Sub 2.50 - and beyond!

thewolf_ie

blockic wrote: »

It is good alright, but on the flipside it can be benefitial to run some PMP Long runs outside of races too.

As if they are all within a race environment when you get to your actual goal race you don't really get the same "race adrenaline" in terms of your pace as all the MP training has been done in races up to that point.

If that makes sense.

That's a good point!

jfh

did my first race as a training run, half marathon, avg pace 6:25.
tough but really enjoyed catching people when i upped the tempo.

Peterx

RunForestRun wrote: »

With 6-8 weeks before goal marathons, how are we all feeling at the moment? Are you feeling like you're on target, behind target, struggling with niggles, or is everything going 100% according to plan?

It's funny, small comments can affect you when you are already tired from a the training load. A friend casually asked how important was this marathon to me and within two days I decided to take a week off running. Now obviously it's not that simple but I was getting increasingly wrecked anyway.

Had to take the last week off, unfortunately just had too much real world demands on my time and a 31km run at 3 hour marathon pace on a Saturday (after a late night at a wedding on the Friday) capped off a hectic couple of weeks. I was like a broken man on the Monday "recovery" run before deciding to take the week off.

So obviously behind target and I'm not hugely confident of running 42km at 6.25 pace but race day adrenaline will help there I presume.

On the plus side any niggles will have had a week to settle down.

Dublin half marathon coming up and I think any time quicker then PMP will do the finest!

jfh

Peterx wrote: »

It's funny, small comments can affect you when you are already tired from a the training load. A friend casually asked how important was this marathon to me and within two days I decided to take a week off running. Now obviously it's not that simple but I was getting increasingly wrecked anyway.

Had to take the last week off, unfortunately just had too much real world demands on my time and a 31km run at 3 hour marathon pace on a Saturday (after a late night at a wedding on the Friday) capped off a hectic couple of weeks. I was like a broken man on the Monday "recovery" run before deciding to take the week off.

So obviously behind target and I'm not hugely confident of running 42km at 6.25 pace but race day adrenaline will help there I presume.

On the plus side any niggles will have had a week to settle down.

Dublin half marathon coming up and I think any time quicker then PMP will do the finest!

this is my first time following a schedule, a friend of mine drew it up & i just follow blindly, it's a great relief not having to work out paces etc on the generic plans. i train alone.
Now saying that i do get a little worried when i see the training that people with similiar targets are doing.
mileage is low, think of hand 65 is the highest & that was a freak week most are hovering between 50 - 60.
longest run has been 15.5 miles.
i've never done a session where i was completely wrecked, actually that mcmillian 10km plan was far harder. always end a session where i think i could have done more.
i've done a good bit of training just under T pace alright.
this could end in tears but so far i've got a half marathon PB & i'm actually enjoying the training, remember looking at the calender in june thinking, that these few weeks were going to be brutal.
i do my long runs over trails & look forward to sunday mornings.
so maybe there's something to it, by taking it gradually, there's a lot of us on here, that are trying to balance training with a hectic life & i don't know how some people do it.
it's an experiment anyway, i might be cursing my easy approach at mile 22:o

Ross Runner

Same here, body is creaking....
i am getting faster and stronger but im afraid one of my niggles is just gona blow up and stop me in my tracks!

took a week off after clonmel half with headcold and dodgy hamstring, was dissapointed with 81 30 but looking at it now it was ok considering its a tough course plus it was a windy day....

got back into training and decide to ease up a little and listen to the body more....
did ferns four miler and broke 23mins for first time and it felt ok during race so that has been a big confidence booster.....
hamstring dodgy again do so having a very easy week leading up to athlone, this is the big test, weather looks perfect and course has great reputation so fingers crossed....

most importantly i now realise racing on marathon training legs equals slower times so good solid race and time sat and il be happy....

EauRouge79

Ross Runner wrote: »

Same here, body is creaking....
i am getting faster and stronger but im afraid one of my niggles is just gona blow up and stop me in my tracks!

QUOTE]

Trip to the physio for a rub down? Prevention rather than Cure.

I was feeling it a bit as well this week and went along yesterday and feel much better today....

ThePiedPiper

Don't know if it was unnaturally humid weather, followed by a stiff headwind on today's PMP session, but 7 miles PMP seemed a real struggle this evening! Bit disheartening really..

