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

Ooh moshi so pleased to read that your mum has had the all clear! X

Welcome back June glad you had a good holiday. When I do my LSR with my SIL we chat the whole way. At running club however, I only talk for the warm up jog, then I don't, but only because I can't as I am generaly struggling to breath

June glad you had a good holiday - we go away 4 weeks tomorrow - can't wait.

N4NNY that really puts things into perspective, what was it that you had done? (apologies if that's too nosey or if you've explained it before)

Intervals for me this morning - I am feeling a few twinges in my knees at the moment - I noticed it after my run on sunday and again today - may be it's my age.

Conversations when I am running ......hmmm is it safe to admit here that I often talk to myself when out

squix I had a tumour on my spinal cord between C2 and C3 (near my neck) it was only partially removed because of it's position so could grow again. My surgeon told me I had about 6 weeks before the tumour had compressed my spine so much I would have been paralysed for the rest of my life.

Nice to see you, backwardspossum! I'm glad you're getting back in the swing of things.

N4NNY - I hadn't realised what you'd been through: what a fantastic achievement to have done the R4L.

thread had fallen off the 'threads I'm on'! back from England (not far from your neck of the woods, Dr No - between Halifax and Burnley) seeing DD's dad (which is great) and his family (not so great - but that's another thread). Not much running got done, but settled for the summer at home now, more or less, so hoping to get out later on today and back into some kind of routine.

Beautiful day, shame about the hayfever :(

squix - if your knees continue to feel twingey it might be better to avoid intervals for the time being as these can exacerbate such twinges.

N4NNY - you are really an inspiration to be doing what you are after your experience! It goes to show how running means very different things to each of us and how all of our different experiences and times and goals are as valid as each others.

5M easy later on. Sports day at nursery first!

Happy running all.

hello
lovely reports from the weekend racing well done all

moshi excellent news regarding your mother now all she needs is a cap on credit

running not happening much as have been dealing with assorted family ailments, they seem to come in pairs, hopefully all well soon

I can't wait for the end of the school term and off to Dorset we will go, for a little while, jumping around in a field and whatnot

happy and safe running all

meant to say about the physio and their tactfulness it seems to be happening more and more the sort of attitude ''well you are not a teenager any more'' ''well it is women stuff'' really? blow me down I had not noticed that!

Theatre this weekend yeah almost like I have a cultural life

N4NNY - don't think my post posted before - just wanted to say that what you've achieved is brilliant,

Moshi - yup think I'll leave intervals for a wee while, just some easy paced runs over the next few days.

Ditto that squix - great work N4NNY and absolutely highlights that everyone runs for very different reasons...

Agree with Moshi on the intervals squix. I find when I'm pushing myself, especially for pace, my form gets a bit screwed up with my general limb-flailingness which definitely makes risk of injury that bit more.

Good to see you again possum and glad to hear you're getting your running mojo back! On the same note, hope you get back into your routine as well drivingmiss.

Had an interesting interval run in today. 7.5k with 10 x 250m fast and 250m recoveries after each one. Apparently should be 'zapping' my muscles to make them 'twitch' faster according to RW . Still find it very hard to run proper intervals outside - pacing is always all over the place vs. a treadmill not sure how effective they are.

Found interesting article about foot strike here if anyone was interested. It's one of those things that's bugged me - the need for a forefoot strike to run properly when no matter what I do, each foot seems to land like a sack of cement. Article (from Sports Science) had a slightly different view to the norm...

5 miles general today with the dog. I love running with her. Practised keeping an easy and consistent pace (average 8:19m/m). Some strides in the final mile. So nice to be running without an injury!

Calling any would-be Parkrunners! All members registered with Parkrun are being offered a free place in the Addidas Ladies' 5K challenge in Hyde Park in September. I have applied and so should you if you are local as it will be a free event and probably lots of fun without any sweaty men there (apart from ones potentially in long coats with holes in the pockets as someone suggested ). List updated to include that and VLM 2012 too seeing as wheely and futurity have set targets as far as next year already!

06/07/11- Yately 10k: DebiTheScot
10/07/11 - London 10K Madamecastafiori
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
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
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
22/04/12 - VLM: MoshiMoshi
27/05/12 - London Bupa 10K - Futurity

Echo everyone else's sentiments N4NNY - well done!

