My Last Run

1863864866868869927

Comments

  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    I think I underestimated how warm and humid it would be today, as well as how knackered I'd be after the race on Wednesday and yesterday's parkrun. I did a mix of a few routes - down across Tooting Common to Figges Marsh, along the Mead Path (trail) to Collier's Wood and then along the Wandle to Mitcham, across Mitcham Common, up to Pollard's Hill, through the two Norbury parks and then home. I'd hoped to do 16 but once I got to Norbury Park (or rather the railway bridge on the way there) I realised how fried my hams were and decided to forget my intended detour to Streatham Common and head back. A real slow plod of a run (a lot of 11+ miles), and I managed to reflux bile four times.
    On the plus side, quite impressed I managed to find my way across Mitcham Common as I usually get lost there.
    Only one heron spotted on the Wandle - there are usually a few - but a lot of foxes. An enjoyable route (just wish I'd had a bit more energy).
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    From 6am when I worked to gone sunset is quite a move, John.  And it's the rather selfish wish to have the terrain to myself.  Often, I'll see no-one in a full hour but the warm weather keeps people on the beach until midnight!!

    Your WAVA score is commendable - and your joy is reflected on FetchEveryone, where numbers were, by all accounts, rather down on pre-cov levels.  225 finished Crosby but it'll be some undefined time before I toe the line there, or elsewhere.  :=o

    Will the 'significant number' T-shirts be back, I wonder?  Tom 'parkrun' Williams made Radio 4s 'Today' prog., as well as 'Breakfast', and the 1 & 6pm news on the Beeb.

    Cal, your 5km time suggests you're over the worst of the niggles.  Bushey was "Where it all began", wasn't it?  Weekly timed runs.  Teen mileage is tough in  current weather.

    Hazel: wise route and distance choices.

    Headed out for an hour at 10.30 last night to see the 'Buck' full moon.  The native Americans in the NE USA named lunar months in response to what nature was doing and I've got interested in this.  That name's about antlers - other names are Thunder; Salmon and 'The month when the chokeberries ripen'.  More here in an American site: https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-names

    Heading north by trail, I turned at Burbo Bank and ran down the beach, hoping to see the moon rise in the SE but cloud did its worst.  Towards the start of the Mersey, I saw the moon, a warm, creamy yellow, high above the huge cranes in Seaforth docks - but only for a few minutes.  Around 1am, the cloud cleared and moonlight lit up the drab Waterloo roofs and chimneys on my street.




  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Reminds me, I will need a new passport fairly soon - will go by legal paths though.

    Well done Cal - sometimes you don't have to drag out a run to the full limit.  You had two good hard runs this week.

    Thanks for the pic swittle.  Can imagine it was impressive live.  For the link also.  I regularly see deer here and can confirm that one buck has a good set of antlers growing.

    Already well into the olympics - I like watching all sorts of things (currently diving with non-stop commentary from my OH grrr). 

    Tough long run today - 16 miles with 10 @ MP.  My MP is a bit of guesswork at the moment but a few training runs will show what is too much and what is doable.  Today likely was but I got the miles done.  Conditions were warm, humid and sunny - the alternative earlier on would have been a drenching.  2:10:14.  Fuelling today - one gel and a couple of water breaks - I made sure to take on a decent amount each time rather than just a few sips initially and get dehydrated.
  • Cal, I'd loved to run the Bushy PR, as that's where the whole thing started. (Parkrunners equivalent of Mecca?) It must be one the the biggest in the country, but I gather the course can accommodate these numbers. That reflux sounds nasty. Although over the years I've suffered from much the same I don't think it's ever come on while I've been running; I tend to get it overnight. Maybe a sign you're pushing yourself too much?

    Hazel, that run sounds hard too. Like you I really enjoy the Olympics but the timings aren't great (I believe they are dictated mainly by US TV networks - surprise, surprise) and the BBC coverage is very thin fare. Eurosport seem to be the go-to channel and that's because of a commercial deal that has partly frozen out the BBC. Shame. 

    Swittle, is that a UFO I see in your photo? It must be so tranquil to run in those conditions and in that terrain. Is the Crosby PR a fast course?