Peterx

I think it's just a tough time mentally, a mid term bump if you will. Training is half way there and the body is getting the effect of the training stress and the benefits are still to acrue.
At least you toughed it out so well done!

Ross Runner

My physio is away at the moment unfortunately so im gonna do a session cryo tomorrow after work, i find this realy refreshs and revitalises me!

I had a run like that two weeks ago RFR, it was an eight miler and i baraly go tru it, fatigue seems to be a big factor at this stage, seems like an extra day is neede to recover from what is normaly the case......

Krusty_Clown

It's the 7 week itch (for us DCM folk anyway). We're at least half way through the training program, greatest intensity of training awaits, and still far enough away that it's difficult to start looking forward to the event. Take heart, most programs will start dropping the mileage in the next 3 weeks, and taper-proper will start a week or two later. We just have to slog through another few weeks.

Tune-up races are a super way of breaking the training monotony, boosting confidence (or re-aligning expectations), and getting a bit of racing environment practise at the same time. Admittedly, I've gone a little over the top, with 5 x 10ks, 2 x half marathons, a marathon, and a kilomarathon in the run up to DCM. This will hopefully be my 6th sub 2:50 marathon, and fingers crossed my second sub 2:40 marathon. I'm optimistic about the sub 2:45, but I reckon the sub 2:40 is a bit of a coin-flip. It's tough continuing the training slog, when you're not getting feedback that you're improving.

sub3wannabe

I'm starting to get cocky and think I could bag a 2:49:xx vs a 2:59:xx. Did I here somewhere that pacers are for every 10 minute interval as opposed to the usual 15? Does that apply once they go below 3 hours I wonder?

Peckham

sub3wannabe wrote: »

I'm starting to get cocky and think I could bag a 2:49:xx vs a 2:59:xx. Did I here somewhere that pacers are for every 10 minute interval as opposed to the usual 15? Does that apply once they go below 3 hours I wonder?

Presume you're talking about Dublin Marathon, in which case fastest pacers are for 3 hours. You're by yourself once you go beyond that point!

sub3wannabe

Peckham wrote: »

Presume you're talking about Dublin Marathon, in which case fastest pacers are for 3 hours. You're by yourself once you go beyond that point!

You mean there's no world record pacers? Poor:rolleyes:

sub3wannabe

I'm 25, been running seriously for 3 years and will hopefully achieve sub 3 in DCM this year. My mate laid me 100/1 that I could line up in the Tokyo Olympic marathon. Is this in anyway achievable would you guys think? I'm willing to do anything it takes (legally of course)

Peckham

sub3wannabe wrote: »

I'm 25, been running seriously for 3 years and will hopefully achieve sub 3 in DCM this year. My mate laid me 100/1 that I could line up in the Tokyo Olympic marathon. Is this in anyway achievable would you guys think? I'm willing to do anything it takes (legally of course)

What time did you run in Great Pink Run?

Krusty_Clown

sub3wannabe wrote: »

I'm 25, been running seriously for 3 years and will hopefully achieve sub 3 in DCM this year. My mate laid me 100/1 that I could line up in the Tokyo Olympic marathon. Is this in anyway achievable would you guys think? I'm willing to do anything it takes (legally of course)

If your motivation is get an Olympic qualification because of a bet with your mate, then, I'm thinking it's not very likely. To achieve this kind of target takes the kind of motivation you don't get from a wager with a friend.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility (Barry Minnock recently completed a marathon just outside of Irish qualification times), but it's outside of touching distance for most.

sub3wannabe

Peckham wrote: »

What time did you run in Great Pink Run?

39:46 mate. Felt very comfortable. I just enjoyed the experience running with Sonia and just kicked at the 9k mark for the craic.

Krusty_Clown

sub3wannabe wrote: »

39:46 mate. Felt very comfortable. I just enjoyed the experience running with Sonia and just kicked at the 9k mark for the craic.

If you can take 10 minutes off of your 10k time, it's definitely worth a crack!

sub3wannabe

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

If you can take 10 minutes off of your 10k time, it's definitely worth a crack!

Id say I could have gone a minute quicker in the 10k. 9 minutes in 6 years. Sounds easy in theory doesn't it lol.

I'm trying to prove the 10,000 hour rule from Outliers!

ecoli

sub3wannabe wrote: »

Id say I could have gone a minute quicker in the 10k. 9 minutes in 6 years. Sounds easy in theory doesn't it lol.

