New Mature Runners Thread

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  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    JB6 - sometimes I sleep through, sometimes I have to get up in the night for a wee .. have never worked out why the difference as I tend to drink the same amount of cups of tea etc. during the day. Well done for biting the bullet and saving £50 per month by cancelling the sport channels - hope for your sake the withdrawal symptoms aren't too bad. Well done re the repeats session you did with the encounters with the lady walker and the aged cyclist. Shame about the lower numbers at the parkrun - but understandable if there were other events on. I walked into town on Sat morning to get the M&S valentine's meal deal (which I'll be cooking tonight) and there were lots of runners drifting away from Pittville park, having obviously finished their parkrun a short while before. Not huge numbers of them - just enough to notice. Well done to Mrs JB for dipping under 35mins for the first time.

    HS - as you'll read below, it's not my knee giving me problems at the moment. I'm guessing Andy may remove the printer in Windows and then re-add it to get it working properly (like switching something off/on) as that may be the quickest solution. You're correct re Tesco's response. Should I tell the 'girls' that I have some interest in the naked calendar shoot they were joking about? :) Well done re that 7ml hilly run. I take it although the 'windproof' top wasn't, the thermal top was? I also get charged £10 for a haircut despite only being sat in the chair for 10 minutes. Well done re your parkrun, your solo hilly 10K and the latest 8.5ml forest run with the Mon group.

    Feeling sorry for myself at the moment. I was too optimistic re my managing to run 1.5mls on Thu. I noticed my left foot was sore at golf on Fri (underneath, just behind the toe next to the big toe, on the prominent bone, the equivalent of the knuckles on a hand) and it got progressively worse over the weekend. I was planning to go on the u3a ramble today but I had to cancel that.

    Having thought about it for the last day or two, I've not done anything 'new' apart from running a bit further. So my conclusion is, I tried to do too much running, too soon. Coupled with the fact that my current running shoes have done approx. 350 mls and to me, they don't feel as cushioned as they should. So I've purchased a new pair of shoes (same make/model as before) and I'll start walking in them once my foot has recovered and then will very tentatively try some short runs again and will see what happens. Worst case scenario - I may have to abandon my ideas of getting back running but will have a nice new pair of trainers to walk in. Btw, I doubt it's my golf shoes to blame as they have a fairly rigid sole anyway and don't get worn much compared to the running shoes. I do have a 'Plan B' of maybe having to get some new golf shoes as well as I've had them since Mar 2017. But one thing at a time.
  • A tale of two men......

    HS, well done. You are so consistent. To run into that wind today was admirable. £10* for a hair cut sounds about right - but maybe it should depend on the quantity of hair to be cut?! 

    Mel, oh no - shame about the injury and especially if it aborted your planned walk. Maybe it is a simple matter of switching to new trainers. (When I pick up an injury, I can usually trace it's cause.) Hope the meal goes well. MrsJB and I were thinking of the same option - but the 'menu' at M&S didn't appeal this time.

    Thanks for the kind comments on my parkrun effort. I've now got a new goal to add to all my others. Every week a nice person at the club searches all the Parkrun results of the club's members and I rather like being top of the AG list.  (Thank goodness that our resident VW75 doesn't compete much with her 90%!)

    Dentists today. I think I had about 6 separate injections - and that was just one side of my face. Wasn't too bad actually.

    We were nearly scammed over the weekend. Someone was offering a treadmill at a price too good to be true for that model (and yes, it was too good to be true). Mrs JB smelled a rat straight off but I made enquiries. And then the killer blow - 'a deposit' while they held it for me. No thanks.

    7k yesterday into that , yes, wind (well half of it was with the wind, but that doesn't sound so heroic).

    *Mel/HS - don't tell MrsJB she'll be expecting to be paid
  • WtnMel, I see that it is your left foot that is the problem now. Sounds like a good idea to stop running for a while, and buying a new pair of shoes.

    Thanks for the hint re removing the printer from windows and then reinstalling it. I think Andy might have tried that, as he was about an hour tapping away on the laptop. I rang the supplier of office supplies etc. and was advised that they had the colour, but not the  black cartridge printer ink. They will order it and let me know, when have it, so that I only need to make the one journey.

    I would be inclined not to tell the ladies that you would be interested in the naked calendar shoot, because for all you know, it might encourage them🤣

    I'm not in the hairdressers chair for very long either, as I don't have much hair. She probably takes longer than it would otherwise, as we are chatting non stop, whilst she is cutting.


    JB, thanks, the wind does make running that much harder, but it probably does help our endurance. I won't tell Mrs JB about the cost of a hair cut, in case she does decide to start charging you.

    I hope that you do manage to remain at the top of the AG List.

    6 injections in one side of your face, sounds a bit drastic, but good that it wasn't too painful.

    Good that you didn't fall for that scam. I received a scam message yesterday advising that they were unable to deliver "my parcel," and said to click on the link to arrange another delivery date. 

    Well done for yesterdays windy 7k.

  • Afternoon all,

    I see you’ve all been busy with your posts, I’ve a lot of catching up….

    HS Well done for a 7 mile run in cold conditions, and a good idea to layer up. I see from your subsequent posts that you have had very windy conditions for your last few runs,  I sympathise. I’m getting sick of windy weather now. At our XC on Saturday there were a number of fallen trees around the course, and there’s more windy weather forecast for later this week. Our heating bills are also rising, but as it’s winter I’m hoping they will even out over the course of the year (although the planned 57% rise in April will be a shock to the system).

