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

Ibby I agree re training for HM and especially with GNR (as it's more an "event" than a race really) - people just have no idea how much training is needed to complete it in one piece. Problem with GNR is first 3 miles piss easy then it's steadily uphill all the rest - 9 miles is a killer so it's actually not an easy course. I was so glad I live and trained in a hilly area as it stood me in good stead. As they say, you have to respect the miles.

Moshi thanks! I now have a time to work on - I am going to go hardcore training now and get some races in - 5k and 10k also. My aims are a

Am delighted to see that fanny and sticky exceeded expectations and achieved amazing PBs at the GNR! Well done, laydees! [need running emoticon here!]

Also, huge well done to possum on your 10K. I find these shorter distances worse in a way as there is more pain and more scope to mess up the race as any minor error is magnified greater.

For those who have not got any races in the calendar, I cannot recommend highly enough getting some dates in your diary. Not only will it give you a focus in your training, but it will give you a huge mental boost (as fanny can attest!) to know that you are strong enough to motivate yourself to achieve a goal you set yourself. After that, the sky is the limit. The only limitations are really those which we set upon ourselves and running makes me realise this every day. Push the boundaries, friends, and find how far you can explore! This is a great lesson in life and running has always served as a great way to remind myself of how to live my life. It's brilliant (sigh).

Well done, tulip, possum and sticky - great times. Fanny sounds like you had a good feed last night! Hope you do the Birmingham, you are already there with the training, and it is something to keep you going (unlike me - did London Marathon in 2007, went on one run in May 2007 and then did nothing for the next year....

Re HMs and people needing First Aid etc, think that there is a tendency for some people to go into a HM with inadequate training, hence injuries/collapse etc. With a full marathon, as it is obviously a longer distance, people are more rigourous about their training. When I did London M in 2007, was boiling hot (think temp reached 26 in afternoon), I had only got to mile 4 when I saw a young bloke strapped on to a stretcher, swathed in blankets, oxygen mask on etc etc. Horrible for him, suspect he had set off too fast. Was a big frightener for me, and made me realise that my priority was to get round safely, never mind the time.

My Garmin has arrived! Off out now, then have to do teleconference thing for work, so not sure when I will get a chance to explore it (and use it!)

possum can't remember (in my GNR drug induced haze...) whether I said well done on your 10k PB!

peach how you feeling - you getting big? I agree, it was ALL men in bad states - saw a few women getting treatment for knees etc but the serious problems were youngish men. Too competitive.

Dr No your SIL did brilliantly! Was she in Orange zone? Bet you she is chuffed to bits with her time.

tulip well done on getting under the hour - you never know, you may surprise yourself on the HM and feel better than you think you will. Fingers crossed.

sticky Really? They give you the option to do the next 3 years!? I cannot wait - will be the highlight of my year... If we both enter next year, we MUST meet at the start somewhere - maybe by the Banana Ice Cream man! How you feeling today?

Can't remember who mentioned me putting a photo on but unfortunately DH and DD1 (who were right at the finish line, same side I was running ) missed me! Gutted! I will see if any official photos come out... Have a couple from the start.

I am a keystroke away from entering the Birmingham HM on 23 October - BUPA have taken it over, heard last years was awful as people had to QUEUE(!) to get over the finish line and they have said they will change this. Will do a little bit of reviewing of it first on Runners World then make my decision later. I have asked a friend to do it with me, however will do it alone if she doesn't want to.

Exhausted today, had huge plate of Fish, Chips, Peas and Curry from Chippy last night with two Corona's. Probably didn't help! Ankles feel sore and obviously muscles are aching. Watched it on playback last night, heard presenter saying that everyone's Garmins etc were saying the route is over 13.2. miles. Mine said 13.23 and time was 1.56.54. Pretty chuffed looking at that on my Garmin today. It may sound daft but I was a lazy teenager, sport and academically and I always copped out of everything for fear of failure. This is the first thing I have ever put proper effort into completing. I do feel quite proud of myself.

cest, have PMd you the details from the email. Go on!!! I don't he's the judgemental type, am sure you can keep your Brooks on!!

ok, 10k felt awful but results just out and my time was 59.30 so I just got under the hour. So my plan for next w/e HM is spinning tomorrow night for an hour with half hour sprints on the treadmill and wed another half hour of run/sprints and half hour on the spin bike.
Do you think that will be ok after this w/e 10k?

