If you run you are a runner! - runners thread 3

[Sirzy]

Another new thread for all runners out there. Old thread can be found here - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/exercise/2014081-Runners-thread-runners-of-all-abilities-welcome

Runners of all abilities more than welcome to join in our chat and motivation!

I thought you linked to it last week Eau but the thread is moving so fast that I didn't look back to check
We must organise a Beds/Cambs meet up now the children are back at school-did I see someone else in St Ives as well as fish? (sorry on phone so can't check)

I am starting slowly, I ran for 20mins (well ran/huffed/walked) on Monday and I will be doing 30mins tonight.

Just planning on getting used to running and then increasing the amount I run

Well done support!

Oh, I thought you meant you'd been sent a flyer in the post or something. Yes, another runner in St Ives (Cambs one, not Cornish one). So lots of us around E Anglia now. I quite fancy Bedford parkrun one weekend but I really must get my knee sorted out first.

Well done, supportworker, building up slowly is the way to go.

I've taken a closer look at park runs and realised I need to put a couple more weeks' worth of work in so I don't feel I'm wasting people's time by coming in ages after everyone else (I know someone has to be last but it could put me off. It doesn't look as if anyone walks the whole 5k at the one I'm looking at.) So im going to have a go at doing the parkrun course a couple of times this week.

Something occurs to me. If you drive somewhere, run, drive home without a shower, do you put anything on your car seats to stop the car fom getting/smelling sweaty?

I can think of any number of excuses to stop myself from keeping this up, and usually bat them away, but this one keeps returning.

yegods don't worry too much about timings on the parkrun.

My local one has varied times - the fastest come in at about 15 mins (!) and the slower at 50 mins.

You will probably find though, that in a 'race' environment you naturally run better/faster. I do.

No excuses :)

Umm no to the sweaty car seat issue. I tend to pop a hoodie on afterwards as I cool down - that absorbs the sweat and saves the car seats. or I get DH to drive, his seats are leather and wipe down easily

had a fab run this morning.

Some days are just better than others. Only did my usual - 3.5 mies - but really put in more effort and tried to 'think' myself up the hills. Have been reading my 'Non-Runners Marathon Training' book.

I take a bin bag if it's wet so I don't get the carseats muddy, but I have leather seats so it's not too much of an issue. Usually I hang around for a cuppa after a parkrun to chat to everyone so I've dried off once I get in the car.

Really, don't worry about walking at Parkrun, it's not just for fast runners. Just because no one walks at your local one it doesn't mean it's not allowed, there are walkers at lots of others. They will be pleased to have you there and encourage you along :)

yegods my favourite volunteer role at parkrun is tailrunning, because you get to walk/run with the new runners and meet some different people.

I usually run from my house (I am lucky to live opposite a park and 5 mins from a cycle track to a country park), or I cycle to/from my local parkrun.

When I have driven I've usually had a hoodie with me to pop on afterwards. I did once drive home sitting on a beach towel good job we were lazy enough to leave them in the boot at the end of last summer because I got so muddy at a parkrun.

I am off for a run this morning with a lady I met at parkrun and her doggy

Lovely run/walk/sniff this morning with my doggies. Surprisingly muddy out there after the weekend's rain.

chopstheduck - be warned - Henley Half has a biatch of a hill at 8 miles. It's big and steep and I be afraid of it.

I did the 10k in 2012, on a whim, after my ole running buddy had come to stay for the weekend, we sat up late on Saturday night with a curry and red wine and convinced ourselves it would be a really good idea to go and do the 10k in the morning. Well we did manage it - apart from walking up that bloody hill!!

I am now doing more training on hills and intend to kick its ass in October. Fighting talk. But prob only doing the 10k, not the half. Will see how the weight loss goes over the summer - starting the low carb bootcamp on May 5th , gulp.

Thanks pootlebug - I've registered on the RW website now!

OhOneOhTwoOhThree I'm the other one in St Ives my runs thus far have been pretty much confined to the Thicket, just because it's so pretty! (though my 10km one took me into Hemingford Grey the other day)

CQ - thanks for the tip! I might drive over one day and try it before signing up for it. Any idea of how long we are talking? I can cope with shortish steep hills, or long slow ones, but would struggle with a very long steep one!

I am trying to do more training on hills too, would like to do the Bracknell half, as it is very local to me, but then I read that one is pretty hilly and not recommended for a first half.

Hi all just a little update from me, I was very busy when I found this thread this morning so couldn't really post much.

I am going to sign up to do the Bournemouth Half Marathon in October, all proceeds will go to my friend who is paralysed from the waist down and needs a really decent wheelchair, I am committed to fundraise £600+ for his cause and run the half! There is a time limit I believe so I will have to at least make good walking pace all the way round.

At the moment I can barely run a few hundred metres, I am off out again today and am going to try and run/walk/puff round a whole mile.

I am going to do the 5k Race For Life in June and try and find a 10k to do in July/August

I suppose then a 20k would be a good idea to make sure I am well prepared for the half!

