Halstead Marathon 2024 [] I Finally Got My MARATHON FINISH Medal [] But Ended Up IN HOSPITAL
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
- After DNFs at the Yorkshire Marathon 2023 and Manchester Marathon 2024 I was determined that I was going to finish the Halstead and Essex Marathon no matter what.
Sadly my initial joy was short-lived as events took a dramatic turn once I had crossed the finish line.
What does it all mean for my marathon running future?
00:00 - Introduction
02:24 - Halstead and Essex Marathon 2024
6:58 - Dramatic Aftermath
11:49 - My Marathon Future?
![Minehead parkrun [] Full Send [] Can I Beat My PB From 8 Years Ago? [] Battle for Female Podium](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1UkgYru54TQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Minehead parkrun [] Full Send [] Can I Beat My PB From 8 Years Ago? [] Battle for Female Podium](/img/tr.png)
![Barnsley 10k 2024 [] Amazing Town Centre Race [] Where The UK Road Running Boom Began 50 Years Ago](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iSK56Q4rwv4/mqdefault.jpg)
![[ไฮไลต์] แบดมินตันหญิง ไท่ ซือ หยิง vs เมย์ รัชนก อินทนนท์ รอบแบ่งกลุ่ม | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LUCG0H5qkpQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Dam Flask Road Relays 2024 [] Full POV FAST Team Race [] Summer Storm [] Top 3 County Finish?](/img/n.gif)
Great to hear you recovered so fast. Sounds like a nice event by that club. That is reason the events cost a lot now. The protections make it safer. The expensive Maurten gels work well and don’t upset stomach like salt tabs. I do 100 miler in Summer above 35c and that works for me. You are a beast so don’t quit the marathons . It happens to all of us.
Thanks. I've been using OTE but will check out Maurten. 👍
John is so good to see you have recovered from your ordeal. I had a similar ordeal about 6 years ago (aged 55) when i felt very unwell after running, it turned out that i had been unaware that I suffered from atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a type of arrhythmia/abnormal heartbeat. I think the main issue that brings on my AF is dehydration, like you i sweat easily. I have continued to run as guidance is that running sensibly will not affect AF, but at times it's been a battle with my mind demons, especially as my medication makes running to heart rate nosensicle. But i am now grateful for that first ordeal; I came through it, i became aware of my condition and have learnt so much about my body. And because of this I have become a better runner for it, slower (might be age) but better. Please be careful and listen to your body, it generally tells you what you need to know.
It's good you have answers and a way to manage the condition which includes running. I have left ventricle hypertrophy, which is a thickening of the wall of the heart. Probably down to years of endurance exercise. BP has always been normal. I'm going to take electrolytes as seriously as I do fuelling from now on.
I highly recomend saltsticks fastchew, they help with the absorption of electrolytes.. Taste is a bit yuk but they work for me.
@@tworunningbrooms When did you become aware of the Hypertrophy? Have you had a full Heart check? You run well over 5ks which is at a very high heart rate. Well done anyway, take care.
@@davidmclucas2970 about a year ago. Common in endurance athletes so I understand.
Coming late to the comments section, everyone has probably covered the points that I would have made. We don't always use common sense when it comes to running and there is a constant mind battle as to what we should or should not do. I had a break of around 10 years from any serious training and it has probably saved my body from excess wear and tear. Being in a small group of people who are still running at 70 plus, I struggle with the lack of speed compared to when I was in my late 50's and early 60's. The sensible me, says that I should forget racing,, just go out 3 times a week for a steady 5 miler. Having won a few age cat prizes, the "daft" me wants to try and relive the old days. Knees get a battering and my inability to run any faster than 7:45 ish pace, drives me insane. Both you and Dawn have achieved some great things and your vlogs are top notch. Have a word with your sensible self and ask it what is the most important thing in your life. The answer is obvious ... Dawn. Don't push yourself too far. Look after YOU. See you out there on the TPT.
Yes difficult when the head says A and the body says B isn't it? I thought I'd be ok after 8 years away from marathon racing. But it seems not. For us running is in our DNA. Would be hard to think about not running competitively, even if it's chasing down people at a parkrun. You're going great guns. V70 prize at the Barnsley 10k perhaps?
