RW Forum SIx – 3.30 – 4.00

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  • Nice intervals Carl, yes it is intervals that got me into running seriously....

    Hi Ricky, Get yourself a tennis ball and sit on it moving it around to find the tightness then add pressure. I have a spiky ball that I use for this, your glutes feel great after....my physio uses her elbow  image

    Hi Carter, It is Northumberland that I am running, Alnwick castle to Bamburgh castle. You will get yourself in trouble with talk like that ...lol! Lookks windy on Sunday! You seem to be coming on Carter and no doubt will soon be getting back into things.

    Hi Ali, Sounds like you are in a really good place....but then, you are no doubt unhinged like the rest of us ;0)

    Well I have had a strange week so far, I was off Mon- Wed and decorating the living room, which turned into long days. I went back to work Thurs, Fri for a rest. Last night went over to Glasgow to see Peter Gabriel, which was great. Only trouble was, we got stuck I traffic on the way and then the M8 was closed in Glasgow for road works. I ended up getting home at 01:30 and hardly frank anything last night so was really dehydrated all day and tired. Did the Scout and Guide run tonight and dropped the OH off for her night out and now having half an hour before I hit the sack...

    Funny talking about weights, I weighed myself yesterday and discovered I was down to ten stone! My wife did comment the other day that I looked like I'd lost weight in my face. So tonight I am sitting with a chocolate milk shake and a couple of Fox's caramel cookies (very scrummy),

    I will try and get in a light 2 miles in the morning and then off to Grangemouth with my daughter for her cross country event. Will make sure I have snacks and drinks to keep me going...

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Nell - best of luck with your marathon tomorrow. Hopefully you will be done before it gets too wet and windy.

    Final 3 miler from me this morning. A nice steady jog to keep the legs ticking over.

    Busy few days racng on here.

    Best of luck to all.

    And for everyone else running this weekend, have a good one.

    The most important thing is to enjoy it. image

  • Nell - best of luck tomorrow! Weather here is grim right now (windy & wet) - hope it improves for you tomorrow & us on Monday!

    So yes folks: tight glutes - it's official : I really am a tightarse.

    Not having run since the club on Tuesday night, I ventured out in the dark this morning for a final 3 miler. First mile w/u and then 2 miles at MP (8.16 & 8.06). Annoyingly the pain in my left butt still was still nagging away throughout the run image ... if it does not get any worse as the race goes on it will be fine but if the pain increases as I tire I could be in trouble.

    Anyway, Ali u r right - worrying isn't going to change anything so I will just go out & give it a good old go. What will be will be.

    In the meantime plenty of stretching & tennis ball antics (thanks Nell) are on the menu.

    Am I right in thinking the clocks go back tonight? Don't want to balls up my lift to Dublin tomorrow!

  • Nell only way I will ever see 10 stone on the scales is if I cut my legs off!

  • cheers guys, kids events done, will be off down to Alnmouth soon and hoping the winds keep off until the finish tomorrow!

  • lol, that is a bit extreme ricky.Good luck for Monday carl and ricky. Hopefully I will be back on when back tomorrow for an update, that is if the winds do not carry me off to Holland!

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭

    Good luck everyone image

  • Ricky(tightarse) - yes the clocks go back tonight. That means an extra hours sleep so you and Carl will feel refreshed for your night of disco dancing tomorrow night !

    Nell - best of luck tomorrow in your English marathon !

    Carl/Ricky - go and do the business on Monday at Dublin. 

    I'm off on my holiday late tomorrow so may not get chance to catch up for a while. For those of you racing, we are all routing for you. For those of you recovering from recent races take it nice and easy. Bonjour

  • Nell- oh I am quite happy to admit I am probably as unhinged as the next one around here.  Good luck tomorrow- do a report so I can read it after!!!

    Carl- glad you're having a couple days rest now.  Exciting times building up for Dublin!

    Ricky- yes clocks go back tonight!  Though at least they're not going forward so if people make mistakes they will be early not late. 

    Carter- have a great holiday image

    25 minutes after work today done for me but I'm knackered and it felt hard.  Early night tonight then long run tomorrow.  Bring it on.

     

  • All packed & ready to go.

    enjoys the hols Carter - go easy on the Magners!

    Nell - run well today ... you will have your feet up tonight while Carl & I are nervously anticipating the events to come tomorrow! (in between throwing some shapes on the dancefloor of course)

    Ali - you have bags of enthusiasm at the minute which is great! Hoping the visit to the expo this afternoon will "stoke my coals a little".

