My Last Run

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  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Sorry,finished 426/5273.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Will, it sounds like there is only so much running mojo in your family and you're not the one in possession of it right now! Great to see the rest of the family catching the bug. Mrs RV, has done a couple, but only at a fast walk. She hates running. 

    Cal, apologies for my fellow footy fans, we're the nicest people until there is a game. Honest. At least there is no game going on before your big race! Hopefully the achilles calms down during this week.

    Hazel, fabulous PR! That is pretty amazing, especially as the course had a bit of the obstacle course to it. You must be pretty chuffed. Really good category results as well. Checking the map can only get you so much knowledge and it's always good to know you could have gone a little faster in more favourable conditions. Well done.

    JD1, that sounds like a good time to me and sometimes the keeping it together feels like a real achievement. 

    Happy recovery/prep to the three of you.

    I ended up at Pymmes again as I read that parking might be tricky at Hackney due to the set up for the half. I think I went out a bit too slow and left myself too much to make up. Having said that I had nothing left when I crossed the line (crumped on the floor), so who knows? Time was a 24 sec PB at 25:25, but would have liked to have broken 25m :-( Had a nice trip to visit and stay with a friend in Wye in Kent that cheered me up. Lovely little village and lots of birds that I didn't recognise.

    I'm switching to a plan based on the 80/20 book now aiming at a good 10k, then Bournemouth half in October. I realise that the intensity of my running is all over the place. Did my first run this morning, keeping myself in HR Zone 2. For the first time I actually maintained a slow pace! 
  • Amazing half marathons  JD and Hazlenut! They are fantastic times! I make them around roughly 7:40 ish miles on average. Epic!

    What is a sensible time to aim for in your first hm? 2:00? 2:10?

    8 miles for me last night at just over 9mm. feel surprisingly ok today. I have become too reliant on my runkeeper app telling me time/distance/minute miles every 3 minutes. Last night it went haywire and I kept stopping to search for satellites. Drove me mad. Maybe just my watch next time.

    Has anyone tried running with a metronome? An interested in the 180 steps being the "ultimate" cadence.

    There's a 10 mile very hilly, challenging race this weekend and I can't decide whether to do it or not. The times look bloody fast too.hmm

    Shame about the football twats cal. More people in this country need to play, rather than watch others play, but that's a different subject.

    Have a happy day.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Congrats on the PB, Hazelnut - fantastic job! A lot of the halves I do are on pavements so I'm quite used to that, although it's not so easy when they're uneven. I think the worst was actually the Cabbage Patch 10 which went along pavements that were very humpy due to there being tree roots under them.

    enrvuk - I really liked Pymmes. The mayor actually ran it when I was there (I think she was one of the slower ones!) I might have broken my PB if it was a bit less windy coming into the finish - I lost quite a few seconds during the .1.
    Not worried about the footy blokes next weekend since I'm staying up in Manchester with my mate. But that has its own noise problems - hopefully the local drug addicts won't break into the hallway and shoot up on the stairs, which has been an issue on occassion (I'm not actually joking about that).

    Linton, I wouldn't worry too much about cadence during training. I am generally in the 170s for training runs but hit 180 or more when I race (although I was only 176 at Gatwick which may be down to the change of shoes).

    I did a reasonably pleasant 8 miler today. Achilles was still grumbling but not as badly as on Sunday. I'm hoping it cools down a bit for the weekend (the achilles and the weather!) but I think Liverpool will still be a bit warm for me. Currently it's showing that it'll hit 16, which isn't awful but that last stretch along the Mersey has no shade. It has felt pretty hot there in previous years.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Well done JD a good time for you also!

    Nice parkrun enrvuk.  Seems you have a plan for working towards your half.  Getting the intensity right is a good thing.  I run by pace rather than by HR as my optical HR seems quite erratic at times.  Should maybe get a proper sensor but I don't like them much.

    LTT, the easiest way to work out a potential HM time is to use a race calculator and feed it with a (recent) race time for a 5k/10k.  If not available then the time from a hard training run over the latter distance. That gives an idea.  For a cautious approach add a few mins on top.  I wouldn't worry about cadence either. I run somewhere in the 165 to 175 area depending on the run.  Why not give the 10 miler a go? Have a good look at the profile if it is hilly and fit your effort rather than pace to it.

    Drug addicts sound dodgy Cal.  Fingers crossed regarding the weather for Liverpool.

