runners united: the one with the time running with other people

[rhetorician]

all welcome to come and join in - we talk a lot on here, and are always glad of new people to natter with about running (and everything else)

Blimey - well done you all the heat has been so hard to run in. I felt like I was running in a sauna yesterday.
I waited until it started raining today before venturing out to do my intervals today.
It has been a while since I last posted - 3 races over 3 weekends have seen me falling asleep on the sofa more often than not. Shelf Moor, Coombes Tor and Lantern Pike fell races. I finished near the back in all 3 but moving up the field. Running in the club vest at LP was so cool - all the support from the spectators ( all 5 of them) was amazing.

I love this running lark

backward great race report! how did ds do? he seems pretty physically talented from your fb posts (IYSWIM).

DrNo - not sure what to advise - clearly you are managing to live with the injury, but longer term it will presumably put a brake on further training (either distance or speed). Do you think it's biomechanics? Would a week of complete rest (or even 2 - yes, I know, I know) fix it? I have various creaks and niggles, but I know them, and live with them (e.g. have just hobbled with sore ankles next door to get oranges after 10 miler today), and none of them would stop me running (tight calves, twingy knees, etc), but they are quite different from what sounds in your case like a very localised injury. Have you seen a physio? Running club folks have any advice?

anifrangipani - wow, Lantern Pike, now there's a route I'd like to run

Rhet that's nice of you to say so...I don't feel they have improved that much ...well maybe my 3 mile run has but I still feel like a plodder compared to some on this thread.

I suppose though I have been trying harder and there has been an element of me thinking "why can't I do better?" and pushing myself more. I am naturally lazy so need pushing and that's where running club has helped...I can't plod along doing 11 min miles with them..I have to try harder and that has translated into an gradual improvement which has given me a taste of what I can do and therefore I try harder.

Sorry...waffling! Been a long day

backward great report I did smile at you saying you went to the toilet 4 times..I thought I was obsessed going 3 times today! Loved the picture of your son..they love getting medals don't they!

yes, futurity I think that's why I am thinking about running club myself - it's not so much laziness I don't think, but lack of confidence. Anyway, some of our stars on this thread are really talented runners, as opposed to people who run! But I do need help to push beyond my comfort zone. My times are still shite.

Rhet when you do give me a shout - it is v.v. local to me.

Futurity - that is why I do the races. Not to do well but they make a good tempo run. The intervals are working really well too. My mile times have come down over 2 minutes since I started doing them 6 weeks ago.

Thanks rhet he loved it - DH said he had a big smile on his face the whole way round. He started off walking, but when he saw the other kids running, he went for it! Very proud of him

And yes, he's really good with physical, athletic stuff. At 25 months, he could cycle a bike with proper pedals (steers it, too) and can hit a golf ball with a golf club (both plastic, thankfully) with ease - and gets a fair distance on it, too! He runs all the time and has a fair bit of skill with a football. He can also catch a ball without any difficulty. He could do a proper forward roll at 18 months and at 23 months, could hit a tennis ball with a racquet. He loves being outdoors, even if it's raining, and he also loves swimming and asks us every day if "I go swims?"

It's actually a bit scary - his childminder has been minding children for close to 30 years and says she's never seen such an active and coordinated 2 year old. I have to keep fit by running just to keep up with him!

I really want to encourage him, obviously, but I don't want to turn into "tennis mom"... There aren't any groups where I live like Socatots or Tumbletots, so I don't really know where to go with him. I do think he has a talent (I know this sounds very braggy, apologies!) but I don't know what to do with it. sigh

Then sometimes I wonder if actually this is normal for a just-turned-2 year old and if I'm maybe just getting ahead of myself... this parenting thing is really confusing sometimes, huh?!

Sorry, gone off on a tangent there!

Woo hoo ? super Sunday!

Did a warm and soggy 58:48 on a hilly course. It started by pouring down and first big decision ? what to wear ? ended up taking about 5 options in the car with me. At the start in plenty of time (very impressed with the toilet arrangements ? quickest wait I?ve ever had at a race). Jumped around a bit at the warm up and started by the 55 min pacer (a tad ambitious). We set off and the first 2K are up hill ? which was really, really tough. I lost the 55k pacer at about 1.5k . I enjoyed about the next first 4k then found the next 2k hard again. I?m not sure I really hydrated enough before hand - I know it sounds ridiculous to you guys in the south at the moment but I think I underestimated the heat,because it was so wet. I got a wee spurt at about 8k when I got overtaken by the 60 min pacer and thought I?ve got to beat him! The last bit of the race was down hill and I was shattered at the end. I missed DD &DH on the last bend as I wasn?t expecting them there. So 58.48, Garmin said I did 10.3km so I think I need to work on hills, speed and my racing line! I was a wee bit disappointed with my time but it was a PB and I did a 10k about a year ago (off road, but same hilliness) in 1:07 so I suppose that?s OK to be going on with.

