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New Mature Runners Thread
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Redhead - yes, some nasty weather is on the way, but I have a feeling that this is not something you let unduly bother you. Really looking forward to hearing your race report (once you've dried out!).
HS - I'm sure you were relieved to see the HR data.
Two 'celeb' deaths that I've noticed with some sadness: David Cassidy and Rodney (Likely Lads) Bewes. I was never a great fan of the former's music but in the early 70s I received a 'love letter' written on pink David Cassidy notepaper! Funny the things you remember. As for Rodney Bewes, I was a huge fan of the Likely Lads; and it remains just about my favourite ever sitcom. Silly isn't it, how our lives can be touched - or simply brushed - by total strangers in such random ways?
OK: that's the Thought for the Day slot over - I've got a bug to fight and a Test Match from Brisbane to listen to overnight...................
Red, good to hear that you are doing reps. It will help you with your ultras, although you don't need me to tell you that. I'm not feeling too bad after Monday's run, and I believe the knee is finally "on the mend." I'm still only running twice a week though at the moment.
JB, Runners often go down with colds etc. because of a run down in the immune system.
I was very relieved that my hr was normal on Monday!
Another sad death was Malcolm Young who was the rhythm guitarist with AC/DC. There was plenty of coverage of his life and struggle with dementia in the papers, but nothing on the BBC News.
Off to my spin session now.
HS - glad to hear your knee finally seems to be on the mend. Sorry, but another shrug of the shoulders here re Malcolm Young. I did try to like AC/DC but could never get past the awful singing (nay screeching) of the lead singer. Still like to hear Thunderstruck now and again and try my best to ignore the 'singing'
I see it will be very windy today - most of the leaves have already dropped from the birch tree in our garden and I'm not expecting many of them to be left on the tree by the end of today.
Just back from my yoga session and feeling oooooommmmmmmmm. Did some sit-ups and press-ups earlier and off for a plod after lunch. This will involve hills as I can't avoid them!
JB6, bash those bugs into submission. I think David Cassidy had dementia if I remember rightly but that wasn't mentioned today. My friend had a massive crush on him back in the day but I was more into Hendrix. I loved the Likely Lads too.
TE, glad to hear the positive knee report. Strange but not unexpected that dementia wasn't mentioned on the BBC News. Did you know that until 5 years ago dementia was not stated on Death Certificates which was one of the many things I campaigned for as the statistics were so skewed by its omission. As soon as they started to record it we got a much clearer view of exactly how many people had the condition.
Had a good spin session this morning. It's tougher for me as the physio had advised not to stand up on the pedals,so I remain seated when the others are standing. It means I have to work harder to meet the rpm's, wattage etc. but that is probably a good thing, as it gives me a better cardio workout, as well as strengthening the knee.
Busy day today as I bake and cook ahead of my next events at which I suspect I will get very wet and be blown around a lot!
TE, that workout will definitely strengthen your knee. I remmeber how hard it is when you ramp up the resistance although I haven't used our static bike for years.
Damien, good luck with your 5k. I haven't been to Preston in over 40 years so I suspect it might be a bit different now (there used to be a good market, although not as good as the flat iron in Chorley)
Damien, best of luck with your first 5k race in 29 years. Do you remember the time you ran your last one in?
Red, you really are an early bird! I hope that the weather isn't too bad at the weekend for your two ultras.
Taking a rest day today, and tomorrow will do a spin session followed by a work out in the gym.
Hillstrider, you are making me want to go and join a spin class, used to enjoy the sessions.
Well apart from a few track sessions and 12 miles this Saturday or Sunday , training is finished.
Looking ahead to next year, I have a few marathons I might be interested in Nante, Rotterdam, Cheverny, in April, May there is Mont St Michel, Later in the year Snowdon in Oct, La Rochelle in Nov. Lots to think about over the xmas period.
Mok - typical runner - already thinking of next year's events while tapering. That's a very attractive and challenging list you've got there.
Redhead - that's a very interesting point you make about death certificates. On the press-up I'm assuming you stop after reaching a 1000? Ultra tomorrow?
HS - I was not a great fan of AC- DC . It's obviously pretty predictable, given the demographic (not to mention the lifestyle!), that many rock gods have been departing the planet over the last couple of years. I think it was Dorothy Parker who said of actors that death was a great career move. As Mok says you are a great advert for spin classes.
Mel - that's easy: I'm not hard enough but I'd like to be! That's a great description of the hill taunting you.
Very relieved that the first day of the Ashes series has not seen the predicted England disaster. But there's still plenty of time for it!
Hilly runs (no, not as hill as Mel's) or the last two days. Think I've zapped the bug!
Good to see that hilly runs and reps are "catching on."
