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

Moshi you're a star - you have given me the best advice possible, especially with heart monitor I did look into the Bupa training plan but I find plans too hard to maintain and I know for a fact that 13 miles won't be a problem for me so I could carry on doing what I'm doing and finish it BUT I would love to do it under

so, leisurely start this morning - slice of toast, tea and banana and then on bike to start with about 10 minutes to spare - just as well as the start was about 10 minutes late! I didn't manage to go to the loo beforehand which was a problem later on...weather cool and a bit breezy. Started off on the flat and into the wind - first mile is pretty easy, as is second. I am tooling along at easy pace (as defined above by Moshi) but keen to run a happy race to put demons to rest. 3rd mile is my slowest, mainly because I end up talking to a colleague through most of that one. Mile 4 is down and then up again, but produces my best split (all relative) - if I'd run the whole thing at that pace I would have been thrilled. By this time we have looped around and the sun is getting pretty hot. The final mile is all uphill - a slow steady one (known as Kyber) - a nice lady tells me that 'you can do it' as I toil upwards. I am at this point towards the back, with the assorted body shapes group but still running easy. Quick sprint to the finish.

In retrospect I am annoyed that I didn't push harder, but then I've run very little that last 3 weeks, and I also recognise that most of my difficulty is psychological - I can run faster, but my mind won't let me and tells me that I can't do it. I was happy to get round easily in not too terrible a time in a good atmosphere. The fastest woman in my age category finished in 32 minutes . But I feel a bit more confident now - any tips for helping me banish my demons and run through discomfort?

Thanks for all your good wishes and congratulations - you've been very patient with my moaning and groaning!

Good luck for tomorrow!

Thanks for thinking of me and my transitions moshi. I don't think I dare trying visualising it before I go to sleep as I've already had 2 dreams about things going wrong in it!
I think I'm organised. Going to use a plastic box with an easy to lift off lid in case it's wet and I've gone through how I'll organise everything in the box. I've got energy drinks and glucose tablets wrapped in cling film and goggles and tri shorts and tight top and 2 options of tshirts for cycle and run and shoes and socks and helmet etc etc.

chewy I'd also been preparing myself for it being hot and it looks like it won't be. Depending on what forecast I look at it will either be dry and dull or raining. If conditions are good I have a time in mind 1hr55 but I'm not telling you all in case I don't get it as it is quite ambitious.

Best wishes to all for tomorrow x

Good luck tomorrow everyone !

although debi - that para about a box with lots of things scares the hell out of me ... spends bike money on a handbag ;-) Sounds complicated.

Well done again driving - Sounds like the perfect run to banish negativity (and i sympathise with that !).

Feeling better today so will run tomorrow (might have done today although DH has been stuck in B'ham for those not on FB) - although we have a church obligation, followed by a family party followed by getting dd1 to another party but that is at my gym so if worst comes to worst I'll jump on the treadmill whilst she's there.

ooh, good luck Debi. I've been wondering about doing a triathlon for a while, so will be v. interested to hear your experiences tomorrow. I hope it all goes swimmingly (or runningly/bikingly!) for you.

and meant to say, thanks for posting your report, driving. I think it's good for your confidence to have finished with the feeling that you had something left in the tank, although I recognise that slight frustration that comes with knowing you could have been faster. But like you say, your priority was to have a good run, which you did.

Re: discomfort - I don't know whether this will help, but if I'm suffering I try to focus on the rhythm of my breathing and footfalls, which I find helps to focus and calm me. I worry sometimes that I'm about to keel over but I've only really overdone it once, and felt properly ill - so I know if I'm not feeling like I did then, I'm OK really. I remember well what you said a while ago about your dad having had a heart attack and your understandable worries that you might have one too - that's a huge mental barrier to overcome when you're trying to push yourself.

Good luck tomorrow, everyone! X

don't know what the weather's like elsewhere in the uk, but really hope it's ok for all you racers tomorrow

chewy - I am guessing that since you're just up the road then your weather is pretty much the same as here - really do hope that it improves for you tomorrow

I have a feeling tomorrow's run for me will be in the gym - either that or I'll be running in wellies considering the amount of rain we've had this evening - roll on holidays and sunshine.

