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

thetasigmamum that's a great time - I'll be delighted if I manage my half in that time! X

hi Lenni! glad you made it over here. I'd say just keep doing what you're doing and maybe keep adding a little bit of distance here and there. Hills are good (well, except when you are slogging up them!). At this point consistent distance is the main thing - but the hills will definitely stand to you.

Others will have better advice, I'm sure. Newbies are most welcome (we like new recruits to our peculiar devotion to distance, suffering and determination)

I get to 8k and I am exhausted, I couldn't physically run another step kind of exhaustion. Yet at about 6k I always feel totally within my limits and like I could go on for miles how the mind deceives! I know the course is relatively flat especially compared to my route over the fell, but seriously worried I'm going to make a total fool of myself. Have also come to realise I am the most unglamorous runner, I go bright red and sweat for the first km and then my hair just sticks out sideways from my head from that point on. This is a concern, although it is mere procrastination from worrying about making it round the course before they close and go home.

oh very well done thetasigma ! Hope you're having a well earned glass of wine now !! Good luck tomorrow bonkers.

welcome lenni - I too am v. unglamorous when I run. I finished my run today and my (new) neighbour said 'have you been out for a run ? You look very red', 'er,yes, thanks'.

Yayyyy! Congratulations theta, that's a great time, you should be proud as punch! Did you manage without your ipod, or did you sneak it on?

Will catch up properly with everyone and the newbies tomorrow when on the proper puter. HAVE to get to bed now, as practically catatonic due to lack of afternoon nap today. zzzzzz

Hi everyone and welcome robino, well done on getting back into exercising so soon after giving birth, I had best intentions after each of my DC's but never really managed to do anything really constructive until I stopped breastfeeding (after 9m, 10m and 1 year respectively). Take it easy on yourself and think of exercise as your own sanity/relaxation time would be my advice, anything you manage to do is better than nothing (although getting your nails done or a nap can be just as therapeutic when you feel really shattered!). There are plenty of demands on your body and time already, don't put more pressure on yourself unneccesarily, plenty of time to start beating pb's!

Well done on your race thetasigmamum I was lol imagining the uphill/downhill overtaking! I find downhill hard too, it hurts my knees.

I went out on Friday and did the same 5m that I did with DH last week, but made a real effort to pace myself better. Ended up doing it in 39mins and it was much more enjoyable. My mum got married yesterday so I had a very boozy day off and a blissful child free night at a hotel with a lovely lie in and huge english breakfast. Was planning to get out for a run today but didnt manage it, too many other things happening with dc's, not least their cousin's 5th birthday party which was a swimming one (yuk...arent swimming parties just such a hassle?)

I am trying to plot a slightly longer route for tomorrow., how much would you guys advise extending distances by, if 5m feels ok?

Wheely I don't drink! :) I had a nice hot bath when we all got home, thence went. To the ci ema en famille to see Thor which the kids loved, DH slept through and I thought was OK. I am now prostrate on the sofa. :) I'm supposed to be doing Body Combat tomorrow morning. But I might not get up.

sleepwhenidie if 5m feels ok then just add a mile and when that feels ok, add another one. Conventional wisdom says you shouldn't increase by more than 10% each week - but that quickly adds up. I'd say about 5% and throw in a gentle week/shorter run every 2-3 weeks [so I've done progressively longer long runs - 14k, 16k, 18k, 21k, but sometimes repeat a week, or drop back to the previous week's distance]. Your pace is still pretty fast

Well done theta - great time - really good - and Body Combat tomorrow? Really?

Welcome to lenni and robino - I've learnt so much on this thread - it's great.

Did a good LSR this morning - just less than 14 miles - shattered at the end but pleased that I've got 1 run in that's longer than 13.1 miles. Lots of huge flies about and starting to get warm. My Garmin arrived yesterday but we missed it - won't be able to get it and test it out till Tuesday.

