GULP just entered my first half marathon

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  • Mr T has become Bond, James Bond on the Playstation so I've sneaked back on here.......

    Enjoy your race, I find that I seem to fall behind at the start but then manage to pick up the pace and catch up. Mind you I press start straight out the door, maybe i should warm up first image

    I read somewhere (probably in these threads) about trying to breathe in through your nose when the weathers' cold, apparently it warms up the air before it gets too far inside you and prevents tightness across the chest. May be a load of poo but you never know.

    Whoever was asking about music, I've downloaded quite a few free podcasts on i-tunes, dance music and stuff, just type in dance music podcasts and all sorts come up. Also I was forgetting Dr Bob and his jogtunes indie podcasts, also free, they are designed to run to and he starts you off to warm up then chucks in allsorts of idie/jazz/reggae at different bpm's to give a bit of interval type training. And he chats a bit so rather like running with a buddie. Think i'll slip in an extra run tomorrow to try out new trainers and give him a whirl again.

    Good luck with the thugs!

  • I everyone big fat juicy sausages mash, brocoli,  carrotts & gravy (proper sausages) hmmmmm oh and Banana cake (carb refuelling)

    Foxy - Good result last night for you.  You may be lucky and  the developers may think twice with the current economies.  There are thousands of houses in this country that are empty.  I'm only a novice and haven't run in the spring/summer  yet, I really enjoy getting outdoors now, mind,  I get plenty warm enough now. It would be nice though if there was another hour or two of daylight.

    Loaded Training schedule at first glance looks O.K I like the 14 miler fortnight before. I now have a choice of changing or stick with what I'm doing (which changes as soon as me trainers are on).  Like today easy 4 miler planned set out for my planned route but I passed a different hill just as steep and decided to take on the challenge another one conquered. 20% grade on graph.

    Heart rate spot on the only time out of steady - going down the other side of bank too low (I'm not to good at downhills I just relax and let gravity do its thing) and the tough part of hill which was just into tempo zone.

    Caz - I just can't get on with games like star wars he's forever telling me off if I get a chance to have a go and I'm always last on Mario Karts. (I guess its my age there was only space invaders when I was a young lad).   I like the sports, beach sports & wii fit - A good exercise - Sports -Training - Punchbags.

    Foxy & Julia - Fast running  havent done intervals with new toy yet more interested with yes hills at moment.  Will have a go next week.

    Take care all.  Rest day tomorrow

  • Hmmmmm dont know what happened there... Brain was thinking thank Foxy for the exercise/stretching tips but by the time it had worked its way down to my fingers it changed to Julia... Very odd!!! Thank you Foxy for the exercise/stretching tips.

    Mr CS is trying to wimp out of our run tonight by complaining that he doesnt have any long pants to wear, I will get the lump told though dont you worry... image  He informed me yesterday that it is due to chuck it down on Sunday which is a b*gger cos that's the day I was planning on going out for my long run... Oh well guess I get to see how "shower proof" my new jacket actually is.  Oh it was soooooooo much easier when I went out wearing it just after Christmas, my car key was there safely tucked away in the zippable pocket so no fumbling about with my shoe laces with numb fingers to untie my key and getting exasperated with the double knot that refuses to undo LOL.

    WOW Julia, look at you go girl... There is a sprint gene in there after all.  Well done hun, it doesnt matter that it was only for a wee while, it all counts.

    Lost 2lb on the Wii last night... Woohoooooo!!! Have set my new target as 3lb in a month... Official weigh in is tomorrow morning though, in the kitchen before breakfast and in my PJs.  We have a set of digital scales that are fab cos they even give the 1/4 or 1/2, which as any self respecting female will acknowledge is very important when trying to shift any amount of weight. 

    Darren - We've got the beach sports too, we tried out all the games on that one over the christmas period and we whooped the computers ass at soccer (its american), not entirely sure how we managed to do that as the computer beat us on the other team games.  Had a quick go on Lego Star Wars last night and initially forgot about waving the controller about for my light saber but I soon got into the swing of it. image

    Happy running everyone x

  • Hello again, everybody! Got back from my looong christmas holiday on Wednesday, then snowed in with work, and now slowly getting back to normal routine - so back on here, too. I only went for one run so far this year - about 45 mins of very easy running, and still I was so knackered afterwards. Perhaps I should blame the cold (minus 15 that lunchtime)? Must get back on track if I ever want to make a half marathon... Foxy was so right about (lack of) routine being the key (problem).