    Quite tired after the Saturday Parkrun, so a rest day yesterday (other than a frantic go on the rower while watching the road race!). Thought I'd have a crack at a 10k this morning, but it was the old, old story and faded badly on the 2nd 5k. I was on for a 49.30 but my knee tweaked at 9.5k and I was quite happy for this to be used as a pretext for finishing as I was running on empty. 
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    edited July 2021
    Although the Olympics ought to be a sporting 'must', I'm finding the limits on coverage rather disappointing.  BBC was outbid, so has to go cap in hand to Discovery, I believe.  Time difference doesn't help - but I was watching the women's tri in the early hours nonetheless, instead of luxuriating in a warm bath after the evening run!

    Watchers in GB must accept that 2012 levels of coverage are history: a radio interview recently compared the 300 hours live tv in 2021 with 5000 in 2012.  I can forgive repeats, and much of the expert commentary enhances the output, e.g. Beth Tweddle & gymnastics.

    Cooler & breezier in GB for a few days - if similar in Suisse, might suit you better, Hazel.  Years ago, a club I ran with used to send someone out in a car to leave water bottles hidden away en route.  A matter of trust whether one sampled them...

    John, strange to say, but the container base has a strange, industrial appeal and Liverpool is truly a 24-hour, 365 days a year port.  Chatting to the chihuahua walkers last night, we watched MSC Virtuosa cruise in stately fashion out of port en route to Greenock.  Over 180 000 tonnes (gross), 1700 crew, 6300+ passengers...and 16 decks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSC_Virtuosa And not a whisper of engines!  An hour's slow tour of lakes, docks, sand & trails - very quiet: just the one camp fire.

    Crosby parkrun is heavily multi terrain: maybe 30 yards of tarmac at the turning point and finish but there are ruts, hillocks and soft sand to negotiate.  Last week's 1st finisher's time - it's not a race! - was 18:40 or so.  Look after that knee.


  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Good effort on the 10k nonetheless JB.  I guess you would need better speed endurance so you can pull the effort through on the second half.  If you can bear to do them in maybe try some tempo intervals - something like start off with 8 to 10 minutes x 3 and increase the length of the intervals and decrease the number down to 2 x 15 minutes.  Bit slower than 10k pace and 50 - 80% rep time recoveries.  Workouts like those helped me a lot.  You could row along to the Olympic rowing races? 

    Gentle recovery yesterday - 3.25 miles. Rather than setting myself a distance to run I decided on a time of 30 mins.  An out and back course with the aim of getting back to the start in the alloted time - i.e. don't speed up on the way back to get it done with as I sometimes do.  Pleased to achieve it almost to the second.    
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    John, yes, it is massive. There were just over 1000 on Saturday but it has had twice that. The course is suited to it, though, unlike my local, Tooting - when it gets much over 600 then you're going to be walking the first stretch. It's for that reason that I stopped running there and started touring.
    Precision running, Hazel.

    8 miles this morning - this was meant to be an easy run pre-blood donation, but I wasn't allowed to donate in the end (I don't have the result from the ECG last week and they won't take blood from anyone with any suspected heart issues, unsurprisingly. I do fully expect the ECG to be fine, given I did a race in 27 humid degrees that evening and didn't die).
  • Swittle, I agree with your sentiments with respect to the Olympic coverage. There are still some gems which makes it special. I caught some of the rugby 7s and there were two matches of great sporting drama. You seem to run on most days? Do you have a rest day policy? 
    On Liverpool, I was there in the Boys from the Blackstuff/Brookside era, six years in all. I loved certain aspects but ultimately I fell out of love with it - riots, the crime rate, Derek Hatton and the sense of hopelessness. But even today if I hear a Scouse accent, I perk up and try to engage. I lived in Sefton Park (will not the actual park) and then West Derby - for some of that time we were in the bit that backed on to Cantril Farm as it then was. My goodness!
    That sounds like a tough little course.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Yes, John, one could never stick the label, 'mundane' on Liverpool; and I believe the warmth, volatility and character to be a product of life as a port handling comings and goings of cargo, people, attitudes and cultures.  Bristol and Hull strike me as having similar antecedents.  A job in Bootle brought me to Merseyside and my initial trepidation was gradually translated into a grudging affection for its homely, almost parochial atmosphere.  

