Runners United. C'mon let's be awesome at running in 2012!!

Am well jel of the NZ trip .....

Would love to take the dcs to Barcelona I though it was the perfect city. Or New York as DH and I conducted our long distance romance between London and NY all those years ago . But as I said this year DH and I will be Sid James and Hattie Jacques in Carry On Camping!

Budapest sounds lovely, might look into that for a short break later in the year ....

Just back from my 8 miles, slow due to lack of food energy. Beautiful morning here, pretty spring like for January?!

debi at you eating chocolate whilst watching biggest loser. Watching it made me put down my big bag of crisps I was scoffing. Although the only thing that me going on the last mile this morning was having a chocolate biscuit when I got home.
Well done ibby at the 15 miles. I'm a bit confused about HR stuff too though I do have a poplar HR monitor upstairs I keep meaning to put it on for a run just to see what it goes to. I know I have a high resting HR.
Did my 6 miles this morning, chest perfectly ok but legs just felt very heavy and I am really shattered now.

Well done on your win Littlechief (have you seen cometition winners thread)

Peach good news about DP's job, though pain for you and running. You will hopefully get into a good habit of fitting a run in as and when...

Missed GBBO last night as was working (a bit frantic with work at mo). Will try to catch up on iplayer.

Debi am v envious of your trip to NZ.

Just back from 15 miles, knackered and can't really type so heading for choccy stash. Am a bit lost with all this heart rate stuff.

Ooh I'm jealous Debi - I would love to go back to NZ. DH and I had a 3 week honeymoon there.

We did an Easter walking holiday in the Costa Brava a few years ago - was lovely, not too hot, plenty to see, Barcelona not too busy or hot.

This year I think we are going to try an area of Scotland we have not been before for summer - maybe Galloway (any recommendations welcome ).

I am taking a much simpler approach to HR training at the moment as per the base training thread on runners world. It suggests 180 - age (adjusted if super fit/couch potato etc) as max for all training runs until you can run 1hr at a fairly steady pace without the HR drifting upwards. Then introduce 1 -2 tempo sessions between this level and +10. Obviously, I am cheating by running faster on club nights 'cos I want to chat with my speedy friends .

Cest - if you like hiking we did about 120km of the Lycian way in Turkey at that time of year and it was beautiful ? spring flowers out, nice weather, roman ruins, Turkish food ? ideal holiday. We also found a company that set it up for you so it was cheating hiking ? they booked b&b?s each night, and the b&bs then transported your kit to the next night?s place, so you only had to walk with a day bag.

Otherwise, when I was in Europe, I generally liked former eastern block ? I love Budapest, and have been there in most seasons ? because the pools are all thermal you can swim in all weathers (especially fun in mid winter!) (and there are still alot of the beautiful art deco ones), plus good food and a lot of other things to do, and while the gap?s closing you still get more bang for your buck then in Italy/France etc. Have also done good hiking in Bulgaria (7 lakes area) and Slokvakia.

Haven't yet down my step and run combo - Thursday is meant to be cooler so may attempt it early in the morning then. For the avoidance of doubt I'm not even contemplating 3 times up and down - will be f*cked happy with two...

GBBO makes you want to stuff your face, then Biggest Loser makes you want to rein it in a bit!

Shred, we had lovely tea tonight of tuna steaks (bad peachsmuggler!) with a three bean salad and loads of rocket. High protein-tastic.

I watched some of biggest loser. While eating chocolate and feeling smug for doing 2 lots of exercise in 1 day

Holidays- we've been to Portugal twice with kids and the inlaws. Once to near Lagos in Algave (we went to Sagres too and it is lovely) and once to somewhere an hour north of Lisbon. I've love to go to the north too. 2010 we went to the Loire, again with the inlaws. Last year we went to Cornwall camping and a caravan in Scotland. This year will hopefully be the best yet, if we block out the long haul flight bit 2 weeks in New Zealand in April

Ah right. Watching biggest loser now.

Great British Bake-Off

Just watched Biggest Loser US, now on Edwin Drood.

I know never watched it before, it was very strange. Whats gbbo?

swtiched to GBBO - one of my faves

• the fat programme is strange - everyone is either very fat or very thin, no-one looks normal at all!±

One of the pt struck the girl in a class with all 'perfect' women with perfect abs and unsurprisingly she came out feeling down I would of too.

Too busy salivating over Great British Bake off for Sport Relief, and watching Biggest Loser next!

just turned it on orange

Anyone watching that fat fighters?

peach well it all has its uses - you have nudged dp and I to sort out something in West Cork - one of my favourite places in the world - for the summer.

yes, running is right, the one in the 130s is a bit low for you - hence why you find running at slower paces hard/impossible - for recovery you probably need to go about 143-5. One of the things that I've found odd/interesting is that at lower paces stepping up impacts a good bit on heart rate - but often the calibration is quite tight - 2-3 beats per min make quite a difference (or a jump in pace makes little difference, depending on how you want to look at it).

fanny remember that your heart rate will naturally climb over the course of a run as you get hotter and more dehydrated - so your graph (ironing out kinks and drops in pace for crossing roads etc) should look like a gentle diagonal - higher on the right than on the left if you have been running even pace

Extra Irish holiday sounds fab Rhet, but I suspect DP will want to not take hols as hasn't worked for 2 months

peach here you don't even have to apply for it, as it isn't means-tested in any way - you get it as soon as you have registered your child and they get their pps (like National Insurance) number...it's perhaps not the best way to ensure that we 'cherish all the children of the nation equally' (Irish Constitution), but welcome nonetheless

Thanks for reminder Rhet! Forgot about child benefit application!

Am sinking in life admin!!!

great news on DP and job peach, despite running interference! If you are coming to Cork end of march you should take an extra day or two and go to Beara, or somewhere in West Cork. I'd say a wedding in Cork will be great fun - pack your alka seltzer!

going to order running buggy when backdated child benefit overtime money comes in - really excited about it. Peach and I will be comparing muscley arms!!

Congratulations to your dp peach, understand its frustrating though.
Holidays this year centre parcs then cornwall a few months later. Last year was just centre parks too. But best holidays recently dh and I had honeymoon in mexico (4 years ago now time does fly) and the year before that Lanzarote, dh proposed there on the beach (evening stroll not when it was full of sunbathers). Would definnetly go back to both places as were lovely.
Planning 6 miles tomorrow but feeling very drained today so hope I feel a bit better tomorrow.

peach excellent news dh's job, maybe you can find a gym with a crèche now for a couple of workouts a week?

cherry you are a lot more prepared that I ever was, even without children to sort out, I am sure it will be nice

holidays we are fond of France and I love Wales to be honest, would happily return every year.
further afield I like North Africa although perhaps not right now, Nordic countries are nice, if going outside their major holiday season as you can use their holiday cottages
Portugal, inlaws have place they use in Vilamoura, it is ok I guess for families with children but I really hate the Algarve, particularity the coast, not so much when going inland towards Alentejo. But I always prefer the North around The Douro Valley.
In the Algarve I had the odd experience of talking to people in Portguese and getting replies in English until I gave up, which sounded pretty ridiculous but DH found amusing

You're too nice wheely. Careful or I'll get the slides out next time .