VLM 2014 Thread

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Apr 2014
9:15am, 24 Apr 2014
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RevBarbaraG
Re walkers getting in the way:- yes, it can be a problem. I respected the advice in the instructions, stayed to the side of the road, and the first few times I stopped I checked behind me and waved.... but tbh, it was so spread out where I was (starting in pen 9), that after a mile it wasn't an issue.

Of course, people behaving inconsiderately is not relevant to whether RWR is an effective strategy or not. Personally, I thought the people who dropped their gel wrappers and Lucozade bottles with only two swigs taken in the road, so that by the time I got there it was all sticky, were rather inconsiderate.

Re the 3-hour people.... clearly I don't have access to all JG's information. The impression he gives is that these were people who had tried repeatedly to crack 3 hours and only succeeded with RWR. Whether they "would have been" capable of 2:50 continuous running with better training, who knows?
Apr 2014
9:33am, 24 Apr 2014
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paul the builder
RWR versus continuous running - there's a variable missing from most of the discussion so far, and it's TRAINING. Calm down, no-one get offended please.

I'm sure Galloway has a point, as long as he defines it narrowly enough - that most people may (maybe even will) go faster by including planned walk breaks. That might very well be true for person A, who has a marathon tomorrow. If person A wants to run a marathon in 1, 2 or 5 years time as quickly as they can - RWR won't make any sense for them.
Apr 2014
10:01am, 24 Apr 2014
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RevBarbaraG
Interesting perspective, Paul. The empiricist in me wants to put it to the test, but I don't know how you go about doing that.

Another thought that occurs to me is this: ultra runners, generally, walk a lot, don't they? Is that because they haven't done - or can't practically do - enough training to enable them to run 50 miles non-stop? Or is it because, over years of experience, the ultra community has concluded that, if the distance is far enough, RWR is essential.... either to make it physically possible to do at all, or to complete it in the fastest time you can.

Clearly RWR would not be a suitable strategy for a 200m race - no-one is going to run their fastest possible 200m that way. I'm wondering now if there isn't a distance beyond which RWR becomes the better strategy - and what that distance is varies from person to person. And, as Paul says, it's got to depend a lot on training.

One argument against PtB's last assertion is JG saying that the average speed-up when switching from continous running to RWR is 13 minutes... in other words, people who have run marathons previously, doing better when they RWR from the start.
Apr 2014
10:20am, 24 Apr 2014
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paul the builder
Yes, but how well-trained were they? From where does his data come...?
Apr 2014
11:03am, 24 Apr 2014
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The Terminator
Sorry Baz, missed that.

I am no expert Rev but think general rule of thumb is that RWR strategy is usually recommended for anything above 30 miles. That said there will still be some that run it all, but we are discussing the majority here are we not?

Good constructive debate though, well done Fetchies :-)
Apr 2014
11:14am, 24 Apr 2014
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RevBarbaraG
PtB:- I've started a new thread about this topic, and invite those interested to join me over there. My first post includes a response to your question.

http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=56059
Apr 2014
11:21am, 24 Apr 2014
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HermanBloom
Haven't ventured into here since the day before the race. Nice to catch up on people's stories. I had a shocker (blog up if interested) and currently have no plans to return. Can't fault the support and general organisation, 'twas a grand day out.

Well done to all those who finished.

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About This Thread

Maintained by ChrisThePuma
Thought i would open this first so i have my name in the forum for ages :-)

VLM runners group:

http://www.fetcheveryone.com/groups-view.php?id=1138

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