My Last Run

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  • Kudos to all you Hardcore snow-runners. I had to take an improvised walking stick down to the shops yesterday as still treacherous here in the east. Still nearly fell on my erse several times.

    We had another layer of the white stuff overnight and so I've had to self-cancel my Thames  Path Half. No way can we travel. The race has not yet officially been pulled, but I expect it will be. I will do their Autumn Half instead.

    The enforced rest has actually been a good thing fore a few of my little niggles. Calf, side of foot and back all feeling loose and pain free. Itching to get out and run, but think it'll be Monday before I can do that.

    On woodpeckers, Hazel, the lesser spotted is tiny in comparison to the great - about the size of a sparrow - so that's your diagnostic feature. Happy run/spotting :)
    I run, therefore I am.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Absent without leave, so I'll not try to review a week's posts in one go.  Snow, ice & wind have become major factors in us following our sport and I've been following a thread on FetchEveryone about parkruns cancelled or going ahead today.  I think Crosby Beach is a racing cert!
    A highly random 792 days for this Streak; scrunchy snow was a joy on Monday but its icy, frozen cousin was less welcome.

    Good health, good training and good racing to you all  :)
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    Great run Ness. The conditions of the early week were a test of strength, endurance and guts. 18miles is quite something. More grit than a council depot.
    Nice Welsh snowman Willl - a enwyd Dylan Thom-ice.
    5k treadmill progression run yesterday in 21:20. Today 8miles in under an hour. The wind has died down and conditions are much easier. Stayed on the clear roads mostly. The pavements don't look great in places, but probably okay. Never feel confident when there's any risk of slipping.
  • Well done on your 18 miler nessie in those conditions.  3 hours isn't a shabby time for that.

    Good luck for the Big Half tomorrow Cal (if it is still on?)

    Bad luck on missing your race tomorrow Will as you were in good form.  But it sounds like a sensible decision.  Thanks for the woodpecker infos - it was a a great one then.   ;)

    I think only injury will stop your streak again swittle not just a bit of snow and wind..  :)

    Good to hear you had an outdoor run in better conditions JT.  

    I was scheduled to do a bit of speedwork yesterday with 7 miles at my 10 mile race pace.  I did find quite a bit of clear road but the tarmac was covered with a thin coating of slushy slime meaning that whilst a steady pace was possible any faster work would have left me slipping on each step.  The last mile or so was pretty dodgy as this froze but I got home without any issues. 

    I will try to put in some faster miles in my planned 20 mile long run tomorrow to make up for it.  But not at 10 mile pace certainly, marathon pace will do me fine.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Snow has melted! Big Half is happening, Hazelnut. I'm a bit concerned that I haven't moved much all week - with the weather being so awful I succumbed to the temptation to sit on my arse and play games and watch TV (although I did do a bit of yoga). I've taped up my leg, anyway - hope it doesn't give me any trouble.
  • Nessie73Nessie73 ✭✭✭
    5 miles today at MP but my legs still feel pretty heavy
  • 10 miles done today. 9 for me, 1 for Bannister. Didn't miss a single days running due to the snow. Slipped over only once due to stepping in some tyre tracks. You want snow with a give, not compacted snow with none, and no grip as a result. Rookie mistake. My advice for training in snow is the same as training in rain or wind or heat. Adapt. If your schedule saying 10 miles with 6 done at HM pace and there is ice and snow out, then don't do it as you won't be able. Do something else or use a treadmill. There is no such thing as junk miles. All miles are not equal but a mile run is one more the body can cope with.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done Nessie and Stephen. Sad about Roger, but he's left a legacy. Not many of us can say that.
    I ran the Big Half today with the hope that (after missing most of Autumn with injury, then another week and a half out at the end of January with an angry calf, and then missing most of this week due to snow) I could get under 2 hours.
    I seemed to be making good time but the big tunnel and Canary Wharf's skyscrapers confused my Garmin a bit, and then I accidentally hit pause for a while, so I wasn't sure how I was doing towards the end. I just kept plugging away but I did tire somewhat so it was deffo a positive split. My official time just came through as 1:59:35, so goal accomplished. Not as fast as my watch said but then it must have been paused a bit longer than I thought and I knew the time I got wasn't right.
    Overall a very good race. Not that exciting a course aside from Tower Bridge and I wasn't fond of the cobbles in a few sections, but the organisation and atmosphere were great. Nice medal and shirt (but needed more snacks in the goody bag - there was just one bar and some drinks and I was hungry!)
    I even saw Mo zip past in the opposite direction, so that was cool.
    Only bummer was getting home to find my water cut off (burst main somewhere) and it's still not bad on yet. So no soothing bath. Had to rush out to buy water rather than slumping right away. It better be back by tomorrow or I'm going to be very cross.
  • Good, solid work, Hazelnut and Nessie. Diolch n fawr, JT. Mrs Will is a Welsh speaker from Merthyr - you don't mess with Merthyr girls! Hello Stephen - sound advice.

