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

Good luck to the racers this weekend - busy weekend for races with a right mix of them (5Ks, 5 miles, half marathons and triathlons!) so looking forward to the race reports. They're great for helping think about how to plan your own race and what stuff might come up.

Good luck with yours especially driving - know you've been a bit stressed about running lately so hopefully it'll be a good opportunity to get back on track (whilst listening to the animal chorus!)

Moshi, given your times it doesn't surprise me that you're a forefoot/ midfoot runner! Apart from technique it must be linked to speed - I know when I'm doing intervals I'm definitely landing nearer the top of the foot. Surprised you're not running on your toes!

House is on the market now thecoo so slowly getting there. We just need someone to take leave of their senses and offer us a ridiculous amount of money so we can move somewhere nice... still trying to figure out where but probably Harpenden or your neck of the woods (so might be in for the Bishops Stortford 10 mile run next year!)

Peakrunner love the sound of that race! Would it be cheating to forecast a time of 15 minutes then just stroll down it with a stopwatch?!

Had a somewhat painful 12 mile run in today - tried to structure it at 8.20 m/m for the first 6 miles, 9.00 m/m for the next 2 (very much uphill) miles and then pick up the pace to 8.00 m/m for the last 4 (mainly downhill) miles. All on target for the first two stages but then fell to pieces a bit in last 4 miles which were much more at 8.30ish. Maybe should have been a case of listening to my body rather than the schedule....

Forgot to say welcome to fanny! It sounds to me like you could manage sub-1:45 in your HM with your background in running. You seem to have sufficient endurance and should focus on working in a few quality speed sessions towards the race date to practice running faster and hey presto, come race day and you will be flying! What are your usual paces for your various runs?

I have always run although had breaks here and there for various reasons. It's only since I had baby no 4 I have decided to focus on getting races in to record some PBs for posterity. Ultimately I am hoping to run a sub-85 HM and sub-3 marathon before I reach 40! As I am effectively still coming back to fitness I am working on short term goals of sub-90 (ran 90.02 in March) and sub-3:15 (ran 3:27 in April). Racing and training ate very different prospects altogether and I need much more race experience which is what I am going to work on now I am a FV35!

what bike are you going for Wheelybug? Excited for you!

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies!

Emma to be honest, I have ran for years and years and doing long runs between 10-14 miles for at least a year but NEVER entered a race. I usually do longer runs of 13-14 miles in the winter when I prefer to run in the cold - I get very warm and struggle to run in the summer so tend to keep to around 10 miles on a long run. I know I won't have a problem finishing it but I would like to do it in around

Welcome sticky and fanny (not sure about lumping those together in the same sentence).

Good luck this weekend to driving Paws Debi and chewy and I think a newbie was doing the RFL with Paws too so good luck too (sorry - haven't scrolled back down). Oh and peakrunner, that run sounds interesting - have fun !!

No running of late here - after a horrible 5 miles on tuesday I think Ive had a bit of an odd bug which my Mum seems to have had too and left me with a stinking headache. So, missed gym session yesterday (actually, never intended to go as it was my birthday) and had meant to go out this monring as my parents were here but decided not to. Will see how I feel tomorrow and maybe get 2 runs in over the w/e although DH has had to go to B'ham for a meeting today which may run well into the w/e - grrr.

Good news though - I have the promise of a bike and will be buying it tomorrow if DH gets back in time (or I could just go and get it but not sure how I'd get it home with both the dds intow). V. exciting - so I have no excuses for not trying a tri ! Just have to remember how to cycle now !!

they recently re-did all that part of the zoo - so there's a fantastic area for the elephants now (they used to look a bit miserable). Did you live in Dublin then?

I need to crank up my distances a bit and get more running in - I have been very lax the last couple of weeks - half is only 7 weeks away!

Hi fannybanjo - there are a few on the list doing the GNR... I'm one of them :) I'm not at 10 miles tho. Did 7.5 this morning (tho it was meant to be 6, I got lost . Lost within 2 miles of your own house is a bit inducing!!)

Anyhoo Emma sorry I got the wrong end of the stick there!! But still very happy to hear you have the all clear to keep running :)

And Driving how cool is that!! We used to take DD1 to see the elephants and meerkats at the zoo. Weirdly, just before we moved away from Dublin, the elephants were taken to Berlin zoo. This year we were living near Berlin, so we went to see them (not that we could tell if they were the same ones, of course, but dd1 was sure they were and I wasn't going to rain on her parade )

Have lots of fun at the races this weekend. Hope all goes to plan!

Wishing the racers the very best of luck this weekend and hope to see your race reports so I can enjoy the races vicariously!

Just an hour of Bootcamp today as it was a rest day for me. Body conditioning and a chance of the kids and the dog to play in the park in the gorgeous sunshine!