    Thanks for pointing out the smartcoach on the RW website, Darren! Hadn't noticed it before, what a cool toy. The only problem is that I don't have an accurate watch, so wouldn't know my pace half as accurately as they want one to. I can barely see the minutes on my watch, let alone seconds...

    Foxy, congrats on winning against the developers! Fingers crossed they won't proceed immediately - or even not at all. Thanks also for suggesting to look at different HM websites for training schedules. I'll see whether I can find something suitable on smartcoach, but if not, I'l definitely try your suggestion.

    Julia, you slipping on the ice sounds painful - hope you're well again! Yes, you're right (not about it being easy peasy though!) - the HM I'm thinking about is a bigger one, so hopefully I wouldn't come last. I saw the last runner in a marathon last year and how she was constantly followed by the clear-up jeep and felt so sorry for her - must be annoying running with a car right behind you all the time. I don't have a HRM, so all those fancy schedules ar of no use to me. image

    You guys all seem to be spending your evenings with the Wii Fit. image I still can't really imagine how it works and how much exercise one gets on it, but then I'm completely ignorant when it comes to technology.

  • Foxy Lady- We don't have a Wii either, so your not aloneimage I would love one though they sound like great fun!

    Didn't make it out for my run this morning as it was so icy, i nearly fell over just walking my little girl to school! I did go on my ski machine though for 1/2 an hour, also done some sit ups (ouch!) & some gentle lunges holding dumb bells.

    Hoping to get out for my long run on Sunday again if i can, probably about 6 miles again, will see how i feel when i set out.

    Jen-jen x

  • Aaaaah Darren, that takes me back, do you remember asteroids with the hyper-space button and you always got blown up and also Pheonix? They were the days and all that!

    Amazing how you have come on with the hills eh? WELL DONE sorry didn't mean to shout but for you to be acively seeking them out and detouring for them is fab image

    Caz, we have scales that also read body fat. afraid i'm in the obese category. aaahhh well, think of all that speed i'll be capable of when i'm 'good' or even 'superior' ! I get weighed first thing in the morning, after a wee, before a drink and breakfast with no clothes on. Not a pretty sight, i make sure door to bathroom is firmly locked shut.! Well done on your 2lb loss, I have lost 3 of the 5lbs i put on over christmas, just another 28 or so to go. Wow, it doesn't sound so bad when you say it in pounds as opposed to stone. 2 stone sounds loads, 28lb is much better!

    Welcome back again Spiced, I have heard that you run slower in the cold, harder for your muscles to warm up or something? I'm sure you would not be last, try looking on the website of the race you want to do. They normally publish last years times so you can compare yourself to the slowest. And if it helps, the one time i managed to run the whole distance just before Christmas i took 2 hours 45 mins and believe me that's slow, only just out of walking pace so if there are times slower than that or above 3 hours you definitely absolutely positively won't be last!

    And no need for fancy schedules really, we're only doing them because we're gadgeted! Sometimes i feel like a bit of a nerdy anorak actually! As long as you do one run a week as your 'long slow easy speed run' which you gradually increase and then chuck in another couple of shorter quicker runs in you'll be fine. And if you see any hills, try and sprint up them eh Darren image

    Evening Jen-jen, I nearly went flying again myself at the bottom of the path! Very foggy today, didn't run as did a curves workout and nothing in my Garmin for today either. Tomorrow is a 3 miler then 8 on sunday.

    Hi Foxy, we have fire burning tonight. Very cozy. Are they muscly male rowers by any chance? And if so, do you speed up and pull everything in as you run past? I sometimes do a bit of a fartlekish type things where i sprint if i see an attractive man..................works a treat!

