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Great North Run 2013
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Good morning, all.
Have been out for a cheeky little 3.7 miler It's cool, with a bit of light drizzle in the air. Possibly close to perfect for the town moor marathon nutters. Good luck to them all.
I hope it's a good run for you, Fiona and that you stay safe.
Morning everyone
Best of luck to Fiona and everyone else doing the Town Moor Marathon (is it called that, or is the official title the Newcastle Marathon?) and to all those doing the Great South Run. It's a bit grey and windy where I am at the moment, so I hope it's not blustery on the Moor.
Well done to Pengwyn for her 'best in age' parkrun
.
Yesterday was my second cross country of the season, at Cramlington Nature Reserve. I didn't know what to expect from the course as I hadn't ran it before, but following on from the damp conditions we've experienced up here last week, coupled with the snow, sleet and rain we got all Friday night, one thing I thought it might be was muddy - and boy, was I right!
.
Arrived there whilst the men were out on the course (the senior women run last, just to make sure the course is nicely churned up for us
) and it was absolutely perishing cold. I didn't take off my coat until the last possible minute, and when I did I was shivering like a mad thing - not nice. Didn't even have the calming influence of Vicki there as she was doing the results (too far away from the course for her to just run down and compete). Did a little bit of a warm up and saw Kelly, but didn't get the chance to chat to her or congratulate her on her 100th parkrun.
After what seemed like ages of hanging about the race finally started. I say 'race', but this wasn't so much about racing, and more about *Geordie alert* plodging through 4 miles of thick clarts and just trying to get to the end without falling flat on your face. It was madness! After 3 miles my feet just stopped doing what they were told and it was all about just trying to keep going forwards in an upright fashion.
Got great support from the crowds though (though I must've been running in front of a girl called 'Clare' as all I heard all the way round was 'Come on Clare!' 'You can do it Clare!' 'You're catching her up Clare!' ... all the bloody way round! It proper got on my nerves, lol, and I was just praying that 'Clare' got a move on and overtook me so that I wouldn't have to listen to her supporters any more
.
Finally finished (trying for a sprint finish across 50m of thick mud is 'interesting') and a bloke from my club told me I'd done really well. I've no clue if I did, or if he was just being sweet and encouraging as I've not had a chance to check out the results yet. I know my average pace was 8:42, which is shockingly bad (it was 8:00 for the last XC, but that was with fewer hills and no mud).
Had to wrap myself in bin liners before my OH would let me back in the car, and back home he hosed me and my shoes down before I was 'allowed' back in the house, lol.
A great report, Shielsy.
Really paints a very vivid picture of a race that sounds truly barmy. I hope you are warming though now and feeling a little more comfortable.
Great race report Shielsy - you had me chuckling all the way through, especially the last bit!!! The race sounds like it was great fun and I'm sure your results will do you justice for the effort you put in.
Well done to Pengwyn at yesterdays parkrun.
I had a lovely 6 mile run this morning in similar conditions to XL and I'm now relaxing for the day (just a few little houseworky type things to do, before settling down for SCD and Downton Abbey - I love Sunday night tv at the moment!
Some people have a very, very peculiar idea of 'fun'
Hi, Mandie. Well done on your 6 miler. Don't overdo the houseworky stuff.
It is still very grey up here at the moment. Three hours since the marathon started ! Mad as they are, I do admire their endurance and determination.
It does put it into perspective, doesn't it, when you think back 3 hours? I would still have another 90 mins of running to go
Given that it's the start of GMT today, would you be able to put your watch back an hour just before finishing ? A good way to record a sub-4 hr marathon
lol - I think that would be the only way I'd ever manage it!!
Not quite running but managed 18 miles on the mountain bike,loads of mud.I too got hosed down and had to strip in the back garden before being allowed back in the house.
Well done Stringy on Jedburgh half,hope you had a good race.
Just waiting for more race reports.
Hi Mandie and XL.
Hi Spongecake,
good pedalling.
