What??? You're running ANOTHER marathon!!!

ncmc

career_move wrote: »

I know ..... time was running out to use that little gem


I did ..... but I hadn't done a long run for 14 days previously because of the kclub race and I didn't have sore shins

And



what's good for the goose is good for the gander

I knew someone would spot that! I was going to say no more than 8/10 miles this week to that person, but upped it to 12 to cover myself!

I will see how I feel on Sunday re the 12 miles. I did 16 on Monday the day after the 10K and I did 22 the previous Monday, so think I am pretty covered on the long run front! As I so succinctly :P put it in the CCM thread, it won't make a damn bit of difference to my fitness, but it sure as hell could aggravate sore muscles, so i'll make a call on it over the weekend.

menoscemo

Just to throw the cat among the pigeons, why not do 12 with 6 @ PMP and kill two birds with one stone?

Seems like a more sensible option than doing a 12 and an 8 mile run on consecutive days to me...

ncmc

5 miles @ 8:50

Decided to take Meno's advice and do my pmp miles in my 12 mile MLR in the morning. Seemed the most sensible option and will be a good dress rehearsal for next week, intend to try and be on the road by 9 to replicate the race, but we know how much I love my leaba so we'll see how that plan goes!

Just did 5 easy miles this afternoon to test my calf and it seems a lot better, hopefully the massage on Monday will fully sort me out.

It's warm out there when running though, I am a little worried about the temperature for next week, but unfortunately not much can be done about that so just have to hope it's not too warm!

belcarra

ncmc wrote: »

5 miles @ 8:50

Decided to take Meno's advice and do my pmp miles in my 12 mile MLR in the morning.

Ahem, and who mentioned that idea first??:-D

ncmc

Whoops! Sorry Belcarra, it was indeed your excellent suggestion first. I shall be removing the thanks I gave Meno's post as he is clearly a big copy cat

ncmc

13 miles @ 8:43 with 6 @ PMP

So my plan to get up early and get up running went swimmingly and so it was at the early hour of 11:45 that I hit the road

Thought it wasn't that warm so I could get away without bringing water... Wrong!

Thought it was cloudy so didn't bother digging out the sun screen... Wrong again!

Thought I'd chosen a fairly flat route... You guessed it, 3 for 3!

Did 3 miles warm up and then 6 at PMP, added an extra mile to my planned 12 miles to avoid a killer hill at PMP. My PMP miles were 8:15, 8:13, 8:14, 8:09, 8:15 and 8:07. Pretty pleased with that as there was some serious hills in those miles.

It was just as I finished the PMP miles that I began to really feel the heat and dehydration. Those last 4 miles were a serious struggle and it was such a relief when the sun went behind a cloud or I got a touch of a breeze, even had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. It all leaves me a bit nervous about the weather for next week, but to be honest, I'd say it was more dehydration than the heat today so lesson learned about not bringing water, even if it doesn't feel all that warm heading out.

Glad to have that run done, the PMP felt comfortable, and today was a bit faster than I intend to do next week. Plus my legs feel pretty good.

39 miles done this week, more than intended but that's because I did last weeks lsr on Monday. 763 miles done for the year, should hit the 800 just as I'm crossing the finish line! Fingers crossed etc

BeepBeep67

I was glad I dropped some water on route this morning, needed it more so than yesterday when I was running harder.

Beef

Fair play ncmc that's a great block of training you've put in for this race.
Maybe this P&D crap might work afterall. :P

How are you feeling about the race now? That run today and last weeks race must be a great nerve settler. You seem a different person since taking the pressure off yourself regarding 3:30 or bust and I think you'll fly it on the day.

ncmc

Thanks Beef, yes my mindset totally changed after I took the time pressure off myself, if anyone was watching the Eddie Izzard Mandela marathons programme, he came out with a line that an ultra marathoner friend of his told him, running marathons is 90% mental and the rest is in your head that's definitely how I feel the last few weeks.

Of course I'm still nervous and I can't help but feel that I'm less prepared than I was for DCM which is stupid as I know I'm far more prepared this time, but that's just the taper demons working their evil magic!

