runners united: the one with the time running with other people

cross point orange - thanks for the advice, something I hadn't considered. Think I have some probably out of date gaviscon around here somewhere.

Poor DN. It must be so heartbreaking for you all.

Thanks for all the tips re hydration/fuelling. Today actually may have a different explanation - DH has come home with what seems to be a bit of a tummy bug so maybe its that too. But, I do have a general problem so I will be taking these tips on board. I had been planning on trying jelly babies in advance of the GSR so I have something to give me an extra boost if required. Actuallynow I think about it, I have drunk loads of coffee all weekend which is unusual - although I love it, I usually am good at limiting myslef to 1. I need to get back to that discipline (and cut out wine during the week - have managed it today ).

moshi - sounds like a big decision and seems a sudden one. Does it need to be made overnight ? I hope you reach a solution. And just think, if you go, it'll get you out of being class rep .

Whilst you're recommending following a plan to DrNo can I ask some advice - once I'm through GSR, my next big one is Brighton Half in Feb. I want to factor in some rest time just in case my ankle needs it but, obviously I don't have far to go between the two distances. Is it best to just carry doing what I'm doing (increasing my long run - as well as my own intervals/tempo sessions) or is there benefit to starting a half marathon plan even though they usually start at quite short distances ?

fanny - I think you definitely should be pleased with yourself !

squix - glad the ankle is improving.

Peach - how was Caballo Blanco ??

So much to catch up on.
Great report sticky. Can imagine the rain being very welcoming. I love running in the rain. Thats a pain about your washing machine. Hope you get it sorted soon.
RunforFun well done on your pb.
Wheeley could it be a bit of acid making you feel sick when you running. I have acid reflux and it worse when I run. Might be an idea to try a bit of gaviscon before you head out and see if it helps.
Wow moshi San Francisco no wonder you feeling stressed.
Rhet what is dp doing at college? Sorrry if you already said?
10 mins after put dn to bed last night, ds2 come down to say dn crying. Went up to him, poor little thing cying his heart out saying he wants his mum and telling me daddy is ill. I could of cried, felt so awful for him. He went to sleep not long after that. He had another cry after his afternoon sleep today and again when I put him to bed tonight . Poor little thing, it is so awful. But he been good.
Managed to get out for an easy 5k tonight, first run in a week. However my foot still playing up abit. But good besides that.

"cannot run properly not probably!"

Moshi Sounds like you may be hot housing a temporary nanny then! Hopefully you will get something sorted. However I do not envy you having to decide to move 4 children lock stock and barrel over the Atlantic. My friend is moving to Perth when all papers are finalised and she has 4 children too (all under 9) - her DH is military though so she is used to moving around. San Francisco will have some pretty fantastic schools though but I am sure you have already done your research! Everything in life has pros and cons but you know what, you have ONE life so live it to the full. Go for it girl, I doubt you will regret it.

DrNo I too am considering Blackpool HM - in fact my friend and I are entering the Lancaster one in November. Re your SIL, like Moshi said, healthy competition is what makes us strive to do better. I would be the same! I too want to get faster for November so be interesting to see what others think. I am planning on upping mileage to around 40 miles a week with good quality intervals and longer tempos. I am sure we can do it! Yes very tired today but soreness isn't too bad.

Paws If I have a latte or a fizzy drink I cannot run probably. I had lemonade last LSR I did before GNR and was pretty ill during run. Water and white tea is all I can drink pre-run. You need to make sure you are hydrated properly - believe me I know, I suffered kidney stones from dehydrating my body by drinking wine the night before a run (no more than half a bottle) not enough water then running in summer heat. I was very poorly, collapsed at home and hospitalised for few days on drip. YOU MUST DRINK WATER!!!!

Plugged my Garmin in before to get stats for GNR. Splits were okay, started slightly too fast though but it is downhill for first 3 miles so very easy mistake. Last 3 miles were slowest but only went tad over 9m/m. Garmin has my average pace at 8.50m/m. My aim was an average 8.30m/m so I know I can work on that for next HM! I have gone from being disappointed with my time to very happy with it - considering I have NEVER once raced and have only covered the distance 3 times in my life, I should be happy.

Re Posting - my name seems to have been lost from my 10k - is it s sign ?