    Dublin have a tracking link on their website for anyone interested to see our progress - just key in name or bib number (mine is 3857 - I think Carl's is 1167 but I am sure he will be along to confirm). I think the splits are 10k, half, 20miles & finish.

    Tracking links are on the race homepage:

    http://dublinmarathon.ie/

    Carl I will see you later today sir - safe trip image
     

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    imageimage

    I am meant to be mid flight on my way to Dublin. But I am not. Explain later,

    imageimage

  • Oh god... Why Carl? I am on tenterhooks... Get to Dublin!

  • Hi Guys,

    Right here we go, Castles Marathon today from Alnwick to Bamburgh in Northumberland, England!

    Gathered by Alnwick gardens, not a huge amount of people, maybe around a hundred at most. I had heard that some had dropped out after finding out the profile of the run. I had a look around and it seemed that everyone looked pretty experienced, which I fed back to my wife that I was hoping I wouldn’t be left behind, to which she told me to shut up and get on with it or words to that effect.

    Mile 1-2

    Race started and the first mile we were greeted with a steep hill, got the chi running legs going and got up the hill pretty easy. Going into mile 1, I realised I need a pee! So at mile 2 thought, I have got to go and get it out of my system (pardon the pun) and let me concentrate. Nipped over to a bush did the required and then when joining the race messed up the tie on my shorts putting a knot in. I had to correct this as my shorts were laden with gels. Only problem is, I have terrible circulation in my hand (Reynard’s syndrome) and my hands are usually white for the first few miles of a run in the colder weather. This proved a problem and I had to stop to correct this putting on a minute on my time.

    Miles 3-14

    Got back on the trail and just got into a groove, I was flying. I did think that I was going well too fast, but although the course was undulating I was finding it ok. I pulled up next to a chap at about mile 7 and ran with him for a while and had a chat. He then explained that he was not going to keep up with this pace and dropped off. I informed him I would probably see him soon when I started to fail!

    About mile 13, the Nell brigade were beside the road cheering on. My son shouted that I was in sixth place, what I thought surely not??

    Mile 14-19

    About mile 13-15, I was toing and froing with a guy, he would overtake me and then I him. About mile 15 I drew up beside him for a chat and enquired what time he was hoping for. Under 3:30 was his reply. That’ll do me I thought so asked if he wanted to run together and off we went. Everything was going pretty well up to mile 19 and although we obviously were starting to tire a bit come mile 19 we were still dealing ok with the undulating route.

    Mile 20-23

    These miles seemed to go ok, but now we were getting hit by the wind a bit in places as it was now picking up, about mile 21 I think it was we hit a gale force wind (felt like it, when your knackered) and a bloody hill! That took the wind out me a bit, but then after that it was a pretty easy mile or so and the hedgerow protected us.

    Mile 24-26.2

    What can I say about these last miles? Myself and partner Dave from mile 15 were pretty much keeping each other going, the previous couple of miles had been a bit of a challenge as we were tiring and the course seemed to be getting more challenging in places. Well these last miles really tested me. Mile 24 there was a serious hill that hit us in two parts but we pushed on and we were both hurting now. We got over them and started to head into Bamburgh from the Northern road, then mile 25 a killer hill hit us, I was struggling but now Dave took over and told me we can do it, it was a real grit your teeth moment, the guy in front then stopped walked a few paces looked back at us and then hit on (he later told me that it was seeing us that spurred him on) we got to the top and then it was pretty much downhill from there. Seeing the cricket green and the finish was heaven!

    Myself and Dave went over the line arms around each other’s shoulders (quite emotional). My son advised us that he asked a marshall our place and she said 5th. I will await the results to see if that is in fact correct.

    This was not an easy course but perversely enjoyable, no doubt the achiev

  • continued as curtailed:

     

    This was not an easy course but perversely enjoyable, no doubt the achievement of running such a tough course. Certainly not the same as Edinburgh.

    What I will say is that it was a really friendly run and the half marathon guys that ran past were really encouraging with many shakes of hands at the end.

    Splits below:

    7:47,8:42,7:06,7:00,7:08,7:12,7:19,7:14,7:06,7:04,7:04,7:06,7:18,7:27,7:30,7:22,7:25,7:30,7:24,7:24,7:49,7:59,8:10,8:03,8:16,8:31,7:58,2:52

    Unofficial Finishing Time: 3:19:59 (just snuck under 3:20)  image

    PB by 14 minutes, (previously 3:33!)