    Well done on your race, did you find yourself panicking if he got near? I find it very motivational, am due to do a 10k race as part of the schedule so will probably do one of them instead. Decidied to download the quicker plan today with a lower heartrate max of 180 instead of 185 as i'm struggling to max out my hr on the intervals image

    Homenade fish and chips tonight. Battered and fried for Mr T, grilled and naked for me. This is my new cunning plan, get Mr T a bit more lardy then he'll have to come running! And he'll be slower so no fear of me getting caught image

    Happy running!

  • Jen, ski machine sounds interesting. Do you have it at home? 

    Foxy, great to hear you've got your race number! Very exciting. I'd probably be planning at what time to leave home, what to wear and what to eat afterwards by now. image It wasn't the snow that was stopping me when i was in Berlin, but the freezing cold. So much warmer here, phew.

    Julia, just saw that you work at a gym - you must be super fit! The slowest people in last year's Edinburgh half came in a little over 2h30. Not very slow, is it? Hmm. You're probably right about not needing fancy schedules - but it might make me keep it up a bit longer, don't you think? Self-discipline isn't my strong side...

    After the (very few) runs I did over the holidays on beautiful forest trails and with my sister for company, returning to concrete/roads and trudging along on my own doesn't seem too much fun. Somehow, the ease seems to be gone - as if my feet just didn't want to be lifted, and every time I step down it's like a rhino crashing to the ground. Did a bit of fartlek (losely defined) today, and felt much more tired afterwards, too.

  • Morning all.imageimage

    Still able to walk despite efforts yesterday, but wouldn't like to try and run anywhere.

    Spicedapple- funnily enough Mr FL and I were just discussing logistics for HM to see whether they can drop me, he can take cubs to rugby and then come and retrieve my exhausted remains. When I did Reading, I got a lift and they all turned up at the end.  it's a long wait on a cold day!  Problem is a lot of local road closures.  Still at least I've seen the route, and it's nothing like I thought it was, but will make for a surprise on the day!  As for eating aftewards- the in-laws are just up the road so I think we are inviting ourselves in for lunch, no worries there!  Sounds like you did have some lovely running routes over the hols, roadwork is quite dull compared to that. I don't mind shortish runs on my own, I don't like the long ones solo.  I've just found a nice run in July which I might do- the New Forrest 10 and about 7 miles of that is off road forest tracks which is my idea of nice.

    You def. need a training plan and date to aim for to get the motivation going again.  It is like automatic will power!

    MR FL forced me to drink wine last night to keep him company, imageso that won't help remove the Xmas pounds, imagestill down by one since I have gone back to work and due some more X-training with my hoover again today once I have got he cubs doing their homework.  Another fun "rest" day!

  • Julia - I remember now all for 10p a game - we actually bought Phoenix- Pacman etc with one of those plug in tv games believe me looks so out of date now?  I have only started to manage these hills with something you advised many pages ago about slowing down and HR also played apart when I get above threshold just slow down.

    Planned an easy 8 miler today cut it short to 6 miles felt a few twinges so will have a couple of days off to recover.

    Busy weekend must go

    Indian tonight.

     Take care all

  • Apple, just looked at Edinburgh (is that your proposed race?) and hmmmmm, 2.40 is not THAT slow is it! But, they may have not posted everyones times? And as a runner I can guarantee even if you're slower you won't be that much slower. ....image....does that help? My gym is a ladies only fitness centre (called Curves) where we have a circuit of 12 machines and 12 recovery boards that you do twice for 30 secs each. So it's not the full bifta with treadmills and bikes and stuff but boy do the machines work you if you use them as fast as you should! Would not say i'm super fit tho'.....although i cannot put weight back on as it would be a bad example so keeps me in check!

    You sound like you have a case of january blues, i felt like that last week but had a fantastic run today (8 miles) and feel great and motivated again. Chucked in some fast work too so was really pleased with how i was feeling.

    Foxy, you should always rest after a race, your stick man is after all! image The New Forest sounds lovely, I have the same problem of concrete, factories and roads from my doorstep. If I want scenery then i have to drive. One day Mr T and I are going to move to the Isle of Wight for better views. I'm hopin Mr T will give me a lift to my HM in March. Don't fancy trying to park. Have now got official sponsor forms and suddenly it feels real. GULP.