    4 recovery miles yesterday evening.  Legs ok though left outside ankle a bit sore, didn't roll it recently so not sure why.  Now preparing to go on hols tomorrow (Corsica)
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Group run yesterday evening (needed to get away from packing).  Nice chat about this and that.  Legs felt good for 2 days post HM. Lovely evening. Around 6.5 miles.
  • In awe of your HM time, Hazelnut! 

    Hoping Liverpool prep continues to go well for you, Cal.

    Good advice re race calculator and checking the race profile. My first HM had several big hills, which I hadn't expected, and it was very unseasonably hot on the day. So, it probably will give you a few surprises whatever happens LTT.

    Mr Black Dog has been yapping at my heels and now has bitten me firmly on the ass, so I continue to struggle with my motivation, not just for running. I did manage to lace up for 5K but it really was like wading through treacle. It is unbelievable how much the mental can affect the physical. I've never had so much difficulty getting through 5K, and just a short time after blazing a marathon in Manchester. I have strategies and know running is one of the best medicines so I will carry on and bounce back, hopefully soon.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Will it's a tough thing to go through. I suffered with depression during my late teens and early 20s (I had a pretty bad mid-20s crisis and was in very dark place for a while) but exercise got me through it. Fortunately I'm on a pretty even keel now. One thing I did was stop listening to depressing music or watching heavy or harrowing movies. I also made a point of always giving myself something to look forward to, even if it was just something small. Every little helps.

    6 miles with 2 at MP today. Saw a fox - they're a bit less frequent now that the mornings are light.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Hi Linton, nice running, sooner you than me on the hilly 10 miler!

    Cal, really glad to see you managed to come out of that dark phase with some ways of dealing with it. I also find exercise very uplifting. Are you feeling tip top for the weekend? I assume you have sunscreen and a cap in your kitbag!

    Will, sorry to hear you're suffering. I was listening to Tina Muir's podcast and it covered post-goal blues. It did talk about the importance of the next goal. Of course, everyone is an individual. 

    Hazel, pretty decent recovery run, good to see you enjoying it.

    I've run a couple more 80/20 sessions, a foundation and a tempo session. The HR based training is working for me, I can finally run at the right effort the plan suggests! Early days, but initial signs are good.

    Happy running everybody.
  • alipat1990alipat1990 ✭✭✭
    Hi all, it has been a while! Thought I'd drop in and update you all on my injury situation. It is now approaching 2 weeks since my last run and my knee is still giving me bother. The physio told me to ease off the running and suggested a few gentle exercises to try and help. The knee improved over the course of the first week but since then things don't particularly seem to have improved. 

    With Derby now just two and a half weeks away I am having serious doubts as to whether I will be able to run it. I think the sub 1:45 dream is definitely shot at the very least. I'm trying to remain patient but boy is it frustrating not being able to get out there.

    Well done on the HMs Hazel and JD. They are excellent times. You should both be super proud. 
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    alipat - I hope you can get out soon. Do you know what the issue is?

    enrvuk - forecast is actually rain, though that might change. I'd welcome a bit of rain, actually - it'll keep me cool.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Enjoy your holiday,Hazelnut.

    Hope you're feeling better soon Will.Like you said running is a very good medicine.

    Glad the HR training is going well,envruk.There's a few guys from the running club who swear by it.Also a good indicator it your going to come down with an illness.

    Sorry hear about your knee,alipat,you're doing the right thing and resting it.

    Are you looking forward to Liverpool,Cal?

    Went to club intervals last night,6 x 600,supposed to be at 5k pace of less but I was really struggling,feeling very lethargic,not too sure what is wrong with me.Have a hill race Sunday but I can't see myself running it at the moment.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Have a good one, Hazelnut!

    JD, yeah I think so.
    Perhaps you are coming down with something yourself?
    I felt rough when I woke up today - really groggy and tired with a stuffy nose so I was worried I might be poorly myself. However I suspect it's down to poor air quality and heat. My run actually went quite well - 5 miles with a few strides in the last half mile.
    I'll be traveling up tomorrow so this is my last run before the race.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Good luck in Liverpool,Cal,hope you have a good one.

