runners united: the newly garminified thread for people who love running

[rhetorician]

all welcome: young, old, fast, slow, running for a week or 20 years, on-road, off-road, racing. Add yourself to the list, or just post!

20/08/11 - Frank Duffy 10 mile, Dublin - rhetorician
29/08/11 - Spofforth 10k Trail Race - DrNortherner
03/09/11 - Dingle Half-Marathon - rhetorician
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, Quenelle
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
09/10/11 - Herts 10k - WishIwasCherryMenlove
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely, squix
30/10/11 - Nairobi Standard Chartered Half Marathon - M&M
05/11/11 - Glendalough Trail Run - rhetorician
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

you are all very funny; but I have had the best part of a bottle of wine, and am staying in a hotel tonight. I will run in the morning though, even if it's only for 20 minutes...

the wind is howling outside - quite dramatic

Hmmmm, he did say GNR in 50 mins. He did. Next time I see him I shall call him on that one! Mind you, the wine was flowing and he had drunk quite a bit....

Ds back at school today. Weather is awful.

Came accross a photo of the legend that is Mo Farrah on FB and a personal trainer had posted the following comment:

"To all those you think you run too slow. You are LAPPING EVERYONE ON THE COUCH! So keep up the good work"

A good sentiment. I always try to remind myself something similar when I am grumbling to myself for only doing 3 miles. The kids and I walk further than most people everyday before I even factor in running.

Well all doesn't seem too bad as had an email this morning from a "decent" campsite saying they had one pitch left so all I need to do is decide whether I would rather just get up and go or hire the motorhome for definite.... Heavens above, it's turned into a saga just to do a 13.1 mile run ain't it?! My head is saying how nice it will be for us to hire the motorhome etc but there is the cost involved and hassle getting the dogs looked after. All in all the weekend will cost around £600 - a lot of money. Hmmmmmm.........

How I laughed last night Debi at the thought of the Banjos parked on a drive in Newcastle, believe me, no Geordie could put up with us! Thanks for the idea though.

Again sfx thanks for that - very kind but don't think I will need to burden some poor buggers!

Badger glad I made you laugh!

DrNo there's NO WAY he has ran a 3.8 min mile!!! Told you, showing off he was - obviously liked what he saw!

rhet I was treated to a Spa day on Sunday! It included a pedicure. My toe nails are a MESS. The beautician started by saying "oh I won't be using much nail polish on these"! Anyway, I'm so chuffed. For the first time EVER in my whole life I have painted toe nails. I wore Burkenstocks yesterday even though it was pretty chilly. I am glad she didn't tackle the various hard skin patches because they protect me from blisters I'm sure.

I am audio-free, watch-free, water bottle free. I never run in a layer knowing I'll need to remove it 1/2 way round. I'd rather be cold for the first 1/2 mile than fuss with tying a top around my middle.

If I'm running at work I carry a locker key. That's it. Can't be done with anything extra. Amen.

Bonkers your post has inspired me to get someone to do my toe nails.....mine are a mess too and I long for beautifully painted toes...

Fanny are you going for the "decent" campsite pitch (am wondering what constitutes decent!) If not have you considered a travel lodge type place? Guess all the closest ones were snaffled up long time ago but even 2 hours away would be better than 3 hour drive from home..maybe? A friend here (Norfolk) has booked a cottage in North YOrk Moors for weekend to coincide with GNR, they will drive (I think) to Middlesbrough on the Sun morning, get coach (for both spectators and competitors) from M'brough to race start, then coach carries on to take spectators further on round the course. Also worth knowing that friends are not heading back home (East Anglia) until Monday as roads are apparently v bad for the rest of the day as everyone heads for home.

DrNo love that quote, will try to remember it. Lashing down with rain here as well, though DCs not back at school until tomorrow.

