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

moshi - how's your mum doing ?

Also, does anyone run with a proper running backpack - I want to get one for DH for fathers day (cutting it a bit fine !) so wondered if anyone had any recommendations ??

can i join!?
"novice" runner. started running last year.
just did my first ever event at weekend. st albans half marathon. completed in 2 hr 11. quite pleased.
not sure whether to try focusing on this distance and try get under 2 hrs
or maybe try a full marathon.....
defo caught the running bug!
any hints and advise? i dont have a running watch thing (should i)
and i run twice sometimes 3 times a week
4 or 5 during week
and longer at weekends 7.5-10 miles.

Hmmm...too true Cestlavie ...the last two miles would of been hard even if I had done them in training I think...I think I just wanted to eliminate the mental side of things (it being unknown territory and all).

My training pace for the long run was 11 min miles...earlier ones were about 10.50 but then I decided to stick to 11 and they were better. My splits for the half range from 10.19 through to the dodgy 12.27 but I suppose the average was around 10.40? Not sure what that all means though apart from the 10.19 was probably a bit too keen and fast to start with?

Hi wheely. I?ve got a Hilly rucksack which I absolutely love. Use it just about every time I run for the last couple of years and it has weathered incredibly well and stayed very waterproof. Fits really well (i.e. doesn?t swing around and sits high on the back). Not sure what size he?s looking for but seem to come in very practical sizes ? i.e. fits a full change of clothes and small towel inside plus has spare pockets for bars/ gadgets/ phone and side pockets for drinks. Hmmm, sounds like I love my rucksack too much!

Hi madeindevon, course you can join! Sounds like you?re already pretty busy running. Sure you?ll have lots of people to answer your questions. My thoughts:

? you don?t need a watch (I don?t have one) but lots of people can?t live without them! Having some way of measuring pace on the go is helpful though for training especially if you do intervals or tempo runs (I used Runmeter on iPhone). It also allows you to become ?weirdly obsessive about-- more accurate about split times etc.

• on going for the full marathon distance, for me it?s just a question of finding enough time to train for the long runs. I?d love to do another and actually have signed up for the VLM ballot. Just depends what matters to you in terms of targets. The full distance is always a temptation though...

Thanks cest - this sort of thing ? www.wiggle.co.uk/hilly-hydrafuel-17-litre-backpack/#more

devon - congrats on your first half ! Great time.

or is that more for cycling ? Hmm tricky. What litre-age would you say you have Cest - that sounds about the right size but I am clueless on litre-age and bags !

Hello Madeindevon and welcome. You are already doing fantastically well. You don't have to have a Garmin, but if you do you will become totally obsessed like all the loons below and will spend hours upon hours analysing yours and everyone else's splits.

Now, it's interesting to hear the debate over a long slow run and upping your pace to race. Am I the only one tends to have one single pace? Is it because I run at altitude with mega hills? Or is because I don't have a Garmin?

I could, in theory go slower for my long runs, but I don't think I could go faster for my races. Is it perhaps because my races are pretty tough ones? (I need an excuse so humour me!)

Inspired by you all pushing yourselves, and thinking of DrNo overtaking her 10 people during her finishing stretch I went beyond my comfort zone and pushed myself hard during an 8k this evening. I knocked off 3 mins from my last time. So thank you. Please keep up the inspiration levels so that I can cope with my HM in two weeks time.

Yes, Moshi how is your mum doing?

Master- I only seem to have one pace too! 8 minute miles regardless of distance . I think I generally start slightly slower and get faster jn the second half- but that is me judging on 'feel' rather than the wonder of garmin. I even have a crap analogue watch! I am thinking of buying one for DH for his birthday and then borrowing it....

Do you think notyummy that if we Garminify ourselves we may be able to go faster?

Hold on, you are doing 8 minute miles that's (quickly googles it into kms) what a 4.9 km, you don't need to go any faster.

I may also buy dh a Garmin for his birthday.

Lol at the new word 'Garminify'

Welcome to the newbies.

Where is Moshi?

8 minute miles....(passes out). Lol at "Garminify"!

I think if I garminify myself I may end up slower because i would be unable to stop checking my time/distance speed etc...

That is why I will buy it for someone else as a gift

It may backfire, because DH is fast AND a massive gadget geek. I am probably going to get utterly sick of him going on about his splits...

master garminify-that is my current favourite word!(although I am not garminified!)

Welcome madeindevon.

Just to add, I only have one pace. And the only reason it changes is because i'm slowing down!

Went out for my 3miles this afternoon. 28.57mins. Getting better! But it was so humid and when the sun came out I was roasted. At least the weather is getting a bit better though.

Wheely, I think it's more like this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hilly-Contour-Backpack-Black-Grey/dp/B000NDJJP6/ref=sr_1_9?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1307987493&sr=1-9. It's definitely not a 'hydration system' type rucksack which loads of them seem to be - not sure you really need those unless you're doing ultra-running and need to have loads of fluids with you. Just a normal rucksack basically! Hope that helps.

I am so so sorry to have been so absent of late.

