runners united (burning up pavement, burning up threads)

[drivingmisscrazy]

calling all runners, veterans, newbies, fast, slow, anyone who likes to run to keen sane, keep things in perspective and to get out into the spring sunshine. We are a friendly bunch and all of us have things to learn from each other! Welcome. Please join us

01/05/11 - Great West Run (Half Marathon) Thetasigmamum
02/05/11 - Ashdon 10K: bonkers20
07/05/11 - Forres (Benromach) 10k: backwardpossom
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
29/05/11 - Plymouth Half Marathon: sungirltan
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
12/06/11 - The Heroes half marathon - Futurity
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
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
10/07/11 - Felsted 10K: bonkers20
17/07/11 - RFL St Albans - Pawsnclaws
17/07/11 - Dublin Mountain Plod (HM) - drivingmisscrazy
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, squix
10/12/11 - Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon (half): drivingmisscrazy

Possum please pm me your details too. I ran VLM for Macmillan, an excellent charity.

Moshi I hope your mum manages to enjoy her new acquisitions.

I've been out on my bike, nearly killed me 26.5 miles with 2200ft of ascent, mostly off-road...that'll be why it hurt then I'd forgotten how tough the trails are, I'm atrocious at going downhill so am nearly as slow on the downs as the ups! Lovely weather for it and the most amazing views from the top of the 2 peaks but really tough.

I may have to run on Saturday instead of cycle again, not sure my bum will co-operate with getting back on a bike

thanks for your responses about the whole headphone thing. I think as it says "requested" rather then "not allowed" I shall judge on the day what others are doing and decide then. It is a local race so I know the roads and I always have it on very low anyway but if no one else has them on I will be a good girl and not wear mine (honest!)

paws I'm confused by your card thing! Surely the card can't be used in a shop with no pin but you don't need to know the pin for internet shopping so have they bought stuff online? How did they get your card?

driving I'm liking the thought of you going buggy running with a tiny newborn baby, you'd get some astonished looks!

driving loving the thought of you running with a newborn! Are they OK to eb whizzed along when so tine? I ahve no idea........

Just been for a run, 5 miles. Ate 3 flies and I am certain one went in my ear. It feels all weird and I can't stop prodding it. Can it lay eggs in their or eat my brain?..... Am going to devise something that covers my whole head so I can run in the country without inhaling bloody flies. Grrr. Would a balacava do?

DrNo - I dunno, would it have the same effect of driving around in the middle of the bloody night like I did with DD?

surely you don't need to go down the balaclaca route; a simple burgler's stocking would surely do the trick?

balaclava obviously

Yes of course, its just the same as being in a car isn't it? Hadn't thought of it like that!

Yes, balaclava for winter runs, stocking for summer. Think I'll get any funny looks? Dh just poured olive oil in my ear to flush it out. Nothing came out. But if it's in there the buggar is dead.

As always, what a fast moving thread. I?ve been away for 3 days and seem to have missed loads.

Thanks for all your good luck wishes ? it?s like having a virtual crowd cheering us on.

Backwardpossum - I?m in the blue pen too! I am number 23597. Good luck. Do you have a target time? Driving and MrsWeds - good luck to you guys too.

My tapering WAS going really well. I did 8 good miles on Sunday, 3 ½ on Tuesday then 3 on Wednesday morning. I?ve been away abroad for work and the two 3 milers were in the sunshine along the seafront, early in the morning before meetings. Both were easy paced and I felt great. And I also managed some gentle swims too. Then last night we were out for dinner with some work folk and I slipped and fell (only a tiny bit of alcohol as well ? just one small glass of white ? honest ). I have a beautiful scrape and bruise on my arm but also fell right down on my behind. I am worried that I have done something to my back. It doesn?t hurt but is quite stiff and wasn?t helped by a 4 hour flight on a budget airline in a tiny plastic seat on the way home today.

So, wise runners ? I need your advice. Should I stay flat on my back as much as possible until Sunday to rest everything or should I keep as mobile as possible so that things don?t seize up? Maybe even go for a short 10 minute jog tomorrow? I am off for a hot bath in a bit so that should help. Any advice welcome.

Oh *squix8 sods law you should fall just before this weekend........I am no expert, but if it was me, I would go for a light jog, and keep moving. I would pop a few ibruprofens for their inflammatory powers as a precaution. Am sure you will be right as rain, just panicking slightly given the closeness to your race which is totally understandable.

not that I am planning on running around the streets in the middle of the night with a jogging buggy

I have just realised that my half route is run clockwise, not anti-clockwise as I had assumed: this is good as it means that the vicious climb is actually a tricky descent - it's been pretty dry, so shouldn't be too slippy. However the forecast is for heavy rain on Saturday morning :( there's still 2 substantial climbs in there though...am having a slight panic because all my thin pairs of running socks seem to have become singletons (this is an ongoing area of, um, conflict, between me and DP, her inability to keep the sodding socks together...)

