Runners Rehomed

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Here we are in Sports, I've been so lax about keeping up with anything outside our little thread that I'd no idea it was here - but have just spotted a cycling thread, so will be later to bed than planned....

Great photo Jo. He looks like he's bounding along full of energy!

Over the weekend I completely lost my voice after that cold I had the previous weekend. Didn't stop me going out for an hour and a half hilly run where we were staying in Wales though! Wonderful scenery to run through, and I only passed about 2 cars the whole way round. What a contrast to London running.

Hatwoman - yup, if you've bequeathed you'll have to wait and see. I only knew about the cheques being cashed from runners world. Apparently they're cashed around the same date every year.

Pidge, know what you mean. My in-laws live in the middle of rural Wales and one of my marathon training highlights was a Sunday 20-miler around the area where they live. As you say, a complete contrast to London running and good for body and soul!

The locals aren't necessarily used to mad runners though. On one occasion I was out for a run and it was pouring with rain, the middle of winter and freezing cold. As I ran along a quiet country lane, a car overtook me then stopped a short distance ahead. The passenger wound down her window and exclaimed that I looked like I was in a terrible hurry and could they help me with a lift somewhere? I sheepishly had to explain that I was just out for a Sunday morning run ... think they thought I was clinically insane!

Planning 3-4 miles tonight; quite a pleasant night for a run actually - still and not too chilly.

I run in the hills when visiting my mum - but it's difficult to know where to go - there's a few decent footpaths but getting muddy know and road running is a nightmare cos of the distinct lack of pavements and the tendency of rural drivers to immediately speed up to 70 as soon as they're out of a village - I don't feel safe at all. I tried doing fartleks today - found them really hard - was very suprised. I need to train more without spending more time so I thought they were the solution - when I got back from 4 miles I was quite knackered but a bit disappointed to find out that my average speed overall was no different from normal. I guess that must tell me that they work?

getting muddy now. tsk tsk

OMG I just spent £60 on a winter running top

Lots of winter running for you then! Price per wear will be acceptable then

re the marathon - the gossip on runners world is that even if you bequesthed your cheque you can tell if you're in or or not by the date your it was cashed - 31 st October means you're in 2nd means you're not. mine was cashed on the 2nd

• I heard that too on runnersworld hatwoman, and it does seem to tally with what happened in previous years. I've still got a small chance of a club place, which will be decided in mid December. Assuming I don't get in, my current plan is to aim for a 20miler like Thanet in spring. And then to do Abingdon, which is supposed to be a great autumn marathon.

Though various friends are still trying to persuade me to go for an FLM charity place ....

Tomorrow I have a 10 miler lined up to friends in North London where dp and the kids and I are invited to lunch. Another lovely cross city run.

I've had to stop running for the moment. I was in real pain after Thursday night's run, mainly in my right groin area. I could barely lift my right foot off the floor and certainly couldn't put all my weight on that leg. Read up on the symptoms of SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction - fairly common in pregnant women as I'm sure you know) and they sounded worryingly similar.

It's got much better over the weekend but I can still feel a slight tenderness there, so am resting for the time being. I'm more confident now that it isn't SPD as it doesn't cause discomfort while lying in bed at night or if I get up in the night to go to the loo, I don't have difficulty walking up and down stairs or getting into or out of the bath, and the pain seems to move about a bit (lower back, right hip, right groin) so I think it may just be the baby pressing on a nerve or something. It's frustrating being unable to run but was worried about making it worse and causing longer-term damage so I will rest until the pain completely goes then perhaps try again. It may be that this is my body's way of telling me there's to be no more running until after the baby's born, and if so then I'll probably start using the elliptical trainer in our work gym as an alternative. I hate the gym but needs must and all that!

CurrantBun - I've said it before, I'll say it again, you're a superstar for getting this far and running with your bump . And you're doing the right thing listening to your body.

Don't go abandoning us though! And even if you do find this is the end of pregnant running, it won't be so long till you're back pounding the streets, running the socks off the rest of us.

I had a lovely 10 miler yesterday - across London, got a bit lost at Elephant and Castle AGAIN! And had to phone dp for directions at which point a lovely lady took pity on me and helped me out.

And did a gentle 4 miles tonight, as the rest of the week is totally booked up with donating blood and having friends to dinner 3 nights in a row!

can I ask you guys what's your shortest run? I rarely do less than 4 miles cos it doesn;t feel with it - but is it? and is it better to do the same mileage over a week divided into 4 rather than 3?

My shortest run is just under 30 minutes on a Friday morning before dp goes to school and leaves me in charge of the kids. At the moment I'm doing 2 other runs - one of 6-7 miles, and a third of about 10 miles.

Just keeping it ticking over really till I decide on a long race target for next year.

I don't know the answer to your question about splitting runs. I guess from a practical point of view I always find going out less often for a bit longer is easier when juggling childcare. But I also recognised that the only way I could squeeze that elusive 3rd run in was to accept it had to be a

I'm managing 3 runs a week, (roughly 2 at 4 or 5 miles and one longer one) but the way work, kids, dh etc works out my best free time is thur, fr, sat, sun. The only way i can do one on mon, tue, or wed, is doing an early morning one which I'm pretty reluctant to do. so my week is quite imbalanced - I'm wondering whether I ought to get my bum out of bed on mon/tue/wed - even if only to a couple of miles. i've got out of the habit of doing it - and with no marathon place it's difficult to know what to work towards. can I ask if do you do your quick runs as fast as possible - do you try to improve your times?

hatwoman - my approach at the moment is to coast along till the end of the year not doing any particular hard training, just enjoying running for the sake of it. I used to try to do my short 3.5 mile outing fast, but it's up a big hill and down again, and right now it's hard enough to persuade myself out of bed to do it at 7am, let alone do it fast!

