My Last Run

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  • Some great running going on. 

    Well done to Will for your half in tough conditions.  Hope that runner was ok. 

    Enjoy your holidays enrvuk.

    Great mileage Cal.

    Not long to go then JD.  Put that number somewhere safe!

    Not good news from you LTT.  Early morning runs are hard until you get used to them I guess (I struggle also).  Definitely take a few days off and no testing if things are better until they have passed.

    I should almost certainly do the same as I feel crap about my running at the moment.  I was fine until about 10 days ago,  training and racing well, then something pressed a switch and I can't get my head around anything anymore.  Any attempts at speedwork grind to a halt at ever shortening distances and every run seems a complete drudge and I want to turn around and go home.    Some sort of overtraining I guess.  Physically I feel ok though and no more tired than I would expect.    I feel like I have thrown away the whole summer for an HM I won't now be doing.  If I do take a week or so off immediately then I will subsequently be on holiday with little opportunity to run then a week after that it would be my half.  At least I will only lose the race fee - no accomodation or travel.   Sorry for being so down.
  • Hazelnut, don't write off the half just yet. I think you just need a break from the speed work. I usually run by feel - I have an idea of the mileage I want to do when the week starts but I don't follow a set plan. If I feel sluggish I'll do an easy run and if I feel good I'll turn it into a tempo or interval run. I get niggles but I rarely feel as though I don't want to run.
    I'd suggest just going out and running for enjoyment - leave the Garmin behind if you like, or at least, don't look at it. Incidentally, I've been on holidays before key races and the days off always seem to do me some good - I've had a few PBs after holidays. Hang in there.

    enrvuk - Years ago when I lived in Didcot, I went for a run and a dog joined me and stayed with me for ages. Not sure if he liked the company or what! But I guess they do that sometimes - there've been instances of dogs joining in races (and doing rather well!)
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Nice 20 miler Cal,good weekly mileage as well.Congrats on your first alfresco pee!

    Well done on your HM Will.Hope your preparations for Brecon are going well.

    Nice run envruk,sounds like a lovely run.Definitely don't need sun cream and sunglasses here.

    Hazelnut,have to agree with Cal,knock the harder runs on the head,stick with easy runs and ditch the watch.Plus I'd still do the HM,you've done the hard work and put the miles in.See how you feel after your holiday.Hope you're feeling better soon.

    4.44 hilly miles on Sunday afternoon.I ditched Monday's run after work because of the torrential rain,also stopped going to any circuit training until after Chester,so I did a kettle bell workout at home instead.

  • I've ditched yoga and pilates for the same reason, JD - with the mileages I've been hitting, it's too much. If it was a gentle, stretchy sort of yoga, it wouldn't be so bad, but Bikram and Vinyasa are tough and the pilates class is a mix of core/glute work and HIIT (including burpees).
    Was also very tempted to take an extra rest day today as felt a bit crappy when I woke up and it was bucketing down outside. I decided to wait a bit and got out there just before 10 for a gentle 6 miler. Heavens opened again once I got home so seems I timed it right.
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    Huge miles Cal. Just don't burn yourself out. Last year I was doing that kind of weekly mileage and I think it made me lose some of the pleasure of running. Good pissing though. It's just a lull Hazelnut and it'll come and go. Kon'nichiwa Will and everyone else.
    5k treadmill run in 
    21min40 after gym session Monday. Tend to do them as incrementals, mainly cause I need a while to get going. Tuesday 11.1miles about 1hr24 in the rain. Much happier in the cold. Again trying to go to new roads or paths to keep motivated, particularly as I'm not going as far afield. This does involve running some fairly nondescript streets. I did see a really shitty looking flat roof 60's estate pub that I didn't know was there. Sort of got lost in so far as I didn't know where I was but figured eventually I would. Somehow got myself turned around and running in completely the opposite direction of where I thought I was headed. My sense of direction is shocking.
  • Thanks for your comments.   I like to record all of my runs so the watch is a must but do try to ignore it as much as possible.  This week I haven't looked at the HM plan, will go out when I feel like and do what I feel like and probably shove in an additional rest day or two.    Will see how I feel after that.

