anyone like to start a runners' support group thread thingie?

[fionagib]

Inspired by Paula Radcliffe's victory at the new york marathon (but HORRIBLY unfit), I wondered if anyone would like to start running, or keep running, or get even better at running, and support each other here by telling each other how we're getting on, or swap tips, ideas etc?

I did quite a bit of running earlier this year, a few 10k races (and loved it, felt so much better, really proud, with more energy etc) but have let it all go to pot and now have jelly belly & bum, and a running bra that's probably covered with cobwebs somewhere...

Am totally un-athletic, was smoking heavily until 2 weeks ago, and just wanna make a positive change, avoid a winter of blobbiness, and feel really good & fit come spring.

so anyone like to join me....?

This is a perfect example of life pre and post kids. Pre-kids I'd spend 30 minutes happily compiling the perfect run music, stick it on my MuVo memory stick thingy and go out.

Normally I used little ear bud type headphones, often under a woolly hat. They would come out occasionally, but never bothered me much.

Now, of course, I don't have 30 minutes in the week, let alone the day, DS has hidden the MuVo and since I hardly ever hear a whole song from start to finish I've no idea what I'd put on the darned thing anyway.

Best stuff for me is kinda bouncy: some Talking Heads (there's a great version of 'Take me to the river' with a David Byrne (TM) wail in it that makes me just take off every time), some Royksopp, Fat Boy Slim, INXS (ah them were the days) and some Blur.

I also luuuurve Radio 4 but finding any sort of handheld thingy that gives reliable reception when running is a pig. Anyone ever solved that?

Gizmo, just heard that Thanet 20 has been cancelled so are you going to join us in Reading ?

Ummmm, radio silence from Reading, I'm afraid. I'll have to chase it up. The alternative is the Steyning Stinger, which since it includes about 1600 ft of climbing (), is not top of my list!

How's training going: got your huskies fully harnessed up?

A friend of mine has a spare number following a skiing accident so if you don't mind running as someone else I'm sure she'd be delighted to have someone use it.

Huskies def required ! It has just stopped snowing here, leaving just enough to make pavements lethal. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, then ice so I think we'll be more like Torvill & Dean rather than Paula Ratcliffe..

Yes I shall have to nail some sandpaper to the soles of my shoes . It's throwing down huge wet globs of snow outside right now - cycling to work was not nice and I'm really not that enthused about going out at lunchtime for a run, either.

If you really think your skiing mate would be up for it, then yes please, please, please . Why don't you CAT me and we can sort out details?

Update to race list:

Twink, Gizmo Reading Half Marathon, 6th March
Beetroot, Bath half marathon, 20th March
Wondermum, Wilmslow half marathon, end March
Gizmo, Paris Marathon, April 10th
Twink, London Marathon, April 17th
Clary, RFL 8th May
Zippy, Great Caledonian Run/Stroll 10k 8th May
Fionagib, 10k May 15th
Prettybird, 10k May 15th
MumToTwink, MiniTwink, Twink RFL 2nd July
Twink, RFL 10th July
Beetroot,Potpourri,Twink GNR 18th Sept

Well this is it, nerves are kicking in now....

But first though, I've got to find Gizmo to pass on her number !! Will this be the first Mumsnet meet-up at a race ?

Good luck Twink and Gizmo - lovely day for it (well it is here anyway)

Thanks guys ! Beety, it's much better to be realistic & do that than have an utterly miserable time and risk injury too.

Hopefully Gizmo had a good day, we managed to meet up before the start, identifying each other by our fetching fleece hats !

Unfortunately the start was delayed by ages & it was freeeezing hanging around.

I did a new pb by a long way, not 100% sure yet but my watch showed 1:43:19 although I forgot to stop it on the line.. Chuffed to bits as I knew I was capable of it but doing it can be a different story.

Provisional results are out, Gizmo seemed to forget about the long slow thing and had a great result too.

Hopefully she'll be here soon to tell us about it !

Hello, hello.

Thanks for the thoughts Potty1 - I think it must have rubbed off on me and Twink

Twink - LOL at 'fetching fleece hats': I think mine was bought when I was suffering from that special brand of altitude induced colour blindness that you only get when skiiing! Still, the fleecyness was useful because it was b*dy cold. Congratulations on your time, too - I had a little bet with myself that you would go under 1:45. Sadly, you know what that means - you are now going to have to have a serious crack at a 'good for age' time in London .

I found the whole thing a bit of a battle so I was quite pleased with a new PB (by about 30 secs) of 1:49 on my watch but annoyed that I had to have a 4 minute loo stop in the middle of the race (yes, I obsessively timed it ).

Beety, sorry about Bath, but I guess there's plenty more fish in the sea, race wise. It's b*dy cold anyway: more fun to be had racing in the summer. How's the training going, anyway?