My plan is - once I know about a club place for FLM - assuming I don't get one, I'll set myself some race targets in the new year. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to train properly, I think I need something to aim for.

So I personally wouldn't worry about your running week being imbalanced. As long as you're giving yourself a nice recovery day after a long or hard run. Then maybe when you've got something to aim for you will find it easier to squeeze in an extra run in the other bit of the week to balance things out.

My priority now is just keeping myself going out that door, and sometimes that means only doing 2 runs per week.

CurrantBun - how are you doing?

And JoPG - how's the knee coming along?

ok then pidge - looks like I haven't got a flm place - so do you fancy joining me in the Kingston 16 miles? sometime in the spring, can't remember when exactly. but I think that's what I'm going to aim for.

hatwoman - Kingston is one of the runs on my list . I'm going to hold off making a final decision until I know about FLM for sure when my club ballots its places in mid December. Kingston is on April 1st, so I guess might be a nice warm up even if London happens, and if not, it would still fit round my goal of doing a 20miler like Thanet in early March.

So ... count me in as a tentative 'yes'!! Not sure how quickly the places fill up mind you. Hopefully not quite this early.

for the autumn one they didn;t close entries until about a week before.

cool - I will make a list of target runs around Christmas time - that will get me being a bit more motivated about running!

Hi all - I'm fine, Pidge, thanks for asking!

Still not running as decided to have a complete week off and see whether the groin pain improved. It has, but it's still there occasionally and sometimes twinges quite badly. I'm convinced though that it's the way the baby is lying pressing on a nerve, and not SPD. I don't have enough of the other symptoms of SPD to make me think it's that, so am working on the assumption that it's not.

I'm planning to start using the elliptical trainer in my work gym from next week, and at the weekend I might just walk one of my usual running routes and perhaps jog a little if it doesn't feel too uncomfortable. Will see how it goes. I'm determined to do something cardiovascular to retain my fitness though. Doing nothing feels very strange to me and I don't think I can last until the baby's born without doing any exercise at all (especially as I haven't reduced my food intake!)

CurrantBun

Are there any anti & post natal aqua aerobic classes near you? Nothing like running but have a lot going for them.

CurrantBun you have done fantastically. I ran (or rather shuffled?) until I was 5 months then retired to walking the dog (mainly because I kept getting pain in lower groin). As DH was in a different country at the time and we have a very active dog it actually involved 3 decent walks each day which kept me pretty fit.

Don't beat yourself up about not running, there are lots of other forms of exercise

Froglette, yes there are but they're really not my thing. I hate anything to do with swimming pools! I'm planning to try out the elliptical trainer next week and am also considering the idea of adopting a run-walk approach, or perhaps very slow jogging or walking.

I looked back at my running log just now and was still managing 9 minute miles last week before the groin pain kicked in, so I think it may have just been a case of pushing myself a bit too hard given I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I do tend to find it difficult to slow down - both in terms of running and in life generally!

Froglette, yes there are but they're really not my thing. I hate anything to do with swimming pools! I'm planning to try out the elliptical trainer next week and am also considering the idea of adopting a run-walk approach, or perhaps very slow jogging or walking.

I looked back at my running log just now and was still managing 9 minute miles last week before the groin pain kicked in, so I think it may have just been a case of pushing myself a bit too hard given I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I do tend to find it difficult to slow down - both in terms of running and in life generally!

Went out for a 7 mile run last night. It was pretty chilly, esp the parts where we run past feels, you can really feel the temp take a downward turn. Went for running tights, a vest top and a long sleeved top last night and that was just right. If it gets any colder will add gloves, but that's about it.
My knee was pretty sore by the end, but I was pleased with the way it held up, probably only the last mile that was quite uncomfortable and that was in part because it was downhill.
How is everyone else getting on this week.
Hatwoman/Pidge - May well join you at Kingston if I can get my lazy butt in gear to do more than 7 miles (which seems my limit at the moment). Another one I am considering is the Reading Half Marathon.

Well done jo - it's amazing what a difference fields make compared with running past buildings isn't it? Not that we have many fields in the bit of London I'm in, but there is one spot with no buildings which is always like a fridge.

I'm being a bit of a failure on the running front at the moment - only managing 2 runs per week, though one of those is a 10 miler at the weekend. Longing to get back up to 3 runs, but circumstances conspiring against me. I came down with a horrible vomiting bug on Monday - had to call dp home from work to look after the kids as I was incapable. Anyway, this means I missed my running club night last night for the 3rd week in a row (parents evening and donating blood being the cause of the other missed evenings). It's driving me a bit crazy as I really miss running with other people once a week, and if I miss that night it's hard to fit in enough running.

Anyway - enough complaining - will endeavour to get out on Friday morning, which is my next window of opportunity for running. And hopefully by then I might have totally recovered from the post-illness wobbly leg syndrome I seem to have at the moment!