Runners United: Where we support each other through the good runs, the bad runs and everything in between.

[Themasterandmargaritas]

15/10/11 - Donadea Forest Trail 10k - rhetorician
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
16/10/11 - Aviemore 10K: Piffpaffpoff
16/10/11 - Richmond Castle 10k: Stickylittlefingers
22/10/11 - Shockabsorber 10K Richmond Park - sfx
23/10/11 - Thruxton Mass Attack Duathlon- DebitheScot
23/10/11 - Big Fun Run 5k Edinburgh Holyrood Park - Bumply
23/10/11 - East Coast Run 10k - Ibbydibby
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
06/11/11 - Lancaster Half Marathon - Fannybanjo
06/11/11 - Bonfire Burn 10K - Futurity
13/11/11 - Stebbing 10 Mile - bonkers20
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, MoshiMoshi
27/11/11 - Bicton Blister (10M) - RunningAllDay
22/01/12 - Four Villages Half Marathon (Helsby) - Fannybanjo
19/02/12 - Brighton Half marathon - Wheely
04/03/12 - Milton Keynes Half Marathon - pawsnclaws
11/03/12 - Cambridge Half Marathon - Futurity, Runnerstipple, Cherry (what have I done??)
25/03/12 - Edale Skyline - (21 miles. 4,500 ft climb) Hatwoman
10/03/12 - Blackpool Half Marathon - DrNortherner, Fannybanjo
01/04/12 - Reading Half-Marathon - RunningAllDay
22/04/12 - VLM: ibbydibby
29/04/12 - Shakespeare Half Marathon - FairyBasslet
27/05/12 - London Bupa 10K - Futurity
09/06/12 - Blenheim Sprint Triathlon - Cherry

Masters that is such a shame :( Hope the poor old tum is feeling better.

June - if you get something like this hi-vis tape you can stick it on to the kit you already got. Hi-vis bike clips are good too, even if you're not on a bike. You can get those head torches, but I don't like the way they mess with your night vision. Like Pan says, your eyes get used to it. I like running in the dark - I feel like I'm running faster, even flying a bit! Obviously good to have someone to go with, but no one else seems to want to be my friend at 6am! Mind you, with the dark and cold comes ice, so you have to be a bit careful.

Hello Angechica and lucky you with the VLM golden ticket! I'm off to look at this Run Northumberland HM - have you done it before?

master I can't believe that after all my worrying about you, your frigging devil's curse came. Poor you and what a shame. I came on day before GNR and it really affected me as I was very heavy but for it to happen during a race....

Ange welcome and congratulations on your VLM place! What's a golden ticket? 15k non-stop is great place to be 5 months pre marathon. Have you got a training schedule in place?

rhet you are a bugger for figures aren't you? 2000km is brilliant.

Good luck wheely and if anyone sniggers at your bag, just show them a photo of my DD2's Sharpay boots. That'd shock em!

Well plan was 10 miler with friend but she cancelled as she's poorly so I was running bit late and as I needed to be back for 10am could only fit 8 miles in but pleased as did a hilly-ish run in 1.07 average pace 8.27m/m and there's a long hill in the middle. My pace for next weeks HM needs to be that for me to get

fanjo 'nuff respec, lady' ( practising my Glossop massive speak..), 8.27 on hilly bits is fabulous. Love and loathe hilly bits.
And guess which Bad Boy just went and did 5 miles, longest run of year?.

and a bigger for wheely if I am not around later??

another danger of running in the dark in the country is the badger population. Cute and cuddly and all, but can't run for a toffee!!

Thanks pan! So I take it you are getting your mileage back up? What's your aim? Re hills, I live in a pretty hilly area so I'm kind of used to not letting my pace slow too much however some hills I just dread. There was one I did on Wednesday that literally, you are doubled over at the top panting for breath. However they bloody get you fit!

sticky I have a head torch but I bought it for DH and I am too scared of looking like a running miner to wear it. Think I'll stick to running on pavements and built up areas. Like rhet said, running on dark lanes is kind of like playing chicken with your life. I've done it when dusk has appeared faster than I thought and very scary. I'm going to look at that take you linked.

