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

Bonkers is hardcore. For my half marathon I will be taking Lucozade Sport, jelly beans, EPO ..................

or, bonkers is, well, bonkers. Actually in a half marathon race I only drink water as well (the jelly babies I just like :)). I do not own a bumbag as such - I have one of those belt thingies with a bit for a water bottle and a little teeny pocket...most of my shorts have pockets for a key/tissue. Beautiful day here - women's mini marathon in Dublin this afternoon - I think this might be the biggest women's running event in the world (40,000 participants - which is why I am not doing it). I'm on a day off today, although I am seriously tempted to go out for a little run - but will do 7 miles tomorrow, easy

"Just one comment - a sub 2hr 1/2 marathon is faster than a sub 1hr 10K if you know what I mean. Quite doable, but you'll need to go from reasonable runner to good runner."

Yes, my PB for a 10k is 56 mins so a sub 2 hour marathon is slightly out of my reach I think. Amends target to 2.15.......

Hi EmmaBemma Well done on your 10k! I recently stepped up from 10k to 1/2 marathon and I would say it was easier than going from 0 to 10k, BUT to do a sub-2hr half, you'll have to be quicker than a sub-hour 10k and I found it tough. I run 10k in about 55 mins at the mo and my half time was 2:06:59 (not that that means you'll not get under 2 hours!). My training started in November and I was running about 7k quite comfortably then. I didn't follow a training plan as such - I basically did 2 training sessions during the week at running club (could be just normal runs, hill training, intervals or paarlauf etc) then a longer, slower run at the weekend which we increased the distance of every weekend by about 1km (and latterly 1 mile) - we struggled a bit with the weather in the winter though and I picked up a slight injury so had to go back to 10k for a bit in Feb. I never actually got past 11.5 miles in training, but managed the 13.1 miles in Edinburgh relatively easily. My friend and I had aimed for 2 hours 10 mins, but didn't think I'd manage so to knock 3 mins off that was great. :)

I'm hoping to get sub 2 hours at some point, but I think it will be really tough! Am currently working on my 10k time to get that under 50 mins. Going well - did 4k in 20 mins on Tuesday getting faster each km I did. Hoping to do that in Inverness in October (or possibly at the Moray Marathon 10k in Sept - I haven't decided yet whether to do the half or the 10k there yet).

Thanks for a link to those bumbags - I now realise my bro has one but he calls it a fuelbelt . I guess that makes it sound more matcho. I think I will put one of those on my birthday list.

Welcome EmmaBemma. Good luck with training for your half. I personally have found getting from 0-5K the hardest part of learning to run. Although I'm a bit pyschologically stuck under 10 miles at the moment. I have increased my distances very slowly using the excuse that I haven't had the time to do longer distances whilst I still have dd2 at home. But actually reading some of these experiences makes me realise I could have done the half sooner just by pushing my weekend run. Anyway, I have signed up for a 10 mile run in OCtober and a half in Feb.

Debi - I think it was me talking about running in Richmond Park although I think there are a few of us that do. It is quite an unusual place to run given how built up it is around it.

Last day of half term today (inset day) then back to the gym tomorrow for my last half term of treadmill running !

What is this, Bumbags Anonymous??? I don't have one and don't know if I could countenance such a thing but maybe would need one if I did a marathon. Lol at Wheely's brother's "fuelbelt". Boys can be so funny. Have recently bought a new pair of shorts to accomodate my expanding girth. Was shocked to discover there is no pocket on them!!! They are not running shorts and I should have checked but really, shorts without a pocket, I have never heard the like. Had to take my iPod armband, sans iPod, and stuff it with keys etc. Rubbish.

Just thinking about concept of not swallowing energy drink. DrNo, you could combine refuelling with spitting in one easy move. Sorted!!!

peach - very funny. Are you feeling better? DP is more or less past the 24/7 nausea and seems more energetic. She already has a little bump at just gone 14 weeks...

concept of not swallowing energy drink easier to process than utter impossibility idea of not eating jelly babies (I think I'd need to check in with the doc if I was spitting jelly babies out by the side of the road!)

hello! thanks all for the welcome, and for your input - really helpful and interesting.

bonkers - as you probably guessed, I hadn't thought of it like that. I mean, obviously I knew that running a sub 2 hour half would be a lot harder than a sub 1 hour 10K, but I just kind of vaguely assumed I would get faster as I get fitter.