How about this: I beat the Cheeky Girls! Way hay!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I'd printed out a Runners World pace band for a 1:45 finish but left it in my bag. The race calculator gave me an estimate of 1:43:30 from my recent 10m race but I didn't believe I could do it.

To have beaten that despite all the hold-ups during the first 3-5 miles has given me a real confidence boost for FLM.

All you newish runners & lurkers, please don't get put off by our results - 3 years ago I couldn't have run for a bus.

Hello folks, hi prettybird, am running glasgow 10k in may too - have been out twice since the weekend and managed (ahem) 15 mins First 'runs' (I use the term loosely!) since start of dec.

Can only get better eh!!

Have managed to run approx twice a week since November, but wonder if anyone else suffers the "negative inner voice" syndrome? (Can't think of a better expression). Basically, within minutes of leaving the house the voice starts saying "you can't do this"/"why are you doing something that makes you wheeze/sore/tired/etc";"look at you, you run like an elephant" / blah blah blah. I feel doubly exhausted from trying to ignore the voice (hope this doesn't make me sound too strange), as well as worrying about whether I am running too fast/too slow/too infrequent/bad style. I often start something like exercise, only for it to fizzle out within a few months - now I can see why. How can I shut the voice up??? and enjoy running more.

Well done Fiona ! Glad to see you back here, 15 mins is perfect for getting back into it, don't knock it ! Just do 17 next time

Merrygoround, oh yes, the voice never leaves me.. Even on Sunday when I was doing the half it was still there [you can't beat last year's time, what's the point of carrying on, slow down etc etc] I have to start arguing with it, then I find it helps to visualise a route that I know I can run and pretend that's what I'm doing. Sounds daft I know.

How long are you running for ? I find breaking the 20 minute barrier is tough but after that, I'm warmed through & my lungs have got the message that they need to work harder so I can settle into a rhythm that I can continue.

Could you run with a friend or music to distract you ? It's cetainly harder to silence the voice when you're on your own with it.

One last thing, the time when you least feel like going for a run will probably benefit you most. That's when you'll go out feeling hopeless, tired & crap and come back 30-40 mins later grinning, or at least feeling smug !

Hello Fiona,

Welcome back - at least you've got rid of the cobwebs on your bra by now . Have you done the Glasgow 10k before?

I've never had the 'negative voices' thing when running (I've always known I'm a bit of duracell bunny) but I am familiar with it - it normally strikes me when I'm trying to learn something new or appear particularly professional at work. It's particularly loud if I have to make a presentation - sometimes I have to shout to make myself heard over it

The best cure for me is definitely having someone give you some positive reinforcement - perhaps running with someone else for encouragement? Maybe go out and tell your friends about your running and get their encouragement. For what it's worth, if you've got out twice a week since the beginning of November, I think you're doing great, because I know it's really hard at this time of the year.

Sometimes it's easier if there are other incentives - can you give yourself a reward for each goal you hit - massage for doing a three miler, half tub of choc ice cream for a four miler sort of thing?

And if all else fails and you really can't get rid of the voices you could always give up. Find something that you really enjoy and gives you a buzz - dancing? yoga? - and I'm sure the voices will fade away....

Fionagib - you've managed one more run than me since Christmas (but mine was a whole 20 minutes!).

I was full of good intenetions to start the training programme in Saturday's Herald - but then the weekend had disappeared

Merygoround - I know what you mean about the "voices". Mine try to tell me that "you are supposed to listen to your body and this body is hurting and shouldn't be made to do this".

However, I know now from experience that they go away after 20 minutes - so just try to ignore them until then. But the down side of that is that it makes it very difficult to get back into running, when you are only running for 20 minutes!

Thanks for your wise words. Glad to hear I'm not the only one hearing voices! I went out this morning (have day off work) and struggled so much for the first 10 minutes I nearly gave up ("why don't you do the walk/run thing?" says the voice) - but suddenly after that it got easier. I tend to run only for 20 mins anyway at the moment - I hit my peak a couple of months ago with a 38 minute run but have never felt even remotely capable of the same again. So if I tell myself the first 10 mins will hurt like hell, perhaps it will be more bearable.

I do worry about style, and wonder if I am make such heavy weather of it simply because I don't run well. Perhaps I will have to treat myself to a few sessions with a personal trainer who can give me some advice. I read in Runners World that you should imagine a string from your navel pulling you along - but then I get obsessed with it and think my imaginary string is not quite working right!

Anyway, to everyone thinking of running today, go for it, hope you enjoy it. (Inner voice says - "if you're not suffering you're not doing it properly"....)

Aha Merrygoround, that's the answer: you just have to exhaust your inner voice.

And style? Personally, I really wouldn't worry about it. It may make a difference if you're running 4.30' miles and want to get 4.25' but for us mortals, trying to change your style is more likely to exhaust you and make running a real chore.

Sorry if you are runnning 4.30' miles BTW