Can anyone remember this ice trax Moshi linked to a while ago? Talking of Moshi welcome back oh Queen of Speed!

I live in the Peak District so it's difficult to avoid hills......but I somehow manage it! My trail is flat ( the old M/c to Sheffield train line), but with the change in daylight it means going on roads more in the evening. Plan to add one mile per weekend, and look for a nice 10ker before Christmas. Hills - don't ya just love loathe them.

pan I'm a bit of a hill obsessive as personally, they have done wonders for my speed and endurance. My average paces have improved massively since I've built them into my week. I'm now able to do 7.20 min miles continually for at least 4 miles and my mid distance pace gone down from 9m/m to 8.00m/m. I don't add in masses of speed work (intervals) so can only surmise that the hills have helped! Bear in mind I am training for half marathons and maybe marathons not 5 and 10k's. The proof will be in the pudding next week when I do my HM race....!

Wonder how Wheely and Squix have got on....

yes hills change everything don't they? Speed training without actually going faster. Stride pattern, muscles used ( and so need stretching more afterwards) and, as I recall from previous training, it's a joy to run along on the flat as it is sooo easy in comparison. If there is enough moonlight of an evening we will still go on the trail, but on occassions it's going to be those darned hilly roads again!!

pan VLM is the holy grail Virgin London Marathon. congrats on getting a spot chica and welcome to the thread :D

Hello !

I am done, in more ways than one. 1 hr 23 mins and 36 secs. On train back to MILs. Will report back later.

Squix. hope you got on ok.The last couple of miles were pretty grim weren't they. Wind in face.

My bag survived too BTW. It stood up to the bullying.

June I go out at this time of year lot up like a Christmas tree - flourescent top, and wrist lights minimum. I prefer to run in dark, cool conditions so I need the hi-viz stuff to protect me from all the knobhead drivers and pavement cyclists other road and pavement users.

DH would prefer me not to go anywhere too lonely on my own, and I must admit I had a scare late March this year when I was out alone at dark and got carried away running up an unlit hill - I turned to run back and fell A over T flat on my face down the hill. My favourite run is an 8 mile old railway track, but it's definitely not safe after dark. Lots of unsavoury types hanging around - last time I went down there at dusk a policeman stopped and asked me if I'd seen two lads with an air rifle - I wobbled and turned back!

Just did 7 hilly miles, friend took me up a monster hill - one of those that gets steeper as you get near the top! I've got out of the Hill Habit, and need to get back in it!

Well done wheely that's fabulous! That sounds like a good time, did your garmin work ok?

Hey Pan - I am just over the hill in Hayfield. It felt awful to start with bt I am addicted to the fells now. It doesn't seem like a proper run if I don't come home looking like a muddy beetroot.

i haven't been on here for a while so a little bit to catch up on. The fell running races are drying up a bit here - except the really long winter ones that need a map and compass to get round. Last weekend I did the Passing Clouds race 10miles 1850ft of climb in under 2 hours (just). It is officially the furthest I have ever run - so I was quite pleased with myself, especially as I have had a chest / throat infection for the last 2 and a bit weeks.

I have also joined a gym for the next month in MK for during the week. I found as the sun went down I didn't want to be running around in MK on my own. I had had a couple of times where guys had been a bit leery so it was starting to feel unsafe. The gym means that I get to do lots of cross training - swimming, weights, spinning, Pilates, yoga, dreadmill - I stick a picture of Mt Famine, taken from Coldwell Clough, on the screen as a bit of inspiration. I have found this week now my chest has cleared that it is making a big difference to my running strength. I am now able to run to the top of New Allotments without a stop, and this morning did 8 miles without really thinking I had had a big day out. I had been planning to do a couple more - but it was a bit too claggy over the tops, so maybe it was a psychological thing.

Next race is Dunnerdale in the Lakes........ 5/6 fast steep miles.

Wow! Well done Wheely, that's an amazing time! That's just over 8 min miles all the way isn't it? Are you sure you don't actually have wheels instead of feet??? Dead chuffed for you, hope it was ok being on your own. Looking forward to the race report.

