LONDON MARATHON 2013

TIME: 2:49:29

Full Report to follow

1 Week to go........W/b 15 April 2013


Monday 15/04/13
AM: No run
PM: Easy run, into last week now and was a lot warmer today. Although it was an easy run the pace was 7.16 m/m, so obviously feeling fresh from the cut back and only running once a day.

AM: Distance:  0 miles        Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  7 miles        Time: 00:51:09     Ave Pace: 7.16 m/m


Tuesday 16/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: From club last speed session tonight, 2 laps of the Polo Ground as warm up then 6 x 90s with 60s jog recovery. Running these at striding out pace and not full effort. Again quite surprised at the pace of these efforts when only giving about 70%. The pace of the 6 efforts were – 5.49/5.41/5.34/5.27/5.31/5.20 averaging 5.34 m/m for the 90’s. This was followed by a further two laps cool down.

AM: Distance:  0 miles      Time: 00:00:00                Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  6 miles      Time: 00:51:48           Effort Ave Pace: 5.34 m/m


Wednesday 17/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: Just went out and ran easy didn’t look at watch at all, so no pressure jut nice relaxed run.

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  6 miles       Time: 00:46:23     Ave Pace: 7.44 m/m


Thursday 18/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: Again just nice easy relaxed run.

PM: Distance:   0 miles     Time: 00:00:00      Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:   4 miles     Time: 00:31:39      Pace: 7.54 m/m


Friday 19/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: No Run . LONDON MARATHON EXPO TODAY - REST DAY

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m


Saturday 20/04/13
AM: Just went out to turn the legs over after a rest day, only did 2 miles and nice to get out in the sunshine even if the northerly breeze was a bit nippy.

AM: Distance:   2 miles       Race Time: 00:15:43      Ave Pace: 7.52 m/m   


SUMMARY  

Everything has gone to plan have run more miles that I ever have in the Marathon macrocycle. I have raced my fastest half marathon for about 20 years. So everything seems nicely set up for the day. 
Rearing to go to see what I can do.
Wishing everyone else a Great Race tomorrow. Plus congratulations to all those that have completed Paris and Brighton in the last couple of weeks.

Only Final report of race to come!!!


2 Weeks to go........W/b 8 April 2013


Monday 08/04/13
AM: No run
PM: No Run – Rest day after yesterdays hard 15 miler

AM: Distance:  0 miles        Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  0 miles        Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m


Tuesday 09/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: Fartlek session around the Polo Ground 2 laps warm up, then 5 laps with 5 shortish efforts per lap making 25 efforts in total. Chilly evening, followed by 2 mile cool down

AM: Distance:  6 miles      Time: 00:00:00                Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  9 miles      Time: 01:08:34               Ave Pace: 7.37 m/m


Wednesday 10/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: No Run – Another rest day!!!

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m


Thursday 11/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: Went out for a steady run and felt nice and relaxed and it did not seem as I was going as fast as I was, obviously taking advantage of easier week and legs feeling fresher.

PM: Distance:   0 miles     Time: 00:00:00      Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:   9 miles     Time: 01:00:43      Pace: 6.46 m/m


Friday 12/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: Easy recovery run after yesterdays steady paced effort

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  9 miles       Time: 01:10:41     Ave Pace: 7.51 m/m


Saturday 13/04/13
AM: Went down to Folkestone to run with Tim and this was going to our last longer run before marathon. We had talked about trying to bash out even 7.30 m/m First mile was fairly steady, then as we went up Cherry Garden Avenue and round the by pass we wanted to compensate for the hill and picked the pace up a bit, this resulted in two miles of 6.55 and 6.59.  We were now coming down Wear Bay road to the harbor and obviously due to the downhill the pace remained high 6.30. Then along the seafront the wind had changed direction and was now blowing into us along this section and so was concentrating on keeping pace going, we had worked out that we would turn back when we got to 8 miles. I was thinking it would be good if we could hold the current pace until the turn  resulting in 6.43,6.52,6.55 and 6.59.  Now it was back to Folkestone with the wind behind, I didn’t want to take too much out of Tim but he said that he felt comfortable, with the sun now out it was a very pleasant morning. We chalked off the last 4 miles in 6.51, 6.49,6.50 and 6.58, very pleasing giving us an average pace of 6.55. Just the confidence boosting run Tim needed and really pleased that he had found it fairly comfortable.

