Went with this for a head torch https://www.myfenix.co.uk/product/fenix-hm65r-t-trail-1721

On paper has the right balance of weight/lumens/burn time and an additional battery would be 50 grams.

Anyone got any running plans for the weekend?

I scuppered mine yesterday giving a pair of Salomon S Lab twin skin style shorts a last chance short run to make sure I didn’t get on with them. Turns out the run wasn’t short enough and removed enough skin from somewhere personal and hairy that I’m not even sure Zwift will work this weekend so my plans now consist of a ritualised spite filled burning of the aforementioned shorts.

Barstad things.

@piemonster
Runderwear might be your new friend.

@piemonster, these are good and cheap from decathlon. No chafing and keep everything where they should be. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-breathable-running-boxers/_/R-p-121488

Plans this weekend are:
Short morning run on the ice his morning and then XC racing this afternoon.
Sunday will be a slow long-ish run, a half or so I reckon.

First race since March 2020 for me tomorrow!
The Brass Monkey half marathon in York. Been following a Ben Parkes plan so be interesting to see how I get on since I’m planning to use his marathon plan for Edinburgh this year.

Anyone running Feel the Burns in Selkirk tomorrow?

Myself and TrollingZooFighter will be.

Today I will be mainly manspreading, I’ve no need for any further burns thank you

Cheers @Lunge, I actually have some of those from a previous recommendation on here, possibly from you.

I don’t get on with them as well as you seem to, but they are ok. I’ve still to find any kit as good as X Bionic, I just wish the would tone down the absurd techno babble nonsense in their marketing department.

Surrey League XC yesterday went reasonably well, despite the legs still feeling the previous weekends 43 mile race in them.  Started fairly steadily and gradually moved through the field a little bit, feeling like I could have done another lap of 2 (3 for the race) without too much bother.  Probably means I didn’t wring as much out of myself as I could have done, but considerably more enjoyable than haring off at the start, blowing up and then going backwards feeling like death!  Solid 20th and 5th scorer for the club, so not unhappy.  Need to start building the mileage up now

XC racing for me as well, sneaked a top 50 and 2nd for the club (in truth, I should have caught him as he only finished 3 seconds ahead). The vomit as I crossed the finish line suggested I did a reasonable job of emptying the tank. A late decision to switch to 15mm spikes meant a shorter warm-up than usual which didn’t help, though the extra grip certainly did.

Did a very gentle, ice cold 15 miler yesterday which felt much harder than the pace and elevation suggested it should have. The bacon sarny in the cafe at the end has rarely tasted better,

Right, a slightly sensitive subject.
I get terrible runners stomach/trots when I run in evenings. Mornings are fine, lunch time is fine, but evenings are not good.
At best it’s a gurgly stomach and wind, at worst I need to find somewhere discrete to squat/find a pub to pop into, the latter of which happens far more regularly than is ideal.
The usual internet solution of don’t eat before you run (I don’t, I eat lunch around 12:30pm and generally run around 6 or 7pm no food is taken in the afternoon) and don’t use gels (I don’t) have not helped.
I also try to “empty the tanks” before leaving the house.
Anyone got any other remedies or am I destined to be the runner that knows where every toilet stop is within a 10 mile radius of my home?

@stox how did you get on at Brass Monkey? I did it as a marathon pace run before London a couple of years ago and felt great, then injured myself before the marathon so it was a bit a waste 😀 Great race though.

@teaandbiscuit Not too bad thanks, 1:27 was the target and I ended up running 1:26:52 (previous PB was 1:29:00 in March ‘20). So I Knocked over 2 mins off my PB.
Considering this time last year I was still looking for sub 90 I shouldn’t moan.
I ought to have been over the moon but I was more disappointed than anything else as I found it really hard going from mile 8 and couldn’t keep my pace under the 6:40/mi that’s I’d been aiming for. I could / should have taken another minute off really. Easier said than done.
I got under the target time because I ran the first 6 miles quick and banked the time. That wasn’t a mistake … well not completely. I intended to go out quick , just maybe not as quick and not for 6 miles but I got running with a lad from my club and went with it until he pressed on and I eased off a bit.

These are my splits .. by mile 6 I was averaging 6:22/mi so yes too fast but then all of my focus was on keeping my average below 6:40/mi ! The second half was Really hard work 🤢 and I’m gutted that those mile splits were over 6:40. Great race. Well organised. Not easy getting a place!

