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Glo2 I had to do my long run on Saturday, only 20K due to a Jazz Fest in the night, no way could I have ran on Sunday morning.
Jb did you run the X country in the end ?
I had entered Snowdon marathon but have now scrubbed that for the Lanzarote marathon, bit of a tight schedule to get from Brittany to Bristol airport. Hope to make it fingers Xed . Need to up the long runs !!!! soon !!
Glo2 - 14 miles: that's excellent. You seem to have done this on a very small training base of late - but you have been doing a lot of hill walking so perhaps that's the key. I'm sure you could do the 20 miles; it's just finding the preparation time and keeping injuries at bay.
HS - I'm sure that back in the day you'd have been among the first to take on the challenge of a x-c, flooded course in torrential rain.
A rest for me today and only 3 miles for me yesterday - I mustn't default to my short run preference. But if I can run to the start of my parkrun tomorrow and then complete the 5K in reasonable time I should have clocked up over 30 miles for the week some of which would be decent quality.
A feast of athletics starts tonight. Can Mo win the 10K?
glo2, well done running the 14 miles and you were right to run it slowly. I can't really advise on the use of gels, as we are all different. I ran the Southampton Marathon in April without using any gels. This is probably because when I first started running about 35 years ago, there were no such things as gels or energy drinks. Just plain water and sponges to squeeze water over your head. Races these days don't have sponges. I suppose it is health and safety gone mad again. I can't recall any runners becoming ill from using them though. Good luck if you decide to run the 20 miler, and take it easy, especially if the weather is hot.
Moksheight, good luck with the Lanzarote marathon.Have you run it before? I would imagine that it it isn't as hilly as the Snowdon.
JB, yes you are right. Heavy rain has never put me off running. It's only injury, fog or icy conditions that keep me indoors. I was a very keen x country runner in my 40's and had a good selection of spike lengths. I often ran x country on a Saturday and a road race on Sunday. Your 30 miles for the week is an ideal start to your marathon build up.
I'm also looking forward to the athletics and will be glued to the TV. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Mo wins the 10,000 metres and Usain Bolt the 100 metres, but don't think that it is a done deal. I think Mo has the best chance at the 5,000 metres.
HS-I wonder if the Gels maybe mind over matter, and the fact that i took it slowly may have been enough for my increase in mileage, i do not want to get too dependant on them, just struggling to get it right though. My southend half had plenty of sponges thank goodness as it was about 25 C, and their were a few lovely people on the route who had hoses out, some spectators even had water pistols, very welcome indeed i must say.
JB - yes i have cut my training down to 15 midweek and whatever i can do on a Saturday, it is nice actually to have a few rest days, but already worrying that i should up my training a little, i do long run Saturday, Monday 7, Wed 6, Friday 3, these are all done at my race pace except for the long run, i do include some hills but not hill reps, so i may just every other week do a hill rep and the following week do some speed work, because i don't want to loose stamina.
Yes looking forward to athletics, although i have to go to bed at 8.30 ready for my 3.30 rise. so i will have to record and enjoy tomorrow.
Have a good day everyon, sun shining in Essex!
glo2, the benefits of using gels could well be mind over matter. Quite a few runners I know say by thinking they do good, they probably do. I think another reason could be because they probably slow down to open the gel and also take some water with it. I would say to anyone therefore, that if they think gels would help, then use them. Surprised but pleased that you had sponges at your race, as I haven't seen them for many years. Different pace runs during the week are recommended. A mixture perhaps of intervals, tempo, hills and LSD run. Rest days of course are essential, and nowadays I take two a week. Previously I ran 6 days a week, but made the decision to cut back.
What a race for the 10K last night. Glad that Mo won but boy he had us on the edge of our chairs.
HS/glo2 - I've only ever tried a gel once and nearly threw up! Am also on the 2 x rest days and mixture of different runs.
A great shame that Bolt was beaten by a two time drugs cheat. Cheats should be banned for life, otherwise what is the discouragement, if they can return and "win" gold medals.
JB, hope you unofficial half marathon training run goes well today.
WtnMel, I have often seen Plodding Hippo's posts on fetch and wondered who she was. I've been flagging up the spam posts too, but as you say it is a waste of time. I doubt if those in RW Towers ever read the posts, or if they do, take no action. I'm doing all my exercises religiously, and attending my first spinning session tomorrow. Glad you had a good time with your family at Center Parcs. Good luck with your bowls, and next game get a better start "off the blocks!"
