Happy when we are running!

[MoshiMoshi]

Hear ye! Hear ye! All those who want to liberate themselves from the shackles of their domestic and work lives, join us here in our continued bid to run and be happy and feel free !

Hello everyone! On train home after my race this morning. North Greenwich was freezing cold with a biting wind which was especially noticeable as the race start was delayed to accommodate late arrivals due to tube delays. Waiting for the official times as my watch got knocked and I lost 0.6 of a mile somewhere around mile 3. My final distance as recorded by my watch is therefore 12.51 miles in 1:28:43. I think my official time should fall somewhere around 1:32 but shall have to wait until the results are posted. Hoping it is closer to 1:30 than 1:35! Then will be all full of anxiety as to how I could have gone under 90 mins .

Well, I did the 10k in 1hr 7 mins - which is very slightly faster than I expected. Managed to do the last 1k at a good pace (for me!) and am already thinking about doing another one and hopefully cracking the hour. How did it go, Callista?

Well done, gold! Is that a new PB for you?

Twink - pleased you are down for Wimbleball next year! We can share the pain of training. Good luck with your half. If you are not trained for it I guess it becomes a training run to check your endurance rather than pace.

Hmm, text message just in. Gun time 1:41:04 and chip time 1:33:34. So I spent nearly 8 minutes waiting to cross the start line! I was snookered behind slower runners so spent most of the early part dodging people before finally reaching clearer space and the faster runners around mile 6 or 7. I think next time I will understate my time...

Hi Goldberry, well done on your race! Sounds like you should be really pleased with your time, and sub-60 mins is definitely achievable. Will you run the Oxford Town and Gown in May? Last time I ran that I got a good time as it's so flat.

I ran 60:47 in quite a lot of pain with my knee, so I stopped a few times to stretch my ITB and hip flexors! I didn't really deserve to run any faster because I haven't been able to train much. And of course it's a hilly course!

Moshi, am very impressed with your time, you are clearly very speedy! Yes, you should definitely start at a marker that is 10-15 mins ahead of your expected pace if you want to avoid dodging people for the first 20 mins. I disapprove of optimistic timing in general but have just given up worrying about it - better to be pushed by the people around you than held back at the start.

I think I'm going to switch to cycling for a while until I've sorted out my ITB issues, am a bit tired of the stabby pains now.

And it was very cold today! Not so much when running but it was pretty cold waiting to start and absoutely freezing after I'd stopped!

Yes Moshi, it is a PB - I hadn't really thought of it being a PB because it was only the second time I've actually managed to run that distance!
Callista - sorry about your knee. You probably found the downhill bits quite painful then, whereas they were bliss for me! I have already been looking at future 10k runs online. Will definitely consider the Town and Gown.

Well done Goldberry on your PB especially wiht your worries about making the distance !!!

Well done too Callista- knee sounds painful.

And amazing time Moshi ! Were you doing run to the beat ?

I was quite pleased with myself this morning - DH's birthday and we went out last night - got to bed at 1 and dd2 had me up at 6. Had to do my last longer run today and we had loads on so went out at 730 and did about 9K. Time wasn't brilliant but felt fine doing the distance so feel more positive, after not such a good week int he gym.

well done Goldberry Moshi ans Twink

now feel like I should go back to some race before the end of the year but might not be possible, meant to do the Hampton Court 10 next week end but no go
still slow steady regular is doing it for me right now at least

happy running all

Thanks all! Uh-oh.I seem to have some foot pain after my 10k, but am hoping it's just wear and tear after yesterday. The rear part of the arch of my foot, almost under the heel, feels really sore and kind of swollen (although it doesn't look it). It's quite painful to walk on and I'm getting the odd sharp twinge along the outside edge of my foot too. Normal post-race aches or should I be worried?

gold - racing will often push you harder than training and post-race aches are common. However, if things don't start to subside and if when you run the twinge get worse then I would get somebody like a physio to assess the problem and try to identify the cause .

Thanks for the advice Moshi. I'm not going to even try running on it for a while - it hurts just to walk today. Hopefully a bit of rest will sort it out... otherwise it's off to the physio.

moshi - sorry to be thick - but was that a half marathon? if so that's an AWESOME time.

I'm, erm, tapering. just went out for a 5-miler and did a pb. It's all in the head. I didn;t go out to try to do a pb. I went out to run it "strong and long". I just kept saying that in my head, thinking about keeping it steady, comfortable, something I might be able to keep up for 20 miles, just thinking lots of positive, strong thoughts..and came back to find it was a pb - yet it all felt solid and steady, rather than pushing it. weird.

anyone got tips for keeping pace up on long distance runs? (actually on the run, as opposed to having a training program that includes doing fartleks and speed sessions etc). I find that when I set off for anything long my head is in a very particular mindset - I go slow and find it hard. I feel more tired ater 3 or 4 miles, if I know I'm going 15+ than I do if I know I'm only going 5 - even though I'm going slower and will have used less energy . I liked my run today and felt like I could keep going - so my strong and long mantra might be a start - but any other tips gratefully received.

hope everyone else is ok. happy running. make the most of autumn...the nights are drawing in!

Wow well done Gold and Moshi, superwoman you.

It's always in the head Hattie isn't it? Talk yourself into it.

