Running

[moysider]

That's a balls CD. Hope it works out for you. If not there's always next year.

I did my final long run today. 20.3 miles. Tried to take in some of the Marathon route.
Went well enough but took it nice and handy. I've settled on high 5 orange flavour gels. There the only ones that don't make me feel like vomiting.

3 weeks of handy enough running now. I think the longest will only be 12 miles between now and Marathon.

Got my last long run done yesterday. 20 miles.

It wasn t planned because I had just done 22 on Monday. Last few miles were grim but I think I might have got away with it and I m into the taper now. Like you longest will be about 12 with a VO2 run 10 days before marathon.

What about distances on other runs though? some 7/8 miles and some 4/5s?

As regards gels, I ve been using these babies 'ZipVit Sport ZV7C Caffeine Energy Gel - 24 x 60ml'. Now, I know a lot of people find gels hard to take. I was fortunate in that I could stomach pretty much anything but these are by far the easiest, I ve found. €58 for 24 isn t cheap though. Get us through a few marathons though

[muppet]

the wobbler your goals are 10k sub 50 mins and then 10k sub 44 mins.

I will gladly pay you for any advice as to how to knock 6 mins off a 10k time!

Not as smart as thewobbler but for what it's worth my first 10k was 56 mins and I thought I was close to death after that! My PB 2 years later was 43 odds, and the reason for that was tempo runs once a week and interval training once every two weeks. f**king horrible when you are doing them but the tempo runs sort you out big style. By no means am I an expert but that worked for me.

Wow. Quite an improvement. Could you elaborate on your tempo runs? Is it like my recovery runs i.e. hr below 70% or something like that?

[laoislad]

the wobbler your goals are 10k sub 50 mins and then 10k sub 44 mins.

I will gladly pay you for any advice as to how to knock 6 mins off a 10k time!

Not as smart as thewobbler but for what it's worth my first 10k was 56 mins and I thought I was close to death after that! My PB 2 years later was 43 odds, and the reason for that was tempo runs once a week and interval training once every two weeks. f**king horrible when you are doing them but the tempo runs sort you out big style. By no means am I an expert but that worked for me.

Wow. Quite an improvement. Could you elaborate on your tempo runs? Is it like my recovery runs i.e. hr below 70% or something like that?

Once this Marathon is over I plan on spending the winter doing these intervals and tempo runs for a 10k in Mount Juillet in February.
I want to get down to mid 40's for a 10k.
I actually enjoy the interval runs. I've done one or two for Marathon but will really get into them over the Winter.
BTW a tempo run as I understand is a run where you start off at an good pace and build up to a fast pace about midway through the run then you start slowing down again for the last part of the run.

[imtommygunn]

A tempo run is what's called lactate threshold training. In heart rate terms it's 80-85 %...

Twenty to thirty minutes should do it.

The key to getting the best out of them is to do them at the right pace. Too fast and they're not as beneficial. "Comfortably hard" is the term they use. If you do them right they will improve you massively.

[Mayo4Sam]

Let the tapering begin! 10k race this Sunday in Castlebar

Training has been all over the place, did 36k last Saturday week and f**k all since. Becoming single again has not had a good influence on my training.

Once I get this outta the way though it's back to the bike for next year!

[ballinaman]

Let the tapering begin! 10k race this Sunday in Castlebar

Training has been all over the place, did 36k last Saturday week and f**k all since. Becoming single again has not had a good influence on my training.

Once I get this outta the way though it's back to the bike for next year!

You'll be sound chief, some serious runs in the tank.
Mighty stuff by everyone here, serious progress. Haven't been looking at this thread because it was killing me being off injured again. Getting back into it the last last few,weeks. Just want to get a solid base of training down for a few months injury free before I start looking at a more serious program.

Doing the beer mile tonight in Russell square in London with the Uni club over here. at 7. Chug a can...400m....then another can..400m x 4 times in total. Should be interesting, currently have 4 cans warming on the desk here. Not puking is the goal....

[imtommygunn]

Ditto BM - killing me as have had a stinking few months running. That thing you put on twitter with your man Brad Neal looked interesting. Interesting enough subject.

Not long to the marathon now...

[ballinaman]

Ditto BM - killing me as have had a stinking few months running. That thing you put on twitter with your man Brad Neal looked interesting. Interesting enough subject.

Not long to the marathon now...