No chance. A certain Mick Casey will smash. Might be asked to take photos. I've entered and would love to run it.
We are so pleased you recovered from this and we are so sorry to hear about your experience, looked an absolutely fab marathon and so cool about the water stations.
Thank you. Yes, it is a lovely rural marathon with superb setup! 👌
Oh John, poor poor John ….. and poor Dawn, I’m really glad ur ok now John ….. maybe take abit of a break for abit just to repair and recover properly - sometimes we forget just how much training for and running a marathon takes it out of us and we don’t realise this until it’s somewhat too late …… onwards and upwards John take care …….🫶
Thank you, fully fit and recovered now. 💪 #keeponkeepingon 😁
I'm glad you're ok, John. I've been running 13 years and have never run a marathon. Even though (touch wood) my health is ok, I would be worried that this sort of thing could happen to me. If a really good runner like you can have problems, it shows how hard marathons are. I hope you recover ASAP 👍
Yes it does make you think. Although there were 200+ runners finished this without major issues.
Glad to hear you're ok John, that sounds like a traumatic experience for you both. Take care guys 👍
Thanks Mike
Still a solid run John. I had a scare while on a run last year which after some tweaking of life stresses and caffeine seems to have resolved thankfully. The volunteers really are the stars of the show at events like this. Glad to see you back on your feet and talking about it. I'm 100% convinced you've many more speedy marathons and other distances at that ahead of you both. Top content as always 🙂
Thank you I sincerely hope so. Salty tweaks for me I think!
Glad you're ok John! Like you I've never paid too much attention to the medical staff at races. It sounds as though they provided you some excellent care! Well done for getting to the end even if it may have turned out to be unwise to do so. Congratulations to Dawn too, I can't imagine how stressful the day must have been for her. Wishing you both the best for health and future training and racing. Keep on keeping on.
Thank you Steven. I'm not beaten yet
Glad to see you have recovered I was worried when I saw you come into the room. I was the person you mentioned in your vlog that was suffering from cramp. Like you I drank my isotonic drinks at every station and kept the pace down respecting the heat and hills, but was hit by massive cramp in my calves and hamstrings at 23 miles. After I finished St John's treated me for heat exhaustion and after half an hour and lots of water they got me on my feet. They were really professional weren't they.
Very concerning. I seem to remember you being allowed to leave after a while. I think my irregular heartbeat led them to conclude I needed a trip to Colchester Hospital. Glad you're OK.
Glad your ok, John. Bet Dawn was so worried.
Yes the drive to hospital was not pleasant for her
Well done to you both, marathons in heat are no fun. Good to see you pull through on both fronts. 2 marathons in 4 weeks, well done 👍
Thanks Matt. In retrospect we should have treated more like an ultra and less like a road race.
Never a dull moment with the marathon is there? Hard won medals do mean the most. I felt like that at Abingdon. Glad you are okay and hopefully fully recovered now. I did the Dereham 10 last week and even that was brutal in the heat with a 10.30 start, it was horrendous at points and I decided to have walk breaks as I could feel myself overheating. I think the heat would have contributed massively to what happened to you. A tough day out so well done on getting that finishers medal !!
Yes we thought Dereham might have been a better option! Nice to hear from you. We'll be down for the 5k. Hope to see you there.
@@tworunningbrooms I have a lot of life stuff happening at the moment but yes, hope to see you at Dereham ☺️
So glad you are on the mend John .
I’m sure with all your running experience you will work out a plan to crack a marathon at a pace and time you want
I believe you’ve had a string of bad luck as your training seemed pretty spot on .
Hope you recover real soon and get back into the full swing of things . 👍🏻
Yes hoping the luck turns soon. Or I find a magic answer +
Thank you for your reply John much appreciated. I am positive you will find away to achieve your target.
I adopted the 3 week cycle back in the 80’s after being put in an ambulance on finishing my 4th marathon where I tried to go under 3 hours. So I can relate to your story and wish you every success on your future. I never gave my body the chance to fully recover which is why I changed.
