runner united (we talk almost as fast as we run)

[drivingmisscrazy]

a thread for runners to chat, debate, share tips, triumphs (and the occasional disaster!) - new runners particularly welcome, the only thing that's required is enthusiasm (and a pair of running shoes)

29/05/11 - Stirling R4L: squix
29/05/11 - Plymouth Half Marathon: sungirltan
30/05/11 - BUPA 10K: MoshiMoshi
01/06/11 - BHF Canary Wharf 10K jog: june2009
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
06/07/11- Yately 10k (not actually booked yet): DebiTheScot
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
10/07/11 - Felsted 10K: bonkers20
16/07/11 - Phoenix park 5 miler - drivingmisscrazy
17/07/11 - RFL St Albans - Pawsnclaws
17/07/11 - Dundee Half marathon - TheChewyToffeeMum
17/07/11- Chichester (Sprint) Triathlon: DebiTheScot
20/08/11 - Frank Duffy 10 mile, Dublin - drivingmisscrazy
03/09/11 - Dingle Half-Marathon - drivingmisscrazy
11/09/11 - Bristol Half- Marathon - thetasigmamum
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 - Windsor Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
02/10/11 - Standalone 10K: Futurity
02/10/11 - Bradford Half Marathon - MrsWednesday
02/10/11 - Baxter's River Ness 10k - backwardpossom
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix
19/02/12 - Brighton Half marathon - Wheely

notymmy Yikes! [eats the last Cadbury Chocoa and retires to bed with the mere thought of jumping lunges for 2 minutes]

Toned arms I have from the toddler and not having a loft ladder!

Driving - lovely news - another wee girl.

Bonkers, EmmaBemma and Badger - I have the same - it's got worse since I lost weight - it seems to be just skin rather than fat, I think some abs work will help me - well its not going to do any harm.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend - I've lost track - DrNorthener, Futurity, Debi - hope you enjoy yourselves too.

Have sponsored you sfxmum. Hope you all enjoy it!

Debi, it made me snigger at the time too

DrNo, how fantastic! Your family must be very proud. Did it go ok and will we be able to hear it on Listen Again? All the very best of luck for Sunday, you will fly round under two hours as you are fit and strong and ready for this.

Futurity, good luck! You sound all sorted and ready to go, hope it goes fantastically well, looking forward to the race reports.

Driving, lovely news, congratulations to you and your DP! I really don't think you should judge your running ability on that dreaded half marathon, it was a horrible race in awful conditions and your time was down to that nothing else.

Peach, when is your scan? Will you be revealing what you're having? Any guesses? The weeks are gradually ticking by now, yippee!

I'd like a bit of [non-painful] belly surgery please - despite pilates and running there's still too much of it over-hanging my trousers.

Welcome Joby

Emmabemma have fun with your Garmin!

Busy weekend for me - DH's birthday on Sunday (including in-laws visiting) and DS2's birthday party tomorrow (9 five and six year old boys coming round to the house - madness) so it will be a struggle to fit in a run of any distance without upsetting someone or failing in some kind of domestic duty. Sigh.

Moshi, great news that your mum continues to improve.

Right, I'm off to bed, good luck to everyone racing this weekend, happy injury-free running everyone.

Good luck to everyone who is racing this weekend!
I started a message earlier asking whether you lot still go out for a run when you've got a bit of a cold but it's turned into a bad cold/sore throat so I cancelled all my training this weekend.

bonkers how to get my belly into some kind of decent state is my next question to my trainer, I shall let you know what he says. I've been told many times you can't "spot reduce" and that the belly is the last thing to go. I don't think running is going to help that if you don't need to loose weight but core exercises should. Not doing 100 crunches a day, more like working really hard on various exercises that all use the core in short bursts type of thing.
Having said that in order to have abs that show you need a ridiculously low body fat percentage (achievable with strictest diet).

I keep starting messages and getting interrupted so I'm not sure anymore what has actually been posted or not.
moshi I will you and your mum all the best, hope the recovery carries on well.

