Running

It's only trolling if it isn't true.

My first plan was to run to Snowdon - except that it's a really short run, and it's a stupidly long way away.

You need to come and do this - just look at the photos, and you'll be so high up you won't have to hear the stupid Welshers talking in their stupid whiny Welsher voices:

http://www.vegan-welsh-3000s.co.uk/

I tried to get a 10k pb at lunch, but missed out by 10 seconds, which was frustrating. My 10k pb pace (43.34) significantly lags my 5k pb pace (20.08). How can I carry the pace over distance better? More endurance stuff? Note, this is off relatively light, unstructured training. I find time for about 40km in a good week and 20km in a bad week.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. What I'm holding on to as a consolation is that in six months I've gone from fuck all running to completing a marathon - and I went from hating running to actually quite enjoying long runs by myself with some music to listen to and thoughts to process. I might actually keep doing those. And I want to make running more fun, less serious business and more enjoying myself. Life's too short for epic suffering and beating myself up about things.

Can't rep/must spread it around, but I think that is a pretty good way to look at it.

Certainly the headspace that appears during a long run can be a very peaceful place to be. And as you say, to have found that in six short months is no mean feat

I wasn't expecting to hate the London Marathon so much. Everyone says the crowd is amazing and supportive, but I found it too loud and noisy.

My ITB seized up about 10 miles in and I suffered in the heat. After I threw up at mile 18 I felt a bit better but my whole day was fucked and I spent quite a lot of it in tears. Thankfully I was wearing sunglasses.

I finally crossed the line a couple of minutes after 5 hours, which feels like an enormous disappointment, and isn't what I trained or hoped for.

I've written about it in boring detail here.

At least I got a nice hefty medal.

What a lovely photo! ;)

Not stopping at this thread - just popped by to say congrats again to hats and hatbeard, and anyone else on here who did the vlm. Your post is far from boring too, hats.

Along with the boat race, this is definitely a sporting event I'll always be happy to remain a spectator of. Half mara's ftw!

I tried to get a 10k pb at lunch, but missed out by 10 seconds, which was frustrating. My 10k pb pace (43.34) significantly lags my 5k pb pace (20.08). How can I carry the pace over distance better? More endurance stuff? Note, this is off relatively light, unstructured training. I find time for about 40km in a good week and 20km in a bad week.

try doing some k reps, measured on somewhere you know.
if you can keep to sub 4.00 mins, then try and do 8 of them smoothly.
in a real 10 k race you will be buzzing with adrenalin at the start,
able to bang out some extra at end, so concentrating on 8 good smooth ones= sub 40, 10k
(its my aim too, got 19.03 5k but really want to rinse this in may)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. What I'm holding on to as a consolation is that in six months I've gone from fuck all running to completing a marathon - and I went from hating running to actually quite enjoying long runs by myself with some music to listen to and thoughts to process. I might actually keep doing those. And I want to make running more fun, less serious business and more enjoying myself. Life's too short for epic suffering and beating myself up about things.

words of sense^
your blog was honest and the way many must feel in that big crowd, thanks for sharing.
you can be well proud of doing something loads of folks will never do, and raising money for a good cause.
enjoy the run

Scott Jurek did the Bob Graham round in 23 something,
he met Billy Bland, whos 13 hour record still stands.
lots of posts about it on ultrasites

So I ran our club session and doubled the attendance on the last 3 weeks!! Good communication and a split session to cover more abilities. 7x1k @ 5k race pace and 5x500m for those racing shorter distances.

Having ridden 56 miles today I didn't think I'd be able to push that hard, but a bit of abuse from club mates when I told them I was running at 4.30 kms and I managed a couple of splits in under 3.30 so pretty pleased!

http://runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/its-all-in-the-hips?page=single

This seems like quite a good article, worrying about the strong glutes part though, as that is where cyclists tend to be weakest.

And I want to make running more fun, less serious business and more enjoying myself. Life's too short for epic suffering and beating myself up about things.

You disgust me.

Scott Jurek did the Bob Graham round in 23 something,
he met Billy Bland, whos 13 hour record still stands.
lots of posts about it on ultrasites

surely this is a good thing? Shows how tough and demanding it really is?

one day...

one day...

lfgss day out?

list?

I would really like to do itattempt it.

That does look amazing.

I'd be up for it in principle.

According to Billy Bland, 'its just a long walk'.

Reminds me that I have now got my copy of Running Free. A good read, but not as interesting as Feet in the Clouds.

BGR, funnily enough, is not a day trip. You need to spend a lot of weekends recceing beforehand to learn the route - it probably takes a commitment of about a year, esp if you're London based.

You also need a strong support crew, with runners who will witness you on each peak. A friend did a solid finish with hours to spare, but it wasn't recognised as one witness broke and couldn't make it to the last 2 peaks on his leg.

Don't know how a runner of Jurek's quality only just managed to break 24hrs.

BGR, funnily enough, is not a day trip. You need to spend a lot of weekends recceing beforehand to learn the route - it probably takes a commitment of about a year, esp if you're London based.

Don't know how a runner of Jurek's quality only just managed to break 24hrs.

We were talking about it post-marathon on Sunday and the consensus was a year to prepare, recce and attempt, with very little other running. Probably worth moving to the Lakes for a year really.

Jurek's attempt seemed a little last minute, trying to do it before the weather broke and after one of the other guys had raced over the weekend.

Feet in the Clouds is quality, more approachable than Running with the Kenyans. We can all get out into the hills but altitude training is a little more challenging. What frustrates me slightly about RwtK is what an average runner A. Finn actually is.

Isn't that the whole point of rwtk?
Running in Kenya though:

Full of win.

yeah, it would be epic.

I saw it more as a find out how to be a quality runner; it felt like it should have been a decent runner out there trying to find out how to improve.

While I'm on the weird things in running is how / why Run Dem Crew, a friendly and welcoming club operates a waiting list system to get in? I'm not sure many other running clubs do. That is aside from the corporate sponsorship so Nike can pat themselves on the back.

That's me- in the Rift valley, after one of several runs. It was magic.
Also ran up that mountain in the distance, and round the amazing crater, and scree run back down. (Longonot)
I thought the entire point was stopping people 'jogging', and embracing the more simpler form of running, which harks back to being childish and enjoying it.

Probably worth moving to the Lakes for a year really.

This is true. I don't see how you could do the training living in an enjoyable way, if you live in the South East. I would love to move back to the North West so I could have a crack at this one day.

Additionally, is there any progress on the hare & hounds / hash idea for forumengers in Richmond Park? I would happily be involved in organising, particularly if it was on a week day evening.

I'm away from London for a few weeks.
But how about Thursday 22nd May?
Then to Wests for beers?