I've had relatively little taper madness so far due to moving my lsr to Monday which meant I've done quite a bit of mileage the last couple of weeks. Going to take it mega handy this week, so I expect the marathon dreams to start any night now!

ncmc

I feel bad for my poor log that it has fallen down the training logs so much! Nothing much to update with, I haven’t run since Sunday as I had my massage on Monday night and I was quite sore after it. Will head out for 7 miles tonight with 2 @ PMP.

My massage was lovely in a painful kind of way, other than the knot in my left calf, my legs were in pretty good shape considering I have about 650 miles done on them since my last massage!

I having been having a look back at the training plan and how many miles I have completed. The entire plan consists of 810 miles (including the marathon) come Monday evening I will hopefully have done 704 miles in the 18 weeks of the plan. That works out as 87% of the miles completed, bit annoyed at myself with that, was hoping to get more like 90% of the miles completed. Looking back at the plan, since week 10, I have missed at least one run most weeks, mostly it was a recovery run, but there have been a couple of MLR missed.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the P&D plan, in hindsight, it was probably a bit too high mileage for me. I especially found the long mid week runs difficult, it’s after 6:30 by the time I get home from work, so by the time I get changed and get out it could be 7pm and then having to do up to 14 miles, it meant sometimes I wasn’t eating until 9:30-10pm. I probably wouldn’t have felt it so much if it was during the long summer evenings, but through the dark winter and spring nights, it was tough going. I don’t think I ever managed the full 55 miles in a single week of the plan, I think my highest weekly mileage was 52 miles (although there was one week where I did 62 miles in 5 days from Sunday-Thursday)

If I do another marathon, I think I would customise P&D to suit me, I would keep the tempo run and the LSR but cut back on the mid week run. I also felt some of the recovery runs were too long. One aspect of the plan I didn’t like was the fact that the last PMP run was several weeks before the goal race, yet there were V02 sessions right up to the end, even though in the book it says that V02 sessions are of less importance to marathon runners than other distances. I swapped the last couple of V02 sessions for PMP sessions.

I suppose I can’t comment on the plan fully until after the marathon (where hopefully the DCM graduates P&D curse will be broken!) but I would use it again, albeit a slightly customised version.

statss

That's interesting insight into P & D. I am considering it myself but have similar concerns. Rest assured though that having followed it 87% of the way you'll still be vastly superior prepared than many others.

blockic

ncmc wrote: »

I also felt some of the recovery runs were too long. One aspect of the plan I didn’t like was the fact that the last PMP run was several weeks before the goal race, yet there were V02 sessions right up to the end, even though in the book it says that V02 sessions are of less importance to marathon runners than other distances. I swapped the last couple of V02 sessions for PMP sessions.

Totally agree on these two points and it is indeed a flaw, I think the majority of us doing the plan did adjust it to include more PMP and less V02. If anything the VO2 session should be at the first half of the plan and the LT runs and MP runs in the second half.

That said, it is overall a great plan and it brought me on vastly. Would definitely recommend a slightly tweaked version of it to anyone running a marathon off a decent base.

ncmc

statss wrote: »

That's interesting insight into P & D. I am considering it myself but have similar concerns. Rest assured though that having followed it 87% of the way you'll still be vastly superior prepared than many others.

Thanks Statss, don't get me wrong, it is a good plan and I would defintely recommend the book. It explained to me why I should be doing each run rather than me just going out and running aimlessly, but now that I have a good base mileage done, I would be more confident about not following it to the letter in future and instead would cherry pick the important runs and not panic if I missed a 14 mile slog on a wet Wednesday!

Oh, had another though about the plan, even with the high mileage, the longest run was only 20 miles, there were 3 x 20 in the plan, instead I did 1 x 20, 1 x 21 and 1 x 22. I felt the confidence boost of doing 22 miles was great and came right before taper, so I felt I started taper in a positive frame of mind after it.

ncmc

blockic wrote: »

Totally agree on these two points and it is indeed a flaw, I think the majority of us doing the plan did adjust it to include more PMP and less V02. If anything the VO2 session should be at the first half of the plan and the LT runs and MP runs in the second half.

That said, it is overall a great plan and it brought me on vastly. Would definitely recommend a slightly tweaked version of it to anyone running a marathon off a decent base.

