spring marathoners

[Mitchy1nge]

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?

Anything over 10 miles I take water with high 5 mixed in. Less than that I just eat 1.5 hours before the run, which is a mare when it's early morning, and try to eat protein within half an hour of getting back in.

Good run last night, ran down to the Club hill session, 2.5 miles of hills, followed by a much gentler run home. 6 miles in the bag. And even more importantly - my head seems to be in a much better place about the whole thing at the moment!

10 miler planned for Sunday, and I will probably head to Parkrun in the morning tomorrow. Please let the weather not be horrendous!

Afternoon. Right, 16 miles done in three hours - pretty damn hilly too so i's say from Mile 11/12 I was wishing it over as by 13 back ache began to kick in in my lower back and gluteus and hamstrings felt achy fatigues. I had porridge at 6.45am, got running at 9am. Took a gel at mile 6, and drank a Gatorade at mile 9, and then at 13 necked a second gel then finished my run outside the chocolate milk shop. I am quite tired feeling, the hills and the cold made it feel tough but I dont, touch wood feel injured. I have yet to eat anything though so might go and force myself to eat toast and peanut butter or some chicken. It's nice to have Friday's off for the long run, so tomorrow I'll do a relaxed swim with my son and have Sunday off.
Happy running everyone!

Oh well done, Pleaseput
I should be doing an hour now.

Grrrrrrrrrr I've got my feet glued to the heater and no motivation.

Well done you!
force yourself to eat. We had a sports nutritionist speak at the club recently, and eating within the first 30 mins post run is hugely beneficial! It's one thing I really struggle with, because I generally can't face food after running, but apparently is really good for your muscles!

yes is apparently v important, replenish carbs and have some protein - chocolate milk is supposed to be really good for this if you can't face food

just out of anxiety curiosity - what is everyone's weekly mileage and length of long run at the moment and how many weeks until your marathon?

Go run blah blah! You'll feel better about yourself. I get in a bad mood with myself if I quiche out of a planned run. It's not worth the hard time I give myself. I drank a pint of choc milk Bafana on finishing my run . And are a peanut butter sandwich about two hours later. I thought I should probs have had an ice bath as I am def muscle tired but I was so so cold with sweat after being out for so long despite all that techno sportswear that I ended up having quite the opposite - a hot long soak and then iced my knee for insurance and took some ibuprofen.
mitchy my marathon is on Good Friday. I run three 5-7 mile runs on top of the long run and do two boot camps that involve a fair amount of shuttle or interval running so if they have been running orientated I drop a short run and swim. I am really wondering how well I can build up my stamina in the coming weeks as I thought when I finished today that another 10 miles running would not be pretty!!!

Dammit, I think I'm out.

Plantar Fasciitis through December and 4 weeks off. I'd been back to it all for 2 weeks and did something weird to the other foot last Tues and haven't been able to run since. Saw physio today who confirmed that the tendons are swollen and I should have at least another week of complete rest.

I just don't think there's enough time left to get up to speed/distance without risking further injury for a marathon on 12th April. Am thinking I should still aim for the half I have at the end of March, and then for the triathlons I have in May/June. Crap crap crap.

Oh Pootle, believe me I feel your disappointment. I am the injury queen and I did my knee /itband in when I got to 14 miles before Xmas and it only now not making limp after every run. Injury is so frustrating. Like you I have two other half marathons scheduled in, one in March, one in May and then triathlon in June. I suspect I will have to think about swimming and cycling more come the spring but right now I'm just trying to be slow and careful to get up to marathon distance in one piece but it feels like such an easy fine line between pushing distance and then injury. I'm frightened to run at pace or too hard during short runs in case the long ones make me more likely to pull /tear something. Plantar fasciitis is horrid. Are you golf balling your foot and pulling towels with scrunched toes etc?
Me and the foam roller are going to have to make friends tonight.

Oh no Pootle sorry to hear that. Hope you can rest and recover enough for your halfs.

Mitchy, my weekly mileage this week is 19 miles - I have done 45 so far this month. My long run this weekend is 9 miles but the mileage really ramps up in Feb - weeks of 25 miles average and long runs of 12,15,15 & 16. And then March is more again!

oh pootle poor you, PF is nasty (had it after/as part of? soleus strain) massive sympathies - did heal completely, along with everything else, tried to keep endurance base up on the rowing machine by doing equivalent mileage in place of runs. Also dragged old running shoes out of retirement and wore them everywhere as far as possible especially if had to walk any distance. Physio used to tape up my achilles too and that helped.

I still can't get into the progress summary on Garmin to see miles for the month so far but has just occurred to me that my next half is coming up in TWO WEEKS (8th feb, is that two weeks? yikes anyway)

Thank you for the sympathy, everyone. Just feeling sorry for myself today (and maybe much of the week, given pretty much all exercise is out). I seem to have sorted the plantar fasciitis by wearing fit flops or running shoes every moment of every day. The latest thing is the tendons in the top of my other foot, and neither me nor the physio has really sussed what caused it yet.

By the time I've had another week off, I'll only have run for 2 weeks in the previous 2 months, with 10 weeks to go until the marathon. I could give it a go, but a) I suspect I'll hate doing a sub-standard (to me) marathon, and b) with such a short timescale I suspect I'd end up injuring myself further trying to get up to distance. Better to get back to speed, at half distance (for HM and triathlon purposes) and if all stays well contemplate an end-of-the-summer marathon instead.

Painful run today. 14 miles+. Not a bad tine (for me), but pain in the foot and hip after about 7 miles, which is ok now.

Remind me why I'm doing this?

Pootle Sorry to hear you might not manage your race.
Innocence hope the aches don't come to anything.