    I missed the excesses you mention but saw the long lasting impact, e.g. in the decline of the docks; and the hammer blow of losing a major employer drew parallels with West Yorkshire - where I grew up - and the loss of the coal industry.  Resilience is a fine quality but a delicate flower too, when jobs disappear and money is scarce.

    Lark Lane is about as Bohemian as Liverpool gets and the debate rumbles on about whether Liverpool has more authentic Georgian buildings than Bath, a smaller city to be sure.  

    Re training: I run every other day, and have an old skool gym sesh on the non-running days.  Hazel will remember my Streaking days - a chronic knee injury 3 years ago brought me to my senses but I used to be a vehement advocate of the 'Ron Hill' formula!
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Liverpool does have some architectural gems - I've done the Rock 'n Roll there three times so I've seen a fair bit of it. That race also gave me an appreciation for how many nice parks there are (a few miles of the race are in and around Sefton Park).

    As I didn't get to give blood yesterday, I swapped out the planned recovery run for 10 miles of fartlek fun. Similar course to last week's 10 (up Pollard's Hill) but then continued up to Norwood Grove/Streatham Common including Gibson's Hill. That one's a bastard so I took it slow, but threw in some sprints and faster sections elsewhere. Picked up a few Strava PBs and trophies along the way, too. Hopefully that'll help me next week when I do the second race in the Wimbledon Trail Series (they are usually spaced a month apart, but the timeline got compressed this year due to the lockdown). It shouldn't be as hot, at least. I don't suppose I'll get near my course best from 2019 but I'd like to get under 50 minutes this time.


  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Good on you for doing the blood donation Cal - or trying to at least.  I'm not allowed to here as I lived in the UK at the wrong time (BSE).  I guess or at least hope they would have got back to you quickly if the ECG had thrown up anything dodgy.

    Interesting interaction regarding Liverpool - I liked it there as well on a visit a couple of years ago.  Read about the loss of the UNESCO world heritage status (or whatever it is called) - it made it to the press here.

    Nice fartleking Cal.  Fingers crossed for decent weather next week. 

    Back to standard Tuesday for me yesterday evening after a break.  Less standard the cycle to and from the meeting point, I'm trying to make a habit of it if the weather is ok until autumn.  An easy trundle down the hill but not so easy return due to nearly 250 m of ascent in a bit less than 4 miles.  I didn't need the tiny gear this time though.

    Running was a couple of solo miles followed by my standard group round for a bit over 9 miles.  Pleasing to see 5 of us out.  Plus a guy who was too late to the meeting point and ran the short route.  We hunted him down on the last mile.  Pretty humid again but no sun so bearable.  My legs were a bit tired from Sunday's efforts still but seemed to appreciate the undulating nature of yesterday's course whereas Sunday's was almost flat.  
  • Swittle, some very valid points, nicely put. I never really explored Bootle. I can just recall it for 2 things: 1. I believe it was the HQ of the Giro (appropriate, I guess, given Liverpool's high level of benefit claimants); 2. an FE college called 'Hugh Baird' - probably (both?) long gone now. I worked in FE while I was there - a college called Millbank College of Commerce just off Queens Drive. (I'm smiling while I type this, so the memories are fond.) 
    I confess that just for a moment I worried a little when you referred to your 'streaking'.
    In terms of running, the city - always of course a football hotbed - really took to the running culture of the early 80s. Many of my colleagues did the first London Marathon, but not me, as I thought it was a pretty boring way of spending your time!

    Cal, yes, Sefton Park was/is gorgeous. Does a fartlek count as a recovery one? That one sounded pretty full on. Isn't good when you have a specific goal to aim at i.e. your sub 50? 

    Hazel, are you at the point in your marathon training where you have a weekly mileage target? If so, are you hitting it? A lot of your runs seem to involve gradients which must mean its hard to do an 'easy run'?

    Talking of targets, I've been challenged to a head to head on Saturday in the Parkrun. As my challenger is 5 or so years younger than me, it's not 'first across the line' but age grade. If I do 22, he needs to do 21. He is lot lot quicker than me over shorter distances (track 1500m) but coming back from an injury. It should be close.

    So I decided to put a bit of intensity into my run today. I thought about doing all sorts of intervals but then looked at the window and saw an 30-40mph wind. I thought I'd run an almost flat-out downwind 2.5k and then turn into the wind and simply try to hang on. and basically just keep going. So a game of 2 halves:

    - 10.34 with the wind
    - 13.30 into the wind

    and wiped out by the end. 2 days rest now.