    JB What a lovely story about the woman on the zig zag path, I’m not surprised that you had a spring in your step after that. I’d also be worried that an overweight 72 year old is planning to do that Brecon Beacons ride, but as you say huge respect to him. Hopefully there will be sufficient time for him to get into shape for it. Oh no, you too have been having windy running conditions! Isn’t it exasperating, and tiring? Well done to both you and Mrs JB for your parkrun WAVAs. A pity that some of your club mates gave the session a miss on Thursday, maybe they were saving themselves for events over the weekend. Which reminds me - have you been talked into representing your club at an event yet? I was just about to post this when I saw your latest post - clever Mrs JB for suspecting a rat re the treadmill. That dentist visit sounds grim, have you regained the use of your face yet?  

    WtnMel Great result regarding your Tesco delivery saver contract. It’s too easy to forget about auto renewals, I’ve been caught out myself before, but luckily I received a refund without any difficulty. You must be very encouraged by your running progress, well done for being so patient in building up your running segments. What a shame the “calendar girls” idea looks like it won’t be happening, you’ll have to use your persuasive charm on them to try to change their minds. Oh dear,I’ve just read your latest post.  I do hope your painful foot is just a temporary thing, it’s strange that it should flare up through running as you have been so careful in your build up. If the pain had been between the third and fourth toe I’d be wondering if it could be Morton’s Neuroma (I’m a fund of running injuries information :D ). It can be caused through running, or wearing high heels - does this ring any bells?)

    My XC on Saturday was once again windy and very cold. I suppose I should be getting used to these conditions by now, but I’m still finding them quite taxing for running. Still, I suppose it is the same for everyone else taking part, although some people don’t seem to be as slowed up by strong winds as I am. In order to get a parking space we had turned up early, then we hung around waiting for the start, it didn’t help that our race was delayed by 20 minutes. This morning’s run should have been 8 miles, but it was raining so hard that instead I opted for hill repeats in the local park as they would take half the time the 8 mile run would, and would be on tarmac instead of gravel and mud. Typically a few hours later the rain stopped and the sun came out briefly. The forecast for later this week isn’t great, with another couple of storms on the  way. Steve and I are taking part in a fun run on Sunday and I’m possibly doing a relay road race on Saturday, I’m currently a reserve so it depends on whether anyone drops out before then. 

    Hs - just seen your latest post as I was about to post this, that parcel scam message is quite common at the moment. I know a number of people who have received it (myself included). I hate these low life scammers, I hope someone scams them one day!

    Right, must get on with the tea now. I was going to tell you all about our latest house viewing on Saturday, the weirdest yet, but no time just now.
  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Morning all,

    JB6 - I usually change my running shoes between 400-450 mls so there's nothing to lose from retiring the current ones at around 350mls. Margaret really enjoyed the M&S Valentine's meal which I 'cooked' (ie heated up) but mostly enjoyed the fact she didn't have to rustle up a meal for the third day running and was waited on instead. A trip to the denstist - never exactly enjoyable! Well done for avoiding the scammer - the old phrase "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is one I always bear in mind.

    HS - I shall be keeping my ears open for the Hermes lady knocking on the door with my new running shoes. I have to pop out to the mobile bank shortly - it would be just my luck if the shoes arrived today and I missed her. One problem I have at the hairdresser is I take my hearing aids out in case she snips the plastic tube. So I find myself asking her to repeat what she just said. The scam I had at the weekend was a text supposedly from the NHS, telling me I'd been in contact with someone. But the scammers made the mistake of telling me it was the 'Omicron varient' so rather gave the game away with their bad spelling.

    Aquarius - I should get the refund from Tesco for cancelling the delivery saver contract fairly quickly. But I was warned the e-vouchers for the money from last year's contract that I didn't use will take a bit longer to arrive. I'm sure the joking about the 'calendar girls' photo for the platinum jubilee was just that. It came about when we were discussing books vs. the film version of a book and one lady Monica mentioned the film version of the CG calendar saying she'd definitely be the one needing 'bigger buns'. At least I can rule out wearing high heels being the cause of my painful left foot. When I've been doing short running sections I've been concentrating on landing on my mid-foot rather then doing an 'old man shuffle' - which makes me think the 1.5 mls run would have put a lot more force than usual on the bit of foot behind the toes where the pain and swelling is. Well done re doing the XC on Sat and then yesterday's run. Given the forecast, I expect you're hoping you won't be needed for that relay road race. 

    My left foot is still painful and swollen. I've contacted the physio clinic in the village and have managed to get an appointment tomorrow afternoon with Isobel, the lady who I saw in Jan/Feb 2021 about my knee. I feel the swelling/pain will go away with rest but I hope Isobel can advise what has happened and either confirm my suspicions re too much running too soon, or advise what else I have done.

  • Aqua, you've certainly drawn the short straw on the weather of late. And with more to come by the look of it. Not great for the possible 2 runs this weekend, although this spell has got to end sometime. (Now you know why I didn't make a living as a weather forecaster!) Day after day of miserable weather gets to you doesn't it? It makes you feel penned in. Cabin fever awaits!

    HS I've not been the target for the scam you mentioned but will look out for it. Perhaps we should call these people 'scummers' rather than 'scammers'?

    Mel, pleased to hear that M&S turned up trumps. As for the foot, you self-diagnosis sounds pretty sensible but equally it's very prudent to see the expert. I suspect Isoble's charges might well exceed those of your barbers!

    Club night this evening. Funnily enough the forecast is for  a break in this relentless wind/rain for the scheduled training time. Let's hope that the Met Office has got it right. 

    2 off topic items.

    1. The Winter Olympics. I confess I'm not in the least bit interested (despite being generally a sport anorak). If we return with no medals, then I'm sure that there'll be a review of the funding handed out and (bias alert!) I for one wouldn't mind at all if the £££ were to be re-directed towards grass roots athletics.