Dawn & your posts are in my opinion one of if not the best on TH-cam and always of interest.
So very kind Trevor
Great video John, sounds like you’ve been through it. Nothing so bad for me, I’m 63 days into a run streak at the moment with an average of 5.3 miles per day and so far feel good. Great tips and great vlog 🫡👏
Good streaking. Have you got a goal in mind during it?
@@tworunningbrooms No end goal, I will just keep working at it until either injury or illness stops me, but feeling good so far. My channel is all about mindset and achieving extraordinary things, so trying to set a good example :-)
@@Runningonthemind will check it out.
What a frightening experience for you! Glad you are recovered. Something like that makes you rethink your running plan, for sure. I had a similiar experience in February. At mile 10 of a half marathon, I felt very tired and walked frequently. I finished, but then suddenly felt ill and sat down. Next thing I knew, I was being carried into the medical tent. My BP was 70/50. I was given IV therapy and recovered after about an hour. I am still puzzled why it happened, because I took fluid and gels and trained properly. You just never know!! I am 69 and have been running since age 31, and that is the first time that's ever happened! But keep on keeping on!!
Oh dear sounds like a very alarming experience. Were you advised to get further medical advice after the event?
No but I did. I have an appointment with my cardiologist coming up soon
Glad your on the mend. Even top runners from this country struggle in hot conditions because we're not used to these hot conditions when training.
Absolutely.
I feel your pain John, had similar experiences myself! Twice I’ve ran a HM, both times super hot, and I cramped up at 7/8k and 13/14k at each respective race.
Legs like two planks of wood, legs seized up. Like you, I limped / walked to the finish to avoid DNF. Easier for HM than full Marathon like you though.
Would advise top up on electrode drink in days upto it, have a banana pre run, and take salt tablets regularly along with water (run with a bottle). Have a pack of sour Haribo on you as that seems to stop cramp quite quickly. And last but not least, if it’s very hot, just rein in on your time goals.
Glad you recovered, all the best for future runs 👍
Had considered the extra electrolytes but not the sour Haribos. Good idea!
Sorry to hear about this. I hope you've recovered ok. As an older runner I appreciate how you can't take so much for granted any more. Thanks for sharing. KOKO
Thanks Mike. Yes we need to appreciate the good times even more.
It’s so humbling when people give their time to support running events and runners. It highlights what the best of us looks like. The not-for-profit motivation of people is so admirable and should not be taken for granted. I hope parkrun people are cognisant of this.
Anyway, back to your unfortunate experience. I hope you and Dawn are OK. Such experiences are very upsetting and make us realise what is important.
Approaching the event as a ‘just another Sunday’ long run was prudent. However, the combination of higher temperatures and (perhaps) an underlying virus (that cough was a bit of a giveaway) may have resulted in your body’s regrettable reaction. Looking forward, I can see no reason why you can’t achieve a sub-3. You have a sound running background. You have good cadence and speed endurance (sub-20 5K). Your heart rate data indicates cardiovascular resilience. Perhaps some leg strengthening sessions would benefit? I favour step-ups with dumbbells (a sustained effort) and longish (4 mins plus) hill reps. Not for speed but for strength. I will be working on this myself over the next few months, as I am also no spring chicken!
One hell of a video to put out John. But one we can all relate to. Take care.
Very kind words, sir. Yes leg strength is very much on the agenda. I go to the gym 2-3 times per week and do lots at home. I think where I fall down at present is converting strength to power. So I did some plyometrics today and felt an immediate filip. Thank you for your faith in my potential. Much needed at the minute.
How scary. Hope you recover from whatever caused this. Good luck on your training plan.
Thank you
The unwalkable clip always gets me 😅
Sorry to hear about this traumatic sounding experience at the race, John. Having had a couple of not so funny turns myself, after exercise, I know how scary it can feel to be about to pass out.
I'm sure you'll figure out a way past it. Whether it's salt, other fuel or something else, there will be a way forward. Just take it carefully and with your overall health in mind. All the best mate 👍🏻
Thanks Mark - could the answer be in the modest flapjack?