Well done theta that's a great time on what sounds like a tough course. I have a hilly off-road half coming up and am seriously wondering why I entered

Welcome to robino and Lenni

sleepwhenidie exactly as driving suggests, increase slowly and every few weeks have a cut back week. During marathon training that was every 4th week which I will stick to from now on I think.

I did 5.3 miles today. Didn't feel that comfortable tbh, was too warm and too far probably. I was only meant to do 3 miles but felt very strung out and I thought my head would benefit from a bit longer. It helped my head but legs didn't thank me for it!!

Defnitely still have that post marathon heavy legged feeling. I know I should be taking it easy but I'm not very good at not running, I get restless and stressy. Struggling to find the right balance at the moment.

Wow - well done Theta! Lenni - I am also one of the sweaty, red-faced brigade. I seem to sweat almost exclusively out of my head, which I can't help feeling is rather inefficient as a cooling mechanism!
I seem to be, touch wood, fully recovered from my injury and am full of the joys of running. Tried running a bit of barefoot running in the park the other day and really liked it, and have been trying to run more 'barefoot style' since, but with shoes on (midfoot strike, shorter stride etc.).
I've found it tough on the calf muscles but easier on the feet and joints. Also, I find it keeps me more upright and avoids the tense shoulders/neck that I sometimes get when running.

for the benefit of the newbies, LSR = Low Slow Run (or sometimes Long Slow Miles) - a run that's long (defined as longer than usual!) but run at a pace that's slower than usual. Again, for new runners (and the rest of us!) most of the week's running should be done at an easy pace - where you'd be able to speak a sentence or sing a bit of a tune. This pace will vary hugely - for me it's about a 6.15 min/km (or slightly over a 10 minute mile) - for others it will be much faster than that, for others, slower again. Virtually all the key writers/trainers will make this point over and over. Newbies might also find doing some reading about running useful now that you've all got some miles under your belts - Sam Murphy's Run for Life is good, and this is useful on running form.

Sorry - got distracted there! Not running today which I am actually a bit :( about, despite my 13 miles yesterday. But family for roast dinner - am making a salty caramel chocolate cake...just as well running burns a lot of calories :o

That's why I run, driving - I love my cake!

thetasigmamum well done

hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend

it was a bit odd running against the wind yesterday nearly got knocked over by a particularly strong gust but that is where over consumption of cake helped

Hello all.

Oh help - I have just entered my 1st half marathon (Dundee half marathon July 17th). I'm excited. I have raced up to 10 miles before and really enjoy the longer races but have never run longer than 10 miles. I am hoping you lot can offer some moral support through the inevitable periods of cold feet before the race.

Ran 6 hot and hilly miles yesterday. Another 4-5 miles tonight with club.

salty caramel chocolate torte (excuse me! not cake, not tart, but torte) was utterly divine. Definitely worth running 13 miles for...

Well done theta, can't ever imagine achieving what you've achieved!

Thanks for the welcome. This is going to be a very slow burning project for me! I managed to get out yesterday and today on a 2 mile route. Was pleased yesterday as I managed 12 mins before my first walk and then carried on and felt good. Same today but after my 12 mins my legs felt dreadful; my calves were tight and my right thigh didn't feel good at all so I walked the rest. When I thought about it I realised I hadn't stretched after my run yesterday as I'd walked into the house to screaming DD3 and immediately sat down to feed her. Same happened today. So, with that in mind - does anybody have a link to some really effective stretching exercises? DH gone back to work now so unlikely to get a chance to get out til Saturday but thought that if I get a chance this week I might "warm up" by walking up and down stairs a bit and then do some stretches; does that sound like a vaguely good idea?

Very well done on your half marathon, thetasigmamum. Sounds like a challenging course. Hills are something I've managed to avoid so far, mainly through fear of provoking old shin splint issues.

drivingmisscrazy, I like reading Sam Murphy's stuff - I have Running Well and her book on marathons and half marathons. Her website is good too, with access to some of her articles and a blog that's worth a read:

www.sam-murphy.co.uk/

And hello to robino and Lenni .

