Runners united: I run, I do running, I am a runner

Hi all. I must say I'm very impressed with you all running in this hot weather. I can only run at lunchtime during the week so I'm going to give it a miss until Thursday when it should be a bit cooler.

Moshi I'm probably too late but I hope you have a good holiday.

Hi Ilana the sunburnt thighs sound like no fun. Hope they're better soon.

Peach I have a non-walking child who also refuses to go in his buggy, unless he's sleepy. He just wants to be carried everywhere. He's a big boy for his age too.

DH says he won't be doing parkrun on Saturday so I can have another go. I have to move on from the 'just get round in one piece' mentality and see about going a little faster. I'm a metronomic 10 minute miler but I remember thinking in the first 1km when I was surrounded by the other runners, I have no idea how fast I run! I had to slow myself up and try to ignore the pace of others so I didn't shoot my bolt and run out of steam by 3km (sorry for mixture of metaphors there!) Now that I'm familiar with the course I should have the confidence to push a bit hopefully.

I agree. Rhet your times are pretty similar to mine but I am in awe of the mileage you put in. I think the main reason I have got (relatively) faster this year has actually been because I have dropped my mileage in favour of more speed work on the dreadmill.

My experiments with altering my gait continue... I ran 20 mins last night with a forefoot landing but trying to let my heel drop so that it just touches the ground before lifting off again. I am now finding to difficult to run in my normal gait as it feels really heavy. I also did 20 mins on DH's neglected exercise bike when I got back.

peach I sympathise re: non walking child. My DD was like this - she still used to hop in the double buggy until she was 4! On the other hand, I have just sold the buggy as DS (2y 10m) doesn't need it anymore.

Corss post peach - I have the opposite problem with dd2. In fact, was just telling DH how she bit me today in the middle of Waitrose as I was trying to wrestle persuade her into the buggy. Where are the child that walk when you want them to and then popin the buggy when its convenient .

Squix - I'd heard the bananas too and making sure you're properly rehydrated.

DH and I have decided to go out saturday night as we'll be staying at my parents and be able to take advantage of in house babysitting so my window of opportunity will be saturday morning for a LSR (yes agreed Squix - it will be a LSR) so weather permitting (will not do it if its hot but I don't think its meant to be) that's what I'll do.

Notlooking forward to the 'not really air conditioned' gym tomorrow morning. Only 5 miles as I only have an hour's creche slot and need to shower. Will take lotsof water to throw over my head to make up for lack of air. A technique that seems to work !

Have a great holiday Moshi!

Well done to anyone running in this heat, it was insane today. Am knackered just pushing the pram. Having real trouble getting DD out of it, she never wants to walk anywhere!!! Going to get a buggy board when DD2 arrives but really most of DD's friends walk a lot. I think she just can't be bothered!!!

squix I was told to eat more bananas because of the potassium, for cramp? But equally I've heard other people say that's bollocks, so I'm no help at all really.

Moshi, I missed your post before! Thanks for the input re: fuelling, that's really helpful. Have a fab holiday with your girls. Sorry you're missing your son but I bet he's having a whale (oh god, inadvertant crappy pun) of a time.

Also meant to ask - I am getting really bad cramping in my calf at night - any ideas / old wives tales on how to avoid or ease this? Thanks

Again, loads to catch up on!

Just one run this weekend - 8 miles on saturday - very pleased at doing it averaging at 9:54min per mile

wheely - I'm planning on 10 miles this weekend as a psychological boost for the GSR - want to get a 10 miler in before I go away next week. It will be a LSR, dare I go out without my Garmin and not think about pace?

My new approach seems to be working - getting up early and thinking that since I am up I might as well make the most of it. My goal is to get quicker over the same distance 10 - 13 miles And rather than taking a distance I can do and running it faster, what I have been doing is taking a speed I can do and am trying to do it for longer - seems to work in my strange logic anyway .

Well done on the Parkrun quenelle - great first run and now you have a time to beat next time.

wheely we decided to abandon potty training for now, but dd today asked for the potty and did a poo in it! I know her and she just needs to process the concept. We'll get there in the end.