    Just over ten easy miles this morning,felt okish.Very warm and muggy.
    Spotted a couple of pied wagtails,a buzzard swooped about twenty feet in front of me,which was nice to see.But the best of all was watching three male ducks trying it on with a female.They kept submerging her for long periods of time,I thought she was going to drown.So I started clapping loudly to try and distract them,which worked a treat.She eventually went off with just one.Very rough and ready in the world of duck love.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Quick drop in from Corsica to wish Cal good luck for Liverpool.  

    Will, hope you are feeling better soon.

    No running here yet but have found a decent route to try out tomorrow. 

    Have a good weekend everyone.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Thanks! Going to get an early night.
    JD, ducks are pretty nasty when it comes to sex. They'll force themselves on females, males or even different duck breeds when they get their dander up. Here's a photo I took several years ago in Paris of a male trying it on with a much bigger barbary female.
  • Best of luck everyone, have a great weekend, good luck in races.

    Well done on your 10miles JD. A long way in my mind!

    Have a great holiday Hazlenut,  It'll be strange for me on my next holiday doing a decent amount of running, rather than drinking rum all day, but it'll be good!

    I hope things are heading in the right direction Will, I' be been there a few times in my life, sending support.

    Still chipping away, 5 and 6.2 milers, not much to report. Definitely bored of "the loop" round where I live, need to start driving out to different places, maybe some Forrest trail.

    Got three choices for tomorrow (I must do 10 miles according to my plan.)

    1. Ten miles on my own, probably along the seafront.
    2. A 700 plus entrant 10k I've fancied, then short rest and 3.8 mile light jog
    3. The aforementioned very hilly 10 miler (I think I've talked myself out of this).


    I tried a race time predictor for half marathon and with my 21:49/48:34/92:34 for 5k/10k/10miles it predicted well under 2 hours. I don't even think I could run that far!! I'm wrecked after 10 miles, it seems a bloody long way.  A marathon seems like swimming to the USA.

    Enjoy your weekend, at least it's a lot cooler then was predicted earlier in the week.
  • Oh! And good luck with the race Cal and slips with the knee.
  • > @LintonTravelTavern said:
    > Oh! And good luck with the race Cal and slips with the knee.

    Slips should read alipat!, bloody autocorrect! My edit function still doesn't work.
  • Good luck in Liverpool, Cal. Have a great race!
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Just a quickie as my mate's just dishing up dinner. Liverpool - had a really good race until the later stages so was in PB range, but the last four miles down the Mersey had the mother of all headwinds. It was like running into a wall. Finished in 4:14:25 - close to my Vienna time - so still quite pleased. It's an 8 minute course best. 
    Right, time to eat.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Well done,Cal,excellent result,nothing worse than a strong headwind.That's a massive course PB,great running.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Congratulations Cal. Great course PB. Shame about the wind, definitely something you can do without at the end of a mara.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Alipat sorry to hear about your injury woes. The more you get into running the more frustrating they become. I competed and trained for sports 7 days a week in my teens (rugby, football and athletics) and never missed an event through injury. Nowadays brushing my teeth seems to be a hazard! Good luck pre-Derby.
    Linton what did you decide? I guess before stepping up to Marathon you’d be doing some longer, slower runs to prepare. The thought of a half marathon was ridiculous to me in January, but by the end of March I ran(ish) one.
    Will, have you managed to get out there or book your next race yet?
    Hazel, running in Corsica, very nice! Hope your route was good and not too hot.
    Cal, brilliant time and huge course PB! So annoying to have a potential PB blown away, but that’s a great run and you know you’ve got a PB in you if the conditions are sympathetic. There should be a rule that any headwind is near the start of the race :-) Looking forward to the full report. 
    JD1, good nature watch and 10 miles in muggy weather can never truly be ‘easy’.
    Couple of runs for me. I finally got to the Hackney Marshes Parkrun. It is indeed very flat, making the relatively small incline at places like Pymmes quite noticeable. There is one small section that is a little gravelly, but it’s definitely a PB course.  I’d recommend it to anyone who fancies a fast time. Parking is easy, but public transport is a bit tricky.
    Having started too slow at Pymmes I ran harder at the start of this one and first 1k was about 4:35. I must admit I was holding on for most of the last 2.5k. I could tell by the home stretch I was on for my main goal for the year of <25m for a 5k and ran slightly faster (I wouldn’t call it sprinting) I stopped when I passed a guy holding what I thought was a stopwatch, but realised as two people went past me that I’d stopped too early and had to go another 15-20 metres. Luckily for me I still clocked 24:48, so job done. 
    Yesterday was the Vitality Westminster Mile, we had a group of around 15 of us, as a close friend is one of the organisers. 2 years ago I ran this in 7:54, so even on tired legs I was hopeful of beating that.  I really struggle with the fact I can’t warm up for this as there is nowhere to run when you’re in the pen beforehand. As a result I struggled quite early and actually felt better at the end than I did  at half way. I managed 7:23. My brother in law managed 6:48 and my nephew who is 14 surprised us all by running 6:43! He definitely has some ability!
  • alipat1990alipat1990 ✭✭✭
    Well done Cal. I've heard a few people say that the conditions were far from ideal up there so fair play on battling through.

