Runners united: I run, I do running, I am a runner

[DebiTheScot]

We've run out of room on the other thread so I hope you don't mind me starting the new one.
This thread is for runners to share running stories and chat about life in general too. Anyone with running shoes welcome!

Our latest race list is below. Feel free to add or remove races from it.

06/07/11- Yately 10k: 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
24/07/11 - Harrogate town centre 10k - DrNortherner
20/08/11 - Frank Duffy 10 mile, Dublin - drivingmisscrazy
03/09/11 - Dingle Half-Marathon - drivingmisscrazy
11/09/11 - Bristol Half- Marathon - thetasigmamum
11/09/11 - Bristol Half- Marathon- N4nny
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
25/09/11 - London Half Marathon Run to the beat: June2009
25/09/11 - New Forest Half Marathon: MoshiMoshi
02/10/11 - Standalone 10K: Futurity
02/10/11 - Bradford Half Marathon - MrsWednesday
02/10/11 - Baxter's River Ness 10k - backwardpossom
02/10/11 - The Run, Northampton - YeahThatsTheBadger
09/10/11 - Great Eastern Run, Peterborough - Futurity
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix
20/11/11 - Leeds Abbey Dash (10k) - DrNortherner
19/02/12 - Brighton Half marathon - Wheely
27/05/12 - London Bupa 10K - Futurity

Good luck all our racers this weekends! Driving, I have a feeling this race might get your mojo back!

Welcome fanny. Man, you are speedy!

Am spending mist of my time scavenging boxes and googling cleaning websites (sorry state of affairs) gearing up to move in 3 weeks.

Got scan this Monday too, and will find out flavour of yon baby! Mind has been so busy lately I haven't had time for usual pre-scan worrying, but am sure will be a bag of nerves by Monday.

Oooooh to wherly's bike!!

Just popped on quickly to say good luck to drivingmiss - hope it goes well.

good luck for your scan, peach - I hope it all goes well for you.

fanny - sounds like you're in an enviable position, in terms of hm training - you've already got the endurance that most runners would be focusing on. What made you decide to do your first ever race?

4.3 quite gentle miles in the pissing rain this morning, after doing my physio-prescribed strengthening exercises, which are quite hard! They warmed me up a treat. Felt very sluggish, maybe due to recovering from big bike ride yesterday, but was surprised to find my av. pace was 8:50, which seems to be my default just now. The hip itself was grumbling a bit after 2 miles but felt better than Tuesday, so think I'll risk a long run tomorrow and see how I go.

Good luck driving, hope this race is enjoyable.

Good luck driving! Look forward to the race report later.

Just did a 7M progressive run and thought the splits might be of interest. I was trying to keep it controlled and easy and interestingly the run only felt any effort when I sped up by more than 20s/m for the last mile which was meant to be HMP. The next one I do I will try to adjust my pacing better so the step up is more gradual.

Splits 7M today:

Split Summary

1. • 1m - 8:51(8:51/m) - 91cal
2. • 1m - 8:40(8:40/m) - 88cal
3. • 1m - 8:21(8:21/m) - 87cal
4. • 1m - 8:00(8:00/m) - 88cal
5. • 1m - 7:42(7:42/m) - 88cal
6. • 1m - 7:20(7:20/m) - 87cal
7. • 1m - 6:51(6:51/m) - 87cal
8. • 0.03m - 19(10:12/m) - 3cal

The jump between 6 and 7M was the biggest and felt it too. I think if I had eased the pacing up by 25s/m instead of 20s/m then getting up to 6:50m/m pace would have felt smoother.

I'm back! it was fun - I ran the whole thing at easy pace (chatted to a friend for a mile), Garmin says 52:12, chip time probably a bit slower (clock showed at least 6 minutes when I got to start line!). Happy with it - could have run a lot harder - so I need to get the effort part right next.

Full report later - off for lunch in town with DP and DD, plus BIL, SIL and niece.

