Running

I have a dilemna...

I have a place in this year's FLM. I applied every year, and last year I got a place, but had to defer due to a snowboarding injury. The injury hasn't healed as quickly as I'd hoped (damn not being 21 anymore!) and I've not been at full fitness at any point in my training so far.

I'm finding training hard, I'm behind in my schedule and my heart's just not in it.

I love running - when I'm fit, I'm not fast, but can consistently put in 1hr 50min half-marathons. I'd rather be fit and enjoy myself, than kill myself - mentally and physically - doing a marathon I probably won't enjoy, and might even put me off running for good.

FLM's a chance in a lifetime though - I'm seriously stuck on this one: what do I do?

tough one, it's not something you can turn up and do for the fun of it, I wouldn't worry too much about not keeping up with the schedule, not sure many people do.

But are you enjoying running at the mo for it or does it feel like a chore>?

I'm doing the marathon this year and am also woefully unprepared. But I also have been wanting to do it ever since I moved to London, so I'm going to tough it out over the next 6 weeks, put in a special dose of HTFU on the day and then bask in the memories for the next 25 years.

I would keep training.... It will only take that one good session to get you in a better frame of mind and like lebowski says you will be able to bask in them memories after ..plus you never have to do it again!

I do totally understand where you are coming from... I really enjoy my running but if i force myself out when I am not 100% and have a bad one then it sets my back weeks and I get lazy.

Change of topic... Any runners from victoria park on this thread??

It definitely feels like a chore - most of the runs I'm doing at the moment just feel like I'm doing them to rack up the miles.

The training plan can be pretty oppressive too - having to do a certain distance at a certain pace can be soul destroying. I know you can be flexible and you don't have to follow it to the letter, but there still has to be some structure at least.

In the end, my reason for running has been eroded away - I run because I enjoy it, the high I get on a long run, the different things I see, the level of fitness...

At the moment I feel like I'm running just to do the marathon - but because I've lost a lot of fitness and toning because of the injury, it doesn't hold the same appeal as it used to - I want it to be an achievement that shows I'm at the peak of my physical fitness, rather than the fact I struggled through training and hated every second of it - where's the reward in that?

sounds like your hearts not really in it, which is a shame flm looks a good one to run.

As an aside have mate with a spare entry for Hasting Half Marathon this sunday if anyone fancies it...

I want it to be an achievement that shows I'm at the peak of my physical fitness, rather than the fact I struggled through training and hated every second of it - where's the reward in that?

You need a dose of Muhammad Ali to realise the success in your suffering:

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." "

Training for me is always hard, working until you puke, breaking knuckles, breaking toes, breaking noses, getting knocked out. At times it is enjoyable (when you get something that you've been working on for weeks) but when you're puking up mid way through a burpee routine and feeling like quitting you've simply got to realise that afterwards you'll feel amazing for not quitting.

I'm getting back into running after having a hefty layoff with a broken foot; and I'm loving it. I can see the distances getting longer and the times getting quicker and it is so motivational. I know that in 6 weeks time I'm going to be electric. I need to get some proper running shoes for when I hit the fens though, can't wait to run when the sun comes up!

I got into FLM this year too Mooks. I'm gonna definately do the bastard and put it behind me. My last effort was 5 years ago and it fucked my right knee up so I'm taking an easier approach this time. Only 3 runs a week, 2 x 5 miles and a long Sunday run. I also cycle commute about 125 miles and sometimes do another 60ish weekend miles (if I'm not fecking running all day!).
Sounds to me like you also want to get this thing behind you..... If your doing a 1/2 in 1:50 (as I am) your in pretty good shape. You've 'only' got to do another 5 weekends worth of long runs, + do another couple of speedier runs in the week and you'll be fit enough to get round 26.2, maybe not to a potential PB time.....but at least you'll have a time to aim at if you want to do it again in the future?

It definitely feels like a chore - most of the runs I'm doing at the moment just feel like I'm doing them to rack up the miles.

The training plan can be pretty oppressive too - having to do a certain distance at a certain pace can be soul destroying. I know you can be flexible and you don't have to follow it to the letter, but there still has to be some structure at least.

In the end, my reason for running has been eroded away - I run because I enjoy it, the high I get on a long run, the different things I see, the level of fitness...

At the moment I feel like I'm running just to do the marathon - but because I've lost a lot of fitness and toning because of the injury, it doesn't hold the same appeal as it used to - I want it to be an achievement that shows I'm at the peak of my physical fitness, rather than the fact I struggled through training and hated every second of it - where's the reward in that?

Try and mix it up a bit - the important training for FLM is doing the weekly long run at a steady pace; in between, how about doing the odd race as a change - if you are in South/SW London, there is a weekly 5k race on a Saturday morning on Wimbledon Common at 9am - its free and you just need to pre-register.

I was doing 1hr 50min 1/2 marathons, but having looked at my training logs, this was actually 3 years ago! How time flies when you're doing a desk job...