     
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    I do have weekly mileage targets JB yes.  I dropped my mileage from what it was to get stuck into the plan so at the moment it is more about getting the quality runs (tempo, long with and without MP etc.) done right and keeping the easy stuff easy so that I can.  For undulating easy runs I generally just keep an eye on my average pace (slower ups and faster downs).  It seems to work.

    That sounds like a good challenge for you on Saturday - good luck!  That was a tough one today - well done for sticking out the second half.

    5 recovery yesterday evening with decent enough pacing.  It is currently quite a lot quieter in the woods due to the school holidays - didn't meet anyone.  I was pretty tired on going out (likely been watching the olympics too much) but the run perked me up a bit.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    John, hardly - it's informal intervals. I enjoy these kinds of runs but yeah, think I may have overdone it a bit - I have been feeling a bit under the weather since.

    5 recovery for me too...very slow but the weather was lovely (sunny but much fresher). It's nice to have my flat back to a tolerable temperature again.
  • Hazel/Cal - This month's Runners World had an interesting article discussing what they call 'polarised' training. I don't think it's new but it was an impressive analysis backed up by a bit of research. This is the idea of splitting your training runs into 3 categories - easy , moderate and hard. The thrust of the article (and I'm sure you've heard this before) is that you should almost forget the 'middle' one and do most of your training at an easy pace (say 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 of effort) and then the rest at 'hard' intensity (or indeed very hard). The idea is that the easy runs give you chance to fully recover and let you do the high quality hard runs (e.g HIIT/intervals) in optimal condition.
    I can see the point but I'm too much of an old dog to try new tricks (even if the tricks aren't that new!).

    Having said that............today I was egged on by my son to buy a pair of Saucony Endorphin trainers, very much the new generation of running shoes. This is most unlike me but the word on the street is that these types of kit deliver world records to the elite (not applicable!!) and maybe 30 seconds or so off your 5K to ordinary Joes like me.

    They might arrive tomorrow, and might therefore be christened on Saturday's 'grudge race'. 


  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    You're right about parks in Liverpool, Cal - Prince's Park and its mansions along the carriage drive; the splendour of Croxteth Hall, seat of the Earls of Derby; Stanley Park, bracketed by red 'n' blue footie clubs... :-)

    John: the Giro site is now part occupied by Santander and Hugh Baird College has several more campuses now.  My club, Red Herring Road  Runners, was based in Wallasey and never had more than 20 members.  We'd use Bidston Hill in the summer and New Brighton prom in winter for training.  

    Cal - when I was donating, I'd leave 24 hours clear before any exercise.  Platelet or plasma sessions didn't leave me as tired as whole blood giving.

    Like it or not, the weather looms large when choosing the route and type/duration of session.  Yesterday's low pressure gifted Crosby 25mph winds, squalls and thunder 'n' lightning, thankfully gone by evening.  Neither human nor dog seen during my hour-long tussle with soft sand, fading light...and the advancing years.  The swans & water birds had the right idea with early roosting, and even the drizzle departed.  A smidge over the hour.

    I have to admire the structure that contributors here apply to their training.  RW helped initially but it was easier most times simply to lace up and get out, setting only a time in minutes.  Track sessions paled after a while but I did - and do still - enjoy the variety within getting off road.  For Mara no. 1, Phil, a rugby friend, was a valuable mentor, having run the distance before.  I recall our late night 10s and 12-milers and getting home too late to eat!  Cross training was rugby, refereeing and squash but....I doubt I'd have improved significantly on my PBs, even if I'd trained 'properly' by myself, or with a club.  


  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Got to see Stanley, Prince and Sefton...all lovely. And the footy clubs which I didn't realise were so close together before I ran the first time. The second time we actually got to run through Anfield, which was cool, even though I'm not that interested in football. Last time there was an event going on there so we had to go around.
    Thanks for the advice, swittle. One of the reasons I was interested in platelet donation was the fact it wouldn't impact my running as much, even though it takes a lot longer.

    Anyway, the good news is that my ECG seems to be fine as cardiology have discharged me and the note on my file says no further action to be taken. 
  • Swittle, I've got a friend who lives in Wallasey. An ex-colleague, he's the only person I know who's got a knighthood. I sat next to him and didn't even get a miserable MBE!
    Seriously, he was a bit of a superstar.
    The wind was shocking here - 50-60mph. I stayed inside.

