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Very nice XCing by PP, Jools etc. And impressive seeing the 20M runs starting already - ES, sounds like you're well ahead of the game.
CD - good news that there's no break and you know what you're dealing with now.
Herts XC for me yesterday - managed to come 6th, which I think is my highest position ever, but that was more down to the lower standard of field than my current fitness. In fact, looking at the results I did worse relative to others than in other recent races, but still reasonably pleased given lack of running (90% of my runs at the moment are 2M-3M in distance at about 8 m/m) and the course did not suit me (very hilly and reasonably muddy). I also lost a bit of focus in the 2nd half as I was well behind 5th and well ahead of 6th at the time (6th was quite close by the finish but I think I had a bit in the tank if it had been needed).
We comfortably won the team prize with 1st, 3rd, 6th and then a few around 15-25th.
Tomorrow evening should be interesting - a couple of the people at the club have organised a relay on the track to try to go sub 2 hours for a marathon. I think we have about 60 people taking part doing a couple of laps each (spaced out into 200m or 400m efforts). Given it is an all-inclusive event it will be interesting to see if the faster runners can make up for some of the slower ones - given it is 68s per lap I'm not convinced that we will do it as lots won't be able to manage that.
Good to have a read through of the latest exploits of the sub 3 ers.
County xc champs are a real cobweb blower and although I don't go 'mad' eating/drinking wise over xmas, I find it quite a tough race - I think it's more not being out of the work routine that seems to make the difference
Going to see I'm going to have my hands full trying to keep PP in check over the 'man made mountains of Mitcham' at the weekend. Actually think he's favourite after his run in the counties. No I've not heard of reverse Psychology
A casual 6th in the Herts off no training for Padams too and great work from Jools, CW on the up.
Congrats on the XC bling, Jools, CW. Top result from Padams.
Some excellent mileage and training going on from ES and Jooligan.
CD - Take care fella, come back strong. Long way to go before London.
SC - If sandbagging was an event you'd be a shoo-in for the senior team never mind age-group!
My race notes on last year's Mitcham XC simply read "Rubbish.", but I was suffering a foot niggle at the time. Looking forward to a bit of a smack-down this year, or at least not finishing two minutes behind you!
I guess that's good news CD. Hope a little more rest sorts it for you.
Your club relay event sounds like good fun Padams. How many laps are you planning to do?
The same time as 2014 can't be too bad a result Charlie?
LMH - I think I'm down for 2x400 and 2x200. I reckon we could comfortably do it if we just selected the 10 fastest runners (doing 10 or 11 400s off a long recovery we would have one runner doing about 55s per lap, several low 60s and the rest in the mid-high 60s), but that isn't really the point. I wonder what the fastest ever marathon relay is - would have thought about 1:40 would be doable by a good team?
Enjoying the SC/PP smack talk - although it's really the opposite as they are both claiming that they will lose. They wouldn't make good boxers!
Edit. Just googled Sandbagging. What? Me?
Imagine a team of sub 20 200m runners (probably lots and lots of them) doing the track marathon relay...
I got up at 5.30am this morning. FIVE THIRTY!!! because I had to fit a longer session in this morning due to life commitments. I do NOT run well in the mornings. I don't know how you early risers do it.
Fastest marathon relay? There was a group last year apparently did 1:46 in 100 m legs, and an Irish club that managed 1:56 doing 400m each the year before.
It gets easier the more you do it CC2.
CC2 - I was up at 4:45am, but not for running! Mini-Padams decided that was time to wake up. You'd need 210 people in your 200m version of the marathon relay!
CD - interesting that someone did it with 100m legs. I would have thought,it would be easier to just do 200s unless everyone is reasonable at changeovers. I wonder how many times they dropped the baton!
padams - it was a charity thing so they were after participation rather than the quickest possible time. Some details here. It'd be quicker if you just had 20 or so runners who could all run consistently under 30s for 200m, so they'd each do 10x200m reps with around 9 min rest. If they could manage 25s reps you'd be down to under 90 minutes for the marathon.
Well done in the XC, Padams!
LMH -- I guess you're right, though I was a minute quicker in 2013, and the conditions were nicer this time. No results yet, I'll get a better idea once I know my relative position.
Feeling bleurghh with lurgy in the latter part of yesterday -- maybe the XC was a mistake, putting my lungs and heart under stress before I was quite recovered. I made it to an evening talk by Paul Evans though, one-time Chicago marathon winner and 10000m Olympian. Very down-to-earth chap, it was fun to hear his stories.
Congrats to the XC'ers & long runners at the weekend, good stuff.
Charlie.. hope you can get lurgy free by the time the weekend half comes around. I think my body has been busy fighting off the coughing bug Mrs Wardi has had for the last 10 days as it has felt like running with a handbrake on at times.
Jumped on the scales tonight to find I'm 2 lbs lighter than mid-December. I guess running every day just about over compensated for the mince pies, chocs & beer that were consumed over Xmas.
4.2m done early doors (well, 7:15 isn't that early I suppose
) then another 7.3m after work.