Debi sounds like there is a club out there waiting for you to join it! Am really glad I joined a club - have now been going for 18 months or so, and great to meet people who I would otherwise never have encountered. I have to admit I found it hard at first, not the running so much as the pre-run socialising on club nights. For 5 or so weeks I could not work out where to stand, who to talk to, etc etc. Sounds trivial now, but I am not the most confident of people, and other members did not particularly go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Training with a club is great, as you push yourself in a way that you don't when you run alone. (that's what I have found anyway). We meet twice a week, one night there are about 4 or 5 sessions to choose from (it's a big club) and the other there are 2 sessions. Sometimes feel a bit guilty about choosing one and not another, as want to support everyone's session!

Sorry for ignoring (ie not commenting) on other posts, struggling to keep up with pace of this thread. Wrote huge post yesterday and lost it.

Anyone heard from EmmaBemma According to llist she had a half marathon this weekend. Hope she is ok.

Training last night was hard, felt out of practice since holiday, though have been running 4 times since returning. Must enter some more races..

right, about to take my slightly hungover self out for a quick run...

I like the comment DrNo, I will remember that when struggling
Good luck with the hungover run Rhet

DrNo, re the 50 minutes comment, the fastest for GNR is (I think) 59.32. Do you think he is confusing it with Great South Run (record is 45.15)?

that's right, sweat it all out rhet!!

moshi - a college friend of mine is an ultra-runner. She was GB champion at one point, but to be honest I'm just so overwhelmed by the distances she covers, and so very fast! It makes me laugh that at our (rather outdoorsy) wedding, we hired a cottage and took a group of friends, ranging from "can walk across Oxford" to Lizzy (at that point just someone I rowed with and really liked) up Helvellyn. It struck me then that she could walk really fast..! When I'm fit I'm going to do her trail/mountain running course she runs in Switzerland. Oh yes - and how about Maximiliansweg as a target? I've walked a portion of it. Stunning, absolutely stunning. Though perhaps coast to coast would be a more reasonable starting point!

fanny if all else fails, there's a derelict house/office next door to us with a large car park - someone else with a motorhome used it a while back. I'm totally ignorant about such things, whether you need to "hook up" to something? Anyway, it's there, it's free, and it's close to Newcastle!!

it was good, actually, although I am confounded by Irish cities and pedestrian crossings - you stand there like a dork for what seems like hours staring at the red man - all traffic at all junctions stationary. As soon as you decide to go for it, they all leap into life. It's very hard explaining why you should wait for the green man to a toddler!!

sticky I think I've read about your friend somewhere...

for me the must-do trail is the GR10 - coast to coast...but in the pyrenees. Not sure about running it though!

M&M October's RW has a race report on the Safaricom marathon - is that the half you did? I take it you weren't the runner who came in at 7:17 (all respect to him or her)? :o

DP tells me that the hitting boy is on holiday for 2 weeks, which might just sort it. Fingers crossed.

Must get on - hope you all have good days!

and I did a Very Short Slow Run today (VSSR)! I would have needed an angry bull to make me run any faster. 50 minutes, 7.5k.

But (this looks more impressive than it is!) I was second in my "class" in that parkrun. It does look good! My little brother ran at the launch of the Yorkshire greatruns on Sunday (5k) and won that, but apparently there were only about 20 people there! So we're looking great on paper this week

oh yes rhet - the GR10 looks goooood! The Chemin de la Mâture looks interesting. I do love all these criss-crossing long distance footpaths across Europe, the feeling you could just up-sticks and walk to Basel (or wherever! It was just that one particular sign I used to see a lot when living in Germany) is so romantic.

Perhaps when I retire I'll just take a light tent and spend the rest of my days traversing the continent!

Go for it Rhet Welcome to Cork Mad that you had to get married at the British Embassy, I guess it's progress of a sort in this country considering a gay friend of mine at school found himself breaking the law in order to have a partner. This was the '80's!

I didn't believe him when he told me it was a criminal offence, but it was. David Norris will always be a hero to me for the work he did in legalising homosexuality in Ireland.