Oops sorry meant to say fantastic race too possum. PB and sounds like you enjoyed it!

Well done GNR folk. Great race report fanny, fantastic time and well done you for still having the strength to help other people afterwards! Yes, you will get the same buzz on every other race (well at least i do...) Well done sticky as well - you must be well chuffed beating your target time!

peaches can't believe that the guy is doing a talk tomorrow night in London... Only a couple of tube stops from where I work as well! Do you know any of the details? Would love to run with him but I think my well cushioned Brookes may not quite be his cup of tea

Except I forgot to say again well done possum on your PB, sounds like you had a really good race. What a day :)

I really must go to bed before I collapse head first on the lap top (been doing an internet supermarket order because I can't face having to do it in person tomorrow!)

Fanny so lovely to hear you had a good time. It is the most brilliant thing, isn't it? And yes, you'll get an email saying you can book for the next 3 years because you completed this one. It's not cheap - I think I paid £84 from memory, but I thought it was totally worth it. So yes, I'll be there next year. Going for sub 2 hours (according to my Dad who clearly lives in cloud cuckooland, but you've gotta love his confidence in me :)).

Now I really am going to bed. In my jarmies already so all I have to do is go up the stairs. Wtf didn't we buy a bungalow

Wow, congratulations ladies! Those are some amazing runs. I can't imagine running for two hours!

Today I ran 5.5 km in 40 mins

Thanks everyone! I'm on a post race downer now! I loved it more than a cold glass of wine on a summer evening and that's pretty hard to beat. . It's kind of a weird feeling isn't it, all these people and it takes half the time to run (in your head) as you are carried along with all the euphoria of it. Fabulous. Just bloody fabulous. Ladies will I enjoy all future races the same?

STICKY!!!!! Bloody well done kid!!! You did what you set out to do! Great time. Same time, same place next year hey...?! Errrr race report please Mrs, want all the details. I want to do it again ASAP - do you?

Hahaha at fanny on head - I tell you, it looked like I did come the end - what with the rain, my hair resembled bleached pubes.

Am aching like an overworked donkey on
Blackpool Beach but so worth it.

Updating the race list after finally entering the races I said I would do.

18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa, SLF, Fannybanjo
18/09/11 - 10k: Tulip27
18/09/11 - Buckie 10k: backwardpossom
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 -
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
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 - Futurity

Brilliant Fanny and sticky. Well done to both of you I've watched most of it now (lots on x12 speed) and my thoughts were:

1. That girl that won was unbelievably fast.
2. Clitheroe and Pavey were also fab
3. The winner of the wheelchair race clocked 50mph the day before in the tunnel race! (whatever that is) The adrenaline rush from that must have been awesome.
4. Mo Farah must have very sore arms.
5. I can't believe how long it took some people to get to the start.
6. I can't believe people were walking over the Tyne Bridge, that was near the start wasn't it?
7. The presenters mentioned a few times that a lot of people don't prepare properly for it and I was getting annoyed with those people. I want people to say "Wow" when I say I'm doing a HM (assuming I enter one), not "oh yeah my mate did one last week while he was still drunk and he'd never run before"

Well done possum on a pb too. Especially in the wind.

Yes the man that passed me was on a bike, doh I should have said that.

futurity I think it made all the difference to me that I'd trained properly this year (last years when i was working I could really only fit in 5ks during the week and a LSR at the weekend). I had been running quite slowly, but got my second wind and I think that was all the added fitness. Plus the blessed rain - up to 6 miles I was seriously overheating! So sure you have it in you given the times you've been doing.

Well done your friend's stepdaughter rhet! DD1 is very anxious to do the mini one next year. And of course you'll do 2:12 and better again. Bloody hell, I passed an octogenarian today (glad I did pass him ): he's an example to us all of how you can keep on keeping on running!

Thanks Rhet I think it is in me...would of done it last time (or got close anyway) if I hasn't of fallen apart at 11 miles..that's why this time I am training up to 13 miles just in case!

Well done sticky ! Great time!

Oh dear..does that mean I am the only one left of the "we will get sub 2 hour 15min this year club" to do a half this year? Hope I can live up to that as getting a bit nervous despite still having a few weeks to go!

I was looking out for a woman with fanny on her head to Rhet. Well done for friends step daughter. How far is the junior one?