Runners united (come join us if you are addicted to running!)

[MoshiMoshi]

This is a continuation of the thread "Happy When We Are Running" for those of us who are committed to running in order to preserve a sense of ourselves and maintain a degree of sanity in our lives which are otherwise taken over by family and work-related matters.

All runners are welcome, experienced and newbies, if you are a keen runner. We promise to support you in your efforts and have a running (excuse the pun!) list of races (see below) which various of us have entered in order to provide advice and support along the way.

So what are you waiting for? Spring is here and there is no better time to enter those races you have been wondering about entering and lose those winter pounds, and all for free (well, as long as you have a decent pair of trainers suitable for your running gait ). Alternatively, if you don't want to race you can just join us to enjoy the racing vicariously and learn about training and what (not) to do along the way.

27/03/11 - Kingston Breakfast Run 8.2m wheely
02/04/11 - Miles for Missing People 10K: MoshiMoshi
10/04/11 - Brighton Marathon: Pawsnclaws
17/04/11 - VLM: MoshiMoshi/ Passmyglass/ Doyouthinktheysaurus
10/05/11 - Burbage Skyline 5.75 miles: Hatwoman
14/05/11 - Chester Half Marathon: IreadthereforeIam
15/05/11 - Oxford Town and Gown 10k: Goldberry
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Marathon: MrsWednesday
30/05/11 - BUPA 10K: MoshiMoshi
08/06/11 - Claver Peak 5 miles: hatwoman
11/06/11 - Clumber Park R4L 10k Hamster
12/06/11 - Bath R4L 5k Dillinger
12/06/11 - Redcar half marathon - DrNortherner
25/06/11 - Lewa half marathon Kenya - Masterandmargaritas
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie

I tend to gorge on marzipan when I get in from a run

I would also be happy with that pace at 11 miles

I'm getting jealous of the people who have a race to train for. I'm struggling to keep up the motivation to run. Any tips?

Penguin, um, sign up for a race? maybe for a charity dear to you and yours - you mention mountains, perhaps Mountain Rescue?

but what kinda of distance and time frame? (also am in the US atm). Being pg sucks at times. I shouldn't be increasing distance (much) but don't know how long to run for

actually scrub that I'm just making excuses

Thanks for the advice again, I am going to postpone for a month or so - I'm also common (A+).

Penguin, are congratulations in order? Sorry if I've misread it, but if you are pregnant then that is a good enough goal . How many weeks are you?

I have a big bowl of Dorset Cereals Nutty Mueseli (I have NO idea how to spell that!) when I get in from my long run. Then loads of chocolate later...

oh, didn't realise you were pg too! so 3 pregnant ladies - you're almost an ante-natal club all on your own (a very very exclusive one). What's your weekly mileage? usually? and how far along are you?

congrats, by the way

So who are the other preggers, I knew there was one (but forgotten who).

I am 12 weeks now, and tbh have only been doing one run a week for a while now, which is either 3, 5 or 8 (which has been a few weeks)

I'm also A but negative.

Wow, this thread moves fast I'll try to join in after the lovely welcome I got but I can't even pretend to call myself a runner; I'm a shuffler jogger.

Well done on the Arkendale run DrNo I chickened out but did the same course on monday and it took me 1hr 03mins Am very glad I didn't do it on sunday; you would have been halfway home before I fell over the finish line!

These last few weeks I have been getting slower and finding my runs so much harder. I'm waiting for the results of a blood test for deficiencies, specifically iron and folic acid, as I'm also losing a lot of hair so I'm almost hoping something comes up, that it all might be connected somehow and I can get a supplement that will give me lush locks and bags of energy at the same time!

My DH keeps telling me to have a week or so off running but I'm just terrified that if I stop, I won't start again as I've done that in the past with other hobbies. Not sure what to do?

Congrats on all the pregnancies btw!

Oh, and just I feel I belong!