@@tworunningbrooms 😄 of course; flapjack is the solution to most of life's problems!
Congratulations to you both and glad to see you’ve recovered. I was behind you in the car park (recognised your Ben parkes cap!!) The heat was brutal and the wheels came off at around 18 miles with a dried up camelbak!!! No one was acclimatised for that heat on the day. You did so well and massive congrats and best wishes to you both.
Yes we saw plenty getting to the end by any means possible. But what a great event. Loved it apart from the afters. Well done on getting through.
It was lovely to see you both at Halstead on Sunday and have a quick catch up before the race. Sorry, to hear that you went through this, but glad to hear that you’re ok. I have helped out on the water station our club has on the course, but Sunday was my first time running the race. I do agree, it’s a really great set up for a marathon, especially the fact you can have your own bottles out on course. Hopefully see you again down in Essex soon.
You too Chris. Plan to do the Sudbury 5 mile inter club event and Colchester Castle parkrun the following day.
Thank you both so much for sharing this experience. John hope you are feeling better and bounce back quickly. Dawn I know it must have been stressful but if there is one thing that is very easy to tell is the Love and support that you have for each other and John is pretty lucky to have someone like you in his corner every step of the way.
John you really had me thinking more about the importance of the many roles involved in putting on an event like a marathon. Often times I'm always so focused on my own goals/race day I can get a little tunnel vision and not recognize how important of a role every volunteer or professional have in making these events a success.
I definitely will be very interested in where you go from here. You got a lot of folks cheering you on and I'm one of them!!!!
Thanks Matt that's lovely. I know how much your own loved ones mean to you. Dawn was amazing - had no recovery food or drink for several hours as the emergency was managed. Looking forward to the Vlog of your great new pb!
@@tworunningbrooms Keep on Keeping on!!!
It sounds like it was a really well organised marathon with great drink bottles set up! Sorry to hear that it took a real toll on you John, good that you got medical help pretty swiftly and it must have been incredibly worrying for Dawn to witness. Fingers crossed for no lasting effects of this episode!
Thanks Chloe. Not a great advert for you to dive into marathon training!
So glad you’re ok John. Very scary experience for you both
Thank you
Well done both, the heat that day was pretty intense, rest and recover well john, no rush to prove yourself. Would rather see more great vlogs and strava data than not.
I ended up in the medical tent after ironman NZ due to heat on the run a few years ago.
More recently, i was in prague where the race officials activated a full medical incident due the number of runners falling ill during and after the race. It was about 26 degrees on the day.
Keep on keeping on!
Thank you. I remember a Rotterdam Marathon circa 2007/8 where the officials actually stopped the race part way through due to the intense heat
Glad you're okay! I read they had to stop a marathon here in the Netherlands (where we have similar weather to the UK) last week, because too many people were ending up in hospital, and they couldn't handle the load anymore.
I remember that. Rotterdam. About 2007. We had a clubmate running it when it happened.
Glad to see you're on the mend. I think we've had such a cold winter and no real transition to summer; that must have had an impact. I like the heat, but I've found it really tough recently. Power and heart rate correlation will likely be the fatigue/underlying virus. Never a bad thing to get checked out, but I think you'll come back stronger.
😊
I'm wondering if it was in me when I ran Manchester and has come out in the past two weeks? Stronger sounds good.
@@tworunningbrooms yeah, could have been. Do you track your hrv? Sometimes that can give a clue if you're coming down with something.
Great effort/willpower to tough that one out. That heat felt sapping and with it being the first proper warm conditions of the year I think it hit people harder with the lack of acclimatisation.
I was at a 10miler the same day and it felt really hard from the outset. everyone’s paces seemed significantly slower. So can’t imagine how doing 2.6 times that must have felt..
Yes in retrospect we should have treated it more like an ultra than a road race done at training pace. Well done on the 10 miler.
You have both had a bit of an ordeal. Must have been frightening for you both. Glad you are ok now. It may well just have been a confluence of events. All the best for the future❤
Yes agreed. 4hrs 25 of running is far longer than I've ever done in the past, bar one ultra with frequent food breaks.
Thank Dawn & John. Apologies for long reply.
