Potted post to keep it brief.
The thread is well and truly Garminified but that doesn't preclude non-converts to joining. So please do join us if you are a committed runner! The more the merrier. Big welcome to johnny, baby, Elllie, wiifit, orange, snowy etc.
In a bid to stop people feeling overwhelmed by the speedier ones, I think we should post all times and not feel only the faster runs deserve air time. For example, I ran some 11m/m miles in the New Forest which had some pretty steep hills and slippery gravel trails. My LSRs were nearly 9m/m. We all recognise we should be running at different paces each time to train intelligently and not try to run as fast as we can each time. Unless we are aiming to injure or overtrain ourselves! I recognise my weakness is being prone to injuries so on the LSRs and speed sessions, I keep it slower than usual, especially on uneven surfaces. But I know this is not a reflection of what I am capable of on a good dry piece of tarmac. Training is just that - training, so let's not get hung up on the number but be proud of the achievement of getting the job done for that day! The Big Focus has got to be The Race (even for you, rhet!)
wiifit - I too have the 405CX but be warned that it doesn't like getting wet so can freeze if sweaty or rained on. A huge drawback which is why it has been recently updated and may explain the reduced price of the one you bought. Other than that I am delighted with mine and it comes everywhere with me!
rhet - well done on your 10M race! 1:39 is a fantastic time! If you want to focus on improving your pace, take a look at some calculators (eg the McMillan one I posted some threads back) and plug in your 10M time to get some training paces suggested to you. You can then focus your training runs to try hit those paces. They will ideally include some speed/interval training where you run at faster than HM race pace (10K or tempo pace is probably most relevant for a HM-distance A race as you are looking at), some slower LSRs and some medium runs with HMRP miles in there.
debi - what a fright you must have had with your DS2. Luckily you avoided a trip to A&E. The last time I was there (when DC4 banged her head falling off the sofa onto the tiled floor and went all floppy), she had recovered marvellously when we arrived at the hospital and was running around with another little toddler and enjoying watching the film while we waited 4 hours to be seen...
anifrangi - welcome! I suspect the real reason you struggle on the flat is because you are so used to the fells. You will not be used to a lack of ascent or descent to determine your speed and left in a situation where it is entirely down to you to push the pace. It is often harder to maintain a speed on a completely flat course and sometimes an undulating course is easier to run well on as our muscles are challenged and respond as a result. As with all these things, practising running on the flat will improve your running on the flat. And, of course, practise running at speed from time to time to teach your body to do it on the flat!
On the topic of babies - a belated congrats to rhet and peach on those good scans. We can all too easily take for granted a good result but they can also be a time of great sadness. So pleased you are sailing through those pregnancies!
While talking pregnancies, quenelle - I used to just make sure I could always hold a conversation easily when running to keep my heart rate below 140bpm. That is still how I know if I am running easily, if I can speak a full sentence. If I am having to break my sentence but can still speak, it is probably above 140bpm and if I am only just able to utter a word, I am going around 80% and at HMRP and above. It means I can dispense with the HRM which I have always found a pain to remember.
Happy running one and all!