OK it is 6.30 am , I have been up for 40 mins now (thankyou 2yr old DS) and it is WET.

Detailed forecasts suggest it will dry a bit before the race but with risk of thundery showers. I hear Perth had flash flooding yesterday so it could be really wet underfoot, even muddy at the start.

Good luck Debi. Although, you sound really organised and probably won't be faffing on Mumsnet this morning .

Thanks for all the good luck messages.

I'm here chewy
Trying to distract myself from my nerves so I can eat my museli. I've already had one panic when couldn't find my speedo for my bike.

Good luck chewy I saw some photos of Perth yesterday and hope Dundee's not so bad today.

emma amazed that you remembered that! yes, somewhere deep down there's something going on with that whole dead of a heart attack at 45 thing (yes, I'm 45). I wonder what I can do about it?

chewy and debi and paws good luck today - particularly interested to read a tri race report - our first on here, I think, at least since I joined

not much planned today - pancakes and then allotment (will have to loiter outside and hope someone lets us in as left key in UK...), I will go out for a 6-7 mile recovery run (although my effort yesterday hardly merits it...) later on as I really want to up my game now

driving - there is something about running that makes me feel more alive than anything. I wonder if you can do something to tap into that feeling and open up yourself to your true potential? You are definitely your own worst enemy in holding yourself back. I agree your dad's early death may play a role but do you think in confronting your feelings you might overcome it and enjoy your running more in seeing what your potential is?

Great race yesterday Driving. it's natural to feel after you could have gone faster but I think your strategy for yesterday was sound. Just getting out there and remembering why you love running (and racing) is worthwhile.

Am also guilty of not pushing myself in running. I think it is because am scared to try and fail. Perhaps it's the same with you? Am sure if we pushed ourselves and achieved our goal we'd feel great but even if we don't manage it we'd find something else out about ourselves that would be valuable. Listen to me?I sound like a cheap self-help book!!! But maybe you know what I mean.

can't wait to hear how the others get on today!

I'm back!

I finished in 2hr 9min 39sec. I am very happy and cannot stop grinning. Will post a full race report later.

Look splits...

MILE TIME AVG. PACE
1 10:26 10'26"/mi
2 20:19 9'53"/mi
3 29:03 8'44"/mi
4 37:53 8'50"/mi
5 47:33 9'40"/mi
6 57:16 9'43"/mi
7 1:07:09 9'53"/mi
8 1:17:30 10'21"/mi
9 1:27:45 10'15"/mi
10 1:38:13 10'28"/mi
11 1:49:24 11'11"/mi
12 1:59:25 10'01"/mi
13 2:09:39 10'14"/mi

Yayyy Chewy, I'm not surprised your pleased, that's a great time!!! Well done. I can see from your splits you had a good strategy of nit going off to fast. Looks like it worked. Brilliant! Did you enjoy it??

well done chewy - great time, nice set of splits too. YOu sound like you enjoyed yourself!

Brilliant chewy - was thinking of you this morning as the rain finally went away and we seemed to have almost sunshine. Great splits, well done.

I had a great 7.5 mile tempo run this morning, felt really good to be running at a time other than 6am!

Great time Chewy! Hope the weather was ok...it's chucking it down here!

Well done Chewy! You did brilliantly - smashed your husband's record too! Looking forward to reading more about it later.

Chewy that's great - bet you're on a high! Weather awful here too - just done 11 miles - 1hr 45m slow run today as blustery and very wet so jacket was on, then off, then on, then off.... very long steep hill on mile 6 which takes huge chunk off my time but good for training on. So quite happy for today!

Still alive and happy! Details when I get home.

Quick message now and I'll do a proper race report later. I finished in 2:03 which was 8 mins slower than I hoped. BUT the cycle was over 2 miles longer than it should have been and at 15mph that would have taken just over 8 mins so I'm very happy.
Compared to last tri I knocked 1 second off the swim, averaged 0.6mph more on the cycle (and it was longer) and knocked 4 mins off the run.

Well done Debi! I'd love to try a triathlon but I swim like a brick