JB, good news that your bug appears to have been zapped. Presume you are doing a parkrun tomorrow, so good luck.
Red, good luck with the two ultras this weekend.
I'm keeping the spinning flag flying and did a 45 minute session this morning. It's certainly strengthening my knee and legs. I then did a 30 minute workout in the gym.
Tomorrow I’m taking part in a relay race on a racecourse, Newcastle Racecourse to be precise, that should be a bit different.
Good luck to Red and anyone else who has races, parkruns or training runs this weekend. Fingers crossed for better weather.
My only aim in this race is to finish and it will then give me a platform to better next year.
Aquarius, it's very cold and frosty here too, this morning. Typical weather for your 6 miler yesterday. Good luck with your relay race today!
Damien, that was an excellent 10k time, but obviously, many years on, your time will be much slower. As you say though, it will give you a platform to build on.
I will be going for a steady run later this morning. Not sure how far I will go yet, it depends on how I feel. Probably no further than 5 miles.
Aquarius - enjoy your gallop!
Parkrun for me: 21:20 (AG 76.48%) in perfect conditions. A tad disappointing; it seemed faster! But forget me: the course record was broken today by someone clocking 14:50!
Time Trial last night 5k 22.15. Only good point is, I felt another 2 /3 miles at that pace was attainable.
12 miles at marathon pace today, only another 14 of those and I would be happy , well as happy as a runner can be with his time.
Another great parkrun time JB, was that a regular who broke the course record or a visitor? I always think it's a shame when the record is broken by a visiting runner who was just after the glory of setting a new record and is never seen again.
When does your tapering start Mok, I had a feeling your marathon was coming up shortly?
Good luck for your 5k tomorrow Damien, let us know how it went.
Wonder how Red got on today, can't imagine running an ultra (never mind two on consecutive days).
Our racecourse relay was a strange distance - 1.66 miles, this was because it was on the ambulance track which runs around the inside of the actual racecourse. Luckily it was fairly flat, but extremely cold (still frost on the ground) and unfortunately the last three quarters of a mile was into a stiff breeze. Although I'd warmed up with a mile jog beforehand I found it difficult to really get going due to the cold conditions. I was so glad I'd taken a flask of coffee so we could thaw out with a hot drink afterwards. Averaged 9.04 m/ml so reasonably happy with that considering the conditions.
Another very cold and frosty morning.
JB, another excellent parkrun, just 2 weeks after your marathon. Today is the Hayling 10 mile race which we both ran last year. That course record at the parkrun was very impressive. Presume it was a he, and not a vet!
Mok, that was a very good 5k time, and the fact that you could have maintained the pace for several more miles, bodes well for your marathon.
Aquarius, I ran 5 miles in the forest as planned. I overdid again though, sending my maximum heart rate sky high. I think that it is my endurance that has suffered, as it was only after about 3 miles that my heart rate starting rising. My pace is slowly increasing though, and my average was 11.57, the best since my injury 4 months ago. My best mile was 11.18, which was probably too fast, and led to slowing down with increased heart rate. I'm resting today, but will run on Monday at a much easier pace. I think that I should concentrate more on increasing my distance, rather than worry about pace, which should come with the increased mileage.
Well done in your relay, in cold and windy conditions. I'm envious of your 9.04 average pace. A good idea taking a flask of hot coffee for after the race.
Hope Red is running well in her ultra and will have enough energy left for the next one tomorrow.
Some great running going on from all on here again.
JB6, you are very consistent and the youngster who clocked sub 15 minutes needs a good slap! Well done you.
Damien, 8 min miling is great.
TE, steady as you go. It will take a while to get back to your previous level of fitness. You're doing really well xxx
Aquarius, great running in those conditions. It was -4 when I left home yesterday morning.
Moks, an excellent time trial indeed. Soon time for you to head off to the sunshine.
How did I get on then? Double PB alert but not in the sort of speedy times you guys turn out, just a personal best time for both 30.5 miles and marathon distance on that route! On Friday the weather was possibly the best it has ever been when we've run at that venue; cool and dull but with only the slightest breeze in one direction along the seawall. I decided to just run at whatever pace felt good and I knew I could sustain right until the very end. I should mention that Samphire Hoe is one of my favourite places for taking photos and so I made the unusual decision to leave my camera at home and to be completely self-sufficient in my hydration which meant I didn't sneek off the the aid station at all and just got my card punched at the end of ecah lap then headed straight back out again. I chatted briefly with lots of chums en-route but I keot to myslef and remained focussed as much as possible and so it was that I passed 15 miles in just under 3 hours, marathon distance in 5:05 (pb 1 as I usually take 5:30 or thereabouts on that course) and 30.5 miles in under 6 hours - 5:58:04 (last time there was 6:17:51).