    I have been informed by my sub 3hr running pal that he is going to pace me for sub 3:10 for Edinburgh……gulp!  image

    Ok Ricky and Carl over to you boys….Good luck!

     

  • I will paste the splits again as they seemed to run across the page...

     

    Splits below:

    7:47,8:42,7:06,7:00,7:08,7:12,7:19,7:14,7:06,7:04,7:04,

    7:06,7:18,7:27,7:30,7:22,7:25,7:30,7:24,7:24,7:49,7:59,

    8:10,8:03,8:16,8:31,7:58,2:52

  • Wow Nell - I'm speechless! An amazing run & on a tough course- very well done & congrats on the PB.. you must be buzzing. 

    no such heroics from me tomorrow I fear. 

  • Holy shitballs Nell that is AMAZING!  You must be so proud.

     

    What a great time and your running inspires me.  I was thinking earlier how one of the things I like about this thread is that I've joined in but everyone else is a better runner than me, yet so encouraging to everyone else too. I do love reading about everyone's achievements and it really spurs me on to believe in myself that one day I can improve as much as you guys!

    Ricky- will be thinking of you tomorrow, GOOD LUCK!  Where is Carl/what happened to him?

  • Fantastic running Nell, that is a great performance and what a chunk to take off of your previous PB. I tip my hat to you.

    Over to Ricky and possibly Carl (?), I'll post my race report after the guys have started running for my Stort30 yesterday, I'm an Ultrarunner now but had the worst at the time and best on reflection run of my life.

    Good luck fellas!

  • Nell - excellent running sir. Racing over the border obviously agrees with you image A great PB on what sounds like difficult conditions. 

    Oirish - good to hear from you again. Are you going to tell us that you ran 45 miles rather than the required 30 ?

    Ricky - hope you partied hard last night and threw plenty of shapes on the dance floor with Carl ?

    Carl - did you make it to Dublin ok ? 

    Best of luck to both of you today, hope the weather isn't too bad where you are. 

     

  • Ali - holy shitballs ??? image

  • I managed a run yesterday in rather windy conditions. A total of 12 miles @ 8:41, this is my longest run back to recovery and the legs are feeling ok today. Currently sat at the airport waiting to fly and the wind isn't too bad at the moment. Just explaining to Mrs C about why I have packed my running stuff with me. Reasons I shouldn't run out there according to her: I could get lost, I could fall over a cliff or I might come across the local mafia ! Anyway, speak soon and happy running. Best of luck at Dublin boys

  • Thanks chaps,

    Yes Ali I did take my inspiration from Big_G for this run. As when I hit a hill I just kept saying to myself I bet Big-G's hills were worse than this, and I expect they were looking at the profile he posted.

    Hi Ricky/Carl good luck today and I hope carl has made it?

    Hi Oirish, Good to hear from you again. Not sure my knees are up to an ultra! Hope it went well and look forward to no doubt another entertaining report?

    Hi carter, good running and enjoy your holiday, nothing like a run when you are away. Forgot to say, good news was from yesterday, no ITB failure! felt a couple of twinges early on but nothing more...just the rest of my body that ached!!

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Today is a new day and today is going to be my first DNS. I am still in London.

    First of all Nell you are a legend. Suib 3:20 on a tough course. Amazing effort and very well done. I always had you down as a dark horse. Your family must be really proud. Now you will have to go after teh sub 3 goal. I reckon you can do it.

    Oirish - I forgot about your Ultra. Well done for completing it whatever the result. And great to hear from you again. We do miss your stories.

    And Ricky - really gutted not to be there with you today but best of luck. You will do great.

  • Carl - Gutted for you not getting there. I'm tracking Ricky and they are predicting 3:33 for him currently.

    Anyhoo yesterday.....

    Stort30 yesterday, a 30 mile out and back along the river something or other in Bishop's Stortford and I have to say a really beautiful course, very tranquil and scenic, it's just a great shame that I spent the vast majority of my run staring at the ground. 

    To make up the distance we did two laps of the field we were in at the start and one lap at the end before heading out along the roads for about a quarter of a mile before joining up the river walkway. So off I set with the field of a 150 people that included 6 others from our running club, which given that we are an unaffiliated loose collection of 99 trotters is pretty good going.