On the subject of tea, I drink green tea because I've been told it's healhty I do find it a bit bitter though so might try that white tea that was mentionned! Occasionally decaf yorkshire tea with lots of milk but then I usually want a biscuit or a 100 with that so I avoid it.

driving I've got a dd and I think it would be nice if she had a sister. I had 2 brothers and I always wished I'd had a sister too! I wouldn't have swapped my fab bros though :D

drNo congratulations on your newly found fame :D let us know if we can hear it on a "catchup" thingy. (that IS a technical term.) Good luck with your race!

I'm planning on joining the gym's running club next week, from reading the thread it sounds like a good idea to improve my run.

better get some more sleep while I can, dd will be up in a couple of hours no doubt!

Have sponsored you sfx, enjoy your day!

MrsWeds, scan is on 18th July, yes will reveal all then! I would like another DD, as would like DD1 to have sister (I have lots and they are great!) and it is likely that this will be my last pregnancy but on the other hand since it is probably the last, woudl also like a DS. So in the old cliched, but very true, fashion, I would be delighted either way! DP seems to think it is a boy but he is basing than on absolutely nothing! Enjoy your DS's party. Am sure it will be very sedate!

I also have a crinkly tummy (after only one baby ) but it has temporarily disappeared due to pregnancy protrusion. I think this might be the only solution ladies....

Right must be off to get the train to Scotland. DD is eating her porridge very very slowly. Had to get her up super early as told her last night we would probably have to skip porridge and grab a croissant on the way and she said "Are you doing a joke Mummy?"

June- I think the abs thing might be partly down to body type too. I have only had one baby (although she was big!) but has had little effect on my tummy. I have a visible 6 pack- but before you rightly go 'thanks for telling us big head', I have plenty of wobbles on bottom and thighs! I have always had a small waist and I do work out diligently, which had allowed me to look quite 'ripped' in that area. I am not entering any 'rear of the year' contest though!

Peach- your DD sounds like mine! We are lucky to stay in some pretty nice hotels regularly, who all do amazing breakfasts. In general she is a pretty adventurous eater, but for breakfast it HAS to be cereal or porridge and lots of it. Not pain au chocolat, or smoked salmon, or haddock, or freshly made pancakes....,cereal.

Have fun on the train Peach! Can understand your thinking, I was the same when I was pregnant with DS2 - happy to have a same-sex sibling for DS1. They are very close now but fight like mad too.

Notyummy, have you got your flat tummy from the DVDs you do? I am not concentrating on that area enough and I really need to do more than one lot of pilates a week if I am going to shift it (I'm typing this whilst holding in my stomach muscles).

Don't think i'm fb friends with sfx as i've not seen any links for sponsoring. Could anyone let me know her initials please?

Off to the farm today as the weather is meant to be better today than tomorrow. And dinosaur painting later!

It's CL Badger.

On train now and they have no plug sockets at normal seats!!! Will need to ration my iPhone use. Also DD normally watches DVDs on DP's laptop but as he isn't here have bought a portable DVD player which apparently will run on the battery for 3 hours. After that might have to ask someone to plug it in at their table. What did we do before technology? Read improving books? Entertain our own children?!?

Don't know if it helps crinkliness but a friend who is a personal trainer tells me the absolutely best thing you can do for your abs is hold in your tummy whenever you walk anywhere. Try and make it a habit and it will be much more effective that stomach crunches. Of course, I always forget to do this....

Mornin' all! I'm studiously ignoring notyummy's six-pack (though I agree, body type has a lot to do with it.)

Took my Garmin out for the first time (thanks MrsWednesday) and I am addicted already. I think even having it on my wrist is making me run better! I tried not to look at it too much at first but soon became moderately obsessed with checking my pace. I ran 6.31 miles on mostly forest trails in 55.46, and my splits were:

1 00:09:02 1.00 09:02
2 00:08:42 1.00 08:42
3 00:08:42 1.00 08:42
4 00:08:52 1.00 08:52
5 00:08:46 1.00 08:46
6 00:08:53 1.00 08:53
7 00:02:45 0.31 08:49

I'm really pleased with that. It's so good to know exactly how I did rather than having to cobble together a best guess with gmaps and the kitchen clock. And I think I'm about where I need to be right now, if I'm going to aim for a sub-2 hour half in September.