Well I did my 'half marathon' this morning. Conditions were perfect and I clocked in at 1:57:58. I managed to pick up a bit of pace in the last mile but had someone said at the end of it "well, done - now do the other half" I think I would have cried. That's the trouble with doing longer runs - they just remind you how long (and painful) the full distance would be.
By the way there's been a tremendous 3 hour long programme about marathon running on Radio 4 Extra and this can still be accessed via the BBC I-player. I thought it was wonderful and one of the highlights is a clip featuring the first women to run a marathon (Boston in the 1960s). Highly/hugely recommended.
Dr Ruth's forum name has been Plodding Hippo as long as I can remember. For those who don't know her, she is a renal specialist so has to face losing a patient sometimes who just cannot be saved, which really devastates her. Running marathons is her safety valve.
Another miserable wet day and probably in for the week. The club has organised a social session at the grass track with children's races for this evening, but the rain will spoil it.
JB, that was a very good time for your unofficial half marathon, especially if you were running it by your self.
DBIW, your training is going really well, and well done to John for his Thames marathon swim. Hope you do it next year. Thanks for the update on Redhead, and hope she will be back again soon, she is missed. Alice has entered the Berlin Marathon, which I presume you have done in the past.
My very first spinning session went well yesterday, although I really should have been in the beginners class. My physio had warned me not to take any notice of what the others were doing, but to set a low resistance and just pedal easily. I explained that to the instructor and she was very good, explaining the different functions of the bike etc.and to go at my own pace. I maintained a consistent 65 rpm with a wattage of 12. The others were following a very intense work out including standing on the pedals doing "hill reps" with maximum resistance. I was very tempted to put more effort in, but realised that the only reason I was there was to expedite my fitness to get running again. I have booked a beginners session for Friday morning which should be more beneficial, as I imagine we will be given a programme suitable for first timers like me. I found the saddle to be hard and uncomfortable, but got used to it after a while. The session lasted 45 minutes, which was a long time, just turning the pedals. The beginners is 30 minutes which is probably better. I'm hoping to start running next week, which will be the first for a month. I'm afraid that I will have lost a lot of fitness in that time.
HS - thanks. My 'HM' training run was run with my training partner for the first half and then by myself for the 2nd. Never done spinning but have spent many a boring session on exercise bikes. I try to keep the RPM at 80 and then bursts of quicker ones. But I gather that spinning is a far more intensive workout. Really hope you'll be back running next week; I'm sure you'll be off the pace for a while - but not too long.
Had a rest day yesterday and then today tackled a few hills. Bad news - my hamstring tweaked after about 4 miles. I suspect the 'cause' (apart from the hilly run!) was that I walked up the Downs yesterday and this just the stressed the muscles a bit. My wife finds it very amusing to witness my dawdling when walking compared with my hill running.
Was planning to run a 10k race on Friday evening and then a (new to me) parkrun Sat morning as I'm doing a bit of touring into deepest East Sussex. Might need to revise these plans!
It's still raining and no sign of letting up.
JB, I don't know the difference between exercise and spinning bikes. Perhaps the spinning ones have a greater range of settings? I'm looking forward to the beginners class on Friday, where I will find out more about the technical aspects. Be careful with the hamstring, because if it does pull, you could be out for about 6 weeks. I think you should think carefully about a back to back 10k race and 5k parkrun, with a suspect hamstring.
Bright and sunny and looking good for the weekend for all you lucky racers. Nothing to report really, except persisting with exercises and another 3 minute front plank this morning. Looking forward to tomorrows beginners spin class.
Will almost certainly drop the 10K - but try to do the 5K. The hamstring feels OK and I've been hitting it with the ice-pack, stretching and Mrs JB massage techniques. I'm still in awe HS's 3 minute plank & DBI's swimming so I'll showcase my own 80 press-ups in 1 minute. They are not very good form though and I don't think would impress the US Marine Corps!
Looks like being a good weekend, weather wise.
JB, I'm amazed that you managed to complete an hour on the rebounder, I don't think I could manage 10 minutes. I'm also in awe that you can do 80 press ups in one minute, mind blowing. Much to my surprise, I don't find spinning boring. I've got the hang of it now, and put lots of effort into yesterdays session. It's similar to running training in that it's a mixture of easy pedalling, hard sprints on the level, sprints uphill etc, with short easy recovery, all controlled by the application of the resistance control. I wore my glasses so that I could read the data more clearly, and try to make the targets. This is what makes it interesting for me, having something to aim for. I'm worried that I might become addicted
WtnMel, good to hear that you played better at your recent triple bowls match. I've probably mentioned before that I can't run on treadmills. I've tried and never lasted more than about 5 minutes. Well done for running 3 miles on one. Hope your outside running venture goes ok. I'm also hoping to try a run on Monday.