No running for me today, still bunged up but going to try tomorrow morning. Have arranged my long run Friday as I have no kids for a couple of hours and the weekend is ds1's birthday so we've got a party Saturday and it's his actual birthday on the sunday so I'd feel too guilty to then. Am going to spend the rest of this week baking I think!!!!

All this talk of races is making me want to sign up for something. Trying to decide whether to do the st Neots half again or the Norwich half, they are a week apart so don't think both is a good idea! Norwich is more expensive and 2 laps which puts me off but it's a lovely city and has a medal st Neots was a lovely half to do and I could attempt to do a better job at it this year.

I can see why you feel that way yegodsandlittlefishes but walkers are welcome at all parkruns and if you want to go along don't let that stop you. I walk to mine but I do drive to some of my other runs and I've never thought anything of getting straight back in the car!

Got to run 10K tonight and as it's a "fasting" day, I expect to be slower than the last couple of times (don't have an issue running when I'm fasting, but it does make me go slower).

I would love to do my upcoming 10K in under 1:05; my fastest time so far is 1:06:37 - got just over 2 weeks to get faster...

Was wondering whether anyone here uses Runkeeper & would like to be my "friend"?

Re walking at park run -I'm going to be a bIt controversial here and say that at our local park runs, the volunteers do appreciate it if people make a bit of an effort to jog /walk rather than just walk all the way.

We have more than 20 volunteers each week. They are out on the course for half an hour before the run starts and half an hour afterwards. So if you just stroll round the course ,it takes nearly an hour and the volunteers are standing out in the rain /cold for nearly 2 hours.

I've never heard of anyone complaining about runners who are slow but are trying. But they do get a bit p***d off with those who turn up in warm jacket, hat gloves and walking boots and stroll round the course in 60 mins expecting the tail runner to keep them company .

Or the two parents who dump their ( very overweight asthmatic ) son with the tail runner while they go off for coffee. And the poor lad coughs and wheezes his way around the course, again accompanied by a very anxious tail runner , not sure when point they should call an ambulance.

Sorry if this offends anyone, I don't want to put people off trying Parkrun, just wanted to put things from the volunteers point of view

There's a difference though between strolling and power-walking. People are trying to beat their times so they're not going to deliberately dawdle. I've volunteered lots of times and waiting for everyone to finish is par for the course- I've certainly never been annoyed at people walking.

How old is the boy that gets dumped? That's so sad :(

Thanks for all the encouragement, it is really appreciated, and is helping lots.

KristinaM I am at the abuses your Parkrun volunteers endure! Dumping kids like that gives me the rage, your tail runner volunteer there is a saint.

I do turn up in running gear, and after a brisk walk I run a little, walk a little, run a little all the way around. About a mile in I am hot, red and sweaty, but just not yet able to make the little runs into long ones as I get out of breath and can feel I will get stitch or my knees hurt a bit, so I walk for a few paces. I am improving bit by bit though, I can feel my muscles getting a little stronger. Some of my slowness is because I've been trying to run in places I don't know, so keep stopping (standing) to see which route to take and look at the map on my phone. So once I start running in places I'm more familiar with, I'll get a better idea of my times. I won't need to stand still on a Parkrun (I hope!)

I know what Kristina means - it is parkrun after all and it's nice to see people making an effort - but what you described is more than OK yegods.

We have a little boy who is quite severely autistic who does ours occasionally and he walks and runs - sometimes in the wrong direction! - but he tries and that is all we ask. It might take him almost an hour to do parkrun but that's OK. I tail ran loads when I was trying to get to my 50 shirt and feeling guilty about not volunteering and have been behind a multitude of people - I can honestly say I have never resented a single one of them. I've run/walked with people and chatted and even convinced one lady to join our running club to get some support. I often say that the back is the best place to be for a new runner as you have the tail runner and tend to collect marshals as you come round too. There is loads of support in the little gang we've made by the finish.

So if you're at the back, you have to talk as well? Yikes!

You don't have to. I have followed behind quietly too. I tend to find that people want to though. I had one lady tell me she'd never run so far as she did with me because I kept her plodding and distracted so she forgot to panic about how tired she was :)

Yegods, if you are running a bit and jogging and walking you are probably doing it in under 45 mins. Many people are like this at the beginning, especially if you have any hills on your park run course.

We also have people who are recovering from illness or surgery , have lost a lot of weight or getting over depression or a bereavement . So many people have had to over come major obstacles to just be able to walk /jog 3 miles. They are not just welcome at park run, they are one of the best things about it!

There are so many inspiring stories. And these are always the people who are so appreciative of the volunteers and so apologetic about being " slow".

Poor young lad with poorly controlled asthma was about 11 or 12. So old enough to do park run on his own. But his parents have now been asked to supervise him due to medical issues . The volunteers are just ordinary park runners, they are not paramedics and can't be given such a responsibility.

For the avoidance of doubt, children in general are very welcome at park run, although younger ones need to be supervised by a parent /adult. My 9yo is now faster than me so I need to get one of my friends to run with him

If you are worried about being last, you can check out the " latest results " page for your local parkun. The second last time on the list is the slowest person. Look back a few weeks and you will see it's probably about 45-50 mins

< wonders about hiring blatherskite as a pacer for forthcoming HM to distract me >