Sounds perfect. Even getting a mate to come along on a bike can be helpful if they’re shirking the longer miles! That way they can carry your water and stuff for you as well!
Eton is a good shout.
32k run with just 100m of climbing, love it!!! Even my local 12k loop is more than that
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That is flat! Will it be busy or are you going early on a Sunday morning or somethign?
Early Sunday - doesn’t get busy until you hit Hyde Park and then through Camden market
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Yeah it’s nice running around there on Sunday
Okay, I need to make a decision as ten days to go to Brighton Marathon. My brief running history:
-
Feb 2016 Tunbridge Wells Half Mara 2h04
-
Nov 2018 Brighton 10km race 50mins
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Apr 2019 Brighton Marathon 4h55
No specific training only IM training, bike heavy. Started too fast, died at 24km walked most of the second half.
- Dec - Mar 2020 Marathon training plan (RLRF experienced)
Treadmill half marathon (7min PB) 1h50 HR avg 159
Outside half 21.1km +182m 01:50:28
- Jan - Aug 2021 No marathon training, only triathlon (25% more than 2020)
5k PB drop 1m30s to 23:15
Olympic 10k run PB drops a long way to 49min
I think predictors from my 5k and half marathon times say if I trained for it I could do 3h45 maybe 3h40, I could do run/walk but it complicates things, so my plan is to show up and tag along the 4h pacers at 5:40ish and be happy with whatever result I get as long as it’s under 4h55!
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Yeah tagging with the pacer is a good plan as they should keep to an even pace. As you say run/walk just complicates it, better to get in the groove. If you’re aiming for 3:55 then maybe sit in front of the pacer from the start and see how you feel. Hopefully there’ll be plenty of other runners around you that you can latch onto and form a group - good for drafting and motivation!
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Well 4h would make me very happy but I’d be happy with 4h09 or 4h15 assuming my detonation isn’t catastrophic 
A 4-5h ride down to Brighton to get my race pack two days before is appropriate taper, right?
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I’d be more worried about your mara’s impact on Barcelona!
Just for ref, last Dec I ran a 3.38 on short notice.
My times back then were:
HM1:38 about 18mths previous
10km 43.30 about 9mths previous
Given how much younger you are than me, I think you’d piss in a sub 4.00 and be closer to 3.34-3.50 than you’re giving yourself credit for.
Crowd on the day will get you through 
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I think you may be right but people react differently over the longer distances. I’m both a fair bit younger and a little bit faster than you over 10k (41 ish) and HM (1.32) but your mara time is much quicker than I’ve managed (3.56). You’re clearly good at doing the longer stuff.
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Possibly but i didn’t know that until rocked up. It was the first stand alone marathon I’d done in decades and the first post spine ops. All the others had been either trail, part of LCW or part of IMs.
I did surprise myself on the day and was shooting for sub 4.00 with some confidence. I did have magic (cheating) Next%s though 
Race day does funny things to folks. I was also lucky that in the last 2.5 laps, I ran with a guy trying to qualify for Comrades (he did), so we egged each other on.
C’mon @joex , you can do this mate. 
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Not sure this is quite the right thread, but … my race calendar is as follows:
12th Sep: Brighton marathon
19th Sep: Swindon half
3rd Oct: London marathon
My PBs are 1:35 and 3:43, which were set back in 2014 & 2015. My 5K PB back then was 19:40, and I have very recently shaved 2 seconds off this (wearing NEXT%). My aim for the marathon back then (also Brighton) was 3:30, I was on track at half way, but not much further than that started to fall apart.
My main aim is to PB at London. I’m not particularly well trained, though have done a few longer runs than I did back in 2015. I think my plan is to run around 4:00 at Brighton, treating it as a very long training run (part of the reason for aiming for the PB at London is that I’m under trained currently, and figured the 3 extra weeks will help). Then go all out at the half the following weekend, and then go for it again at London two weeks later, aiming for about 3:30.
Part of me is thinking of going harder at Brighton, I’m half expecting to get caught up in the moment and find it hard to restrain myself. Maybe aim for a 3:40 at an even pace? Could I go all out at Brighton and then be fully recovered in 3 weeks?
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If you’re already a tad undercooked i would say highly unlikely.
However treating Brighton as a steady long run. testing nutrition and kit could set you up well for London as long as you are super disciplined at not going too deep!
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Not sure a marathon 3 weeks before another one is a great plan then, unless you’re willing to take it very, very easy.
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Cheers, I’m hoping I’m underestimating the years of training I’ve put in and can execute a reasonably cautious target sensibly. 
@gingerbongo I totally would not tell anyone else not to do this. But, what the hell? It’s just a hobby. I failed Brighton marathon in 2019, did Lanza a few weeks later and was fine on the run, it was only two months on I then did IMCH and I just got cramps. Maybe detected shin splints in the recovery week.
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Agree with @funkster its not good prep for a PB at London, but if you are doing Brighton feel free to join me with the 4h pacers
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Totally agree with that sentiment. You’re a thoughtful guy, so you know the impact it’ll have on X and Y. Good luck with both!! 
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Some sound advice there, and on that basis I’ll probably go out at 3:15 pace at Brighton 
@joex hopefully I’ll be sensible and see you by the 4h pacers!
Speaking of testing kit, I wore my club vest (yellow & blue - Royal Wootton Bassett Hounds) on a 13 mile run the other night and by the end I could definitely feel the nipples getting tender, so that’s something I’ll need to address. Previously I’d always worn a Tribe Sports top for any long run, it’s tight fitting and never had any issues in that area.
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I’ve got shirts that are better than others in that regard. Asics and Tribe fair well but basically, anything over two hours or with the vest, then it’s plasters every time.
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