Emma. Hmm don't feel like I have much endurance at the moment though. I have days where I can breeze through long runs then next week I'm just no so hot. Got to do 11 miler tomorrow so probably need to carb up tonight (crisps and lager good carbs?!! )

moshi very interested in your splits. I need to work on similar so I can learn to start slower then have the effort to push myself the last few miles. You look like you are very into your running - I bore all my friends with mine - they laugh as I'm talking about splits and tempo runs... 4 kids - where do you manage to fit it all in? I find it hard with 3.

Went for run yesterday - 5 miles and it was horrendous - I find when I'm on my period I can get get shaky and need a sugar rush so I'd read of some marathon runner who drinks a can of full fat coke before a run. So there's me in Tesco car park necking back can of coke in full running gear with people looking at me like I'm a knob!!! The run was awful - the coke repeated on me for first 4 miles and I had to stop. Was not happy! So no coke for me again and DH was gobsmacked as I only drink water or green/White tea and occasional Corona at the weekend!

moshi what would be a good interval run to get my speed up? I'd say I'm comfortable on a long run in the summer doing 8.30 min mile but would ideally like to get into the

Glad it went well, driving! Looking forward to reading yr full report.

Sorry to hear about your burpy run, fannybanjo. I'll be carbing up tonight too, on pizza: yum yum.

Well done driving - especially pleased you enjoyed it !

OMG it's tomorrow!!!

I have been mentally preparing for a hot and sunny race and now the weather is cool and wet.

Moshi I will be watching with interest your Newton experiences. I went out for a very short run yesterday wearing aqua shoes (ie very thin soled, flexible) and really felt like they improved my gait enormously - I was much quieter too as I am usually a stomper.

I am toying with the idea of a proper pair of "barefoot shoes" once this race is over with. Anyone tried any of these. I think I will give five-fingers a miss (expensive and weird looking), maybe vivo barefoot ultras, saucony hattori or merrell trail gloves.

Good luck, Chewy! How are you feeling about the race? What time are you hoping for?

Thanks Emma. Feeling quietly confident that I will enjoy the race. Not that fussed about times as it is my first half but DH did one in 2hr 30 a few years back so really need to beat that! I would expect I will finish in around 2hr 20.

Going to add myself - it is now OFFICIAL!

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
24/07/11 - Harrogate town centre 10k - Dr Northerner
20/08/11 - Frank Duffy 10 mile, Dublin - drivingmisscrazy
03/09/11 - Dingle Half-Marathon - drivingmisscrazy
04/09/11 - Great Scottish Run Half-Marathon: EmmaBemma
11/09/11 - Bristol Half- Marathon - thetasigmamum
11/09/11 - Bristol Half- Marathon- N4nny
11/09/11 - Addidas 5K: MoshiMoshi
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa, SLF, Fannybanjo
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
25/09/11 - Windsor Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
25/09/11 - London Half Marathon Run to the beat: June2009
25/09/11 - New Forest Half Marathon: MoshiMoshi
02/10/11 - Standalone 10K: Futurity
02/10/11 - Bradford Half Marathon - MrsWednesday
02/10/11 - Baxter's River Ness 10k - backwardpossom
02/10/11 - The Run, Northampton - YeahThatsTheBadger
09/10/11 - Great Eastern Run, Peterborough - Futurity
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix
30/10/11 - Nairobi Standard Chartered Half Marathon - M&M
19/11/11 - Maasai Mara Half Marathon - M&M
20/11/11 - Leeds Abbey Dash (10k) - DrNortherner
27/11/11 - City of Norwich half marathon: ibbydibby
19/02/12 - Brighton Half marathon - Wheely
22/04/12 - VLM: MoshiMoshi, ibbydibby
27/05/12 - London Bupa 10K - Futurity

I'd love to have had the courage to enter the Liverpool Marathon which is mid October - however doing the GNR in September then Marathon in October would be a bit of a crazy idea wouldn't it.... However I notice Moshi is doing a similar pattern - 25/9 Half then 16/10 Marathon hmmm, I wonder whether it would be madness?? Would I be able to train up to Marathon standard by October??

