water

I use high5 zero tabs for electrolyte replacement now and then mainly for the potassium because I'm on lithium, which pretty much competes with potassium, and although this is checked frequently the risk of low potassium sort of worries me but I do this in general, not on the actual run

anyway it is a good idea to have some kind of drink or even food with you on a long run in case you injure yourself and have to wait somewhere or limp home - you are likely to be much further from home than on a normal weekday run, it's hard to believe now but apparently by the time our marathons draw near it could be much warmer out there! so it's not a bad habit to get into

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isittheweekendyet · 23/01/2015 09:13

I fuel by eating some raisins just before I run. On runs up to around 7/8 miles I just take water with me, although with the cold weather I haven't been taking anything to drink while I'm out. More miles than that I take a bottle of sports drink with me and something to snack on, maybe some sweets or flapjack while I run. I use gels every 45 mins, again on longer runs, say more than 9 miles, so will take one this weekend for the first time as I'm due to do 9 on Sunday

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