    Cal, I think 'no further action' are three of my favourite words. I know all of those parks too and used to play 5-a-side football (badly) in Stanley Park. 

    Well my new trainers didn't arrive. I got very frustrated - until I realised the error was mine (and got even more cross!). But no matter! A 21.17 (AG 79%+) was achieved today. Perfect conditions and the incentive of chasing my rival were the drivers. But my goodness, I never thought I had that sort of time in me, these days. Absolutely delighted!

    I watched the tri relay event. What a brilliant event and what a great GB team. Loved every minute of it. Isn't sport just great (sometimes)?
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Everton is giving up homely Goodison Park for an estimated £500 million stadium at the Bramley-Moore Dock in Vauxhall, south of Bootle.  Ready for 2024-25 season.  One of the test 'dance' events was held in a disused warehouse there earlier in the year.  It lies within the UNESCO world heritage area and was cited as part of the reason Liverpool waterfront lost its world heritage status.  Much of the docks nearby have fallen into ruin - most unlikely to be a tourist destination.  My belief is that tourists will continue to visit, simply because it's Liverpool.

    Cal: good report after your tests.   I asked about time to recover from donations: the body has to replenish whole blood, while fluids following a spin in the centrifuge are returned to the donor of plasma or platelets.

    Age grading really helps to maintain interest in improvement, and pushing a WAVA score of 80% is v impressive, John.  The GB tri relay 'gold' was a just reward for Johnny Brownlee, now that he's got other plans.  He & Alistair used to run - and usually go one & two - in the Chevin Chase, Otley on Boxing Days.  One year, Johnny signed race shirts for almost an hour in the playground of the school that served as HQ.  No side on either of them.

    Brisk WNW breeze last night, and remnants of rain but an enjoyable hour on trails along the coastal park to the parkrun 'turnaround' point, then 2 miles of firm beach, turning for the prom at the ever reliable orange warning beacon in the channel.  

  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    I took myself off to Lullingstone parkrun in Kent (not far outside London). It's a country park that is bordered by a lavender farm and I was keen to get to it before the lavender was harvested. Seems I just made it as it's being picked next week. 
    The parkrun itself is quite notorious for being hilly and it's all trail (grass and dirt path...some grass is quite long and some of the dirt is rooty) so it wasn't going to be a fast one.
    I walked a mile there from the nearest station (which made me a little nervous as there's no pavement) then dumped my bag and went for a warm up. I managed to get lost during this so had to stop and ask some golfers to point me back to the visitor centre, and I only just made while the RD was wrapping up his speech. Not the best start!
    The park is beautiful - lots of wildflowers and lovely carved wood sculptures - and I could smell the lavender. That made up for the fact it was a bit of a slog - I got through the first lap but faded on the second. It was warmer and muggier than I expected and I regretted wearing my parkrun t-shirt instead of a vest. I was a bit disappointed to be over half an hour (30:30) - I'd expected to do around 29. But never mind...another parkrun ticked off and it was beautiful.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    JB - I've heard / read about such training methods yes.  I think with mara training at the moment I need to put in some of those middle of the road pace miles just to keep the mileage ticking over.  Doesn't sound to me like you need those supershoes with a result like that today.  You must have won that grudge match easily?

    Feel a bit guilty about not being able to donate blood - they have regular sessions here.   My UK blood isn't welcome though. 

    Nice to have a solo run again I guess swittle after quite a spate of late night beach visitors recently. 

    Just had a browse Cal - Lullingstone looks like a nice area.  Great effort on a not so easy course.  What are your parkrun goals /challenges at the moment - anything particular?  I think you have done the London ones?     

    I wanted to do another pace check run yesterday for the easy paces - a couple of miles at each but didn't really get going and was off by quite a bit on the slow side as I decided there was no point in pushing anything and ran by effort instead.  Another night of pretty poor sleep and it was very humid.  

