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[Deleted User]
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Hi everyone, I guess you’ll want to know a bit more about me and why you should vote for me. First off, I would like to just commiserate with those who attended boot camp but didn’t get shortlisted. I was trying to think, on the way home, who I would choose to go through but I didn’t get very far. Everyone I met was lovely – positive, upbeat and very enthusiastic and I hope they are ok.
Anyway, onto me...I started running consistently in 2003 in order to do the Great North Run with a friend from work. By 2005 I had tried most distances and terrains, done my first and only road marathon, and made a rod for my own back. Cracking the magical 4hr barrier at first attempt made me believe that I could actually be a ‘real’ runner. However, after joining a club and beasting myself to keep up several times a week for a year or so, I decided that maybe, I actually, wasn’t! 2008 saw a year of very little running but by 2009, 10kg heavier, I was back out trotting round the local woods. 3 years on, I have built myself a much stronger base but I’m pretty much back at the same speed level. I’m no racing snake by any stretch; I’m the chatty one on the start line whose main goal is to enjoy every moment of the race - happily I seem to run my best when I’m relaxed!
My life as a military wife (who can’t sing, sadly) is mostly focussed on my lovely husband, Ben. I re-qualified so that I could work from home as a book indexer and gain some career continuity regardless of where we are posted. This also gives me flexibility as to when I go out for a run. Running’s a brilliant way to discover the local area and meet new people too. We were relocated from one end of the country to the other a few months ago and I already feel at home even knowing that we’re moving again next year.
to be continued....
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Comments
I entered this competition just after I found out that hubby was going to be away from home for 2 months after Christmas. Whilst he’ll try to get home at weekends, workload permitting, I like to have something to concentrate on when he’s away. Running kept me busy through his 6 month tour of Afghanistan last autumn/winter so it’d be a great way to blast through this relatively short separation.
I’m hopefully representative of a whole bunch of people who exist in the limbo-land between recreational once-a-year-racers and every-weekend-club-wonders; those who are happy to say “I’ve done one” and those who run marathons regularly. I’ve done 19 races so far this year (mainly 10ks) with 2 more cross countries lined up before Christmas and average 30 miles a week over 5 days. Rascal, my trusty, if somewhat smaller than average Jack Russell, makes sure I do plenty of recovery mileage by taking me out for a walk twice a day.
My PBs as they stand are: 5k – 24:23 (2011) (though I ran nearly a minute quicker at the boot camp); 10k – 47:12 (2007);10m - 1:22:?? (2004); ½ - 1:45:01 (2005); Marathon – 3:49:06 (2005)
I’ve learnt the hard way that I should train at my own pace but that means that I don’t get as much social contact via a running club and all the lovely people therein, as I could. Taking part in events regularly helps fill that gap but I don’t want to end up beasting myself every weekend and giving up running again. I wish it was as easy as just saying, “ok I’ll run, but not race” at such events but I seem to be one of those people who just doesn’t conform to intensity theory: my HR and RPE are at odds and different again to my race-pace-calculated speeds so I’m not sure what pace to aim for and I worry about overdoing it.
Maybe I am one of those souls who has found my running equilibrium but maybe, just maybe, with the right help, I can go faster. This is my attempt to find out if I can progress beyond my current PB. After all, if coaches and support teams aren’t the best way forward – why do the Olympic squads have them? I’m certainly intrigued to know how, or if, the cross country season fits into a spring marathon schedule.
If you would like to know more please just ask – I’m not known for being particularly shy! I will aim to be online at lunchtime and again in the evening. Please vote for me. How about if I say pretty please....Have you seen how long that intro was
. I have been loitering for a long time but not really felt I've had anything original to add. Since this will be about me and others training towards the same goal - you'll probably be begging me to shut up LOL
Besides look at the cute puppy. Look into her eyes.... (whispers vote for me, vote for me)
That's ok - a shame - but still ok! Thanks for looking anyway.
Right - as much I'm struggling to concentrate or sit still with all the excitement of this, I must do some work.
Will check back later...
Ah now – that’s down to my husband! Mong Bear is my half of our team name that he came up with on the spur of the moment at an event we’d entered: Ming Beast & Mong Bear. I’ve called him Ming Beast since he first moved in on account of the state he gets in when out for a run – think snot, sweat and mud – yip like the rest of us!
Mong Bear was the first thing that came to mind apparently and refers to my blatant enjoyment of a ‘nice sit down’ of a weekend afternoon. Allegedly ‘mongging’ is teenage slang for what the rest of us refer to as ‘vegging/lounging/having a nice sit down’ and apparently we had to have matching ‘MB’ initials! No point asking me how his brain works – I love him ‘despite’ his lunancy not because of it.
