The FastDay Forum

@Franglaise: for my money you are not being stupid to want to race next week, and I can't believe you will do any extra damage as a result. Go for it!

But of course I am not a doctor, just a runner with dodgy hips who keeps racing regardless (and 3 seconds slower on Saturday despite perfect conditions!)...

@MaryAnn: well done for the PB, sorry you are disappointed but can understand - see above!

@MaryAnn
Lack of sleep is one of the worst things when you run, I'm sure you will get below and hour for your 10k soon, but well done on your PB! I'm surprised you managed it at all after your trip to Japan.
I asked the doctor who explained the MRI about running and he said I shouldn't run, I said I'd been running for a while with the pain and he said he didn't want to know and laughed.
@CreakyPete Even if you are not a doctor, I value your opinion very highly! If I hadn't had the MRI I would have still done the half marathon so am still going to do so. Even if I don't do the time expected by my coach (1h41m) which is highly unlikely even without a knee issue, I just want to know I can do the distance

I reckon you are in with a good chance, you have the pace to smash 1:40 but the endurance is unknown. I suspect having to go steady for the first couple of miles while the knee warms up will be to your advantage.

I managed a 1:41 half a month after a 78 min 10 miles back in 2009, much to my surprise during my late-life running renaissance, and improved again on the next couple before succumbing to whatever lies in wait for the old but keen runner who suddenly starts getting slower and slower in training.

Good Luck in the race, make the most of your opportunity while you can!

@CreakyPete, 1:41, I cant imagine it, that's amazing ! I did another half this weekend and shaved a minute off of my PB, so came in at 1:58. But really struggled the last couple of miles. Felt it this morning getting out of bed, feet and legs.. Dont know if I should consider continuing pressing the pace or mellow it to avoid a potential injury.

Wow, so much going on in here
@Franglaise, you can probably run, but do take care. I can't help but think of the many OTHER miles ahead of you, besides that one race.
@creakypeteThat was one fast half marathon you did then

@MaryAnn, Maybe you didn't beat the hour this time, but you sure tried and I'm sure you can do it. You are so close!

@brougham, BIG gratz with the PB! For what I've experienced, slow down and don't be afraid to train slow. There is a lot going on about many "slow" hours will build you a base that will make you faster. From http://www.borntorun.com

more than 60 percent of runners get injured every year. That would mean that 87 percent of all runners will get injured at least once every 5 years – that’s 99 percent of runners injured at least once every 10 years.

If you can get better at not being injured, you will be faster in a much shorter time.
I used to run on beginning injuries and now I try to do something else physically and my main goal now is to "stay in the loop".

@Brougham: The disconcerting thing about getting old is finding that the 100 metre sprint to the finish of a 5km race is performed at the pace of a 3 hour marathon, and that what was once a long slow jog is now racing pace!

My half PB from the eighties was 1:23, best marathon was 2:54 in 1989 - and these seemed pretty ordinary then, real runners were sub-75 mins and sub 2:45...

But @CreakyPete, this will only happen once, I will correct you, we are ALL real runners.
Impressive PB's

@Brougham: The disconcerting thing about getting old is finding that the 100 metre sprint to the finish of a 5km race is performed at the pace of a 3 hour marathon, and that what was once a long slow jog is now racing pace!

My half PB from the eighties was 1:23, best marathon was 2:54 in 1989 - and these seemed pretty ordinary then, real runners were sub-75 mins and sub 2:45...

@CreakyPete
Wow, your PB's are impressive Pete. Did you see the time of the winner of the Paris Marathon yesterday - 2h05mins, over 20kph an hour!
I will be ecstatic if I can get below 1h45 on Sunday.

@RunningOlsen Thanks, it has been a slow progression over the last 4 years or so, I did do over 20 halfs last year with modest improvement. But I have shaved about 45 mins from my first forays into 13.1. I do have some alternate cardio work too. As I have been pushing for better times I haven't suffered what I would consider injuries but soreness, reminders. But your right, I probably should do some reading and maybe look at some strategies instead of just going out without a plan. Yes, whatever our level of ability, we are all real runners, I like that !

@CreakyPete I guess it's all relative, the pace we set now cant be compared to what a 20-30 yr old might achieve. Those times are amazing none the less !

On a slightly different note. It has become really obvious to me that my ipod playlist has become very stale. Does anyone use any apps to generate playlists? Mine could definitely do with refreshing.

It is great to hear all the PB achievements but Mr Creaky's times are amazing.

I am definitely not a doctor and, with my aches and pains, I am probably not the best qualified to give advice but @Franglaise I would do the race and then follow the medical advice.

I've had the intention of making a kick-ass running mix for about a year now, and never get around to it. There are some apps that measure the beats in your mp3s, so that you can run to the beat of the music, but I've never tried that. I have a massive CD collection, but most of it isn't in my new iPod, and transferring the old one over to a new computer and/or iPod has proven frustratingly difficult...

@RunningOlsen Could you please post the link for the article on returning to training and forgetting how to run 'optimally'. I have often wondered about that. Whenever I have run full/half marathons and tapered my training for a few weeks beforehand it always seems so much harder to run than it should. In theory it should have left me fully recovered, fully hydrated and fully fuelled but the initial miles have always suggested differently.

Searched high and low, but couldn't find it. I haven't given up yet, but I found this, which sounds a lot more plausible:
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/managing-muscle-tension

I found loads of articles stating "we rememeber running, swimming and biking very well" in long term muscle memory. However, I assume from swimming, which is a lot about (perfect) coordination, which is why they train so many, many hours in swimming, that we don't actually remember the "perfect moves" so well, or it deterioates. But I can't prove it.

Belated congratulations to @RunningOlsen on the PB. I'm aware (as far as I know from The Killing, Borgen, etc) that Copenhagen is fairly flat, but just getting past people in that big an event is impressive

Having watched these programmes I wouldn't overtake anyone from Copenhagen. They will be waiting behind the door for you when you get home.

Copenhagen is completely flat except for one 300 m uphill passage that's probably considered a speed bump in a country with mountains or even decent hills.
About the overtaking, I think you're safe unless it's full moon...