First of all can I say, I'm so sorry you had this experience - must've been scary for Dawn. Massive credit to organisers and medical staff for looking after you so well.
This exact same thing happened to my twin brother during our early running days after a very hot Brighton marathon.
I do think your problem was caused by the heat, coupled with a fuelling issue. I know you appeared to have enough in-race nutrition but maybe fuelling in days leading up to the race and your morning breakfast need to be looked at?
You can be incredibly proud to have battled through to finish although your health is far more important than getting to finish line. 4:25 is bloody brilliant in the circumstances.
Hope you're now feeling better.
Ps. Shouldn't ever feel bad about walking in a marathon. It's all about getting from A to B by whatever means necessary.
I run/walked final 5 miles of Leeds Marathon last Sunday. Not what I wanted but sometimes there is no choice.
Thanks Colin. It's a mindset shift needed to be shooting for around 3 hours to being on your feet for 4hrs plus. As we say, the body does not recognise distance. It recognises time spent exercising and the intensity at which that exercise is done. So yes, some walking is in order, as in an ultra. I need to take off my road runner / racer head sometimes. Well done on completing Leeds Marathon. I bet that was very tough in the conditions.
@@tworunningbrooms Leeds Marathon is a brilliant event but same as last year, it was run in extremely hot conditions.
Instead of running to conditions, I took a gamble and pushed hard passing half way in 1:26. Wheels came off in final 5 miles, ironically on the fastest, downhill section. That’s the way it goes. 🙂
have you got a follow up with your GP? no more arrythmias since? Scary stuff but I know you and Dawn are sensible folk and will do the right thing! We are all proud of you both! BTW St John Ambulance are incredible, I ran for them at London this year, and just signed up to be a clinical volunteer as soon as I can get on board!
Yes got an appointment in two weeks. I've never really noticed SJA before at races (except once when I needed some vaseline)! That's a wonderful thing to volunteer for. My medical knowledge is next to zero, sadly. Funnily enough my father was in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the war but I've picked up little or nothing!
Sorry to hear this John. No need to put pressure on yourself or do you have something to prove? As you would have seen in my previous videos here, I’m done with marathon racing apart from one more sub 3 attempt. For me, longevity is much more important than random numbers and medals
Thanks Donato. I can't give up on the hope of my own final Sub 3 shot.
Need to get past Sub 4 first!
@@tworunningbrooms very true 😱
a few thoughts from the sidelines - It was quite apparent that the majority of runners were starting to suffer in the heat. Those running a similar pace to you both were looking comfortable at mile 12 but, by mile 16 most looked wrecked and many had resorted to run/walk strategies, I think the hill at mile 14 and rising temperatures played a significant part in that. My wife, Lizzie was as happy as happy could be at 12 but wanted to quit at 16 and the thought of another 10 miles in the heat was obviously playing on her mind. We made sure that she had plenty of liquids before and during the run, normally she will carry 250ml of tailwind but forget about it and rarely drink much in the first half of a marathon and I would give her a new soft flask at about 18 miles for this run we made sure she drank and had drained the first by mile 12 another by 16, 19 and 22 I then ran the last 4 miles during which she finished off another 250ml of water - luckily my run got lighter as she progressed :) So, hydration was definitely a key factor in keeping her going not just physically but also mentally as she had the focus points to aim for where I would restock. Not surprised therefore to hear that you had cramps and felt it hard to put in a constant level of effort - the heat would also contribute to that. Pleased that you had great care from the first aid responders and hospital and I empathise with your feelings about age/underlying conditions having a negative effect on your running, after surgery/radio/chemo therapy I am not the same as I was a few years ago and it is very hard to come to terms with that, I still struggle to understand why I cannot run like I used to which started to take away the enjoyment so i try ( as much as possible ) to ignore pace/time and run to feel. Those slower than before runs with some company and little pressure help to keep me happy and motivated - unfortunately I have an occasional blip, think i can go hard suffer badly afterwards and lose the mojo for a few weeks. Hoping you will be able to have tests to check out any underlying issues but I would advise that the main thing is to remain happy and motivated even if that means stepping back on the distance and intensity. There are plenty of running years left in us all, we just need to adapt a little and readjust targets ( my heart still says marathon my head says a nice chatty, gentle half or for a bit of a thrill trying to keep up with Lizzie at a 10k). Apologies for the long post, wish you all the luck in resolving things for the best - maybe we will end up running the same marathon next year when I hit 66 🤫
Yes we saw plenty of runners around us employing run / walk or fading badly from half way. I think with nearly 4hrs 30 of running it needs to be treated more like an ultra than a normal road race where you just keep running as fast as you can for the distance. It's good you can enjoy competition vicariously through Lizzie. It's harsh when your mind wants to do x but your body can only do y. Lucky are the few who can run as well (relatively) 30 years on from their former selves. Running for me is about control of pace, effort, course judgement. It's not good when other factors are in control of your running.
