The Fretboard Running Thread 2024

Teetonetal

I was regularly running 5k at the end of last year... then broke a rib at Xmas... running way too painful. 5 weeks later and running again in the lunch break, but boy it's an effort.

Bidley

I'm mid-taper for Brighton now, feeling pretty good about the big one next Sunday, much less stressed than last year. I've only missed a couple of speed sessions due to other commitments, unlike last year when I missed probably two weeks' worth due to illness.

I tried going up to 22 miles in training, not sure how much that will benefit me. I was about +20sec off marathon pace so it was good time on feet. Felt tired by the end with a few aches and pains.

Benm39

Sounds great @Bidley , hope you have a great event. 

roundthebend

Nice one @Bidley ;

It's a great feeling when you have trained and you feel ready. Nutrition and prep leading up to it, then stuck to your tactics and manage the run.

26.2

I’m enjoying the taper for Brighton too @Bidley . Hope it’s dry next weekend. Also hope it’s not as cold at the start as last year! 

djspecialist

March summary: 135km / 14 runs / longest 21km

26.2

March for me: 197K, 19 runs, longest was 34K. 

Benm39

Hey folks,  some serious work you're all putting in!

My March was 198km, 17 runs,  longest 22.5km

Iamnobody

Well done everyone - March was 71 miles for me from 14 runs. Managed to PB my 5 & 10k as well. Not a bad month - not that I actively go for PBs must be well over a year since I tried. Much more a fan of the steady stuff 

roundthebend

After the Burghley 7 mile event in mid March I haven't run much. My recent efforts have felt very hard work. I'll keep plugging away, I'm trying to just run a steady pace and get more frequent, not worrying about pace for now.

My wife joined me for Park Run last week, hasn't run for a few years. After 2km she got a pain in her knee and ended up having to walk. It's still giving her grief now. Shame, because she was looking forward to getting back to 5K regularly.

26.2

@Bidley - dry and windy is the forecast! Pretty standard for Brighton, but it looks warmer than last year, which is good. 

If you see a tall grey haired bloke with Hank Marvin glasses and a yellow shirt with the word ‘Stragglers’ on the front (my running club) come and say hello! 

Benm39

All best of luck for Sunday @Bidley and @26.2 , hope you both have a great run. 

Bidley

March: 210km, 15 runs, longest 35.5km.

Cheers @Benm39 ;, the maranoia is real, I'm a bit worried about a very minor bit of sciatica pain I've been carrying for a couple of weeks, so I'm having a low load week with two rest days before Sunday.

@26.2 yep I've been keeping an eye on the forecast - I'll take dry and windy at 13degrees all day long! Last year was so cold at the start wasn't it, standing on Preston park was pretty miserable! Although I did end up getting sunburnt! I'll keep an eye out for you, I'll have a dayglo shirt with CARL emblazoned across my chest (getting your name on your shirt is brilliant for the closing stages when you need strangers to give you a push).

Bidley

Also @26.2 I see they've tweaked the course a bit and taken out that miserable industrial park experience around mile 23 or whichever it was! They've added a loop just past the marina to accomodate, which should be better?

26.2

Bidley said:

Also @26.2 I see they've tweaked the course a bit and taken out that miserable industrial park experience around mile 23 or whichever it was! They've added a loop just past the marina to accomodate, which should be better?

I didn’t know that! The industrial park bit is terrible, although last year’s course shortened that bit compared with the old course, which was truly grim at the western end. I’ll go and look at the map!

BigMonka

Good luck on Sunday @Bidley and @26.2 although you both seem like the kind of experienced distance runners that will smash it without needing luck!

BigMonka

Folks I've done something silly and need your support! I've entered the Dalby Inferno Ultra Marathon in June 

It's a 50km run but is 10x 5km circuits (alternating clockwise and anti-clockwise) starting every hour.
Here's what the website says about the race format:

• Based in Dalby Forest, this race follows a beautiful, not-exactly-flat (109m ascent) 5km trail loop through the forest.
• Once the start gun goes off, you have one hour to complete the lap.
• If you manage, you can start the next lap, which sets off exactly on the hour again.
• If you don’t manage, you sit out the next lap, but can still start again on any following ones after that, up to and including the ninth lap.
• If you manage all nine laps, you gain entry to the tenth and final lap.  The ultimate burn, in this final lap you’ll be racing, legs on fire, for a finish in a blaze of glory…

I've not done that distance before and my long runs haven't been over 10miles in quite a few months, so it was crazy to sign up for it, but what's life without a challenge!

Iamnobody

Go for it!

Depending on when it is in June that gives you 8-10 weeks to prepare.

I’d say it’s doable if you already run a bit and could train 3 days a week or maybe 4.

My mix of training would be:

Day 1 - hill repeats with a 2 mile easy warm up and 2 mile easy cool down. Or intervals but I’d value the hill repeats more for your application. 

Day 2 - easy run 4-6 miles

Day 3 tempo run ~ 6 miles

Day 4 - easy long run start at 10 miles then work your way up to 20ish by adding a couple of miles each week. Have a couple of weeks where you drop back the mileage as well. 

Good luck! 

Heartfeltdawn

193km in March. Have decided to build to a half-marathon distance in September. it won't be an organised race, just a course I know well. 

Bidley

Well done for signing up! Completely agree with @Iamnobody on that mix of training @BigMonka . If you can only run three times a week (which I commit to, along with 3 days of strength training in between) then make sure one is speed focused (intervals), one is tempo and one is long. If you want to go for pure volume then make sure you do more easy than anything else.

50km in up to 9 hours sounds achievable (without knowing the course) and you can build up to it no problem. Just make sure you think about your fuelling (I use a gel once every 4 miles, but if you're doing laps you may want to approach it differently) and taper leading up to the event.

Don't worry about time just concentrate on building up that resilience. You'll surprise yourself!