Well done. The headache thing could be lack of hydration or just stress on the body. You'll adapt and stop getting them the more long runs you do.
Well done. The headache thing could be lack of hydration or just stress on the body. You'll adapt and stop getting them the more long runs you do.
Anyhoo I didn't say that my marathon was a bit of a disappointment. Hot day and some stomach problems - I ended up walking near the end and finished in 3 hours 37 minutes. In hindsight training didn't go so well this time.
I've been a bit lazy since but starting to get back into it. I'm going to focus on improving my half and 10K times for a while.
Last edited by Henry; 07-08-2018 at 08:02 AM.
3 hours and 37 minutes is still fucking fast man, specially considering you walked some of it (I assume not very long).
What was your target even?
Not that I'd be capable of doing it - but I'd be happy if I ran a marathon in under 5h to be honest.
I was trying to beat my previous best of 3 hours 23 minutes. I ran at pace for that for the first half. Walked probably 2km of the second half.
Last edited by Henry; 07-08-2018 at 04:49 PM.
3 hours 37 minutes is still a fantastic effort Henry. Although I realise that probably means very little if you're chasing that kind of PB!
I would really love to crack 4 hours in York, but I've no idea whether it's really feasible or not. Apparently the required pace for that is 9:09/mile. I ran my best Half in training a few weeks ago at 8:40/mile. Which, in theory, allows for a little bit of leeway. I suppose it all hinges on how the final third or so goes. Let's say I even manage to keep that pace up for 18-20 miles, I might be completely spent and slogging it out at 11/12 minutes a mile on on the home stretch.
Obviously just finishing is the priority. I suppose the beauty of the first time marathon is that it will be a PB regardless.
17 miles tonight, getting there! Again, it didn't feel too bad. I'm feeling a lot better post-run as well. I popped a couple of those energy gel things along the way. It's largely unappetising, mildly orange flavoured goo, but it seems to have done the trick.
I'm finding if I lock it at a pace of around 9:20/9:30 a mile, whilst it's hardly going to set the world alight, that I can run around pretty comfortably over longer distances and it generally feels alright.
I keep getting back into running and then slacking it off, which means I'm in a bit of an annoying cycle. Hopefully this time I can keep it going, although I'm in France for a week from Monday. I've ran 30 miles or more every month since April, which is some progress, but I haven't been for a run longer than 6 miles since the middle of May and only twice this year. Maybe I'll set myself a target of hitting a 9 mile run in September.
I shot for 20 miles today, with a view to that being the longest long run of the marathon training, and fucking missed it.
I don't know what the issue was really, everything was fine until about 14 miles in and at that point it's like a switch flicked off somewhere inside me and I knew it wasn't happening. I didn't have to stop or anything but I was just running on empty all of a sudden. It was weird. Managed to rally and get another couple of miles back to my house to make it 16, but that was it. Maybe I should have just headed off in the other direction. Once you've seen the house that's it, isn't it? You're not going to go "I'll just bash another another 4 miles out even though I feel absolutely spent" when the front door is right fucking there.
17 miles felt relatively easy a couple of weeks ago too, so it was very disappointing. I was really pissed off afterwards, had a right sulk about it! I can't remember the last time, running wise, I really failed to meet some sort of a goal I wanted, so it feels like a big setback. The marathon is 4 weeks on Sunday, so there's time yet I guess. I had run 10 miles a couple of days ago, but that's nothing unusual. Maybe tone the distance down with a couple of shorter ones though and go for it again next week.
@Henry, coach me or something. Tell me it's all going to be fine.
The marathon is on Sunday.
It's a bit weird now because I've droppd the workload down so much in these final two weeks that I feel like I'm just sat here twiddling my thumbs. I'll probably go a couple of times this week but nothing major. I suppose it's about making sure the legs are fresh come race day at this point.
It should be fine, I feel like training went quite well on the whole. I cracked the 20 miles a couple of days after that meltdown in the previous post. Taking some water and a couple of energy gels with some actual sugar content seemed to make all the different.
Find someone carrying a fridge on their back (or two people pretending to be a horse) and stick to them until you get your pace back.
Best of luck.
Thanks Henry. I've just looked and it's forecast to piss it down all morning.
Should be bearable as long as the wind dies down though, I suppose.
Or if it's at your back boosting you along.
Run fast at the start.
Run fast in the middle.
Run fast at the end.
Good luck.
Thanks mate.
All done. 4 hours, 12 minutes. I would have liked to have gone a little faster to honest, but I'm happy with it. There were some pretty tough moments, mentally, over the last 6 miles! So I was happy to just see those off and finish it.
Absolutely threw it down the entire way too. Then cleared up about half an hour after I was done!
Fancy doing it again? Running a marathon in the rain sounds hideous.
I would like to do it again, yeah. Well, like probably isn't the right word! But I can certainly see myself doing one again. I don't think I'll ever be somebody who makes proper waves, time-wise, but I definitely think I could at least get it down to under four hours.
Well done.
You're way ahead of the curve if you're entertaining the thought of another one. For me I had to forget the pain first.
You'll have learned a lot from this though, I expect.
