Random Running Questions

Maximus Alexander

Assuming nothing goes horribly wrong between now and then, I'll be running my first marathon in Dublin on October 30th. Recently, Run the Line has piqued my interest. I've not done any trail running in the past, would this be a stupid thing to sign up for without specific training, relatively soon after the marathon (27 days)?

Enduro

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Assuming nothing goes horribly wrong between now and then, I'll be running my first marathon in Dublin on October 30th. Recently, Run the Line has piqued my interest. I've not done any trail running in the past, would this be a stupid thing to sign up for without specific training, relatively soon after the marathon (27 days)?

Nope. Just run it for enjoyment. It's a very enjoyable race.

runnerholic

How much is the entry fee for Run the line? Can't see any price on their website.

chickey2

runnerholic wrote: »

How much is the entry fee for Run the line? Can't see any price on their website.

It's €40 and it all goes to the Dublin/wicklow mountain rescue

sideswipe

Question re racing a half 5 weeks out from goal marathon.

I know this has been covered before but my question relates to how people treat the week after racing a half?

If I race the half on Sunday (Carlow Half) my plan has me down for a vo2max session on tues (5x600's @ 5k), 15m MLR on wed and 10k tune up race on Saturday. I'm worried this might be too much for my old body to cope with and also mean I don't get maximum benefit from what is an important weeks training 4/5 weeks out from goal race day.

I'm tempted to run the half at MP with a few miles warm up and cool down to enable me to hit those sessions and warm up race the following week, but the temptation to give the half a lash is also tempting.

Any thoughts or experiences welcome?

Clearlier

sideswipe wrote: »

Question re racing a half 5 weeks out from goal marathon.

I know this has been covered before but my question relates to how people treat the week after racing a half?

If I race the half on Sunday (Carlow Half) my plan has me down for a vo2max session on tues (5x600's @ 5k), 15m MLR on wed and 10k tune up race on Saturday. I'm worried this might be too much for my old body to cope with and also mean I don't get maximum benefit from what is an important weeks training 4/5 weeks out from goal race day.

I'm tempted to run the half at MP with a few miles warm up and cool down to enable me to hit those sessions and warm up race the following week, but the temptation to give the half a lash is also tempting.

Any thoughts or experiences welcome?

I think that it's AMK who has the phrase about keeping the main thing the main thing. If the marathon is the focus then don't race the half, if you would be happy with racing the half and having a mediocre marathon then off you go.

I ran a half last weekend with 3 a bit below marathon pace and 10 a touch faster than marathon pace. I pushed my session out by a day from Wednesday to Thursday. The session went ok but I was still about 10 seconds a mile away from where I think I should have been at. That's me though. Perhaps you recover quickly from hard efforts? Also the 5*600 session isn't a killer session so you'd probably manage it ok.

One other thing - if you race the half don't race the 10k the following weekend. That IMO would fall on the stupid side of risky. The MLR should be manageable but at a slightly slower pace than normal.

ThebitterLemon

sideswipe wrote: »

Question re racing a half 5 weeks out from goal marathon.

I know this has been covered before but my question relates to how people treat the week after racing a half?

If I race the half on Sunday (Carlow Half) my plan has me down for a vo2max session on tues (5x600's @ 5k), 15m MLR on wed and 10k tune up race on Saturday. I'm worried this might be too much for my old body to cope with and also mean I don't get maximum benefit from what is an important weeks training 4/5 weeks out from goal race day.

I'm tempted to run the half at MP with a few miles warm up and cool down to enable me to hit those sessions and warm up race the following week, but the temptation to give the half a lash is also tempting.

Any thoughts or experiences welcome?

No expert, but if you race the half, the following week is a receipt for injury. I'd either drop the 10k or the session and I'd take things very handy early days next week.

TbL

sideswipe

Thanks folks. I feel a pb is there for the taking hence the temptation to race, it would be risking the main goal as you say, especially as I don't recover very quickly from hard efforts.......head over heart it is then!

ger664

Looks like P&D plan. Those plans dont have a half marathon as part of the plan so racing this and continuing on with the plan is a recipe for not making the start line in 5 weeks time. If you do the half drop the session and 10K race. Personally I think racing a half in a marathon cycle is not a good idea as it takes too much time to recover. A 10 mile race gives the same indication with less recovery needed. Running @ PMP is a good idea if you have the will power not to race it once you get there.

hot buttered scones

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

No expert, but if you race the half, the following week is a receipt for injury. I'd either drop the 10k or the session and I'd take things very handy early days next week.

