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.

Can I join too? I'm running the London Marathon for the first time this year - first time i will have run a marathon and I'm in my 40s! Started running last May and found it just clicked with me as a form of exercise.

Really excited about the challenge. Need to sort my diet more than training plan out at the moment as it's gone out the window recently and I've piled on a stone in a month - can really feel the extra weight when running.

Hi orangeraisins, I'm in my forties and doing my first marathon too! Agree about the diet, my meals are healthy enough, it's snacking that's my downfall. Good luck with the training.

Training going ok here, up to 11 miles but concerned my pace is too fast. I got a tomtom runner for Xmas and showed me I steadily slow down throughout the run. I also read an article about the 80/20 method (where 80% of running is really slow) which helps endurance without tiring you out, which rang true for me as always feel tired after 8miles+

The Myasics plan is really slow and thinking maybe I should try and follow that?

Anyone else following a plan where you run slower that feels natural? Does it work?

Happy running everyone!

Really interested in others' training plans. Not heard of 80/20, no. But do know need to get the longer miles in in order to not hit the wall around mile 18! I'm following runners world 3x week plan. Works for me as I'm very time poor. However week 1 starts with 10 mile long run so it does through u in at deep end!!

I'm doing an intermediate playpen on the London website, it has the mixture of run types that I need to not get bored! It lasts 17 weeks and started off quite easy with a 60 minute long run, this week it will be 1hr20 which should be 8 miles ish.
I do find it hard to run slow sometimes - I think I'm going slow then look at my watch and realise I've settled into my usual steady pace! All you can do is keep an eye on your watch I think.

Playpen?! Plan!

Hi again everyone. Looks like training is going really well for everyone.

I started the beginners plan (the intermediate looked good but I can't fit 4 runs in a week) and it's going well. I just did a New Years 10k which was really fun, I've been a bit ill but managed a 01:03 (I think)

I'm booking a half marathon for the start of march to help get me through it.

My hamstring is giving me a bit of an issue. My whole right leg feels tight, hamstring, calf and my foot. Driving me mad. Think I'm going to book a sports massage. I stretch properly, do yoga regularly so I don't know what it is. Maybe my gait or stride.

Hi all, sounds like everyone's training is going well. I am running my first marathon in April. I have done a few halves before but not for a while. I have a three year old and seven month old so haven't really found the time.

Completed my first official training run today. I am doing the intermediate training plan from the magazine but dropping the shortest run each week as I think 3 runs a week plus one cross training class is as much as I can manage.

I injured my calf last year so went to a specialist running physio for some running tips. I would definitely recommend it. He assessed my gait & gave me some running tips along with some strengthening exercises which have really helped.

Feeling excited & terrified at the prospect of running the marathon. Still a very long way to go.

Oliver that sounds like a good idea, just dropping one run from the intermediate plan. I wish I'd thought about that!

As it is im probably not running much for a week or so as dd has chicken pox and obviously can't go to preschool (the time I get to run)

Luckily I'm already running week 3-4 distances so I'm not overly worried.

What were the strength exercises if you don't mind me asking?

Two different exercises, one laid on the floor on your back with your legs bent at 90 degree angle feet on Swiss ball then raise your bottom off floor, so a yoga bridge but with feet on ball 3 x 10. Then the same with straight legs 3 x 10. I'' finding it quite hard so clearly something I need to work on.

Toes on step, heels off dropping heel below step then stretching to tip toes. 3 x 10 on each leg. Bit more directed at my calf injury.

The other useful tip he gave me was to reduce stride length & increase pace of step. I use a metronome app at 160 beats per minute & match my stride to that. It reduces the pressure of each strike apparently and we have a lot of strikes to go.

Those sound good.

I've got around a 20-25min strength round, mainly focussing on hips as that's my weakness. I need to do some more core work too really.

