Build up to Virgin London Marathon 2010

Thanks Flying_V.

Took last week (week 11) easy due to my Kilomathon effort and cut back the weekend long run to 11 miles as was still feeling the race in my legs. Total weeks milegae only 23.

Time to get things back on track now.....

WEEK TWELVE

Mon 4M easy @ 7:46 min/mile
Tue 1M jog wu/cd, 3 x 2M fast @ 6:40
Wed 9M slow @ 7:57 min/mile
Thu 1M jog, 4M brisk @ 6:48 min/mile, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun 20M slow @ 8:20 min/mile
 
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Coming to this thread a bit late, but I'm also training for the VLM after winning a club place with my running club :) Received my marathon pack yesterday, which was very exciting. Really nervous about it all, but I can't wait!!

You look like you're well on track for sub-3, firstborn!! Well done in the Kilomathon. I also ran that and was pleased with my effort (2h17). I'm used to undulating countryside, so to have a flat course was fantastic!!

This will be my first marathon and I was originally aiming for 4h30. However, I've discovered that I'm faster than I thought and am now keeping everything crossed for something around the 4h mark. My mates down the running club all think I'll be sub-4, but I don't want to put the pressure on myself, especially as it's my first and it's London.

I ran the Ashby 20 last weekend in 2h56 (target was 2h59, which I wasn't sure whether I could achieved), so I was really pleased. Not decided if I'm going to drop the mileage for this week's LSR and do one final 20-22 miler next weekend or do it this weekend and start tapering. My legs feel good, but I don't want to burn myself out. We'll see.

Anyway, hope the training is going well this week and good luck with your 20 miler. I salute you for only having 1 rest day. I need at least 2!
 
Cheers LostKat. I should definitely managed a PB (famous last words), but fingers crossed for a sub 3. As long as I get another GFA though I'll be more than happy.

Also seems like you're on target for sub 4 going by your 20 mile time. The race day atmosphere will more than help.

I'd drop this weekends mileage a little and do a final long run the week after.

All being well my LSRs are from this weekend 20, 22, 18, 12, race.
 
reading this thread is really tempting me to enter the nottingham marathon this year being the 30th (as if that really makes any difference). I've ran it once before and didn't enjoy it much, the second half is really dull but i did the Kilomathon in 2.09 with little training and am thinking its only another 10 miles on that. hmmmmm.
 
Why don't you find one a little more interesting if you're not so keen on Notts? I've heard that it's a bit soul destroying after the half marathoners split off and you're left on your own. You should definitely go for it though. You have plenty of time to train, and summer training rocks!!! :) I'll probably end up doing the Leics marathon, providing that London doesn't put me off for life :D It was my first HM, so a little bit special :)

firstborn - would you recommend training over 20 miles for a first marathon? I've been told by several people down the club not to train over 20, but a couple have said to do 22. My plan at the moment for LSRs from this weekend is 18, 20, 13.2 (Belvoir half), 10, race but I may swap and do 20 this weekend because I had a sports massage last night and my legs feel great this morning.
 
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Lostkat said:
Why don't you find one a little more interesting if you're not so keen on Notts? I've heard that it's a bit soul destroying after the half marathoners split off and you're left on your own. You should definitely go for it though. You have plenty of time to train, and summer training rocks!!! :) I'll probably end up doing the Leics marathon, providing that London doesn't put me off for life :D It was my first HM, so a little bit special :)

firstborn - would you recommend training over 20 miles for a first marathon? I've been told by several people down the club not to train over 20, but a couple have said to do 22. My plan at the moment for LSRs from this weekend is 18, 20, 13.2 (Belvoir half), 10, race but I may swap and do 20 this weekend because I had a sports massage last night and my legs feel great this morning.
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Yepp, soul destroying. Have run Notts full a couple of times but hate the second half... but will probably do it again this year!

I don't know about recommend running over 20... but I run 22 as my longest training run now. When I started training properly I followed the 18 miles is enough thinking, but then there's still 8 miles to go in a race not knowing what you'll feel like when you get into the 20's. 22 miles is a great confidence building distance as if you can comfortable get that far the last 4 miles shouldn't be a worry - hope that makes sense. Another train of though is that your last 5 LSRs should add up to 100 miles and you can't do that with running 20+ some weeks.