I have PM'ed you thecoo

Hello fannybanjo! I think your training sounds like it's going pretty well if you're up to 10 miles on your long run already, and you've got till 18th Sept. You've oodles of time!

ibbydibby - yes, I think I'm happy without a pace alarm. Now I've got used to my Garmin I find I don't want to check it all the time when I'm running (though I did at first!) so I think a pace alarm would just needle me. It beeps at the end of every lap (you can preset laps to miles or km) and that's it - so I do look at it then to see what my pace over that lap was. I'm not bothered about intervals either.

It doesn't come with any software, it installs itself via USB connection and then you just upload your run data to Garmin Connect - which is geek heaven! Lots more in-depth analysis if that's your bag.

stickylittlefingers - I'm not pregnant (though am worryingly broody just now) - I've got a soon-to-be 1 year old; I think the physio meant that my body was still recovering from pregnancy when I started running regularly, plus the way I always carry my daughter on the same hip.

Master - good to know you kept running on your dodgy hip and nothing bad happened! I hope the strengthening exercises will stop mine recurring too.

Peakrunner - your race sounds scary but fun! I am in awe of proper hill runners. I go out hillwalking on my own a lot and sometimes run back to the car if I'm feeling frolicky, but I suspect my pace is quite a lot more plodding than yours.

5K in 20 mins at the age of 60!! In awe!

Would love to do a park run regularly but it clashes with family commitments on a Saturday morning and I would need to get a lift there as we are down to one car which my DH would be using. Saying that a friend at running club does it fairly regularly so I could go with her although would be scared I would be last!

Robino have you looked in the tumble dryer? Or in the filter bit of washing machine...

Quenelle and Debi, I have been doing our local parkrun since last August, it is seriously addictive. Both DS1 and DS2 have done it as well (they are 14 and 10) and are desperately trying to notch up a few more runs to get the t-shirt (they will get a parkrun t-shirt after 10 runs, so about 4 more to go I think).

It is really interesting having the opportunity to run the same route on a weekly basis and get an "official" time for it. Debi yes you turn up whenever you want once registered - there is no commitment to go every week. They rely solely on volunteers though, so after you run a few you may feel like offering to help out once in a while. Think you have to sign up by 6pm this evening if you want to run tomorrow. Have to admit though that I do get a obsessive about it, love it when I get a PB, feel really down when I don't....

Morning ladies - do you mind if I join you?! I've been lurking for a while...

I'm training for the GNR but this week slipped a bit as so tired. Need to get my shit together today! Generally I run 4 times a week - long run (10 miles at the mo, going to up that to 11 on Sunday), 2 x 8 miles and a short tempo or hill run. As long as I do it in under 2 hours I will be happy. Anyone else doing GNR?

Hi all. I've kept a low profile this week as I've had very little chance to get out and run. Only managed one lunchtime this week due to one thing and another. It was slightly longer again so still going in the right direction, so to speak. Will definitely get out tomorrow morning though.

I've found out the park run has started up in Bedford recently. That's my new short-term goal, to get to 3.5 miles so I can go and do that. It's an excellent idea isn't it?

Good luck with the races this weekend. Peakrunner yours sounds like a blast!

robino have you looked behind the tumble dryer?

Right. Who has stolen my running bra? It's not big and it's not clever...

I only have one at the moment due to 4 yrs of fluctuations caused by pregnancies/ breast feeding/ weight gain/ weight loss. I was already to go out last night. Can I find it anywhere? Grrrrrrrr.

Have not read thread so hope all is ok, will catch up soon!

futurity and bonkers Cambridge is also my closest park run. Never done it before but maybe we should all go to one sometime and meet up.

Going for a 4.5 mile run this morning with a friend - last time she needed to walk a fair bit but hoping today we can do it all running to give me an idea of my fitness. She has a Garmin so have asked her to bring it so I can check it out :)

oh, forgot to say, recieved "shred" dvd the other day, havent had time to do it, but went spinning today

I have never bought an exercise dvd before. I think I flat mate I had as a student had the Cindy Crawford one but her boyfriend watched it more than we did!

Good luck with the race driving,

I am doing this little fell race on Sat

Trig to Tracks

One mile, down hill, very steep. Entrants estimate their time and ther is a prize for the closest guess. Last year it ran as an uphill and it took me 25 minutes. The winner was a semi-pro mountain biker. Downhill is going to be fun!

Emma I bet you are relieved that the physio said you are ok to run. I was worried last year when I kept getting injured, and everytime I went to the docs they just said rest adn Ibuprofen, so I'd rest and as soon as I got back in to running something else would start to hurt. I was worried I was getting too old for this! finally I got a really painful knee so I went to a physio who diagnosed ITB, and it was all down to pronation, so a change of footwear and the physio told me to get out and run to strengthen the muscles. "run to train and train to run" were his words... !

Have PM you Bonkers

Good luck driving - hope you enjoy your race

futurity well done - great time.

I had a rubbish run this morning - was out early, lovely day but I felt awful - really tired and a bit sick - guess just one of those things. Rest day tomorrow and it's Friday.

Good luck for the racers this weekend drivingmisscrazy & Pawsnclaws & TheChewyToffeeMum & DebiTheScot

Enjoy