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BA Athletics Club Marathon Special 27th March 2014

Forthcoming Events:

  • Wednesday 2nd April - Watersplash 10k - Concorde Centre from 18:00 + social from 20:00
  • Thursday 3rd April - Magic Mile - Bath Road near Newport Road Junction start 12:45

New members and non-members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at all of these events.  The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml (updated).

Running related gossip and chat: Facebook "BA Runner" (link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/636199849751546/).

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New Publicity Poster

 Please load and print the latest poster promoting club events in April, May and June and display on your local noticeboard. Poster 290Kb.


Mad March Twister 19th March 2014 Results

The Mad March Twister involves teams of two setting off in contrary directions on the traditional Round-the-Block course (3.7 miles).  When they meet they turn round and return the way they came.  The result is based on their combined finish times.  Note that some teams were sufficiently balanced that each runner had two Motorway Bridges on their run whereas others had one member who had no bridges to climb and the other having all four!

Result Runners   Time Team Time
1st Gary Rushmer 29:05  
  Steve Newell 28:25 00:57:30
 
2nd Eddie Giles 31:32  
  Roderick Hoffman 31:07 01:02:39
 
3rd Simon Turton 31:14  
  Alan Anderson 32:02 01:03:16
 
4th Steve Hillier 33:09  
  Dennis Foxley 33:30 01:06:39

And now on the subject of Mad March...


Marathon Training Updates

Piers Ks Training Update #3 – 21st March 2014:

Now less than 3 weeks left until the Big Day. In my last update I reported that I’d just got back from a skiing trip. I don’t think it did my legs, and knees in particular, much good. I’ve had a few niggles in my knees and slight sciatica in my right leg since. I have cut down on the number of days I’ve been out running per week to give myself more rest and hopefully get healed. Not quite there yet.

As part of my training plan I had entered the Reading Half Marathon at the beginning of March. I had hoped to go sub 1:30 but because of the knees etc had to settle for 1:33:10. I won’t be going back to this particular Reading event in a hurry. I spent a lot more time in various queues than actually running the race. There was a queue for a shuttle bus from the station out to the football stadium where the start and finish lines were. Then a queue to drop bags and another queue to get from the initial holding area to the start. After the race there was a massive queue to pick up bags and yet another queue to get a shuttle bus back to the station. Some friends in Ealing Eagles waited so long for a bus that in the end they walked the whole 3 miles back! I think I will be tackling the hills at the Berkhamsted Half next year.

On 9th March I ran along the Thames in a loop from Ealing to Kew Bridge and then down to Hampton Court and back to Ealing via Bushey Park, Teddington and Isleworth. About 23 miles in total. Took me nearly 4 hours so a bit off marathon pace but at least my knees did not seem to get any worse.

On Sunday 16th my long run was the Spitfire 20 which took place in Surrey at the ‘Top Gear’ test track based at on aerodrome. I had wanted to do sub-2:30 for this but as my knee was still not 100% I ended up with a time of just over 2:35 – not too far off.

Last week I decided was my last chance to rest up and try to cure my knee so only ran (gently) on Wednesday during the week (usually I would run 4 days). This seemed to do the trick and on Saturday I managed a reasonable parkrun of just over 21 minutes and a 15 mile run on Sunday with no knee problems.

Having lost so much fitness over the last month there is no tapering for me just yet. Hope to do a 20 miler next weekend  followed by 26.2 on 6th April (Paris Marathon) before starting my taper for London on the 7th!

Regards Piers Keenleyside

Hi Everyone

Saturday was my last long run before the big day, I ran 22 miles using a 6.5 mile loop along the canal and back through Southall as it’s fairly flat. On the way back through Southall I would stop in a newsagent and buy a bottle of water to keep me going, on my third loop and third visit to the same newsagent to buy yet another bottle of water the shop assistant seemed amused and puzzled by my repeat visits.  In previous years I’ve used sport drinks all through training and the marathon, topping those up with gels in the latter stages, however I have always had the problem of feeling a bit icky in the stomach part way round, trying to find the balance between getting enough energy on board and not upsetting my stomach. This year I’ve switched to using water, with a High 5 Zero electrolyte tab dropped in, and taking energy gels more frequently. I have found that I can pop a gel about every 30 minutes and wash it down with some water without feeling so gooey inside. It worked well on the 22 miles on Saturday so I’m hoping it will see me to then end come marathon day.