10/04/11 - Brighton Marathon: Pawsnclaws
17/04/11 - VLM: MoshiMoshi/ Passmyglass/ Doyouthinktheysaurus
02/05/11 - Ashdon 10K: bonkers20
10/05/11 - Burbage Skyline 5.75 miles: Hatwoman
14/05/11 - Chester Half Marathon: IreadthereforeIam
15/05/11 - Oxford Town and Gown 10k: Goldberry
21/05/11 - Clare Burren Marathon Challenge - drivingmisscrazy
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Marathon: MrsWednesday
22/05/11 - Merchant Taylors' Triathlon: MoshiMoshi
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Half Marathon: backwardpossom, squix
29/05/11 - Stirling R4L: squix
30/05/11 - BUPA 10K: MoshiMoshi
05/06/11 - Seaford Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
05/06/11 - Tilty Hilly 5(mile): bonkers20
05/06/11 - RFL 10k: LaLa
08/06/11 - Claver Peak 5 miles: hatwoman
11/06/11 - Clumber Park R4L 10k Hamster
12/06/11 - Bath R4L 5k Dillinger
12/06/11 - Redcar half marathon - DrNortherner
19/06/11 - Dash for Dads - Pawsnclaws
19/06/11 - Half Ironman UK 70.3 - Twink, MoshiMoshi
25/06/11 - Lewa half marathon Kenya - Masterandmargaritas
26/06/11 - Stortford 10 miles - thecoo
26/06/11 - Colworth half marathon - cestlavie
02/07/11 - Achill Half marathon - drivingmisscrazy
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
10/07/11 - Felsted 10K: bonkers20
17/07/11 - RFL St Albans - Pawsnclaws
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie
24/09/11 - mooathon, donegal: drivingmisscrazy
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely
10/12/11 - Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon (half): drivingmisscrazy

Best of luck Paws have a great time should be gorgeous

Thanks sfxmum have been obsessively checking the weather - the forecast seems all over the place though, anywhere between 13 degrees with light showers to 21 degrees with no cloud!

Just done my last run - 2 miles jogged with the dog. Poor dog came in panting and puffing due to the warmth and the fact that I pushed the poor old pooch further than a mile - hard to believe he's capable of sprinting at 45 mph!

I'm quite tempted to put my name down for the Chester marathon in October, which crosses from England to Wales and back. I quite like the idea of crossing a border in the course of a marathon!

I can imagine your weather concerns paws. Hopefully it'll stay below 20 degrees which is always my ideal limit - when I ran Nottingham HM last year it was 24 degrees and I was almost frantic trying to run bits of shade to run in. By the time I finished my face had a fine layer of salt all over it from sweating (lovely!).

PenguinArmy I know what you mean. It's really hard to get the motivation to push yourself without something to aim for. In the end I've had to sign up for a random half just so I've got a target to aim for otherwise I just get to a critical point and find it hard to go beyond there. Are there any smaller events you could aim for (fun runs, 5ks?)

Interested to hear all these things about gels. I tried once and it tasted like cat sick and didn't have any obvious benefit so I've kind of stayed clear since! (Like the idea of jelly beans much better...) I tend to have a couple of bananas just before a longer race and then run with Lucozade Sport.

Still staying with new training regime. Did fartlek yesterday over 5 miles which was pretty good surprisingly, for someone who's quite anal about tracking distances and times. Quite bizarre just to listen to your body rather than your GPS though I think you have to be pretty disciplined to make fartlek really work (which I'm not sure I am).

And treated myself to a 4 mile recovery run today in the sunshine which was just gorgeous - no targets, no time pressure, just listening to The Streets in the sun. I think I was passed by Moshi at one point actually - or rather some woman went past me in a lycra clad blur in the park at a speed which made me wince (sounds like Moshi ne c'est pas??!)

I did my first 5k race in 30 degrees in the shade, pouring water over head helped, I thought I might die but the excitement made me run along at a good pace

I like the idea of cycling shorts but might refrain for a while and keep to capri pants for fear of scaring dogs and young children

at sfx scaring children and dogs - you're not alone!

Paws I do hope the weather cools down a bit for you, but I'm sure once you get into your groove you'll be fine regardless. Just drink lots!

I did a 5 mile run with 3 miles at tempo pace in the middle, and it went well despite the heat. I had that thin layer of salt that you mention when I got back though cestlavie!

I used my heart rate monitor for the first time in ages and it said I burned over 800 calories. However Runkeeper said just over 500 and another calorie counter website I found said just under 500 at the average pace I ran. My heart rate does go alarmingly high though, so I think that's why the heart rate monitor gets a bit carried away in its estimate. Apparently my ave was 180 beats per minute. As I'm 40 that should be my max heart rate, but I can go a lot higher than that... maybe I have alien genes in me.

penguin, am another pregnant person on this thread. I am just taking it easy, as although I have been running properly for the last 3 years, I didn't run when pregnant with DD so it's all new to me and just seeing how it goes. Not sure there is much point in you entering a race as you won't be able to push yourself, unless you wanted to join in for the hell of it! Reading all the training and marathon stories here makes me want to do something too, but think it will have to wait!