    In contrast I felt much better for today's 12.5 miles.  Naughtily drove quite a bit for this one - I try to do most of my running locally but really wanted to look at something else again.  I haven't travelled much at all the last months so I will let myself off if it isn't too often.  River route - still pretty brown and parts of the path along the bank are deviated as the river has munched the path away.  Upstream for the outward leg climbing about 80m in 10k then turn over a bridge and back the other side.  I picked up the pace for 5 miles on the turn - a bit too much maybe but I guess I was benefitting from the downhill. Last mile and a bit was for cool down.  A friend was out cycling with his wife and overtook me a couple of hundred metres from the end so a quick stop for chat - I was told I need to use my arms more (very likely  :D ).   Longest run for this week (cut-back week), short one tomorrow in the rain.  
  • Nice exploring, Hazel. Yes I've done all the main London ones...(until any new ones start, which doesn't seem to be happening any time soon) so I've got London Plus (the ones that aren't technically London but are within the M25) to do. I'll have to space them a bit as that obviously costs more and takes longer than doing those I can get to a bit easier - the train yesterday cost £13. I'm not exactly flush at the moment.
    Shame they won't take your blood.

    My plan for today was 16 miles (mostly flat since I ran hills yesterday, so I decided on a Thames/Wandle combo) but it didn't get off to the best start as I slept longer than intended and had to rush to get out by 6am, so skipped my warm-up which is never a great idea.
    I felt very tired and ploddy and figured I'd shake it off during the run, but I never seemed to make it out of first gear and most of my miles were over 11 minutes. I persisted, telling myself that if I could do 16 while feeling like this, it'd be good practise for my marathon. 
    Most of the route was tried and tested, but I'd decided to check out a park I hadn't been to before just after Morden Hall Park. Unfortunately, I got a bit lost trying to find it and ended up on an industrial estate. I saw trees and figured it was the park but it was actually the back of one of the Wandle sections I usually run through, so stopped to read a map there and get my bearings. I found my way back to Mitcham but it meant an extra mile so in the end I did 17 (though that included a minute or two trying to figure out where the hell I was).
    On the one hand I'm happy I got 17 in the bank, but on the other, I am not exactly filled with confidence. The last two times I've done October marathons I've been banging out 20s by August, and at a faster pace than I could manage today. I am way behind where I should be and it's not like I can catch up in September as I have a full race schedule (two half marathons and two 10Ks).
  • Cal, 17 miles the day after a parkrun is (approx) 17 more than I could manage. I looked at your Parkrun 'CV'. My goodness you've done loads. Well done. The most recent one sounds lovely. Have you got a favourite? (I've done all the West and East Sussex ones so if ever you want a heads-up on any of those, I'd be happy to provide it.)

    Hazel, I see what you mean about getting in the miles. Is your target marathon a road or X-country one? And hilly? You seem to be getting some quality hill-work in - but this helps regardless of whether it's a hilly one.
    Yes, I beat my rival. He needed to get to the line about a minute quicker than me, but it was only about 20 seconds. He did an age grade PB in the process so we both went away happy, with me just a bit happier than him. (He's doing a tri next weekend so the run would have sharpened him up.)

    My new trainers are due to arrive this afternoon. Great anticipation. The word on the street is that they should make a 5k about 20-30 seconds quicker.

    Went to cheer on my granddaughter at her Junior Parkrun. She habitually comes last and did so today. BUT on age-grading, came 2nd to last. Talking of which, Mrs JB broke the 60% WAVA for the first time yesterday. Very proud of her as she is by no means a 'natural'.
  • Well done to your missus and granddaughter, JB!
    It's difficult to pick a favourite as there are some lovely ones (Bushy, Osterley and Northala Fields spring to mind) but I generally prefer the one lappers, the small ones and the quirky ones. I would like to give Bevendean a bash...looks tough and is also not the easiest to get to as I'm limited to public transport unless someone gives me a lift (I got to Queen Elizabeth thanks to a clubmate who was driving there).
  • Cal, I've done the Queen Liz and Bevendean. I think the former is a bit tougher. Bevendean is quite hard to find even for relative locals like me. It's tucked away on the edge of a large 1950s council estate a few miles east of Brighton city centre.  You can tell it's a toughie as some of the other Brighton PRs are jammed with hundreds of runners - while Bevendean has about 30! It's quite special, with great views along  the coast.  
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Cal - there's a list, grading parkrun courses by elevation.  Allowing for that, your time stands up - and the scenery is a bonus!  Clearly, you'll monitor ongoing fatigue levels but it's fair to recall that the past 18 months have worked against regular training habits.

