SteveTries Member

sorry, forgot one thing. As 7lenny7 said also, I have my first gel 15-20 mins before the off and every 20 mins thereafter.

Certainly conventional wisdom is to use some, or all (opinions vary) of your 18+ mile runs to be practicing your nutrition. That isn't an option for you right now, but you have a marathon history to draw from which is helpful. Could your stomach issues be from the Gu? Like most gels, Gu is not isotonic so does need you to…

It’s a generally accepted rule of thumb that for efforts of 2 hours duration or less, you don’t need to take on nutrition. This being because we carry about two hours worth of energy in the form of glycogen, stored in our muscle cells for rapid release. That said, it’s unlikely to do you any harm to take on some nutrition,…

I've only run one marathon (with second booked for April 2019) so I cannot offer you a wealth of experience, but I enjoy doing my research and the majority of what I've read is consistent - that for amateur marathon runners, 32kms is a wise upper limit. This being because that distance really takes a toll on the body and…

I've found that my half mara race pace, is pretty close to the time I'd do a 10k steady training run in. Being rested and well nourished going into a HM will boost your time significantly compared to the long run you do on a Sunday at the end of a 4 run week (for example) The guidance above to go out at a pace you are…

used Garmin 645 music's are going on eBay for $300. I've had several Garmins and currently have this model - it's superior to anything I've had before. Lightweight, highly functional, optical HR, onboard music, so no need to carry another device etc. Since they've not been out long, the used examples ought to be in great…

I am a serial yo-yo'er, going back and forth between a high of 105kgs and 90kgs for 20+ years. I really consider myself an expert on what works for me for dropping fat and one day I hope to figure out how to stick at a good place and prevent it slowly creeping back. But I've no idea if what works for me will work for…

I was really interested in your question/observation here, because for years people have complained that the MFP exercise calorie estimates are too high. I wonder if the algorithm has changed. I personally don't use MFP's calculations, instead taking an estimate from my Garmin which knows my height, weight, age and…

London Marathon April 2019. Delighted to get a place! I want to raise a good chunk for my chosen charity and run sub 4 hours. 3:59 would be perfect :) Also looking for a first triathlon in late spring. Half iron-man distance looks challenging and worthwhile

Really helpful, thank you both. @TheBigYin, I use a forerunner 645M and will look into the calibration. I think a Garmin Edge 520 plus is the next purchase for me, with perhaps a power meter to follow.

My last half had a policy of allowing 1 earpiece only. It worked really well. Is this becoming a 'thing' now?

I don't think you should expect people to be coming to your events after the first time. Your first 5k is an achievement and a milestone. Your first half marathon the same, your first marathon etc. They come to help motivate and celebrate your achievement, but once you've done it....the second time does not have the same…

Outside or treadmill - you want the correct shoe, laced up appropriately for your foot shape. If your current shoes aren't causing you any problems, they might just be a perfect fit for you. Take them with you to the running shop. A good shop will happily send you out with what you are currently wearing and won't try to…

There are a number of different ways to you lace your runners, oriented at ensuring they fit to your shape of foot. For instance, I lace for rear foot snugness. I'd suggest looking at Running Shoe Lacing Guides and following the descriptions of what you are feeling and trying and alternate way of lacing.

Congrats on your success! It's not easy and sticking to it is an achievement for sure. Shoes Good shoes are essential. They transform the experience and significantly reduce the chance of injury. I'd recommend you bypass any big chain and find the specialist sports or even better, specialist running shop in your area. If…

It was such an exiting event to watch on TV. I wish I was there. I was getting ready for my own run during the coverage and was dashing around the house to grab my stuff so I could change in front of the TV and keep watching. I thought Mo Farrah was melting down over the water bottle fiasco, but he did superb. 46 minutes…

I want to elaborate on this a little as I think there's a really solid tip here. My garmin was off by 300m, which is bloody significant when you are just about hanging in there, heading uphill, and convinced that the finish line is just around corner, only to turn that corner and see it's way off in the distance, at the…

the logistics became too much for me on this one. Flight schedules force the trip to be 2 nights away, returning Monday, meaning the family can't join me because of school. It's a bit bloody pricey too - hotels have marked up the prices so excluding entrance fee (already paid), there's another £650 to pay for an experience…

I was just yesterday building my training plan for my second marathon (early October) and was surprised to come across notes that I made about what did and didn't work after my first (October 2014). I was thrilled to see them because my memory of the detail has faded. So advice number 1 - I would urge you to make some…

Well that sounds fantastic! How do you get back down?

Maybe if I lose 10kgs :) :)

I do indeed. At yesterday’s half mara, I ran the final 2k 30s faster per km than the rest of the course and I don’t believe I had much more to give. HR reached 172. I reckon that must have been close to max. It’s just a little adrift of the old 220-[age] approximation (176), but I do have a low resting heart rate (low-mid…

I thought I should circle back since so many people gave up their time to help me out with this. Fair to say things did not go according to plan (when do they??). I used the excellent Cool Runnings Race Pace Calculator to determine a 5:27 per km pace would see me finish at 1hr 55. 5 mins behind my PB, set 5 years ago when…

That's right! It's a good route - very scenic. No rifles yesterday :) - though when I first ran it they started at the castle, which was great. These days it's the racecourse, which is fine but not the same.

thank you both! As it transpires, I've been unwell for a week and the race is in two day, so all ambitions have been deferred to just getting around. You have to laugh sometimes at how your plans play out. :)

thank you all for the input - much appreciated

Fear of running out of steam mid way or worse, finishing with energy left in the tank :) Running by feel is something I just started working on in recent weeks. I have always been a slave to data, forever glancing at the watch to check my heart rate or pace. I'm trying to wean myself off that dependence. Most likely what…

That's an astute question you ask!! The idea came from looking at my garmin connect data around the time of my 2013 HM and noticing that I'd labelled some runs in the 8-10km range as "pace" and had run these about the same as the HM. Avg HR per km for those runs looks to be about 10bpm down on the first 10k of the HM,…

This can be tough to fit in, but pretty much all studies and coaches agree with this strategy. I'd say in my own experience I felt a dip in the long run performance (energy levels) for the first maybe 3 weeks after adding in 10-14k mid week runs, but by about week 4 it was like a switch had been flicked and the long run no…

That's awesome - you've learnt a tonne from that plan and clearly are going to be able to tailor it to your own needs next time. I assume you've already signed up for another!!?? :smile: I used a hydration belt and gels for my first half too. It's all well and good other people telling you it's not needed, but going and…