    Did Mr FL tie you down and pour the wine down your throat? Mr T does that sometimes and there really is no choice but to swallow is there!

    Darren I have been reading a good book (running for women but i'm sure this would apply to you too) and it says you should try and run at about 180 footsteps a minute. i.e. count 180 times your foot hits the ground in one minute. There are metronome programme on-line to pace it out or look at podrunner which has music at fixed bpm's. And when you get to a hill or feel tired still keep the same footpace rate but take shorter strides. I tried it today and although 180 seems pretty quick over a long period, i definitely felt that i ran better with shorter quicker strides.

    I do believe I have the same game console tucked behind the telly somewhere - cost about £25 and had space invaders too? Thank-you for reminding me i shall have to dig it out. Enjoy the Indian, we have chicken and cous-cous. And maybe a drop of wine...................imageimage.imageimageimage -order of faces if overindulging!

  • Here's for a speedy recovery, Darren!

    Foxy, a good home made lunch after your HM is exactly what you deserve then (in addition to the choccie bar in the goodie bag and a cuddle from Mr FL). image Did I get that right - you did a HM in Reading already? I'm sure you mentioned it somewhere, but this thread is becoming long... How was it? Did you manage to run the whole distance? Yeah, getting to races isn't always easy. I don't drive, so have to look for races within reasonable distance of a train station, which quite limits the choice. Did get lifts for 2 races in autumn though, which was great. Usually, I would say I don't mind running on my own since it gives me some time by myself, but running with my baby sister was so much better because I hardly get to see her and we enjoyed our runs giving us time to chat. And the landscape over there is beautiful, too.

    As for food, had some yummy savoy cabbage with tomatoes and feta cheese for lunch.

    For tomorrow, the plan is to drag myself out for my first ever "long" run. Let's see how it goes... If it's anything as windy as today though, I might not make it any further than my front door. Especially seeing that I'm going to do my handle justice and make spiced apples in the afternoon. image

  • Glad to hear you had such a great run today, Julia! Yep, it's the Edinburgh HM I'm looking at - goes almost literally past my house. image To me, it looks as if they had posted everyone's times though. Well, I guess me being the last one would make it easier for any friends who might come to watch to make me out in the crowd.

    Ok, let's agree on you being very fit then, if you insist on not being super fit. Never heard of recovery boards before - I suppose it's not a comfy couch to lie down with a drink and a good book, is it? image

    Enjoy the chicken and cous-cous!

  • Oh, and just to make it the third post in a rowimage: which charity are you racing for, Julia? Another thing that surely has been mentioned before - sorry. What about everyone else - are you doing your halfs for charity?
  • mmmmmmmmm chicken and cous cous was delish image

    I'm running for Little Havens Childrens Hospice, a local place giving respite care and terminal care for children. A thoroughly worthy cause I feel. Trouble is, now i've got the official pack and have printed posters to go up at work i've realised the enormity of what i'm attempting. <gulps again>

    Recovery boards are sprung boards that you can march or star jump or hamstrind curl on to recover from the effort of the machine!

    Just going to scroll back

  • I suspect all the times were there, just trying to be encouraging! I should think being last would give you a spectacular ovation from the crowd. And most of the would not even be able to consider doing the distance. Feeling any braver?

    If you are trying a long run then could i suggest you go really really slowly? I was really nervous about how far 13 miles really is so i planned a 13 mile route on mapmyrun then told myself i was going to do the whole thing with walking included if necessary. I set off really slow, (walked up a couple of short hills) and was shocked to be able to run all the way.Once you have covered the distance regardless of time and whether you run it all or not it will take all the fear out of it. And you'll get a clue of how long it will take.

    All the best with it, however long you decide to go image

  • Blimey, I head off to my hoover and look at all this activity.

    Food update first- chicken in a fruity sauce with baked pots and carrots, what are spiced apples SA?  Is it liked Stewed apple. I just made an apple cake for pudding tomorrow, we have friends over and we get a lot of cooking apples from my Dad so always interested in apple receipes.