    That's a great run in the Big Half, Cal! Chuffed for you, especially after all your niggles. 

    Temperatures soared in Norwich yesterday and I couldn't wait any longer to get the runners on, so I nipped out early doors for 4 slip-slidey and slushy miles down to the river and back. The paths were still covered in a mixture of all things cold and wet and so it was tough going on the legs and I had to really keep an eye out on my footfall and balance in order to not hurt myself and look like a right plonker. It was nice to get onto the grass at the park and run through the snow, past wilting snowpeople and written off sledges. Lots of rabbit tracks and I also made out the size 4 stiletto of a Muntjac. No Kingfisher today, but lots of birds out and about looking to feed up again after the harshness of the Beast. After almost a week off, the legs were a bit slow to get going, but started to warm up a bit for the last mile and a half. Very slow, due to me being quite slow - 4.17 miles in 48 mins.

    Cabin fever had really set in chez nous, so I visited my Ma and Pa in the afternoon and let the children wreck their house. Come the evening and I had the insatiable urge to get the runners on again. The paths were now mostly back to being paths and had did a nice loop of exactly 4 mile in 39 mins. A double whammy. Life never fails to surprise and entertain.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Great result Cal, well done.  Hope you have some water again in the meantime.  I saw a summary of the race on the TV (I get BBC here).

    Hello Stephen.  Yep - got the planned mileage done despite the weather.  

    Nice report Will.  And a nice double too!

    I had a very good long run yesterday - 21 miles including 10 at my planned marathon pace.  Still quite a lot of that slushy stuff around here too so I picked the best route I could across to a stretch of very minor road which I knew would be okay and did the 10 by running up and down that. (about 1.2 miles one-way).  
    I was expecting to get bored quickly but it actually helped me to concentrate on my pacing.  There was also a water source at one end and I installed a gel bar so could practice refuelling and rehydrating as well.  Got a couple of strange looks from some people out from walks when I whizzed past for the 4th time.  I felt really good at the end of the 10 miles and other than a mile or so during which I had to carefully pick my way through some churned up snow kept up a decent (but sensible) pace home on the remaining miles of the run, even adding on one extra.  

    Legs tired today but to be expected.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Brilliant job on the 21 miles, Hazelnut.
    It's funny how quickly the snow disappeared eh Will?

    I still have no bloody water. :angry: It's not so much the drinking or bathing - it's being able to do things like wash up, flush the loo and so on. I'm really hoping it comes back before I need to poop.
    I've done a 4 mile recovery run anyway and quite enjoyed it. Legs felt quite tired but not sore. Sun's out now - feels quite Spring-like again.
    I saw a little video of Mo's finish yesterday. The way he can kick like that is amazing.
  • Well done on the sub two hour Cal, fantastic considering all the issues you've had. I hope you have water by now.

    Great job on the long run Hazel. I'm still rubbish at getting my head into gear for anything over 10, unless it's an actual race.

    Will, great double effort! 

    All this snow forced me to rest which to be honest is probably what I needed. My half was cancelled on Sunday. I did get a for four miles on Saturday and then five miles today. I'm feeling a bit low at the moment, just a worried anxious feeling for no particular reason. 
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Sorry your half was cancelled, Andrea - bummer.
    Had a trickle of water briefly, but it's gone again. So frustrating.
  • Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink...or bath in...or to flush the loo. Hope that gets sorted, Cal.

    Lots of race cancellations, Andrea, me included. Frustrating after putting in the prep work. Hope you feel better. Sometimes there's no particular reason for feeling low. It's a bummer.

