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

Ibby - I thought your DH was being a bit harsh there ;)

Emma - sorry to hear about your Aunt - hope things continue in a positive direction.

Moshi - so pleased about your Mum. Good luck with the gambling issue !

5 miles on the treadmill this morning that felt like I was running through custard. In fact, at 2Km I wasn't sure how I was going to continue but managed it slowly. Have felt queasy (just typed squeezy...) on and off since so wonder if its a bit of a bug. Niece was having tummy issues over the w/e and my Mum said she felt similar yesterday but is much better today so fingers crossed.

Foot really sore too - which reminds me, I forgot to mention I managed to get a 5 min free physio check on it on saturday at a fair thing where they were touting for business. She reckoned it was just that I'm not getting any younger and I need to do more strengthening exercises. Nothing disasterous but not what a girl needs to hear the week of her birthday :o

Emmabemma - virtuous is a nice way of putting it . Sorry to hear about your Aunt - fingers crossed you get good news soon.

oops, re last sentence, DH has said shouldn't do parkrun, rather than should..

Congratulations, bonkers, wheely, masters" and N4NNY. Don't be embarassed about your time, N4NNY*, coaches at the running club are very good at reminding us that we are really only competing against ourselves, so we should aim to better our own times rather than equal someone else's time (if that makes sense). Am finding that entering races is helping me - gives me something to train for.

Great news about your mum, Moshi!

Have at last been out for a long run this morning, about 7 miles I think. Didn't time it though. Have been overwhelmed with work in last few weeks, and have been heaily reliant on 2 club sessions per week, plus Saturday parkrun, to keep myself "ticking over", have not done a solo run for ages. Felt good, though one of the narrow lanes that I often use was riddled with police cars though not sure why. Also a fireman's hose attached to a water hydrant, but no sign of any hunky firemen at the other end (nor fire engine, or any other equipment). V strange. Am v pleased that I went out, as had been feeling v tired and lethargic, but feel better now for having done something.

Just can't decide if to enter a 5 mile race on Friday evening, or a 10 mile race on Sunday. Think both will take last minute entries. DH has helpfully pointed out that if I do both then I should do parkrun on Saturday as well. As if...

Great news about your mum Moshi! The all clear, not he 8k debt obv

Sorry about your aunt Emma, hope the chemo goes well.

Loved all the race reports!

Thanks so much for all your congratulations. I feel all puffed up [hsmile]

Moshi great news about your Mum. Yay yay yay. I am thinking of training to do another HM. I've done 2 (Heidelberg in 1993 and GNR in 2007). My GNR time was 1:40.23. I clearly have to do another to get my time under 1:40! I will certainly do a 10 miler in November.

masters, that race sounds lovely - apart from the hills of course.

I need to go back and read some more race reports......I love reading them.

Fantastic news about your mum, Moshi. My aunty, who is living with my mum at the moment, is going through six courses of chemo following a mastectomy. We're hoping for similarly good news for her too, and as the cancer so far hadn't spread to her lymph nodes it looks positive so far.

My hip: dull pain, sort of on and off. Though last Sunday for the first time it was a bit sharper sometimes. That's interesting about the chiropractor. My husband sees a good physiotherapist for his back - he actually specialises in sports stuff so I was thinking of going to see him for a consultation, which feels a bit of an indulgence as there's nothing very wrong. I hope it's not that I've been overdoing it... I don't feel like I'm overdoing it, I think I've been quite careful with increasing my distances and stuff. Thanks for asking!

squix, I struggle to get going in the mornings too, but it's worth it an hour or so later when I'm exercised, showered and feeling all healthy and virtuous!

Well done all the racers - lots of inspiring performances - PBs, top 10 results and running with elite kenyan runners - brilliant stuff.

I had 2 runs I was v. chuffed with over the weekend - a lovely 5 miles in the only hour of sunshine we had on Saturday morning (i even wore shorts!) then a soggy 81/2 miles on Sunday which was meant to be my long slow distance which I normally run @ 10:30 min miles - I felt great at the end and did the last mile in 8:30. ( it was flat / downhill ) which I was really pleased with. I am just about managing my new regime of going out before work 2 days a week (although 3 days this week as I'll be working on Saturday grrrr), once I am up I'm fine but getting up is tricky.

Moshi - brilliant news about your mum .

moshi that is really wonderful news about your mum!

great report TheMasters - you set the scene perfectly!

Thanks for that Wheely - interesting reading...the swimming bit still baffles me but I understand the rest.

I meant to say also, thanks for all your support, it really makes a difference. I feel a little daft that I had to go out and prove I could do it.

at the thought of your mum in a casino Moshi.

Super, super run bonkers, so speedy.

Wheely, excellent time too, how fabulous is your mum?

N4NNY, a PB is a PB is a PB. Be proud of what you have achieved.

Driving, I think sometimes the pressure of having to run or ought to be running can take away the pleasure of it all. I honestly think that was partly why my HM two weeks ago just didn't come together. Perhaps you should take a break and just do some pleasure runs, without worrying about how long it takes but just enjoy the moment.

So race report from me:

The race is totally unheard of and was only advertised the week before on the radio. Start was supposed to be at 7.15 so we got there at 6.50 and there was barely anyone there! People turned up to register and by the time the admin was all done it was past 8am. Two of the friends I was with got too frustrated by the Kenyan laid back-ness of it all, however years of Africa meant my patience was not quite so tested! We bonded at the start line with some elite runners from the highlands of Kenya, who were planning a 1.10 run. We were the only white people there, so were considered quite a novelty.