AM: Distance:  12 miles       Race Time: 01:22:59      Ave Pace: 6.55 m/m    


Sunday 14/04/13 
Went down to Brighton to watch the Marathon and support our guys who were running. Travelled down by car leaving at 05:30 and getting to Brighton just after 07:00. We park and rode our way to Preston Park and met up the others
Great day with Steve King getting an 8 min PB finishing in 3:49:24, followed by Faith (2nd marathon in a week) 4:20:10, Mick 4:29:25 suffering with calf injuries and Angela 4:33:50 who had a cold the week before!!
Sadly we witnessed the unfortunate incident where a runner collapsed and then needed resuscitation, apparently after getting him to hospital they couldn’t revive he and he passed away.  Wishing his family our heartfelt condolences.

We walked about 7 miles in total and so after a hard day yesterday I will include it as recovery exercise.

AM: Distance:   7 miles      Time: 00:00: 00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m


Weekly Summary

AM
PM
TOTAL
Monday
0
0
0
Tuesday
0
9
9
Wednesday
0
0
9
Thursday
0
9
18
Friday
0
9
27
Saturday
0
12
39
Sunday
0
7
46

Feeling much better within myself this week and cold virtually gone now, had two rest days as this would probably do more good than harm at this stage in the Taper.
Only one more week to go now, looking back the time has seemed to have flown by. Some easy runs and a stride out on Tuesday are all that are now left to do. Feeling eager to get on with it now!!!!

3 Weeks to go........W/b 1 April 2013


Monday 01/04/13
AM: No run
PM: Easy run with Lucy, her first since Folkestone 10. Cold and windy and slowed towards then end, but no worries as this was recovery run after yesterdays 20 miler

AM: Distance:  0 miles        Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  9 miles        Time: 01:17:25     Ave Pace: 8.36 m/m


Tuesday 02/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: First night on field as clocks have now gone forward, surface was surprisingly dry considering how bad it was over the winter!! Went out round Lucy Avenue with main group for warm up and then back onto Polo Field. We used the side behind the Harvey for our session which was 8 X half miles with 3 mins jog recovery, similar to Yasso 800’s and session we did along the Leas about a month ago. I managed to knock my half miles out in 2.41/2.42/2.39/2.40/2.40/2.50!!/2.46/2.42 giving an average of 2.43, so according to Bart Yasso should give predicted marathon time of 2:43!!!!. Then lap of Polo Ground as cool down.

AM: Distance:  6 miles      Time: 00:00:0                 Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  9 miles      Time: 01:12:15               Ave Pace: 7.57 m/m


Wednesday 03/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: Went down to club at Folkestone to go out for a long run with Tim, he ran to club from home getting in an extra mile. We headed off up Cherry Garden Ave and round the by pass to Wear Bay Road, first two miles were steady 7.45/7.41. Then got pace up coming down to the harbour and once on the seafront the wind was behind us pushing us all the way to Hythe Fishermans beach, I let Tim take the pace up so he was running at his pace and we notched out the following mile splits, 7.12/7.07/7.06/7.03/7.00/6.58/7.03 – some excellent even paced running. Then we turned back into the wind at about 10 miles coming down St Leonards road to the turn around point at the Light Railway Station. It was now a case of trying to hold onto the pace as long as possible running into the head wind and the next three miles were 7.15/7.20/7.27which got us back to the Murco Garage at Seabrook. Then we got the full force of the wind off the sea and pace dropped and then with Sandgate Hill paced never picked back up and finished with easy last mile, so last three mile splits slowed to7.51/8.30/7.58. However due to early pace this still gave us an average pace of 7.25 m/m

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  16 miles     Time: 01:51:23     Ave Pace: 7.25 m/m


Thursday 04/04/13
AM: No Run
PM: Felt really tired after yesterdays long run so didn’t do long run this afternoon
PM: 18:45 – 2 mile warm up with Junior’s around Broadmead Village.