Haha mechanical blow out sounds like what I’ve been through this whole year,, hope things improve & you can get back to what you love doing, good luck with your next training block & races, sounds like it was a amazingly well organised marathon, wish more marathons could have the runners own electrolyte drinks given out, makes a huge difference ✅👣✌️👍🏼👍👊🏼🏃🏽♂️🥳
Thanks Reece. Good luck with your training.
Hi John - so glad to hear you recovered. I think it’s more common than people know. I was 42 when I had a stroke on the Monday after a 21 mile training run on a Sunday in August. After much investigation - heart was found to be Ok, but the term ‘sticky bloody’ was used. Conclusion over thick blood coupled with exhaustion (over training) work stress, sudden loss of my mother and striving for sub3hrs with a 3:14PB was too much for my body and triggered a clot. 42 is really young to stroke but most pros retire younger.
My stroke was serious but fitness enabled a good recovery and I was able to run agai after 4mths off work. I stopped going to my club and running became very recreational not wanting to put my wife through that again.
I’m 56 - inspired by Parkrun i started 2 yrs ago I still run, cycle lots, walk but have reset goals.
We’re all different but you’re an exceptionally good runner and always will be. 16 week Marathon training blocks are gruelling at the mileage you’ve shared and the elite 20/30 something TH-camrs may force you into a relentless cycle whilst still working is punishing.
Go easy on yourself for a few months would be my advice.
Thanks Paul and glad you've been able to rediscover competitive running. Although we certainly don't copy anyone, especially those whose days are free to run at leisure, perhaps we are guilty of trying to train like we did 15 years ago. We shall keep on keeping on.
@@tworunningbrooms I love your content and hope you both keep it up for a very long time.
I have had 2 episodes after long training runs, and then a few hours rest, I have collapsed at home, and had paramedics out, down to hydration or lack of it pre, during and post runs so I am very careful now, and been ok. I hope your fine now it is obviously very scary when it happens for you both.
Wow that's scary Terry. This is the first time like this has happened to me. Yes definitely keeping on top of the hydration from now on.
That was a scary experience for you both John. Perhaps you are now expecting too much from your body and it is reacting badly. You do a huge amount of training and events where you put in a great effort. I went through a similar experience many years ago where I was overtraining and overracing on a rather poor vegetarian diet. Then I started feeling faint and strangely empty (hard to describe) and couldn't run at all for months. I never had medical evidence but I suspect I was vitamin B12 deficient. When I think back to my marathon days, we only had water, no energy drinks, electrolytes or gels. I think that AF might be a factor, it sometimes happens to me these days during and after a run and it takes a while for the heart to regain its rhythm. Glad Colchester Hospital sorted you out, hope Dawn found a car parking space easily. Take care.
Thank you Peter. Yes better to give 90% than go into 101% and end up in trouble.
John, sounds like a very similar tale to mine in the Sydney Marathon last November. I got massively dehydrated from the 35c heat, and ended up in a St John’s tent at 30k. One question John: did they test your blood pressure? Mine had dropped to 60 systolic because of the dehydration. Did your BP go low?
Yes they did test it. Can't recall what they said when I was in crisis. Dawn recalls they said it was OK. Oxygen levels were low. They carried on monitoring BP in the ambulance and remember it being normal then.
