Running

^ solid training

Glad I didn't race cough subsiding and less crap on my chest.

PSA if anyone is size 7 bargain trail shoe:

https://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/products/inov-8-roclite-295-grey-blue.htm?brand=1

For those that run around Dulwich Park, do you add all the little corners to the exits to get a complete circumference or do you just do the main path round?

Main path. Sometimes I mix it up by running through the centre after a lap or two, cos I'm edgy like that.

At the moment I'm doing my long runs trying to keep my HR down below 160bpm and not really worrying about pace (first 10k of today's 23k was in 1:01:06 with a 20s stop for a gel and a swig of drink). I'm hoping the pace will pick up as my weight drops and I get a bit more fitness. What I tend to do is a long blat along the towpath (nice and flat) and then come home on a slightly hillier route through Richmond Park, nothing too stupid or steep. Pace starts to drop off a bit at 9k or so, and then the terrain and footing is so varied through RP. Mentally I guess it's harder to do the hills in the second half, but then they might be doing me good to feel like I have to push a bit harder.

For long runs is it "better" (I know that's subjective) to do them:-

a) all flat (along the towpath until a bit over half way, then back, which also gives me a 10 minute walk at the end to stretch out)
b) carry on doing the towpath and then back home through lumpy-ish Richmond Park or Wimbledon Common
c) Reverse it, do the lumps first and then the final 15/20k or so is all flat towpath (I'm not planning any 'progressive' runs specifically)
d) Mix it up.
e) It doesn't matter, just do the long runs and STFU.

(Immediate goal is Brighton Marathon which is pretty much flat.)

As far as long runs are concerned I've got a 24k, 29k, 24k, HM (fast), 35k, 19k and 16k left.

The big 35k I'm going to make relatively hilly (3 laps of RP with a bike a water/gel stash) just to smash my legs 3 weeks out from the marathon.

Distance on the terrain you have. I'd be tempted by 'c' with the last flat miles into a headwind, just incase you get headwind at end of Brighton.

I'd also take the 35km in RP steady as smashing already tired legs just 3 weeks out from marathon race seems a strange logic.

Thanks.

I'd also take the 35km in RP steady

Yes, sorry, wasn't clear. It would be steady like the rest, but the fact it'll be 6km longer than I've ever run and on hillier terrain than normal (~350m of climbing) is why it's going to leave my legs feeling smashed. The 3km cycle home (uphill) will be interesting.

Understood now, I'd read it as a session intended to smash your legs. Could perhaps have a "time on feet" target as well as 35km distance and finish at the first one you reach incase the extra 6km and hills make it a bit too big?

Good idea. Last time I ran round RP (11.6km the route I take) it was 1h15 as part of a 16km run. Yes, that's 6:27/km, I am that slow.

By the time I do the 35k run (6 weeks' time) I hope to be lighter, faster and fitter, and be pushing the pace a bit more anyway so I'll probably give myself a 3h45 cut off (1h10, 1h15, 1h20 not including 2 quick ~1 min stops to top up water bottle and grab another gel) and then walk once that time is up (hopefully I'll be done in that time).

18mi/29km done today. Didn't feel great, had to walk occasionally...

^^ sounds a plan, enjoy.

Anyone experience of being tracked using phone? Guessing it costs $$$?

Might help with some of my training if I know family can see where I am in conjunction with "late back" instructions I'll be sharing with them.

Comme ça?
http://www8.garmin.com/livetrack/

I believe RunKeeper (or the service with the off-white and green colours, whichever that is) offers such a service as well. Might require a pro account, though, but no extra device.

Been off this thread for months, because of injury and sour grapes of hearing other people talking about their good runs. However, getting back into things, and managed to complete The Swimmer on Sat, a monthly half mara interspersed with 4 cold swims from Hampstead Ponds to Brockwell Park Lido. You have to love that 40 people would turn up for that sort of lunacy.