PM: Distance:    0 miles    Time: 00:00:00      Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:   0 miles     Time: 00:00:00      Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:   2 miles     Time: 00:19:00     Pace: 9.30 m/m


Friday 05/04/13
AM: No Run.
PM: Was going to go out and just do a steady 9 miler, however after doing 2.5m was feeling quite fresh and strong after yesterdays recovery. So decided that when I got to 3 m I would then push hard and do 6 mile tempo run at threshold pace, it was quite as undulating route and next 3m were fairly up and down with a faster final 3 m. So progressively got faster (except for 3rd which had bigger uphill) 6.32/6.33/6.39/6.17/6.02/5.53, followed by a mile cool down. Really pleased with this effort!!!

AM: Distance:  0 miles       Time: 00:00:00     Ave Pace: 0.00 m/m
PM: Distance:  10 miles     Time: 01:08:28     Ave Pace: 6.51 m/m


Saturday 06/04/13
PM: After yesterdays tempo run wanted to run longish but slow to ease the legs up. The sun was out (strewth, forgotten what it had looked like!!!!), so went out on the country around Tolsford Hill, Postling and Farthing Common for first 6 miles before getting back onto the roads. Nice relaxing run didn’t look at watch at all and just ran how I felt.

AM: Distance:  10 miles       Race Time: 01:28:02      Ave Pace: 8.48 m/m    


Sunday 07/04/13 
AM: Watch Paris Marathon on telly.

PM: Wanted to get long run in at a fairly brisk pace, as have not raced since Deal Half and was going to aim at Marathon Pace + 30 seconds for 15 miles!!! Which would be 6:30 m/m.  Drove down to Folkestone so that I could get fairly flat run in which would resemble London, and parked at the club. Then basically followed same route as last Wednesday. So pushed hard from start and first two uphill miles were 6.27/6.27, then down wear Bay and along seafront all the way to Hythe, wind behind 6.07/6.09/6.10/6.09/6.08/6.04/6.12 really pleased with these splits just seemed to get into the zone and banged them out. Then as earlier in the week had to turn back into the wind and although did slow a little the pace was fairly even, 6.19/6.24/6.22/6.26.  I eased off for Sandgate Hill didn’t want to risk blasting up it and then Coolinge Lane at the top so slower for about half mile but once at the Girls School picked pace up and got pace back to 7.19, then pushed on for last mile 6.19 to end.  Excellent run, this has given me a lot of confidence to take with me into the last two weeks. Average of 6:20 m/m was better than the 6:30 I was looking for.


AM: Distance:   15 miles      Time: 1:35: 10     Ave Pace: 6.20 m/m


Weekly Summary


AM
PM
TOTAL
Monday
0
9
9
Tuesday
0
9
18
Wednesday
0
15
33
Thursday
0
2
35
Friday
0
10
45
Saturday
0
10
55
Sunday
0
15
70

At the beginning of the week had a lot of coughing following the sore throat, but it did not affect the faster paced runs, almost as if when I’m breathing hard this clears my throat and only when I slow or stop do I have a coughing fit!!!
Really please with faster sessions the 8xhalf mile, 6 mile tempo and fast paced long run, it just feels that everything is falling into shape at the right time.
Like everyone else I am hopeless through the taper period and I think I’m going to lose all my fitness, what a wally!!
So will be once a day again next week and cutting mileage down to 50 miles with a fartlek session on Tuesday and a long run of 12 miles on Saturday. Off to Brighton on Sunday to watch and support our guys at the Brighton Marathon.
At Paris we had three runners and two finished with PB’s and one by 23 minutes!! Excellent.