Anyone else training for a half marathon?

Yay! Go runners! Good luck to all of you tomorrow!

I agree with the comments about snacking on runs. My best run EVER was a while ago when I was still quite a new runner, I was floating, felt fantastic, went further and faster than I'd ever done. I had some water as I ran but no food. I got home, started to shiver and shake and was violently sick. I turned out I'd seriously overdone it, and should have been refuelling as I went along. I am convinced that experience has slowed me down, because of the fear of it happening again. And I now have a gel/sports beans after 45 minutes, and before I start if it's been a long time since a meal.

Good luck to those doing GNR tomorrow.
I did my first hm at GScottishR 2nd sep.
I'm 50 this year, member of a running club abd did hm in 2:32 which I was pleased with - just to give some encouragement to other oldies

Thanks for the good luck messages - I actually feel a bit sick with nerves now we're on our way to Newcastle!

I'm also v worried about how busy it will be & my DH struggling to keep hold of our 3 boys if it's so busy! I'm sure it'll be fine but I think for me it's the fear of the unknown generally

Good luck, GNR-ers!

Best of luck. I'll be thinking of you all on Sunday xx

Im not at all worried about the GNR- I'm more worried about DP and DS2 waiting around for me on the day- and then getting out of South Shields back onto the motorway! Its really stressing me out!!

but the run- I'm fine with the run!!

Yes good luck to the GNR runners will be thinking of you!

I've never eaten anything on a run - would get stitch (I get a stitch if I so much as look at food for 3 hours before a run) but I am thinking about energy gels. I used them years ago when I did a few triathlons and found they definitely helped albeit they all taste foul

Good luck to us all doing GNR - Enjoy Sunday

Hmmm, that's interesting. I had plenty (too much!) to eat later, but not straight after. Didn't refuel on the run either. Maybe I need to start doing that on longer runs. Thanks for the advice folks!

Holmes I was going to post the same as Kiwi. I've found if I eat within 30-45 mins after a long run my recovery is generally fine, I also have to drink a lot of water as well. Do you "refuel" every 45-60 mins whilst you are running? If I am aiming to run for more than an hour, I generally have one of those energy things like a Gu or Shot Block, they are disgusting but they keep me going.

Holmes I've felt like this a couple of times after a long run and I think it's because I didnt eat enough afterwards during the day to compensate. Try getting some more calories in you?

Thanks Lexi - you're probably right. It's not so much the aches which bother me, more the fatigue. I feel completely zonked - almost kind of spaced out! Lots of water and good, nourishing food today and hopefully I'll be up for Parkrun tomorrow.

push on through I'd say Holmes - if it hasn't actually injured you, just aches, then do an easy-going one 48 hrs after your long one, and then another 24/48 hrs later do intervals or hills. I think (paraphrasing fitness science told to me ages ago) these aches are when your body is having to mend muscle fibre, and doing regular runs means your muscles rebuild stronger. So unless you've really pulled something, it's important to keep a consistent pattern of exercise going so your muscles keep adding up. Think there is probably also the cumulative CV fitness going on as well.

Hope everyone's training is going well. I posted early in the thread, and am doing the Blenheim Palace half in just over 3 weeks. I'm a bit worried as I did 13k yesterday (my longest run yet) and it's knocked me for six! Felt fine during and just after, but am still knackered 24 hrs later! Am wondering now what to do training-wise in the next couple of weeks. Try and push for a couple of longer runs or ... not?!

Yes kiwi- I am currently blaming London for my chest infection! Bad roads

I love to listen to music when I run, it stops me from getting distracted and slowing down to a snail pace, instead of my usual tortoise. I do, however, run with only one ear plug in, so I am aware of traffic, people, bikes etc. and not hugely loud. Actually it's lucky I do that because a few weeks ago I accidentally stood on one of my earphones. They need replacing now though because my 2 1/2 year old pulled off the plastic soft bit for in your ear and then my mum swept it up and threw it out!!! The cheek! she won't be allowed to come stay again (was good she swept the floor though).

I like to listen to the ministry of sound running tracks (not all of them- i put the ones i like into a playlist). I think they release a new one most years. I also currently have on my playlist Rhianna (run the world) mambo number 5 (Lou bega) sexy and I know it (hehe) and black eyes peas I gotta feeling- and a few others I probably (as a 37yr old mother of three) shouldn't admit too?. I like to relive my youth

Lexi I suspect I would feel more like that if my runs weren't mainly around London! Having said that I do often run up to the nearby Common/Heath and it's glorious there on a quiet Sunday morning with just me, a few other runners and the odd dog walker for company. I can definitely see the appeal of quiet running through countryside like that. But alas there's also rather a lot of running down roads...

You know how people sometimes say to really appreciate a landscape, or art, you should draw/paint it yourself, because it forces you to concentrate on all the details individually? Or when reading a book/poem, read it out loud to slow yourself down and let it sink in?

Well I think that in a sort of reverse sense about the sights and sounds around me when running. If I went for a nice walk down the disused railway line I would not get such a 'hit' of the smells of trees and wildflowers and the sounds of birds and insects as I do when I am running on a Sunday morning. It's nearly a five-senses experience (I try to avoid letting flies into my panting maw! but even water tastes better when you really deserve it)

I did 8.5 miles today after 4 yesterday and 7.5 on Tues. my legs are TOAST

I'm not a big fan of running w no headphones cos I hate hearing my own panting..! I run with Sennheiser phones that aren't for running as I have the same problem with buds falling out

Lexi I am like you. I really love not listening to music when I run. I just want to appreciate everything around me. I also revel in the silence of not having 2 small children bossing me around for the time that I am out. Like you it also gives me the opportunity to sort things out in my mind (or not). Also I have never found comfortable earphones and they tend to fall out.

I was using the Nike ap on the iphone but I recently bought a Garmin Forerunner 310xt, which I really like. The Nike Ap was good but I didn't like carrying my iphone with me and it got very wet a couple of times which wasn't good for my phone.

neither I run around Prospect Park or further afield depending on how long my runs are. I live in Brooklyn pretty much next to the park.

I just 3.5 mile run. It felt so good. It is a nice feeling nearing the end of the training when you consider 3.5 miles a good short run. I think back to the beginning of the training when I found it so much harder and realise how far I've come. It's a nice feeling.

I use endomondo sometimes but have a Garmin 405 so mainly use that for pace (btw have found amazingly large discrepancies between Garmin data and Endomondo for some runs!) and then upload all the Garmin data to the computer/endomondo afterwards (yes just get a life..)

I listen to some seriously odd choices too :) DH was in charge of putting running music on my iPod shuffle so I have rather a lot of Dr Dre and Metallica...
Personally i find cheesy music better for running. Sugababes for instance

Issy, are you sure you are ready for this?

I have a live version of Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits) which has a bouncy start and a long guitar solo in the middle, and recently discovered a 10 minute version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine (by Creedence), which is a bit slower but has a good strong beat.

I have to go to work now, am not running away!