    SA- yes I did Reading last year.  2.20.  Was just getting over a horrible prolonged gut lurgy, have heard that Wokingham is a faster course so have unreasonable hopes for myself!  Well I can dream.  Obviously I know I can do it, and with the training plan Julia, Darren and I are all following we wil do a 14 miler a couple of weeks before.  I have been on mapmyrun planning the route and have talked a couple of running pals in to doing it with me, about a third will be on roads without pavements up top Henley, then over the river and back along the Thames towpath which will be more scenic and quieter hopefully.  At least it shouldn't be under water unless the weather changes a lot.

    Just looked at the EHM, is that the one called the Chris Hoy EHM? Do you get him in the Goody Bagimage?

    You've got 3 months to train for it which is loads of time,  so get a plan downloaded and get cracking! Make the most of it being on yourdoorstep, and it looks a nice course. I'm not running for  charity this time, I did for RHM, got a free place and earnt it, raised about a grand I think. I'm trying to decide  whether to try carbo gels etc, a friend at work swears by them, but last year I ran with flat fat coke and jelly babies and have since discovered the delights of jelly tots.image

    for post-race re-fualing, ahve just left grovelling message for in-laws re post-run lunch, else we'll just have to go out to (hopefully) celebrate.   Have passed on instructions to Mr FL re post-race conductimage

    Julia- interested in your thing about pacing, I try and do longer strides when I speed up to cover more ground?  I had heard the thing about shorter strides to get you up hills from one of the PE staff at school.

    Training plan has me down for an easy 4 miler tomorrow but would like to do 5.  My neighbour who I did RHM with last year, who stopped running after a 10K we did in September has just restarted but it's quite hard to fit her level of fitness in with what I'm currently doing. However Mr FL gets the bright spark prize as I will run home from church (about 2 miles) then pick her up and do another 3 miles with her- inspired as long as I don't get tempted to sneak home!It still hasn't warmed up down South (-1 at last look), so will wrap up tomorrow and use cub's puffer before I go out, it really seemed to help last time.

    Done some on-line research on EIA and my symptoms are classic.  I liked the comment that lots of people probably have it, but they don't exercise so don't realise.  It is at it's worst for most in old dry conditions, hence my realising it over the last month; last winter wasn't anywhere near as cold and used to rain almost everytime we went out!

    Glad you had a good run Julia and a special nag  for Spiced Apple.  Get out there!!!!!

  • Julia, sounds like a very worthy cause indeed. Fingers crossed for lots of sponsorship money. And I'm sure the slightly scary realisation of your HM actually happening will be far less scary and much more encouragingly real once the first people start donating towards your cause!

    Not sure whether I should really do a "long" run tomorrow after all (and no, not because I'm chickening out - yet!). Played with the smartcoach recommended by Darren, and it only wants me to go on easy runs of 2-3 miles for the first couple of weeks. Since I haven't run much recently and my hamstring and knee keep on playing up, it might be better to increase mileage really slowly (as per smartcoach), I reckon...

    Foxy, that's an impressive time for your first HM, and even more so with just having been sick  - well done! And the same goes for raising such a lot of money - kudos to you. It's great that you have so many running buddies around. Makes running in this miserable weather much more enjoyable, doesn't it? Yes, the Edinburgh HM is the Chris Hoy one. Actually, I'd rather not get him in the goody bag though - would be a bit heavy to carry home, I suppose. image To be honest, I'm getting a bit tired with the Chris Hoy obsession up here - he graduated from Edinburgh Uni which they're marketing ad nauseum.

    Oops, I always thought spiced apples were baked apples (Blame Twinings!). Which means my handle doesn't make sense... image Anyway, this is what I'm going to serve some friends - yummy on cold winter days, and goes well with a mug of Gluehwein or hot fruit juice.

  • Ahh! Baked Apples- nice pic, used to have them a lot as a kid and just started doing them again, and with almonds- yum, also nice with mincemeat in them (and brandy butter on top if you've any left, put mine in the freezer to limit temptation.)