Hi John (and Dawn), I see the sense in people telling you to take it easier, and maybe you should
But putting myself in your situation, I would want more. More detailed analysis, more information on my system and yes more marathons.
Do you have any idea how much fluid you lose, and therefore how much you need to replenish?
I know for certain that I sweat more recently than I did in my 40s and early 50s
Is it just a case of drinking more and maybe better fuelling?
Hoping you find a solution John, because I know how much this means to you
Watching with more than a modicum of interest
Thanks Mick. I carry more timber now, as they say, and yes sweat more. Possibly hydrate too well the days before the marathon and don't compensate with extra electrolytes?
@tworunningbrooms Maybe experiment a bit on long runs
You keep cracking on John, in. 10 years time you will wish you were the age you are now. Just adjust your training and add 1k or 1/2 mile efforts with similar recoveries within a long run and gradually extend the distance. I.m not a coach but am finding a 3 week plan helps to make the body recover before the next long run. E.g week 1 long run and higher mileage, week 2 medium long run and reduction of mileage and week 3 everything short, say a 5k race or a 3rd of your long run. This then repeats the weeks after. The benefits: Not daunting to have to keep doing long runs week after week, gives the body a chance to recover and finally it’s good to just do some shorter quicker stuff on the short week.
You can then increase mileage gradually for the long run and week without risk of injury.
I used to do this form of training back in the 90’s (before super shoes, nutrition & knowledge and it worked for me a modest club runner.
I believe you are a very determined,, honest runner and a credit to TH-cam. Keep on keeping on!
That's a brilliant post. A three-Week cycle like you suggest gives the volume without piling up fatigue on fatigue each week. Yes I am very determined and will get on top of this somehow. I believe I have one last shot at getting in Sub 3 shape and won't let it pass.
Hi John. Like me, you have difficulty maintaining running economy beyond an hour, even in cool conditions. Hot conditions like Halstead add an extra challenge, but I suspect that isn't really your first concern.
In cool conditions, I used to run at marathon pace for 22-23 miles without any drift at all. Not any more. Muscles stiffen up after an hour or so and running becomes less efficient. The heart-rate drifts. In 24 hour events, even walking can demand zone 2/3 heart rates.
Weight training for masters runners to avoid or slow down age-related muscle loss (atrophy) is talked about a lot. And it no doubt helps a bit. Sadly muscles in the ageing body suffer from increasing fibrosis - alignment of collagen fibrils that reduce muscle compliance. This probably contributes to faster damage during exercise for older runners, regardless of their muscle mass and regardless of their level of cardiovascular fitness. Perhaps one day stem cell gene therapy will be able to reverse or slow down this effect.
Until then, learn to live with your ageing body. Wear cushioned shoes. In marathons, take regular walking breaks starting as early as possible to maintain muscle function and keep efficiency high for longer. Water stations are a good place to do this. Read about The Galloway Run Walk Run method. Throw away any old beliefs about 'marathon heart rate' or how shorter distance performances should scale up to the marathon - they may not apply anymore.
Or take up cycling.
So really at our stage in running we should aim for events up to one hour, if we expect something like a good performance? Otherwise deal with the compromises you state. HR drift / bombing of pace. Walk breaks (BTW I ran in Adizero Pro 3s, the Adidas go-to super shoe for the marathon).Why is it, given what you say, that many V50 runners can still go Sub 3? Is it down to fewer lifetime miles?
I think it's complex.
You might expect high cumulative lifetime mileage to cause increased muscle fibrosis. Indeed, a lot of the best masters runners have relatively few miles on the clock. But there are exceptions too.
Malcolm Gladwell ('Outliers'), Matthew Syed ('Bounce') and Geoff Colvin ('Talent is Overrated') all say that mindset and practice are far more important than innate gift for a wide range of intellectual and physical pursuits. But even these authors concede that genetics can be important for 'simple' sports like running, lifting or jumping. And that's even before you consider the impact of genetics on the ageing process.
When young, application, environment and opportunity can trump innate gift. But I suspect genetics become increasingly important as we age.
Stay young. Don't allow your running history to exceed 10 years. Choose the right parents.