runners united: no speed limits (LFDT), all running all out for fun/glory etc

that is better moshi although there are a fair few peacocks about

fanny you can call yourself whatever you like because you will own it anyway

off to help out at school

sfx what you mean..?! . I'm known as Fit Fanny around these parts!

orange bloody hell, what a twat your Ex was. . No money is worth being with a person with no morals whatsoever and yep, karma gonna what him right on his testicles in the future. Well done you for picking yourself up. A lot of women would sink into a decline.

Monkey so sad. The poor lady.

bonkers - no, they were red and something else (not beige). I mean I think I am weak but suspect the lightness helped with scrambling over the obstacles. Annoyingly had I known I could manage it, I would have been a bit more pushy instead of waiting politely at obstacles and given it more welly on the open runs! The first female was only 3 mins ahead of me which was easily as long as I wasted hanging around behind those slow heaving men .

No, he doesn't, sfx. Tis the tongue in cheek name we give him at Bootcamp. He is v fit with a background in martial arts. Naturally fit. Not like those of us who have had to work at it coming back from childbearing .

Fit Mike who has the gumption to call themselves that?

moshi it sounds like fun except for the monkey bars, plenty more push ups for me I think, glad it helped as stress reliever

orange sounds rough, there was a lady woman on my antenatal thread whose husband left her when the baby was born, by all accounts she is so much happier now with a solid family, and with someone who know what being a father and a husband actually means

monkey that is so sad

had break from essay to go for a short 3 miles, all very damp and dreary but actually enjoyed the leaves on the round and barely a soul about except for fellow runners and dog walkers, did not bother much with training as this week is about using it as relaxation

Haha Moshi you walloped a bloke called Fit Mike and didn't even break out in a sweat. Tell you what girl, you bloody inspire me you do and I mean that sincerely. I have a feeling someone in your family history was a great runner.

DrNo not a sleigh bed, I'll link to it when I'm on my computer. The actual frame wasn't too expensive but the bloody mattress was. Suffice to say, 4 months later my waters broke all over my fuck off poncey mattress! Have to laugh though, I do sound like a WAG don't I!? When my friends from school got in touch when I used to be on FB, they all used to discuss who I was married to... . They were awfully disappointed when it was only a scouser from a Council Estate!

Wow Moshi, what a fun race (she says from the comfort of her kitchen table!).
You said you're quite weedy. Do you mean generally small and lean? If so, then I bet that helped you on some of the obstacles. 55 mins though.....that's fantastic!

One of the Metros wasn't beige was it? Only DH got his nicked a few years ago and we never did find out what happened?!

Oh my word moshi monkey bars! Despite my pathetic effort at push ups I have no upper body strengh and would fall flat on my face

just read back (in l/c with sickly dc4 on lap) and read your fab report bonkers. well done on a great time off no training! my pelvic floor can challenge me during a race too and i feel the need to empty my bladder until the nth minute before the klaxon goes off.

Well done Bonkers. Don't think I could do one 7.5 minute mile, let alone 10 in a row! I am in awe!

Cor blimey, monkey. You are one tough lady and I agree that karma will work its magic. Life is more than what we have and see but what we think and feel. Totally agree.

Oh monkey thats awful how sad.
Yes karma well and truly came and bite him on the backside.

Anyway brief race report from me. On Sunday, I raced in the Men's Health 10K at Battersea. Billed as a tough (I think they use the word "grueling", although that makes me think of porridge!) obstacle course over a 10K.

I have been quite stressed with this move to San Fran and everything it entails and it was quite a good stress-reliever. I had not thought about it until the night before when my only thought was that I didn't fancy running a 10k through mud and over obstacles having done no training for it. DH was telling me not to bother if I didn't fancy it (we are Yin and Yang) but I had committed to do it with my Bootcamp buddies and so went along for the fun. Worrying slightly though as I was convinced I couldn't summon enough strength to do a single pull up let alone a set of money bars....

We arrived in plenty of time to get our registration packs and check out those bits of the course we could see. It was at Battersea Power Station with some running in Battersea Park and some in and around the Power Station. What the course involved (in no particular order) was: a 10 foot wall, 3M high stacks of hay bales, cargo nets over ice cubes and mud, skips with chest high filthy water, a pool of cold water to cross, lots of A frame type things to climb over, sand bags to carry in the Power Station, crowd control barriers to get over, bollards to climb, Mini Metros to climb through, a pond to wade through, plenty of rope swings, two lots of money bars etc among other things.

It was very slow going as there was so much congestion around the course. I told myself it would be a slow race due to the crowds alone. We were set off in 20 waves 15 mins apart but with 7000 competitors on the course it meant it was quite crowded. The worst thing was that I was held up at pretty much every obstacle by people who were taking forever to leap over/under/through/across an obstacle. It would have saved me a good few minutes if I'd had a clear run at the obstacles. What is it about the male pride that won't let a female pass who is going faster than him? I managed to scale all the obstacles easily enough (including the monkey bars!!!!) with the exception of the 10 foot wall at the end and I would definitely not have managed it without the help of the leg up by the very kind man there at the time. I managed to overcome my fear of heights by jumping down before thinking about it and crossed the line feeling quite fresh.