I have decided on my nice new Puma shorts plus a black long-sleeved running top which I have become very fond of. Long sleeves might be good if it's cold and wet. Yes, I am obsessing...bib and chip came Tuesday. I'm number 788. That's a nice number, isn't it?

squix cross-posted with you; yes, I'd try and keep moving, and take some anti-inflammatories; will be fine I'm sure...what a crap thing to happen, sorry

squix I don't think I'd run but would say keep moving, maybe go for a brisk walk and take ibruprophen. (Not that I'm an expert!)

Thanks very much for the sponsorship Cestlavie , everyone has been fantastically generous on here and it is hugely appreciated.

Ouch Squix, how annoying that it's happened so close to the race! A little light jog might reassure you that no lasting damage has been done - can you do any stretching too? I always find that when I travel with work I end up knotted up and twisted, no matter how hard I try to sit properly.

DrNo, you'll be the talk of Harrogate running around the place in a balaclava! Forgot to say, my agency begins with a T - we're based in the city centre.

Moshi, has your mum just started the wild spending since her diagnosis? Very tricky having to be the 'grown-up' when previously it's been the other way round.

Wheely, your mum sounds fab! Hope I'm the same when I'm 67.

Driving, did you go for a run in the end?

I was wondering whether I should go to my usual pilates class on Saturday morning before I travel up to Edinburgh in the afternoon? Any thoughts? I will have time, I think, just not sure whether it's wise.

Oh dear these taper worries are so familiar!

Keep moving squix, I'm sure it will help.

Debi when the bank lady said PIN I think she meant the password protection you get when you try and put the order through, because I only use the PIN for getting cash. Each (attempted) transaction was quite big, a few hundred pounds in each case, so I can only imagine they hope an order or two will get through without needing a password? Funny but you can see from the goods they tried to order it's all stuff that would be easily resellable.

Oh no squix I hope you're ok for Sunday! Definitely second the ibuprofen - maybe some kind of muscle rub, too?

Futurity there are no headphones allowed in Edinburgh at the weekend either - punishment being disqualification! I wont be risking it...

I agree, driving, 788 is a lovely number :)

I did a gentle 3.5 miles after work today, which was my last run before Sunday! I felt great throughout so am happier than I was on Tuesday! I've been reading up on the rules and final instructions for race day and am a bit about everything. I'm more worried about being in the right places at the right times than the actual run itself I think. I don't know Edinburgh very well and have decided to go down myself without DH and DS so will have to make sure I get my car parked ok and get the shuttle bus etc... eek!

Just wanted to say thank you again for offering to sponsor me folks, Macmillan is a fantastic charity, close to my heart, and it means a lot to me that you guys are willing to donate to them xx

Cross posts - MrsWed I probably wouldn't!

MrsWeds no, I didn't in the end; midwife said she'd call between 2 and 4, and arrived at 2 minutes to 4 - she was here for an hour, and then it was DD's teatime etc etc, you know how it goes. But I feel antsy and wish I had gone...

possum your worries are very familiar - I'm driving over to Clare tomorrow but need to calculate distances - how long it will take to get from accommodation to start etc etc. Glad your last run was good.

Oh god, I've even mapped the distance from my hotel in Edinburgh to the start, I've got lists galore on the go, print outs, photocopies, etc etc - I'm stressing more about the logistics than the run now I think.

Nearly there, nearly there...

MrsWeds - yes, likewise; heaps of directions, maps, supplies (staying in hostel, so have to bring own teabags...)

Runners: lovely people, but really quite peculiar, the lot of us

Thank god we have other runners to talk to. My DH is heartily sick of me now.

(have also got teabags on my list)

indeed; poor DP can't understand why one pair of socks is superior to another. I'm afraid I always take a little plastic bag of teabags whenever I travel

Me too!

lol @ teabags! So glad it's not just me! When I lived abroad, I used to get DH (well, he was DF at the time) to send them to me in the post whenever I ran out!

phew! the tea-bag thing is normal then ; mine have to be a particular brand (really I'm starting to sound like a weirdo what with the socks and the tea)

squix use ibuprofen as already suggested and gently exercise would be my suggestion. Hope you feel better very soon.

I got myself in a right tizzy about getting to the VLM start in time. In the end I was there nearly 2 hours before the start It was nice though because once there I felt more relaxed than I had felt for weeks and was able to prepare myself mentally.

Good luck to all racing this weekend. I feel very excited for you all