Forgive me for not mentioning everyone as there is so much fantastic running and camraderie going on here. We must surely have the most supportive positive thread on MN?

A HUGE well done to the HM racers, DrNo and futurity!

DrNo - you should never have doubted you could achieve your target as you have had such consistent training in the run up to the race. And you have been doing complimentary training in the form of bootcamp style circuits which gave you such a fantastic extra boost. You should think about your next race and commit to working down that time now!

futurity - a lonely race is harder to run and you did really well! You should be proud of your achievement as not many people would have managed to "race" without other runners surrounding them. The splits do not look bad at all! There is not a huge amount of variation and I can see where you were on your own. Take note from that and you can use it in training to focus on pushing yourself during intervals or fartlek runs to condition yourself to run faster on your own.

And a well done to Debi on your marathon relay which sounds as difficult to organise as to run! Loved the last comment (did your DH know you said that?)

peach - pleased all sounds well with the bump! Cannot wait to hear what flavour you are incubating.

Mum's operation and hospitalisation has taken up so much physical and mental effort. We have a wonderful housekeeper now thankfully so I can focus on things other than the mundane all of the time. Thank you for asking about my mum even with me being offlline - you lot are really lovely. Her operation went well and they are still to come back with the results of her biopsy which means we won't know about further treatment yet. She seems to be physically well and recovering from the surgery but has had a worrying few days with what they think is post-operative delirium. When you Google it, it appears alongside articles about dementia and depression. She has had scary hallucinations but they seem to have subsided for now. I have spent many hours driving up and down the M40 to visit her and it is quite tiring. HOWEVER, I started my Abingdon marathon campaign with 14.5 miles on the G trainer (still recovering from weak ankle) in 2 hours. Recovery run tomorrow. It feels really good to be back running again, like being reunited with a very old but very very good friend.

Keep on running everyone.

PS WELCOME to the newbies! All runners are welcome as long as you are prepared to be slightly obsessive about all things running related.

PPS I definitely think race reports are very useful for us to learn things from. As are splits to understand the context of how factors may have affected the racer (as well as to enable us to be slightly competitive with each other ).

welcome madeindevon! You're a pro compared to me, I only started in January and have still to do my first half marathon.

Moshi, I'm glad your mum is on the mend from her surgery.

My suitcase is packed for my week away (with my running shoes in it, thanks for your advice guys!), so speak to you all soon... happy running!

I am thoroughly garminified after only a couple of weeks! the split times can teach you a lot about how you run, and where to target your effort. My splits usually get better the longer the run; I'm a very slow starter and it takes me a good 15 minutes or so to warm up (Old Bag emoticon probably needed), although I can start off faster if I put my mind to it.

I've found it much more helpful to look at lap pace as I'm running and I'm actually fairly consistent.

Welcome to newbies (I'd like some really slow people to join though!) and glad to see Moshi is back in action, despite what sounds like a gruelling time for you.

EmmaBemma one of the things I love about travelling alone is running in a new place, and secondly running without having to discuss it with anyone! Wake up, head out the door, stay out as long as you like: heavenly. And someone to make you breakfast when you get back.

DD is in bed, but there are suspicious noises coming from in there...I haven't had a good day, and I really do not need her company tonight!

Nice to see you back Moshi . Glad to hear your Mum seems to be recovering alright from the surgery. Thank you for your kind words regarding my pace...means alot to me as I am in awe of you!

I think I do have to learn to push myself on my own and not rely on others being there..I was very much keeping up with my friend (with her having much longer legs than me!) but lacked the drive and stamina at the end when she went off. Gives me something to work towards. Oh and thanks to you reminding me about the Bupa 10K the other week I have entered already for next year :)

moshi really hope that you're mum is over all that soon and can get home. Glad you're back running.

omg notyummy what a brilliant idea, father's day this sunday.
dh would be really if I bought him a garmin ;)

futurity - I think we are probably very similar runners! I too struggle to really push myself and your splits look rather like my own half marathon ones - my split was somewhere in the middle (that was the one where I was clinging to the side of the mountain in the hailstones...). The Garmin has taught me that once I am warmed up my pace is fairly consistent though, which is pleasing. Distance is not a problem for me, but speed really is and that's what I need to work on, bit by bit.

does anyone know the difference between the garmin 205 and the garmin 305? Is it just the heart rate monitor or is the £20 difference really worth it? (I'm looking at them on amazon for £86 and £116 respectively).

I think it's just the HRM June - I've got a 205 and it does everything I can think of - distance, time, pace, splits, calories, intervals, tempo (I haven't used this but I assume it beeps at you when you drop below target pace); it will map routes and all sorts. I have a HRM but I stopped using it because I didn't find it helpful. I occasionally get it out just to see where I am heart rate wise, but don't use it routinely.

I think 205 and 305 are basically the same gadget, the quick instruction guide is the same for both.

I ran this evening for 50 mins and covered 3.93 miles I'm so slow it's gonna take me forever to complete my half marathon. I'm feeling a bit rubbish about robotics run not really sure why