Can you plan you LSR so it gives you the option of cutting it short if you start to feel it? I run laps around Wollaton Park and Notts Uni close to a race, boring but I know if anything goes wrong I'm not stuck in the middle of nowhere.
 
Yeah I read about your top five being 100 miles. I think I'm taking it fairly easy on this one because I have absolutely nothing to prove. It's my first marathon, so whatever happens it will be a PB. Priority for me is getting the distance in my legs and staying injury free. I don't really plan routes with cut backs, but I do carry my phone with me on my long runs, so I can always call the other half to collect me if needs be. I could always plan a 20 and then do a loop into town to add a couple of miles if I feel good. Thanks for the advice :)

Had a sports massage last night, which felt great. She found a few really tight spots, but nothing of any concern. I did 7 miles this afternoon though and it felt absolutely awful. Couldn't get my breathing sorted, legs felt like lead and my pace was crap. Hated every second of it, despite it being a beautiful day. It knocks your confidence a bit when something like that happens. I felt OK before I went out. Ah well, they can't all be good runs! I'll put it down to experience, dust myself off and get back out there again.
 
Just come back from 20 at marathon pace. I went out thinking 18ish because I was still feeling a bit off from Friday's awful run, but decided to stick an extra loop on the end to make it up to 20. Absolutely beautiful day, if a little windy. Nice undulating route through the countryside. Just what I needed :)
 
Weeks 13 & 14... getting close now :eek:

Week 13

Mon 4M easy @ 7:13 min/mile
Tue 1M wu/cd, then 5 x 1M fast @ 6:18 min/mile
Wed 8M slow @ 7:47 min/mile
Thu 1M wu/cd, then 5M brisk @ 6:40min/mile (target race pace)
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun 22M slow @ 7:56 min/mile

Week 14

Mon 4M easy @ 7:27 min/mile
Tue 1M wu/cd, 8 x 800m fast @ 5:57min/mile
Wed 7M slow @ 7:56 min/mile
Thu 10M (approx 75 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat - sun was out so spent all day drinking beer!
Sun 18M slow @ 8:07 min/mile
 
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Longest run done, 22 miles @ a very comfortable 7:56 min/mile. All downhill now until race day. Feeling confident at the moment.... as the run was fuelled with a curry, several pints and half a bottle of wine last night and a full english this morning :D
 
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07:56 min miles and comfortable in the same sentence..... wow!! One of my big aims this year is to do a race with an ave pace of <08:00. My best so far is 08:08 average over 6 miles. It all depends on whether I decide to sign up to do another marathon (Leics) in October though. We'll see how London leaves me feeling :)

Managed a really uncomfortable 17 miles on Sunday, which I didn't enjoy in the slightest. The first 5 miles felt great, but I started off too quick (normally don't have a problem pacing myself) and by mile 9 I was ready to throw in the towel. It took all my mental strength not to call the other half to come and get me. Rubbish!! Still, at least I finished it and am in taper mode now. Half marathon this weekend. Really hoping for a PB (current PB is 1h54), but it's not going to happen if I run as badly as Sunday!!!
 
Ah, Lostkat you sound like you run the same pace as me. Good luck on the half coming up.

Ran a 10k in regents park this weekend and did it in 51 mins which was ok for me. Still carrying a slight muscle strain which no amount of sports massage can fix. Aiming for 9.5 min mile pace for the full Brighton marathon in (gulp) 2 weeks :eek:
 
Good luck with it Flying V, I'm sure you'll do just fine :) I really want (and think I can manage) sub-4 for London, which means an average pace of 09:08. I've been running to how I feel, which has resulted in a pace a bit faster than that in training, so I'm keeping everything crossed that I can actually do it. Did the Ashby 20 in just under 3 hrs (08:49 min miles), so I'm sure I can manage another 6 miles if I wind the pace back a bit. We'll see :)

Track night at Loughborough tomorrow with running club, so a 800m reps speed session is on the cards. Had a nice muddy cross country with running club earlier in the week too. Our first non-streetlights route since we lost the light last year. It really is spring. Horray!! :)
 