    Sounds as if the UK will need an ark soon.  Then it could maybe just gently float away on 31.10.  (no - let's not get onto that subject!)

    Good caution regarding the extra training Cal and JD. 

    I should try out one of your explorer runs JT - maybe try to run all of the footpaths and streets in my village to start off with - something like that.  My sense of direction is also bad though.  Maybe I should take some emergency equipment with me!  Early / late post btw. 

    Did my standard Tuesday evening group run yesterday - this time without doing an extra miles on top in order to fit my mileage to my HM plan.  Made an effort to have a chat with almost everyone - I tend to talk to the same people though it is often dependent on who runs at your pace.  First time out in the day-glo vest this autumn - need to dust off the head-torch for next week.   Might go out at lunch for a short run but only if I feel I can fit it in without stressing about the time.
  • I like to check out random streets as well, Hazelnut - keeps me from getting bored with the same old runs. Glad you are getting out there - sounds like what you need.

    Crappy feeling is definitely a virus although it hasn't turned into a full-blown cold. Just a run-down feeling and scratchy throat. I am taking today off and hopefully it'll bugger off. If I'm going to get sick, I'd rather it was now than later.
  • Hi all hope you're having  a happy week!

    Day 5 of no running, my Folkstone half marathon race number has been stuck to the fridge for the last couple weeks, staring at me, I'm going to give it a go and see what happens.

    My awful blisters I got through training on just wet grass are healing up well!
    Knee; seems to be getting much better.
    Hip; unknown, it normally kicks in about 3 miles into a run, and I don't want to run in case my blisters come back, ruining Sunday. 

     At least if I have to drop out of this half I'm in civilisation rather than being in the outback for the last two.  Once again it will be a finishing lines over finishing times though, sigh.  All practice/experience I guess.

    It will be weird starting a half marathon with a full week off running. Hope it's OK.
    I've been spoilt, the last 9 races have all been reasonably pleasant weather.  Sunday is forecast as 22mph onshore wind (it's along the promenade) and heavy, persistent rain. 

    I'm sorry to hear you're having the odd bad run Hazlenut, normally you're a beacon of running positivity!  maybe you just need a little break? the time of year doesn't help, I always lose my joie de vivre when the dark, wet evenings roll in.  I'm sure you'll be smashing it again soon

    Good running and fast again JT! I must be a running anomaly in that I'd still rather run in hot sun than in the cold. you run a good bit quicker than me though!!

    Hi Will! glad it went well, impressive time.  worrying about those runners, hope they were OK.

    Epic running/distance/mileage Cal! my marathon plan is now also on the fridge, featuring a 20 mile race beginning of March and marathon beginning of April.  Who knows if it'll happen, but I'm going to give it a damn good go!

    Have a nice week. hope you can avoid the rain!
  • Whoa! They've just upped Sunday's predictions to 45mph. I've been down there to look at the waves when it's been like that and you can pretty much lean on the wind. Going to be a er, new experience!
  • Get well soon Cal.  Hope the virus does go away quickly and doesn't develop into something nasty.

    Ouch to the wind forecast LTT.  That on top of your other issues.  I would probably consider a DNS.  Please do be careful if you do run and be prepared to DNF if anything hurts a lot.  A HM is quite a long way.  If you haven't run for a week pre race then your legs are likely to feel rusty. You seem to have plans already for the Spring and you don't want to put yourself out for a longer period of time.  Part of marathon training is about getting in consistent mileage before the actual plan starts.

    JT-style exploratory run yesterday lunchtime taking in as many roads and paths I could find in the upper part of my village.  Covered around 5.5 miles without ever being more than a mile from home.  I found a couple of nice footpaths I didn't know existed.  I did cheat and take a map with me though.  Took nearly an hour to do as I was stopping and starting to plan my next moves so as not to have to backtrack and cover the same bits of the route again.  There were also some pretty steep hills to negotiate.  Passed some nice houses - some more modern, some several hundred years old, a shetland pony having a piss and nearly ended up on a couple of front lawns a couple of times (dead ends - was hoping for unmarked paths).   Enjoyed that. 
  • Thanks Hazelnut... I've had this sort of thing a fair bit. Feels like I'm getting a cold but doesn't really develop and passes in a few days. I felt sufficiently well enough to do a recovery-pace 10 miles this morning. I was hoping to do 50 miles this week but that won't happen now. Don't suppose it matters much at this point...the hay is in the barn.