I was very surprised it had seemed so easy as I was expecting to find it quite hard being a bit of a weedy person. I have not been doing any conditioning work for some time with the move taking up most of my time. What spare time I can find I squeeze in my running. I definitely felt as if the course could have been longer which would have given me more time to get going. But it was hugely enjoyable and a great stress reliever.

I was 8th female overall and first in my wave with a time of 50:43. 393rd overall of about 7000. Fastest woman managed it in 47 mins, fastest man was 39 mins. I wish now I had pushed the running a bit more and been a bit less polite waiting at obstacles but I hadn't realised it would feel so easy. And I was the first Bootcamper with the second (a chap we call Fit Mike), three minutes behind me.

I recommend giving it a go to anyone curious. It was tremendous fun and a great stress reliever!

Fanny and Drno you've reminded me that I really should move on from the Worzel Gummidge look. Not having work to make me spruce myself up periodically it's too easy just to slob (tho in some ways I look a lot better - so much more exercise so I'm much brighter eyed and clearer skinned, just a bit too bushy!!)

Orange you are amazing, how you managed to get your life back on track after all that. Can't believe your exh's behaviour - who would do that to his own kids ? Sorry can't help with the treadmill, I know nothing about them.

Poor old your DP rhet and poor old you too! I'm sure a new iPad would be just the thing to cheer you both up. I was terrible for reading and feeding at the same time. Sometimes would stay up between feeds reading (tho that was when I only had DD1, I was more knackered on number 2, so did close the book once she'd dropped off, even if was a 'citin' bit).

monkey that sounds like my life! But you can't complain at all - you've been two 2 concerts in the last week . Are you going to give your poor ears a bit of a rest now

8.5 miles this morning. Was really not into it for the first few miles, just been looking at the splits and I went up to 11 m/m for miles 2,3,4 and 5. Then I must have warmed up and dropped back down to 10 m/m again. Overall it took me nearly 1 1/2 hours. Still, it's done.

Oh monkey, how awful. That poor woman. Just cannot imagine.

Omg orange, your ex is a piece of work!!!! What a nightmare. Am so glad you got your happy ending, your current DH sounds ace. A lot of treadmils have a preprogrammed hill session which might be good as it will vary the gradient and the speed? Poor DSs, hope they get better soon.

I can't stop singing the Stockport 10 Goody Bag song and am convinced I am going to sing it in labour on G&A and piss myself (literally) laughing. Not sure it's the kind of thing you can explain to midwives between contractions. Perhaps will ensure it is on YouTube faves on the iPhone.....

fanny you are so going to piss on me in teh Blackpool half. You are on fire at the mo. That bed shop is still here and going strong. VERY poncey beds! Was it a sleigh bed by any chance?

Moshi Did I miss a post, 8th woman back?! Where and what race?!

Talking of poncy, someone I know has a home PA and is flying 4 of her pals off on a suprise break this week in her private jet.....

orange - that's utterly crap, am very for you. But then I believe in what goes around comes around, and your ex truly has some bad karma coming his way. Whereas you, as you say, have turned the situation around. You know what they say, the best revenge is to be happy.

Just got some very sad news, one of the mums at school just had a 20 week scan last week, and the news wasn't good. I don't know all the details but a friend just told me she is no longer pregnant . Times like these you realise what really matters in life - am gutted for her.

Just had a quick catch up [head spinning as read as much]. Well done Moshi on being 8th woman thats amazing and well done bonkers, great report.
Moshi your house is beautiful.
I second everything fanny said. My ex had a very good job and we were very comfortable lots of holidays, but not quite moshi's standards. But I never saw my exh he was always working away. The stress of his job got too much for him he started drinking got very nasty and gambled away all our savings . His job wanted to transfer him to Italy to we sold our house and moved in with my mum and dad for few months till we went to Italy. We put all the profits from house in savings then 3 weeks after ds2 born he ran off with someone else and emptied all the savings I never saw a penny of it. I was left with no house no job as I was a sahm no money and 16 month old and newborn. I got a council house (very lucky as it in a very nice area with nice school) and was on benefits for a bit whilst I got sorted. Although it was awful and scarey at first I started to realise I was so miserable before and I really learnt alot about myself and started to feel happy for the first time in years. My dh now has on ok job we just get by but we have a real relationship and he is a fantastic dad to the boys. Sometimes he gets a bit insecure and says do you wish I could give you want exh could. I can honestly say no, dh makes me more happy than ex and his good job and money ever did. Thats what matters. Sorry if a bit soppy.
Anyway a quick question. Was supposed to be doing hill work today but got boys off as they have been vomiting in the night. So will have to wait till dh gets home and go to the gym. To do hill work on treadmill what incline should I set it to for the hill parts?

Oh the ponce that I am, I have an iPad! It has inscribed on the back "to my wonderful wife Happy Christmas 2010". I can categorically state that during the course of an average day the DDs have it for 75%, DH 24% and myself 1%. . Great for car journeys for kids but need 3...

Oh ffs I just typed a huge message to you all and my pc just wiped it. Maybe I need an ipad (DH are you reading this?).

Wasn't very interesting anyway. To summarise - period pain. Chipped windscreen - waiting for autoglass. That's as exciting as it gets in the monkey house.