By the time I?d finished it was dry and DH & DD came to meet me, then off for coffee and bacon rolls whilst we waited for DDs race ? which was the best fun! On the way there she said ?mummy ? I can feel my heart pumping in my chest?. She was a bit overawed by the noise at the start but when we got going she was really enjoying it ?mummy, this is great?, lots of waving to the crowds. We ended up doing fartleck ? run to the next traffic cone, skip to the next, gallop to the next and then walk for a bit ? and it took a bribe of Jelly Babies to get her to run over the line (that?s my girl ). She really enjoyed it. Some of the wee kids were really speedy ? it was quite funny watching the parents trying to keep up.

So, off to bed ready for a 6:35 flight booooooo so no for me. At least I?m flying down to the tropical south east!

Well done to all the other Sunday speedsters too! Especially Backwardpossum - what a great time.

backward - I'm no expert, but he does sound talented to me and if the childminder has noticed then that should tell you that you are not just being his mum bigging his abilities up. I see kids out here playing all the time, and the kinds of skills he has I see in 4 year olds (boys more than girls). DD loves to run and be outdoors, but I think doesn't see the point of kicking a ball or throwing it, although she can do both quite well (she's about the same age, I think, a few months older? she'll be 3 end of Jan) - but she's a really functionally driven kid - won't do anything until she can do it well and/or see the point of it

I wouldn't do anything with him for now, other than encourage and support, help him to try new things; he'll find the activity that really works for him in time (ha ha, envisages years of driving around to matches/training for you!)

Brilliant race reports, not sure mine will be such entertaining reading though...

So, having decided that my calf pain from Thursday evening had vanished, I decided to do the 10k today. Set off in good time, thankfully, as got lost en route. Luckily arrived at start in good time, collected number etc, found other club members to natter to.

Like (most) other races today it was a scorcher, though what worried me most was my leg, I was just so scared I would have to drop out, if it all flared up again. Before the first mile was up I realised my leg was not better - am pleased to report that I did manage to complete the race in 53m 29 - not a PB, but 10 seconds faster than my 10k time last week. I feel so frustrated that I did (for me) a ok-ish time with an injured leg - I know I was not running at my best and I keep wondering what I could have done, had I been injury free. Never satisfied!

It was 2 laps, and while many friends say that hate lapped races, I quite like it, as once you have been round the first time, you can anticipate the next lap. First time round was hard because there were a lot of hedgerows, and the sun was flickering through the gaps as I passed, I almost wanted to shut my eyes. Second time round, this did not seem so bad, but possibly because the sun was higher in the sky.

I am glad I did it, but now resigning myself to a few weeks rest, and feeling a bit miserable about that!

Re clubs - am really pleased that I plucked up the courage to join one 18 months ago. Members are of all abilties, and I have found that I do work harder there - don't want to be seen to be opting out!

Haha rhet yes I have a feeling I'll be standing on the sidelines a lot in the future. Mind you, I should be used to it, it used to be me playing football on a Saturday morning then Sunday afternoon when I joined the seniors. You're right, I just need to encourage him and let him try things out on his own. Who knows, I may have a professional sportsman on my hands gets carried away Oh and re: potty training - most frustrating thing ever. DS is dry pretty much all the time now, but unless I bribe him to pee before we go in the car, he invariably ends up soaked through. I think it's our own fault though as we had him in pull ups when we did our mammoth road trip in the Summer... so I think he thinks it's ok to pee in your pants in the car.

Have had time to catch up on Super Sunday:

Well done squix great race! Think your time is fab considering the hills in Edinburgh. I think the conditions were similar in Edinburgh to Inverness today - I too felt like I wasn't hydrated enough. Lesson for the future I suppose!

futurity I'm a flipping nightmare for going to the loo before a race. 4 times was a bit excessive though Well done on your race - sounds, well, hot.

Hat Well done today! I know what you mean about feeling strong - that was exactly how I felt in my final km today.

DrNo Sorry to read about your injury - maybe see a sports masseuse? My mate telling you to 'run fast' did make me chuckle. He's very droll, our Neil!

Wiifitmama wow at your weight loss, well done you. Hope you enjoyed your 5k today. :)

Debi how on earth do you find the energy to cycle after a run like that!

Good luck tomorrow, Running

Bumply not bad at all - we all start somewhere :)

Congrats on your first half, Fairy and great time - especially considering the heat!

Hope I've not missed anyone... if I have, I apologise :)

Hi all!

Sorry I've not been about recently-RL getting in the way and all that.

Well, today was my first proper race (have done Race for Life for the last 7 years or so) and was the longest I have ever run at 10k. I was so nervous and had just enough time to queue for the toilets. Had just finished in the loo when the race started!
There were no mile/km markers so had no idea of my pace (I'm not a garmin gal. Yet.) I had to walk twice as the heat was crazy. But there were lots of lovely people out cheering everyone on, plenty of water stations, a few places along the route with live music. The only marker I saw was at 9km and I really couldn't believe I was nearly at the end. I found a bit extra in my legs and really pushed it at the end. The race commentator was reading out random names of those coming up to the finish, and mine was one, which gave me another little lift.

Not sure of my time - about 1hr7m I think but have to wait until tomorrow for official chip time.

Dh and dc's were waiting at the finishing line for me but completely missed me as I was wearing a hat, so he forgot what I looked like!

