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Barns Green Half-Marathon 2010
Johnny2323
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Just entered this as I can no longer do Royal Parks Half. Anyone done it before? Please tell me it's not hilly.
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I seem to remember those undulations
Fortunately I had a lovely lady runner who was happy to accompany me round the whole course which made for a lovely experience
. Definitely a do again one...
Hi, there is plenty of free parking available if you get there early enough but it's in a field so if it's really wet it can be a little tricky to get out. They close the roads so make sure you check out their website (http://www.barnsgreen-half.org.uk/) to get the time to get there by. If you are coming by train then Horsham is probably the closest you'll get but you'll still be approx 7 miles away.
It's a great race and very well organised.
You reckon 12 the weekend before? Oh my!
I'm glad I'm not the only one to have not got beyond 10 - i had to enter a ten mile race to get the motivation! really bad at running on my own! Lazyitus I think!
2 and half weeks to go. I'm really excited. My first race since the London Mara.
I used to like running on my own - just lost motivation and confidence really. I am such a plodder tall men walk past me which is insulting!
I like doing about seven miles on my own - struggle for time for any longer.
I know loads of people running it as it is a local race so should be good - watching them shoot off in to the distance!
I think that a "rolling up and down course" is a fair description Mr.F, very gently downhill for the first couple of miles (which you need to then come back up from about mile 11 ish), short sharp uphill at about 4 miles (which is probably the steepest one on the course), then a couple more later in the course and a couple of shallower, longer inclines.
Traffic free roads which is fantastic so overall I think it's a great course (nothing to do with the fact that I got my PB there!). I'll be supporting on the day so make sure you're smiling for the spectators!
Does anyone know how BG compares to Tunbridge Wells half?
Mr F - plodding around for the hell of it sounds good! My knee is flaring up again - ITB too. I've been poor at stretching and using my roller
. What do you consider ploddy?
Mr F - plodding around for the hell of it sounds good! My knee is flaring up again - ITB too. I've been poor at stretching and using my roller
. What do you consider ploddy?
Emma - if your ITB is flaring up, best to place the foot of the poorly leg behind then around the good one, so that it is then situated beside the good one, and stretch it for 30 seconds at a time. No doubt there are other stretches, but that one worked for me. Hope that's clear............?
What is ploddy? I should think 10.5 - 11 minute miling, I guess. I am coming back from injury myself.
Re comparison between BG and Tunbridge Wells, TW is hilly. Starts flat and rises slightly, then descends in stages to about halfway. You then have Smart Hill, a short sharp hill, then the big one, Spring Hill, a steep but by no means unmanageable climb of about 1 mile. The remainder of the course is reasonably flattish, except for Langton Green at mile 9/10, which descends then ascends sharply, but is not long. I did this race in February, and it is a brilliant half marathon. Nearly as tough as Hastings, but not quite. Very scenic and superb value for money. You get a genuine bespoke medal, quality technical T-shirt and a goody bag. You can also get the chance to be photographed with Dame Kelly Holmes (the race Ambassador), as I did! Sign up for it Emma, you won't regret it. It will, however, sell out, just as Hastings usually does. the maximum entry field is 2500.
Excited about running along unfamiliar roads at Barns Green
Mr F - I did the TW last year - Found it very tough (my first and only 1/2 marathon). I wondered if I woud be likely to do better at BG than TW. Someone (who was really horrid to me about my running - telling me that they were too good to run with me) did the BG in 2:15 and I want to absolutely smash her time!
I am going to sign up to TW - might see if I can now.
Hoping to run 12 miles on Saturday as prep for BG - will be going v slowly!
Dear Emma,
So sorry to hear that someone was absolutely horrid to you about your running, you don't deserve such nastiness. So, the 'lady' who said she was too good to run with you only completed BG in 2:15? I would have expected her to have finished in under two hours, if she was that good. The less said, the better, I think. Forget about her, she isn't worth it.
Yes, I believe you will do better at BG, as the profile is nowhere near as hilly as TW, even though TW is a superb run. You'll be fine, I promise you. What was your TW time? I'm sure you will get a new PB. Do sign up for TW, I have. Might meet you there as well, who knows? I'll let you know my race number, they are being posted out next week. Try also to increase your running intensity little by little each week, and get some good hill training in, if you haven't done so already. That should help for TW on 27th February 2011. The race is guaranteed to sell out.