I think I have a fairly short stride already but that's a good tip, I'll have a think about that on tmrws run

chocolate I think I wrote upthread about how awkward I feel about having to pull my pace to what feels like a really unnatural gait. Someone - sorry, can't find you - talked about 'effort running' and I gave up checking my Fitbit every 30 seconds and just went with what's completely maintainable from a CV POV. It's some 1 min per km faster than what a marathon calculator wants me to run at but I just can't do it slower without huge effort to maintain cadence etc.

Hope you're all doing well. First long run of the year yesterday - 18.1km. Quads a little tight today - must stretch those for a bit longer. Rest today. Weights and two hours of netball aka sprint intervals tomorrow. Rest Thurs. 5k tempo Friday. Gym and 8k easy Sat. Aim for 20k on Sunday.

Wow maid, you are doing well. That's pretty serious mileage already.

I was a little worried that I wasn't going to be putting enough miles in the first few weeks of the training plan but actually it's worked out well as dd has chicken pox and I'm not 100% so shorter easy runs are perfect for me right now (trying to work out how I'm going to manage training with my endometriosis which affects my right sciatic nerve for 3/4 days a month)

Is anyone booked in to the 'meet the experts' thing in Feb 4th? I know one was already but I can't remember who, sorry? Anyone fancy a meet up for that?

Yeah, I need another 12.5km to hit my weekly target.

If you're on week 3/4, you're going great guns too!

Think I'm just on week 2 of 17. It's just a mixture of 3/4 and 5 milers. Fairly easy for a few weeks.

I did 3 miles this morning practicing my slow, easy pace. Around 11.30-12 min miles. Apparently I should be 12-13.30 min miles but that's just way too slow to be comfortable. I'm basing easy pace on effort at conversational pace.

Hello! It seems like some folk are doing really well. I've not been in this thread in ages but I've now started my training this week. I completed day 2 today. I've been feeling the running as I've not been out much over Xmas and have eaten loads!
I did a double parkrun on Sunday and my legs were so stiff on Monday! They felt worse than they did after the last couple of halfs I did.

I'm keeping a log of my runs in a log book I got.

Kitty, I've also booked a half marathon on the 12th march.

A little - how funny because I did a NYD 10k and felt bloody awful after, worse than my half! I wonder if it's Christmas over eating?

I'm back into good eating today, I've chucked the Christmas cake and upped the veggies.

Oooo exciting. I'm waiting to get paid then booking Eastbourne half for the 5th march. Which one are you doing?

Weights cancelled this morning so took the chance to get in my "easy mid(distance)" run today - 9.3 km. Netball tonight still.

Weights early tomorrow so maybe just an "easy short" later that day, as much to loosen my muscles as anything.

I feel, given my regular non-running activities, that I am going to have to be very flexible with my schedule

I'm doing the Inverness half kitty. It's the weekend for my 16mile but I'm doing the half then will add 3 miles the following day or for the parkrun if the race is on a Sunday.

Ah same, I think I'm a week ahead (I had to do a bit of juggling as my long runs are Monday rather than Sunday and didn't want the last long run on the Monday and then marathon on Sunday) so I'm doing the same, a half with 3 tacked on either the same day or a gentle 3 the next day to shake out after.

We're racing at almost opposite ends of the country :)

Sounds like your all making great progress!

Afraid my marathon ambitions may be over before they have begun, at least for this year. Had some back issues on and off for years but started getting some slight leg symptoms over the last month (which as a typical medic, I've been trying to ignore ) but finally got round to going back for some physio today and got a bit of a telling off. So no running for the next two weeks minimum, or at least until the leg symptoms settle and going back for more treatment on Monday.

Allowed to cross train, as long as it's low impact, so going to swim, do CV on cross trainer/bike and as many yoga and Pilates classes as I can fit in around work and then reassess. Best case scenario is I jump straight into week three of the beginner plan, but fear it might be cutting it fine. Otherwise I will have to defer the place.

Will be cheering you all on though either way!