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Wardi - sorry to hear that
Hope everyone had a good Christmas
Wardi - both of our thoughts are with you. Hope to see you soon in the New Year.
Our Christmas has not been quite as tragic, but very trying nonetheless.
1. We had booked into a hotel in Bournemouth so Hilly could see her kids. So last Monday we endured the snow and ice to battle down to Dorset, but were unable to get all the way to Dorchester as it was too dangerous. By the Tuesday and Wednesday she was confined to the hotel room with flu and unable to get out.
2. On our return to Yorkshire, we discovered our pipes had frozen. As well as the cold weather, this was a result of having no central heating for two months having had a Rayburn we had told had been serviced before we moved in not having been so and condemned as unfit and dangerous. In addition Hilly's flu had progressed to pleurisy, necessitating an emergency doctor appointment.
3. Christmas therefore had to be rearranged and relatives cancelled, and we had to book into a local hotel for the 23rd. 24th, 25th and 26th Dec, travelling to Hull on 25th and 26th to fulfil family duties (and run the Xmas Day Parkrun quite poorly).
4. On returning to the house, we found that as the pipes had thawed they had burst and flooded the upstairs bedroom. Fortunately we already had a night booked in at the most exclusive hotel in Barnsley, where you can't get a bed unless you've run a 2:42 marathon or 30.0x 10k (or are able to hustle at Trivial Pursuit). Cheers LS21
In the midst of all that excitement, I've managed weeks of 56 and 68m, with an 80+ planned this week to resume normal service. The breathing is still not 100%, and I still seem to be running at 30 secs / mile slower at each effort. But at the moment all I'd like is a habitable house and to be able to run every day.
At least my week has been better than R.T. Ponting's...
The VLM slip came and managed to avoid the flood, so we'll get that sent off. Hopefully a good thread day out and a riotous time in Whitehall afterwards (without the kettling)
Hope things pick up for BR and Hilly too. Is Hilly ok now?
I have had a bit of a rubbish Xmas with getting sick and trip to hospital. On the mend now but no running for a week. Nothing compared to you 3 though so will stop feeling sorry for myself. Roll on 2011 aye!!!!
Thanks Selbs / CW. Yes Hilly is on the mend. She's managed 10, 15 and 10 the last 3 days.
I noticed a load of races cancelled over the Christmas period. Can anyone who has been running a while (Wardi, Marmite etc) remember so many?
Sorry to hear that Selbs - grim for you.
Brilly just awful to hear your tales of woe. You really deserve a good 2011 after all this.
I've come to realise that for lots of people Christmas is not the magic time society tries to generate. I found this one very poignant with father-in-law's death and last year's tragedy overshadowing things to the extent that I had the second worst Christmas ever, alleviated by little one's happiness and the pretty snow. To compound matters an extraordinary problem has come to light which has left my mother-in-law in a very precarious financial position. Basically father-in-law left her up the creek without a paddle: he never completed the probate from his parents' death 10 years ago, didn't pay the IHT which would have been due, therefore failed to transfer deeds, and so didn't own 2/3rds of the property which should have passed to m-in-law. What a mess. Any probate lawyers out there?!!!
To those who had great Christmases though: fab. And looking forward to hearing some good news from BEJ soon.
Brilly Sounds like you've really been through it too. Good to know you are both operational again though. I hope clearing up the flood doesn't cost too much.
CW & DanA I am assuming the U14 girl was the only one who turned up. I guess the organisers wanted to cancel but staged the race just for her because it was her 10th outing and anyone under 16 gets a free T shirt for that. Pretty decent of them really when you think about it.
Welcome kevbhoy
Marathon training for me is not going too well. Monday was meant to be the start of my VLM11 build up, but I failed to fit in a run due to socialising. I did scramble 12m y'day at 7am though.
Nice win by England in the cricket. I'm sure Brian is having a wild old time out there watching it.
Dull
Wardi: best wishes and commiserations. Christmas can be a tough time - my grandmother died on Christmas eve ( during the night) in 1974 and a colleague phoned me on Boxing Day to say his mum had died unexpectedly on Christmas Day this year - he's had yo fly home to Barbados to sort things out.
Selbs: and after all that effort to get there.
