London marathoners assemble

[KittyandTeal]

As the ballot spaces start being allocated I thought I'd start a thread for those of us lucky enough to get a space.

I was rejected through the ballot but I have had a charity space since June so I'm running (and raising £1400) I've been training for a half so I can get the distance under my belt. Im up to 11 miles now in just over 2 hours. I'm slow but getting there. I'd like to get in under 5 hours but I'm happy to just be running it.

I wear very thin, anti-friction, anti-blister socks - Nike and Hind. They are nice and tight around my instep, cool breathable blah blah.

Thinking of investing in some decent compression socks - anyone own any?

My favourite socks are Hilly, I have a mix of lighter and heavier Ines. I don't have any compression socks but do have calf sleeves; they are great after a long or tough run. I may wear them in the longer training runs

I did a brilliant 3 hour yoga workshop this morning. I feel so good afterwards now.

One more day of rest and then back to it. I'm gagging to get out for a run. I'm going to try for a gentle 5 miles on Monday and then up my mileage from 6-10 mile long runs, a shorter one and lots of core, strength and yoga until January.

Are you all forcing yourselves out for runs in all weather?? It's absolutely pissing it down here with no signs of stopping, but I've only managed two runs this week and am working all day tomorrow. Feel guilty sat at home but it's so cold, dark and wet. But then I guess I need to get used to running in all weather?! Plus I now also have some lovely new trainers that I want to try out...

Yeah I've had a break this week but my half was in wind and rain

I don't usually mind running in all sorts of weather but then I don't run at night, I'm not sure I could motivate myself in the wind, rain and dark!

I avoid too dark and windy, but cold/rain/snow doesn't stop me.

I'm very fortunate to have no set hours at work, so can move quickly in windows of half-decent weather.

I decided to drag myself out- I'm not going to have much choice which days I run due to work so will have to get used to it! Got soaking wet and a bit bored running without headphones but did a fairly swift 5k which has brought my mileage up to 16 miles this week, so starting to sound a bit more respectable! And to be fair I could of avoided running in the dark if I wasn't too hungover to run this morning

Well done Elba! I am usually fine running in all weathers, have built up a running wardrobe that copes with most things. Of course, living in Aberdeenshire, if I only went out in good weather I wouldn't get out a lot!

Well done Elba!

Emummy I need to expand my running wardrobe. I have a few lovely pairs of leggings, I like running in vest and sleeves when it's a bit chilly but I have nothing for cold/wet/windy long runs. Last year I wasn't doing much over 5k and so running a little faster. I didn't ever get cold as I was never out much longer that half an hour.

Any good suggestions? I've got a ronhill long sleeves top but it's bloody boiling, think that'll be a snow days one. I spent a long time browsing sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane websites wishing I had an endless pot of money!

Well this week it's been below freezing every day, so I have worn tights, my Ronhill long sleeved to and a gilet and gloves. The tights are either normal ones or the Ronhill winter ones on the colder days.
When it gets above freezing again I might wear t shirt with sleeves and my gilet. If it is really wet I wear a cap and start off with my Ronhill trail waterproof and take it off when I get too warm. The Ronhill long sleeved top seems to be a bit water resistant so I wear that if it's not too warm. And I have waterproof socks if I know the route I am taking is likely to have lots of puddles! Basically I like to wear a few layers so I can adapt as I run to which bits are warm or cold - the sleeves and gilet are great for that.

I bought an amazing Saucony top last week. The temperature control is amazing. It's long sleeved/high necked/hooded and I am wearing over a vest/bra in current temps (maybe 5 degrees). Teamed with longer fleece-lined leggings, gloves and a headband.

I have other long-sleeved running hoodies but this Saucony one is the bees knees! I'm nesh though - I feel the cold badly.

Saucony top at great price!!

Emummy I forget you are in a cold, cold area. It's not really got lower than about 5 degrees here yet.