Lostkat said:
07:56 min miles and comfortable in the same sentence..... wow!! One of my big aims this year is to do a race with an ave pace of <08:00. My best so far is 08:08 average over 6 miles. It all depends on whether I decide to sign up to do another marathon (Leics) in October though. We'll see how London leaves me feeling :)

Managed a really uncomfortable 17 miles on Sunday, which I didn't enjoy in the slightest. The first 5 miles felt great, but I started off too quick (normally don't have a problem pacing myself) and by mile 9 I was ready to throw in the towel. It took all my mental strength not to call the other half to come and get me. Rubbish!! Still, at least I finished it and am in taper mode now. Half marathon this weekend. Really hoping for a PB (current PB is 1h54), but it's not going to happen if I run as badly as Sunday!!!
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Good luck for the half this weekend (I'm sure the last LSR was just a blip) and then look forward to an easy couple of weeks tapering.
 
Lostkat said:
Beat my PB by 8 mins. GET IN :D :D :D

Ready for London now... this time in 2 weeks it'll all be over!
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Excellent result, Lostkat. Congrats :D. All over in two weeks, it's close :eek:

Final two weeks training below:

WEEK FIFTEEN

Mon 4M easy @ 7:42 min/mile
Tue 1M wu/cd, then 12 x 400m fast @ 5:20 min/mile
Wed 6M (approx 50 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 20 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 12M (approx 90 mins) steady

WEEK SIXTEEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M wu/cd, then 8 x 400m fast, with 200m jog recoveries
Wed 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Thu Rest
Fri Rest
Sat 2M (or 15 mins) easy, in racing kit
Sun The race
 
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Last hard speed session done, it's all fairly relaxed from here on in. Can't wait until race day now.

How're the legs after the half, Lostkat?
 
Legs felt great after the half thanks. Suprising since it was the fastest paced race I've ran (including shorter distances, 5 milers etc.) :D However, I woke up yesterday morning, walked downstairs and had a really sharp pain in my knee behind the knee cap :(. Left it for the day in case I'd slept on it funny (didn't run on Weds), then rang my physio in the evening because everyone kept mentioning runner's knee.

She got me to do various exercises and feed back the pain level/location to try and diagnose it over the phone and concluded that it's probably just a tight quad. She said that my legs have been in such good condition every time she's seen me that she can't see me developing a serious injury in the last 2 weeks since I saw her. She's told me to RICE it and do some self massage around the area. I've got an appointment on Monday which I can cancel if it goes away. It's eased off a lot this morning, so fingers crossed.

Felt really odd not running last night with the club as I always run on a Friday. I know I'm tapering and I won't lose fitness etc., but it's breaking the habit which I don't like.

8 DAYS!!!!!! I'll be on that start line come hell or high water :D :D :D :D :D

Which start are you on FB?
 
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Lostkat said:
Legs felt great after the half thanks. Suprising since it was the fastest paced race I've ran (including shorter distances, 5 milers etc.) :D However, I woke up yesterday morning, walked downstairs and had a really sharp pain in my knee behind the knee cap :(. Left it for the day in case I'd slept on it funny (didn't run on Weds), then rang my physio in the evening because everyone kept mentioning runner's knee.

She got me to do various exercises and feed back the pain level/location to try and diagnose it over the phone and concluded that it's probably just a tight quad. She said that my legs have been in such good condition every time she's seen me that she can't see me developing a serious injury in the last 2 weeks since I saw her. She's told me to RICE it and do some self massage around the area. I've got an appointment on Monday which I can cancel if it goes away. It's eased off a lot this morning, so fingers crossed.

Felt really odd not running last night with the club as I always run on a Friday. I know I'm tapering and I won't lose fitness etc., but it's breaking the habit which I don't like.

8 DAYS!!!!!! I'll be on that start line come hell or high water :D :D :D :D :D

Which start are you on FB?
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Fingers crossed it's just a glitch. I had a slight pull in my calf on a slow run the other night, so have had a couple of extra rest days so I know what you mean about it feeling weird not running. Have a gentle 12 miles planned for tomorrow and will see how it goes.

I'm starting at the front of the red start so hopefull for a quick get away :)
 
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