    2. I've discovered quite a lot of good stuff on you tube for running and fitness. There's a series of programmes (?) produced by 'The Running Channel' (featuring Andy Baddeley) and they're very entertaining and informative. The best aspect is that the runners are not elite (Andy B excepted!) but are pretty ordinary in terms of running times. They also don't take themselves too seriously either. I'm hooked. 
  • WtnMel How is your left foot today? I hope your physio appointment today went well and Isobel has worked her magic, and the swelling and pain have at least eased somewhat.
    JB What was your club training session last night? How did you find it? I agree with you about the Winter Olympics, I can't get any enthusiasm up for winter sports I'm afraid. Thanks for telling us about The Running Channel, I'll definitely check it out. I do sometimes use Youtube for exercises, yoga, drills etc and can never get over what a fund of informative videos are there and all free! 
    No running yesterday, Pilates instead. Today we'd intended to go for a run before breakfast, but the wind was too strong and then it started raining. I decided to wait until tomorrow because the forecast suggested there might be a window in the stormy weather by the morning. However at lunchtime the wind had eased slightly and the rain had stopped (briefly as it turned out). A quick decision and out we went, Steve went on a route that was uphill with the turnaround point being the highest in the area (bad mistake). I used a slightly protected stretch of the Derwent Walk to do some interval work. We both got wet as the rain returned shortly after we set off, and Steve also had high winds to cope with, which he found affected his breathing so he ended up walking part of his run.
     There's snow and high winds forecast for Friday and Saturday, and high winds on Sunday.  :(
  • Aquarius, yes it has been very windy here, but not as strong as where you are. Take care if you do run later in the week, as I'm sure that it will be even worse. It's forecast that we will get it the worse on Friday.

    Your x country last Saturday does sound tough, with fallen trees and strong winds. Parking is always a problem at those sort of races, or any races for that matter. I always aim to arrive very early to avoid these problems, but it can backfire, as late arrivals can block you in! I hope your fun run on Sunday won't be cancelled because of the weather.

    Yes those scammers are a real pain, and you really do have to be on your guard all the time.


    WtnMel, I've been lucky with the Hermes driver, as so far, I have always been in and seen the courier walking down the path. I try to get to the door before they knock and run.

    Good that you sussed out the NHS scammer. 

    Glad to hear that your painful left foot wasn't caused by wearing high heels🤣 I hope this afternoons visit to Isobel, the physio, proves to be productive.


    JB, I agree, the scammers should be called scummers! 

    I hope last nights club session went well!

    I've no interest either in the Winter Olympics. All the millions of pounds that have been thrown at them, with not a single medal of any colour to show for it.

    That you tube programme for health and fitness sounds interesting.


    I met up yesterday with a running friend that I have known for about 36 years, for a pub lunch. We hadn't seen each other for over a year, due to Covid restrictions. Driving conditions were atrocious, and especially bad being that I don't drive very often these days, and usually just short trips. The rain was relentless there and back, and some of the roads were very wet in places, causing lots of spray, especially by lorries coming in the opposite direction. 

    Today has been  different altogether, bright and sunny, and only a light wind. We are forecast to get the worse of the wind on Friday.

    This mornings session was hill work in the forest with Sarah F and Mike. It comprised 5 x uphill, with 50 metres hard on the gravel trail off the top of the hill. Recoveries were walk back on the trail and down the hill. 
  • Aqua, I think that high ground and proms are best avoided right now! We are going to cop the full force of the next storm on Friday, I hear. But well done for getting out and braving those conditions.

    HS, hope the pub lunch and chat with your pal were worth that drive. That morning session sounded quite good - I like the idea of a gravel trail. Better than ankle high mud.

    The club session  was good last night. The timing was perfect - a very short window of dry weather. It was quite competitive: I'm just about a few seconds better than 3 of the women runners and they chased me up and down the prom. Of course, I'm no stranger to having ladies chase me along the seafront - but with these 3 I wasn't going to let them actually catch me! And they didn't- but it made for a very tiring session.

    Looks like Saturday might not be quite so bad. The club's keener runners are en masse doing one of the toughest parkrun courses in the south. I think the conditions might dictate that I stick to my usual course.

    Another club session (hills) Thursday evening..............

     
  • Hope everyone is keeping safe in this awful weather, from the lunchtime forecast it looks as if the south of the country is going to feel the brunt of Storm Eunice tomorrow. Whereas we have wind and snow forecast, the south has severe gales to contend with. Not running weather by any stretch of the imagination.

    JB I hope you enjoy (is that the right word?) tonight's training session. I wonder if you will be chased up and down the hills tonight by the same ladies who chased you along the prom on Tuesday? Might be a sensible idea to stick to your usual parkrun course on Saturday, depending on what the weather is like by then.

    HS What a pity your trip to see your running friend on Tuesday turned out to be rather stressful due to the heavy rain. As you say I think you are in for a stormy time tomorrow, fingers crossed that you don't suffer any damage to your property. Your session in the forest yesterday sounds quite tough, it's difficult to keep going hard once you have got up the hill, but I know that's something you enjoy.

    WtnMel hope all is okay with you and your foot is improving. I imagine there will be no golf tomorrow due to the weather, but at least that means you will be able to rest your foot a bit longer. (btw - have your new running shoes turned up?)