Just to clarify, yep, Moshi did a HALF MARATHON in a stupendous time! Many people would be pleased to run 10 miles in her time

[Note to self, get Moshi to devise speedwork plan for me as hers clearly works!]

Thanks for the kind words of praise ! I am sort of pleased as it was my first half despite years of running (as child bearing seemed to get in the way) and the time was sort of what I expected as I had a suspicion I was back on 7 min/mile. However, I am also feeling a bit like I need to do another half soon to prove to myself I can go sub-90 mins (perhaps on a flat course) as I know I have it in me. I actually am wondering whether I might try work on specific pacing now as I sort of feel like 6 1/2 min/miles is sustainable for a half with a bit of practice. Then I may be able to consider my next goal of a sub-3 hour marathon. Although as I have yet to do a 26.2 race I am meant to be looking to just finish comfortably aren't I but I am so ridiculously competitive that I am struggling not to think about specific pacing session in speed and tempo training. Ah, the inner demons we battle. BTW, I have just shared with you my secret goals for 2011 !

hat - can you use the people racing in front of you to stay at a certain pace? Combine your judgement with a bit if competitive drive to pick them off over the course of the 20 miles? I like to run negative splits and stay strong in the latter stages which does morale a lot of good and feeling like I am beating the competition helps get me through the race and keep pace usually.

Wow, Moshi! Pretty amazing stuff. I don't think I could manage a half marathon - am planning to stick to 10k! Do any of you long-distance lot keep doing shorter distances too? I was wondering about doing another 5k in between 10k's, to see if I can do it faster than my 1st one last year.

Hello ladies

I hope you don't think I am too rude but I just wanted to draw your attention to this run in case any of you were looking to enter anything else before christmas.

I wish I was happy when I am running but having just started couch to 5k I can just about manage to breathe and move simultaneously! Hoping the happy will come though!

ewe thanks for that might well be what I was looking for
joined their 'meet me on the bridge' march earlier in the year and it is a fantastic cause

Hi, everyone. Haven't posted for weeks.

I'm not exactly racing, but I'm one of the lapsed runners who has started running again. It's been a couple of weeks now and I'd forgotten how good it makes you feel. It's very slow at the moment, as I've put on weight and I haven't been running for two years. But I will persevere!

Keep going seaturtle, you'll get there!

Well done goldberry, calista, and moshi!
how's the foot pain now goldberry?

Hat-agree that is all about mental state. If I do a long run I always try and think that I am doing something that most people can't do. And try to feel inspired by the fact that I can run it. Also find some good toons helps too!

Ran 10k today for the first time since the start of the summer. Really enjoyed it though had to have a couple of strategic walks on the hills

yes indeed the nights are fair drawing in, lovely running times!

Keep at it, seaturtle - I had a big lapse last winter and ended up putting a load of weight back on and feeling really sluggish. I'm so glad I pulled myself together and started running again and I'm determined not to let winter put me off again. It wasn't the weather, but the dark evenings which got to me, but I'm getting a head torch and am resplendent in hideously bright reflective gear!
Thanks for asking, peachsmuggler - foot still hurts, but less, so I figure it can't be anything too serious. At first it hurt on the sole, near the heel. Now it's kind of migrated to the ankle, but only twinges a little. Am itching to go running again, and don't know how long to rest the foot...

Hi all,

Wow, some really dedicated runners on here - keep it up ladies!

Moshi, are you quite tall? I'm holding on to that idea in the hope that it will give me an excuse for being so much slower than you . I'm 5'2. But serious, 6 1/2 minute miles? AWESOME!

Goldberry, ouch, sounds painful! Be really careful - it's better to rest for a bit and do lots of stretching than try to fix an injury while doing running training. [hazards a diagnosis] - I'd recommend stretching out your calves (you can stand on stairs to do this) as tight calves are a common running issue and can really pull on the tendons in your feet and ankles. Plus, if that's not what it is you can't really do any more damage by stretching out your calves/hamstrings.

Thanks Callista - I had been having some tightness in my calves lately, so maybe that's it. Off to stretch now...

calista - hmmm, in Hong Kong where I come from I might be deemed reasonably tall for a woman. But no, I am only 5'2.5" so could only be classified as short or "petite" if we are being polite about it. I am reading Racing Weight at the moment which talks about the gains from losing pounds of fat and I have managed to drop fat and gain muscle this past year which I think helps. I could lose a bit more fat although DH is already calling me obsessive about running so I shall have to do it by stealth.

gold - a moving twinge suggests that it is referred pain caused by something elsewhere. It could be tendonitis which is helped by rest and massage. Give it a few more days then see if a run brings it on again. If it does then maybe try to see a physio for a diagnosis and recommendation for how to alleviate it and avoid it recurring.

callista I'm stretching it if I claim to be 5'1" - and I always thought being a titch was the perfect excuse for being slow. but then I found out that Tsegaye Kebede (won this years london marathon) is about an inch taller than me and a pound lighter. my jaw hit the floor. dh looked at him and said "yes, but you're not exactly the same build are you?" funny that. what with him being an athletic god.

just read moshi's latest....not only is Tsegaye Kebede a shortie our very own speed goddess is too. you lot are going to fall off your chairs laughing when I tell you how my race goes.