I'm trying to prove the 10,000 hour rule from Outliers!

With most people running tops 10 hour weeks I think you may be about 10 years shy by the time Tokyo comes around

Peckham

A "very comfortable" sub-40 suggests there might be something there. What have you done when racing all out? Presumably low 37:XX over 10k, or a sub80 half, which is what a sub-2:50 marathoner would be looking at.

jfh

time to decide on racing shoes, have one pair of racing flat, mizuno musha that i've gone up to half marathon in. might give them a whirl in moone and see what the verdict is.
as well as been a small bit on the late side for switching shoes , i was hoping to wear my regular training shoe the Ultima for a quicker recovery.

decisions decisions...nobody understands the dilemma we face

ThePiedPiper

I'm in the same boat as you jfh. I've used the Elixir as my marathon shoe since 2008. But back in those days, I did the majority of my training in Kayanos, using the Elixir as a racing shoe mostly.

This year, I've switched to using the Elixir as the everyday trainer, and have used the Green Silence in two half marathon races. The GS is definitely a lighter shoe, and could potentially give me a minute or two in the race. Didn't have any issues in it in the half distance whatsoever, so I'm very tempted to use it for the marathon. Possibly a long run in it might convince me one way or the other. I noticed a pic of TFB wearing the GS for the Connemara 100 (I think), so definitely a decision to be made.

TFBubendorfer

RunForestRun wrote: »

I noticed a pic of TFB wearing the GS for the Connemara 100 (I think), so definitely a decision to be made.

Yes, I wore the Green Silence for the Connemara 100, and also last year for the 24 hrs in Bangor, and on both occasions I felt very comfortable all the way round and never changed shoes.

I wear Nike Lunaracers when I'm racing anything up to marathon distance though (and I've used Lunaracers for a 50 mile race once as well).

Peckham

I’m in a slightly different situation – going from having run every training run and every marathon so far in the sturdy Brooks Adrenaline to this marathon where I’m introducing Asics DS Racers. Have done all my speed and PMP work in them so far, and makes a huge difference (the weight difference alone is substantial with the Asics being 30% lighter than the Brooks!).

Gave me a bit of trouble at the start, and I need to go to a chiropodist this week to get a sore spot treated, but bought a fresh pair yesterday which I’ll use in Chicago.

jfh

Peckham wrote: »

I’m in a slightly different situation – going from having run every training run and every marathon so far in the sturdy Brooks Adrenaline to this marathon where I’m introducing Asics DS Racers. Have done all my speed and PMP work in them so far, and makes a huge difference (the weight difference alone is substantial with the Asics being 30% lighter than the Brooks!).

Gave me a bit of trouble at the start, and I need to go to a chiropodist this week to get a sore spot treated, but bought a fresh pair yesterday which I’ll use in Chicago.

there were my first pair of racers, well i'm only on my 2nd now:D
but the DS Racers were my favourite. they make some difference alright, i do all my training in Ultima's & break out the racers for the race day & mentally they make a huge difference.
you must go though a fair few pairs if you wear them for training also?

Peckham

jfh wrote: »

you must go though a fair few pairs if you wear them for training also?

Only got my first pair early in the summer and have probably put c.150-200 miles on them now. They're going into retirement now and will introduce the race pair over the next few weeks (to get 30 or so miles on them before race day).

Peterx

My early optimism has foundered on the harsh realities of recent lack of training coupled with a half marathon meltdown on Saturday. I'm still going to aim for sub 2.50 but now in hope as opposed to expectation.

Consistent consistency will be my watchword if I attempt another marathon training cycle. That and plenty of long runs!

Peckham

Peterx wrote: »

My early optimism has foundered on the harsh realities of recent lack of training coupled with a half marathon meltdown on Saturday. I'm still going to aim for sub 2.50 but now in hope as opposed to expectation.

Consistent consistency will be my watchword if I attempt another marathon training cycle. That and plenty of long runs!

Same boat here, but I've all but abandoned my sub-2:50 target! Too much too soon was my downfall.

Peterx

whoops, make no decision on hangover day was my watchword through my twenties and abandon no race plan after one bad session is getting me through my thirties. See how you feel after the next session, it was very humid all weekend and a lot of driving may have stiffened your leggies also?