I did the 5k on (to me) a new parkrun course - Hastings. Nice flat course, out and back, one turn exactly at half way. Of course being a prom there's always going to be a wind to contend with. On my 'home' course the prevailing wind is against you in the first half and then with you in the 2nd half. This time it was the opposite and I got a bit carried away and did the first half in 10:20 but couldn't sustain it and ended up with a 21:36. I was put in my place (2nd place!) by a canny fellow vet who paced his run much more sensibly and beat me by 15 seconds or so. Fair play!
My hamstring held up very well - and that's the best news. Should be able to manage a long slow run tomorrow.
Hastings is a funny sort of place. A bit of faded, high volume, traditional seaside resort but also with some really interesting local history and a bit arty. A town with character. Talking of which I remember the best description I've heard of Brighton -'somewhere that always seems to be helping the police with their enquiries'.
A lovely day for running and racing, and I'm getting restless. I should have been running in the Salisbury 54321 33k trail race, but that's life. Karen is doing the 33k and Alice the 42k, so I will be awaiting their results with interest.
JB, no pain, no gain! I also fancied myself as a slow spin bowler, my role models being Jim Laker and Tony Lock. I used to practice for hours attempting leg breaks, off breaks and googlies. I'm afraid that I was not very successful though. Wasn't much cop with the bat either. That's another very good time in your parkrun, especially where you must have been a bit apprehensive about your hamstring. I imagine it was probably a pulled hamstring that that forced Usain Bolt to pull up in the relay. A sad end to a true legend, the likes we will never see again. Hope your long run today goes well, and your hamstring "behaves."
We are now up to fourth place in the medal table with 2 golds and 2 silvers. Brilliant races by our male and female relay teams, Gold and Silver respectively. A sad farewell to the track for Mo Farah with Silver, but am looking forward to his new career on the road. A future marathon star?
Hugely enjoyed last night's athletics. Our relay teams were fab. So exciting - and they didn't drop the baton for a change. Such drama too with Bolt and Mo. I wonder how the latter will fare on the road. There are an awful lot of very good Africans out there.
As for runner - yes this is fantastic weather which makes it even worse for you. I managed a 10 miler today in 86:27 but I would have been better off doing a longer distance more slowly. My training partner was only up for 10 miles - but I could always have done a few more...........but not at that pace. (Well not today anyway.)
Bright and sunny again, and temperatures seem to be on the up.
DBIW, I'm not sure whether Alice has run the Berlin Marathon before, but I'm seeing her for lunch today, so will ask her. If not, I'll warn her about the hill, with the samba band at the top. The locals with their cups of water and hose pipes is a nice touch.
I made my first attempt to start running again yesterday morning. It was just walk, jog, walk, jog for about .75 mile. Don't seem to have any adverse effects, so will try a bit further this morning.
Bright and sunny again and I will attempt another walk/jog.
DBIW, This will be the first time Alice will have run the Berlin Marathon, so I passed on the information you had given me. She said that she had heard about the hill and Samba band and was looking forward to the race.
Impressed by your under-2-hours time for the unofficial HM.
HS/TE - I find my spin class the same; far too noisy (I switch off my hearing aids but leave them in my dears to block the sound further) but far from boring. Ours lasts for an hour, but part of that is with weights (I take the little wimpy half-kg ones) and although we're still pedalling it's slow and gentle, with the focus on the weights. And we get off the bikes shortly before the end of the hour, for stretches. I don't attempt to hear what the instructor is saying; I rely on copying what she's doing; lipreading; and she uses a lot of gesture as well, which helps. No way can I keep up with the very fast pedalling, but it's just a case of "do what you can". How do you mean, a wattage of 12? Do they generate electricity? I've often thought they should; we could charge our mobile phones while we pedal.
DBI - good to hear about Redhead. Will she get back to us in the fullness of time, do you think?
WtnMel - I know Plodding Hippo from the Fetcheveryone website, but didn't know her real name, nor what her work is; but did know she's sometimes very "down", and what you say explains why.
I've never used gels either. Sometimes do a long run with a bottle of drink which includes sugar and a pinch of salt. And recently did a 2-hour run with a jelly baby taken during the second hour; this seemed to perk me up immediately, but I suspect it was "all in the mind".