A race of two halves! Well done. Having done that, what pace strategy would you use next time?

@lunge – I’ve never had the problem quite that bad (though on occasion have had to get creative!) I found that running on a nearly empty stomach is bad for me and a glass of water or a snack before a run helped. Not likely to be a magic solution but easy to try!

A race of two halves! Well done. Having done that, what pace strategy would you use next time?

Run the second half faster 😂😂

Seriously it’s something I need to work on. I think if I’d stuck to 6:40/mi pace from the off I may have struggled. The 1:27 was always a big ask but I was basing it on my Cambridge 2020 performance where I also struggled mentally and physically in the second half.
I need to work on my endurance …. I am
Struggling in the second half of my half marathons when I’m aiming for these kind of times. If anybody has any pointers I’d love to know how I can improve on that.
I just need to factor that into my training, and do some strengthening (weights) exercises too.

Run the second half faster 😂😂

Good plan!

I find this really useful: https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/

If you type in your 5k pace (or whichever distance) it’ll show you the times you should be able to hit if you’re equivalently trained.

My 10k pace is actually slightly faster than my 5k pace, my half marathon is 2 mins behind and my marathon is about 15mins slower 😀 I’m lacking the aerobic endurance from mileage and clearly need to be like a few others on this thread and log an extra thousand (or two) miles per year!

@teaandbiscuit thanks….

If I put my BM half time in (it’s the only race I’ve done in over 12 months) it’s spitting out 18:56 5k which I reckon I can do. I think I’ll be having a good go at parkrun in the next week or two so I’ll see how it compares.

It’s showing 3:01 for a marathon. I’m aiming to go sub 3:05 end of May .
Although by mile 9 of BM I was never running another half ever again let alone going through with my marathon plan 😂

I’ve gone thru the FRA race calendar, first fell race for me will be the Ilkley moor race later in march

I’ll be doing the buckden pike champs in June and hopefully Langdale horseshoe in September

The new Thornton in craven race near me like good but clashes with my son’s birthday in May

A question for the experienced. I’m doing one long run and 1 or 2 shorter runs each week. For the longer run is it best to just keep increasing the length gradually and maintaining a consistent pace, or worth breaking the run into 2 parts with a short rest/cafe stop in the middle?

Ilkley is a brilliant fell race – the narrow path at the start encourages you to take a flyer but the race doesn’t really start until after the climb back up Backstone beck (after the v slippy footbridge). Start steady and you’ll pick up places later!

I’ll either be at Ilkley or maybe Black Combe. Keeping an eye on pre-entry numbers!

Ilkley is a brilliant fell race – the narrow path at the start encourages you to take a flyer but the race doesn’t really start until after the climb back up Backstone beck (after the v slippy footbridge). Start steady and you’ll pick up places later!

I’ll either be at Ilkley or maybe Black Combe. Keeping an eye on pre-entry numbers!

Good advice thanks. I can’t wait to get into fell racing. I’m tempted with the heptonstall race on 20 march, but 15 miles racing on steep terrain is a bit much right now

A question for the experienced. I’m doing one long run and 1 or 2 shorter runs each week. For the longer run is it best to just keep increasing the length gradually and maintaining a consistent pace, or worth breaking the run into 2 parts with a short rest/cafe stop in the middle?

@mjsmke, either up the distance or up the pace, I’d not be adding a stop in. Distance is what I’d aim for, ease up gently, maybe a or 2 mile per week whilst trying to keep the pace even. Accept that some weeks will feel better than others as progress isn’t linear.

Managed my fastest 5k in over 2 years yesterday on my lunch run, 22:16. Still almost 3 minutes off my PB, but I’m starting to see some improvements. Will start upping mileage soon and just keep hoping my injuries stay away.

@mrsheen

Runderwear for the win, thanks for the recommendation, got on with them very well today.

I need to work on my endurance …. I am
Struggling in the second half of my half marathons when I’m aiming for these kind of times. If anybody has any pointers I’d love to know how I can improve on that.

This is now an
Official request for advice! 😁

it’s looking like I’m going to do another half in 6 weeks. I’ve had an easy recovery week this week after Sundays half and then I’ll be picking the training back Up this weekend.

I think I need to run long runs quicker (don’t do them all at easy pace). Maybe start some long runs easy and finish them quicker.
I Plan to do a little swimming and some S&C work in the gym.
Oh and watch what I’m eating.
Seem reasonable?

