DCM 2023 Mentored Novices Thread

As I found out from my physio calf pain and Achilles pain are all linked back to our glutes and hamstrings getting right so you may need to get physio in that area also not drinking enough water and electrolytes can cause this type of pain as your muscles may be dehydrated.ive also been advised to do 40 squats a day to help keep everything loose.hope this info helps you out

Club Plan|Track|rest|Track|rest|rest|28km|rest

Actual|track|rest|track|rest|rest|28km|rest

I've noticed that so far I'm fairly sticking to my training plan - I've trained for a number of races over the years and never stuck to a plan properly. Probably to do with the fact that I'm feeling so much support at the moment - Novice thread here, my athletics club, my "marathon wife", and my husband and son. Even my mother in law asks after my training every week, bless her. Come the beginning of Sept life will be changing up for me and work will be getting busier so hopefully I can keep my head in the game.

I'm finding the Monday track sessions hard now I'm with the advanced group - legs and body are tired. I got to train with my old group on Weds eve and found that my pace seems to have picked up a little and I quite enjoyed not trailing last around the track for a change.

Long run on Sat 28km - was apprehensive about it. Felt that any run lately over 21km I've struggled after that distance and wondering if half marathon is my max distance? But the person I was running with was just getting over being sick so I was feeling mindful of her. But we looked after each other (she's a seasoned marathon runner) and it was a good long run, route could have been described as "undulating" but felt like a good training run. Also there were no issues with the running bra which I'm delighted about, no chaffing with the damp and sweat.

Total for the week 42.5km. Also did 2 workouts, a pilates session and a walk on Sun to stretch the legs out.

(Boards Plan)

Did you get in all the runs on your plan - if not, then why not? 

Yes, hamstring niggle seems to be gone for now at least too. Getting some stretching and leg focused gym sessions in on the cross training days, think that's probably helping as long as I don't overdo it. 

Did you run the runs at an appropriate pace? 

Yes, although ran the first 5 or 6k of the 10 mile a too fast. Was a lovely day and I got carried along with the crowd at the start, at the half marathon I'll try to be more strict with pacing. 

My club does 2 sittings - the "fit 4 life" group and the more "advanced" group. I've been in Fit4Life since I joined beginning of last year. I moved up recently when a friend looked to join but they only had availability in the advanced group so I said I'd keep her company. I find with the advanced group the warm ups are a bit longer, the intervals might be longer or more of them and the training session seems to go on a little longer. Main thing is the pace of the session is quicker - while we might be doing say 10k pace - my 10k pace is slower than others in the advanced group so I'm feeling a little out of my depth.

Overall our training sessions are generally tempo sessions eg 4 x 8 mins, 3 x 10mins; or speed sessions eg 400s, 90sec on/off.

Thanks @MisterJinx 😃 I did have a great race and I need to keep saying that to myself. I took away a lot of learning points too and that's what it's all about at this stage, isn't it?

Last week I completed 4 runs (nrtmally try to do 6), total mileage 35.4km. I had planned 2 rest days but also ended up taking Friday off too, not on purpose or to intentionally taper, I just had so much on that day I literally forgot until it was too late and I had zero energy. I think it probably helped me for the race, so no regrets.

I've only done a 10 miler once, same race in 2022, so I hadn't got much to go on by way of comparison. Race jitters on Thurs and Friday had me completely questioning myself (and on here) whether I should race it at all, or just go for marginal improvement. However I woke up on Saturday with 90 minutes in mind (just based off of giving 5.35pkm pace a shot). I didn't get a great sleep thanks to Storm Betty banging the tree in our garden off the bedroom wall for most of the night, was woken abruptly at 2am for a good hour with it, but I still felt ok. Whilst I was very well prepared in terms of my gear and bag etc., I didn't really think about breakfast and just ate a banana. I had plain double espresso (medicinal - did the trick 🤭) and we got the kids up and went. I understimated the stress of getting 3 kids up and out for 7am also. By the time we got to the park I was ravenous. Ate another banana with seconds to go before the race. As a result I ended up not taking the gel.

I knew the first 4 km were downhill a bit so wanted to stay close to my goal pace as possible and I managed that. I knew 5th km would be tough and it was!