That top looks amazing maid. I might just invest. Amazing price

OK, just run 18k and didn't look at my tracker to check pace even once, just went with my natural rhythm for the music tempo I had. My km splits range from 5:44 to 6:28; target marathon pace is 6:30 to 7:15. I'm a bit at what to do - should I just train to this pace and hope I can work it through or do I need to find a way of going slower?

I think train to the pace you feel comfortable with. If you felt those times were fairly easy and you weren't struggling to breath etc that might just be your easy pace.

I agree with Kitty. When you get on to the really long runs you will find out if you can comfortably hold that pace or not. And on the day you can always follow a pacer for a bit to stop yourself going off too fast.

That pace didn't, as far as I can tell, tax my CV system. I was singing/dancing/generally dicking around at various points throughout (who knew Single Ladies was such a good running song?), never out of breath, no excessive sweating. It feels like a completely maintainable pace.

I am thinking that perhaps my projected marathon pace calculation is incorrect. It's based on my 10k PB. But what if my 10k PB isn't very fast? I mean, it isn't very fast, I know this (53:28), and I know I don't run at tempo speed for 10k. So the calculators think I am stupidly slow, but maybe I'm just lazy! And that's conspired to give me a too slow marathon pace?

Yep, that sounds like your projected pace is off. This is why I like running by effort as it changes too.

How long ago was your 10k pb? (That's much quicker than my 01:01) It might be you've massively improved since then. If you can sing, dance and dick about then I say that's definitely an easy pace I so want to run with you, at least part of it anyway, I think you'll be much speedier than me!

It might be once you run much longer long runs then your overall pace might slow but I wouldn't worry too much, just ran at a happy, comfortable pace for you.

Thanks both for input here, BTW!

10k PB was a few weeks ago. Knocked a few seconds off my 5k PB last week too. At the very least, these slow runs are still feeding into tempo increases on shorter runs!

Oh lord, if 53 minutes is slow what does that make my PB of 57! Which nearly killed me! Carry on as you are Maid, looks you could be on for a good time in London, maybe you will turn out to be a natural marathoner.

Brilliant.

I just did a 5 miles, went out too fast at 9.40min mile and then hit the hills and almost killed myself. I've only had 9 days off running but today was a real struggle. 53mins for just under 5 miles. Urgh. I hate runs like that, where nothing clicks, everything is a struggle and you finish thinking 'shit, I'll have to tack 21 miles on to that!'

You are all so speedy! I can't remember my best 10k time but it was somewhere in the region of 1.10...I'm going to be still limping round this thing hours after you are all finished!

I've yet to find a pace that i could comfortable talk (or sing!) at. My pace for 'long' (8 miles- it's bloody long for me at the moment!!) runs feels sustainable for that distance currently, but not sure if I could go further on it. But on average it worked out at 6.50 per km...if I go much slower I may as well walk! Should I be consciously trying to run even slower?!

Think I'm just really not very fit, and my running experience is limited to say the least. I love a challenge, but starting to wonder just how realistic this is...

Elba I think you and I are roughly the same pace. My 1:01 10k was all out. I'm much more comfortable running around a 1:10 pace. That's what my 10k time during my recent half was.

This is absolutely do-able for you. Don't forget training in earnest doesn't start until after Christmas. And 8 miles is bloody far.

Oh lord, if 53 minutes is slow what does that make my PB of 57!
Ha, sorry, I wasn't meaning to diss anyone else's times or anything. What I meant was that I don't run all out on 10k - I haven't trained to run very fast on such a run and ultimately, I'm too lazy to try and push my times massively. I like running, but I'm not mad keen on running to my max exertion

And maybe this is skewing my marathon pace predictions - the calculators are assuming that 10k time is really a proper tempo-trained time when it isn't.

If it helps, I vomited after that PB (outside Tesco #classy) though.

maid. I've avoided vomiting so far. I have, however, cried. I say on the dam wall at our local resoivoir and balled like a baby. Puking is next on the list