So it's helpful to know how you found your half, backwardspossum - I realise perhaps I need to be a bit more realistic. You did great - well done for knocking so much off your planned time. What do you think helped the most in your training with your speed? I was thinking about doing some fartlek (sp?) stuff on my shorter runs, as that sounds

I started running in January, on and off, but only started going out regularly at the beginning of March. The Glasgow 10K in May was the first time I'd run that distance, as I'd only got up to about 5 miles in training. I was just over 59 mins, which I'd aimed for and was pleased with, but I could have been faster. I jogged the first 5K quite cautiously because I didn't know whether I'd just run out of steam, and it was absolutely rammed with people who kept getting in my way! So I dunno, I've got faster since then in training but it's hard to say how fast due to not timing myself properly. Actually, do you all have proper runner's watches? Can you recommend any reasonably priced ones?

It's good to know I'm not the only training plan eschewer.

DrNortherner - I run on my own in the early morning. I did start off running in the evenings which would be more ideal for teaming up with people but I feel much more sluggish then. I quite enjoy being on my own but I take your point about how running with others might help with pace. A much fitter friend of mine who does hill running has offered to accompany me on my long weekend trail run but I politely declined as I was worried she'd get frustrated with my slower pace. (incidentally, she is a bum-bag wearer. I must ask her what she puts in hers)

Wheelybug - I know what you mean about distance being a psychological block! I agree, the long weekend run is a good way of getting the 'miles in your legs'. (I heard a proper runner say that phrase once and I like to repeat it, as it makes me feel halfway competent)

I (and others on here) have a Garmin 205 - mine was about £80 on Amazon - I've had it for about 6 weeks and I wouldn't be without it. It really helped me pace myself during the half marathon. I started far too quickly and wouldn't have managed to maintain the pace over 13 miles, even though it felt comfortable in the first mile!

I think the intervals made the biggest difference in terms of improvement of speed. Also doing a route where you head out and then come back the same way and try and beat your time on the way back (if that makes sense?). We also did a lot of fartlek at the club.

Hi EmmaBemma - well done on your 10K and brilliant that you are stepping up to do the half marathon. Echo what the others say on here about getting to a sub 2 hour half from a sub 1 hrs 10k, however you do have all summer to train in, and whilst we may not get the best weather up here (am guessing you are in the West of Scotland? I'm in Fife) we do get long days. So you have time to train to get there. Go for it!

Getting fitter and getting faster is an interesting question and I'd be interested in other's thoughts on this. My training for a marathon (should I ever do one) would be totally different from my 1/2 marathon training as I would be aiming to complete the course rather than doing it in a particular time. But I'd guess that, again for me as we are all different, that sort of endurance training would not equip me for speed so I'd probably run much slower in a 10k for example. So a 10k done during marathon training would probably be slower that a 10k run during 1/2 marathon training which would probably be slower than if I was training specifically for a 10k. But that wouldn't necessarily mean I was less fit. So I suppose my question is - what does being fit mean to you (and I mean in the context of exercise not in a pwoar sense!).

Runner's watches - some of us have found the Garmin particularly helpful

Imagining how far I could spit with a gob full of lucozade.........

DrNo

Squix, that was exactly what I found when training for my marathon - I've lost what little pace I had because I was training to run a long way slowly. My half marathon race pace was around 8.30 m/m (fastest was 1 hr 47 a couple of years ago) but my marathon pace was 10 m/m, and if I did 10k now I'd struggle to get under 1 hour.

Welcome EmmaBemma

I managed a 5.5 mile run on Friday and am feeling my energy levels creeping back up again now so am planning to continue gradually increasing the miles and then start working on speed again.

Had a boozy weekend at my friend's wedding which was fabulous fun, then DS2's birthday yesterday so it's been hectic - his party is next weekend so I have a bit more time to steel myself prepare for it.

