2004 - What have you got planned

[Liz]

Like Parky, the only thing I have confirmed is the FLM, deferred from last year. It's just a shame that the tendonitis that caused the deferral is still with me. After 6 weeks of no running, I was allowed to try a cautious mile on Monday and 2 yesterday. There was no pain whilst running, but the ankle doesn't feel quite right. After 3 miles today, I have another therapy appointment and will find out if I can continue running or whether I need more rest. Fingers crossed.

Interestingly, after my 43 day lay-off my, quads and abs ache, which I wasn't expecting at all. I'm puffing a little more than I was 6 weeks ago (obviously not enough time spent on the nordictrack) and of course running a little slower.

I'm planning to meet a couple of friends at the Flying Pig marathon weekend in early May and to do the 10K there, but it's not organised yet.

I've also agreed to attempt to enter the Marine Corps Marathon, which is in late October to pace my buddy again. I'm contemplating which marathon to do before that since I think it would be hard to train properly (or as properly as I ever do it anyway) for a marathon that I'm intending to do slower than I can. There's the Air Force one in Dayton Ohio which looks good, the Backroads one in Boulder, Colorado and there's always Chicago again (although that only leaves me a 3 week gap) which I really do love.

I'd also like to run a half marathon - they never seemed to fall on useful dates last year.

[suzieq]

Well, since I wasn't 'lucky' enough to get into the London marathon this year, I'm gearing up for Stratford-upon-Avon in April. Actually really looking forward to doing a small marathon - gives it a whole different feel I would think.

Besides the usual training, I'm not planning anything until after that marathon. My training (Jeff Galloway program - Andy, you might like this one, you get to walk every 10 min. and it makes a huge difference in how far you can run) takes me up to 28 miles. Jeff thinks that running past the 26 miles builds up better endurance in your body to do the distance. We'll see. I did follow his training last year just to finish a marathon and felt great immediately afterwards so might be something in it.

[Nigel]

You'll really enjoy Stratford, Suzie. The long stretch home from Long Marston is well worth it for a sight of the riverside finish opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Assuming I can ever shake off this cold, which clearly I must have contracted at this website, my plans should look like this:

Bath Half 13.1 miles - 14th March
FLM 26.2 miles - 18th April
Great Manchester Run 10 km - 23rd May
Bristol Half 13.1 miles - 12th September
Great South Run 10 miles - 10th October

[El Gordo]

Hi Nigel

You're doing the FLM? Great news! You've kept a bit quiet about this...

Did you get a ballot place? If you've got a charity place, let us know and I'm sure we may be able to chuck in a few quid.

Andy

[Nigel]

I found my place through Victa, a charity working for blind and partially sighted children. Here's the link: http://www.victa.org.uk

Victa focuses on providing suitable educational provision for visually impaired kids, both at school and at home. This ranges from specialised equipment to one-to-one teaching assistance. It's hard enough for any parent to manage a child's education, and must be a real nightmare where there are special needs which are not fully understood or met.

Amazingly, the charity is more or less entirely funded by London Marathon efforts, so it's obviously a good one for runners to support. I think they may still have a few places available. Telephone 01558 650505.

Current training report: miles run 0, Lem-Sips 4.

[El Gordo]

Sounds like a great cause, Nigel. Definitely remind us nearer the time, and I'll make a contribution. And Seafront Plodder lives near Brighton, so he must be worth a few bob...

Andy

[Nigel]

Thanks very much for your support, Andy. Looking at the cascading downpour outside the window this morning (esta lloviendo a cantaros, Antonio), I can see that motivation is going to be a key issue in beginning the training programme at lunchtime.

And much as I will try today to imagine the open vistas of the Tabernas Desert, setting for Antonio's bike rides as well as all those Spaghetti Westerns, there is something about a rain-drenched Gatwick industrial estate which makes that sort of visualisation exercise fairly challenging.....

[Seafront Plodder]

Originally assumed by andy
................. And Seafront Plodder lives near Brighton, so he must be worth a few bob...Andy

I'm obviously missing the connection here...

[El Gordo]

Full of celebs and the monied classes these days.

Deny it if you dare.

[Seafront Plodder]

If I were that well off I'd be paying someone to run for me.

[El Gordo]

Here's what greets you when you go to the Brighton Half Marathon website:



I rest my case...

[Antonio247]

Hola, Nigel

I´m sure you´ll manage to end London marathon as you did stratford last year.

I hope you´ll be able to come to Almería so that we can meet and go for a run together around here. We´ve been quite lucky with the weather at Christmas. It´s been quite sunny and dry. However, some weeks before it rained a lot and it was often cloudy. But as the slogan says "Almería donde el sol pasa el invierno" ( Almería where the sun spends winter ) is quite true, in general.