This brings what I always think of as ‘the mad month of March’ to an end in terms of long runs and training effort and means that I can start to look forward to some shorter weekend runs and the big day itself. Overall I’ve completed two 20 mile runs and this 22 mile as well as an 18 and quite a few shorter runs. I too have found some of the midweek interval and tempo runs a struggle off the back of a weekend long run. I’ve had a couple of good 10 mile temp runs at Marathon pace minus 30secs per mile which I think have been really beneficial.

I’ve been using a foam roller to ease out the inevitable niggles and find it really works well on my back and calves. Haven’t needed the ice baths this year either !

However this week’s not going to be great for me, I have a day visit to hospital tomorrow for some tests which need to be done under a general anesthetic, so it looks like the rest of the week might be out for me in terms of running. It’s not come at an ideal time and when I asked if I could delay it for a few weeks until after the marathon the response was that I would have to go back on the waiting list. I suppose the rest won’t be bad, I just feel like I should be adding a bit of speed in these last few weeks and don’t want to miss any runs at all. If anyone has any experience of getting over a general then please email me back. I’m just not sure how long it will be before I can get back running.

It would be great if we could meet up at the start for a chat, I think we’re mostly on Red start. Any suggestions for a place to meet and a way of finding everyone ?

Finally, what’s everyone having for breakfast on marathon day?  It’s Porridge for me,

All the best.

Steve Taylor

Hi all,

like everybody else I can say my preparation is going well and feel perfectly ready......just got my BA T-shirt (thanks Paul!), shoes nice clean and comfortable, leggings just the right colour ...still need to decide if it is going to be headband or clips for my hair, but that will be a last minute decision I guess.......all in I all I think, like any good Italian, I can look the part and being mistaken for a runner!!!!!

Oh yes, training you meant!!!.......well, .....after my returned from Abu Dhabi - ( I  run the fastest 5k ever!!!!! there, as went out with this young kiwi who set an "unkeepable" pace but I was too proud to tell him to slow down and be respectful of my age!!!!) I did managed a 19miles run from Staines into Windsor and back through Virginia Waters...though to be fair, I had to walk the last bit and worryingly I could not have done even an extra 100 yards!

Run 20 miles Saturday down in Shoreham, Hove, Brighton and back .....in 3h33'59".....and felt I still had fuel in the tank! so that has made me feel like maybe, just maybe I will be able to see our marshals on the last stretch...they might have to pick me up from the side of the road...but I might see them.

Now it's tapering time with maybe a 15 or 13 miles next week and then no more than 8 miles the following week end...will go down to Brighton on the 6th to support some friends running the Brighton M and to see what pain looks like in people face!
3 weeks to go now...feeling excited... happy running everybody, Stay safe and injury free!

"Any idiot can run, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run a marathon." -Unknown

Marzia Coltelli

Hi all,

Yes managed to get the long run in late afternoon yesterday 22.5m including 2 laps of Richmond Park averaging 8 min pace… I’m happy with that given the hills in the park  as last weekend felt a touch deflated as I struggled to hold 8 min miles on the flat.  The original plan was was 4 key sessions  a) intervals ( Tuesday )  b) Hill work ( Thursday ) c) Park run Saturday d) long run Sunday with  optional 10k lunch time easy runs if I wanted to do them. I ditched park run on the Saturday to enable me to get through the long runs on Sunday but was still getting tired. This week 1 switched the hills to Tuesday ( and interval work Thursday   9 x 1km around 3.55/k  off 90 secs recovery ) so was fresh for Sunday – made a huge difference.

I’ve managed 3 x 20 milers in the last 3 weeks ( didn’t plan to as I wanted to have them 2 weeks apart ) and think 5 in total now. I’ve got all sorts of niggles so spend ages stretching ( can’t stress this enough how important it is…sort of thing you can do while watching Eastenders or Corrie  laying on the carpet ). Also took my hill sessions much slower as the calves started playing up. Lost a lot of speed so like Richard will start my taper now with probably 13.1m next weekend and 8m the following weekend. I’ll keep my intervals going for heart rate and am now ditching my hill work to prevent injury. I also want to get in 10km dynamic intervals where I alternate at 4 min/k, 5 min/k, 4 min/k etc where the 5 min/km is the recovery pace and also my marathon pace… if you do this session ( adjusting for your own pace ) it makes the marathon pace comfortable as its your interval recovery pace…  

Anyway… hope everyone’s doing well in their training and best of luck for VLM 14. Keep stretching with niggles- spend ages  doing it… rather than a cursory 30-60 secs like we do after park run, spend the whole of Eastenders doing it now and again… u find  once its stretched a few times it eases off and u get more out the next stretch….