    So after a few days of suffering no pain in my knee I decided to lace up and hit the roads for what felt like the first time in forever. I was playing it by ear of course, but the ultimate goal was to try and get 10 miles in if the knee behaved. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable things felt and the miles were flying by until just after mile 6. I felt/heard a crunch in my knee and that put an end to today's adventure and I reckon my chances of running Derby are now officially shot. I am going to look into deferring, get another trip to the physio booked in and ultimately make a complete reset. 
  • Well done Cal! That is an awesome time, especially into that headwind.
    I'm glad it was a good trip.

    Sorry about the knee injury alipat, that sucks, I do hope it improves.

    Well done enrvuk! Good Park runs and mile. I must start doing a few timed miles.

    My race day was fun but mediocre result wise. Decided on the local 10k plus a bit more, mainly due to not fancying the long drive to the 10 miler (Turned out it was a pretty hefty drive).

    Turned up at folkstone quite early to register.  It was along the seafront and would be into a stiff headwind.  It was a slog out to the halfway point, I turned and tried to make up the time on the way back, but i'd lost too much on the way out, and only managed 141/581 and a time of 49:23 which I was disappointed with, given how flat it was. still, sub 8 minutes miles, so better than nothing.


    After stopping for perhaps 5/10 minutes I set off on a four miler, along the seafront the other way, up some steps, through an estate, along a big pier, back along the seafront an finishing up back on the pier,  so I got my 10 miles in! 88 minutes combined. Some of the people walking back from the race were looking at me a bit weird but, gotta get those 10 miles in!! 

    My ankle was bad again the next day, but hoping it'll be ok soon. I've been putting frozen peas in it. Also, so much sunburn, another lesson learned.

    5, 6 and 11 miles this to do this week, half marathon in 3 weeks now, do hope I can get round. 


  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Linton, don't beat yourself up, a headwind is no fun at all (I should know!!) I got a bit of a sunburn in Liverpool too - it was cloudy until we hit the Mersey but then the sun came out. I hadn't expected that so neglected the sun lotion.

    alipat, I'm really sorry to hear that. :(

    Well done on your parkrun and mile, enrvuk - Hackney is one I've not got to yet.

    4 miles recovery run for me today. Rather stiff but nothing was screaming at me, so that's a plus. A bit of grumbling from the achilles but I'd be surprised if it wasn't a bit sore following a marathon. Enjoyed it anyway. I used to wait until Thursday to run but I seem to be getting a bit better at recovering, which is a plus.
    Less pleased to see that I've put on several pounds, so those will have to go. Ideally I'd like to get to 10 stone or less in time for Yorkshire - I've been hovering around 10'4 or 5 much of this year but hit 10'8 this morning. I did eat a lot of crap at my mate's on top of the pre-run carb up, so it's my own fault, really.