Brilly: sounds like a sAga and a half.
All puts my Christmas into perspective. I missed 4 days of running due to getting poorly on Thursday. Worst days were Xmas eve and the day itself. Still had to do all the cooking.
Down in Bristol now, visiting my mum and getting out running again. Nice- but HR is still way too high. Resting is at 50 - should be 32-35 and beats per mile at about 1200.
Hey guys
Best wishes to Wardi, BR & Hilly, sounds like a tough old time for you.
And to Selbs & RWH, who did not seem to have the best of christmas either.
Excellent to see some of the longer term benchees getting back into things. Long may it continue.
I notice, to name just one, that RB seems to be getting some excellent mileage in at present. Hopefully lots of others are as well.
I managed to keep the running going nicely despite all the snow and ice. And running yesterday was an absolute pleasure with ice free roads despite it being a tempo run and being mildly hungover.
Brilly - never rains but it pours eh?
Kevbhoy - yes, you need to run four times a week at least (unless you're super talented)
In light of all the tales of woe on here, I won't moan about my Christmas, which was the usual borefest, surrounded by other people's kids. Glad it's all over though and we can get back to normality. Got out for 23 yesterday which makes back to back 90 mile weeks. Still stunned by CW getting out for 28 on Boxing Day. I traditionally do a 33 miler on NYE from Windsor to Kew, but not sure if the towpath is going to be in any state for it this year with all the slush and ice. Might just go to the pub instead.
Any news from BEJ???
Sorry to hear about Xmas chez Brilly. Hope you're getting lots of rest as well as the running, Hilly; I'm sure my recent illness was because I pushed myself too hard too soon after the previous cold/flu episode
RWH: afraid I never studied wills & probate (not a compulsory topic) so can't help out. My gut instinct is that the beneficial interest would have passed even if legal title didn't pass, although the IHT liability won't have been extinguised.
Hope things are ok in the BEJ household!
Off for a nice easy 5M myself shortly.
DanA super 23m there: impressive!
Joolska thanks for that. I guess that's what we were wondering, and fearing, to be the case. Matt has just emailed very helpfully indeed. It's his brother's specialisation and geographical area too so looks as if we're going to get a good steer.
10 miles @7'40 finishing with 7'20 and 7'08. Felt like hard work today, probably because yesterday's 6m on sheet ice was such a slog.
Coo, have you got a big event lined up soon, or is that just general base training for one who does the kind of races you do?
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Quick question for you good folk on running torches.
Running torch: any recommendations? RW don't seem to have a review on them and I'll be starting to run back the 11m from school next week. I need something decent as I'll be on the North Downs Way which is pitch black and mixed terrain. Alton Sports were selling something they say is great at about £40 (LED head torch). Quite prepared to pay that if it's good.
Commiserations Wardi. Not really much more can be said, other than great attitude to it all as others have said.
Sounds like a rough hols Brilly.
SL - I've got one. It did seem to help before, but haven't used it in a while. I can't remember make and model off hand, but I believe I got it from JPM healthcare products (or similar).
selbs - what have you done?
RWH - Petzl Tikka Plus.
Spent a couple of days post-Christmas sick. Seemed to be that viral thing that has been doing the rounds.
Today was a good day/bad day. Workmate's funeral (think I mentioned a few weeks ago - died very young from Motor Neurone Disease) being the bad, but the physio signing me off as "rebuilt" in Six Million Dollar Man style. A very easy 6m as my first run since Sunday to 'celebrate' the latter.
Wardi - sorry to hear of your news.
Brilly - ditto, sorry to hear of your woes. Luckily our old boiler just about held out and, with the help of a couple of fan heaters, stopped the house from getting too cold until the replacement could be install.
Although apparently baby BEJ isn't impressed with the warmth and has decided to stay put. Despite some contractions on Christmas day, (s)he is now 3 days overdue.
As for running, I caught a nasty cold a few weeks back which went straight to my chest. I ended up taking 4 days off (longest time off in many years) at a time when fitness was already very low. The result it a pretty dire situation: compare today's 7:14 pace @ 154bpm over a 40min run with 5:38 @ 164bpm for a marathon in October.
