The FastDay Forum

Sometimes life gets in the way, but you have to enjoy yourself sometimes too! That's the beauty of fasting, it allows you to indulge sometimes. Good luck with the rest of your marathon training and the actual marathon! It's an impressive feat!

Thanks for the support @cblasz!
Today was fast day, much needed! It's soon done and I really like to think of the fast days as anchors of health. I have been so lucky/stubborn so far I haven't missed one yet. I know life can throw all sorts of troubles at you, but so far so good (as the the optimist said after jumping off a scyscraper).
I realize now I won't reach my weight goal before marathon and it's ok. The run day won't move, but I can go for the last kilos after. It all beautifully aligns to the average weight loss per week.

I can go for the last kilos after.

Yes, that's the right spirit. If you intend to live for a couple of year to come, there is absolutely no need to hurry (before and after the marathon, that is )

Weight loss gets tougher around goal weight, at least it did for me. I'm sure you'll get there! Good luck with the marathon!

Thanks @P-JK and @MaryAnn!

Yes, I'll get there, maybe even a few kilos more, at least my dream race weight is 63 after reading massively and measuring/guessing my fat percentage. But that will be after the marathon, which is now the day after tomorrow. I have had some really great training runs where the planned pace seemed easy. I am really looking forward to see if I can:
- Run a negative split (this means you run the second half of the race faster than the first half - in long runs it means you evaluated your own strength correctly and adjusted accordingly to the conditions that day)
- Get below 4 hours which would be a vast improvement from first time.
- Manage the heat - The weather forecast says the sun will hit us with a 20 degree C hammer; compared to the last weeks it will be quite a difference.

Most of all I will enjoy being lighter, thanks to 5:2

Oh, and this week I only had one fast day! I should have fasted Thursday, but because I wanted to start filling up the carb depots, I skipped it, feeling a bit guilty. But it would have been a headless deed to fast just for the sake of keeping a schedule. Anyhow, 5:2 has got a hook in me and I can relate to "OMG! OMG! I skipped a fast, I'm doomed!", I for one can get a little Obsessive Compulsory Disorderly about it, *grins*

I will post a report Sunday evening.

Good luck on Sunday, hope you will reach your goals, or at least come close enough to feel good about it, given the possibly difficult conditions. I never did a full marathon, only a couple of semi's and missed my target time by 55 seconds (although the target was perhaps a bit too ambitious at 1 hour 30 min.) With hindsight I still feel good about it, as it feels like a major accomplishment.
Sure the 5:2 part of the project will keep you hooked and after some time you will surely get a more relaxed feeling about it (growing older and gaining wisdom every day )

Best wishes for Sunday, I'm quietly confident that you, like MaryAnn, will smash your target. And well done for missing a fast - that would have been inappropriate at this time when you need to stuff your liver and muscles with glycogen.

I managed negative splits in my first London, due to the crowds at the start and not feeling particularly sparkling, and ran the second half 30 seconds faster. My second London was the exact opposite, nearly setting a half-marathon PB then just managing to hang on as the distance took its toll... All for 6 minutes faster overall. Not recommended. Especially as I had programmed my watch with the pace I wanted then chose to ignore it because I felt so good for the first ten miles...

Good Luck!

Thanks both of you
Meanwhile, ice cream in the sun and pizzas and more ice cream - I'm in carboload heaven!

good luck for Sunday Hope you have wings on your heels.

Good luck. Hope you achieve your goal!

Best of luck for Sunday!

Will have all fingers crossed for you - hope it goes well....and is enjoyable!

Good Luck for Sunday. Hope it goes the way you want.

Many thanks for your support! Tomorrow I'm back to normal after a week with eating quite differently than during a normal week with two fast days.
The marathon went well, I wrote a bit more about it in the runner's thread. I finished in 3:49 something which I'm quite happy with. A huge improvement from last year with almost one hour, thanks to training and weight loss (a real BIG help in long runs)
About the carbo loading before the run: I'm sure it's important, I just wish there were some way to do that doesn't upset your stomach. I think next time I will try to stay off bread and do fruits and ice cream only. For those not into long distance running: Carbo loading is stuffing yourself with carbs for 3-7 days to fill up your muscles with glycogen. In long runs like marathons it prevents you hit the dreaded "wall" where you collapse in various degrees and have a combination of can't and won't run any farther. When you do 5:2 and watch your calories on a daily basis, it's quite the opposite and at least my stomach has a hard time coping.
Friday morning I will weigh in and I look forward to see how much I need to lose to get to goal weight. While running a marathon is a great goal, it really upsets weight loss the week before and after
PS: I have really sore legs, no wonder

[janeg]

Well done @RunningOlsen that is a great achievement. Congratulations

Was your race number 7811?