    My advice is just find 1 training plan and follow it- you'll be fine.  Last year I was using two (image)and kept muddling them up.  Problem with Garmin one is no specific hill training which I hated but was good.  Fortunately my HM is allegedly flat (well it is the Thames Valley) .  Understand about the Chris Hoy situation, live close to Steve Redgrave land here and he is a member at the posh gym/ health club I used to belong to when we were DINKys. So was Lenny Henry- didn't so him much good, mind!

    I'm really looking forward to my Roast Pork and trimmings post run-yum.  Mr FL cycled a couple of miles today and nearly got frostbite and got a lift home- wimp?

    I'll run with you in spirit tomorrow, lots of road work for us too.  Enjoy, however far you go.

  • Afternoon all, my 4 mile steady run morphed into 5.5miles but it worked well collecting my neighbour en route.  Havng said that it was a real struggle at first and only around 4 miles did I really feel like I had warmed up and noticed I managed 8.3  mi/miles for a bit.  Around this point my friend walked for a while (!) so I could crank it up for the rest of the way home.  Much warmer today (4 deg) and lungs fine without puffer.

    Good news is 2lbs down on last week, however after our enormous scoff today I may have just undone that. image

     Julie- did you know on average each QS is about 40 cals or in WW terms 4QS = 3 points?  Suddenly the Xmas weight gain makes a lot of sense, esp when you factor in the mince pies, stilton, brandy butter etc.  (More self-control next year she promises! )

    Rest day tomorrow.  Have a good week everyoneimage

  • Hi All

    Well here I am again frustrated foot in a bucket of icy water that little twinge I felt yesterday as left me limping all day, The soreness is in the same place as before xmas, just under left ankle(outside) and a little towards my heal.  I may need to lay of these hills for a while.

    Spicedapple - I'm running for the Severn Hospice who are sponsoring the race - the reason being my Mum as had a terrible 18 months or so with Cancer first breast then lung and liver.  This now seems to be under control after being told that it was terminal, Shes a real battler  I'm so proud of  her not once a moan real British bulldog spirit.

    Anyhow curry excellent last night real healthy choice Fish Rogan Josh with Rice & Bread and popadums.  Mrs C took me for Sunday Lunch today thought I needed to be cheered up a little.

    Julia T - I have also done quite a bit of reading on cadence. I think it is 188 for men.  When I first timed myself it was 180 now upto 184 - 186 (even though going faster tempo speed I can do 188).   So I'm getting there it just seems another thing to concentrate on  when running and really I should only be thinking of managing the distance. I have also done a little research on breathing technique 2 in 2 out always on same foot etc, again maybe after my race may pay a little more attention to.

    I'm hopeless with music absolutely tone death so not even considering that option.

    Take care all the races are getting close?

  • Darren

    I can sympathise and know how frustrated these injuries can be.I've been getting some problems with my right knee again,I don't think its serious but its been enough to keep me off running for a few days.At this rate it will be a run/walk in equal measures at the RHM!Feeling quite fed up about it..However I think I've just been over doing the knee exercises and have pulled a muscle at the back of my leg just above the knee,hamstring pull?
    Just hoping a few days rest will sort it out.
    One thing which I do find helpful is arnica cream and tablets,have been using both as apparently good for muscle aches and pains.
    Hope your foot is soon ok.

    FL and Julia,hope alls well with your training,please send me and Darren some positive vibes!!


  • *Sending +ve vibes to Susiebe and DC*

    So frustrating for you both, sorry.  I pulled a calf muscle last year while I was training, 3 weeks before RHM. I was petrified I wouldn't be able to ski, let alone run but it did recover. I used a cocktail of deep heat/ voltarol gel and arnica cream and smelt lovely.  Used to sit at work with an ice pack tied round it!

    Susie- does sound like a hamstring, I did one once when I was in a rush and didn't stretch properly, very frustrating.  Massaging it helped.

    I am petrified of injury especially at this time of year and with slippery ground.  Just got to survive 4 weeks, run my HM and I'll be fit and well for skiing.

    I've just chosen a list of runs I want to do- about 1 a month, keeps the motivation going.  Susiebe- have you heard about the Thames tow path one- it's down river this year, think it's Marlow to Windsor.  Have a look for it. I'm thinking of entering to stop me tailing off too much like I did last year.

