Runners United. C'mon let's be awesome at running in 2012!!

[peachLFDTsmuggler]

Will post the race list later on computer.
Come one, come all. We are a band of maverick posters who run, talk about running, and talk about other stuff, mostly life, large pants, and questionable children's artwork. Come and join us if you dare! Disclaimer: we are actually the friendliest thread on MN. Fact.

Sticky - I was so bored of Level 1, but I guess maybe I could alternate now! How heavy are your weights? I am using my Zumba toning sticks which is probably a bit of a cop out!

Wheely -ouch to your ankle, HM still sounds possible though, you need to cling onto that hope!

Chief - thanks for the schedule, sounds interesting.... Kids today don't know they're born, even on the way back from the park one minute they say they need a warm drink and next minute they are suggesting Starbucks!!

Sales start here on Wednesday - might look for some more running shoes (not high arch insteps!) and running pants (with gusset!)....

Hoping for a long run tomorrow...

Peach - thanks for the encouragement - of course 1.5k is nothing! It's just altogether it scares me! A similarly paced friend from running group is doing a 10k at the end of Jan, I could almost squeeze it in.... or there's a few in Feb...

Thanks all. Yes peach managed to drive no problem so that is at least useful ! super agreed, it's not over yet especially as I'm up to 12 miles on training runs so although I wanted to do a number at 13.1 miles I'm still in a good position distance wise. Actually, I have a feeling something
Always seems to happen in the lead up to a big race to stop me doing my full plan.

Well done on your 18 miles sticky. The marathon is well within your sights !

Oh and well done on the run running - that's a great time. I've got same problem with HR as well. My max is about 188 but it hits 160+ in the first 2k of even an easy run and spends most of its time at 160 - 170 on any run. Never figured how to get it down to something sensible without crawling along so I ended up binning my heart rate monitor as it was causing me too much angst. Which is a solution of sorts cos now I can run in blissful ignorance

I know what you mean superspud, so much of this running lark is about confidence. Maybe do a feb one then??

Wheely, glad you have, em wheels! I think you have the distance in your legs no problem, so it's really about recovering sufficiently. How frustrating for you though.

wheelybug hope your ankle heals soon get to get better for Brighton OMG is it really only 5 weeks away. No job yet :( have sent my CV to a few people but not even got a thanks but no thanks not sure what's putting people off :(

Keep at it N4NNY, my SIL was made redundant in November and was really despondent before Christmas - but has this week got a job and is thrilled. Money is rubbish but will be better if she passes the probationary period.

All this Shred talk ..... did I tell you I tried level 3 last week? Didn't enjoy it, whereas I like 1 and 2. Too much jumping around for my liking.

super always good to have a race to aim for!

cest traffic headed along that road is always a nightmare, I tend to come back along the Redbourn Road (by the time I come back otherwise the queue is back to the OA grounds). A bit further but still quicker by 8.30!

Wow, this thread really does move along quickly.
Thank you for the welcomes.

I'd really welcome any tips from anyone on training. At the mo I do 3 runs a week, 2 of about 5.5km and 1 of around 8 or 9km which I'm trying to extend to get past 10km.

I just plod along at the same speed and try to pick flattish routes. Is there anything that could be helping me (I do still feel like I might die on my run some days!!) but that won't put me off running totally?
I don't have major speed aims, more just enjoying it and finishing

Can I join? I've been lurking for a long time. I started running a couple of years ago in VERY late forties, have had to stop and start a bit thanks to injuries and a skin op, running 5 miles around 3 times a week and would like to get faster/go longer. Not sure about racing though...

am back - v. tired with mega headache (stress? surely not) anyway, my doc rang and my cholesterol is apparently fine (4.9 but this wasn't a fasting test) as is everything else, other than the fact that I am anaemic, which explains my relatively poor running performance - so it's back to the Galfer (or whatever else is in the house - I think we have every iron supplement known to womankind) for me.

My mother...well, this is a running thread, but really...

Completely unable to catch up with this and with fb...so I am just going to carry on

hello glitch and gnushoes - both of you sound like you are doing fine - when you can run 30 minutes continuously without too much trouble then you could start introducing a minute or 2 of faster running (gauge this by effort at first - it should feel as if you could say a word or 2, but not a sentence), or running slowly up some hills...

Wheely perhaps try some arnica tablets as well as RICE. Hope it better soon.
Well done sticky
Welcome gnushoes
Hope you are not too stressed rhet
Managed 3 miles today, first run outside in a while due to stupid asthma but breathing and coughing ok just my legs felt heavy. Going to try 6 miles on wednesday, it might have to be a bit of a walk/run as not done 6 miles for quite a few weeks now. But see how I go.