    I started my new training programme last night. 8 weeks or so to transition from Half Marathon to 18 Miler, for my next race. I'm sticking broadly to my weekly routine of tempo, interval, medium/medium and LSR runs but increasing my longie each week and adding a bit to the other sessions too. All very scientifically devised ;)
    First up was supposed to be a 'fake newsy' Parkrun as I shall be boating on the Broads this Saturday for my Dad's birthday. 1.5 mile warm-up followed by 3.1 miles at tempo and then 1.5 cool down. Legs a bit tired from yesterday's double and also I found it very hard to push the tempo pace, without other runners around me. So, the 'Parkrun' bit was much slower than planned and a bit of a struggle. All in all, it was 6.2 miles in 59 mins, so a decent trot.
    Outstanding moment was the dude coming up the hill, blue neon flashing, on one of those hover board things, herbal cigarette in one hand, can of K cider in the other, as I puffed past. Fair dos :) 
    I run, therefore I am.
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    Hope your waters back on Cal. Been on the national news. Inspired by Hazel I put in a 21.4mile run. 2hrs48. First 20+miles in a long time and hard work. Had a couple of Fall songs playing in my head - was watching live clips and old interviews with the late Mark E Smith at the weekend. Irascible bastard but compelling. Took in the path of the original Roman road which sits parallel to the A64. Very muddy and no grip so feet going more sideways than forward - takes it out of your legs on a long run.
  • Nessie73Nessie73 ✭✭✭
    Great racing from Cal. Well done again.  On track for Liverpool after a really hard year.

    And some nice running from Will, Hazel, Andrea and JT. 
    What a difference a week makes! This time last week the big freeze started and I did my 6 am session at -3 degrees. This morning's session was positively balmy at 8 degrees. The regular 5 x 1k and I'm *really* bored of it now, so must get creative next week.  I had a wisdom tooth out this afternoon, feeling OK just a bit sleepy after the local anaesthetic weirdly!?  Hopefully will be fine for tomorrow's planned club run
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Water came back yesterday (and stayed on, thankfully - pressure's a bit low but then it is watergeddon across London. At least I can flush the loo and wash my plate).
    Well done on the epic run, JT. My first two proper boyfriends both loved The Fall so it was definitely part of the soundtrack of my youth. Saw them when I was at uni, too.
    I guess you could vary the intervals, Nessie?
    I didn't run yesterday as legs were still sore (despite the recovery run. Or perhaps because of it?) but I went out for a rainy 8 mile tempo today (7 miles around MP). I wasn't planning on a tempo but I got into a race with a grey-haired Chinese man during mile 2 - I passed him and then he just sat on my shoulder, and I continued to run at that pace after our paths diverged.  :D

  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    A lot milder out. Hope your remaining teeth are getting over their loss Ness. 11.4miles in 1hr25. Base of my feet feel tired but otherwise fine. Ran into a playground by mistake.
  • Nice long one, JT. Aiming to increase my distance over next few weeks. Good effort, Nessie and glad you'll now be more fragrant, Cal :)
    I'd planned 5 miles with a set of efforts sandwiched in, but it was one of those runs that never quite happened. It seems a dodgy stomach bug is circulating our house and it reached me in the afternoon. I necked some immodium and headed out anyway, but the legs were not feeling the love. So, a meagre 2.81 miles in 27 mins and an early bath. The same dude trundled past me on his hover board, this time with a sandwich in hand.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Fortunately I'm not that smelly a person, Will. :lol:
    Hope your tum is better! I like the sound of hoverboard guy. I once witnessed a man on a skateboard being pulled along by a husky, which I imagine would be a splendid way to travel.
    6 miles today, after a rest day yesterday (had to wait for the boiler man to come). I concentrated on form and ended up running a bit faster than I'd intended.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Long on work hours, short on leisure time....except running.

    Streak = 800 days today.  Four miles of crunchy crispiness in the park and by the lakes.  Joined by Rosie the Jack Russell and her hooman, who was complaining of shin splints! 
  • My sister's got a couple of Pomskies (mini Huskies) down in Newquay. May harness them up next time I'm down there, Cal.

    800 days, Swittle. Bloody hell.