We set off along some small roads that I didn't know so well then some I did know well and went up, up and up the hills for about 11k. The first half felt really good, I took water regularly and it was quite cloudy. I saw one young girl running totally barefoot no Vibrams for her.

The second half was downhill til about 16k then up and down hills and I just kept telling myself, 5k to go, 4k to go, 3k to go, then at 2k there was the steepest hill, I've never felt so despondent. But I was determined to not stop.

My legs felt pretty heavy towards the end but I wasn't out of puff and I do think I could have pushed myself a bit more. Roll on the next one.

Hooray on news for your mum Moshi - that's great and so good to hear quickly as well. £8K debt less good of course, but health so much more important. You must feel like a weight's been lifted...

Gosh things move quickly here!

Going back a bit:

sfx - thanks for the iink to open water swimming in Ham. Looks good and is much closer than Datchet!

Emma - I have a sore hip occasionally which is down to a slight imbalance in my SI joints which the chiropractor sorts out on a regular basis. Is it a dull ache or sharp pain?

master - delighted to see you get your well deserved PB!

bonkers - stunning time! That's 7.5m/m by my calculations which, if you can hold for 6.2 miles, will translate with some training to a pretty decent HM time. There is obviously some talent lurking there waiting to be unleashed!

wheely - your 5K time is a fabulous time and you should not be disappointed at all with that. You are clearly a talented runner and that is a great time.

N4NNY - well done on your PB. We all started somewhere and you should take heart at how much you can improve.

peakrunner - great solid run there!

19 miles on the Alter G Trainer today at 8:34m/m. Hoping that these LSRs early on will reap dividends on race day in October. I would have died of boredom were it not for the athletics being shown on the TV. Mo Farah is a beautiful runner. Oh to fly like that!

I think I might have forgotten to mention my good news? Mum had the all clear on Friday. Now just the small matter of a casino requesting she settle her £8K debt...

Actually here it is (not that Zest recycle their articles... posted on their website last year but exactly same article/plan) - its 6 weeks not 12 !
www.zest.co.uk/other-fitness/womens-triathlon-training-plan/367.html

Well done master, wheely (and mum), bonkers and N4NNY - seems like you all did great in your own way. Would love to have a place in a race one day - maybe when I'm in the very old veterans section I won't have so much competition! My current FV35 seems to be the most competitive!

I went for a very gentle run yesterday with some local mums - I was worried they'd all be super fit, but only 3 of us turned up anyway and one was having trouble with her knees, so it was nice and slow. I went out again with my boys later to top up, so felt lovely and smug with myself...

Where did that bloke throw his Garmin? Happy to rootle through the rubbish for it .

driving sometimes we've just got to adapt to circumstances to stop ourselves going mad - you've got a lot on your plate (and more coming!) so it sounds like your plan to ease off yourself and try to run just for pleasure is spot on.

DrNorth perhaps you're running too fast and the flies don't have time to get out the way!

stickylittlefingers - if you've done a couple of HM and various 10K's in them, wonder whether your shoes might be a bit broken down hence affecting your foot (i.e. not providing enough support in the right areas). Usual advice is to get a new pair of shoes every 300 - 500 miles and given that number of races, sounds like you might have done that many in them?

Can you send me it please. Watched the Blenheim palace tri on tv the other day and was quite taken by it..and not just because Jenson Button was in it and looks hot in a tri suit

Thanks for the words everyone !

My bro reckons, based on his wife's garmin and all of ours, the race was about 300m longer (mine actually measured it as 600m longer but I don't think that was accurate) which would put my time as something like 23.50 which I would be v. happy with.

Ah well. I don't think 5K is my favourite distance. I never thought I'd say I prefer running longer ...

for all those thinking about triathlons - Zest mag this week have an easy 1st time triathlon 12 week plan. Haven't had a good look at it yet but if anyone wants it I can email it.

Thanks, I'll see if a looser lace helps. I'm hoping it's not the shoe. I have done two HMs and a few 10ks in them, so hoping that they can get me through til September. They are so comfy, the idea of having a new pair is scary...

But I don't even own a Garmin!

Throwing away Garmin and running without it?!? Does not compute!

Well done weekend racers. There are some fab times there and what sounds like some very enjoyable races!

That really is a pretty impressive 10K time bonkers. Average 13kph or so it sounds like which is fast whichever way you look at it!

Good to hear about your HM time themaster, especially after having that tough half a couple of weeks back. That must really make you feel pretty positive about running and it's definitely within touching distance of sub 2 hours...

Well done too wheely. Seventh position is a great result. Actually, sometimes positions are almost more meaningful than times as they tell you how tough were the overall course conditions.

stickylittlefingers, also agree worth checking whether shoes are too tight. If it carries on, might be worth checking out as may be down to wrong shoe fit for you/ running style.

In terms of supplements I usually have Berocca to overload with Vitamin C for immunity (like Peakrunner) and have 'gentle' iron as well to keep up oxygen efficiency - to be honest, think the latter is probably a placebo in a generally healthy diet but hey!

Am slowly getting running mojo back after an uninspired couple of weeks. Know how you feel though drivingmiss and I'm as guily as fretting about times and distances and performance as much as anyone. We shouldn't lose sight of all the great reasons we run and how enjoyable it is. Actually, there's a great article in this month's RW about someone who's just thrown away his Garmin to find the pleasure in running again.... (cue collective shocked intake of breath and sound of bodies tumbling to the floor!)

stickylittlefingers I had the pins and needles problem and was told I was tying my laces to tight. Now I tie them securely but not tight and it seem to cure the problem