24/09/11 - Nairn Triathlon: backwardpossom (eeeeek!)
25/09/11 - Windsor Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
25/09/11 - London Half Marathon Run to the beat: June2009
25/09/11 - New Forest Half Marathon: MoshiMoshi, Tulip27
25/09/11 - Runway Run 10k: Ibbydibby
02/10/11 - Standalone 10K: Futurity, Quenelle
02/10/11 - Bradford Half Marathon - MrsWednesday
02/10/11 - Baxter's River Ness 10k - backwardpossom
02/10/11 - The Run, Northampton - YeahThatsTheBadger
02/10/11 - Great Edinburgh Run 10k - Squix
02/10/11 - Big Fun Run 5k London Victoria Park - Wiifitmama
02/10/11- Camberley 10k- DebitheScot
09/10/11 - Great Eastern Run, Peterborough - Futurity
09/10/11 - Herts 10k - WishIwasCherryMenlove
15/10/11 - Donadea Forest Trail 10k - rhetorician
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
16/10/11 - Aviemore 10K: Piffpaffpoff
22/10/11 - Shockabsorber 10K Richmond Park - sfx
23/10/11- Thruxton Mass Attack Duathlon- DebitheScot
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix
30/10/11 - Nairobi Standard Chartered Half Marathon - M&M
05/11/11 - Glendalough Trail Run - rhetorician
13/11/11 - Stebbing 10 Mile - bonkers20
19/11/11 - Maasai Mara Half Marathon - M&M
20/11/11 - Leeds Abbey Dash (10k) - DrNortherner
27/11/11 - City of Norwich half marathon: ibbydibby, MoshiMoshi
19/02/12 - Brighton Half marathon - Wheely
22/04/12 - VLM: MoshiMoshi, ibbydibby
27/05/12 - London Bupa 10K - Futurit

DrNo - as our friends across the pond say, do bears sh!t in the woods?! Here is a link you should look at to see which one might suit your needs. You should plan according to your ability to stick to one I think rather than an aspirational one as the best result will come from being able to follow the principles laid down. But they are just suggestions so feel free to adapt according to your week if need be. Just be sure to alternate Hard Day with Easy Day so your body can rest from a hard session.

Evening all ? thought I?d catch up on here whilst I?m printing off some papers for a meeting tomorrow - good job I?ve got lots to print as there?s loads to catch up on!

Moshi - wow ? how exciting ? I had my best shoe shopping experiences anywhere in the world in San Fran, I?d love to go back. We went as part of our honeymoon ? (ahhhh?.squix gets all misty eyed at the thought of shoes honeymoon)

Fanny . runforfun and sticky - how are you doing today how are the legs ? ohh and fanny - how is your wrist?

paws & wheely - I found I had to experiment too. I found I was feeling ill about an hour after a long run but drinking during the run, some jelly babies and a small glass of milk when I come back seems to work for me. But I think it?s worth playing a round a bit to see what works. DD likes sort out my Jelly babies and tells me I can only eat the pink ones at the top of the hills. I generally feel rubbish on a long run about 75% in - I just sort of expect it now and let it go. I think I read somewhere that an espresso is good before a run so maybe small cups are better than large.

Well done tulip & possum too. I have a 10K in a few weeks too ? no niggles with ankle today so hopefully it should be back to business as usual with a 6 am run tomorrow.

I haven't got a 10k programme no. Do I need one? Can it make me faster before November? She has a gym membership and a PT, both of which I don't so she is at a huge advantage to me. Just wish I didn't mind that she can beat me!

Cross post with DrNo - what you describe is actually quite useful as it means you have a competitive instinct which, if you nurture and use to your advantage, will mean you can whoop ass when racing your SIL. I too suffer from the most incredible self-induced nerves but am now at a stage where I think I can recognise it in advance and talk myself into my zone when I am running. More race experience will always help on that front too. But I actually think recognising it is the main thing and once you do that you can employ any number of mind games to turn it to your advantage. Have you chosen a 10K programme? I think you have come on SO much this past year that you will improve at an impressive rate for a while once you get more consistent training schedules done. It is all about being consistently consistent with your running and avoiding injury so you don't set yourself back to square one (my habit!)

Thanks for your advice folks. I agree that a hideously expensive qualified nanny might be the best option, even if she is going to be scarily alien to a complete stranger to the kids. I think SF will be a fabulous place to raise the family but it is daunting as it will be a permanent move and I actually love my life here in London with the fabulous schools our kids are in. My main concern is DS's school as it is quite possibly The Best School For Boys Ever. It is a selective school which boys sit the 7+ or 8+ entrance exam for and he sailed through it and thrives there. They do so much for boys and have the most incredible 44 acres of playing fields on the riverside which is amazing for anywhere let alone London. It is also a school where he is all set until he is 18 and the sort of place that sorts out not just the academics but also the social side of life for boys. And as it is quite exclusive, I think the networking can be very useful for setting up in the future. So it is incredibly scary finding an alternative in a foreign place where we know nobody.

moshi you have to go to San Fran with dh to check it out, tis a HUGE decision. Think master had a very good idea in taking the littlest Moshette with you, leaving the older 3 to fend for themselves with housekeeper ?

