[SA Chris]

Thanks. Got my eye on Chester too, and / or York.

To be fair, they have got a lot better at organising the starts, with 3 different start places, and start waves in each, so nowhere near the crush of the mass start of the old days, plus there are timing chips now.

You need to look where your going, and sometimes overtake slower runners or walkers, but it's never terrible.

Tell her good luck from me, and look up a training program to follow, but don't get too beaten up about sticking to it religiously.

[T_B]

Well done Chris, that's a solid effort.

I dunno how I feel about the 'back of the pack' in marathons (as someone who 'races' near the back of the pack at fell races).

I appreciate that London is a charity-raising exercise for most people, but 10 min/km pace is walking.

Respect the distance. Do a 10K or a Half.

(That said, the FB post doesn't exactly reflect well on VLM). Have you soon the youtube video of Ben Parkes vlogging. 2:35 with a GoPro!

[shark]

Thanks. Got my eye on Chester too, and / or York

Impressed you are starting to think about doing another one this year already!!

Sonia says the Chester one is a good event. Reasonably flat and pretty - starts and finishes on the racecourse. Can be busy accommodation wise if it coincides the Gay Pride event

[tommytwotone]

Effort Chris - after a few halfs I began thinking about the big one but could never bring myself to commit.


I gather the York / Vale Of York one is a good one in terms of being relatively flat, not massively oversubscribed and at a sympathetic time of year weather / temperature-wise.

[andy_e]

Effort Chris - after a few halfs I began thinking about the big one but could never bring myself to commit.

I'm sure you'll manage a full pint. soon, just keep training. 

[SA Chris]

Yeah, i know what you mean about London - a lot of people (me included) do it for the experience / profile, and apparently quite a few get in on the ballot as the organisers like a big spread of finish times; i expect the majority of reasonably keen runners are putting in expected finishes in the 3:30 - 4:30 time, so those who are talking 6 upwards have a better chance of a ballot place. And then it's easy to get a charity place if you are prepared to raise the cash.

If i hadn't got in i would have been just as happy doing Stirling.

TTT, wait til the kids are a bit more self sufficient maybe, choose one get a place and go for it. I was doing a long easy run on a Saturday afternoon, just building up distance (I maxed out distances at 32 km, and that was only twice), and 2 short hard runs on a lunch hour, either intervals, tempo or hill reps, and the occasional recovery run thrown in. Having your wife training for a major event at the same time as you is best avoided (she managed 3:52 and got a Good For Age time again!).

[SA Chris]

Impressed you are starting to think about doing another one this year already!!

Is it wrong to be disappointed by the lack of DOMS? My leg has stopped hurting already, and the slight tightness in the calves has already gone. Feel like I should have pushed harder, but sore leg kept me back. After Ring of Steall it took a full week for me to walk normally.

[cheque]

Tell her good luck from me, and look up a training program to follow, but don't get too beaten up about sticking to it religiously.

Yeah, she's all about the training plans. Not worrying about sticking to them is what she needs to work on though! I'm just surprised that she's going for another this year. The previous time she ran one she got plantar fasciaitis after and couldn't race for 6 months but she's a had a similar experience to you after this one (ie not as sore as expected) and wants to capitalise on the distance-fitness that she's gained.

[SA Chris]

Tell her to look at the cushioned Hokka trainers. A mate of mine has a Morton's Neuroma, and couldn't do more that 5 k without pain 18 months ago, and put in 3:15 at Stirling Marathon, without even a grumble of pain. You will look a bit like Disco Stu though.

[AMorris]

A bit late to the party here, but I had a fairly decent week. The highlight was using the beautiful weather to get up to Porth Ysgo, lovely place

M - Rest, saving skin for the brutal Gabbro.

T - Ysgo. Gorgeous day, if very warm, so everything felt much more difficult than it usually does here. My only real aim was to get on Higginsons Scar, which was absolutely as good as I had hoped it would be and probably the best 6 I have done anywhere. Did 'The Nose' first go after trying to pull on using the wrong bit of arete, the first move felt hard in the heat but great problem. Flashed simons arete from the designated 'good sidepull' detailed in the guide, never is this 7A, felt 6B tops. I suspected there is something I missed, but others seemed to have come to the same conclusion. Did Brian Spray a few times to dial it in for PMMH, but the first stab to the black sidepull felt absolutely miles away. I could be missing something, or it was the heat, or I am just weak, but it felt desperate for the grade. Did a few other things but nothing of note. Unfortunately Jawbreaker sitter is still out of action cos of boulders covering the start holds 

W - No skin, rest.

T - Hang session followed by core. Both feeling great. Starting to add weight to the one arm bottom middle rung hangs which is encouraging. Outside edges still feel hard on one arm.

F - Training, but my fingers were feeling weak so I sacked it in in favour of rest and a few pints.

S - Wildly hungover...

S - To the wall for the first session there in a while. Fingers felt strong, and a bunch of tricky edge problems were climbed, but power wasn't there unsurprisingly.

Elbow rehab continues as normal, and still improving thank god. I am just waiting for my next opportunity to go and try various projects up north, whenever that will be...

In the meantime, there is plenty of hard choss around here to keep me interested. It gets reset every time there is a storm after all.

[spidermonkey09]

It gets reset every time there is a storm after all.

 

[Duma]

The guardian has picked up on the post you linked Chris : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/02/london-marathon-runners-harassed-to-speed-up
Sounds like vlm are looking into it.

[SA Chris]

Was on Radio 1 today too. Reducing what could have been the best achievement of their lives into a degrading experience.