Wokingham Half Marathon 2013

24

Comments

  • pip - thanks great - i love u too image

    Muttley - bin liner - you'll need a portable gas bottled fire on wheels LOL LMAOimage

  • Can anyone give me advice on parking for the event? I am coming in from Reading and have no idea what parking arrangements thre are.

    Thanks in advance. 

     

  • bedders - hi, how are u -

    coming in from Reading, you locals will still be in bed when we arrive image - we'll be up and 5.30 and away at 5.50 - 1.3/4 hour drive

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    I've done it a few times before and there are plenty of car parks in the town centre. I think they are sign posted, but unless you are super early, just follow everyone else!  Once parked, again, just follow everyone else to the start!

    Bin liner will be packed image

  • I usually laugh at people running up and down in bin liners. But aye, looking at the weather I may be converted!
  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    They can be a god send.  Last year at MK marathon, the weather was so bad that most bin liners were still being worn at the finish, as well as the start image

  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭

    So when is this again???? image

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Wokingham is the only race I've ever done where a bin liner has been necessary.

     

    That's not to say it's the coldest, it's just that you park a mile away, and have to ditch your bag early, or risk the race starting before you've done so (2 years ago!, on a very wet day!)

  • Mr. K. wrote (see)

    So when is this again???? image

    Well hello there Mr K. Are you with us for this one, or admitting you missed it?

  • I signed up just before Christmas and I'm running on Sunday. Will be my first race in nearly 18 months. Excited!

  • Looking forward to sunday. Ran last year after horrible bout of food poisoning on the friday (staggered round in 1.58 )  Will bring a bin bag thanks for tip image

  • after your description Monty - what will the bin bag be for? image

  • looks like i'll have 4 top layers on all 13 miles - Phil ( the boss man ) he'll be wrapped up as normal for this time of year - i think its our 9th Wokingham ?? - certainly wont be any 1:48's - maybe 2:20 ish ?? we'll see

     

  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭
    Muttley wrote (see)
    Mr. K. wrote (see)

    So when is this again???? image

    Well hello there Mr K. Are you with us for this one, or admitting you missed it?

    I will be there bright & early imageimage

    Bin bag - cheapest waterproof gear I know.

  • I'll look out for you, Mr K. Say hello when you fly past me ...

  • Nick LNick L ✭✭✭

    3rd year on the trot for me. Weather looks gash.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Though I've bailed out of this on account of the likely conditions. It seems I would have to cancel anyway on account of my elderly mother being hospitalised.

    She appears to be in a stable condition but under the circumstances "running around in the rain in my underwear" would be deemed somewhat frivolous.

     

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Bad news Ric, hope all turns out well there.

    Does give you a proper reason though, as the original one was ridiculous image

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Cheers SG, the old dear has survived the surgery and has been moving around.

    The original reason in the normal order of things would be ridiculous if it wasn't for the temperature of the rain being forecast at only 3 or 4 deg.

    At Aldershot it was raining and 6 degrees. Not really windy. That was testing but only 3.7 miles. I was frozen even then. However it was only for 22 minutes.

    In New Zealand I ran in the tail end of a tropical cyclone. Now that was rain. 

    Rain isn't a problem in itself. But imagine being blasted all over by water from a cold tap for 80 minutes. That could be tomorrow.

    Being frozen down to 10 minute mile pace isn't something I want to do.

    Again!

    🙂

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    Hope your mum is ok Ric.

    Good luck tomorrow everyone.  Rain, cold and wind are not a good combination.

  • Did John Austin Half in Brockenhurst last March - when I left home it was 9ºc and bright, so I went in a vest and shorts, no gloves, hat, By the time the race started it was 2ºc, raining and windy. I thought I was going to lose my fingers at one point! Had someone pouring tea into my mouth at the end because I couldn't hold a cup.

    Tomorrow I will be better dressed! I reckon tights, t-shirt, hat & gloves ought to cover it

  • Sounds like the Bracknell Half last April. Feckin' freezing it was, plus heavy rain and a near gale. I was reduced to a shuffle by the last three miles because I was so cold and wet my legs just stiffened up. Spent the entire train journey home shivering. In April!

    I shall be prepared tomorrow.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Thanks PipG.

    She worries a lot. She would worry about me being frozen daft in the race.

    I don't think she needs that right now.

     

    🙂

  • 7.36am & Monty goes searching for a hat.....  and some gloves....

  • Well that was a bit of a mud fest. The walk to the start seemed a bit odd too whereby the entire field was expected to shuffle down a very narrow path to get to their starting point.

    Big thanks though to all the marshalls out there on a fairly awful wet and windy day. Thanks all...

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Still not thawed out yet! Really enjoyed the event and a new PB as well!

    Even though the organisers had gone to the effort to put up starting areas according to expected finish times, there were loads of people starting off way ahead of where they should have been. Spent the first mile and a half just getting around people.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    delighted with that one. took 2 mins 12 off the pb, and got a shiny new pb of 1.15.41.

    The course seems to get hillier the faster I get image

    Conditions were plain bad for the last 3miles, just to combine with the inclines on the way back in!

    However, today was one of those rare days it didn't screw things up!

  • Well, that was character-building. Well done on the pb Stevie - but it just marks you out as a bit of wimp compared to us endurance athletes who are out there in the evil weather for nearer two hours image

    Great event as always but seriously, I would ask the organizers to think about the layout of the start venue and whether they can do anything about that quagmire by the tents. We've had these conditions before, and I know it's February, but it is a drag to deal with ankle-deep mud before the off.

    And good to see the new reduced-fat Mr K ...

  • Nick LNick L ✭✭✭

    agree with you muttley - as i knew what it was likely to be like, i brought a spare pair of shoes and several socks.

    Weather wasnt great, but wasnt as bad as i was expecting really. PB with 1.25-ish...missed the start with my watch, so not exactly sure.

     

  • Wasn't sure how I was going to do today due to the conditions and that I had done no taper whatsoever - had ran 46 miles in the previous five days including 14 on Friday (p and d ing) - but I got a new PB of 1 24 01, seven seconds faster than last year.
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