No running for me today - had thought about 5K but 8 miles yesterday and a speed run in the gym tomorrow so thought 3 days in a row was a bit much for me . Especially as I have just realised dd1 is off school Thursday so I am going to have to beg the creche to take dd2 on wednesday instead of my usual Thursday so it would have worked out 4 days in a row.

Have just ordered Jillian Michael's '6 pack in 6 weeks' asI need to seriously do some work in that area and have to accept that running alone won't do any more !! Mind you, after 2 c-secs, I fear it may be beyond hope. Which is somewhat depressing. Probably better to set up a savings fund for a tummy tuck.

am signing up for things all over...including a team race with my colleague on the Dingle peninsula - beautiful and we can make a weekend of it. I've taken off the last race on my list - I should be rocking a newborn to sleep on December 11!

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
20/08/11 - Frank Duffy 10 mile, Dublin - drivingmisscrazy
03/09/11 - Dingle Half-Marathon
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
02/10/11 - Standalone 10K: Futurity
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix

also, wondering how bonkers got on with 10k today :)

Hello all! Lots of new folk, it's great! Good to see many different abilities, all of us just loving running. I did 10 miles today, just me and my dog. I had one of those runs where you just get into the flow IYKWIM! I enjoyed it so much. No aches, no pains, no tiredness, just loved it. A very steady pace, managed it in 1.40, this included a few stops to chuck sticks in the river for the dog. Took a sports drink with me and it really helped. Am starting to think I would like to aim for 2hrs for my half, but then keep pushing that out of my head as time is not an issue, I just want to finish well, and if I do 2.10 I don't want to feel like I've failed.....

Bonkers how was you race?

Back to work and reality tomorrow. Running club tomorrow night and the coach is checking out our form individually....eek!

also would like to hear how Bonkers got on today and to ask about the Felsted 10K as I am pondering entering it! Have you done it before...is it a good run?

Hi TheChewyToffeeMum - we'll definitely support you through your training! I might look into the Dundee half after I get the Edinburgh one out of the way - if I enjoy that then it's a possibility for sure! I reckon if you're managing 10 mile races, you wont have much trouble in stepping up to a half. :)

Looking forward to hearing from Bonkers

Back to work tomorrow (BOOOOO) - been a lovely weekend!

to fellow newbies! good to not be completely overwhelmed by the fantastic 18 mile runners

theta blimey that course sounded tough, well done! Next year come to plymouth which is where i am! I might do it. I might not. lets see if I am still running this time next year!!

After reading drivingmisscrazys helpful advice, can i ask some more newbie questions please?

• does anyone run to music? if so what do you run to? I need music to run to, something with a good steady beat, something to concentrate on, to zone out to. Not necessarily something to run along with, I can seem to pace myself differently if it is too slow/fast, although better slowing down to fast than the other way. I have just run to Plan B, as it is my Favourite Album Of The Month. And blimey, if you need a run that builds up and finishes with a spring, song 3 on the Strickland album, fabulous! I put it on a loop played it 3 times! But, need some inspiration as I will get bored eventually with the same song! I have tried running without music and it is not so good.

• today i developed a mild stitch in my side/across the front/left of my chest almost immediately after running, say 1-2 mins? I warmed up well and did not go straight into a full run, sort of gently jogged for first couple mins. It cleared up quickly, i seemed to run through it after 10 mins, was bearable. What causes a stitch and how can I avoid this in the future?

• I am just running til I feel like it is enough, obviously not going nuts and running for hours, but not following a set routine for how long to run/walk for, should I be doing this? I have not ran for over a week due to family illness/visits etc, but today was a very good run, despite the initial stitch. I was hot and sweaty, felt like I pushed myself well but not to the point of collapse, and could have gone on longer, but worried I was doing too much. Could I have gone on? I ran for 10, walked for 2, ran for 10, (sprinted for about 45 seconds )

• i have been thinking about running in miles, should I be thinking about them in K? and if so what is the conversion? I know it is something like 3.5miles=5k, but a proper figure not guess work would help!