Marathons next year

[El Gordo]

Who's running a marathon next year? Let's keep track of them.

So far, I think we have:

Seafront Plodder (London, April 17)
Andy (prob Padua, April 24 + something in the autumn)

Who else?

[Riazor Blue]

Madrid for me.

[El Gordo]

Right, I've made my decision about my spring marathon.

I've even entered.

But I'll prolong the suspense for a while.

[Antonio247]

I don´t know yet if I´ll take part in a marathon. I liked the experience last year but it will depend on how I feel at Almería and Reading half marathons. I might do the new marathon near Barcelona on 20th March http://www.barcelonamarathon.com/ or Madrid again on 24th April since I haven´t got a place for London. http://www.maratonmadrid.org/

If I go to Barcelona, it would be as a sort of protest against the fact that the marathon in the city has been cancelled by the local council because they say that the participation was too low, around 3 thousand runners, to close the avenues for a few hours. Besides, it is quite flat. It is from Castelldefels to Gavá and back.

Best of luck

Antonio

PS. I´m looking forward to knowing where you will do your PB next year, Andy.

[Yorkshire Plodder]

Not sure that I'm ready to face a full marathon yet, maybe the year after next but then I might be too old and completely knackered!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Right, I've made my decision about my spring marathon.

I've even entered.

But I'll prolong the suspense for a while.

I wouldn't mind betting that, as a volunteer last year, our Andy's got an automatic entry to FLM this year.

Am I right?

Not that I care of course

[El Gordo]

Ingenious suggestion, but no.

It's a European city. The only time I've ever previously been to this country is when the pilot of the Afghan Air plane that I was a passenger on, announced over the PA system that he had decided to defect, and was therefore making an unscheduled stop at the next available airport. It was all quite exciting really. We were fed free beer and sandwiches (which tasted pretty good after 7 weeks in India) in the airport lounge while they hunted round for another Afghani who could fly an airliner. Fortunately, this took some time.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Ah! Vienna, Hamburg Good choice.

[stillwaddler]

- haven't decided which yet, am still trying to get in FLM, but if not will do a couple of halfs - but as any ale enthusiast knows two halfs never make up for a real pint!

Incidentally, what running schedules are you all following?

[El Gordo]

Hi SW.

I'm planning to depart from my normal Hal Higdon Novice schedule and am doing one I found in the Bob Glover book on competitve running. I've just started the first of 4 weeks of steady 20-mile weeks before the plan proper starts at the beginning of Jan. I'll write more about it in the blog bit soon, and post up the schedule, but basically the weeks range from 20 up to 40 miles, and includes 3 x 20 milers (though I'm not sure if I'll do three of 'em).

Good luck for FLM. Are you looking for a club place? Charity places are still available, though the fund-raising part can be a bit daunting when you're trying to deal with the training. Keep us informed.

[Seafront Plodder]

I too have followed Hal's novice schedule, but found that towards the end the longer midweek runs impaired my ability (or lack of ) to be ready for the long weekenders.

I'm interested in what Bob Glover has to say. I know Sweder here benefited enormously from the numbers of long runs he was doing leading up to the taper for this year's FLM, and if I ever shake off this cold, I'd also like to follow a schedule that advocates more 18+ mile runs.

Afterall, surely the only way to train your legs to run from miles 18 onwards, is to do exactly that in training, isn’t it? (Although I know the consensus seems to be 21 miles max leading up to a marathon).

[stillwaddler]

I haven't come across the Bob Glover one Andy, will be interested to see what is in store for you. SP I have been looking at the Hal Higdon novice plan as I have used his beginner or intermediate plans for quite a few distances, I see what you mean about the mid week miles and the weekenders, week number 4 looks particularly vicious!

Incidentally, am still in the clutches of the throat infection, so will def. not be doing the Stockport 10 on Sunday, haven't run for over a week now, wasn't out for this long with my sprained ankle earlier in the year :-(

[Sweder]

I will once again be dragging my weary bones around Docklands in April next year. I failed in the ballot (big suprise there) but as Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations Running Events Committee (that takes a bl**dy long time to type) I will be there for JDRF.

No doubt I'll be training with Plodder across the South Downs in Jan/ Feb.
Just started gentle lopes around Lewes from December 1 - packed in the smokes and getting in 4 miles every 3 days. Nice to see the temperature dropping nicely in greeting.

[Sweder]

Hey SP, just read your post about +18 milers and you are bang on.
I got 4 x 20 milers in during Feb/ March this year, and though my FLM pace was hardly quicker than 2003 my ability to recover from bad patches on the day was greatly enhanced.

I'm also a big fan of track work. Again, didn't do much (for me) by way of increased pace, but weekly sessions at Withdean Stadium (Tuesday nights, 7.30 start) proved excellent for improving recovery time. Typical session (in a right mixed bag of runners) would be

- warm up (2 lopes around track)
3 x 200 metres
3 x 300 metres
1 x 1000 metres
Repeat
End with one mile

The idea is to run the final mile on knackered legs. Apparently this is where the benefit comes in. WARNING: I met two runners who claim that track work caused prolonged injuries, although I suspect they were doing too much. The track at Withdean is quite 'springy' and you can develop shin splints or worse.

Anyone wanting to know more drop me a line.
Ash

[marcymarc24]

I have a club ballot draw on Thursday. It looks like there will be 15 names in the hat and 3 places available.
Mmmm, a 5-1 shot. Any takers?

[Sweder]

Fingers crossed, MM24. 5:1 - better odds than you'd get for Everton staying in 2nd place till the end of the season. And as they say, you gotta be init to winit! Come and join us, come and join us . . .

[sampedro]

I'm thinking of running "Sevilla's marathon". Last sunday of february...

[Riazor Blue]

Sampedro, what are you doing on here? Welcome aboard. Good chance to practice English aswell.

[El Gordo]

Welcome, Sampedro. Great city - Seville. Have you done the race before? Do you know much about it?

[sampedro]

Hi Barry, i saw you arround and i finally decided to get into this forum, a good chance to talk about running and practice my rusty english as well.
Talking about Seville marathon this will be my first time , if i finally go. I run two marahons so far, San Sebastian 2003 3:29 and Madrid 2004 3:27.
Thank you guys for your wellcome.