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.

Sorry everyone didn't mean that to turn into Every Holiday I Have Ever Been On .

peach congrats to your DP! Bugger when this RL stuff gets in the way of the really important running stuff isn't it?!

Thanks shred I love to hear about people's holidays. It's the best way to find a good holiday. Will take a look !

Congrats on DP's job peach. As important and necessary running
Is, it's probably best to be able to eat

That's great news peach even if it does bugger up the running plans! Maybe you can sneak out for some early morning ones if DD2 and energy levels allow? I dread the school hols when DH isn't here as I'm totally stuffed for running.

Hols - I can't do long-haul after many years living abroad - travelling to and fro from NZ, at one point with 2 under 2 (one on my knee, the other in a babycot) ON MY TOD! And the jetlag.... [shudder] brings me out in hives to remember. So now we're 'home', lots of France and Holland (family in both). One day I'll be able to face flying again. Your holidays sounds very relaxed shred

fanny sounds like you're a closet HR user after all?! In addition to what rhet said, the easy at 130ish looked a bit low... I like the theory about having lots of HR 'room' meaning you can be faster - explains (excuses?!) my own slowness

You're too nice wheely. Careful or I'll get the slides out next time .

peach excellent news dh's job, maybe you can find a gym with a crèche now for a couple of workouts a week?

cherry you are a lot more prepared that I ever was, even without children to sort out, I am sure it will be nice

holidays we are fond of France and I love Wales to be honest, would happily return every year.
further afield I like North Africa although perhaps not right now, Nordic countries are nice, if going outside their major holiday season as you can use their holiday cottages
Portugal, inlaws have place they use in Vilamoura, it is ok I guess for families with children but I really hate the Algarve, particularity the coast, not so much when going inland towards Alentejo. But I always prefer the North around The Douro Valley.
In the Algarve I had the odd experience of talking to people in Portguese and getting replies in English until I gave up, which sounded pretty ridiculous but DH found amusing

Congratulations to your dp peach, understand its frustrating though.
Holidays this year centre parcs then cornwall a few months later. Last year was just centre parks too. But best holidays recently dh and I had honeymoon in mexico (4 years ago now time does fly) and the year before that Lanzarote, dh proposed there on the beach (evening stroll not when it was full of sunbathers). Would definnetly go back to both places as were lovely.
Planning 6 miles tomorrow but feeling very drained today so hope I feel a bit better tomorrow.

great news on DP and job peach, despite running interference! If you are coming to Cork end of march you should take an extra day or two and go to Beara, or somewhere in West Cork. I'd say a wedding in Cork will be great fun - pack your alka seltzer!

going to order running buggy when backdated child benefit overtime money comes in - really excited about it. Peach and I will be comparing muscley arms!!

Thanks for reminder Rhet! Forgot about child benefit application!

Am sinking in life admin!!!

peach here you don't even have to apply for it, as it isn't means-tested in any way - you get it as soon as you have registered your child and they get their pps (like National Insurance) number...it's perhaps not the best way to ensure that we 'cherish all the children of the nation equally' (Irish Constitution), but welcome nonetheless

Extra Irish holiday sounds fab Rhet, but I suspect DP will want to not take hols as hasn't worked for 2 months

yes, running is right, the one in the 130s is a bit low for you - hence why you find running at slower paces hard/impossible - for recovery you probably need to go about 143-5. One of the things that I've found odd/interesting is that at lower paces stepping up impacts a good bit on heart rate - but often the calibration is quite tight - 2-3 beats per min make quite a difference (or a jump in pace makes little difference, depending on how you want to look at it).

fanny remember that your heart rate will naturally climb over the course of a run as you get hotter and more dehydrated - so your graph (ironing out kinks and drops in pace for crossing roads etc) should look like a gentle diagonal - higher on the right than on the left if you have been running even pace

peach well it all has its uses - you have nudged dp and I to sort out something in West Cork - one of my favourite places in the world - for the summer.

Anyone watching that fat fighters?

just turned it on orange

Too busy salivating over Great British Bake off for Sport Relief, and watching Biggest Loser next!

One of the pt struck the girl in a class with all 'perfect' women with perfect abs and unsurprisingly she came out feeling down I would of too.

swtiched to GBBO - one of my faves

• the fat programme is strange - everyone is either very fat or very thin, no-one looks normal at all!±

I know never watched it before, it was very strange. Whats gbbo?

Just watched Biggest Loser US, now on Edwin Drood.

Great British Bake-Off

Ah right. Watching biggest loser now.

I watched some of biggest loser. While eating chocolate and feeling smug for doing 2 lots of exercise in 1 day

Holidays- we've been to Portugal twice with kids and the inlaws. Once to near Lagos in Algave (we went to Sagres too and it is lovely) and once to somewhere an hour north of Lisbon. I've love to go to the north too. 2010 we went to the Loire, again with the inlaws. Last year we went to Cornwall camping and a caravan in Scotland. This year will hopefully be the best yet, if we block out the long haul flight bit 2 weeks in New Zealand in April

GBBO makes you want to stuff your face, then Biggest Loser makes you want to rein it in a bit!

Shred, we had lovely tea tonight of tuna steaks (bad peachsmuggler!) with a three bean salad and loads of rocket. High protein-tastic.

Cest - if you like hiking we did about 120km of the Lycian way in Turkey at that time of year and it was beautiful ? spring flowers out, nice weather, roman ruins, Turkish food ? ideal holiday. We also found a company that set it up for you so it was cheating hiking ? they booked b&b?s each night, and the b&bs then transported your kit to the next night?s place, so you only had to walk with a day bag.

Otherwise, when I was in Europe, I generally liked former eastern block ? I love Budapest, and have been there in most seasons ? because the pools are all thermal you can swim in all weathers (especially fun in mid winter!) (and there are still alot of the beautiful art deco ones), plus good food and a lot of other things to do, and while the gap?s closing you still get more bang for your buck then in Italy/France etc. Have also done good hiking in Bulgaria (7 lakes area) and Slokvakia.

Haven't yet down my step and run combo - Thursday is meant to be cooler so may attempt it early in the morning then. For the avoidance of doubt I'm not even contemplating 3 times up and down - will be f*cked happy with two...