My marathon isn't until the end of May so I've not properly started training for it. At the moment I don't do a huge mileage, probably 21 miles Including a long run of 11 miles. I have just been running 3 times a week but I do try to make them quality runs e.g. tempo or intervals. My youngest dc starts nursery next week so that should give me at least one more run in a week.

well done innocence, hope you're not hurting today

am doing well at establishing Sunday morning Long Run insofar as woke at 5 and started getting ready - but it's still very dark out there, I don't have a head torch or any lights, will just have to wait under this pile of cats and spaniel until it starts to get a bit lighter as the route is mostly roads without footpaths or street lights

Hope you're feeling ok today Innocence

Hope you made it out from the cats Mitchy! I'm just scoffing a bowl of porridge in bed before heading out to get 9 in the bag this morning, but it's super frost again so it really will be a slow one today

Morning all!

Feeling ok today. The foot pain is gone and actually disappeared quickly. Hip pain hardly noticeable but something I'll need to watch.

Good luck on your long run, those going today.

Have a good long run, all of you for whom Sunday = long run day.

On the sofa with my leg elevated and a bag of frozen peas on my foot as per physio instructions…

aw pootle

I ended up having a long sleep under the cats instead feel amazing for it. Did ten and a bit on Thursday so is not as if I haven't had a longISH one. Think have done about 20 overall so a lot lighter than last week.

Really genuinely hadn't thought through the problem of how very very dark it would be on country roads at that hour, so while the idea of getting 2, 2.5 hours done by 8 or 9 am (Sundays are one of our busier days for various reasons) is brilliant and inspired, the reality was a bit daunting. Also forgot that even where there is some street lighting it's not on at that time. Excuses excuses! Am ordering several of those flashing armband things so maybe next week. There's no pressing need to be running much more than 10 for my long one anyway yet, it's just that it's a demon I need to vanquish.

Ah sometimes you need a good rest Mitchy! I know what you mean about the dark - I'm fortunate in that I can go out a bit later on Sundays, but I had to squeeze an evening run in during the week and just ended up doing 3 laps of the school run where the roads are well lit!! Ok for 4 miles but not very motivating for 10+!!

I did my 9. Averaged 10.10 min miles which is faster than I'd planned. I started slow and got quicker without realising it. My marathon pace will def be between 10.30 and 11 min miles for a very good chunk of it though as I feel my strongest at a slow pace, particularly when contemplating 26 miles!!

Good luck for everyone else running today.

well done runners. Mitchy I have a power cap that I love - it's a baseball cap with the head torch concealed under the peak lighting up the road ahead. I also have a noxgear for when it's dark - it's a neon changing colour holster type thingermie with an additional torch in the centre front and back - it's great save that everyone wants to ask me about it! ( great for finding your kids at a festival etc too).
So I had a rest day yesterday and I planned to have one today too but mentally I just couldn't deal with it so I've been for an early swim and then hit the supermarket and am now blitzing a long over due house clean. I was laughing at myself though as despite having run plenty (for me) and my farthest run to date on Friday I was feeling pangs of envy at those I saw enjoying their Sunday morning runs! It is SO tempting but I know I need to allow the two running recovery days or Injury is inevitable. Friday's run was long AND hilly so I need to make this weeks short runs easy and let my body make its adaptations etc. my right glute is a teensy bit twinge-y so I think flat runs this week. There is ALWAYS something - sore knee, tugging hamstring, tight calves...I wonder sometimes if I'll ever actually run without something niggling somewhere. And I don't know whether to make Friday's run longer again or drop it to a mile less to allow for a better recovery.... Hmmm ( maybe it's the thought of what wouldbe an 18 miler vs a 15 that fills me with dread...) it's TIME consuming as even when you've finished the run you have to stretch, ice, roller, shower and eat. Then boom you get the kids from school! And suddenly your whole day has been taken up with just running!!!!! Why am I doing it??!!! ??
Pootle glad you are being sensible and icing. The miracle of consistent icing is not to be underestimated!
Glad your hips ok innocence.
I WILL do core exercises tonight. Yes I WILL!!!! Cough...

Well done everyone who has run today, you all are so motivated, it's inspring.
I ran 9 and the last 2 were slow and tough, but we got there. A particularly tough hill on mile 8, never good, but I live at the top of a hill, so three is really no way to avoid them.

Came home, collapsed, ate, showered and collapsed some more.
Have just got up and done all my rehab exercises and the dreaded instrument of torches that is the foam roller. I really do detest that thing more than is reasonable to dislike an inanimate object.

Enjoy your Sunday evenings folks.
Work in the morning ??

Am I too late to jump on the spring marathon wagon?

Some really impressive times and distances on this thread. Sorry to hear of those of you with injuries, speedy recovery I hope!

Doing London (26th April) and have just finished week 3 of my programme. Am a complete novice runner, only started in August last year and ran my first 10k in October. Wondering how foolish I have been sighing up for a marathon when longest distance I have run is 7 miles! Any inspirational stories to keep me motivated?

morning, hips

i'm a novice too, we can be 'fools' together, as the furthest race i've done is 10k (did one yesterday) but up until now, longest freedom run is 7 miles.

as long as you're on a training plan, and don't push yourself too far too soon, i don't see why you (we ) won't complete the distance. We won't be on the podium for fastest times, but we'll do it!

I've been experimenting with carb gels, and they don't half make me fart a few hours after - is this common or am on the wrong-for-me type

hello hips, welcome!

where can I get one of those power caps please please? it sounds great and yes it feels there is ALWAYS SOMETHING, have been prodding my left calf, it feels exactly like my right one did before it progressed to a grade 2 strain

am such a hypochondriac though

jenny I haven't experienced that particular amusing effect, the high5 ones made me vomit to start with but I found torq stayed down, and have subsequently risked a high5 with success