Blackpool is indeed the home of stag and hen parties and kiss me quick hats Not too far from me though, it's a flat route by the sea so sounds quite pleasant.

sticky when is Richmond 10? Do you know there is a fuck off big hill in it?

I think I need a slap round the face from my running friends on here. How do you all feel about being beaten by a friend? My SIL who is faster than me keeps signing up for the races I am signed up for, including my next 10k which I am doing with a team from work. When I race with her I get all antsy and nervous and set off too quick as I panic that I don't want her to whoop me. Stupid isn't it? See, someone slap me please.

How exciting Moshi! FWIW, our way of coping with such moves has been to let DP do the scouting and the rest of us have just gone with it. I am a trusting soul! But we had the same problem of needing a reliable babysitter who didn't actually exist, and that seemed the best solution. Trying to do househunting etc with one/two little ones in tow just seemed a bad idea. I'm jealous though! I like disappearing off to live in a totally new place every 5 years or so

That's good news encyclogirl - hope the kitchen gets done soon (and of your island. Am I now to suffer from both garmin AND island envy?!)

Just back from DD2's swimming lesson. It's so warm in the swimming pool and I'm so sleeeeeepy.

Just seeing about entering the Richmond 10k. Are you looking at that DrNo?

How exciting Moshi. Love San Fran and visited friends working over there a few times. Think taking the kids for the trip might be hard - they'll be pretty frazzled so not sure how sanely you'll be able to look around everything you need to.

Good idea to maybe just take the little one. Is there maybe a combination of (overnight) nanny agency plus combination of good friends for the days who could get the rest of the children through?

Wow Moshi, how exciting! And how stressful! Is DH's desire to go straight away based on needing to accept the offer sooner rather than layer, or is he naturally quite impulsive. You really need to go too to check it all out but could you even go next week, so you are less stressed about it?

Would it be permanent move or a fixed term contract?

Agree San Francisco is lovely, and of course there's the Big Sur Marathon...., ; )

Moshi I love San Fran. Lovely running country ..... assuming no family can help out to that extent, would it be possible to get a horribly expensive short term nanny in as an emergency measure?

Ooo Moshi, how wonderful. Why not take the littlest one with you and leave the older three with the housekeeper, ask a very good friend to be involved and check up etc They will be at school for most of that time anyway.

I'm telling you from experience, you need to go and see with him because if you don't go now but decide to all move there, you will find dh has a) rented a horrid house for you all b) chosen a not-quite-right school and c) will have leased a totally inappropriate car.

And take housekeeper with you as mother's help?!

Moshi wow! San Fran my favourite city in the world - what a dilemma though! No wonder you're stressed!

First, trust your instincts with the housekeeper. If you are worried then you won't enjoy the trip and although DH wants you to go, you're not going to be much use to him if you are panicked the whole time. Could he not go until friday, then you and the children join him over the weekend (maybe pull them out of school on thursday even and go then?) I know it's a long shot but then also the children will be involved?

been chosen...

And I have bloody well be chosen to be class rep. Bugger bugger bugger.

Isn't Blackpool where all the stag parties and hen parties head to, DrNo?

OK running friends. I am about to share my secret with you (on a public forum no less). I am stressed. The reason is because DH has been offered a job in San Francisco and we are trying to work out the logistics of moving a family of 6 with 4 kids, 3 of whom are in school and one in nursery, and how on earth we might fit in a quick trip there without the aforementioned kids to be sure we want to do it before we accept the offer. DH wants us to go tomorrow but while the housekeeper is willing (bless her) I do not think she can cope with the kids 24 hours a day for the rest of the week (we would be back on Friday afternoon/eve). I also worry that something serious might happen as she is a bit dim not very, how shall we say, on the ball. I would never forgive myself if something should happen. On the other hand DH wants me to accompany him and doesn't seem keen to try visit on his own. Oh help.

Afternoon all.

How are all the racers feeling today? Sore? Tired? A well earned rest is in order now guys!

I am debating entering the Blackpool HM next year, anyone done it before? trying to convince my mate....

paws last time I found out on the 28th September but officially they say they send the magazines in the first week in October.

tulip - first time at New Forest. 3rd raced HM. But it is a precursor to Abingdon which is what I am in training for so I haven't done any HM training as such. Are you ready for it?