Someone tell me to HTFU, but I always wanted my first marathon to be at a time when I was in really good shape, and had built up my fitness over years rather than putting in the miles just to do the marathon. Put it this way - when I first applied for the FLM I'd just done the Great South Run in 1hr 20mins and my bodyfat was at around the 12% mark. Now my bodyfat is double that and last week I did 10 miles in 2hrs. Because I'm not at my best, and know I can't and won't be by marathon weekend, it's making it that much harder.

HTFU you great big tub of lard ;o) this may be your last chance to marathon before your fragile ageing and bloated corpse starts to rot away until a passing fart blows your dust into oblivion.

Does that hit the spot Mooks?!

I've got to drag my carcus out for a 5 miler at in an hour or so...gonna head in a new direction and plod across Hungerford Bridge to Tower Bridge and back......bored with St.James park x 4.

I'm getting my mile and a half (2.4km) down to help my bro with training when I'm back in Cambridge, and I'm seeing improvement in as little as a week. The target is 10.5 minutes as a respectable time.

I'm doing it every other day and in between days are conditioning drills, dips, pressups and situps and here's how I'm going:

Saturday: 1.7km in 10 minutes
Monday: 1.9km in 9 minutes
Today: 2.1km in 9 minutes

I'm so chuffed it's unreal, at that rate I still have 90 seconds to run 300 metres and I could crawl faster than that!

^^ thats impressive.

Ive been trying to condition myself into running its never quite agreed with me. But ive been busy with the barbell since december and its suprising how much better it feels to run now. Copious stretches have improved my small stride and the 'maximal' lifts have really helped with power output & cardio more than and cardio specific thing I have ever done.

HTFU you great big tub of lard ;o) this may be your last chance to marathon before your fragile ageing and bloated corpse starts to rot away until a passing fart blows your dust into oblivion.

You reminded me of the guy who ran the boot camp at my old gym with that post - it was proper puking in buckets, sprinting when you haven't got the energy to stand before doing a hill run with weights on your back kind of thing.

Fittest I've ever been though!

does anyone know if you can swap a place in the FLM with another person?

running - is great for the soul but really bad for the body.

one thing that i found is that if you are having trouble 'feeling good' when you are running then do some core strength work. makes you feel much studier and stronger. in my humble opinion.

Someone tell me to HTFU, .

HTFU - marathons are fucking easy. people do then wearing rinoceros suits

I'm getting my mile and a half (2.4km) down to help my bro with training when I'm back in Cambridge, and I'm seeing improvement in as little as a week. The target is 10.5 minutes as a respectable time.

I'm doing it every other day and in between days are conditioning drills, dips, pressups and situps and here's how I'm going:

Saturday: 1.7km in 10 minutes
Monday: 1.9km in 9 minutes
Today: 2.1km in 9 minutes

I'm so chuffed it's unreal, at that rate I still have 90 seconds to run 300 metres and I could crawl faster than that!

I am going to have to "ave a good" at this... What is your time for 5km/10km??
I went for my first "day-light" after work run last night and it felt excellent! I do love to run after work to forget the working day!

5k and 10k I haven't done yet as I'm concentrating solely on the mile and half at the moment.

Not to be too graphic but I nearly shat myself this morning, pretty much sprinting for 9 minutes straight. Was worried that I was going to end up looking like that fella doing the marathon somewhere on here!

Going to give the distance runs more attention when I'm back home in the fens and it's a bit more interesting than on a treadmill in my gym or on a pavement. I'm chuffed with my improvement though!

one thing that i found is that if you are having trouble 'feeling good' when you are running then do some core strength work. makes you feel much studier and stronger. in my humble opinion.

Very true this.

If your lower back and stomache are strong, you feel more comfortable (stable) when running.

I'm also loving these lighter evenings (I live in Norway so the difference from winter is huge) ;)

just ran along southbank and the thames - great out there. high tide, bit of sunshine and mild..! bring on summer.

you should be careful about blasting short distances so much - you'll injure yourself. sounds as if you are putting yourself under a lot of stress that your body is probably not used to.

managed 2hrs and a minute at hastings half, a little slower than brighton the other week but the course is pretty steep compare to the pancake brighton course.

Feel a little stiff, though main complaint is with the muscles that sort of stablise your knee, though imagine they'll be back to normal in a few days

Did my old school cross country run this afternoon - 10.5 miles with probably the first 6 miles cross country and the last 4 miles on road. 1 hour 28. Feels fantastic, although i'm stiffening up now. Top of my thighs are tight, plus the hammies. Think I'll be fragile in the morning.

nice one, really enjoy running off road never really get chance to...

posted 1:49 in the Bath half last weekend. Crippled.

I bust a gut doing a 3 mile Fartlek around my village this morning, pretty tiring stuff.

Gonna smash the mile and half again on Tuesday, I've got a good straight road from mine into the middle of nowhere in the fen that's exactly 1.5 miles.. time to haul ass