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

Moshi I feel for you - I had the same thing with my hotmail account a while back and was also so embarrassed. Luckily most seemed to realise but god knows what the others thought. It happened twice then I changed my password to something really long and complicated and it's been ok since. I still get locked out of my account sometimes because someone has tried to enter the wrong password too many times, but that's easily fixed. I now use a different account for personal emails and that one just for junk mail/shopping. I also deleted all the contacts on it, as they pop up anyway when I type in the first couple of letters. Quite a pain in the !

Angechica I find the ones with the earloops are the only ones that stay on my ears, so you could try those.

No run for me today, so either going to go for a walk or a bike ride - depending on what I can persuade my ds's to join me on.

Same here Moshi - changed my hotmail password and the problem went away, although it was exceptionally annoying.

It is bizarre when you get those e-mails... got one from a friend recently along the lines of "Hey cestlavie, how're you doing.?I was looking at and I thought you might like it. See you soon! Zoe"

For a minute, you think, wow's that a kind of weird and utterly out of character recommendation from Zoe and then your brain clicks in and says ah. Spam. Clearly that clicking in didn't happen in your contact's case!

Lovely run in this morning. Had a client meeting early on so my new training plan which had a proper long SLOW run in it went by the wayside and it became a 9 mile HM race pace run instead but it felt pretty good all the same. Gorgeous run though the early morning sunshine, taking in a bit of London 'countryside', yes, even running through grassland! Even got a smile out of a fellow London runner which goes to show just how good people must be feeling out there!

Paws best of luck this weekend. Have a fantastic time, enjoy and hope the temperature comes down a notch or two for you!

Happy sunny running all of you.

Hi all, Moshi how embarrassing but you would have thought most people would realise? It doesn't sound like you make a habit of sending your contacts rude emails? I'm in a phase at the moment where I keep getting them allegedly from "the bank" - so funny because they always sign off "regards" after asking me to email them back with my security details - yeah I'm really that stupid .

Just had a weather warning from the organisers - they're expecting 21 degrees and no wind, so have just sent a warning to everyone to stay hydrated and slow down. No worries on that score from me! Thanks for all the good wishes though, am excited but now looking forward to a long drink afterwards.

AngeChica I find the only pair that work for me are the rubbery earbud types - Philips I think?

I typed out a long message this morning and it seems to have got lost in the ether So much to read through, I really can't keep up with this thread

Hope you are all set for Sunday paws, it's very warm down here at the moment but look slightly cooler the next couple of days I think Wishing you all the best for a wonderful day paws, just make sure you enjoy yourselfI would come and cheer you and everyone else on but we are dispatching the ds's to my mums so we are heading in a different direction

I have been on a course the last couple of days (about suicide very interesting though) so had to get up and do my run at 5.30 yesterday morning I am not an early morning runner normally so a bit of a shock to the system Only 6.5 miles which I tried to do at marathon pace but still struggling to keep an even pace!

Angechica I use the headphones that hook over my ear, they work well.

Have a lovely running weekend everyone.

Angechica I can't run with any headphones, I just spend half my time fiddling with them and trying to kepp them in, then they hurt. I hink those huge ones that are making a come back might be better.

cestlavie I struggle to imagine where the countryside is in London?! I am so not a city girl, i just imagine busy roads and lots of traffic, but of course it has grass and parks too

I am so lucky, I ca run for 5 mins and I am here 68 acres of woodland and riverside paths. If you are lucky you even get to see Otters!

Paws Good luck for Sunday! How you feeling?!

This thread is like a full time occupation, it moves so quickly . Its great everyone's so chatty. I've been caught up with other stuff so not got much time to post - other than to say GOOD LUCK PAWS for Sunday. Will be thinking of you and hoping it all cools down a bit.

Will be back to catch up properly asap...

Just a quickie to say GOOD LUCK to you paws! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Also DrNortherner now I'm even more jealous of you living in Harrogate than before - what a gorgeous place to run.

Good luck Paws! You can do it! Remember to take in water whenever you pass a water stop if you can, even if just a little bit. Pour the rest over your head. And take some oral rehydration salts (dioralyte) when you finish.

I too am of Dr No.

10k done this morning, up hill, down hill, up hill, down hill. How come it never gets any easier? 15k tomorrow. Guess what? More hills.

Someone please tell me Enfield is flat.

Thanks all for the good wishes, have got butterflies now! This time tomorrow .....

Feeling generally pretty good, I keep imagining little niggles in my legs and feet but I'm pretty sure there's nothing actually there. I'm determined to enjoy myself no matter what and no matter how long it takes .

DH will be there tomorrow and has worked out a spreadsheet (!) to plot where I will be hopefully. He's got my drinks and sweets ready and we're going to buy a plant spray thing so he can lightly hose me down as I pass - he suggested a bucket but I think that may be overkill?!. My lovely friend is also coming down and between them I should have someone to cheer me on every 5 miles.

We had an email from the organisers yesterday to say they're expecting 20+ degrees and to please please take it easy, so I will take them at their word.

Have a lovely weekend running everyone, will be on my phone only from now on so will post as soon as I can! Thanks so much for the support - you've all been ace.

good luck paws - another minimal running week for me due to travelling for work and actually no spare time AT ALL to run. But I did see Brendan Foster at Newcastle airport, so maybe that kind of counts? Some greatness might rub off, perhaps? I did also once pass Sonia O'Sullivan in the park where I run (she was going in the opposite direction to me!!) - it was really awesome to see an athlete in action close up.