Good luck tomorrow with your half Chewy - I am sure you will do great.

fanny - what is your current regime? If you have been doing 40mpw for 16 weeks then there is enough time to get the training in as I think there is 14 weeks or so. Ideally you'd want 16-18 but many schedules are shorter so it is doable. All depends on your goals! If you let me know mileage and paces I'll tell you what I think!

Moshi I'm currently doing approx 30 miles a week. I use Runmeter and I've lost 6 months of times as I had to
Restore my iPhone so I can't be exact as to average times. My last 10 miler was slow at 1hr 29m as did it at 6.15am and it takes me a while to wake up. My "quicker" runs are at around 8.20 min miles, slower ones around 9 min miles. In winter I was running 7.50 min miles (on long runs) even in ice - I don't seem to run as well in the summer - I was asthmatic as a child and think that's part of the problem. I'll do my 11 miler tomorrow and give you my splits/time etc - you can judge better then... Thank you so much!!

fanny - I wouldn't get too caught up in times and what you lost. I imagine you know whether you feel on form and like you are improving or not as, I think personally, having babies tends to give you a good awareness of your body as a runner. 30 mpw is a good base although my feeling is that you are better off targeting your HM this autumn and then using the winter time to get some good base marathon miles in for a spring marathon. In particular as you run better in wintertime. I am also asthmatic but think running helps it and especially in summertime. Nothing to be gained by rushing into the endurance events. I think many beginner runners target marathons too soon and are better off looking to train for 5Ks and 10Ks before moving onto HMs and finally marathons. The body has more time to accustom itself to the repetitive impact and avoid injuries.

I also take time to wake up in the mornings. Our bodies are cold and take a while to get going. But races are typically in the morning so it is not such a bad thing to get used to morning running. Do you adjust your pacing for distances? Your week's running should ideally be split into a longer run (a Long Slow Run or LSR), a tempo run and/or speed/interval session and a shorter recovery run. Each has their own part to play and together they combine to create a lean mean racing machine on race day that goes faster than ever having tapered and absorbed the training!

Great advice there Moshi - half my problem is I use running as a calorie burner so I'm always trying to do longer runs whereas I'm burning out hence I'm getting slower. Can you help with regards a good training plan - I'll be doing 11 miler tomorrow morning so what should rest of my week look like... (in prep for GNR) - only if you don't mind - haha you have 4 kids, here's me asking you for help!! the reason I would love advice from you and not a book or magazine is because you're a mum too... You understand how my body will sometimes be totally done in from 2 toddlers and a precocious 8 year old... . Thanks so much!

I bet I could do with a heart rate monitor couldn't I? .

fanny - are you using a schedule currently? It not take one from Runners World (they helpfully have time goals which gives you an idea of what sort of weekly runs you need to fit in to achieve a goal time. I can help guide you through the runs they suggest so you understand the role of each and what can be missed if real life intervenes.

Right it's coming up to dinner time so a final good luck to paws, chewy and debi for tomorrow! I suggest you try some visualisation when in bed tonight if you aren't already doing that sort of thing. In particular with triathlons I find it very useful in preparing for a race mentally and also to anticipate any unforeseen events and being in a position to deal with them without getting all flustered. Really looking forward to the race reports!

Well done again to driving! I hope you have well and truly beaten your bete noire and banished that negativity to the corner where it should stay.

fanny - I don't use a HRM and always go by the CanIHoldAConversation rule. Yes, means an easy pace ie heart rate probably no higher than 140bpm, no means it is somewhere between that and maximum. All out efforts means not being able to talk - around 90% of maximum - and snatched conversation means tempo ie around 75%. It is all very rough and approximate but it is easy to get obsessed with figures and I like to try and go by feel. Plus life is complicated enough without having to find the HRM as well as the Garmin when I nip out for a run !

Oh, just read back and realised I forgot to mention about visualisation - I meant to go through the pre-race routine and also the race itself. It helps with transition in particular by focusing on the order of events when removing/adding clothes/helmet/shoes which is vital as you can be DQ if you forget a helmet on your bike (although not if you run with it!)

paws, chewyand debi - good luck for tomorrow - hope conditions are good for you.

driving - glad you enjoyed it and well done.