    Horses produce an epic amount of piss, even the small ones! Glad you enjoyed your run.

    Linton...good luck mate!
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Hope you're feeling better Cal, something you could do without.

    Nice running JT,are all of your runs fast?

    That's going to be a pig of a wind Linton,good character building though!Good advice from Hazelnut,maybe just use it as a training run and take it very easy, you have bigger plans for Spring.

    That's a nice easy run for you Hazelnut, always good to explore.I do all my exploring when walking the dogs,then put it into a run.

    8 easy miles Tuesday evening,a couple at MP. I was looking at my work schedule for next week,thinking that I was finishing my nights Friday morning but no I finish them Saturday morning,so that only gives me 24 hours recovery before Chester,really pissed off with myself.I'll just have to make the best of it and see what happens.

  • Hazel,  no need to apologise for being down. Sounds like a tough time and the running isn’t its usual outlet. Hope you’ve turned a corner. Most of my runs I make up as I go along, but generally in an area I know. Occasionally I end up somewhere surprising.

    Cal, best to get any illness out now. Great mileage and hopefully you’ll be bang on form for the race. Your cross training is harder than my intervals!

    JT I like the sound of the shitty 60s pub. Maybe you can get a pint of double diamond or Mackeson. Nice treadmilling. I guess one advantage of that is you can’t get lost on one. 

    Linton, best of luck for the race, but do heed Hazel’s advice, you could put yourself out for months if you seriously aggravate your injury and we’d miss you. Sounds like you’ve got some fun planned for next year. 

    JD good hills. Can I borrow your legs for the 8 mile point in Bournemouth please? There is a nasty hill there I’m told. 

    A few treadmill runs, including one tempo run in the Bournemouth taper for me and some cross training on a pedalo and a little open water swimming at Oludeniz. No ark needed here. I really want to stick to my program which would mean three more runs before we leave on Sunday, including a 5am start tomorrow before a trip to Pamukkale. 

  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2019
    Pamukkal was giving me a mental itch so had to google it. Spars. I was wondering why I was thinking of Bath. Enjoy your trip there. You can't lose your bearings on a treadmill. If the treadmill loses its bearings though you go flying off the back.
    Hope you're all doing a bit better Cal, Hazel and Linton. Good luck with the upcoming races and don't tear yourselves apart.
    I don't do any planned training JD1 so tend to run however feels right. That in practice means I stay in a quite narrow bracket of pace that sits somewhere btwn 7-8min/miles. If I'm living in the low 7s and maybe under I'm happy. If I'm regularly running up to and over the 8 I'm not happy. As for quick my niece was telling me she's started doing her local Parkrun with her boyfriend. He's a triathlete. Runs it in 17min something. Haven't met him. Never want to.
    Anyway, 7.9miles today in 59mins. Familiar roads and paths following the river out and back. The geese were really angry at some rowers. Work coming out time so lots of traffic and cars beeping each other. I got beeped crossing a road. Then a goose honked at me. Maybe not me. I reckon everyone within 5 yards of a car horn sounding has the same immediate reflexive thought, like a big psychic thunder roll of "go fuck yourself" that cracks through the air. What's the point of a car horn beyond being a big truculent misery button?
  • Your posts do make me smile JT.  Geese can be pretty aggressive sometimes.  As can car drivers. 

    Good run for me yesterday evening.  Set off with the intention of doing around 20k.  Trundled off at long run pace but without it turned into a decent progressive run with the last but one k @HM pace.  Head worked ok, lungs worked ok, legs worked ok.   That's more like it.  I won't rush back into the structured training of my HM plan though.  
  • I hate car horns too, JT...I also hate it when an ambulance or other emergency vehicle decides to start its siren as it pulls alongside me. I know the sirens are necessary but, Christ, you're just going to end up dealing with a second heart attack patient if you do that.
    Oh and your slow pace is my flat out parkrun pace. Count yourself lucky, there.
    Hazelnut, glad you're feeling a bit more chipper. I think all the lactate and VO2 workouts in P&D/P&L would be enough to put anyone off running, honestly. I could cope with the mileage, but not the paces.
    8 miles today. Not 100%, still, and legs felt a bit heavy by the end. Still a better pace than yesterday.