Beautiful weather here too - I am hungover and menstrual, but might drag myself out for a short easy run later on. Will aim for a long run tomorrow, and then back into my proper training routine - about 6 weeks to go until my first HM. I'm pretty sure I could run it now (well, possibly not today...) in about 2h10, but would like to get my time closer to the 2hour mark. The aim is to get to a sub 2 hour by the last scheduled HM in December. Must go and pull my weight with some childcare now. Happy running!

Best of ck for tomorrow paws x

Did 9 miles this morning. Getting there :)

luck not ck... tsk

All the very best of luck Paws, will be thinking of you tomorrow and sending cooling, soothing vibes your way. It is very exciting!!! The big day is finally here

No running for me today, going to try and do 15 miles tomorrow.

I will be thinking of you paws. There is a nice cool breeze down here on the south Coast at the moment, sunny but not too warm. I hope it is like that for you tomorrow

DrNo I'm also very at where you run, looks absolutely lovely.

I'm with you Master hills never seem to get easier! I'm sure my hills are nowhere near the hilliness of yours but they still hurt! I did the same hills I run up on my bike a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe how hard they were to ride up....still Hasn't got any easier at all, despite the massive amounts of running I have been doing!

My post-marathon aim is or a sub 2hr half too driving. I have a half in June but it is hilly and off road so not sure I will come anywhere near 2 hrs for that one. I'm looking at a half in November which I may target for sub 2

I did my last long(ish) run, 10 miles at a very easy pace. I listened to Marathon Talk podcast, they had a really interesting bit about tapering, worth a listen for you Moshi, Pass and MrsWed. They spoke about not thinking about the race at all and just focusing on the process of getting there, the practical stuff and looking after yourself, preparing your body. I for one am sending myself mad worrying about pacing and stuff and it was great to hear someone saying that's normal and to put the race out of your mind!!

DH's birthday tomorrow so off out for a meal tonight and then the ds's are going o my mums for a few days tomorrow. I have one more night at work and then I am off till after London. A little trip to the Big Smoke on Wednesday to collect my race number in peace and then back up on saurday with Dh and the DS's!

Mrsweds picked up my trainers today. They fit like a glove and I love them. Thanks so so much. Tis very kind of you.

To pay it forward I still have a pair of Asics gel virage in lime green in a size 5. I always wear Asics in a size five but for some reason these feel too small and I can not run comfortably in them. Anyone on here is welcome to them for free, but would suit a shoe size 4.5 I reckon. Any takers?

Paws best of luck tomorrow. I am visiting my Mum at the coast but will be thinking of you. Can't wait to hear how it goes. Look out for Jordan, think she is running this one......

Another gorgeous day here. Did an Armed Forces Fitness sesh this morning and did lots of core work. Sit ups, lunges, tricep dips. Will ache tomorrow!....

Good luck tomorrow Paws, glad you'll have lots of support along the route.

Oh good, I'm glad they fit. And I'm also glad they are out of my house, bloody things have been nothing but trouble for me!

Thinking of paws and will be thinking of you tomorrow ! Hope the butterflies aren't flapping around too much. Apparently my bro just melted his charity top trying to iron his name on to it. Oops.

I haven't been on properly for a couple of days so will probably have missed something but sounds like some great running for lots of people. I did the gym on Thursday but was late getting there as was chatting so only managed 7K. Hopefully a longer run tomorrow 7 miles or so depending on time.

peach - am so pleased your 7 week scan went well. From my own experience is does help a little, at least for a couple of days. Hope the time goes quickly until your next one.

youmakeme - hope you get sorted with your tests etc.

Moshi - hope you've sorted your IT problems.

DrNo - your running area looks lovely. For some reason though I like running round the streets but maybe that's just because I don't have much other option . I think it might be psychological as it usually means I could, if I need to, cut the run short.

Your trainers would probably fit me although I do run in ones wiht support (Brooks GTS) - what level of support are yours ? I'm not convinced with mine as they took so long to run in. If htey have support and they don't suit anyone else (but if they are ideal for someone else I would give them to them !) then I'd certainly be v. pleased to try them out.

can i join please?? doing plymouth half marathon on 29/05/11. i am bloody scared tbh but training oging well so far. wanted to do it after dd born but c section made a mess of me so this is my first year. its hard as can only train twice a week but this week have broken through something and really getting somewhere :)

wheely they are stabilty shoes as I need support too. Will try to find a link.

Welcome sungirltan of course you can join! Add your race to the list and repost. How many miles are you upto so far?

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
29/05/11 - Plymouth Half Marathon: sungirltan

ooh i feel special! i am up to 7 miles - yes i knowe long way to go - eek!

Sorry Peach, I missed that bit about your scan, that is really great news. Hopefully you will be able to relax for a little bit (until the next one at least )

Welcome Sungirltan.

No run for me this weekend, I've pulled something in my back :(

I'm not sure I'm enough of a runner for this thread and it moves so fast.

welcome sungirltan

Penguin - don't be silly! sorry about your back though. I haven't run at all since Tuesday and was too hungover and knackered (plus have ground to make up to DP who has effectively been a single parent these last few weeks) to be bothered running...but will go out tomorrow.