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1.37.56 for the half marathon so bang on target. Felt a lot better at the finish than I did for the 10 mile which was nice. Had a stinker of a long run the week before and wasn't optimistic during the week so very happy with the result. Might enter the Athlone 3/4 marathon on 5th October as it looks like really good prep and they have pacers for people building to the marathon, it has to be more fun than a long run on my own!
Well done. Athlone sounds like a good idea alright.
I've got the Ealing Half Marathon this Sunday. I'd like to run under 90 mins but I'm told the first half of the course is quite hilly. I haven't run it before so don't know what to expect.
My guess is 91-92 minutes but we'll see.
I did a ten miler two weeks ago on what was billed as an undulating course but it was outright hilly. Dan Martin would have struggled to cycle up a couple of the hills. I did low 70 mins, but in my last two half marathons I was 68-something at the ten mile mark. I should have a 67 minute Ten in me but let's see.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry after the Ealing Half this morning. I beat my PB by well over a minute but only just failed to break 90 minutes, clocking in at 1:30:10.
It was a hilly course with a few genuinely leg sapping climbs so it was definitely a slow course. The sun came out too, which didn't help. Considering I have not done much in the way of long running and the hilly course I suppose I gotta be pleased and pretty confident I can run sub-90 next time I give this distance a go.
Great atmosphere and very well supported event. All runners wore yellow ribbons, and ribbons were tied to lampposts all around the course in honour of the poor teenage girl who went missing in the area a few weeks ago.
Well that was tough but I survived. From the bad long run the week before the half things just got worse training wise. Work commitments made it tough as I had to attend a few events and i picked up a tummy bug after a trip to Bucharest. Did the Athlone 3/4 having been sick the day before and for most of the week after, hit the wall there in a big way after 14 miles and genuinely wasn't sure I'd get to the finish, had to walk a fair portion of it. Also picked up a bruised foot so not only was confidence knocked but I hardly ran at all for last 3/4 weeks before the marathon. Scaled back expectations and went for 3.50 pace rather than the earlier optimism of 3.30. Started easy and probably pushed a bit too much when I was feeling good, hit the half way a fraction under 3.50 pace and kept it up to 19 miles.
Didn't hit the wall anything like the Athlone run but the missed sessions and lack of long runs meant I just didn't have the strength to maintain the pace. Found the last 5 miles very tough but managed to not walk (even if it was more shuffle than run at times) and crossed the line in 4.00.48. I stopped caring about the time as soon as I realised the 3.50 was gone but it was a bit gutting to just miss out on sub 4 I suppose. Didn't expect to feel quite so emotional crossing the finish line, but it was a massive mental battle not to walk in the last 5 miles and it was an incredible feeling of relief and joy to achieve something that has always been on my bucket list. Made all the better today when I won an extra €250 for my charity from Airtricity.
Apart from some tightness around my right knee the body seems OK today. I've been asking myself if I'll do it again and I just can't decide. I didn't really enjoy a single run over 16 miles, but I think I learned a lot about nutrition and hydration and I know I need to work on my core and leg strength if I want to get better. I definitely want to tackle PB's again next year in all the events up to the half at least. If I improve the strength and get my PB's down I know I'm going to want to try get that 3.30 time next year, if I get some good long runs in and actually enjoy them I know I won't be able to resist the temptation.
Does anyone think this is the year someone goes under the 2 hour mark on Sunday?
I forgot I had actually started this thread back in 2010 and it was the missus considering the marathon. Back then my shin splints were so bad I couldn't run the length of a football pitch, but I did say if I got them sorted I'd eventually like to give the marathon a go. Thankfully they haven't bothered me at all for a few years now.
I think I've already come around to giving the marathon another go next year. The body recovered pretty quickly (although the foot I hurt in the last few weeks is still a bit tender). Hope to get back out at a park run this weekend and start chasing a sub 20 minute 5k again. Going to take up cross-fit for a few months too in the hope that an improvement in my overall strength will help with the running.
Of course you'll give it another go. I can sense you feel you have unfinished business. But set other targets too, times for 5, 10 and 21.1k. It's not all about the marathon. I'll do another but not until 2016. I've other milestones to hit first, and I'm not even going to think of doing a marathon again until my other milestones suggest an assault on 3:00 is possible.
well done anyway, those last miles are torture, I've been there.
I'm back out this Sunday. I am determined to get back to were I was by Christmas. Connemarathon 2015 is on the cards and Dublin Marathon 2016. It has to be done. Like PI I have unfinished business. Unlike PI I have an amazing ability to get distracted.
Well, given that my missus isn't interested, I've got to let off steam here. I've hit the best running form of my life lately. I noticed a big improvement in a December cross country race, the Southern England Vets Championships, where I finished in among the 36 minute 10k runners in my club. Bear in mind that my 10k PB from last May was 39:55. In November I had started beating two club mates who were typically a minute quicker than me over 8k XC but I thought nothing much of it.