    Yes, Hazel - a little rain, wind or fall in temperature does seem to deter the camp fire crowd!  The heavy rains in Europe have done a great deal of damage that'll take a while to settle.  fwiw, I'd not take advice from a two-wheeler!  ;)

    Happy nooo shooo day, John!  My faithful and much mistreated road shoes are now revealing too much sock, so I'll be bedding in some trailers afore long.  

    9.30 last night, quiet, calm and still warm.  Took trails, then beach to leisure centre, then a rare foray along the prom [forgiving surfaces ftw] before heading along the beach - which went well until 50 yd from the radar tower, where the soggy surface simply wasn't worth risking.  5 days out of 7, this area is firm,,,but not tonight.  :(  wide u-turn and back the way I came to the leisure centre, where there was a shooting star across a star speckled night sky.  Round the centre, meeting a couple on a bench - I was the more surprised!  1 km down the beach, then past the small lake & back to Beach Lawn.  1:02:xx  
  • My target marathon is a road one JB, no hills.  Well done on beating your rival - seems he had a good run too.  Well done to your parkrunning family too.  Enjoy those new shoes, have they arrived?

    Enjoy the parkrun tourism Cal.  Well done on the 17. Getting lost on a long run would worry me with the potential to go quite a bit over distance.  Probably the main reason why I don't explore as much as I could.

    4.3 miles in the drizzle yesterday mid-morning.  Routine sort of run, put together a couple of local laps.  Not many people around, they were getting in some sleep prior to a late night letting off too many fireworks for my taste (national public holiday when quite a lot of people go a bit bonkers with them).

  • Swittle, a shooting star! (Are you sure it wasn't just an astral reflection of your own run?) I confess I'd be worried about a fall if I went out in the dark - especially in what sounds like a relatively off the beaten track course that you run? Is there much street lighting? Or are you so used to the terrain that you know every bump, dip and pebble?

    Hazel, the trainers arrived! (Please see below.) I too have got a hopeless sense of direction and not only that but I get totally stressed out when I get lost. (Which is odd, because you'd think I'd get used to it!) No big fan of fireworks so you have my sympathy.

    So, couldn't resist christening the trainers today. Decided to do a few intervals, which I never do but I know I should. So it went:

    1st km - 4.35
    breather
    2nd k - 3.50
    breather
    3rd k - 4.45
    breather
    4th k - 3.53

    Very pleased with the two quicker ks and probably should have run tke two slower ones much slower. I don't think think I've run a sub 4 min Km for a few years. Definitely the shoes helped - they sort of 'propel' you.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    While I was out last night, there was a single huge burst of fireworks way over the dunes - 1st August is Yorkshire Day, a recent adoption in 1975, as a protest against new county boundaries - but I can' think that would be due cause in ancient Lancashire.

    The question of possible hazards along a route is an important one.  Uneven pavements and cyclist on the same spring to mind.  However well I *think* I may be familiar with tracks, trails, paths, parkland and hillocks, there is always a potential trap for the complacent or the unwary.  Any area away from a regular passing of people could be hazardous in the event of a fall.  

    The beach changes every 12 hours with the tide, wind direction and barometric pressure.  Now, I know where the most frequently occurring sinking sand ought to be - but sometimes, as last night, the receding water has left additional areas not to be approached.  As the nights slowly lengthen, I'll see even fewer people on my run routes - this used to be covid related but it's habit now.  
  • swittle, you're not wrong...last year I managed to trip over the curb of the road I cross every time I run. I must have crossed it thousands of times, but one slip of concentration and I was eating dirt. 
    Good one John - do you like the shoes?
    Hazel/John...I usually don't get stressed as I know roughly where I am and can normally navigate back to known territory by following road signs or bus stops. I did once take a wrong turn coming out of Wimbledon and ended up back at the wrong end of the common, turning a 20 mile run into a 22 mile run. Those last few miles home were actually the fastest. 

    After an easier day yesterday (short gym session and a trip to the cinema...my first for a long while...) I did 7 mile run today - 6 miles recovery and a last mile with some strides. I have two races this week (the second trail race tomorrow and then the 10K on Sunday) so it'll be an easier week in terms of mileage.
Sign In or Register to comment.