SL.. I'm building up to the Barca marathon again (11th March). I reach senior coffin dodger territory in October (60) so to qualify for a VLM GFA time for 2018 I have to scale the heady heights of sub 3:45
CW - Happy birthday old boy, hope you're feeling better
Wardi - Charming the Spanish ladies again,
CC2 - Best time of day to run.
Padams - More great running/racing off little training.
Jools - Cracking stuff.
ES - In the 20's already
Nothing to report here other than arm wrestling the wife about whether we should spend our 10 year wedding anniversary in the mountains watching me run or in New York (her favourite city). I'm admitting defeat on this one so I can go to Andorra (maraton Del Cims) in July and then Chamonix for the OCC in August, well that's the plan anyway.
Wardi -- I'm not expecting too much but plan to have a ball this weekend nonetheless, and definitely hope to see you there. I have decided to taper for it just in case though. Impressive on the Xmas weight loss! Mine has definitely trended up a bit. I'm sure you can get that GFA time running backwards. On your hands.
Cheers SL, yes V47 today. New York was _very_ popular with the family in our rare long-haul holiday this year... last time I went, ignoring work flight transfers, was for the NY marathon my Mum did when I was 11
SL - happy anniversary. Remember the key to negotiation is to make your initial offer completely unreasonable and then to settle at where you wanted to be anyway!
Happy birthday CW.
Only been to NY once for a couple of days and thought it was OK but not as impressed as others for some reason. I prefer Chicago (and actually I liked Washington too).
Marathon relay was good fun - probably around 200 people there supporting, with some music playing, a "commentator" throughout etc. The athletics club (juniors) did the first 20ish laps then the running club did the rest. I left just after halfway but I think we went through halfway in about 58 mins. I did 2x400 and 2x200, and my legs were completely gone after just one 400! I managed 59s for the first and 62 for the second (about 10 mins recovery). Don't know the 200m times but I would guess not much faster than 30s as my hamstrings were struggling badly by then!
Happy Birthday Charlie!
We need understanding partners SL. Sounds as though you have it sorted.
Happy birthday CW. Welcome to the V47 club & best of luck on Sunday.
Happy Birthday CW!
Thanks guys! Was out all day yesterday (and didn't run), did a little tune-up run round the park this morning but then cycled to work (into the teeth of driven snow). I don't feel ill any more, which is a big plus. But I don't think I'm very fit, either!
CW - nice XC result and happy birthday. I won't say "belated" since I already wished you the same on Strava!
Padams - cracking XC result and good relaying as well.
SC2 and PP - best of luck in the smackdown this weekend!
CC2 - I too am very much not a morning person. Hence I have a 14M MLR this evening hanging over my head!
Still doing a bit. Will be at Stubbington,Farnborough, Wokingham and Eastleigh pacing.
Still only doing 20 -30 miles a week and no longer racing.
HH
Been a bit of a crazy period at work for those doing their returns, hence my absence.
Nice XC-ing, racing and training going on.
Nowt to report here - sneaky first finisher at the hilly parkrun last week, only 15 secs outside my course PB, which was pleasantly surprising given my lack of any speedwork whatsoever. First 20 of the campaign rounded off a 80mile week. Currently on 55M so far, a decent long run will get me back to 80 again.
I hope conditions are good for all of you racing Brass Monkey tomorrow - we had sheets of ice over the trails here this morning and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow.
It's very quiet on here today!
More XC racing today for me, the last race of the North Midlands League. I finally got to take home the trophies I would have certainly won last year had my mother not died the day before the last race. I informed dad and both of my elderly cats that I would not stand for any such nonsense this year and duly bagged my V35, over all veteran and senior team trophies. I felt like I had a rubbish race compared to last week, but actually ran around 15 - 20 seconds per mile quicker. Same venue, different course.
Well done, Speedy. And glad that your dad and the cats obeyed orders. I'm guessing it felt father bittersweet. Looks like the fitness is coming back well given the pace improvement.
14M with 6 x 1M yesterday (rubbish pace, but was definitely working hard, so clearly just unfit ATM). 18M today. 62M for the week, which feels like proper marathon training. Mild here today, but cold yesterday.
Nice bling collecting CC2.
Wet, wet, wet here Joolska. Nice back to back runs there.
Where are the Brass boys? Thought someone would have reported in by now.
Nice parkrunning RB
Great bling haul CC2.
That's a big w/e Jools.
No racing for me this w/e apart from a poor parkrun effort. No surprise as I'd done my LT session the previous evening on the TM with a 2% incline 4K@7:26, 9K@6:26, 4K@7:26. Should have been next Tuesday on the plan but as I'm racing Sunday I figured it'd be better to get it out of the way earlier and give myself plenty of recovery. A steady HM today brings up 85M for the week.
20 today gives me 60 for the week, which doesn't yet feel like marathon training for me. When I get to 70+ it will. Probably. I just feel fat and slow at the mo. My reps on Tuesday were the slowest I've done at that venue in a very, very long time.
You've got time CC2, it will come if you keep at it.
Tough looking session Jooligan.