Have got a fuel belt, it can fit it in about 6 gels, a phone and some keys and was only a tenner from Up and Running (can't find a picture of it, sorry).

I also have a Garmin 205, I love it - had it for three years and I feel naked running without it.

Lovely sunny breezy day here, wish I was outside running instead of sat at my desk.

I have a bumbag fuelbelt and now I really want a Garmin!!

My belt was a tenner from sportsdirect.com. It doesn't have a bottle holder, I just have one of those funny bottles you can put your hand through. It's really not the best to drink out of to be honest.
The belt is very flat but still fits my chunky car key, my iphone, my ipod, some hair ties, could also fit a protein bar.

I think I'll have to get a cheap stopwatch from the supermarket, maybe I could tie it round my waist and click it everytime I have done a lap.

gotta go for now, catch up later!

Garmins are great - if you go for the bottom of the range model, and don't want the girl's one, you can get it for under £100 easily. It's really great, although it will allow your inner nerd free reign...and then you find yourself regaling your fellow runners with mind-numbingly tedious scintillating facts about splits and stuff

Whilst we're on the subject of garmins - has anyone swapped from a footpod to GPS ? I have a footpod Garmin which I love and reliase I rely on when I set off for a run on sunday and had it on the wrong screen and it wasn't showing my pace and i got all panicky. But, are GPS ones better ? I assume they are? Just looking at the 205 though it looks ginormous and I have tiny wrists and my FR60 fills it. The 110 looks smaller, but more expensive....

I have the Garmin 110 and love it. Though I do have a few anger issues when trying to charge it (anyone else?) as the charging clip is badly designed imo. Sometimes my screen dies, but then comes back to life of its own accord. I got teh black one so dh can use it too, dead easy to use. Totally addicted to it and would never run without it. If it ain't in the Garmin it didn't happen!

hmm I wonder if I can persuade DH for me to get a garmin 110 and he can have my FR60. I brought him something else more expensive (a polar ?) a couple of years ago and he's never been able to work out how to use it.

I am gutted when I forget to wear mine to the gym - I don't need it there for pace or time or anything useful other than to record the run... I feel cheated if it isn't logged !

hey squix, thanks for the encouraging words! I'm in Fife too actually, just over the water from Dundee. I did the Glasgow 10K as I was meant to be chumming a friend of mine who lives on the west coast, though she couldn't make it in the end, and I'll be doing the same for the half marathon. If all goes well I hope to enter some other races closer to home! A shame I'll be on holiday for a week when it's the Dundee 10K.

For me, speed and endurance are equally important, as I'm starting from scratch. I can see how training for a marathon would involve a whole different approach though.

I am just outside Dundee.

Other local races you might like to think about are the Dundee half (July), Forfar 10K (August), Templeton ten (early November), Smokies 10 (Arbroath, Spring). I'm sure the Ainster (ie.e Anstruther) Haddies do a good race in the summer time too. Also shameless plug my friendly local women's running club meets in Dundee on Monday evenings if you are interested.

am starting to think that we should call this thread 'running for scots and their mates' :o

Haha, we get everywhere don't we!

you scottish lasses might enjoy my friend's blog - it's all about being a scot in exile and the weird and wacky ways that Scottishness is interpreted all over the world. She is very funny - much superior to the usual blog fare...it's here if you'd like a wee look

Very of all you Scottish runners. Am a Scot in exile in London, being held here against my will, and would head north in a heartbeat if DP would agree. Sigh..

Driving, thanks for the link, I'll have a look! Am feeling loads better too now thanks, really felt an improvement over the last few days and only feeling nausea when I haven't eaten for a while. Getting less tired too and have growing bump! Been feeling little movements for the last 2 or 3 weeks which are getting more pronounced now, which is lovely in an alieninmytummy kind of way.

Lol at DrNo's projectile spitting!

Wow ! There is a huuugge scottish presence here isn't there ? Is it because Scots are harder than the rest of the British Isles so run more ? I am from the sussex coast so can't really get much further away from scotland.