It was thanks to Boards that I got the idea to swap the V02 for PMP. I think that shows that no matter how good the plan is, it is vastly improved by having a chance to talk to experienced runners and also other novices who are at the same stage as you. Once again Boards has been totally invaluable during this training. There were a few weeks back when I was totally disillusioned with running and tbh, if it wasn't for Boards, I probably would have quietly pulled out of the marathon and hoped that none of my friends and family remembered that I was supposed to be doing it! This forum got me through those tough few weeks and got me back to my running mojo, so thanks guys and girls

ncmc

7 miles @ 8:36.

Was planning to do this last night but put it off because it was my birthday had a beer instead to celebrate - just the one mind

I can report that taper madness has well and truly taken hold of the ncmc household, started off the run with the most piercing pain in my left knee, followed shortly by the calf, hamstring etc. I scolded myself that I was fine and after a mile my body started to believe my mind and all was well. Threw in a couple of pmp miles as well, though in reality I was too fast and the whole run ended up at pmp or thereabouts.

It was really warm out there, I'm starting to get really concerned about the heat to be honest. I'm hoping I've acclimatised somewhat over the last couple of weeks, but I was sweltering after 7 miles tonight, the thought of doing almost 4 times that distance, some in the mid day heat... Well it's a concern for sure.

My husband is doing his first ever 5k race tomorrow evening, so I am running it with him for support. He's only running a couple of weeks, so I'm very proud of him. It'll be recovery pace for me before you think I've taken leave of my senses!

blockic

ncmc wrote: »

It was really warm out there, I'm starting to get really concerned about the heat to be honest.

How do you think I feel!! Flashbacks!! :eek:

Ah the good thing is the marathon starts at 9am. it wont heat up until at least 12 I would think and by then you are almost home. Plenty fluids, salts and gels and you'll be grand.

Imagine if you were going for the 3:30 still! You have plenty in the tank for 3:45.

What day you heading to the expo?

ncmc

I was thinking of your Rotterdam experience when I was out there this evening, cold comfort for you, but I think your experience has made the rest of us so much more cautious about the heat. So although it was crap for you, at least you've helped others

Will probably head up Saturday afternoon... You?

blockic

ncmc wrote: »

Will probably head up Saturday afternoon... You?

I'll prob be the same...I'll drop ya a PM.

ncmc

Cool, would be nice to meet up with a few boards heads.

Dilbert75

Happy birthday N & good luck with the 5k B! (I warned him in Wexford about how I only started running because Mrs. D had - but he fell into the trap, didn't he?:eek:)

ncmc

He claims he just wants to get up to 10k and that will do him, hmm, where have I heard that before!

Ecoenergy

Happy belated birthday. Its mine today. Go team Gemini. I'm celebrating now with a Chinese takeaway. It counts as Carb loading doesn't it?

ncmc

Happy birthday Ecoenergy! I was going to have a Chinese last night too, but was stuffed after about ten sliced of cake! Definitely all counts as carbo loading

Beef

Happy birthday the whole lot of ye!
You have warned your husband that 10K is only a gateway race haven't you? They give you the first one for free just to get you hooked.

RedRunner

Happy birthday ncmc and in case I don't get a chance again, want to wish you all the best for Cork. No problem to you. Have been following your training and you have done really well. looking forward to hearing how it has all paid off!

career_move

Belated happy birthday N

Hope you have a great race on Monday. Knock em dead

RubyK

Best of luck for Monday ncmc, you'll run a super time

Younganne

Best of Luck on Monday. Enjoy the race and remember the 3 Ss, Suncream, Sips(of Water)and Smile....:rolleyes: ok i made that up but hydrate plenty throughout the race and Enjoy. You'll fly it after all the great training!!!!

PDCAT

Best of luck for Monday ncmc. I look forward to reading the race report....

ncmc

Ok, this is probably a case of full blown taper madness, but I suffer a bit with sciatic type pain, not sure if it's sciatica or just tight glutes. It comes and goes in its intensity, and of course, wouldn't you know it, it's very bad today. I can deal with the pain in the bum, but it's causing pain all down my hamstrings and into my calf. It's also causing pins and needles sensation which is very uncomfortable. Normally it doesn't affect me when I run, but it actually was niggly last night. So I did some stretches at lunch time (on the table in the canteen - LOL if anyone has seen me :pac:) namely this stretch


and this



And I must say, it did help a good bit, the pins and needles are gone and the pain is much less. Can anyone recommend any other stretches I could try? Would Deep Heat or Voltarol gel help do you think?