Have been feeling not too bad and did 3 miles on Monday which was fine. Felt sick before and after but not during so that was nice.

Also had a little scan yesterday for reassurance. All fine, measuring exactly 7 weeks so felt massive amount of relief, for now!

Hope the tapering jitters aren't affecting our marathoners too much.

When do you get your test results Youmake? Maybe you should take it easy till then if you are struggling a bit, hopefully something easy to fix

Nice one on the fartlek cestlavie. Yes I think it can be used as an excuse not to work so hard, but on the other hand, you can find yourself working very hard through pure exhuberance!! Like the idea of you "treating yourself" to a 4 mile recovery run

Well done doing a temp run in this heat thecoo, a salty layer is a badge of honour!

As to shorts, hmmm, well mine are capri length (tight ones) and I ain't going any shorter

Really keeping my fingers crossed that it's a bit cooler on Sunday paws, am sure it being on the coast will help, and I think you'll do great and have an awesome day.

Hi All. Lol at cestlavie thinking he was overtaken by Moshi! How funny.

Paws Good luck!!!! Hope the weather is just how you want it.

Gorgeous day in North Yorks again. Ds off to football training so I am going to do pyramid training around the pitch (jog 3 sides, sprint one/jog 2 sides, sprint 2 etc) Might get some funny looks off other parents though......

Hi Peach I''m hoping to get the results next weds and am really hoping for a simple answer/quick fix. I bet that won't be the case! Thankyou for asking though

I managed a 8.5mile run today (in 1 hour 25 minutes ) but I did enjoy it; the weather was lovely; sunny but cool.

Happy running everyone!

Rookie tip of the day: imagine Paula Radcliffe is waching you run...

Go you, DrNo!

peach - am really pleased your scan was good. Hoping all continues well with you. Well done for keeping the activity up too.

thecoo - I have heard that HRMs can give erratic readings when the connections are too wet eg when really sweaty. I have still to remember to wear mine it's all I can do to remember the Garmin when I head out of the door! I also have this concern that I will just have TMI and be bogged down when running. I have gone by feel for so many years now that I am not sure I want to change that and become reliant on another piece of technology.

lala - good luck with your results and I hope you get resolution on the problem. V frustrating to know something is amiss but not know exactly what!

paws - seems a little cooler today? Hoping the weather drops a few degrees for you but if it doesn't at least you know everyone will be in same sweaty boat. Think you should enter that marathon before it fills up .

Puppy up at 5:40am. Too early.

PS cestlavie - have you bought that Garmin yet?

youmakemewanna well done on 8.5 miles, that's a good distance! Hasn't the weather been amazing recently!

MrsWeds I think the trainers arrived yesterday when I was at work, have a card saying there is a parcel to collect at the depot. Will get them today, am excited

Well last night I managed 5.4 miles in 43.02. What is all that about? I did 10k in 56 something on Sunday, so last night I was faster, no way would I have run one more mile as slowly as 16 mins. If I'd have ran like that on Sun I would have beaten my mate Obviously on race day i get too nervous. I failed 4 driving tests due to nerves.....lunch with 3 girls I used to work with as one had a baby 6 weeks ago so get to meet him and have loads of cuddles.

Happy Friday everyone!

Don't know what happened there, should read LSR for me today then lunch with some girls......

Uh oh. My Yahoo! account has been hijacked and is sending continuous rounds of emails of an illicit nature to everyone in my address book and, it would seem, anyone who I have ever sent emails to.

This includes school teachers, the vicar who conducted my dad's memorial service and various high ranking Government civil servants in Hong Kong. I am, as you can imagine, mortified. I have suspended the account but what else can I do? One school mum actually replied to ask me not to send her emails to her work account like that. How can she honestly think I sent it?!!!!

Oh no Moshi.......not sure there is anything you can do other than close the account like you already have. Maybe someone else is a bit more IT savvy on here?

How thick must that woman be to think you chose to send that stuff?

quick hijack, running ladies. Could I just ask if anyone runs with an iPod etc. and if so has any recommendations for some headphones that are comfortable but that actually stay in your ears? normal ear buds just fall out of mine and so do even the ear buds with gel. TIA!

Oh no Moshi, what a 'mare!!! Have you got virus protectionon your pc? Would be worth giving it a scanand then contact Yahoo to see what they advise.

You would hope anyone with a bit of sense would realise you hadn't sent the emails yourself but obviously not given that woman's response!!