    Still windy and very cold here today, no damage that I can see from yesterday's storm but we are battening down the hatches in preparation for tomorrow's onslaught  :/
    I'm still waiting to hear whether I'll be running on Saturday, and as far as I know Sunday's fun run is still going ahead (but there's still plenty of time for all that to change....)
  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    JB6 - the scummers are Boris & Co .. so I'll stick to scammers :) Yes - the cost of seeing Isobel would pay for five haircuts .. but money well-spent in my opinion. I'm recording the Winter Olympics. I have my Panasonic on series record so 'everything' is being recorded. Consequently, to save the HDD filling up, I've been editing the recordings and removing the stuff I have no interest in. So I'm not up-to-date with some stuff and have been avoiding too much of the 'chat' around it so that I don't spoil it for myself. I've got biathlon, cross-country skiing, speed skating and snowboard cross to watch .. but the curling, downhill, snowboard half-pipe, big-air, slopestyle etc etc. have all been done away with. I'm currently watching the coverage from 9th Feb which shows you how far behind I am (as the editing takes time to do). I might take a look at 'The Running Channel' that you recommended on YouTube. You being chased up and down the prom by ladies - shades of Benny Hill perhaps? ;) 

    Aquarius - as mentioned above, Isobel diagnosed what I'd done and has done her thing. The pain is a lot less today - I wasn't hobbling around as much when I woke up this morning - and realised I'd had an unbroken night's sleep for the first time for a few nights. Well done for both of you getting out - shame you both got wet and in Steve's case, got blown around for good measure. Alan and I cancelled the golf a few days ago - me because of my sore foot and he was going to anyway because of the stormy weather.

    HS - judging by the forecast, you and JB may get the worst of storm Eunice down there on the south coast. As you'll have read above, Isobel the physio has helped me out again. That training session sounds like hard work if you were running hard uphill on gravel! 

    As I mentioned, I saw my physio Isobel yesterday and she confirmed my suspicions. She saw the swelling and thought I might have damaged the fascia given how red and swollen my foot was. When I told her where the most severe pain had been, she explained that area behind the toe next to the big toe is where the fascia connects. She did some massage on the foot and then used ultrasound and applied some strapping. She recommended ibuprofen for a few days to help the swelling go down as well as applying ice packs and elevating my foot while doing so - eg. RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) which I know about but am ashamed to say didn't really cross my mind while hobbling around. I've got some ankle exercises to do to keep them mobile - but the main thing at the moment is the ice packs. I'm seeing her again on Monday by which time, I hope the swelling will have receded. As for the cause - she thought I probably had tried to run too far, too soon. And when I mentioned trying to run more on the mid-foot, she nodded and said that would have caused a lot of extra pressure on the point where the worst soreness was. I think once I'm over this current problem I'll stick to fast walking for a while - my new shoes have arrived so I'm going to chuck the old ones out. And Isobel said maybe it's time to accept I may not be able to keep running and to replace it with fast walking, sessions on the exercise bike and maybe more regular swimming - to get the aerobic exercise without damaging myself.

    Here's a photo of my strapped-up foot ..


  • Good afternoon everyone,

    JB, thanks, yes the drive was worthwhile, as we hadn't seen each other for more than a year, and the meal and service were excellent. It was a tough training session yesterday, but we did enjoy it. We had the mound to ourselves this time, as thankfully, there was no sign of "the intruders" from the previous session!

    That sounded like a good club session with ladies chasing you! I hope it's not too windy for tonight's hill session.


    Aquarius, thanks, all ok so far. It was windy yesterday but not quite so bad today. Tomorrow will be the worst, and apparently, all the parks, some schools etc will be closed for the day.

    It did rather spoil the meet up, but it was worth while, as we had a good catch up. Hopefully there won't be too much damage tomorrow, but I'm afraid there will be lots of trees down.

    It was a tough session, but we like hills.

    Hope you won't suffer any damage in your neck of the woods tomorrow! Fingers crossed that you will be able to run on Saturday and Sunday🤞


    This morning was a solo 10k hilly road run, and tomorrow will definitely be a non running day.
  • Aqua, thanks: strong rumours that the hilly parkrun will be cancelled, which will make my decision easier. Indeed, given the exposure to wind damage it could be that the prom one will be cancelled too. Visions of running amid broken up beach huts! We are certainly going to get a battering today: grandkids school shut so we'll be 'entertaining' them.

    Mel, I like that Benny Hill analogy although Benny Hill stopped being funny about 1971. And I'd like to stress that the ladies were fully and properly clothed eg no 'nurses' outfits! Well done for going to get that foot looked at. That's a fair old bit of strapping you've got there - hope it does the trick. Agree with the 'scummers' point. Very, very much.

    HS, I would guess that there'll be quit a few trees down in your delightful forest. Definitely not a day to venture out.

    Club night yesterday and of course not a sign of any wind - the calm before the storm. Did the same circuit as we did 2 weeks ago. The coach writes down and retains everyone's individual times and then announces them at the end of the session and compare them to the previous your ones. Very impressed with that! Pleased to report a significant improvement and chased down - well almost - the resident alpha male (a VM50). A really good session - and no way would I have pushed myself to that extent had I been solo training.

    Saw a pal yesterday who told me that his neighbour - exactly the same age as me - had keeled over and died of a heart attack. (My friend and his wife being first on the scene.) Somehow that increased my motivation to eat a bowl of porridge and not to miss last night's training!


  • Just popped in to say we are being pummelled by the wind. Its blown over one of the oak trees opposite my bungalow!

  • HS, oak trees are usually pretty tough! 

    I'm afraid the Eunice (that was some wind!) wrecked a fence - although in fairness it was on its last legs. Also knocked off a chimney pot which landed in my neighbour's drive and just missed his car. So could have been worse!

    Lots of local PRs cancelled so went to one in Brighton that I've done a few times - Preston Park. Big field of 450 and a bit congested at the start. Quite breezy but good underfoot. A couple of very sharp turns and a mean little hill that you do twice. Given all this I was amazed that a VW55-59 managed a WAVA of 94%+.
    What a superb run.

    I managed 21.17 which just scraped me over the 80% and got me a category win. Happy with that especially as I went off too fast with a 4 min first km. Mrs JB was just under 36 mins which was good. 
  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    HS - well done again re that tough training session. Wow - re that tree that blew down that you posted a photo of.

