Sub 3

TR

Well sone folks, defo cold here too, esp in the wind.

I did a session i used to do lunchtimes with 30min of 30sec/30sec round and round the safe roads of the industrial estate. 8m total.

TR

CC - dont worry re vlm ballot places or not, its unlikely to happen due to CV mutant strains esp with 50,000 runners. We'll be looking for smaller races no doubt.

CC2 - Speedy Goth

I got out for my tempo and managed two and a bit miles of ice dodging before a heavy snow shower hit. Instantly the paths were whited out and I could no longer see the ice, even when my eyeballs weren't full of snowflakes. It didn't seem to matter anyway as everywhere now seemed to be just a tiny bit slippy. You know, you put your foot down and it slips backwards just a teensy bit, but enough to make you worry! So I gave up and ran home, mostly in the middle of the road. Not necessarily advisable on the A60. The sky looked beautiful when I finished though. Really fed up with the snow ruining my sessions now. I'll cope with wading through floods once in a while, but snow and ice are just rubbish for running. I like the ground to stay still when I put my foot on it. 

runjoerun91

CC2 - Sensible to cut your run down. I'm taking it very cautiously at the moment but pleased that despite being in the minuses yesterday and us having had some snow it was bizarrely bone dry. Agree that there can be a sense of entitlement. If they wanted to run it so much they could take one of the charity spots. I have now had 6/7 rejections in a row. But I'm quite happy to go out there and earn it via a qualification time. Will make it all the more special when I can run it.

Wardi - I saw a runner on strava the other day suggesting they were wearing 2 of pretty much everything including pants. What's the maximum number of gloves you could fit on your hands? But in all seriousness stay safe.

TR - 30/30/30 sounds quite tough but I guess it depends how hard the ons are. Good find of quiet and safe roads though.

Just as the schedule begins ramping up we get snow and cold temps, i'm teaching 3 days a week and i'm fighting fires at home as things start to go wrong. Major issue at the moment is the boiler has gone (even though it's only 4 months old). No hot water or heating with potentially minus 6 to come overnight tonight is a real laugh. Did manage 8 miles last night, will see what I can muster tonight. Will at least feel warmer outside running then I would inside at home!

Wardi

That's a poor show (and bad timing!) with the boiler Joe.  I assume you can get it sorted under warranty?  Going for a run to warm up seems like a sensible idea in the circumstances.   BTW didn't you run a London qualifier at Nottingham not tooo long ago?
Good to find some dry roads/paths in these temps TR, nice session.
Speedy.. TBH I would keep a lid on the faster stuff if your routes don't have enough traction.  We should be ok after the weekend.

-2 for my run this morning so for my hands I tried a combination of massage oil, Deep Heat cream and 2 pairs of gloves - it worked!  The only problem is that Deep Heat doesn't have the most pleasantly aromatic wiff.
7.2m+4M today.  Early run done with decent traction on the trails, just a couple of small ice patches where the water had come over the path and froze.  Beautifully sunny though it turned into a blizzard after I finished!  Another 4m this afternoon.

TR

CC - either just run easy if its snowy or icy, or take your sessions onto your treadie, which would probably be ideal for sessions with repeatable conditions?

Joe - i guess there's been northerly dry air so no damp air to cause frosts. Makes it better for running. Hope the boiler repairman shows up soon.

Wardi  - the smell of deep heat, is a vlm start smell (with a bit of wee and b.o. added in - not me of cause, id be smelling of Denim after shave).

TR

6m easy this morning only -2 and not quite so brutal wind chill.

Cheerful Dave

Morning all.  Realised I haven't posted this year, which is in keeping with my running right now, just ticking over really.  Like jools I've still been doing something that approaches a longer run at weekends, 16 usually, but weekly mileage is only around 30 I guess at most.  Certainly no early mornings in the dark! Indoor cycling makes up the rest so general fitness is still there but getting back into speedwork in the spring is going to be a big shock to the system.

Tokyo offered us the option of October this year or March next year so I opted for the later - even if it goes ahead in October and even if I'm able to get there (two big 'ifs') it'll likely be a scaled down version, and it would be 3 weeks after VLM so not ideal anyway.  

Joolska

Hi, CD.  Nice to hear from you.  I can just about see the appeal of indoor cycling - I certainly wouldn't want to do outdoor cycling except during the day at the moment (although I will probably cycle to go and collect some Covid test kits for Mr. Jools and myself today, as we're in a "surge" testing area for the presence of the Kent variant, and so I feel I should be a good citizen, even if I'm not exactly delighted about nasal and throat swabs).  7 miles with 12 sets of strides this morning (in daylight, as my hearing adjourned this week, so no particular pressure to be at my desk by a set time).  Pretty fresh out there, and so one of those rare occasions which merited fleece lined leggings, base layer and jacket, and double gloves (oh, and a head band for the ears!).  I was almost hot by the end!

