Edinburgh Marathon Training

[peenkles21]

Just started my marathon training this week and I thought id write you all a wee bit here to let you know how it’s going!

The thread is really meant to give you an idea of what the training is like, the good and bad, and hopefully encourage some people to do a marathon. So here goes......

I’m not professing to be any kind of sports journalist here; it’s just my honest opinion on how I find the training.

Just did a bit of mileage this week. Started on Monday with Tommy and Stuart and did a reasonably good 5 miles @ 7:18 / mile, the boys were a good bit quicker and my laziness over xmas/new year caught up with me and I’m getting the feeling that this marathon a caper might be a bit harder than it looks!!

Tuesday night was football training so i didn't bother with anything that night.

Wednesday and Thursday nights were late night at work and with football planned for Saturday I gave running a wide berth on Friday night.

Went to work on Saturday ready to perform heroics for the boys in the afternoon only to be told the game was called off!! Instead we had a bit of football in the Vic on Saturday afternoon.

Today I did 8.5 miles with Tommy again felt nice and fresh after my long lay off in mid week. The only thing slowing me down was the beers consumed with Stuart on Saturday night... The week wasn't the greatest start to my marathon training.... here’s hoping to a better week this week. Kenny and Jennifer, please tell me you are getting on better that I am!?!?!

[DJD]

Looking forward to reading it with interest Scott,for a start you have got a pretty good training crew about you, and your first write up was honest and thats what count's.

l'm sure Kenny will help you out on the real long one's that come about,Jennifer too.

Good on you.

[peenkles21]

2 down 14 to go!!

Had a rest on Monday followed by football on Tuesday this week so it was Wednesday before the serious training started.

Went out on Wednesday morning at 06:30 to do my 3 x 1.5 mile intervals, had to fight the temptation to switch of the alarm and get another hour of sleep! Completed the first 2 alright at about 7:20/mile 3rd was a struggle though, eventually managed it in 7:40/mile.

I had planned to go to glasgow at the weekend, so one of the things that i'm learning rapidly about this marathon schedule is fitting your training around what you are doing, with that in mind i went out on wednesday night for a (very, VERY) slow 5 miles. Doing both sessions in a day wasn't the best idea in the world and not something that i would be keen to repeat or recommend.

Thursday night went quite well and i managed to do the prescribed 5 miles at a slightly brisker pace than the night before.

Friday was a killer. I knew that this was my last chance to do a long run so after finishing work at 7 i headed out for my long run ( 11 miles), i even forgot to charge my ipod so it was quite lonely

Got through it in the end, had to really fight to keep myself motivated, eventually completed it in 1 hr 30 mins.

If there is one thing that i have also learned it is that what you do after your training runs is just as important as what you do during them. Recovering quickly is something that i've had to learn quickly, its amazing how a tub of yoghurt or a milkshake can help you on your way back to the world after a hard session!

Anyway, this week has started better, went out tonight wit tommy and Stuart and completed 5 miles @ 7:23 / mile.

Got my speed-work in the morning so its off to bed for me!!!

[elainemck]

I'm enjoying reading your training peenkles! I heard you got your running mojo back tonight and were in top speedy form as usual.

I think you made a really good valid point about fitting in the training around your life. But it does get hard! I ended up doing my longish run of 9 miles last week on the thursday night as knew I was going away for the weekend. I have to admit it was on the back of my mind while I was enjoying myself eating and drinking all weekend that I should be fitting in my training but oh well, you can't do it all!

Good luck and keep it up!

[peenkles21]

So,I didn't manage the intervals in the morning, half 6 came round all to quickly for me and after seeking advice of the Bad Guy and the Good Guy on my shoulders, (the conversation went a bit like this: Bad Guy: nah, go back to sleep you had a hard nights training last night. Good Guy: This is your marathon training, get the gear on and lets get out there! Bad Guy: But the beds nice and warm, it looks cold outside you can always do it tomorrow.... Good Guy: You can manage today, its a lovely morning Bad Guy: Leave him alone, let him get a bit of rest)......... took the bad guys advice and decided to roll over and go back to sleep!