    JB - good luck with entertaining the grandkids. Relieved to hear the 'girls' you were running with weren't dressed as nurses. I'm impressed as well with the coach's thoroughness. Worrying isn't it when you hear of people the same age suddenly keeling over and dying. Yes - sounds like the damage (as it was) could have been worse. Well done re the WAVA from the parkrun - and to Mrs JB for her result.

    Despite my sore foot, I had to go outside in the middle of the storm to fix an emergency support to the wobbly fence. Which consisted of a long plank of wood (from my "come in handy" collection) wedged between the house and the fence with some battens to hold the plank in place. Margaret stood around giving me moral support as I did it. My fingers were numb by the time I'd finished but it HAD to be done or the fence might well have come down. Margaret has been round to see the neighbours the other side as we're looking at getting a fencing company in to fit some new fence posts to replace/strengthen the existing ones. Because we don't think Bromford Housing who own the fence are in any rush to do anything about it.

    No other damage from the storm for us - just a few smallish twigs and branches blown down from the tree.

    My left foot is gradually improving. Margaret was worrying the redness and soreness around my big toe joint was gout - having read the symptoms I'm not convinced. I still think it was due to pressure on the foot from wearing some trainers while the foot was swollen.

    On Fetch, I've 'retired' the old running shoes and will wear the new ones in future. Given the pain I've been in for the last few days, I'm in no rush to try and get running again. If I'm honest, I think my running days are probably over. I'm looking at getting rid of the treadmill in the garage as it's just taking up room and got little or no use, even when I was running. I've contacted a local firm to see if they can get spares for it to see if it's worth fixing and then selling - but if it's as expensive as I imagine, I'll just take it to the recycling centre because I can't even see anyone wanting a broken treadmill on Freecycle that they'll have to pay a lot of money to get working again.

    As mentioned, I'm seeing Isobel again on Mon and in the meantime, several times a day, I'm sitting my my leg elevated and with an ice pack on my foot.

    Btw, I've taken that strapping off as I wasn't convinced it was doing any good and more importantly, it was starting to irritate the skin as well. Aquarius may know knowingly when she reads that when removing the strapping, I removed some leg hairs as well (ooh .. ah).

  • HS What a shame about that poor tree opposite your house, your prediction that there would be a lot of trees blown down by the storm was correct, but I don’t suppose you expected it to be so close to home. I hope things have quietened down now and there’s been no further damage. Have you managed to get out for any runs over the weekend?

    JB I’m glad I’m not a member of your club, I think I would find it quite mortifying to have my times read out each week and compared with previous weeks. I suppose if you are improving week by week it will be quite motivating but for a plodder like me I’d feel it was the roll call of shame. I can see it must be motivational for a speedy runner like you though. I smiled to myself when I read your comment that you wouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard if you had been training on your own, that’s what everyone says after a hard club session, and it’s very true, and as you’ve discovered brings its own rewards. Keep that V50 resident alpha male in your sights, he’ll doubtless up his game now. 
    Always depressing to hear of a contemporary who has keeled over, but I suppose you don’t know what his medical history or lifestyle was. I’m sure anyone who exercises regularly and has a healthy diet must be keeping a few steps ahead of the Grim Reaper (at least I hope so). It brings to mind an ex-colleague of mine who keeps in touch with long handwritten letters as she refuses to get a computer. Most of her friends are ex-colleagues so she is a fund of information about them. On the one hand it’s lovely to get an actual handwritten letter from her, but the pleasure is always tempered by the knowledge that she will be updating me with the deaths and misfortunes that have befallen our other colleagues (most of whom are/were a similar age to me). 
    Was it your chimney pot and fence that were damaged in the storm? Well done to both you and Mrs JB for managing a parkrun in those windy conditions, and with good times. Excellent run by the VW55-59 too!

    WtnMel That is one sore looking foot. Good to hear that it is slowly improving, the rest, ice and elevation will no doubt be helping that process. Pity you had to do those emergency repairs to the fence, but better to do so than have the whole fence come down. I hope your running days aren’t completely over just yet, but it’s probably a good idea to stick to walking for a while and then see how you get on (never say never…). 

    Well in the end only one of the events was cancelled at the weekend, it was decided that it may be too windy for a family fun run on Sunday so the organisers cancelled it. However I did get called up for the road relays on Saturday. Although rather cold, it wasn’t raining or too windy, which was lucky as there was quite a bit of standing around waiting for my leg which was just over 2 miles with a fairly long hill on each of the two laps, so I was relatively happy with my 9.40 average pace. Our club did well, winning silver medals in three categories, but we couldn’t beat the winning ladies team who had Laura Weightman running for them!

    I hope today will see the last of this nasty weather and we can get back to running in wind free conditions.
  • Mel, well done for patching your fence. I'm afraid mine was beyond repair. It was put in by a cowboy 20 years ago and all things considered, I'm surprised it's lasted. As I type this the wind is hammering away at what's left of it, so I wonder what I'll be confronted by in the morning. About as much fun as my 2nd appointment at the dentists which is my treat tomorrow morning. Good luck with your next Isobel appointment. Good luck with the disposal of the treadmill. They are heavy things so mind your back - that's the last thing you need!

    Aqua, Laura Weightman?? Wasn't Steve Cram her coach? Wow - truly a world class athlete. 3 silvers is pretty good in that sort of company. And well done for doing your bit and running the relay leg. I love watching relays - even swimming ones. I've only ever run two (one was the running leg of a team triathlon) and I loved them although going off like a madman with the adrenaline Not sure my club gets involved in too many.

    Recovery run today - about 10k with my running partner who is training for a beast of a HM in 2 weeks time. He bought a very cheap pair of trail shoes and they are so uncomfortable that he's not going to use them on the run. Not sure this is wise!
  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Popping by briefly to say hello. My left foot is still a bit sore and swollen but not as bad as this time last week. I'm seeing Isobel the physio at 1:15pm for another look and an update. And at Margaret's bidding, because she's worried about the length of time the foot has been swollen, I've been onto my doctor's surgery website and filled out an e-consult form which I've used to explain my problem and have included two up-to-date photos of the current state of my left foot and ankle. I've asked them for their advice and guidance (from a medical perspective) to make sure it ties in with what Isobel the physio has diagnosed and been treating.