  • I chose Oak Hill parkrun today - a fully paved one that is mostly flat (a few inclines/declines...despite the name of the parkrun, it isn't actually hilly although the surrounding area certainly is). I was going to do Bexley but some regular posters on the Facebook parkrun tourists group were at Oak Hill so I decided to go and meet them.
    It's a three lap route and while laps aren't my favourite, it's a pleasant enough park. I got into an epic battle with a man in blue shorts (well, he thought he was in a battle - I was just trying to stick to sub-25 pace) - every time I pulled alongside him he put a little spurt on. I fantasised about producing a Farah-type sprint finish to destroy him, but as always, I didn't have much left come the end.
    I ran around 24:50 which I'm happy with. The official time came back at 24:22 which seemed wildly wrong to me (nice as that would be!) and so I checked on Oak Hill's FB page and there was a post about gremlins in the timer. Looks like I won't get an official time until tomorrow as the results guy had some other business to attend to for the rest of the day. Anyway, hopefully it'll confirm another sub-25.
    Had coffee with the people I met up with so didn't get home until 1pm.
    Last long run tomorrow. Looks like rain again.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    I know what you mean with the car horns.Hate it when twats deliberately beep their horns when they come up from behind you,always make me jump.

    JT,running to how you feel is a good way,stops you forcing it when you can't be bothered.

    Great parkrun Cal,sprint finish is never my strong point.Hopefully doing Bushy parkrun end of November.

    Hazelnut/Cal - do you take your own gels or use the gels from the water stations when racing mara's.I'm thinking of using the ones provided,just worried that they're  a different brand though.

    4.44 hilly miles yesterday evening,I'll get out for a longer run tomorrow.

  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Good luck for tomorrow Linton.

  • Hope you have had a good remaining holiday enrvuk. Travel well tomorrow.

    JD forgot to mention as on last page, that is crap regarding your shifts, no chance of changing? I take my own gels to races. I don't have to wory about picking them up and am familiar with the brand. I also take them before the aid station and chuck in some water there to dilute. At race pace it takes a while to get a gel in, can't chuck in the whole lot in one go.

    Like the battle with Mr Blue Horts Cal. Nice socializing. Have a good longie tomorrow.

    Good luck Linton. Please be careful!

    Latish recovery 6 miler yesterday evening on tired legs. Must have done it right though as they felt much better afterwards. Masses of flies around (gnats?). The swallows (or similar) were feasting. Big flock, impressive how they managed not to collide or go after the same fly!

    Have a good Sunday.
  • Thanks guys. Just a quick one, 3 hours until the start and theyre still deliberating whether it's safe or not to go ahead. It sounds like the end of the word out there, stuff like water station s are going to be impossible surely? The race is at the same time as some of the biggest tides of the year too and a flood warning is issued. Praying its rescheduled, but don' t think it will be :(

  • PS awesome running everyone.
  • I hope you had your race, Linton... I know a couple of events got cancelled elsewhere.

    I got 18 miles done (last long run before Yorkshire) but got piss-wet through for my trouble. There was some light drizzle initially but when I got to around 11 miles in Brockwell Park, it turned into proper rain. I didn't mind it that much aside from it going in my eyes, which wasn't pleasant. Fortunately it eased off before the return leg.
    I was a bit concerned as post.tib had a niggle at parkrun yesterday (still waiting on a corrected time for that) and then was quite sore in the evening. It felt a bit better this morning so stuck some tape on it and went out. It had a grumble at first but quietened down during the first mile and has been fine ever since.

    Achilles also had a bit of a tantrum from mile 7 to 10 or 11, but I decided to treat it like a toddler and ignore it until it cried itself out and went to sleep. (In actual fact, it quietened down once I increased my pace - it does seem to prefer going fast).