    Back on some sort of form last night, despite 2 bits of Dad's birthday cake and a curry containing sprouts, sweet potatoes and chick peas. 3.3 miles in 29 mins - quickish for me and felt good after. No sign of hoverboard dude. I'm worried for him.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Nessie73Nessie73 ✭✭✭
    Great to see you Swit, and a tasty milestone for you. I relate to the work thing, it's a busy time of year for me too with imminent A Level exams and coursework to mark. Thank goodness for running eh!?
    Will, pleased you seem to be bit better although sprouts and chick peas will not help stomach trouble ;-)
    JT- super navigational skills. I did an aquathlon in a park last summer where for the run bit, I managed to get off course and run into the back of a circus tent. Which was a low navigational point, even for me.
    Cal, back in the land of the living and running is sounding good.  Am guessing it's a 20 this weekend?
    Me- I did 9 miles at MP ish with the club on Wednesday, with only a little bleeding from the place where my wisdom tooth used to live. Today was 19 miles on the towpaths and so much easier than last week's LR in the ice. It was almost nearly pleasant!
    I've got club relays tomorrow morning and my legs will be like lead so I'll just be making up the numbers for the ladies, on the Z team no doubt. It's only 2 miles so should be a laugh and adds to the weekly mileage with a warm up and down :-)
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    I hadn't realised the streak had advanced so much Swit. Great distances again from Ness and Cal. I end up doing a sort of proxy marathon training. Yesterday woke up to a thick blanket of snow that vanished by teatime. Today 15.2miles in bit over 1hr54. Tired and sluggish to start but got into a better rhythm in time. Lot of digging up being done by utility companies. Followed by some really half arsed filling in and patching/relaying. Went past the university. There was a discarded bra and pants on a path across the grass land. First sign of Spring.
  • Nessie, glad the wisdom tooth behaved itself. When I had mine out about 6 years ago I got what they call a 'dry socket' oh the pain was horrid.

    Cal- You're really clocking up the mileage now.

    Swit, 800 days, I don't know what to say, just incredible!

    Will, glad you're feeling better.

    JT, don't envy you with more snow. And the bra & pants would've had me spooked after the podcasts I've been listening too  :o

    Monday-3 miles, Wednesday 5 miles & yesterday 6 miles. 

    I have no training plan, I'm just running whatever pace and distance I feel like on that day. 
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Unbelievable, Swits.
    JT, your posts always make me smile.
    Nessie - that's the idea, although if I only do 18 I'll be OK with that as it will be on pre-fatigued legs. Doing a parkrun tomorrow - haven't decided which but it won't be my local one. I enjoyed visiting Fulham last time so it'd be nice to tick off another.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Will, your last run gives a near 5k time.  You LSD types are nails!  It's been far from ideal Mara training weather.  It's interesting to compare what the different 'recovery' sessions are.

    Of course, JT *is* double-figure* mileage in the N Yorkshire outback regardless of weather.  Clearly, the owner of the lingerie had overheated while running....

    Andrea, I love that freedom to make a choice about terrain & distance.  Well done!  nd, Cal, you're showing fine resilience with the hard miles.  

    Finally, thank you, all, for such kind comments about my self selected obsession.  This Streak might even take me past retirement age!
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    I opted for Finsbury Park parkrun in North London today. Despite being in SW London, it's actually easier for me to get up there than across to some of the other southern events as north-south transport links are much better than east to west, and it was a straightforward tube journey.
    Although I looked at a map of the course, I didn't take into account that it was quite a hilly park, and I wore the wrong shoes. I wore my "fast" Zoom Flys rather than my Frees, and due to the fact they roll you forward coupled with my mild dyspraxia, I had to severely check my speed on the downhills because I kept feeling that I was about to lose my balance. This cost me some time so my result was 27:20, which isn't a terrible time but I could have done better. Only 4th in my category too. But it was a good workout and since it was my first time on that course, it's automatically my best time there. :)
  • Nice tourist Parkrun effort, Cal. Great memories, from what I can remember, of my 2nd year at uni, in a less than spotless house with 4 other lads in Finsbury Park.

    An afternoon trot out and back into new territory today. A fantastic Buzzard perched on a telegraph wire, a few testing bumps and a strong finish - 6.3 old-fashioned miles in 59 mins. Happy with that.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    How lovely to see a buzzard, Will! I didn't see anything of interest today, although an Indian Ringneck came pretty close to me at one point. My pied blackbird wasn't in evidence - I hope he's busy raising chicks with the wife.

    Got my 20 done and it wasn't awful. I still had a little running left in my legs by the end so I feel a bit happier about the fact Manchester is only four weeks away. I was also happy to see lots of daffodils, a bit patch of croci and the start of blossom on the trees! And I was ecstatic that, now my water is back to normal, I could have a lovely hot bath when I got home. :)
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