    Update re fence - Margaret had some fencing guys round earlier and they went to see the neighbours. Their suggestion was to put concrete posts in to support the old wooden ones which can be bolted to the new posts.
  • Good afternoon everyone,

    Sorry I haven't been on for a few days, but don't seem to have had the time. I'm still running and will try to respond to your posts tomorrow.
  • JB Steve Cram is still Laura Weightman’s coach, they sometimes turn up at our XC events too. I forgot to mention that there was another Olympian taking part on Saturday - Aly Dixon, and she was beaten by a 16 yr old girl!
    I hope your fence survived the night and that your dental appointment wasn’t too uncomfortable this morning. 
    WtnMel I hope your appointment went well with Isobel this afternoon. Sensible to consult your GP too if the swelling isn’t going down, particularly if you have been taking Ibuprofen.
    Another fence tale of woe, I hope you can get those concrete posts in place before the next storm comes along.
    HS I was just about to post this when I saw you had posted - nearly crossed posts again! Glad there’s nothing wrong, other than a lack of time (I know that feeling only too well…)

    I did a very slow 6 mile run this morning. I slept badly due to the wind rattling something (gutters/solar panels?) during most of the night, so when I got up this morning I had no energy for a run. I’d almost decided to put it off until tomorrow but in the end thought I might as well have a slow trot out today. Don't know why but I feel quite lethargic and down in the dumps today, I hope I'm not coming down with anything :|
  • Mel, the foot is being troublesome. I hope that further treatment does the trick. In the meantime, I suggest you cancel your scheduled ballet lesson, old mate.
    As for fence posts, our experience is definitely that concrete is the way to go - but don't drop it ion that foot!

    No run yesterday, but a 2 hour walk across the Downs with the pup. I couldn't believe the strength of the wind on top of the Downs. It was difficult to stand up at times. Goodness knows what it would have been like on Friday. I'd say it well have been well nigh impossible for an 95.67%  of runners (I like being precise) to run and I certainly wasn't going to try.

    Yesterday was a bit of a day. The dentist wasn't too pleased with my gum disease as he dug in, and having done all he can for now, pretty much hinted that more specialist treatment would be needed. So - a check-up in 2 months. Then our central heating (newly installed) packed up and an evening was spent huddled around an electric heater of some great age. Went to bed a distinctly unhappy bunny.

    However, this morning MrsJB phoned 'the man' and he instructed her how to reset it all. For me this would have been the equivalent of having to land a passenger jet - after the pilots dies of heart attacks -
     whilst being instructed by ground control. MrsJB pulled it off with aplomb. Now I only need her to put up a new fence (concrete posts!) and sort out the chimney. She likes to be busy and she certainly married the right guy (she might demur).

    Club night tonight. Not sure whether I'll go as I'm such a misery guts it might be better for me to go out during the day. (And then feel guilty about missing the evening session......)
  • Good morning everyone, I'll try to do a bit of catch up!

    JB, sorry to hear that a neighbour of yours died from a heart attack. It makes us realise that we are all very vulnerable.

    We were all very surprised that the oak tree was toppled, and are rather worried about all the others, which are probably about the same age and size. Our Estate was once forest, so all the many trees are quite ancient.

    My garden fence was not actually blown down, but has bowed inwards a bit in the centre. My garage window, at the side, was blown out, and luckily not blown in. I've got someone coming from a local Company Wednesday week to have a look, and quote me for a replacement.

    Well done for your category win at the Brighton parkrun, and also to Mrs JB for sub 36 minutes.

    I hope you enjoyed your 10k recovery run on Sunday with your running partner?


    WtnMel, thanks! That oak tree was bigger than the photo shows and hasn't been "attended to" yet. I'm so thankful that it fell the way it did, otherwise it would probably have landed on my bungalow. Well done for propping up your fence. I'll probably have to get someone in to straiten up mine. I don't have any handy planks of wood. The use of concrete posts sounds like a good idea.

    I'm glad to hear that your left foot is gradually improving. I hope your visit to Isobel yesterday proved to be productive.


    Aquarius, I was extremely lucky that the tree fell in the direction that it did. The wind seems to have blown itself out today, but has been extremely strong over the last three days. We were under a red weather warning. I didn't run on Friday, as that is always a rest day, but did Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

    It must be nice to receive handwritten letters from an ex colleague, but rather depressing when they often advise of the deaths of other ex colleagues.  I'm afraid that we are all losing the art of letter writing, and probably when we do have to hand write something, find that the standard has declined. I use a fountain pen as often as possible, especially in my diary.

    Well done for your leg in Saturdays relay race. Your average pace of 9.40 minute miling is very impressive, especially considering the winds and hills. Well done also to your Club, winning silver medals in 3 categories. 


    On Saturday we ran 5 x 800 metres with 90 second recoveries on the gravel track. Sunday was a solo 10k on roads, and yesterday was the same 10k route, but with the Monday Club..

    I met up with Karen and the twins yesterday for lunch in the lovely tea shop in the village. We took them to the local park afterwards, where they played on the swings, slides, etc. It was very windy, so we didn't stay for too long.

    My HP ink cartridges have now arrived, so I will be driving to the Industrial Estate to collect them after lunch.


  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    Aquarius - have to admit, I've never heard of Aly Dixon, despite being interested in athletics. The appointment with Isobel went well (see below) - as did my contact with the GP (again, see below). Sorry to hear you had a bad night's sleep and didn't really feel like going for your run - but pleased to hear you got out anyway!

