Mountain Toptober.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thank you one and all - in fact it was a fairly standard (i.e. long) day at work for me, with just the smallest celebration at home afterwards, but we will be making up for it this weekend with a combined celebration of my 50th and our youngest son's 21st.

There could be alcohol and cake involved.

[marathondan]

Something for you to aim for next!

[Seafront Plodder]

I'm half way there, in age and with the curry diet.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Something for you to aim for next!

I'm already more than confident I could "run" a marathon in 8h25m. I just need to add the 50 years now. And get away from negative people.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm feeling good at present so I've added one more little race to the calendar - a 10km event on November 6th around the Sydney Olympic site and ending in the main stadium, which should be a hoot. I had previously decided not to run this race, but I now think I have a chance of bettering my PB of 50:07 (set over six years ago) and of going sub-50 minutes into the bargain. Plus the chance to end a race in a main Olympic track and field stadium will be a blast.

Can't wait!

[Sweder]

PBs at 50? I'm all for that Old Bean ; )

[glaconman]

Yes, that would be an inspirational performance.

I'm guessing it will be too hot for a Cathy Freeman bodysuit

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm guessing it will be too hot for a Cathy Freeman bodysuit

Impressed that you remember both Cathy and the bodysuit G'man

Nothing so dramatic here, although my marathon-running sister-in-law insisted that I purchase some compression skins, of which she is a great fan. I am seriously considering them for the P2P (for which she touchingly insists they are "essential").

What do people here think? Worth the not-inconsiderable investment?
Will they be too hot in anything other than the depths of an Aussie winter?



And do I really want to look like ... this?

[marathondan]

Nothing so dramatic here, although my marathon-running sister-in-law insisted that I purchase some compression skins, of which she is a great fan. I am seriously considering them for the P2P (for which she touchingly insists they are "essential").

What do people here think? Worth the not-inconsiderable investment?
Will they be too hot in anything other than the depths of an Aussie winter?



And do I really want to look like ... this?

I think that if you borrow Sweder's Vibrams as well, that would qualify as a fancy dress costume.

You may want to look like that, but the reality is that this geezer has the physique to carry off such an outfit (and pose); sadly none of us here does!

Personally I would put the money into the post race hydration fund instead!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Personally I would put the money into the post race hydration fund instead!

Bravo! Brilliant suggestion!

[glaconman]

Indeed. I can't quite bring myself to wear compression socks in public. Although I sometimes wear them during the day under my trousers

But the fact is that people do swear by compression. Apparently it stops sore muscles by preventing much of the micro-tears and therefore allowing quicker recovery.

I would say that calf muscles are the number one priority. So try out the socks first and see if they make a difference.

[Sweder]

This convo begs the question: leggings or shorts for P2P?
No doubt it'll be a touch frosty up top, yet the climb up will generate considerable body heat. What's the norm? I'll bring both with me anyway (I may even purchase some new leggings; my current set look like discarded teabags).

I guess I need to start paying attention to all this at some point. We're only a couple of weeks away

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well, that was a week, that was.

5 runs, 48.4 kilometres covered, including 22.6km of mountain climbing over three of the runs (continuously uphill) and a 20km undulating run this morning at better than P2P race pace and only 1 slow run of 13.6km (also uphill).

But I think the week has shown just how difficult the P2P is going to be. None of these runs were easy, and if the P2P is going to be a good one for me, pacing will be the key element. Trying to run at 6:00/km pace for 21.4km up that mountain just isn't going to be sustainable. I know I have the endurance to cover the distance, and the strength to get up the steeper parts, but putting it all together means being realistic with the pace I'm going to set.

That will require some serious thinking.

And maybe some beer.

Four weeks left!

[hydrophilic]

Hoping to get some inspiration for the PtP, I've enjoyed reading your posts MLCM! Especially the lessons around good preparation! Keep it up - and may it help motivate me and others to do the same ;-)

Ahmet in South Hobart

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hoping to get some inspiration for the PtP, I've enjoyed reading your posts MLCM! Especially the lessons around good preparation! Keep it up - and may it help motivate me and others to do the same ;-)

Ahmet in South Hobart

Hey welcome Ahmet - do say hello to us at the race (at least two of us will be wearing our RC team tops - just look for the big purple foot), and you're most welcome to join us for post-race celebrations at the New Sydney Hotel from 6 p.m.

Let us know how your training is going!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Another long run completed: 23km all done at a 4% incline. To be honest I would like to have gone further (I had 26km in mind) but was all done in at about 21km and caved in to commonsense 2km later. Still a good run.

It was also testing in a sense because I gave in to the sales talk and bought myself a pair of compression leggings. First impressions quite good - will see how I recover and report back. Of course the purists insist you buy two pair and wear the second pair in recovery (even overnight, according to one of the women at my wife's gym)... well, we'll see.

So my last three runs over the last few days have yielded nearly 57km, 37 of those completely uphill and the other 20 undulating. And yet I feel strangely uncertain about the race, now just over three weeks away.

Oh well, at least I know I'll finish the damned thing, one way or another.

Which brings to mind that Devo song...

[Sweder]

Most impressed OM. My training yesterday consisted of spending 5 hours on our choked motorways and working till 3am - not to be found in any of Mr Higdon's scriptures I'll wager.

That's a lot of uphill you've banked. That has to stand you in good stead for P2P.
Nice work : )

[marathondan]

Yes they're impressive figures MLCM. I'm not surprised you feel uncertain about the race - it's unlike any event you've run before. You're in the best shape of your life (well, your midlife at least). I think it will be a challenge unlike any other.