That's a great pace Emma esp off road.

Good luck on the train peach. I took both kids up to Scotland on my own at half term and was armed with laptop, iPhone, ds, iPod and also wondered how parents coped in the 'olden days'. We had plug sockets even on airline seats. I won't tell you any more details about that journey up though!

I also have a tummy I want rid of. I lost just over a stone fairly quick when I took up running again a year ago and I have recently noticed the definition on my calves. But my tummy won't go anywhere.
Also my tri training schedule says I should be doing strength training but doesn't tell me what that should involve. Maybe I should get a DVD.

Posting from new iPhone app where I can do at the touch of a button

Morning All Wow so much to catch up on. Emmabemma great split times there, off road aswell.....

driving another girl?! How lovely and exciting

Mrsweds Hapy birthday to your boy - hope you survive the party! Moshi glad your Mum is on the mend.

Futurity and Dillinger how are you guys doing? Ready for tomorrow?

I had a wonderful day in a spa yesterday, relaxing, chatting and laughing with a friend. Then the theatre in the evening. Frankly I ate too much rubbish yesterday - maltesers, haribos, biscuits, crisps.......it is all good energy though isn't it?

Realised today what feels weird is that with upping my miles, and BMF and hills or intervals at running club I am used to my legs having that 'tightness' feeling that they have been working very hard, and right now I don't have that.....and i know that is good, but it feels wrong! Anyway, we can do no ore now can we?

The local radio station interviewed me yesterday and they will be playing it tomorrow as they cover the race. This is testament to what a wonderful guy my Dad was and not what a wonderful runner I am He even has a local community centre names after him.

This ones for you Dad.
xx

Well I have not run since Monday (and not planning to until next week) and knees are feeling much better. One interesting side-effect though - I am not hungry at all! I suppose this shows how much my appetite is driven by the calories I have been burning.

As for the six-pack. I don't think I will ever have one - I am happy when my tummy is flattish. I think I would need a tummy-tuck anyway as I am only 5'5'' and was measuring 9cm over 2 weeks before DD was born (9lb 8oz and standing up in the womb!). I find that swimming is quite good for toning the abs but it has to be done properly ie. goggles on, head down, front crawl.

Good Luck for tomorrow DrNortherner, Futurity, and Dillinger

Hello thank you to all that sponsored us. It is not a proper running race but we wanted to support a good cause and start our children (2families) on this healthy obsession
Badger until CL
Posting from outside dd's music lesson on new app tis fab
Will spend afternoon revising then family time tomorrow followed by weird dreams early morning commute and furious writing then relax with a nice run
Happy running

Initials not until

Hurrah, only 1 hour to go on train. DD soooo tired and almost falling asleep watching DVD but refuses to lie back and fall asleep. Poor love, she's not used to getting turfed out of bed at 6.30!

Really want to use the app but although it downloaded it won't work as the OS on my phone is too old. Must update when I get home.

Will look into that book you mentioned Moshi, though saving Feet in the Clouds till next year as I find them so inspiring and then what with not training just now will end frustrated. Think I will accumulate books to get me started again after this baby arrives.

Meanwhile hope you all don't mind me hanging around, doing a bit of cheerleading etc while not really running. Just reckon if I duck out now I will lose touch with you all and then find it difficult to get back into. Anyway, I love hearing about all your races/children/crinkly tummies

DrNo you made me well up.

No crinkly tummy here, just sort of, small pot bellied one, some days bigger than others. . The only six pack I'll ever have is of the beer variety.

19km this morning on my own through a couple of townships. I do so love it when all the tiny children shout Mzungu, Mzungu (foreigner) and come and run beside me. It took 1hr 52. A bit slower than last time.

Emmabemma you are too fast. Kindly adjust your stats so as not to make me look so crap.

Moshi I'm considering whether in fact you are not originally from HK but are actually from this tribe.

Peachy you absolutely must stay. We need pregnancy updates and Driving needs company.

peachy you aint going anywhere girl!

Lovely message for your Dad DrNo

Am on new app as well..check all these out !

Easily pleased me!

Thanks for all the good luck messages. Legs are achy due to Thursdays running club which is a pain but nothing serious. Going to spend all afternoon sat down watching the tennis

Weather is looking good now for tomorrow...sunny 15 degrees which will do me fine.