    JB - I think you're right about cancelling the ballet lesson .. one of the u3a 'girls' also suggested maybe I should stop wearing high heels too ;) Margaret is still busy trying to arrange for the fence to be sorted out (see below). On my last walking holiday with HF in the South Downs, we did the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. It was extremely windy then and we were blown around a lot. Sorry to hear the trip to the dentist means you could need specialist treatment. And hope that central heating problem that Mrs JB fixed under instruction, doesn't re-occur.

    HS - hope that fixing that garage window doesn't prove too expensive. Hope that now you've got the ink cartridges, your maintenance man can work his magic.

    I contacted a local firm last week who claim to be able to fix/maintain treadmills but I've not heard back from them. I think I need to search for other firms. As I think I may have mentioned, I need to know how much it would be to replace the running belt on mine so I can sell it. But if it costs too much, I'll just get rid of it.

    I mentioned I'd been recording/editing the Winter Olympics coverage. This morning I decided I'd had my fill of biathlon, cross-country ski-ing and speed skating so I deleted the remainder of the recordings and freed up 15hrs of space on the recorder's hard drive.

    I saw Isobel again yesterday. She was happy with the improvement. The redness and swelling is contained to the big toe joint now. I've got a few more exercises to do to get the big toe joint moving again and to treat the fascia and should continue with elevating and icing the foot (toe). I'm seeing her again next Mon (28th).

    Margaret has seen one lot of fencing guys but has discovered they don't have public liability insurance so is now speaking to other firms.

    The surgery contacted me yesterday. I explained I just wanted peace of mind re the foot problem and explained it's much better. We left it that I don't need to see a doctor about my foot (especially after yesterday's trip to Isobel) but they've arranged for me to go and have a blood test next Wed (2nd Mar) to check all is well.
  • john bateman 6john bateman 6 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2022
    HS/Mel, I hope the 'damage' (in terms of £££) isn't too bad. We've got the fencing guys coming round on Saturday. We've used them before and they are good (better point out that the fallen fence wasn't one of theirs!). 

    HS, kids playing on swings in the park - few things could be as timelessly cute. Funny you should have run some 800s....(please see below).

    Mel, you seem to be doing all the right things with regard to your foot. Perhaps the blood test is just to eliminate any 'sinister' causes of the problem (arthritis? gout?). I prefer the nice straightforward diagnosis - e.g. 'you've overdone it'.

    Aqua, sorry to hear that you are lethargic/down in the dumps. I'm sure this is authentic and not just trivial - but sometimes this bloody weather doesn't help. And yet today looks lovely - so let's hope moods lift accordingly. I was 'misery guts central' the other day. Amazing what a run in the sunshine - without being buffeted by gales - will do.

    So - club night last night. The coach had us running 800s with 100s as a jogged recovery - I was dreading this and it was brutal. No 'rest' for the wicked. For the first time at training I turned on the Garmin. When I looked at the results I was taken aback: 5.6km at 4.13 pace. This is just about my 5k race pace - and yet this was longer and interspersed with the jogs. Conclusion: I appear to be training harder (faster) than I'm competing. This could well be the case as in training I am chasing or being chased. In a 5k race there are probably times when I switch off a bit - e.g. being overtaken by someone I don't know! 

    Food for thought for the next 5k!

    Final point - has anyone else caught the Wordle bug? Mrs JB usually gets in in about 3, while in takes me all 6 tries. (Appreciate this is meaningless if you don't do it. But it's pretty addictive!) 
  • Good afternoon everyone, 

    WtnMel,  Good to hear that your appointment with Isobel and the GP went well. 

    I expect the replacement window will be expensive, but I will try the "presumably there are special rates for OAP's" tack.

    Andy, the laptop maintenance man, will be coming round one afternoon to hopefully sort the printer out. 

    Good luck with the treadmill conundrum, I hope you don't have to bin it.

    Hopefully your appointment with Isobel on Monday will be the final one, and that your blood test next Wednesday will be "all ok."


    JB, fingers crossed re cost of new garage window 🪟.  I hope the fencing guys don't charge too much. 

    It was good to see how many children were playing on the swings, slides and other apparatus. It's amazing how the twins confidence has grown so that they no longer need a helping hand.

    Interesting that you also did a Yasso Session with your club. You are probably training faster than racing, as the efforts are only short distances. Our training sessions are definitely quicker than 5k pace.

    I've tried the Wordle once, but on the 4th line, the whole page disappeared, so I haven't tried it since. I've started doing the Sudoko again in "The I"


    This mornings session was one of our best. It was on grass and comprised 3 sets of 5 x 100 metres with 30 seconds recoveries, and 3 minutes recoveries between sets. Garmin Connect rated the session as "Recovery!" Sarah said "what do we have to do to get a positive rating?" Probably after a genuine recovery  run 😄
  • JB Thanks, I’m feeling better now, I think I just needed a rest.
    You didn’t have a very good day on Monday did you? Sorry to hear about your central heating, but full marks to Mrs JB for getting it back up and running. Also sorry that your dentist appointment was so depressing, but well done for turning up at training despite your woes. I think you’ve hit on a strange but true fact, runners often do perform better in training sessions than in actual events. I think it’s because your club mates are all around you in training and you don’t want to be the one who falls behind or performa badly, so you put that extra bit of effort in, but you couldn’t sustain it for the length of a 5k or 10k for example. 

    HS Another busy weekend of running from you I see, as you’ll see below I did a session today of 5 x 400m, with one minute recoveries and that was enough for me. Your 800’s must have been quite tiring. Reading on I see you had another challenging session this morning. Having said that, it does sound like one I’d like to try sometime. How nice to take the twins to the tea shop with Karen and then on to the local park, good job they weren’t blown away in the wind. I remember a primary school teacher telling me once that they dreaded the windy weather because it always whipped the children up to a frenzy of high spirits, until she mentioned it I hadn’t realised how true that was. I hope Andy gets your printer going again soon.