Saturday was a whole different set of weather conditions. The lanes were very icy when I left home at 6am and it was windy which didn't bode well for the dreaded section along the seawall. It was time for thick tights, warm hats and a buff pulled over my face as my chest was quite gunky (asthma) and I have difficulty breathing in very cold weather. I settled into a pace that felt comfortable and was amazed to reach 15 miles in under 3 hours again. But, this time the wind was fierce on the return section of the seawall and I struggled a bit with my breathing so I decided to practice a run/walk strategy which I will be using next year for a really long ultra. It also gave me an opportunity to catch up with some of the back-of-packers so there was lots of chatter and hugging to take our minds off that darned wind. I finished in 6:23:05 and was very pleased with that. So my marathon tally now stands at 130 (which includes 16 ultras).
Today we've been for a 5 mile walk and my legs felt fantastic. Hoping that DOMS doesn't get me tomorrow :-D
Damien, 25 mins for your 5k great going.
Tapering has started Aquarius, 7 mile walk today over fields and dales in 2 hours. Sorry can't help timing myself, even going for a walk !!
Damien, 8 minute miling is very good.
Red, I seem to have got the days mixed up, as your ultras were Friday and Saturday. Well done for the double pb's on Friday, and not taking advantage of the aid stations, very impressive. Well done also on Saturday in hostile conditions. I think run/walk tactics are common in ultras, and even in marathons. I know some of our club runners do this in ultras. Great respect for your 130 marathons, including 16 ultras!!
I will take things easier, and concentrate more on distance, than pace, which will come anyway with more endurance. Strangely, I can still run hard up hills, but slow down on the flat.xx
Mok, good to hear that you have started your tapering, and interesting that you are timing your walking. I was recording my walking pace on my Garmin, whilst I was unable to run. My first running attempts were only slightly quicker than my walking
It's warmer today, but rain is forecast.
I'm running with Sarah and Jane this morning in the forest, but don't know how far we will go. I will be taking it easy, not worrying about pace.
Redhead - a double PB! Lovely race report - feel like doing an ultra now after reading this but will come to my senses in a few minutes! What a great way to finish (?) the running year.
Mok - your taper seems to be rather more 'busy' than mine. I think I tapered a bit too much. A novice's approach! Timing a walk - wow, that is a thing! It's all look looking good for your marathon, as long as nothing goes wrong on the day. I feel your breath on my back in the parkruns!
HS - yes I suddenly realised that it was the Hayling run yesterday. I did think (briefly) about doing yesterday's but the race entries were closed a couple of weeks back. A well organised and rightly popular event; and this year the weather conditions must have been almost perfect. A few PBs would have been achieved; I'll check the results today.
Aqaurius - that sounds like a very testing event, especially in the weather. This morning it's foul so winter has finally arrived in the Deep South.
On the issue of the parkrun record the winner was local(ish). I take the point about tourist speed-merchants. However, even his 'ace was trumped' as along the coast someone clocked a truly amazing c.14.30 and broke the long standing (or running) record in Hove. The 'someone' was Charlie Grice who not only is local but was 9th in the World Championship 1500 metres! Wow! How fantastic to get someone of this calibre running at a parkrun. And he's only in his early 20s; could he be the new Steve Ovett whose junior national record he also broke a couple of year ago? How inspiring that must have been for the youngsters running at Hove on Saturday.
5 very slow miles for me yesterday.
A rather wet and bedraggled Redhead here after 5 exceedingly windy & wet miles of plodding! Body seems to have forgiven me as nothing is whingeing atm (but it doesn't know I'll be doing the same this coming weekend but at a different venue.......).
TE, take care in the forest as I suspect it will be a tad muddy.
JB6, come on down, you know you want to go ultra
Have a lovely day everyone.
It's bright and sunny, but very cold.
JB, good tactics doing a slow recovery run.
Red, sympathies with you after your run yesterday. We suffered similar conditions in the forest yesterday. It was belting down with rain and there was a strong wind blowing it into our faces. We ran 9.1 miles, which in my circumstances was like a marathon distance. We ran a testing, hilly route, ploughing through mud and splashing through deep water. We really enjoyed the run, despite the conditions, and it was great for me to be back on the hills again. I'm hoping "that I've turned the corner now!" We were also plodding, by the way
I'm having a rest day today, to ease my aching legs!
Dull and cold here. Just about to head out for my run which will involve a few speedy bursts to wake up my leggies (but don't tell them as I want it to be a nice surprise!).
TE, well done that man! You are definitely on the way back. Excellent news. You've earned a rest day.
I've been looking at my running diary for Jan-Feb and it scared me so much I'm ignoring it!