Thank you for the encouragement! I managed the TW in 2:10.56 last year - haven't trained briliantly in terms of distance for BG but have been running longer (Since July 2009) so should be better. I would ideally like to hit an average of 9 1/2 minute miles. So obviously faster on down hill and will not try to push hills too much.
Would love to get a 2:05 but to be honest would be pleased with 2 hours + any single figure (i.e. sub 2':10!). If I break her time I won't tell her about it but will wait for others to pass it on!
.
Will enter TW again - great marathon prep as hills and good time of year. I was considering the Brighton half - but it looks like such a big event that it puts me off!
I managed a 1.35.40 at tempest 10 - which would set me up for about 2:05 BG but I was fading rapidly at the end and running a bit like Manuel from Fawlty Towers for last mile as knee so sore!
Hi Emma, thanks for the reply. I probably will be slower than you, in fact, and would hope to average 10 1/2 m/m at best. So you will probably beat me. You did so by 3 mins at TW back in February this year. Also, so much for 'her' who scoffed at you, seeing as you beat her paltry BG 2:15 time.
Will let you know my race number if you are still interested in plodding round, though if you are aiming for 9 1/2 mm then probably not, I guess. All the best to you in any case. Pete.
Even if I am trying to run a different pace - the best laid plans often fall apart. I have only 5 races under my belt at all and my marathon totally fell to pieces. finished 2nd half 40 mins slower than 1st half!
Would be great to mnage an even split - but highly unlikely.
it is always nice to say hello to people so let me know your number - there are about half a dozen people or more that i know doing the race - I just hope that we can all encourage each other! I reckon i will be fine until about 8 miles then it will all start to unravel! Hopefully not too many Manuel impressions
Planning on a steady 12 tomorrow am - if I sleep well and my running partner doesn't bail.
Best of luck to you too -can't believe that it is only 2 weeks away!
Ps thanks to everyone who has commented on the rude 'lady' - now I have met more runners myself it just doesn't seem to be the etiquette that runners seem to share!
Emma, was thinking exactly the same as Mr F there, go off too fast and it all falls apart something in the near future. Keep your pace in mind, stick to it and let the others go off..if you have stuck to your plan you will find yourself reeling them back in the last 3 miles. You have to be disciplined as BG starts on a down hill slope but it will be worth it in the end especially when you sprint back up that slope at the finish.
This will be my first road half in about 15 months after months of injury and a slow return so it will be good to see where I am in terms of fitness.
Going off too fast is something I've always struggled with. It takes a lot of discipline in those early miles.
how'd the 12 miler go Emma?
I forgot to start my Garmin so I estimated that I ran 11.65 miles but G-maps pedometer said 12.1 so either way about 12 miles completed. We ran slowly, the weather was perfect (short sleeves with gloves they key) and thanks to jelly babies and immodium I feel great.Thanks for asking Johnny2323!
Took the amount of time that I would like to complete BG in so hopefully will be able to pick it up come race day. Totally agree about going off slower - I need to totally run my own race and reel them in in the second half! Thanks for the advice Mr F and Dips.
Hopefully I can run first mile or two at comfortable 10s and then gradually pick it up so running majority at 9.30s - will then need to hit 9min miles to get closer to 2:05 finish. One day I hope to break 2 hour half. I can run that pace for 10k but felt like I was about to die at the end.
How has everyone got on this morning?
I did my 10 miler this afternoon and ended up doing 11.36 m/miling, so will much slower than you Emma, I'm afraid. This was my first (almost) middle distance run since returning from soft tissue damage injury, but got through it. Another pain barrier crossed! Will use BG purely as a fitness test for half marathon distance, let's see what happens on the day, however. Things might have improved by then. My run did include a 10% gradient hill for about 7/10ths of a mile, one that I have run several times before, but wanted to test myself again on it. I think the undulations at BG are nowhere near as steep.......? Good training therefore. Not bad for a 55-year-old!
Just a short word about Immodium. This is in fact a drug called Loperamide, and I bought a box of 30 Loperamide capsules at my local chemist for only £2.99. Immodium, exactly the same thing, costs far more. You are paying for the name, let alone the drug. Simple economics can be a wonderful thing!!