All the best

Ian Haylock

Hi All,

One more thing and that’s nutrition....like stretching to stop your body falling apart , this is the other important thing  and am sure others of you know loads more about it than me.... I never used to take this seriously as I used to do shorter races. I think anything up to half marathon you can pretty much go for it but once you start running 16m onwards nutrition is massive.... I started taking gels now... and definitely recommend working out which ones ( if any ) work for you. Some are heavy going and could make you chuck up so be careful... I wouldn't try them on the day if you're not used to them....worth having a look to see what works for you... it maybe sweets, choc, bananas...

Also pre run meal. Again a big thing. I used to just have a slice of toast and tea but yesterday had much more and it worked for me....

Finally  ( and without sounding like your Mum ) don't forget the toilet. Many times I've still not learnt but if there's a 10% chance you need to go, it will be a 90% chance within 5 miles  :-o

Other bits of admin: toe nails, nipples etc.. I still haven't learnt, toe nails still fall off ...

p.s. Please don't get offended it’s a note to self more than anything and am sure you are all far better at administering yourself than I am...

Cheers

Ian Haylock

Afternoon all,

I sit here this afternoon with my feet up having now completed the three 20 milers I had planned over the last three weekends. They were Finchley, Cranleigh and today the Gade Valley 20 mile hill session. All done and still in one piece. The long runs have left me quite tired during the week so my midweek running has been limited as I have tried to recover, but as the long runs are critical I have focused on these. This weekend I did manage a park run on Saturday, in a time a little faster than planned of 21.27, just got a bit carried away, so getting round today on the back of this was good news.

So now it is time to start to taper, bringing the long run back next weekend to what should be a more comfortable 15ish, then even less the following week. If the legs are up to it with the shorter long runs it may be a chance to do a little more during the week, maybe a quicker tempo run or two. We shall see.

For those new to the London Matathon you will see you need to go to Excel to register. This is good fun as you can spend time and money wandering around the quite large exhibition. There is more running stuff there than you will ever need! But if possible do NOT go on Saturday. First it is really busy, but more importantly it can be quite tiring wandering around for a few hours, so best go Wednesday or Thursday if you can and then put your feet up on Saturday.

Hope everyone is feeling ready for the big day, good luck to everyone.

Richard Ruffell

Hello runners,

Today a few lines about my running training again.

First of all I want to mention the Finchley 20 run. I'm so happy that I was able to complete my first 20 mile race this year. As the weather was on this day-sunny, blue sky, no wind - so I enjoyed the race. It was a four laps run in the Ruislip area. At first I thought it would be difficult to run all the time on the pavement but it was a perfect mix of road and pavement run. My legs and feed were in good conditions so that they could carry me through the long distance in three hours. Just my mind started a bit to complain in the last lap, especially mile 18. But I've pushed myself and kept it up in a runner friendly attitude. In London I hope and wish to fight to keep the running spirit up. Anyway, it was a brilliant run without pain.

On my plan for London is one more Half-marathon (Hillingdon), 10k runs, my weekly parkrun and midweek runs. I'm still doing the swimming long distance training session and the mental preparation for London through reading running magazines.

I've received the VLM magazine and looking forward to the Registration at Excel. I hope everybody's training goes well and everybody can keep it up for the 13 of April.

Good luck and good running,

Kerstin Luksch

And it's not all training for running the marathon.  Steve Newell and I recently visited a section of the course in Docklands to check out how a crossing point can be operated there.  The club has been asked to operate its usual five crossing points and its usual duties in the final two sectors of the course and the good news is that we have all the volunteers we need.  The Docklands crossing point is a different arrangement whereby we'll be managing the setup and operation of the point this year but with a local club providing the volunteers to man the point - and with the idea that they will take over management of it next year.

So for everyone who will be helping on the day - remember that it will be a long day so start your standing up training!

Roderick Hoffman


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