Hope everyone is having a good running weekend.

peach you have to stick with us! totally agree about all these speedy stats. I am going to start posting v. slow split times just for the heck of it!

I was reading about someone though who does all her easy mileage at about 10.30min/m, but this lady runs sub 1h40 half marathons. I think the point about slowing down your easy miles is that you can build volume and therefore endurance without risking injury - so I can run 28 miles in a not particularly demanding week without too much difficulty - and will build up to about 40+ in the half marathon training. This also means that the speed work then is a small but intense proportion of your overall volume. But everyone will have a different definition of easy - and it's actually hard to have the discipline to run at lower pace - the Garmin and its insistent bleeps don't help either...

I'll let you know in September whether this plan of mine has paid off or not - all running very easy except for one interval/tempo run, and one pace run - both of these are fairly short distance.

I'm not sure that I would manage to motivate myself to do circuits in my living room! I feel that I need a bit of a kick up the bum for this, so am going to try the ones at the gym at work, and see how I get on.

That turned into a long post! Good luck to all those doing timed runs with other people tomorrow (or today) - can't wait to hear those race reports!

Just back from my run and I did it in 29.37mins. I am so happy! Can safely say I'm becoming addicted to running and improving on my time!

Good luck tomorrow racers!

Well done badger

We had a fun cycle today. Dh had ds1 on the trailgator and I had ds2 in his seat on my bike. I was really struggling to cycle at dh's low speed so I did some sprint work. I'd sprint off ahead until I was out of breath then turn round, go past dh slowly (in wrong direction) then turn round again and sprint past dh & ds1 again. The boys thought it was hilarious altho ds2 was a bit confused too!
We'd gone a long way round to a lake to feed the mental geese & while we were there our neighbour phoned to say she needed her car out (we share a drive with them & we'd forgotten to check before going out) so me and ds2 cycled the 3 miles back as fast as I could to let her out!

Hi all

Not been on in a while as things have been very hectic....

DD with broken toes, holidays, injuries n stuff

Moshi - sorry to have not popped in before but glad to hear things are going well for your Mum

Good luck to all others racing this weekend too

Peach n driving - hope pg going well and all feeling well

Too many people to post lots of messages so please don't be offended !

It was my r4l today although until I got there I really wasn't sure if I was going to run or walk.... I've got strained ligament in my ankle plus some damage to plantar in my left foot... Physio didn't say not to run, so I strapped it up and went along with the girls from work

Of the 6, 3 had always planned to walk rather than run, one is a smoker and only runs r4l each year without training, and then 2 of us wanted to run but had injuries....

So we joined the joggers rather than runners and set off gently to see hoe things went.

After a few minutes I got some twinges from my foot and decided to take it very easy so ran/walked my way round.... Felt too easy really, but I wanted to get round without having to stop for my foot, and I decided it wasnt worth pushing hard ESP on woodland trails etc

But I did make it round in about 1 hour 15 with lots of walk breaks tho my gps failed to record the track etc too ....

I have 14 weeks left to sort out my foot and get training properly for GNR so I do need to get sorted ASAP, hence now sat at home watching the gp qualifying with a ginger beer whilst DH cooks tea... And off to physio again this week to try to get sorted ....

DrNo, that's so lovely. Good luck again for tomorrow.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. It's just reassuring to know I'm going in the right direction. I told my hill running friend about my snazzy new watch and she thought it was hilarious! She's in her late 40s, fitter than I will ever be (she runs and wins two-day mountain races, ffs) and she reckons she has never timed herself even once.

Great time, badger! That sounds like a very energetic day out, Debi. I see lots of families on bikes around where I live and I always think it looks fun.

That's really interesting about the easy mileage, driving, and your training plan. I'll look forward to hearing how you get on with it. I don't have much of a plan myself for my running. I'm shying away from reading up on any theory, even buying a runner's magazine, because I get too bamboozled and intimidated by all the reams of information and debate. Maybe when I get to know my own running a bit more I'll feel more able for it.

took me so long to post that I missed your post, hamster - well done on completing your R4L.