Hasta la vista
Antonio

[Antonio247]

Hello, Andy

I´m sorry you can´t run a marathon on the same day as I intend to do, due to the illness you´re going through. I hope you´ll get better soon and can take part at Copenhagen marathon. I liked that city quite a lot when I went to Scandinavia some years ago. I´m sure you´ll like it. By the way, I think there´s a royal wedding on the Friday previous to the marathon, which could make difficult to book a hotel.

Well, good luck.

Antonio

[El Gordo]

Thanks Antonio, you must be the politest chap in this forum, if not the entire universe.

It's a shame about having to put back my marathon plan, but it makes sense. I've missed 2.5 weeks of my plan now, and I'm still not in a position to run. For once in my life I'm trying to do the sensible thing.

I've not been to Copenhagen before but I've heard good things about it. The royal wedding is actually scheduled for the Thursday. We are due to arrive on the Friday, so I've emailed the king, requesting that they defer the ceremony by 24 hours.

Cheers

Andy

[Nigel]

Hi Antonio
Thanks for the encouragement for the FLM. It is all welcome at this stage. Today's decidedly soggy 7 miler took me through a violent hailstorm with thunder and lightning, and several flooded roads. Whilst I managed to stay more or less dry-footed initially by running along the roadside bank, a learner driver then managed to drive right through a large puddle beside me, drenching me from head to toe.

The storm eventually broke as I squelched back homewards, revealing warm sunshine and reminding me of many wet Aprils enjoyed high in the mountains of Northern Spain, where I was doing geological fieldwork many moons ago. I've sent you a forum message telling you all about it.

[Liz]

Originally posted by Nigel
Whilst I managed to stay more or less dry-footed initially by running along the roadside bank, a learner driver then managed to drive right through a large puddle beside me, drenching me from head to toe.

As it was a learner driver, I think we can just all be grateful that they didn't actually hit you in addition to the puddle.

[Liz]

I mentioned before that I had tendonitis in my ankle - and I had to stop running per the physical therapist's advice for 6 weeks after the Richmond marathon. It's now more or less healed and I was permitted to try running a whole mile on the 29th Dec, with 2 miles the day after and up to the heady heights of 3 miles on New Year's Eve. I was advised to stay at 3 miles running for a while (not sure how long) so I did a 5 mile jaunt on the Saturday which contained about 2 miles of walking.

This week, I've run twice so far - and am planning a 5 or 6 miler on Saturday. It occurs to me that it's only 14 weeks to the marathon, which would entail a fairly rapid increase of miles - although I could cut out the 20 miler so that the increase isn't so bad and just run London slowly for fun. Is it insane to think of building up from such a small number of miles to a marathon so quickly?

My problem is that I really want to do it, so it's hard to think logically. Plus I don't believe that I can defer my entry again. I say my ankle is more or less healed - it doesn't hurt when I run nor afterwards, just a little ache sometimes, - but it doesn't feel the same as the other ankle. I'm concerned that if I go crazy I'll just get re-injured.

Any thoughts?

[parky]

Liz

I had tendonitis over the summer and went back to running 'normal' distances far too quickly and as a consequence things weren't right until November ruining my Autumn marathon attempt and what I'd planned to do in x-country, so taking it easy thus far is really wise.

Having said that if you're increasing the mileage and its not giving you any problem I'd keep going, and if it causes you a problem later on then rethink your racing plans. There are lots of good marathons around later in the year.

Not sure if this is of any help its probably what you thought of doing anyway.

[El Gordo]

Liz

I'm no doctor, so I can contribute only on the mental/emotional/cerebral side.

I would say:

1) keep running, and keep aiming for that splendid dream.

2) be very careful about the increases in mileage. I know you will be anyway.

3) as you say, you can't defer again, so you have to go for it, and we'll give you any help and encouragement we can.

4) relegate thoughts of PBs, and just think about getting round in one piece, and enjoying the occasion.

Ultimately, what's the worst that can happen? Probably that you overdo your training, and blow up before the big day. So... don't overdo the training. Take it steady and see how you go. It may be that it will go really well.

I sometimes accuse my wife of worrying about problems that don't exist. Just be careful, Liz, but don't abandon your fantastic day out at the London marathon just because of anxiety about something that might happen.

Good luck, and make sure you keep us up-to-date with your training.

Andy

(And if you want to log your training, let me know and I'll give you some special forum space below...)

[suzieq]

Liz - another suggestion is to take walk breaks every 10 min. of your run. It won't take any time off when you do a long run, but it really saves your joints, etc. Just take it easy and hopefully you'll be running in London. It would be a terrible shame to miss out when you have a spot. Good luck!