TbL

The last few posts in this thread have given me early onset maranoia. Guess what I didn't do after Charleville?
Following the P+D up to 55 18 week plan. Raced a half last week - but did not do the long run the next day and took it easy in the 3 days leading up to it. So far this week I've done: Rest, 8GA, 9 with 5x1k@5k, rest, 12 MLR and have 5 recovery and 18 with 14@PMP to go - a much faster lad than I that I work with has already told me he thinks this is a bit mad. This evenings 12 was a bit niggly. I'm tempted to drop the PMP run this week and just do 18 easy. The 10k next week was only going to be a solo time trial anyway so maybe I should just repeat the last 3 days of this weeks plan and do the PMP run next week? I'll just see how I feel on Sunday morning I think. I won't be doing any PMP work if the wind is like it was this evening anyway.

The book actually allows for races of 15k to 25k - but suggests a mini taper of 4 to 6 days and several days recovery afterwards before the next hard training session - so adapting the plan to suit your needs. It's in chapter 1 - which I should definitely have reread before resuming training this week.

The problem I have with the races in this plan is that it's hard to find ones that suit the plan at this time of year. There's very few races here on a Saturday anyway - in fact I can't find any between 8k and 10k in Ireland on October 15th. Add shift work into the mix and you just end up have to make do. In hindsight I probably should have started the plan a week early to allow for taper and recovery from Charleville - I'll know better the next time

sideswipe

hot buttered scones wrote: »

There's very few races here on a Saturday anyway - in fact I can't find any between 8k and 10k in Ireland on October 15th.

Yep, having the same problem finding tune up races on the 15th, if you find one let me know!!

jake1970

hot buttered scones wrote: »

The last few posts in this thread have given me early onset maranoia. Guess what I didn't do after Charleville?
Following the P+D up to 55 18 week plan. Raced a half last week - but did not do the long run the next day and took it easy in the 3 days leading up to it. So far this week I've done: Rest, 8GA, 9 with 5x1k@5k, rest, 12 MLR and have 5 recovery and 18 with 14@PMP to go - a much faster lad than I that I work with has already told me he thinks this is a bit mad. This evenings 12 was a bit niggly. I'm tempted to drop the PMP run this week and just do 18 easy. The 10k next week was only going to be a solo time trial anyway so maybe I should just repeat the last 3 days of this weeks plan and do the PMP run next week? I'll just see how I feel on Sunday morning I think. I won't be doing any PMP work if the wind is like it was this evening anyway.

The book actually allows for races of 15k to 25k - but suggests a mini taper of 4 to 6 days and several days recovery afterwards before the next hard training session - so adapting the plan to suit your needs. It's in chapter 1 - which I should definitely have reread before resuming training this week.

The problem I have with the races in this plan is that it's hard to find ones that suit the plan at this time of year. There's very few races here on a Saturday anyway - in fact I can't find any between 8k and 10k in Ireland on October 15th. Add shift work into the mix and you just end up have to make do. In hindsight I probably should have started the plan a week early to allow for taper and recovery from Charleville - I'll know better the next time

Your mate is right it is a bit mad but your alternative plan is the way to go. Dropping the PMP miles this week and doing them the following week is grand. I woudnt worry about finding a race to run on the 15th just run it as a time trial and do your 16 mile as normal the following day, but if you do find a race please let me know:)

ger664

Short Races in the middle of October are easy to find but they tend to be on grass and hurt like f**k

hot buttered scones

sideswipe wrote: »

Yep, having the same problem finding tune up races on the 15th, if you find one let me know!!

jake1970 wrote: »

Your mate is right it is a bit mad but your alternative plan is the way to go. Dropping the PMP miles this week and doing them the following week is grand. I woudnt worry about finding a race to run on the 15th just run it as a time trial and do your 16 mile as normal the following day, but if you do find a race please let me know:)

There's nothing local to me on the 15th (not even cross country as far as I can see - not in a club anyway). I'm also working that day and I'm not sure I'd get the morning off. One idea I'd being playing with was to do a parkrun, but do 2 or 3 miles @10k pace after a 2 mile easy warm up beforehand. Or there's a 10k in Cork, Kilkenny and Limerick on the 16th, but that pushes the 16 miler into the next week - might mess with the taper? I was also thinking of doing the race+16 miler on the 8th and 9th - but the closest race to me is on Valentia Island so that's out.