Rhet quick question which I posted before (before I realised you were away!):

Finally got a battery back in my HRM for my Garmin 305 and it works. Rhet...you know about these things I believe...do I have to put in my Max Heart Rate in or will it use that 220 minus age thing (which I heard was unreliable?).

hi glitch gnushoes & superspud

smut alive and kicking in smutonia I see

rhet hope being in family bosom (+nursery) helps restore normality

wheely I hope you feel more comfortable now

not best day running wise, did not dare leave the house on account of weird tummy, seems OKish now, very frustrating but better than disgracing myself in public

and tomorrow is another day

happy running people be excellent

Hello spud, glitch and gnushoes

Alma you are just a yoof! Can recommend the flatness of the First Choice! Am actually going to use that area for intervals and some training so I can get an idea of my pace on the flat; am so sick of my yoyo pace on the hills which gives me no idea of what I can do.

Wheely don't think I ever knew any mathmos - as far as I know, they only knew each other

cest I have been using HR to good effect in training - enjoying training at slower rates and using it to pace myself. But as this race was flat, I figured I'd go for speed pace rather than HR pace, and only realised a bit late that I was way above where I should have been. Probably cos my max should be more like 180 rather than the 175 I have been working with. But maintaining 167-169 was taking its toll at the end; I definitely couldn't do an HM at that effort level, so it was a good lesson.

Hope the injury is OK wheely and all the illnesses vanish quick shred sfx and rhet.

hi futurity - I think if you go to the 'settings' menu, somewhere under 'user' (or whatever term it uses) you can enter age, height, weight, and hr - a HRM would allow you to set zones (my old Polar does), but I think the Garmin doesn't. You can also do it for record keeping on the Garmin Connect site under 'settings' and then 'training zones'....

I shredded this morning at 5am and have just done a 4.2k run wirth DD - she is 11 and it was her first run ever - hopefully we will do the British 10k in London in July.

Good luck to you all.

MC

Thanks Rhet ...I think it is all set up. I am going to have to use its automatic calculation for my max heart rate as I am not sure how to calibrate it myself. Will wear it tomorrow for my LSR and see what % it comes out with.

Evening all, just ditched the idea of a run tonight due to feeling a bit sick - but managed a double shred so at least I've done something. Ds3 is spending a couple of hours tomorrow at mum and dad's so I'm raring to get out.

Welcome newbies and lurkers - we know you're out there, so come and join us! We're very friendly and not at all weird running nuts. Well maybe a little mad, but nice with it - honest . As long as you're happy to discuss pants and injuries you'll fit in great!

You shredded at 5am Madame you are mad.

I might be about to change my tune altogether on pants. There was rubbage , so perhaps I need something more streamlined. Can't quite imagine going without though!

Hello the new people, great to see more runners! Re pace, i don't think there's anything wrong with just plodding along, especially when you're upping the mileage and building your confidence that you can do it. Once you've done that, start just adding in the odd fast mile into your routine (a Let's Fucking Do This mile!). And see how it goes. If you like it, there are loads of training plans showing interval training and so on. It's fun to let rip every so often.

Have just done a 'fast' 4 miles at 8.20 a mile , my best ever so chuffed as quite undulating. Legs still Ok after the long run at the weekend. Might get grumpy at not being able to get out over the next few days for some steady runs as Dh is out and during the week I can only run at night ( can't do any form of exercise early morning.. And am in awe of shred)

Well done all weekend racers and wow what a time running i am trying to aim for a 50 min 10k this year. My first ever race was the bupa london last year and that was 56min, I am struggling for some reason to run faster. I have a hrm but not used it yet" might give it a go

wheely hows the ankle? i really feel for you as I have been using brighton as a training goal too , that hard work won't be undone as you have quite a few long runs under your belt ( and sometimes legs like to rest a bit? Or at least hoping that is the case.)

Loving the meeting DP' s stories. we met on our 1st day of work as grad accountancy trainees in 1996 but it took him a year to pluck up the courage to ask me out and 7 more years to propose.... i think he likes to make sure things are right ( typical accountant!)

My heart rate like yours cest - even on piss easy runs, it's still up there. My maximum is around 196. I can see benefits to it but to train religiously by it would frustrate me hugely. I can see if I was just starting running however it would be great way to get fitness levels up safely.

I too can't keep up with FB and here. as feel like I'm repeating myself continually!

I have the same problems with HR completely freaked me out and I stopped using it but would like to get back into it as looking at notes I had a few runs were I was doing fine and quite steady
I remember posting here a few times about it, the HR would go up and when I noticed I slowed down but was not tired or particularly out of breath so guess I had scope to push harder

and my resting HR is very low, not elite athlete low but quite low for a 43 yr old according to my doctor, my blood pressure is always around 110 over 50/60

apologies for rambling

I have the opposite problem with HR - I struggle to get it above about 155, and increasing speed only makes a small amount of difference (a beat or 2 for every .5 kph increase); I'd say my max is about 185, but I've only managed to record 171. I think it's useful when starting out, for discipline like running or for very specifically targetted training. fanny and cest are both pretty fast runners, and clearly have the aerobic fitness to keep going at those paces. I am hoping that stocking up my iron will push my paces up a bit...