Sounds good Moshi. Maybe I should get a dog....I love it when I can fit running in with some other aspect of RL - eg, DS goes to a band once a week, and if I am organised, I go for a run while he is at band. If I am not organised, I go to Waitrose for a cup of tea and cake....

Haven't looked at the article, cest, but am intrigued by foot strike....I know someone who does not put her whole foot down, just the front bally bit....I think I would find that really hard going. When at running club, I love observing how others run - everybody has a different style, it seems.

Just popped in after a foot in mouth moment...had been asked to speak at DS2's school new parents' evening, as I am on PTA committee, to try to drum up support from new parents. Don't want to go into too much detail, but said something that sounded a bit odd, so tried to amend it with a bit of a joke, but went a bit pear-shaped....you know the feeling when you have just said something and wished you hadn't....I made a very speedy departure!

Oh just remembered, re physios and age comments, my mum's GP once attributed her knee problems to "too many birthdays" which I though was nice way of putting it.

Forgot to ask, have written previously that am seriously toying with the idea of buying a Garmin, as many of you on here seem to have them, and think they are useful. BUT which one? I just feel a bit overwhelmed when I look at the info, and am a bit worried about getting one with more gadgetry than I need...equally worried about buying one and wishing I had bought one that did more. Any tips would be appreciated - thanks

(Believe it or not I WON a Garmin Forerunner 305 in 2008 - however we were in the middle of moving house, as DH had changed job, and I felt I just did not have the time to devote to it, or to running. So I sold it. Have kicked myself many times since!)

Careful ibby - that's akin to saying something rude about the Pope on a Catholic thread!

Know what you mean about running styles... When I seen someone out running really smoothly and easily and end up just staring at them and thinking "hmm, how do their feet fall, how are they holding themselves, how do....". Course it's hard to think about it properly with DW next to me saying "stop staring at them, you freak!"

I bumped into a Parkrun going the other way on Saturday, don't know much about it. I sort of thought it was just training, but is it a race?

I'm a forefoot runner, in minimalist shoes. I am not very fast but can do 10k most days in an hour no prob, was dancing which injured me recently. Got overtaken today by a big striding heelstriker and it looked so violent, I land on my foot beneath me, he was on heel right in front.

fishie, parkrun is a weekly 5k run held at various locations around the UK (and a few elsewhere - Australia and Denmark I think). It is free to enter, but you have to sign up via the website in order to get a barcode Every time you run, you get your barcode scanned, along with the position chip that gets handed to you at the finish. Results are emailed/texted the same day (usually). It is strangely addictive: I ran my 20th on Saturday!

It is all organised by volunteers, the expectation is that runners help out (and don't run) at least 3 times a year.

Does become a bit habit forming, but a good start to the weekend I find!

Website here:

thanks ibby. Am trying to work out whether I should go for a wee run first and drag new runner colleague along to Parkrun or just pile in by myself. Is in forest and I don't do road so would like to take advantage.

hi all - what would be a decent speed on a bike? took my Garmin to work today, and averaged about 12 mph, but that involved all the waiting at red lights etc - at best was doing about 20mph..

enjoyed riding it a bit faster, actually and my fitness doesn't seem too compromised by the last 3 weeks of messing about/time deficit/sleep deficit/loss of motivation etc - I might use the bike a bit more

I did a bike ride today of 17 miles (with a break in the middle to visit my friend and her new puppy!). Also averaged 12-13mph getting up to 20mph when going down hills. Am getting a bike mount to put my Garmin on the bike as I find it scary trying to peak at it on my wrist whilst wizzing along! I enjoy cycling as I can feel it using different muscles to running and I find it challenging in a different way to running.

Liking the look of the parkrun thanks for link apparently there are 3 near me, must register although nearest date I can manage will probably be the 23rd

yes, the wrist glancing is a bit worrying - I used to have a speedometer thingy specially for a bike which was on handlebars - actually better than the Garmin - can't find it though. But must have muscle memory of that as kept glancing at the spot where it used to be...

where can you get a bike mount, then?

moshi just read your post about parkrunners getting a place in Adidas 5k (not sure how I missed this earlier). Worth thinking about......

Just added myself to the list (bit scary...)

06/07/11- Yately 10k: DebiTheScot
10/07/11 - London 10K Madamecastafiori
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
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
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
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