@stox,
Personally I think that, unless you’re at the upper end of the field, the key to a fast half is just to run more and run faster. S&C, swimming. etc. has it’s place for top athletes but for us plodders I think your time is better spend on your feet.

So my specific advice would be to get some longer runs in, 15 or so, and going slower than your half marathon pace. I’d also add a speed session in each week, this can be dedicated track work or just some sprints.
I’d also add some intervals into your long runs, don’t need to be out and out springs, just picking the pace up for sections and making sure you finish the last mile fast.

Cheers @lunge.

I followed a Ben Parkes plan for last weekends half so I’ve been doing interval sessions, tempo runs, long runs … track work… the lot.
I just need to get stronger in that second half.
I think you’re right about the long runs. I did miss a couple so I think I need to make sure I get those in and I need to be upping the pace in them too .

My totally unprofessional coaching advice would be plenty of speed work sessions so that you run “lightly”, mixed with some tough double run days so you’re used to pushing through on tired legs.

I am not a coach.

My advance it to make sure that your training is polarised – easy is really easy, hard is really hard.  The exception to this can be the long run, which is harder by nature of the length.  Very easy to do the majority of your training in the middle ground where you get tired but don’t get a particularly significant training impulse.  I’ve been guilty of this in the past, but seen significant improvements by running much slower for my easy runs. I had a major breakthrough over 5k late last autumn where I had done almost exclusively really easy miles, and a few hard track races which constituted my only speed work.

Might also be worth considering having a gel after the first 45-60min of your half marathon, if you didn’t last time.

+1 what turboferret says. I do one or two hard runs a week, not more. All the rest, just jogging. Currently I’m sometimes doing a hard bike ride too but that’s a bit accidental and I’d prefer not.

Vets AC XC Champs today.  It was a cool afternoon, but not as cold as when I ran a course recce on Thursday morning to determine the most appropriate footwear, when it was frozen underfoot.  I decided that trail shoes would be quickest overall, with the majority of the new route being on hard stony paths, so the small sections where spikes would be advantageous would be outweighed by where they would be slower or less comfortable.

Having listened recently to an interview with the great Dave Bedford, his tip was if you have the legs, to go out very hard from the start, and press on.  I made the mistake of taking it too easy the last time this race was held, and despite being quite fresh at the end, didn’t have the finishing speed to clinch the win.

With Dave Bedford’s words in my head, and earlier experience, I did indeed take it out hard from the off, and had company until around halfway around the first of 2 laps, where the course drops down to do a lap of a small lake.  I made a gap on the descent and this grew gradually to around a minute by the finish.  I think the guy who was with me for the start of the race regretted going with my early pace as he was reeled in to finish 3rd.

Now to arrange engraving on the cup for the 3rd time in 4 outings!

Nice one – well done!

Top work @turboferret.

I’ve come to the same conclusion about shorter races – hit it hard from the start and try to hang on. All my best times have been when I haven’t had much sprint at the end as it’s been a consistent effort from gun to tape. It’s fun having a big finish in the legs but not sure it’s the fastest.

I took turbo’s advice over the last year and had a (slower) breakthrough in 5k and 10k in the autumn by making easy runs really easy. After ultra and marathon training the shorter distances just got faster. Not easier, just faster. I’m just an average runner so if it works
For me it should work for most.

Awesome effort TF, very impressive indeed.

Err, don’t suppose ant of you lot have done Snowdon marathon? It appears I have a place and could do with some advise!

Congrats @turboferret that’s some good going!
I’m trying to make my runs easy, concentrating on being out for an amount of time for example not a mileage target. Hoping it’s going to help as ultra time approaches!

Yes make sure you are running hard or easy. Avoid in between as that compromises the quality hard sessions which provide the real value. 80/20 by Matt Fitzgerald is a good book to read.

Well done TF!

Good run today – first time up a mountain this year after picking up an irritating shoulder injury just before Christmas. Only 15km, but that included over 1000m of climbing, most of it in the first 5km… There was a fair amount of ice around but fortunately we all made it back with nothing worse than the odd scratch. Next week it’ll hopefully be a longer run, as I’ve got an ultra at the beginning of April and need to up the mileage!

Congratulations TF, that’s a great effort.

Lunge, I haven’t done Snowdon but have done an equally hilly marathon (about 900+m ascent in two main climbs). Some find the descents as hard as the climbs, I suggest including a few long hills in your training runs. I was able to train on the course as it was a local event.

Great effort TF, on point as usual.