I am so pleased with myself for doing it and raising money for something so close to my heart (nearly £200 so far). I had to give myself a shake near the finish cos I could feel that I was going to get a bit emotional but I managed to hold it together!

Then about an hour later, DS (aged 4) had his race, which he wanted me to do with him. It was 1 km and he was so excited at the start line, counting down and saying hello to all the other boys and girls. He started too fast I think and wouldn't listen to slow down a bit. About half way he wanted to walk and so after that it was walk/run the rest of the way. We were right at the back and were over taken by the last 2 children about 100m from the finish. He wasn't upset at being last though. All the 5k and 10k runners walking home were cheering him on, the race stewards etc and he was waving to them all as if he was royalty, smiling for the official photographers... . All the race stewards/volunteers were lovely to him, getting down on their knees to give him his medal, water and goody bag.

A great, well organised, friendly race and will be signing up for it next year!

Well done the rest of you Super Sunday racers and welcome to all the new lot. This is such a lovely supportive thread. You will never leave!

Cross posts ibby - if that's your time when injured, then just wow! Well done :)

Agree with the joining a club thing. I was so nervous of joining mine, but I've come on leaps and bounds. I did my first 10k a year ago and I did it in 1:14:48 - now look at me!

Sounds great Badger and well done on the fundraising!

badger OMG that is so cute about your DS!! This thread has made me so smiley this evening

come and sit beside me on the injury bench ibbydibby, it's quite comfy, I've put some cushions on it.

possum it does sound like he's better than your average 2yr old. I think my 3yr old is pretty good physically but is nowhere near as good as yours. In fact my 5yr old can't do some of what you've described. As he's good at lots of things I agree with Rhet in that you shouldn't do too much other than encourage him. It's a shame you don't have any tumble tots type things that are good for all round sporty things. In fact even if he was good at one thing I'm not sure I'd suggest push it yet. I wouldn't want my kids to be good at something but get bored of it by the time they're 10 because they've been doing it for 8 years.

And it took me so long to type that, I missed about 10 posts! Brilliant race reports.

Also, following on from fanny's knobs on the start line, about half the way round a woman stopped at the side of the road where there was a little grassy hill, pulled her pants and shorts round her ankles and did a wee.

Blimey...never seen a lady wee mid race! My knob report is low...just a couple of chaps in the bushes beside the start line!

Hmm, there was a distinct lack of knobs out at my race. Maybe we raise a better class of person in the Highlands

Most people have their trews around their knees at the races I do - thankfully behind stone walls. Could have something to do with a lack of facilities. Although you can't expect too much for £3 - 5 for entry and for that you get a t shirt or a mug and cake or pie at the end.

anifrangapani a fellow fell runner! marvellous. I did lantern pike last year - it's a nice one isn;t it? though I seem to remember a field that was absolutely covered in cow shit . I've done loads of others since moving to the peak district 3 years ago. I don;t recognise the other two you mention. I did Hope Moors and Tors today. One of my favourites. Are you an old hand at fells or new to it? It's incredible what it does to your fitness. I went for a run on the flat a few weeks ago (first flat, pavement run for about 3 years, funnily enough) and couldn't believe how quick i was (by my standards)

I once ducked behind a wall mid-race. was as quick as possible and then joined the race again. something didn;t feel quite right. I glanced down and in my haste I'd pulled my (black) shorts up but had managed to kind of leave my (shocking pink) knickers round my thighs . made me smile for ages though.

Big congratulations and massive respect to all our runners (and all the wee runners too!) today! You all did marvellously. Back tomorrow for more detailed genuflection!!!

Ha ha Rhet, I was thinking when I logged on earlier, wonder when Rhet, will start getting jittery about end of thread!! . Hope the potty training goes ok over next few days. 10 months in and DD still goes through phrases of pissing like a puppy regression. She wet herself twice today and shat herself 4 times (!!!) yesterday. By the 4th time, I was about ready to weep and, very unsustainably, threw the last pair of pants in the bin rather than face cleaning them

Ah ! Great race reports everyone. What a fab day for the thread- its a good as marathon day and GNR day ! Well done on the PBs and running good times with injuries. What stars.

Am really worrying about my long run tomorrow as I had such an appalling week this week. But, have drunk lots today (water), not had sunday night wine (sob) and have a gel. Temp at 10am should only be about 18 according to the beeb and I'm going to run from nursery drop off so should be on the road by 930. Thought about delaying it to thursday but think I've just got to get on with it and hope its ok to banish some demons !

Best get to bed.

Another peaks person

Only started 2 months ago - and it has done wonders for my speed / fitness / weight loss.

The worst bit of LP is the kick up at the end. By then I don't care about the cow shit/ mud/ general cack on my feet. It hailed on top of the pike this year. Not pleasant. Although last year was equally wet. They cancelled the show on the Sunday if I recall rightly.

Coombes Tor is a new one - from Rowarth. It is going to be a local double with the Hatfield one - Rowath in the morning and Plum fest in the afternoon. A few people ran between the 2 this year..... nutters. Might have to try next year.

Shelf moor from Old Glossop - eyes on stalks one. Some of the old boys were telling me it is a proper race.