    I did the run as a sort of progression, going from easy through to steady then old MP then a few miles at  sub-4 pace (actually slightly faster) before a final cool-down mile. Not actually that easy given it's an undulating route...however, Brockwell's hills don't seem as steep as they used to so I must be fitter!

    An easier week ahead now, though I have my 100th parkrun on Saturday and then Kingston half on Sunday. But no more huge weeks, at least.
  • Hi Cal and everyone else, great running and hope you are Ok, injury wise.


    Well, it went ahead, (I personally don't think it should have). The weather was pretty much ridiculous solid sideways, constant rain and the sea so big an alternative route had to be put in.  I got round, it hurt lots, I'm indisputably and idiot.  I'll post in a few days to see how much of an idiot. Fingers crossed.


    Have a great weekend everyone.


  • Well done Linton - can't have been easy in that weather.
  • Thanks Cal, the weather was farcical, but it was the fact that I was hobbling in severe pain from mile 7, and for what? A garbage time, a load of pain, and God forbid, a long-term injury.

    I 've sailed bloody close to the wind injury wise for a while now, and guess I'm one of those people who it has to hit the fan before they have that pivotal "yep, I'm not doing that again!" moment.  Possibly a bit slow on the uptake..  Life lesson learned!

    I'll be having a break for a while, that's for sure, but hopefully it'll be OK.  One thing's for sure though I won't run injured again.  Still, you make your bed and lie in it, at least I didn't drown!

    Have a good week, agree with you on horns JT, instant exacerbation of any situation, but in no way helpful.  Hope the long run went well JD, and good luck in your marathon mate! Nice runs enrvuk and Hazlenut.





  • Ouch LTT.. :/ Pretty awful conditions by the sound of it.  Break certainly a good idea now. Please drop in to let us know how you are.

    Great progressive run Cal, should give you plenty of confidence for York.

    MIL's birthday today with 3 hours of driving and slotting in lunch and afternoon cake and coffee meant I had to get up earlyish to run or not at all. Fed the cats, tea, half a banana and an espresso then out for 14k. Lovely morning for it, crisp and cool. Well worth getting up for. 
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    That was a tough one Linton,well done in getting round anyway.Give yourself a break now and come back stronger.

    Nice run Cal,sets you up nicely for Kingston and York.Wish I had raced a HM before Chester.

    Sounds like a nice run Hazelnut,I love it when it's cool and crisp.I can't change my shift unfortunately,I still can't believe it that I messed it up,I won't do that again.Should make it interesting one way or the other though.

    12 miles this afternoon,8.5 @ MP,awful weather but not on Linton's scale.


  • JD, nice miles. It's grey here but thankfully not raining after the warmth of Turkey. 

    Cal, illness aside, good prep for the biggie! With the Parkrun results etc, you are coming on in leaps and bounds. The training is really paying off. It gives me hope for the future. 

    Hazel, how do you fit so much into a morning! Good to see you back on form. We took my MIL to stay with my parents in Turkey. Much happier than one might think.

    JT thumb up the for the miles, the patience and the use of truculent! Well done. Yes, Pamukkale is a Spa place. Quite dramatic, with another impressive amphitheatre. 

    Linton, congrats on winning the forum bloody mindedness award :-) That is some level of persistence. Glad you got to finish, but you have to question the organisers desire to put something on at all costs. I hope the recovery is a lot quicker than you anticipate. Looking forward to you clocking up the miles soon.

    Not much to report, a nice 8 mile with some speed on Fethiye sea front, lots of fisherman and one pulling out what looked like a tasty sized sea bass. Only 5 more runs before Bournemouth. 
  • Like the idea of the bloody mindedness award enrvuk.  Is it a half you are doing in Bournemouth?

    Good running JD. Shame about your shifts. 

    Bit more than 10 miles this evening. Trotted off to the marked loop in the nearby woods - warmup of a bit over 3 miles.  Then 5 x 800m hard efforts on the 1200m loop with 400m recoveries. Due to the undulating nature and stony surface pace is pretty irrelevant but the effort felt quite consistent. Nice little session, more interesting than blasting up and down the same bit of tarmac. Trotted home again as a cool down at a sedate pace as it was all uphill. At least I did what I set out to do this time.
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