Woke up an hour later, couldn't believe I bottled going out running!

Was in Glasgow on Tuesday night so the next sessions was on Wednesday night, did 7 miles with Jennifer at about 8 mins / mile.

Keen to make up for the lack of effort on Tuesday, I went out for my interval training on Thursday. Met Charlie Dott when I was doing my warm up, he was doing his tempo run, so I joined him for the last 1/4 mile of the warm up, I was glad to see the back of him though, he was going waaaayyy too fast for me!

My Intervals that I was down for was 4 x 1 mile intervals with a 1/4 mile recovery. Started well, down wind, 2 intervals @ 6:45, slowed down a bit heading into the wind, 6:56 / mile, finished with a decent interval of 6:50, quite happy with that.

Took Friday off ( I like my rest days as you will be able to tell by now) played football on Saturday morning, game was off again so it was training instead.

Done my long run this morning with Tommy pacing me round for the first 8.5 miles. Started off quite slow and then felt really tired between miles 2 -4, couldn't understand why till I looked at my Garmin and seen we were running at 6:50/mile! There was no danger of me keeping that up, the next few miles were at a more sedate pace and I eventually completed the 13 miles in 1 hr 36 mins. More than happy with that its my best time for that distance for some time.

Next week, is my easier week ( YES!! ) I'm down for some easy miles in the middle of the week and then a time 10K on Sunday. Really looking forward to the challenges next week. Bye

[Ship called Dignity]

Well done Peenkles. Obviously more determined than your auld uncle Erchie!

[DJD]

Nice reading Scott,just don't let thos missed runs add up and then come back to haunt you at mile 20 onwards,you will be falling over never mind rolling over if the wheels come off.As everyone will tell you,it can be really tough at that stage of the game, the old mental thing comes into play.

Sorry to be a stick in the mud.

[fiona28]

running well scott, i hope when i start a thread formy first marathon im giving out minute mile times like yours, i seriously doubt it however

well done you, keep it up

[KC]

That's the first six weeks of my Edinburgh schedule out the way Only 10 weeks to go

Training has been going well and managed the first 20 miler on Saturday.I woke at 6am and decided to go and get it out the way.I ran from Southend up to Pennygown over the forest road to Feochaig,back to Southend the leerside road ,down to the graveyard and back to the house.I didn't have the garmin with me so I was just pacing myself with how I felt and was surprised with the time considering how easy it felt.

68 miles ran last week but with a half marathon on Sunday I plan to cut back a bit his week.

I hope you are keeping the training up Scott

[DJD]

Have a good Fleet half Kenny,also to your brother Alisdair too.You will enjoy running that one,fast and flat and some big guns in there aswell to help you on your PB.

Big big crowd as you run through the town.

Like l said "have a good one".

[fiona28]

that is an amazing run kc, well done you sounds beautiful - is all that distance really only 20 miles

[peenkles21]

Yep, its safe to say iv not been getting round to this!!!

Must try harder!

Training is going pretty well; well other than my garmin resetting itself and therefore all my training record has gone. Moral of the story..... Don't trust technology and write your training down!

The mileage is starting to get alot heavier, my weekend runs were 15 miles last week, 18 on sunday and my first 20 miler is on the cards for this weekend. That is the fastest that the milage has increased during my program. Did fairly well in my 15 mile run, managed to do it in 1hr 50 odd (garmin ). The 18 miler at the weekend was a good aswell, managed to complete that in about 2 hrs 20min. As well as the weekend runs the mid week long run (MWLR???) is getting longer all the time, Its now a good run in its own right, averaging about 9 - 10 miles.

Also the interval stuff is getting harder, doing lots of hill training at the minute. Quite enjoying the challenge, though to be honest running up McLeod homes is getting a bit boring so ill be looking to change routes, any ideas??

[DJD]

Hi Scott,

l have left you a pm.

[fiona28]

some good hills just after the sheep fanks, park at the dhorlin car park and take your warm up down that stretch then go for the hills