The Fretboard Running Thread 2024

russpm

Great to hear so many doing plenty of running and races. Superb everyone.
Ive been hampered with an Achilles niggle for the last 10 months following a few races I did.
i still managed to run ok but couldn’t do any speed sessions or races.
Thankfully I’m back now and training for a 10k. Hoping better my PB of 39:44.
Good luck with the races guys and let us know how you get on.

Bidley

Good to hear you're still absolutely rinsing those quick times @russpm

Sorry to hear about your injury, can't have been easy with a niggle for that long.

BigMonka

Thanks for the support @Iamnobody and @Bidley ;
That sounds like a good model for a training plan so I'll aim for that. I think there's quite a big psychological element to this type of run as well - with each lap starting on the hour do you don't have any ability to do it quicker or ever feel like you're getting ahead! It's just keep your head down and pound out the laps, which is all in the head (assuming your legs can keep up!). 

BigMonka

How was Brighton @Bidley and @26.2 ?

Bidley

Oh mate, I had an absolute blast. The course this year was brilliant. I went out with the attitude of savouring every moment, and the support was immense. I high-fived about a thousand kids, fist-pumped about five thousand times (having your name on your shirt is the best thing ever), grinned like a madman nearly the whole way around. The people of Brighton were out in force, and the demographic was very wide.

It's not a PB course as it's quite undulating, and it was windy, but the loops and out-and-backs meant you were never struggling for very long so on balance it is decent.

The only criticism was the ending and the meet and greet organisation was beyond poor. The event info said to keep moving through the medal etc collection, grab your bag and make your way to the event village where the M&G is without dilly-dallying... Except there were 4 or 5 meet and greet entrances/exits opposite the bag drop, which I didn't realise as every time I paused for a second I was quickly told to bugger off (despite masses of people sitting on the floor who seemed invisible to the stewards). When I got the event village there was a mass of people waiting for finishers. I couldn't find my partner for nearly an hour and did another 4000 steps just wandering about - of course there was zero phone signal!

But really that was small part of a fantastic event. I was aiming for 03:50:00 and I managed 03:42:31, which I'm overjoyed with. I felt great on the day and just went with it, didn't stress about pace or strategy, just enjoyed myself as much as I could! I drank at every water/drink station and took my gels every 4 miles and didn't bonk. Although by the end my legs were in absolute bits. They still are now if I'm honest!

roundthebend

Amazing stuff, almost makes me want to run a marathon. Almost.

Bidley

@roundthebend I recommend doing it once, at a big event. It's not just about the day, the whole training experience builds it up and you get so much belief. I felt 10 feet tall yesterday!

Bidley

@26.2 check in with us mate!

Iamnobody

Ace @Bidley - still following FIRST? Congrats.

Benm39

Ah glad you had an awesome day @Bidley !

Bidley

Thanks chums

Yep @Iamnobody (are you formerly stevebrum?). I used the same plan I used last time, the beginner one, but added 2 miles to each long run. that combined with not missing as many sessions served me well. Also keeping training volume high during the summer, half marathon distance or more nearly every week helps.

Does anyone else find they have a fortée when it comes to running? I consider myself a complete amateur and nothing more than a hobbyist, lets be clear, but I know plenty of people who can absolutely skin me for speed on 5k/10k/HM, but they have real trouble with longer distances, i.e. sub-four marathon. I feel more comfortable managing a long run than I do a fast 5k or 10k for example. I'm just not brave enough to go balls out for speed!

Benm39

Never tried any road race events so no idea how I'd fare on those.  Half or Trail marathons and trail 50ks are the only organised events I've ever entered,  so no idea how I'd do with anything else.  Don't even do Parkrun. I guess I like long distances off road and up big hills with lots of mud often... keen to push being able to go further distances and ideally would like to be able to line up for 100 mile trail events and perhaps multi day stuff like Cape Wrath and Dragon's Back... but I may be too old to get to such... I definitely find going further to be more appealing than going faster. 

Iamnobody

I definitely feel I’m more suited to longer steadier stuff @Bidley (yep changed my name) I don’t enjoy a fast 5 or 10k at all - borne out by 14/15 months between my latest PBs.

I also like trail running rather than road but access from home is really limited to canal towpaths and a few rights of ways. 

@Benm39 I bet you’re not too old - a guy I know did dragons back in his early 50s and is currently doing the northern traverse. 

I’m in my mid forties and hope to do progressively longer events in the coming years.

Benm39

Cheers @Iamnobody , am 52 this year in late August and so far have completed 5 trail marathons,  2 50k trail ultras and a handful of half marathons.  Before 2020 I'd never done anything more than Couch25k, then,  as we came out of lockdown,  wife (year older and similar non-running history) suggested we train for a marathon.  The Clarendon is one of our local races so we decided to enter and train for that and we were hooked.  Following year we did The Hampshire Hoppit and Clarendon Half, then same again the following year  then last year decided to up things and did The Hoppit,  The Serpent Trail 50k, Clarendon Marathon then the Five Trails 50k Ultra, will be doing same again this year,  then looking for c. 40 mile events such as Windermere Lap, Keswick to Barrow , and then perhaps South Downs 50mile... will see!

26.2

Bidley said:

@26.2 check in with us mate!

I am here! Well done on your time - amazing performance - just brilliant! Totally agree about the event - it was amazing, definitely the best Brighton so far - the London team have really improved it and the new course is great. I had a really enjoyable run - no dramas, just a good smooth run all the way round. I did 4:31 - not fast, but I’m really happy with it, as I felt pretty good all the way. Roll on next year!

26.2

@Benm39 - you’re not too old! I’m 62 and still rolling. 

russpm

Well done fellas, some great running and decent tines there. 

Bidley

Strong running @26.2 mate, great time as well and glad to hear of no dramas! It really was a great day wasn't it! I thought they got the water/drink stations spot on as well. Can't wait until next year.

26.2

Bidley said:

Strong running @26.2 mate, great time as well and glad to hear of no dramas! It really was a great day wasn't it! I thought they got the water/drink stations spot on as well. Can't wait until next year.

Yes, a great day. There seemed to be so many water stations and they were really well-placed. Lots of energy drinks too, which I don’t normally take, but I did this time and it seemed to help. I love the course now - all the hills out of the way in the first half and no industrial estate. The only bit I wasn’t that keen on was the new extra loops in the marina, as it felt a bit constricted. But that’s not a big deal really. 

I think finally,14 marathons in, I’ve figured out a carb loading strategy that works (eat way more than I used to in the week before) and a better way to use gels (evenly spread, instead of waiting until I was knackered). Looking forward to the next one. 

BigMonka

@Bidley that's an amazing marathon time! I love the atmosphere at city marathons, all the high 5s and people sitting outside their houses with sweets or oranges to give out - people really rise to the occasion with support.

@26.2 you've done 14 marathons and you're 62     I think you might be my new hero, that is truly epic!

@Benm39 looking at your running history is it fair to say that you've been bitten by the long-distance running bug?! That's a great set of marathons and ultras you've done, and I totally get the pull of a multi-day event (although I think my preference would be a cycling one rather than running at the moment).