As for next week. The plan is:
Mon: Rest Tues: 8 with 5x600@5k Wed: 11 MLR Thurs: Rest Fri: 4 recovery with 6x100m Strides Sat: 8-15K tune up race Sun: 17 long (49-53 total)

So I could do:

Mon: Rest Tues: 8 with 5x600@5k Wed: 8 GA Thurs: Rest Fri: 12 MLR Sat: 5 rec (maybe some strides) Sun: 18 with 14@PMP (53 total)

That's a completely different week in fairness, but I think the PMP session is more important than the tune up race. The alternative leaves me doing the session after coming off nightshifts with a short sleep though - still far from ideal. Is there really a huge difference between racing a half on Sunday and racing a 10 miler on Saturday with a 17 mile long run on Sunday?
The plan for last week was:
Mon: Rest Tues: 8 with 5x600@5k Wed: 12 MLR Thurs: Rest Fri: 5 recovery with 6x100m Strides Sat: 8-15K tune up race Sun: 17 long (51-55 miles total)

What I did was:

Mon: Rest Tues: 8 with 5x600@5k Wed: 11 MLR Thurs: 5 recovery Fri: Rest Strides Sat: 4 recovery with 6x100m tune up race Sun: Half marathon race (45 miles total)
So 10 miles less than scheduled with 3 easy days leading up to the half. Wednesday wasn't too taxing either and Tuesday just felt like a good sharpener.

I need a coach. And the ability to take advice.

hot buttered scones

ger664 wrote: »

Short Races in the middle of October are easy to find but they tend to be on grass and hurt like f**k

I'm not in a club, but was considering joining so I could have a crack off a few of these after Dublin. I only know of one open cross country in Cork - it's hardly worth buying spikes for, but it does have a f0cker of a hill you have to do 3 times. Sadists.

Chartsengrafs

Has anyone run in Hyde Park, London? I'm staying beside it for a few days for work and I'm not familiar with the area. Is it suitable for a few easy miles in the evening? Thanks

hillsiderunner

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

Has anyone run in Hyde Park, London? I'm staying beside it for a few days for work and I'm not familiar with the area. Is it suitable for a few easy miles in the evening? Thanks

Have run in there while visiting London, it is *lovely* - and safe. It's open 24 hours I think, and from dawn to dusk there will be runners around. Also Kensington Gardens adjoining it is great, you could do your LSR in the two parks (I did a 19miler in there once though there was some lapping involved).

Louise40

Traffic is nuts since schools are back. Thinking of running to work, 2 miles door to door. Any recommendations on running backpacks?

Chartsengrafs

hillsiderunner wrote: »

Have run in there while visiting London, it is *lovely* - and safe. It's open 24 hours I think, and from dawn to dusk there will be runners around. Also Kensington Gardens adjoining it is great, you could do your LSR in the two parks (I did a 19miler in there once though there was some lapping involved).

Excellent, thanks. That's all I needed to know!

chickey2

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

Has anyone run in Hyde Park, London? I'm staying beside it for a few days for work and I'm not familiar with the area. Is it suitable for a few easy miles in the evening? Thanks

It's a great place to run. I did a couple of 11km runs there. There's a wide path on the outer perimeter and lots of little paths inside like the phoenix park.

ThebitterLemon

Agree Hyde Park is s great place to run.

Don't think it open 24 hours, pretty sure they lock the gates when it gets dark

TbL

yaboya1

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Don't think it open 24 hours, pretty sure they lock the gates when it gets dark

TbL

What were you doing in there after dark? :O
And how did you get back out with the gates closed?

tang1

yaboya1 wrote: »

What were you doing in there after dark? :O
And how did you get back out with the gates closed?

He's the reason the gates are now locked after dark!!

hillsiderunner

tang1 wrote: »

He's the reason the gates are now locked after dark!!

He must have be prowling around quite late, they don't lock up till midnight:
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/visitor-information/opening-times-and-getting-here

Charts, the Kensington Gardens will close at dusk (though I bet you can use Google as well as us ...)

Spirogyra

My arms sometimes hurt while running. My legs could go on all day,any suggestions as to a remedy?ðŸ˜႒

Firedance

Spirogyra wrote: »

My arms sometimes hurt while running. My legs could go on all day,any suggestions as to a remedy?ðŸ˜႒

Relax the shoulders and drop them down (they might be tensed up).... gently swing the arms around waist level (not higher up at chest as I often do!) and keep you hands loose, as someone once said to me pretend you're holding chicken necks in your hands!

Clearlier

Spirogyra wrote: »

My arms sometimes hurt while running. My legs could go on all day,any suggestions as to a remedy?ðŸ˜႒

Where do your arms hurt? Biceps, triceps, somewhere else?

Spirogyra

Clearlier wrote: »

Where do your arms hurt? Biceps, triceps, somewhere else?

I think its the area 'from the elbow back',about 6 or 8 inches back. I don't actually remember exactly where,I just remember the discomfort, feels like a 'weakness'. Thanks

keith16

I am going to be near a beach soon and I would like to run on the beach.

Can I run on beach?

Krusty_Clown

keith16 wrote: »

Can I run on beach?

Do you have a red swimsuit?