Wow Ani! And you sound a serious dude! {Ani and I are about 4 miles apart?} 'My' trail is the Longdendale Trail, starting at the Hadfield (home village) end - and yes the clouds this morning were skirting the hill tops weren't they? Gyms are really out for me - Ijust couldn't be bothered with all of the driving/getting change/ queing for the weights etc. Time consuming. So easy to put trainers on and be out the door, though I DO miss sitting in the steam rooms.

ani8 & chica* welcome congrats on VLM

Wheely amazing time you must be so proud massive well done

master sorry to hear hope you feel better soon ouch ouch

quick wave to everyone else hope you are well

can't wait for school drop off tomorrow it has been a fun and busy week but I am so tired flying solo, hats off to single parents

waving to pam and ani. fancy joining me for the edale skyline in spring? having told you lot I'm going to be doing it I'm now in mild panic mode... just thinking about training in the snow, recces, Kinder in March.

failing that maybe we could have a mini mn runners meet up at another race? i'm closer to Sheffield than you two, I think. I do lots of the summer village 5-6 milers (grindleford, hathersage, bamford, longstone, edale, lantern pike etc etc.) I moved up here 3 years ago and can't imagine not doing hills now. getting feckin fed up of cows though - they're everywhere round me at the moment - really frustrating when you set off on a particular route to find it blocked by feisty bullocks.

sorry, pan not pam

Thanks for the welcomes! Here is a link to runnorthumberland.org/ I have only ever done the GNR (Great North Run) before - this one looks like it will be a darn sight more up and down! There is not much on anywhere Jan-Mar and the Silverstone 1/2 too far away. I do have a training goal each week but I find everything really hard to fit around DS (3) work and home!! Golden ticket is a charity place which I have had confirmed since July. I have to raise shedloads of money for charity in addition to all the training! but it will be worth it in the end :) (But fancy doing a few other events just for me after that!). yes I have always trained through the summer - it is a different story training through the winter - there are lot of my routes round here I wouldn't run after dark. Tricky! I have been taking our dog but the longer I go the more he starts to dislike it plus I have to keep waiting for him so i can't get a handle on my pace! so I left him at home and did 8k 50 mins this morning! and then we have been for a trip out with DS to a little steam railway after.

hello hatty! I was eyeing up the Edale thing, but I have abolutely nooo fell experience...am wondering if fells are better for joints as there usually isn't the same bashing of feet onto tarmac? Am really wanting to keep road-training to a minimum for this reason. Runs,ok.

I'm up for a miniMN race meet, whenever suits. Have just looked up Glossopdale Harriers, which do fell and road training in winter. They ask for a comfortable 5 miles as a basic. I did 5 in 46min 47 secs this morning. Do we think this is the entry level? Will prob. now focus on getting my 5mile speeds up.

You in Glossop Pan? Im not far from you. In cheadle Hulme. Infact was in Glossop the other day visiting a friend when I saw a street with I think had the biggest hill I had very seen. I was tempted to get out of my car and run up it [moment of madness]. Let me know if you find any local 10k's. The only one I can find it at Tatton Park I think on the 10th of Dec but not sure if I will be able to do it. Anifrangapani your not far from me either, I thought I was the only one up this end.
Oh master, that is awful how disappointing. I always worry about that as I suffer quite bad it would likely be very obvious and embarrassing.
Welcome Ange well done on your golden ticket.
I don't really tend to run at night but my running tights have reflective stips on and I have a high vis rain coat.

there's a little huddled of us up here, isn't there? There IS a Stockport 10 miler mid-December, but I think that's a bit too soon for me. Long road hills - there is one that runs from Glossop up to Hadfield, and the road from Gloss to ani's Hayfield just goes on and on and on.......

Think that might be a bit too soon for me too. Will let you know IF I see aything else local

WHEELY well done to you. Amazing time! How is your bag? Hope no one picked on it?.....

master how crap you got your period and the runners trots. Nightmare. But, put it down to experience and look forward to the next one hey? Glass of wine?

Rest day for me today. Pasta bake in the oven, veg roasting beautifully and Halloween mixed spice cookies cooling on the rack