I've signed up for a couple of races this year, and bought a season ticket for something called Even Splits. I'm sure they do this elsewhere, but this one is at the Brownlee Centre in Leeds. It's Wednesday evenings, one per month, and simply a 5k. Your fastest six times go towards your overall time. As I do parkrun consistently around 20:00, that will be my aim.
Edit: since starting on Strava in May I've probably upped my running a bit. Does anyone else use it?
Circumstances intervened towards the latter end of last year and my running was curtailed. I'm back on the bandwagon now though. I'm planning couple of half marathons (including Sheffield actually) over the next few months and then I'm back doing Derry marathon in June.
Not sure what the goals are but I've got it into my head that I can increase the quality of my training rather than just logging more miles. Previous training was too unstructured and too many junk miles. So now it's three really tough sessions every week - tempo, interval and long - and then whatever else I can fit in. I'll see where it takes me.
I also want to do Dublin marathon again in October, but that sold out ridiculously fast and now I have to wait and see if I can get someone elses place (which technically isn't allowed) or hope they release more entries (which apparently they will if people drop out).
Done my first ten k of the year today. 48.08 which I'm not too unhappy about considering I've been on holiday for a few weeks. Bitterly cold this morning as well, not much fun winter running.
100 miles in the bag for January. I'm happy with that, I was a right lazy bastard post-marathon last year, so it's been nice to pick it back up. I had sort of forgotten how much better I feel in general (not just physically) when I'm running regularly.
I would echo what Scouse and Henry said about Strava too, it's a great little tool. I used to have Map My Run before, but Strava is way better.
What makes Strava better?
Does it give you an update on your pace through your earphones after every km ran?
Are there any particularly good apps for keeping track of what you've done previously at the gym? In terms of keeping track of weight / reps on certain machines / exercises, etc. Obviously I could just use a notes app but I imagine there's something designed for it that does other useful stuff I haven't even thought about.
You only have to worry about the main exercises, but even then just try and get a feel for what you can do on the day. Things don't need to be so rigid as 'last time I did 60kg, so today I'll do 62.5kg.' I'm sure you'll be able to remember these things anyway.
Strong Workout Tracker is half decent.
I've lost 11.6 lbs since March 4 (201.2 -> 189.6). I went from wearing my "fat" pants (35/36 waist) to comfortably fitting into my "20 lbs away from aesthetics" pants (34 waist) and being able to squeeze into the larger end of my "comfortable when aesthetic" pants (31/32 waist). I've been doing intermittent fasting, and not eating anything all day until after I go to the gym post-being done with work (around 8 PM~ on average), eating 500 calories, drinking 3-4 beers to fall asleep, and then eating another 500 calories (I have pre-prepared meals). Best diet I've done so far tbh and feels easy. I want to try and eventually get down to 160-165 and then maintain.
Has anyone in this thread been extarordinarily fat and then not?
Looking for pointers outside of "just eat some vegetables you disgusting pig"
Lewis went from belly to beast, I believe.
That doesn't sound particularly healthy, @Bartholomert.
I lost 55lbs~ after undergrad at one point (went from 215-160~). I went from legit fat to in-shape and comfortable taking my shirt off, although I was always relatively "strong" and had a good amount of underlying muscle. I also was "in-shape" for most of my late adolescence to about sophomore year of college.
Yeah, probably not...but if I hit my macros I think it should be okay? The alcohol consumption is a problem, but I can't fall asleep without it on a calorie deficit.
Smoke weed before bed
True fact: anyone using the word macros is an enormous geebag.
I tried Strava a while ago and couldn't get past the fact that it didn't record runs while your phone was locked. Is that still the case? Or was I being thick?
I said looking for pointers and this guy just told me he lost weight once.
Eat less (and drink less, if you drink). You're a big lad, so you could lose weight pretty rapidly whilst still eating a decent amount, so don't even worry about the specifics and 'macros' until it starts flying off and you have to adjust.
Calorie counting is the best way to go and start walking for exercise if you're big big. I went from 18 stone to 15 stone in three months once by just eating salads and hammering an exercise bike. Just accept life will be shit for a while, then within a month you'll be buzzing from seeing the results. And don't lie to yourself. If you want to lose weight, start your diet right now.
I mean, you're in Florida. Just sweat it out, bruh.
Thanks fellas. I did a calorie counting bit once and lost like 30 pounds in like a month or two but then I did the "well i'm doing pretty well i can treat myself this once" bit with some Taco Bell.. which turned into well I fucked off last night might as well just have some pizza today.
Aaaaaand that was that.
I honestly never really had interest in life in general so I kinda assumed I'd either do myself off eventually or the fast food would give me a young heart attack (it may still but..) idk maybe I'd enjoy life better if I wasn't obese, could get back to enjoying being outside and playing sport, and getting regular sex again.
It's not like I can hop off a tall bridge while my Mom is still knocking around (may she live forever mind you) cause that would be devastating obviously and what kinda shit is that.
Sooooo ya. Might reckon I start a diet and exercise routine and see how that goes.
Yeah, get on it. Positive results will improve your outlook a lot too.
Best approach for me was always eat once a day. You don't need to do portion control that way, literally eat as much as you want, just don't eat at other times. The on/off switch of it always worked for me. Also, I buy my meals ready-made with measured out calorie counts per box, so I know in my mind, all I need to do is eat three of those boxes and nothing else every day, and I would lose weight.