I regularly compete in a 5 series monthly XC league made up of London's 20 biggest running clubs. I used to finish about 250th out of 400+ but I have steadily improved through the season and am now 120th, and well inside the top ten for my age. The top 20 or so guys in this league have all run for their country at senior level and one guy was a European champion I think. Our best runner ran in last year's Commonwealths and he doesn't even win these races. The standard at the top of the field is excellent.
So, armed with good form, I did a 38:02 10k in January and a 1:27 Half Marathon last week. The Half was over a brutal course, hills everywhere. Really hard course (Watford) so I think it was a 1:24, maybe 1:25 on a normal course. To make things worse I got a bit testosterone-driven at a (rare) yoga class 6 days earlier, when it was me and a room full of fit yummy mummies. I couldn't look like a gimp in front of them so I overstretched everything and needed two physio sessions just to get to the start line at Watford. Every step of that race hurt.
On Saturday I finished only 25 seconds behind a teammate who came second in the North London Vets XC late last year and who has a 2:41 marathon to his name. I beat a club mate who runs sub 1:20 half marathons. He obviously doesn't like running in muck, but I love it.
So, next up is a 10k in East London on Wednesday. I'm aiming big (for me): 37:30 but I need to shake off an annoying cold first.
Anyway, my goal for all of this year was to post intermediate distance times that predict a 2:59 marathon, with a view to aiming for the landmark sub-3 in 2016. I'm already hitting those times only 5 weeks into the year so maybe I'll give a marathon a go in the next 6 months.
Had my first runs since the marathon this week. Just 2.4k around the block, but it was great to be back at it. The problem with my foot still hasn't gone away but it's at the stage where it seems to be manageable. Morton's neuroma seems to be the most common term for the type of issue I've had and it seems surgery can be required but I'm hoping to avoid that.
I'm seeing a podiatrist who specialises in solutions without medication or surgery so I'll stick with it for a while. I initially went to my GP and got an x-ray to rule out a stress fracture, GP gave me anti inflammatories usually prescribed to arthritis sufferers but they didn't work. The day I went to the podiatrist it had gotten so bad I could barely put my foot on the ground. I've had about 9 sessions now and followed a specific exercise plan and while it's been up and down in terms of improvement, I think it is starting to work. I haven't had an adverse reaction to the short runs which is the biggest positive, so going to pick it up gradually and hopefully get up to a 5k next week. Don't think another marathon is on the cards this year, but I wouldn't rule out 2016.
Oh and almost forgot to say that's great running Stutts. I hope to make it to your standard one day!
ouch, sounds painful. Hope it clears up soon.
Did the 10k in 37:38. Pretty happy with that. Brings 36-something into play this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Fair play that's real quality running. I'm going to try and start a 5k or 10k training plan to get back into a rhythm of running regularly. If I can get sub 20 5k this year I'll be very pleased.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Am I allowed to brag that I just came 6th in the 40-49 category in the Middlesex Vets Cross Country championships, only 50 seconds off a medal? Not bad for a 47 y/o who only ran his first ever cross country race last year.
Very pleased with my last few weeks. Did a ten mile road race in 1:01 and the next weekend I came 14th in my age group at the European duathlon championships in Spain. I was only 90 seconds off top ten so something to aim for next season. I was surprisingly competitive on the bike leg.
Next up is a Vets track meeting where I enter the 400m and 1500m, neither a good distance for me, before I aim for a 36 min 10k on 16/5 in a warm up race before the English national championships. Training for Amsterdam Marathon in October starts this week. Not looking forward to anything longer than 15 miles but it's gotta be done I suppose.
Any updates from passinginterest?
That's fantastic stuff. My tale of woe continues. Foot was about 95% last Friday and I was sure I had turned a corner only to wake up in pain again on Sunday morning. On the plus side the flare ups are becoming less and less frequent and the recovery time is getting quicker so while it's a very slow process I do think it's getting there. Desperate to get back running at this stage.
I did the 1500m in 4:49, but my inexperience at that distance showed. I was a bit too comfortable in the middle section and I timed my late surge a bit too late. I think I can easily hit 4:45 or lower.
On Saturday I did 36:48 for 10k, a PB by 50 seconds. First 5k in -8:10, second in 18:38.
Very pleased although my age graded time was 79.9% (my time as a % of the time recorded by the best in the world at my age. Age Grading is a way of comparing younger runners' times to older runners' times). 80% is the threshold to be considered at the low end of national standard for one's age. I missed that by a second or two only :(
Anyway, that 10k time suggests my target marathon time should be 2:52~2:53, although this assumes I train properly for the longer distances.
36:31 in the London 10k. 82.1% age headed. Get in!
Another few respectable races for me, doing 3k in 9:55, first time under 10 mins for that distance, and a 1k race in 2:53. I was in my club 1 mile championships on Tuesday and felt I had a chance of doing 4-something but frustratingly I came in at 5-zero-zero! Next up is a 5k road race followed by a ten mile road race 3 days later. Low 17 and 60 mins are the respective targets.
Due to ubforeseen circumstances, my morning run was postponed this morning.
Tuesday will be tough. But I have to do it for my sanity. I walked the route at lunchtime today in the Phoenix Park that I'm going to take and I'm really looking forward to it.