    The first section of the course was mainly grass verge and due to the weather was quite muddy, not a quagmire by any means but enough to be skiddy and after doing the initial two laps with friends I set off faster on my own and with a few well selected manoveres managed to pick off a few runners ahead of me over the first couple of miles or so. In the main it was pretty much single file for large sections of the course but just about enough room to nip by people although not run two abreast. The first checkpoint was approx 6.5 miles and was going great guns, part of me was dreading doing that section on the way back as I figured it would of been churned up by the time I returned and I did think that it would be te time I'd need to dig deep. How wrong I was......

    Around this point having necked a couple of chicken nuggets, jellybeans and some flat coke I set off again. as an aside I hearitly reccomend Ultras if you like your food, it's a totally different mindset, these guys loiter at checkpoints chatting away and eating so much. I fell into conversation with a couple of guys at a further checkpoint who explained that most Ultras will stick to their routines whether they are doing 30 or 100 miles, it was quite fascinating chatting to them and almost seemed a pity to have to get on with the actual running.

    It was around mile 8 my day changed. About 6 weeks ago I had to stop running for two weeks with tendonitis in my ankle and it's been moderately niggly since, I suspected at some point that it would play up a little during the run but was resting my hopes on it being later rather than sooner, well around mile 8 I felt the first niggles but it was manageable, more irritating than dehabilitating the downside was i was chopping my stride and my calf and buttock were tightening considerably as I was overcompensating. The plus point was that checkpoint two came around the 10 mile mark and we had a few supporters there cheering us on and taking pictures and the actual checkpoint was manned by two of my friends so this came as a great boost and was the perfect tonic as I was just starting to get a bit irked with how things were going. So I ploughed on. 

    This section was entirely a paved area and I actually managed to find a rhythm on the flat surface and this in turn seemed to ease my calf and glute and I actually felt quite good, putting weight on my ankle wasn't too much of an issue but any uneven surfaces or slopes were really sore so it was just the occassional shooting pain and seeing the runners returning the opposite way and to a man acknowledging you at urging you on gave me a bit of determination. At mile 15 there was another checkpoint and we turned around after yet more food and chat! Psychologically being homeward bound carried me for another mile or so but I now couldn't ignore the pain in my foot, it felt like my whole foot was in a vice and my heel felt bruised on contact, my running style became even odder than it is usually is and it was at this moment I really didn't know if I could do it and it wa

  • was that realisation that just really hit me hard. I walked for a short while, stopped for a good stretch and all the while giving myself a good pep talk and digging deep into the Oirish book of motivational tools. I broke it down in my head, get to the next checkpoint and see your friends, regroup, refocus and plough on the short distance to the next checkpoint on a wave of euphoria and then there is no way you are quitting one small stretch from home. Well that was the plan.

    By this stage a few runners ahead of me were adopting a run/walk strategy too and rather annoyingly the guy ahead of me appearred to be walking faster than I was running! We passed each other a couple of times before reaching the next checkpoint where we got talking, compared war wounds and agreed to set off together and keep each other company.

    So for a mile or two we chatted away through gritted teeth and tried not to jump when the other one let out a yelp but after a while I suggested he carried on alone as I was walking now and just needed to try and get my head together. I kept going in my own unique fashion, it was as painful walking as it was running so I figured if I tried to keep running it would at least be over quicker and shortly before the final checkpoint I was caught up by one of my teammates who managed to get another mile out of me in a decent pace as we chatted before again I let him push on.

    Now at this point I have to pay tribute to Ultrarunners, I've always admired their running exploits but yesterday was an eyeopener, the camaraderie, friendliness, assistance and goodwill out on that course was exceptional. Every runner passing by in both directions whether leading or last acknowledged you with a "well done" or other words of encouragement withhout fail. Despite my travails I loved it out there and can't wait to do another. This is when it was thanks to my fellow runners I now have another medal.

    Firstly a lady who had passed me moments before the Checkpoint when she saw me limping asked me "Is it something specific?" I'm quite glad I didn't snap my original thought which was "Yes I'm specifically in masses of pain" (i'm ashamed to say I punched a tree in fury after one particular nasty, jolting pain) and she rather kindly gave me some Voltarol gel to rub into my foot. So after getting to the floor in instalments I whipped off my shoe and sock and applied liberally and it was then that my saviour arrived. Lorraine my teammate had ran the first half with one of our experienced ultra runners who is a real plodder so had carried on alone and caught me up. "You're not lying there all afternoon you lazy sod" was her greeting and after a chat and refuel we set off for home and the last six miles. Thankfully we get on like a house on fire and share the same daft sense of humour, so yabbering away she managed to breakdown my grumps and have me smiling again and with the gel taking the edge off of the pain we picked up a decent rhythm and with every step getting me closer to home the psychological battle was becoming easier too and Lorraine was kind enough to turn a deaf ear to some of my more industrial language I was emitting at times although she derived great amusement from my "Ow's" I was using when I remembered I was in company.