Anyway it kind of stuck and still makes us chuckle though not as much as everyone else did at a recent prize giving where we unexpectedly won the 2 person team prize. Slightly embarrassing I admit. The nice lady handing over the prize asked me if they were our ‘bedroom nicknames’! It’s a good job we don’t take ourselves too seriously – I do look quite shocked in the photo though.
I can't say I'm down with the kids - no - but then I'm not sure I'd want to be either.
Your version sounds like it's not going to be very nice and teenagers can be cruel but since there's nothing nasty in the Chambers dictionary I'm sticking to my non-offensive version.
For those who are curious as to the dictionary definition: mong mung, (now dialect) n a mixture; a crowd
Adj. Lacking in physical and cerebal ability. General retardation.
but the bear bit is cute
TBBO
but thanks - have sent an email off just this second - apologies to anyone who may have been unintentionally upset.
Hi Elspeth - Yep - that'd be us! Enjoying similar weather just now too! How are you getting on?
I do remember somethings then! Good luck with your application
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I'm fine but the weather isn't, snow and wintry winds up here just now.
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Thanks Elspeth. Yeah saw the weather forecast - keep warm! As much as I like it up there I'm enjoying the milder weather down here! We got posted in September so back in England now.
I need to go get dinner ready - have a good evening all
Unless of course your bear is brain dead... which is entirely possible...
I didn’t start this process intending to cause any offence or upset and I AM sorry if I did. I used an unfortunate word unknowingly and with no malicious intent. I feel I have now done all I can to rectify the situation and hope that RW will amend the website sometime today.
What I do want to do is to learn how best to train for and run a marathon so that I can go on to do one, maybe 2 a year. That said, I’d be happy to see any of the others in my category win too, a bit disappointed – sure, but they were all really friendly and deserve to win just as much as I’d like to think I do.
So If we can draw a line under my silly mistake and move on that would be very much appreciated.
What I have been wondering is how much time people spend on the forums? On average I guess I check in most days for 10 – 15 minutes and if there’s something that I want to follow more closely I may linger longer. How about you?
check in 4 or 5 times a day .........
how did you manage last year running when the snow came........not sure how snowy this year will be
Morning!
I can see how it would be very easy to do so!
We were based up in Morayshire last winter so we were hit hard by the weather. I was lucky in that we lived near the base and could use the gym when it was too icy to run safely outside. That said I went for some very beautiful and memorable runs when the snow first started to land. I love those days when breathing in the air feels like drinking chilled water, fluffy snow underfoot, no cars and blue sky with foreboding clouds lurking on the horizon.
How did you get on? Any tips? I keep seeing the yak trax about and wondering if they're any good... I know a few folk who used ice bugs up north but I'm not sure I'd get enough wear from them.
I will vote for you, I am so proud of you xx
SN - yip - my preference too!
KL - Thank you!
For today's lunchtime entertainment I offer you some random facts about myself:
Should be safe sometime after 3 o'clock
Hi Sleepy,
I see you're in the plateau group. Why do you think you're the best candidate for this group?
What distance have you plateaued at, if you've only run one marathon? Do you have any ideas why your times have plateaued? You've also made a comment about how your training has yo-yoed, how do you think this process will help you with that?
ta, and good luck
Hi Chimpster
I prefer not comparing myself to others but based on our stated weaknesses: my other commitments can be accommodated comfortably, I like hills and I love having a programme to follow - all of which I think should give me a pretty good chance to do well in the training and on race day.
I pretty much seem to only to have one pace - just under 8.00 min/mi so I really need to learn about how to do my speed work properly. I've been doing my intervals on a treadmill this year so that I can't cheat but I have a feeling that my efforts aren't fast enough (I get a bit put off by my HR being high) and that my recoveries are too fast and not long enough.
The good news is that in the last 6 months that pace has become much more comfortable. I used to really struggle through a 10k but the last 3 I've done I've felt really strong. I've always preferred halves - the start was always much less of a stress and I absolutely revelled in the Loch Ness marathon - maybe I've got a natural endurance bias. (I've also done 2 LAMMs: got 2nd Ladies D class first time and then won the following year which are testament to my endurance I think)
I think if I can get some help with establishing the right mixture of training at the right paces, then I will be set for not over-doing it which I hope will eliminate any yo-yoing.
As to falling over - trust me - neither do I - it always comes as a shock - the last one involved slippy leaves and a pot hole!
Hope that answers your questions?
Thank You for your interest