    So a bit of a longer account of Liverpool. Weather was warmish (15) but drizzly and with a breeze, which helped me keep cool. I was determined not to start too fast but still managed to go through the first mile in 9:20 which is about 10 seconds quicker than it should have been.
    The route up to the football grounds has been changed this year so rather than a gentle climb followed by one sharp hill post-Anfield, there was a bigger hill at mile 3. This was preceeded by two foot tunnels under a road, one with lights and music, which was cool, and the other smelling of piss, which was less so.
    I still clocked 9:29 for the hilly mile and was feeling strong, but I'd expect to at that stage of a marathon.
    The next few miles were a bit twisty turny as we took some back streets to Everton and then circled the ground there before hitting Stanley Park, which is as pleasant as always.
    Then it was back down to the city centre on the same roads. I ran this bit a little faster to take advantage of the elevation loss, but didn't go mad, as I knew the biggest hill was yet to come and didn't want to trash my quads (a mistake I'd made in previous years).
    At this point the course reverted to normal - through the city centre, past the Cavern and the Cilla statue and then back along the front past the Albert Docks and the start/finish. As the half marathoners go off an hour before the marathon (something I've never understood, it should be the other way around!) they were all there with their medals, the bastards. I ignored them and high fived the kids at the side of the road and concentrated on enjoying myself.
    It was a bit windy on this stretch but not too bad, and I was still feeling good as I ascended towards the Chinatown gate (a long incline but not steep).
    After this came the course's biggest hill - 35m of climb in mile 12. In previous years this did for me, but I didn't struggle this time. I ran a 9:43 mile here so I was only 10 seconds or so off target pace and had banked plenty of time early on.
    We then entered the second park (Prince's Park I think) and from there to Sefton Park, where we spend quite a lot of time aside from a quick jaunt up to Penny Lane (where they play Penny Lane on repeat, which I can't think would be much fun for the volunteers there). The parks are nice and shady which is a godsend on sunny days but it was still rather grey and breezy this time.
    I was making good time aside from a 9:55 at mile 16 which I can't really explain as I was feeling pretty good still.
    I think, even though I was feeling fine, my postural muscles were starting to get a bit knackered so at 20 miles I began to slow slightly. Even so, at this point in the race I felt a hell of a lot better than I had in previous years.
    But then, at 22, we hit the Mersey and that nice breeze became a wall of wind. This is a long stretch even if conditions are favourable. I'm not sure which is worse - the heat and dead air of last year or the wind of this year - but it was all a slog. The Mersey looked particularly choppy. One of the other runners told me her pacer reckoned it was the worst headwind he'd ever experienced and I don't doubt it. I ran The Big Half in very windy conditions but those were strong gusts, whereas this was just relentless. My pace dropped to 10:26, then 10:52 and then I pulled it back a bit for a 10:25 but I knew my chance of a PB was gone. It would have been tight anyway, but with the wind as it was, I just settled down and concentrated on getting to the end.
    The final mile veers away from the Mersey and I was very happy to be away for that wind. I ran a 10:11 here and then put in a little burst for the finish.
    Helped myself to drinks and snacks, staggered into the arena to collect my bag and T-shirt, cleaned myself up with a wet wipe and changed into dry stuff (all this was actually more painful and difficult than the last mile of the race!) and then found my friend and got my Encore medal.
    I think this will be my last Liverpool for a while - it's a good race and enjoyable but not a PB course, plus I've done it three times now and I should probably try something new for next year.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Great running,envruk,really hard trying to run fast when you haven't warmed up properly.That's a massive difference from last year.I need a good warm up if running a 5k or 10k.

    Really sorry about your knee,alipat,obviously more serious than first thought.Fingers crossed you can get to the bottom of it.

    That's a good time,Linton,especially running into a headwind,well done.

    Fantastic report,Cal,felt like I was running with you.That was definitely a pig of a headwind.I grew up near Penny Lane,used to spend a small fortune at the record shop on Penny  Lane.Might give  Liverpool a go next year.

    Been working nights and with my girls being off I haven't got much sleep over the last few days,so kept my runs at easy pace,just 5 this afternoon.

  • That's a great report Cal, sound pretty arduous  but an awesome achievement.

    How do you get the accurate split times per mile? That must be handy. I try and work it out while running, from my stopwatch, but it's a pain. Well done again.

    Did my required 6 miles last night at a easy pace and felt Ok so added another mile to make it 7.

    Quick couple of questions if Ok?

    1. Would you take on calories/gels at half marathon distance? Or would my normal porridge and fruit a few hours before be plenty. I've never used them before.

    2.How do you guys hydrate on longer training runs? 10 mile and over.

    I could create a 5 mile loop back home for a drink , neck water, then carry on the same loop again.

    I have no way of carrying it.

    Maybe I could go out in my car and stash a drink in a bush or something, mid way.

    Just wondered if you guys have a technique, it's warming up now and damn I was parched after the 7 miler.

    Have a great day.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Linton - my Garmin. Get yourself one, it's a godsend.

    1. No, unless you are very slow you won't be running long enough to exhaust your glycogen stores. Your porridge is all the energy you need.

    2. I have a belt with two small bottles on it. You can also buy bottle vests.
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