    With about two or three miles left the gel wasn't touching it and I had to walk briefly, mainly to get my head together but also because it felt like my shinbones were stabbing into my foot, a much overrated experience in my opinion. Another runner coming through stopped to check I was okay and gave me a packet of Paracetamol from his backsack which I necked three of and it might of been the Placebo effect but this girded me for the final run home. I just had time to get a massive stitch under my ribs climbing up the hills towards the finish, hills I might add I have no recol

  • recollection of descending at the start before heading back into the field and rather guiltily overtaking the guy who had given me those pills. All that remained was running the last lap and finishing with what can only be called an internal sprint finish as I was sprinting it just wasn't noticeable externally.

    Finishing time approx 5:25 which was 45 minutes outside my target but I can honestly say I don't think I have ever been prouder of myself, on reflection I carried an injury for 22 miles and suprised myself with just how determined I was, it managed to be both the most horrific running experience and best at the same time and is the first time I feel satisfied with a run, normally I feel a little deflated and analytical straight after no matter how I have performed but I can say that given the cards I was dealt yesterday that I couldn't have done any better than I did. The help I received from friends and strangers alike was moving, I don't mind admitting I was close to tears on the finish line, mentally I was exhausted, I had not only needed to keep talking to myself but had to study the ground intently with every step to place my bad foot carefully, when I closed my eyes last night I could actually still see the trail path! Hanging around afterwards and chatting with other runners people asked how I was and had I finished. One guy who had seen me at 17 miles couldn't believe I got home and when hardened ultras are congratulating you for finishing you can't help but feel good about what you've done even if on one level it was actually insane.

    I ate like a legend yesterday and woke up this morning feeling fine if you discount the throbbing foot but the rest of me is in tip top shape, I clearly didn't go fast enough to cause any other aches or pains 

    Well I'm now an Ultrarunner (Yeaaay go me!) but I didn't want to post this before the guys hit the start line as it wasn't exactly what you want to read before you get going.

     

  • Sorry I've just realised I've written a novel.

    Summary - It hurt.

  • Ricky through 20 in 2:45!

     

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Oirish - Need to read your novel later today.

    Great news about Ricky.

    So back to yesterday. I was due to fly from Heathrow around 12.30. This meant leaving home at 10.30 latest. Bags were all packed the night before and I had checked in but not printed my boarding pass as my home printer has packed up. Was going to collect at the airport which means being there no later than 45 mins before flight (previous experinece).

    It was circa 10.00am and my OH had popped out and was due back anytime soon.

    I was upstairs when I heard my middle girl yelling for me. My youngest was choking on some food that she was eating.

    I bounded down the stairs a few at a time and did what needed to be done. However my little one was very distressed and convinced that she still had food stuck and was coughing and spluttering and getting very upset.

    Phoned my OH telling her to meet me at the hospital. Took the wee one and her brother and sister for yet another trip to the local hospital.

    So before I knew it, it was 11am and I was not going to make the flight in time. But I knew that there was a flight at circa 2.30 which would just about let me get across Dublin to the Expo in time to collect my running number etc..

    But I needed to get to the airport to try and get onto the flight. I would have needed to pay a late fee and hope that there were seats available.

    The hospital were just observing my little girl and as she had worked herself into a state, they could not get near her throat.

    I reckoned that I needed to be on my way to the airport by 12 .

    My OH was telling me to go but everytime I went to leave my little one got more and more agitated.

    So in the end I decided that life and family had to come first and that there will be more opportunities to run Dublin and other marathons.

    This was  a really tough decision to make but I think it was the right call.

    In the end after a few more hours, she calmed down sufficiently for the hospital to confirm that there was noting else stuck (which is what I thought all along). I think it was the fright that was more of an issue.

    I sent Ricky a text telling him I would not be there and I got one back telling me he was at the Expo and it was buzzing.

    So I was not in the best of humour last night.

    But life goes on.

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