Afternoon.
It's still blinking freezing up here - went out and did 8.5 miles earlier and was properly wrapped up. I was thinking about how Fiona was getting on and glad that I only had 8.5 miles planned and wasn't doing a marathon today.
spongecake - well done on the bike ride.
Mandie - I love Sunday nights too. I have a large glass of white wine with my name on it, but I can't touch it until I've done my chores.
I was trying to post some photos of my muddy post X/C legs but they're too big to post here, and FB won't let me export photos all of a sudden
. I hate technology when it goes wrong.
Shielsy - did u get your shower fixed?
Oh well done Fiona - that sounds more like a 26 mile cross country event!
. That's an excellent time, given the wind and the mud.
Yes, the shower seemed to fix itself the next day, so I can only summise it had something to do with work that's currently going on in our area at the moment by the local water authority.
Shielsy, I'm afraid I was one of the blokes running before you who helped to churn up the mud even more. Not that it needed it, believe me. It was bad even before we ran. Don't be too hard on yourself about your average pace. I ran the same course last year wearing normal running shoes on nice dry firm grass and was 35 seconds a mile slower this year in the mud. I got a bucket of hot water and sponged myself down outside before going in for a bath or the plug would probably have blocked!
Fiona, I was helping to man the water station near the start/finish so must have seen you four or five times during the race but didn't recognise you from your forum photo. I did notice a lady finishing quickly though so maybe that was you. You and everyone else did wonderfully well in the bleak windswept conditions. The Town Moor's a merciless place on days like today. I know what you mean about the mud on people - many looked like they'd done a x-country.
Loved your report Shielsy!
Fiona - it was just like that the year I ran it. Certainly not a PB course (which is why I've never bothered going back!). Well done
Cracking effort, Fiona.
Many congratulations on an impressive time on such a tough course. I hope you'll be enjoying something a little strionger than crisps later.
Good run for you too, Shielsy. I suppose 8.5 miles has to count as quite short fo ryou now, does it? Certainly much further than I fancied this morning.
Hi, Graham. Well done on your XC run. 35 seconds per mile? That sounds like a lot of mud ! Rather you than me.
Well done Fiona - cracking time, espcially in those conditions - Hope you enjoy the crisps (bet they dont even touch the sides).
I'm starting to think of 8.5 miles now as a medium length run again; just for psychological reasons.
There was a lot of mud, but it's all very character building as Mick would say, and supposedly very good for you, training-wise. Plus it was quite good fun to be honest, once you got over the yuck factor of running through mud. My feet were numb and wet before I'd even got going.
Well done at Cramlington Graham. And thanks for the reassurance about pace. I know that it's less about pace and more about just turning up, digging in and getting on with it.
XL- the thing I find is that the last thing I want is anything stronger after a marathon. Maybe later in the week.
Graham - you might remember me as the girl in the pale pink long sleeve top and sunglasses and my husband was probably "encouraging" me along as we went past. He had a White Lonsdale hood on. I didn't recognise you either.
Cheers everyone!
Superb effort in the marathon Fiona,well done.Raising a glass to you as I type.
Great running in muddy conditions by Graham and Shielsy.Must be getting old,running around in cold muddy conditions seems to have lost its appeal to me.
Well done Fiona
Fiona- Well done! I walked the younger pooch around the track part of what i thought was the moor course in my wellies I might add the night before and it looked like you guys would have to negotiate a "water jump" the puddles were that big. Cooper (the younger pooch) was practically having to wear scuba gear wading through it.
I went out at 1-ish on Sunday with the dogs over to the moor to have a look at you all and it was grey really boggy underfoot and began to rain I could see you all running down grandstand road and then right at the blue house roundabout. I normally am inspired to get out for a run when I see others running but looking at you guys I didn't envy you.
lol at Mandie's offer. I do know what you mean though, Fiona.
I am sure you will celebrate properly, when the time is right.
I think that attitude is more about wisdom than age, DD