It's funny - the most enjoyable recent run of mine was one of the slower ones - 13k, steady pace on a hot day. Easy fun running - that's what it's about, and sometimes there just isn't the time or conditions to work on much more than that...

rhet - I should add to my post that I meant to say you don't need to speed up/ or feel you should (I edited my post a number of times and that bit got edited by mistake).

Oh and I keep meaning to report in on potty training. We started last Tues. Despite day 1 being relatively successful (2 x hits on target by the end of the day), I had given up by Thurs as she was then refusing to use potty and we were heading to fastidious MILS for the weekend. She now refuses to wear nappies or use potty/toilet. Hmmm.

I bought a pair of padded cycling trousers today from Lidl. Mind you, if my cycling trips stay to 2Km round trips to the shops I'mnot sure I'll be needing them !!!

Also, been having been going a bit wierd after running on hot days - assume its dehydration (strangely get really cold) so in order to try and prepare for running in italy I have just ordered a tube of rehydration tablet things to add to water. Now trying to decide whether to splash out on belt with bottle on or just get a bigger hand held bottle. Decisions... decisions...

Have a good hol moshi

Forgot to say welcome to ilana!

stickylittlefingers - I think slow is fine. I quite like it, actually (except in the bits where everyone passes me) and it means you can run a lot of mileage without getting hurt. It's fine - but you must admit there are quite a lot of fast people on here!!

am thinking that I need to shift a few pounds - looking a bit, well, flabby, in recent photos. But am starting circuits this Weds which I am excited about - I think i need a bit of conditioning for the bits of my body I don't use when running (i.e. nearly everything from the waist up)

DD's cousin's birthday party today so lots of cake and paddling pool and dancing (DD does love to dange); DP feeling completely wiped out (iron levels plummeted? low blood pressure? midwives are on it - even rang at 7pm on a bank holiday sunday! unpredented and so much better than last time), so am trying to pick up the slack...so best go!

DP was ribbing me about having read too much just lately (when I handed him his plate at lunchtime after he'd been out for a long cycle ride - here's something to replace the salts you lost through sweating and replace the glycogen you have lost, with a bit of protein... otherwise known as pasta carbonara!). I have the zeal of the converted after having read nothing and then read two books on the trot :)

Ilana I'm not a gym member, but one of my running friends does run back from the gym unless the weather's awful. She runs with a backpack that fits well, and (obviously really!) doesn't bring anything more than she has to. Works for her (and she's nearly 50 and runs Even Slower than me, so not talking about some superfit freaky type!!). The sunburn sounds painful, hope your skin recovers soon :)

On that point rhet can you please shut up about being so slow, given that you run extremely similar times to me... . The reading is helping, though - the really simple fartlek stuff I'm doing is speeding me up (slowly!). It's very satisfying looking back over the runs on the Nike site :) :)

Moshi have a lovely holiday (and )

Hey June2009 - good to hear how you've been getting on, I think your race is the same day as mine so I always keep an eye out for your posts!

science, I've encountered that attitude too. Most people I know RL seem to think of running either as an arcane self-flagellation ritual, or else a sort of smug ponce-a-thon. Nothing I say seems to disabuse them of either notion so I don't mention it unless someone specifically asks.

Your parkrun time is really good Quenelle! Well done.

I have the one pace too, ibbydibby, pretty much, regardless of how I try to vary it. Interesting about your running club experience - I do think it would be helpful for me.

sonic - we are of one mind on the technical stuff. I've been wary of reading up too much for the same reasons, but getting a dodgy hip has made me reconsider a bit. I want to be able to keep on running in the long term and I think focusing on what my body's up to will help stop me hurting myself again!

Thanks for all the welcomes and well done to everyone on their runs.

Now I can give you all a laugh for today: I was due to run today but can't. This has got to be the most stupid and idiotic reason ever........I have got massive sunburn on the back of my thighs (among other places) and it hurts to move let alone run!! Yes I am an idiot!

I am due to have a gym induction tomorrow too. We have joined a virgin active club for one month only so the kids can swim so I thought I would take advantage of the gym. Not sure how much I will be able to do with the sunburn though.

So, another question......would I be silly to run home from the gym sometimes? It is 1.7 miles according to google and mostly downhill. Is this a silly idea? And can I run with a backpack on?

Been away this weekend in the New Forest to return to a whole stack of fantastic runs being posted on here!