    WtnMel You probably haven’t heard of Alyson Dixon because she is an endurance runner, marathons and the like, so doesn’t feature much on athletics coverage (unless it’s a marathon).  She is a “local lass” so maybe that is why we are more aware of her around here. I hope you get your treadmill sorted out, when we sold ours (the difficulty and cost of transporting it when we moved 5 years ago was the reason) we had problems getting it sold due to the size and weight of it (I’d treated myself to a good model as my retirement present to myself) No prospective purchaser wanted the trouble of hiring a van. In the end we hired one and my son and husband manhandled the treadmill into and out of the van as best they could. Needless to say we only got a fraction of what we’d paid for it, despite it only being used when it was too icy to run outdoors. That’s the problem with treadmills, cheap ones aren’t much cop and expensive ones are, well, expensive. It must be a relief to both you and Margaret that your toe/foot is making good progress, but sensible to have that blood check too.  

    It’s still windy here, it’s a shame how many trees are being uprooted, or just split in half from top to bottom. Each time I go out I come across more of them.
    I did my run before breakfast this morning in the hopes that I’d get it done before the wind got too strong. It’s rained a lot recently so I wore my trail shoes to run up to the school track for some interval work. Good job I did as I would have struggled to get up the muddy hill to the track in road shoes, and as I expected, the track was flooded in places when I got there. After yesterday’s Pilates in the morning and strength work in the afternoon I was feeling a little tired, but managed 5 x 400m with 1 minute recoveries. I wasn’t following my Garmin training plan, just making it up as I went along. The track is quite high up and is always windy to some extent, today being no different, so taking the wind into account I was hoping for 9.30 min mile pace or under for my repeats. I was quite pleased that the slowest 400m repeat was 9.35 and the fastest 8.40. I considered doing a 6th repeat, but the wind was getting a bit scary so I headed home. As I type this the wind is getting even stronger, despite the local radio news telling us that the weather warning has now expired. We were in our car at the time we heard that bulletin, sitting at traffic lights. The car was rocking from side to side with the strength of the wind. As we drove home the wind got stronger and we had difficulty getting the car doors open to get out. There were some branches in our drive that had presumably come down from the fir trees opposite, lucky the car wasn't on the drive at the time. I wish this wind would ease, luckily I believe the forecast for the rest of the week is looking better.
    Nearly forgot to mention - we’ve put an offer in on a house at the coast (but so have a number of other people :/ ) the viewings are continuing until the end of this week so we probably won’t hear anything further until next week.
  • WtnMelWtnMel ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    JB - I think that's the idea re the blood test .. just to check there's no other cause for the swelling than a running injury. It will rule out gout etc. and may pick up on anything else going on (my cholesterol levels for instance). That club session does sound a bit hardcore. I only recently started doing Wordle but soon got bored. The final straw for me was after the NYT take-over when apparently, one solution word was Favor. A horrible Americanism - and it put me right off bothering again. So I decided the NYT could stick Wordle up their collective a***s .. or r-says as they'd no doubt spell it) :)

    HS - fingers crossed 'Andy The Computer' can sort out your issues. Still no response from the treadmill engineers and there's no phone number to use - grrr. Like you, I do Sudoku every day (there are several to do in The Independent). Chuckling at Sarah's response to Garmin's thoughts on that session you did.

    Aquarius -  I'd imagine Alyson being a 'local lass' is the reason why you are more aware of her than me. When I first got the treadmill from my friend Joan, I was able to 'trundle' it along the road as she lived nearby. When we moved to Bishops Cleeve, Margaret's son helped me man-handle it into and out of the van he'd hired. I very much doubt it is going to be cost-effective to fix this treadmill (assuming you can still get spares) so I can see me dis-assembling it and taking it to the local recycling centre in pieces. Well done re that track training session. I expect you and Steve looked at each other and rolled your eyes as the car rocked around and the man on the radio said the wind was abating. Good to hear you've found a house on the coast to put an offer in on - but boo to other being interested too. Fingers crossed you don't have too much competition and don't get outbid.

    I went to have my hair cut this morning. Rather than attempt to walk into the village Margaret drove us to the local supermarket car-park and I walked from there to the hairdressers .. only 100yds rather than 400-500 yds it would have been. Margaret went to the grocers while I had my hair cut .. perfect timing as we both arrived back at the car at the same time.

    Margaret has been round to our neighbours to meet with another fencing company. Except, they didn't turn up as promised :(

    And because Margaret has been busy attempting to meet non-existent fencing guys, we've decided we'll have fish and chips for tea and it should be being delivered around 6:15pm. My mouth is already watering at the thought of it ..
  • Apologies. I had written a more considered response to recent posts until ('fat finger syndrome') I managed to lose it. It's a gift I have ('fat head syndrome'). So please forgive.

    Having said that I've very little to report. I'm (finally!) trying to be a bit more considered in my approach to training and beat myself up a little less. Thus yesterday, I confined myself to an easy 45 minute run and today I'll not join the club's frantic evening session. This is partly because my knee - which is always a bit dodgy - is telling me to ease off; and partly because I want to blast the parkrun on Saturday.

    I'm in just about the best (age related) form of my life - top 50 in the national 'league' for parkrun  and still hanging on to the county best for 2022. However, I think there's still a bit more to come and I'd like to get down to 20.30 for 5k when the warmer weather comes. (Always risky to post a target I know!)

    I don't think that this Saturday will be an opportunity - too windy. But I wont run today or tomorrow to deplete energy. I'll stick to a gentle session or 2 on the exercise bike, which is also better for the knee. Plus, the weather is ghastly!

    Terrible things happening in Ukraine, puts everything into perspective.

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