I love that quote Dr No inspires me to get out and run on this awful day. The wind and rain is something special here in Cork.

Fanny what a pain trying to sort out logistics for the GNR. It's such a fab race, and you'll be so glad you went. Doesn't seem that way now I know.

Debi I so want to join a running club too. I've got two in mind already. I think it will keep me honest over the winter for a start. I am awful about exercise one the dark nights pull in.

Sticky that Maximiliansweg looks great. I would need to do some altitude training though. Last time I was in the alps I was approx 24 weeks pregnant and I felt exhausted just wandering around slowly.

Well done on the parkrunsticky
Glad the hitting boy is on holiday Rhet

I just went out for what turned out to be a very short run, even by my standards. It's really really windy here but I decided to give it a try. Had to bail out at 1.5 miles because I was almost going backwards! However, I am pleased that I even went out and had a go, previously I would have not even bothered.

I did have a slight extra incentive today - DD and I had a trip to Go Outdoors this morning and I now have my first ever pair of running tights. How nice to have another hobby with shopping opportunities!!

Piff fair play on getting out to run today. I am looking out my office window at a gale and feel my running resolve slipping away.

Also I have a kind of groin strain in my upper left thigh/groin area and it hurts mucho. If I'm really honest I could probably run through it.

Look I need to have a bit of a wail here....

How does one keep running in the winter time? I feel completely unequal to the task. I just want to curl up with a good book (or with MN) and hide until April. I've always done that in the past. This year I am determined to keep running. But how? It's a toughie.

I agree encyclo - I normally give up once it gets slippy. The RW red book I bought helpfully pointed out that you can go and find unslippy places, like under a motorway bridge .

Well done piffpaffpoff on getting out there. It's windy here too, so it's a beautiful day for 5 minutes, then dark and rainy for the next 5 minutes - not conducive to getting the washing out!

I'm going back to Austria next April, so I'll be able to get a little altitude training in then! Not to mention hills - it's a beautiful place half way up a mountain, so it's very up or very down. I will have such toned thighs and buttocks :)

Kids are back at school so I might be able to contribute more here..I always read the thread but find it hard to post and respond as work and life been very busy over summer holidays.

Anyway, did 11 miles in the wind this morning. First 5 were easy as had 20mph behind me..unfortunately I then had to loops back! The wind wasn't entirely in front of me...some bits were and it was very hard and I even became glad of a cross wind for a break! Glad I did it though...only 3 more long runs to go before my half. Unlike last time I will try and make one of them 13 miles to help break that psychological barrier. I think I am still aiming for 2 hours 15 min finish..hope so anyway!

Well, I was going to go for a run at lunch time, but instead I found myself in the uniform outfitters buying a rugby top and socks for DS1. The woman who used to have all the uniform clean, ironed and labelled sometime in mid Aug is a stranger to me now...sigh. Must get my uniform mojo back before DS2 starts school.

Mind you, it's not the nicest day for a run is it!

I'm the opposite futurity - being back at school means I don't get so much time to post (or run :( ) 5 weeks until the October holidays... sigh

Nice running Futurity I had a similiar run on Sunday. At one point I didn't feel like I was even moving. Damn wind.

Glad I'm not alone sticky I have to figure it out this year though, I just have to.

hello

I hope the return to 'normality' has been kind to you and yours
I love this season for running but hope it is not all just windy and rain

school back tomorrow I think the running and the school timetable with assorted clubs around it, will provide a much needed structure for me. I need to start a push to get the own business thingy off the ground, having major wobbles over that one in this recession and almost feel like just applying for some part time retail (no experience) or some desk type job in my general field

I basically have not really been back at work for nearly 6yrs, I have helped dh with his self employed admin and so on but not much else, apart from studying part time for a degree, which I only really started seriously
once I turned 40, mid life crisis or what?

sfx - a close friend of mine lectures in entrepreneurship at Reading Uni. She might be able to give you a steer if you are really stuck?