Aye, absolute sickner. Just put my head in the sand re running really last few months!
Yep, was class stuff yesterday. Most of the time it's inhibition rather than weakness that is causing gluteal inactivity. ie...lower back,smaller muscles firing before your glutes. Obviously strength is an issue, (takes 9 weeks roughly remember to make any significant strength gains) which needs to be addressed.
He is doing a PHd on patellar femoral pain in runners(runners knee), new research suggests that strengthening is likely a waist of time because athlete will return to previous style of running once pain free....and problem could rare it's head down the line. Treatment should focus on running technique to have long term affect!
Fascinating stuff each day to be honest!

[imtommygunn]

Happy days. I find that kind of stuff very interesting and having done masses of strength stuff I don't disagree with that! Those boys know their stuff.

I wouldn't mind getting the running technique sorted with those boys though it would be costly and I don't have much surplus money at the minute!

I would be like yourself. I barely look at running results any more which is unlike me but thankfully I've been able to get out this last few weeks so getting the buzz back again.

[ballinaman]

Happy days. I find that kind of stuff very interesting and having done masses of strength stuff I don't disagree with that! Those boys know their stuff.

I wouldn't mind getting the running technique sorted with those boys though it would be costly and I don't have much surplus money at the minute!

I would be like yourself. I barely look at running results any more which is unlike me but thankfully I've been able to get out this last few weeks so getting the buzz back again.

Yep, they are on the ball. Haven't looked at how much the 2 day course is yet, said they run it out of canary wharf, doubt it's cheap. Hope to get down to it before I'm back across the water. Absolutely the same, watched the last 20 minutes of the Berlin marathon when I knew the record was on though! London is an absolute dose for long runs, traffic and pedestrians have me driven spare. Going to stick to the track and shorter stuff over the winter all going well.

[Bingo]

While you lads are in here!

Less than 3 weeks to DCM, taper is the name of the game but I've an itch to get a 20 mile run in this Saturday, 16 days out from the day itself, which I think would be fine for recovery as I've basically run all year, can't really call missing a week without running bar one or two after racing. So the legs are well used to running.

The head is saying Taper but I'd be happier with another 20 in the legs. Would compensate by cutting a mile or two off during the week.

My plan says to do a fast 10km on Saturday and 16 very easy Sunday. Speed is no bother as did a very fast 5miles last sunday after doing 17miles on Saturday. I'd be happy giving the 10km a miss and rolling into a longer run on Saturday and a nice 3/4 very easy recovery on Sunday which is what I have been doing.

Someone put me at ease 

[muppet]

90m 10mile 

[imtommygunn]

Are you following a programme Bingo? Have you missed a long run or two to cause you concern? I would say it shouldn't do you too much harm to be honest so I would say go for it and if you're feeling tired or whatever then there is no harm in cutting it short.

Caveat BM knows marathons better than me so listen to him first!

Good man muppet.

[ballinaman]

Key to the taper for me is
1.Reduce mileage
2.Maintain frequency (Number of days running per week)
3.Increase/Maintain intensity (marathon pace miles)

A 2 week taper is plenty for a marathon, different story for an Ultra and Ironman where you need a bit longer. So i would cut mileage by 25% 2 weeks out and then by another 25% 1 week out.

Frequency is important because if you have a desk job ect, a cut in the days that your are running, you'll be up the walls with all the extra energy that you are used to burning. Different story if you have a labour intensive job...

Maintain/Increasing intensity is the biggy. Good to "dial" into your predicted marathon pace to give your legs a heads up as what to expect and keep clued in. Few marathon paced miles thrown in....2 miles easy...1 mile marathon pace, 1 mile easy...1 mile marathon pace..2 miles easy eg for a session the week before race, Tues/Wed before monday

I'd go with what the plan says, you have the mileage done. You have built up the strength endurance, once more long run isn't going to matter a jot now. The 10km on Saturday at race pace and then the 16 easy on Sunday is to get you running depleted.It's more race specific, which you should focus on getting closer.

Feel free to totally ignore me by the way!! haha

Fair play muppet, quality!

[ballinaman]

How long a Marathon pace run should one be doing? Or how long would be too long?l
I've a 12 mile on Sunday would that be too long at MP?
Was gonna do a park run Saturday. Good idea or not?

12 probably would be a bit too long now...I'm sure Sean Hehir and those lads smash out a 12 mile MP in middle of a 16 the week before but I would say a 3 mile easy 6 MP and then 3 easy would be sound for yourself.

You can mix it up too., could try this...start at MP for for 3 miles to get used to controlling your MP when you are feeling fresh, then drop back for 3...then 3 at MP and finish with 3 easy then...tough session to control but you'll be v confident after of knowing your MP.

I wouldn't go flat out on Saturday, risk of injury ect not worth it, just do it for bit of a laugh, hard not to be competitive though!