Passed husband on the bit that overlaps with the faster runners and high fived. Still felt ok. Totally forgot about 90 min pacer and just focused on watch pace and picking off each km as it came, couldn't think further along than that. All of a sudden I got a bang in the head and it was the 90min pacer balloon, pacer was on my heels! Sped up with a good degree of ease, picked a good few people off, and held that for 3km, but as pacer was closer to me I started to go downhill mentally (and maybe not taking a gel was coming home to roost). It was mad. Pacer was chatting and laughing with runners and they were chatting back with ease. I on the either hand was holding on by a thread and so I found the whole thing very off putting, and I think I've learned pacing is not for me. I was too distracted by how effortless it was for them. I pulled off to the side and let them pass and had a 10 second wobble. A woman pulled me straight back in, and I was back up at pace in no time. So it wasn't a bonk as I was able to finish, it was a mental thing. Still, I beat myself up about it (as per). I saw the second pacer and knew that must be fellow boardsie @Murph_D, but I was in no state to say hello. I let him run on too and just allowed the pressure of 90 mins to fade away. The last couple kms were a death run. I felt really slow and clunky, so the effort had really begun to sting. Made it through finish and actually felt quite weird for a couple of mins - nauseous, light headed, phlegmy. I think the sun and wind knocked it out of me. Had to sit down even though grass was soaking. Then it lifted and I felt really good.

So, I need to better prepare breakfast wise, and also I don't think pacing is my jive. Good to know. I caught up with the pacer and thanked her for a great run, she was full of positive energy.

Considering I went all out I have absolutely no niggles, which is deadly. I definitely have doms, but that's fine. I did an extra km on recovery run as endorphins were mega, and yesterday, well yesterday I had to cut my run short as our eldest fell in the playground and broke her arm. Wouldn't move until I got there. Cue me pegging it back to car (at appropriate pace of course, mentors😄) and rushing to her aid. 5 hours in a&e and she has a cast, which she's delighted about, just in time for our seaside holiday on Thurs 🙃

Lads, I could write a book on this summer, truly.

P.s. I tracked the lady down on Facebook who pulled me back into the race and thanked her for her help. She was delighted to hear from me and how well I did on last year, which ended up being a minute per mile improvement 😃. Also I had an even split, with only 15 seconds between the two race legs. Apparently that's good 😃

I have a cheaper pair I use on the shorter runs and try to leave my good pair for the long slow run, hopefully they'll last me to the marathon but I was thinking the same after I saw the mileage started to add up for them on Strava

Great account of the Frank Duffy, you ran very well considering the difficulties.

Not sure if you realise but the 90 min pacers started at the very front of Wave 2, so you must have started in Wave 1 if we were behind you for the first half of the race. So really you were running at more like 92 min pace for the whole race, so it's not surprising at all that you were passed by the group (sorry for not spotting and recognising you). 😳

In fact your nice even splits show that you are well capable of staying with a pace group - just not one that's running a little too fast for you on the day. I'd say 90 would have been a little too much last Saturday based on your account, so there is nothing about your run that you should not be proud of, it's a very good time and bodes well for your marathon.

Out of my surgery recovery period so feel I can ask questions now 😀

I did my first MP/"pace" session today @ 5:20/km. That pace was based on where my fitness was back in June (when my 10k pace was 4:34/km), but with six weeks of no running it seems I've lost about 20s/km for the same HR (I did a very similar run on Jun 7 and did ~5:00/km for the same HR profile).

Today at 5:20/km my HR drifted up slowly to around 165bpm, just under what I think my lactate threshold is. It took the whole 10km to get there, but clearly there's no way that's sustainable over a marathon.

I'm expecting to revise my pace expectations for the marathon itself, but in the meantime, how should I run these "pace" sessions, from an HR perspective? Is it normal for there to be this much upwards drift? Should I back the next one off by, say, 20s/km and see what happens, or just truck along at 5:20 each week and see if my fitness improves?

edit: I just calculated HRR-based ranges using the formulae for Marathon-Pace runs in the Advanced Marathoning book and got 149-163bpm, and funnily enough those are the average HRs for the first and last kms of the pace session, so...it's fine?

Have you seen a good physio yet about this? In my experience of exercise-related injuries, hiding from them (by backing off) doesn't help, it just kicks the can down the road, you have to get on top of them with an accurate diagnosis and appropriate strengthening exercises.

OK, thanks. I guess in terms of perceived effort I was comfortable throughout so it must have been much less than 10k effort (begging for it to end after 30 mins).

So if worst case I'm doing the pace runs at HM pace then that's not so bad as I have the Kilkenny half in 3 1/2 weeks' time.

Going to try not to fret about eventual marathon pace and focus on keeping my easy runs easy.