Great event, mainly done at a social pace until the last 6 miles when it breaks up. I went with the two leaders, but wasn't strong enough to keep with them and they lost me in Clapham, so had to wait for the next group as I didn't know the route. Still, pleased with being able to keep it together, coming off the back of a few 5km treadmill runs.

strava premium does it I think? a lad i know had a livetrack thing on his garmin the other saturday, he put the link on twitter and you could follow it.

Final cross country of the season round Wimbledon Common, again, on Saturday. I had pretty battered legs after a lot of mile and 2 mile sessions on the track this week. Our club won overall, including a victory for the u20 super runner: keep your eye on Alex Yee in the future.

Tapering for Wokingham now. could do with re-finding some legs.

Do you run for Tonbridge? They usually win Southerns, don't they? Kinda obscene that such a tiny place has so many outrageously talented runners - the Iten of west Kent.

Tonbridge are our rivals in Kent, they have such a good production line of good runners. I run for Kent AC, as does @PhilPub. Highgate won the SOutherns this year, we won the SurreyLeague, not quite as prestigious.

Go Kent! Nice one. Well run Saturday, shame I couldn't quite make it but at least I managed to score for the team once this season in between marathon recovery and injury.

I decided to avoid XC on Saturday since I'm pretty sure it's the terrain that brought on the achilles problem. But I did manage a 20 mile run yesterday, 7:32/m, which felt surprisingly manageable considering I'd only run 44 miles over the previous four weeks. Still some catch-up training to do, so I think it'll be a compromised taper to have a chance of a respectable time at Wokingham. But it feels like the achilles can cope with hard running now, so I'm definitely up for it.

I had the most horrible run yesterday. Hit the wall about 7 miles into my planned 15 and really struggled to keep moving. Legs just turned to lead.

Probably should have eaten more than half a banana before heading out and left myself a little more recovery time after Saturday's evening run. Smashed all the food when I got back.

Thankfully I have a nice easy week coming up - 4m, 5m, 4m, rest, rest, HM.

Could just be one of those days. I had 19mi last weekend that was a chore right from the start. Walked a little, didn't really enjoy it, had no energy the rest of the day.
20mi this weekend and it was completely different, despite not being any more rested. HR was the same, but 20 seconds a mile quicker and felt like I could have carried on.
First time I've thought my target time was entirely realistic rather than slightly hopeful.

And tried the peanut butter chocolate GU gels that @HatBeard recommended. Very good.

I found out on saturday that a friend is from the village where I'm doing the marathon in May. I asked him what it's like there. "Extremely hilly", he told me. Suitably full of fear, last night I headed for College Road, and it wasn't too horrendous so if I just do that a couple of times a week then surely it will be fine... My shoes are really pissing me off, I keep getting cramp in my right foot but I can't buy new shoes until I get paid on Friday, and then I have a HM nine days later so I guess I have to suck it up. I just want new shiny shoes and one of these delicious sounding peanut butter chocolate gels :(

Did anyone watch the US olympic marathon trials? Maybe a stupid question, but why don't we have something like that in the UK?

Considering I now have a blocked nose and sore throat, I'm putting it down to illness. THANKS CHILDREN!

Highgate is my local club now, but I think they're a bit too good for the decrepit plodding likes of me.

We do. The London marathon! Start list this year for British men and women is very strong. You have to bear in mind that not all the top gb runners are off the elite start.

Probably not the strength in depth that the US has to run it as a totally separate event.

@kl Highgate seem really good at the moment. They must have something for all abilities?

One of the gripes about the UK Olympic marathon selection process was that London wasn't announced as the trial race till well into the qualifying period. So Scott Overall was a bit pissed off for example, having run the qualifying time in Berlin in September, but having to run again.
Also looking at the longer term view of marathon-running development, there's the issue of incentives for good club runners over here.
Prize list for US trials top ten, men & women.
You're not gonna make a living from running over here unless you're Mo Farah, but I can imagine there would be a good handful of our better club runners who would put more commitment into marathon training if they could win several grand from running 2:15-2:16.

(I'd need a sex change to get into the prizes but I suspect this would also mess with my testosterone levels and VO2 max...)

I'm sure they do, but old and slow as I may be, I've still got enough ego to find it difficult being the 47th best runner in the club!