. Last few weeks have been 74, 67, 67, 24 (3 days), 60 which isn't so bad, but there's been zero quality due to the snice. Maybe this week - baby allowing. Nice to dig some shorts out today which is good for my motivation.
RWH - this did the trick for me, although with the amount of ambient light around here, I seldom use it. In fog it actually makes things worse, but I'm sure any lamp at head level would be the same.
Been helping my sister at hers/Brother in laws flat.......totally ruined after a leak from the upstairs flat. It happened a week ago and there was some damage, council came and had a look said everything was ok after a plumber looked at it............a week later.they arrived back from Newcastle to find water pouring through the ceilings, ceiling sagging, everything totally ruined!!!!!!!!! Gutted for them
Just extra hassle what with the baby too and so annoying for it to happen AGAIN after a plumber/council had already looked at the issue. Just have to get on with it though I guess and to be fair they're in pretty good spirits considering.
DanA - great 23miles
BEJ - good luck again, hope it all goes well.
Zattu - good to see you ticking over nicely/gradually
Easy 6 miles for me today.
It had to happen: my first ice-free run for several weeks, my first decent run with my head torch (Tikka Pretz Plus) and what happens? I went over, that's what. Overtaking a couple of other runners, so I was on the outer edge of the pavement just it dropped for someone's drive. Full pelt too (as you do when passing others). Nothing worse than grazes (lots of those) and a bang on the knee, so some RICE this evening. Worst thing was my Boston marathon gloves got wrecked. Lovely wool ones they were too, warm but not designed for close encounters with pavement.
All nothing compared to burst pipes and all the other woes, not to mention Wardi's bereavement. Come on, someone must have had a decent Christmas?
In London at the folks for New Year now so might see some familiar faces in Richmond Park Sat and Sunday (DanA, TMap, Bej)
Cool HUH?
Stayed up last night and watched the Ashes so my normal 10 miler was scrapped and I did 3.5 AM and 6 miles PM all runs done much quicker than I would have run a 10m.
Best wishes to everyone.
Wow the Gamma is incredibly cheap! Looks a great buy - thanks everyone. BEJ's alphakit looks a good backup too.
RS grim grim for them.
CD - nasty. Hope it clears up quickly.
Hilly, BR - Mrs D had pleurisy a few years back, very painful! Glad to hear you're running again (seems v.quick), you must have run oiver a black cat carrying a mirror.
Wardi - I think JI summed it (you) up perfectly. Sorry to hear your news
BR.. good grief! a logistical nightmare by the sound of it and wet feet all round. Good to hear Hilly is on the mend. No, can't recall so many race cancellations. Is LS21's house now an offshoot of Ramada hotels?
Good luck to the bloated Mrs BEJ.
CD.. ouch!.. & sorry to hear of others with assorted woes & problems.
DanA.. very impressive mileage.
Thanks again for more commiserations. Having been surrounded by well meaning family & friends I just fancied a bit of time to myself so ran home from work tonight. 12.5 miles in the bank and felt better for it.
BR - sounds like you both had a sh1te time over Xmas. Hope Hilly has recovered fully.
Dan A - Good long run there but not much in your world. Oh and thanks for beating me at Bushy Park. Plan to run it on NYD if you are down. Hopefully all the ice has disappeared.
CD - Shame about the gloves. Hope your knee is ok to let you run.
Got in a good ice free run yesterday on the pavements at a decent pace for the first time in many weeks. Also went to sweatshop sale and came out with 3 pairs of shoes. Adidas Tempos (red obviously), New Bal 905's and some off road Adidas Kanadias. May give the Tempos a try today.
Ode - if you fancy some company (baby allowing), let me know if you can work out a pre-determined gate / time over the weekend.
Mrs BEJ is now betting on 05/01 which I guess in full on induction day.
I'm planning some track laps for lunch which is bound to bring on labour given I'll have to leave my phone trackside.
CW - not really training with anything particular in mind; have got the Gloucester marathon in a few weeks, but only really a training run. Big mileage in December & January is mostly OCD and habit. A distant eye on VLM and Grand Union Canal race I suppose; much less cluttered racing diary for 2011 due to new line of work which will mean working most weekends I hope.