CC2 - Speedy Goth

Crikey Joe, that's awful timing. I hope you're keeping warm

Wardi, I highly recommend wearing mittens over gloves. Or even socks (looks stupid but does work). A layer of foil blanket inside the mittens would help too. You can actually get heat reflective fabric that could be fashioned into a mitt.

OuchOuch

Joe - That ranks up there with a blocked sewage pipe, which my house suffered from last week.  Get a man in. 
CD - Good to hear from you.  I hope you do get the chance to run Tokyo.

Its all looking a bit meh again isn't it looking at the future 'normal' with the social distancing rules forecast and the tightening of the borders across the world.

Cornwall is experiencing some of the painful weather you guys have had for the past week or so.  Bitterly cold so chose my route carefully last night for a largely out of the wind 11 miler along the river to Padstow and back, all pretty scenic in the end.  The other big positive got back at around 5.45 pm and still light. 

runjoerun91

Turns out its the pump in the boiler. It was stuck. Plumber has got it going again hurrah but need to wait til the manufacturer comes out on Sunday to get a new pump. I.e heating could definitely go again!

Some good running going on out there and less than ideal conditions. Has stayed dry here but obviously cold. Could be part of the reason my ITB has flared up again so i'm taking a few days off to let it settle.

Deep heat on the hands eh Wardi? You need to be careful where to put that stuff, you don't want hot sensations everywhere!

OO - Sounds smelly. Glad you're sharing in some of the weather pain but still managing to put the good miles in!

CD - Nice to hear from you. I've no doubt when you start ramping it up again you'll be in a good place. 

TR - Only minus 2 eh? Positively balmy. Looks like it's back to some "warmer" weather on Monday but with that comes rain. I wouldn't blame anyone in a normal year doing an autumn marathon. But training through the winter hardens us all I guess?

Wardi

CD.. hope Tokyo happens for you eventually.  None of us are getting any younger during all these postponements!
OO.. nice evening run by the sound of it, yes nice to witness the daylight slowly crawling back.
Joe.. no doubt your boiler will be properly fixed just in time for the milder conditions.
Speedy.. thanks for the tips, I do have a couple of tops with conveniently very  long sleeves which I can drag over my gloves.
Jools.. piercingly cold here too but lovely sunshine/blue sky so I decided to wrap up and set off.
9.6m done, I couldn't round it up as I had to be back for a parcel.

TR

Good to see you CD, seems bizarre that we were at chichester 10k 12 months ago, my last proper race.

Well done on 11m OO, agreed ive started seeing a bit of daylight in some of my runs.

Joe - good news on the heating fix. Many vlm days have been ruined by a warm 10am start after a winter of running in the cold and dark.

Hopefully this mornings bike commute at minus stupid temps will be the last really cold one this winter, my fingers were hurting! 13m tonight,,had to dodge some icey spots were the flooded parts of the lanes were last week.

Joolska

Morning, all.  I started the Year of the Ox with a chilly 7 miles.  2 pairs of gloves not enough to stop the bitter wind making my hands ache.  But, as Joe has pointed out, the warmer, wetter weather is around the corner, and I would always choose dry over wet, even if dry means cold!

Cheerful Dave

I end up using mitts instead of gloves when it's like this too - far easier to keep your hands warm if your fingers are actually touching each other!  Gloves inside mitts has also been done.

Been feeling very old this week as our eldest is doing jury service of all things.  A real insight into the workings of the justice system in a pandemic.

Oh yes TR, Chichester was what, a year ago last Sunday.  Who'd have thought, eh?  I only entered it very late but so glad I did given the lack of racing for the rest of the year.

CC2 - Speedy Goth

I'd choose wet over cold and icy, but cold and clear paths over wet. And, let's face it, 16 degrees, sunny with the merest of breezes would be far nicer for training. Knock a few degrees off that for racing!

OuchOuch

Love racing when dry and cold with a slight breeze.  2019 Paris marathon 1C and sunny at the start and maybe 2-4C through the race, absolutely ideal. Though I possibly brought shame on the nation with my mismatched ski-socks as  gloves/ mittens/ arm warmers, though they did get plenty of (what I maintain were) envious glances from the shivering runners at the start. 
 
8m @ lunchtime. Dry, cold, sunny and windy. Very pleasant as didn't have chance to have a run yesterday and really missed it 

TR

CD - yes, over a year already, you did very well to get Chichester and Seville in.

Id take running in 30 degrees over the current temps or recent derenchings ive copped. I had a sense of humour failure with -4 temps and stupid windchill by the time id run my 6m into work this morning.

Wardi

Good work getting out there everyone.

