Running

"A flat 13 mile"

Eyebrows are you training for something? Cos if you ain't I'm seriously impressed :-).

My 10 miler is the furthest I aim to run during the winter Sundays. Now that cross-country season has started I need to work on my speed, which is pretty dire really. I'll see how I do over the next few month as long as it doesn't snow.

Marathon 9 Dec- I kinda have a love/hate thing with running! At the moment though- its being good to me.

I feel sure I could run it at the pace I did the 10 mi on today, as I've tested that to 15/16 miles, and felt as comfortable as I did today, but I'm a competitive bastard (with myself) and want a good 1st marathon time so trying to get the pace up for long runs...
I won't say what I'm aiming for until I do my 19 miler practice in a few weeks... then if that goes well I'll have a decent indication of what to expect I think.

RE the flat- Nottingham has a great running loop that is entirely flat (river/canalside) and lends itself perfectly to 8, 13, 16, and 19 mile runs, no traffic lights on it - so no stopping!
There's also some great little hills dotted around the place to test yourself on when bored!

(the training was going brilliantly over summer till I came off the bike- that knocked me and my knee for a few weeks- so I've had to shorten the training from what I had wanted -especially with exams in the middle of it!- but I'm being very cautious about what distances to do)

Sparky, well done! Training for a marathon is serious business. After all, you don't want to be underprepared, but when all's said and done it's the improvements you notice en route to the day that makes it 'enjoyable' or 'worthwhile' whichever word you prefer :0).

At least, that's how I remember them but I have no problem claiming insanity after the fact :-). The first time I managed to run 22 miles as prep, I was so chuffed! Selective memory removed the aching legs, griping stomach, annoying peds, traffic lights, cold and/or rain.

It'll be interesting to see if you lose much weight whilst training. I lost 1/2 stone for my first, a few pounds for my second and third. I didn't have much appetite whilst training for the third either so had to force myself to eat afterwards. Lost bodyfat though and was always cold, not that there's much of me anyway.

Thanks! I don't enjoy all my runs, probably less than half, but there have been moments that cheered me up A LOT: The first time I ran all of Parkrun; a few PBs since then; the first time I ran 10 miles; the half marathon... All little achievements on the way to 26.2 (which was never really my aim at first, but seems like a logical thing to shoot for now).

I'd been slowly losing weight for a few months before I started running properly anyway, and that's continued, but I've also been developing a lot of new muscles so I think the fat loss has probably been better than the numbers show. Having said that, I'm still 84kg (6' 2") and not a typical runner shape: watching me jog is not a graceful sight. I'd like to lose a couple more KG before March but don't think any more than that is likely.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for putting up with my inane questions so far. Long may that continue.

whoops... so looks like I'm running the Abingdon mara on Sunday. Somewhat unplanned as I'm racing the Hounslow Wheelers sporting 27 (TTthread) on Saturday but a mate just texted and offered me a place... what can you do?

Furthest I've run since march is half distance and I've been failing to get back into training so hopefully this will get me back into the swing of long runs.

3:12:sumethink... I'll take that :-)

I'd have to travel out a good few miles to be able to run without coming across traffic lights. Actually I've just remembered Richmond Park. Maybe in the summer I'll cycle there then run around it a few times, refuelling afterwards at a local pub with a sofa :-).

@ ewanmac

Congrats!

rwn, how did you do at the Surrey League race? Lovely and muddy wasn't it? I enjoyed it and now need to wash my shoes a few times to removed the now soaked in mud.

I ran at Lightwater, don't know which of the courses you were at?

I thought the course was good but a bastard hill in the first half of the lap, not too much mud on the flat parts. Had a fairly good run considering I've had a killer cold that stopped me running for 3 weeks (well, that and work stress & laziness). My cross country muscles have gone soft as my legs are aching in unusual places!

^^ I ran at Wimbledon Common, Roehampton Vale section. I didn't realise there was more than one on. My legs ached a little afterwards, but was fine for my 10 miler this morning, or maybe that was due to all the food I ate yesterday.

already missing the xc as not running still...

... anyone doing this tho? Looks ace.

http://www.centurionrunning.com/piece-of-string-fun-run/

Ran 5k for the first time since the Ealing half nearly a month ago. Previously injured calf seemed to come through ok but knee is giving me grief today.

#toooldforthisshit

This might be an idea for next year: http://manaslutrailrace.org/

Ran 5k for the first time since the Ealing half nearly a month ago. Previously injured calf seemed to come through ok but knee is giving me grief today.

#toooldforthisshit

No you aint, cos I'm waaaay older than you and I'm still running - just about :-).

rhb, that sounds like a complete nonsense but also fun.

The TW men ran one of the Mudrunner events last weekend - a gift from one of the TW women.

I take back my previous criticisms and doubts of these events.

They are fricking hilarious.

Thigh deep in thick black mud, chest deep in cow poop filled puddles, and up to the neck in damn near ice filled rivers.

We took my (67 year) old man, who had a blast.

The TW men ran one of the Mudrunner events last weekend - a gift from one of the TW women.

I take back my previous criticisms and doubts of these events.

They are fricking hilarious.

Thigh deep in thick black mud, chest deep in cow poop filled puddles, and up to the neck in damn near ice filled rivers.

We took my (67 year) old man, who had a blast.

Toughguy is a blast. Best not have any allergys that would be irritated by a few thousand nettle stings though. My mates legs looked like bloated chorizos.

The TW men ran one of the Mudrunner events last weekend - a gift from one of the TW women.

I take back my previous criticisms and doubts of these events.

They are fricking hilarious.

Thigh deep in thick black mud, chest deep in cow poop filled puddles, and up to the neck in damn near ice filled rivers.

We took my (67 year) old man, who had a blast.

Err, so someone of dimunitive height need not apply? Cos it sounds like 'chest deep' for the average person would be 'drowning in shit' for me :-).

There were plenty of shorter folks participating.

Besides - less height means less weight, which means you can float on the top.

Possibly.

Err, so someone of dimunitive height need not apply? Cos it sounds like 'chest deep' for the average person would be 'drowning in shit' for me :-).

The wading parts of Toughguy, were more underwater jumping for me. Twice as knackering. Sizest bastards.

LOL - sounds like it's not for me but, to be fair I was only tempted for 10 seconds.

Managed to get myself out for a second run of the weekend, 10 miles today of the back of 13 yesterday, both at a pretty conversational pace, just trying to get some time in the legs.

Sounds good ^
Only the training gets us results.
Off.right now for a hill session followed by swim/sauna.
Love Sundays.

I've still never done a hill session.

Don't really know of a suitable hill near me, but that's not the real reason.

My recovery is less pleasant; 2 pairs of skins with ice packs between them!

Have been avoiding this thread as it's been depressing as I've been unable to run due to back pain for a couple of months. Then I did a mara every day last week, in conjunction with some other stuff, and by the last day was running like a train, sprinted the last 10k and just didn't want to stop.

In a great place now and can't wait to get back to the UK for some good hard winter running. May now be addicted to Diclofenac, however.

Then I did a mara every day last week, in conjunction with some other stuff, and by the last day was running like a train, sprinted the last 10k and just didn't want to stop.

...

a mara. every day. for a week.

?

Then I did a mara every day last week,

Mara=Marathon? I've been doing to two back to bac15 milers on the weekend and frankily this is killing me. The thought of doing a marathon a day seems like death.