Well done Quenelle on your parkrun. 60th out of 79 is a fabulous first parkrun! Next time sub-30..?

fanny - please get a grip woman! Your training times SHOULD be slower than your race times so please don't get despondent about posting a time like that (which is bliddy marvellous) and thinking you won't manage a sub-2 hour HM. I can tell you now that I think you will be more like sub-1:50 if you pace yourself right as your training paces seem to dictate a decent time. Remember that you are never meant to fully unleash yourself in training which is all about ticking over and pushing yourself gently to raise your lactate levels etc. Come race day, with the number pinned on, adrenaline pumping and crowds to support you, the comparative effort will give you a MUCH faster time!

june - HMs are great in that the recovery time is minimal for them so you could do one a few weeks afterwards and I would say 4 weeks is fine. It might actually be optimal coming off the back of training for the previous one!

emma - fueling is a personal thing and I don't like to eat less than 3 hours before a run which means my morning runs are unfueled. For runs of 18 miles or more I take a gel or two or Lucozade. Otherwise it is just water and an empty stomach (the lighter the better!). Some of you might find it better to have a banana to avoid feeling nauseas/light headed.

14M MLR today. Cutback week so no LSR. Average pace 8:20m/m which was fine but it was VERY HOT.

Off to Ibiza with my three DDs this week so will be back next week. DS is sailing as he is now old enough for Junior Week. He has already called me .

Happy running!

Hi all. Well Parkrun was brilliant. I did it in 30.29, 60th out of 79. It's DH's turn next week but really looking forward to doing it the week after.

Ibbydibby thank you for your advice re. making friends. I was sad to read about your son's first day at school

Will sign off now because I'm on stupid BB which always posts twice

Hi all. Well Parkrun was brilliant. I did it in 30.29, 60th out of 79. It's DH's turn next week but really looking forward to doing it the week after.

Ibbydibby thank you for your advice re. making friends. I was sad to read about your son's first day at school

Will sign off now because I'm on stupid BB which always posts twice

rhet your running times aren't "slow"!!

I am not the fastest of runners and obviously know that some people are just naturally faster runners BUT I am learning myself if we are educate ourselves about how we train and what we eat etc there's no reason why I can't do a

Agreed Science on the 'RL friends not getting fitting in a run'. My Mum was up for a couple of days last week and dropped dd1 at a holiday club she was at so I could get out early for a longish run. Everyone my Mum went asked if I was having a lie in and was shocked when they heard I wasn't even though they all know I run a fair bit.

If I get the chance to do 10 miles it'll be saturday or sunday. Most likely sunday.

rhet - I know there are many speedier than me on this thread but FWIW, I have taken ages to increase my distances mainly because I have times in mind I want to do the distances in as I get longer. So I think by working up slowly I am increasing my speed at hte lower distances and this will hopefully help me with longer distances. That said, I am so impressed those of you that run longer distances - at whatever speed. I have a huge psychological issue with it which is also why I think it is taking me so long !

That said, I do find myself wishing I'd gone for an autumn half rather than waiting until Feb but now I've booked for the GSR I may as well stick to my plan.

A hot 3miles last night followed by a trip to the shops on the new bike (approx 1Km there and back !!!!) .

june2009 I would have thought that doing another HM 4 weeks afterwards would be ok, you will have built up to the distance and shouldn't have lost it all by then. A friend of mine at runninig club did similar this year - her first HM in March followed by another 4 or 5 weeks later. Her time for the second was better than the first, even though the second one was hillier.

Sonic, Emma - I am also a little overwhelmed by technical terms, I go out to run..... But,, having joined a running club am slowly learning that there is a bit more to it than this, and by doing different sorts of running in training, you are improving your body's capacity/abality for faster running. There are quite a few of us at the club though, who are a bit flummoxed by the instruction to run at "5k pace" / "10k pace" / "5 mile pace". I know roughly what those paces are (because I have gone home and worked them out after races) but when I am actually running, only seem to have a single speed. So I keep thinking that a Garmin would be very useful in trying to achieve this.

Intended to do approx 6 mile run yesterday but just under half way round, saw meaty looking dog in distance, no owner in sight in fairly isolated area. As have never seen it before, decided to turn round and head back home. So only did around 5 miles instead.

Sonic, love your type "frunning" - looks like combo of fun and running!