Similar chill factor here.. 3 layers & 2 pairs of gloves was just about enough.  Just over 8m mostly off road up a local cart track.  I think the mud is harder than the road/paths ATM!

Every time I've run the Barca marathon it's been 9-12 degrees at the start and 14-17 at the finish.  That is spot on for me.

TR

Got back in the (now a bit drier so less ice ) lanes today hopefully with a bit less windchill than if i stayed on the coast. But it was still gruesome out, so thought it best to get a shove on to keep warm in a mp+10% way, ended up too quick with 5 easy, 12 av 6.52, 3 easy. But felt pretty comfy. Glad thats bagged, first 20 of the year too. Hope thats the end of the stupid temps now.

Wardi

Great LR effort on a raw & windy day TR, cold tomorrow am but temps rising from the afternoon onwards apparently.  The wind nearly cut me in half walking for a paper this morning!

My hand/fingers had swollen again after yesterday's outing so decided on the treadie as the sensible option, just over 10m done.  There is talk of 11 degrees on Monday here so hopefully we can reduce the clothing we wear for a run and the ice/snow will be gone.

CC2 - Speedy Goth

I'm so excited for next week's weather. Even the 'feels like' temperature is showing as over zero. Hallelujah! Just got to get through tomorrow in 0 degrees and feels like minus 5 first.

TR

Yes lets hope its a bit warmer for running this week, although that'll probably bring the rain back.

Legs were a bit tired and had some achey calves today after ydays 20, so just 7m easy. Wore a new shoe yday that i avnt run long in before, so probably explains the tight calves.

Will aim to push on a little now, just in casr Dorney call my bluff.

OuchOuch

Thats a super run TR, first 20 miler, the game is on.

Today, 50 mph winds, absolutely ashing it down yet 10C so far better weather. 51m for the week including 14 yesterday when got terribly lost in some woods. Of course, the GPS trace showed I was running round and round. 

Wardi

Sounds rough down your way OO, I did see some windsept pictures from Cornwall.
TR.. I usually try a new shoe on the treadie to start with just so I'm happy with feel, sizing etc.  I did have to send back a pair of NB's that had 'replaced' my previous favourites - they were nothing like!

Blowing a hooley up here too, though we didn't get any rain until late afternoon.  2 x 4m today which brings up 63m for the week.
Roll on tomorrow and the mild & calm conditions, I've even postponed Sunday curry night to tomorrow to celebrate double digit temps. 

TR

OO - still cold and windy here, but hopefully the last day. Good one on the 14m.

Wardi - postponed curry night ! Ive run 12m in the shoe, but usually do my long runs in my sauconys, but theyve done too many miles now and i cant find any more at a decent price at the mo.

runjoerun91

Change in temperatures very welcome. I saw the possibility of 17 degrees in London this week. 

Wardi - forgot to say, yes I did run a sub 3 at Nottingham but a sub 3 alone hasn't been enough to get into London for a little while? Think the benchmark is 2:57:xx for the 2021 race. Really was windy yesterday. Enjoy tonight's curry, presumably you'll be going hot?

CC2 - Enjoy the return of normal temperatures!

OO - I find getting lost can do wonders for building up the weekly mileage. Not all doom and gloom

TR - Back to running 7 days a week and ditching the turbo? Solid 20. You'll be as prepared as anyone if Dorney can go ahead. Really hoping that if April is too soon that races look to push back to June time when the marathon calendar is pretty bare.

Took 4 days off for my tight ITB. Fortunately it hasn't been painful for 11 months but when I've felt the tightness building i've been backing off completely. Have to travel 5 miles to do my tutoring so with 4 days this week i'm trying to run to and from. In theory it's an easy way to get in the mileage and hopefully with shorter stints should be a nice way of easing back in. Small matter of an 18 miler on Sunday though of course...

Wardi

ITB's are a sod to get rid of Joe, much sympathy.  The exercise my physio suggested for ITB stretch always made me feel as if I was about to fall over sideways!  Good idea on the double commutes, keeps the miles ticking over.

TR.. my size in NB's is quite rare so I keep a constant vigil for any bargains.  I sometimes end up with 2 or 3 boxed pairs in reserve.

Just under 9m today.  After running in 3 layers, tights, beanie hat and 2 pairs of gloves very recently it was t-shirt & shorts today, what a transformation.  CC2 must be cracking open the champagne
Ah takeaway night, yes I'm tempted by something hottish and a couple or 3 beers later. 

TR

Joe - do you have any exercises or roller work for those ITBs. Im hoping someone will put us a race on in May.

Wardi - t shirt and shorts ! Thats summer rig. I have 4 pairs of shoes stashed away but none of them are the ones i need a new pair of, my stocks are used.

14m tonight.