    Julia, oh HR guru.  I was looking at mine over some recent runs today.  I reckon my MaxHR isn't far off the standard- ie about 180 ish; however looking at my Friday run when I was going all out, I was struggling to get into level 3, mostly it's hard to get it into level 2 apart from the first mile I run.  It's why I gave up training by HR because my legs and lungs can't do what the HR training plan requires- or is that the point?

    Any thoughts?

    Right Sunday night chores await to get us through the week..... image

  • FL, the baked apples were yummy. The pic I had linked to wasn't mine though, just one I found on the web. Enjoy your rest day tomorrow! Every day gets you closer to your roast pork and trimmings. image

    Susie, could be hamstring indeed. I never realised it actually was some kind of injury with mine, so went on and on for months (years?) until I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings anymore. However, I found stretching a lot actually does help, so here has me preaching about stretching again. image And rest until you feel better first (take me as a bad example). Hope this comes quickly!

    Darren, wishes for a speedy recovery to you, too! So frustrating when you want to run, but can't, isn't it? Glad to hear your Mum's cancer seems to be under control - very scary to go through something like this. Good on you for racing for charity, too! As for breathing techniques: I always thought the idea was not to breathe in/out on the same foot every time in order not to get stitches? That's why I use uneven numbers (2 in - 5 out or 2 in - 3 out). Hmm...

    Went for a very slow, but (to me) long run this morning - 12k in 1h20. I think that's the furthest I've ever done - bit scary to think that a HM would be double the distance... image It was so windy that I ran like drunk, not able to keep a straight line whenever the wind hit from the side.

  • Morning All

    Ok 1st the good news 2 1/4lb down this week at the official WI on saturday morning. Woohoooooo!!!  Only another 4 1/2lb to go... image

    Now for the bad... This is getting bloody ridiculous now I haven't been able to get myself out for a run at all since 29th December.  *gives self a kick up the backside*  We didnt go out on Friday as it was soooooooooooo cold, I mean I was chilled to the bone in the time it took me to walk from my car to the front door & that was with a big wool coat on so how cold would I have been in my running kit and yesterday... Well, what can I say about yesterday... I had way too much alcohol on Saturday night, in fact the pair of us did so it was all we could do to actually get out of bed let alone go out for a run/bike ride in the pishy rain & gale force winds.

    Darren - really glad your mum has made a fantastic recovery, it must've been a really worrying time for you.  I think any cancer related charity is a good thing to run for, after all it doesn't discriminate... Young, old, rich, poor, black, white... I'm thinking of doing the Jane Tolminson Race for All in York this year, providing I can get a place of course and making that one my main charity fund raising race.

    Everyone is doing so well, I feel like I'm letting the side down... I'm sorry, promise I will get my mojo back into action this week for sure.

    There's a technique to breathing???  image  Isnt it just breathe in, breathe out and repeat as necessary LOL.  I try my best to take a good breath in through my nose hold for a sec and then breathe out through my mouth but more often than not I lapse into short fast breaths which I know dont help at all.

    Happy running.

    PS Cauliflower cheese soup for lunch & beef stir-fry (probably black bean) for tea tonight.

  • Hi all, got left behind here, double shift at work today and family over yesterday. Managed to resist sticky toffee pudding image so feeling virtuous. Did 3 yesterday, hard going after saturdays 8, i swapped them and can now see why you do the long one second and then have a rest day (today). Well, the posters have gone up at work and i've already raised £25 on just one afternoon!

    Darren, lady in my book says 3 in 2 out breathing so as to alternate feet (!) . I tried it but decided to just go with my own breath as I am totally uneven anyway. Hope your foot feels better soon and good on you for your charity. My Mum had a brain tumour last year and sadly died so my race for life was for her. I've found thinking of her has been a real motivational force to get my butt of the settee and out of the door.

    Susiebe ditto with the injury, here come some positive vibes....."£$(*&%)^%$£%......are you getting them!

    Foxy i'm struggling to get HR high enough for intervals. 97-99% seems horrific to be attempting, i'm going to ask the advice of a woman at works husband who is a Billericay Strider (local running club)and also a personal trainer and knows about such things. I guess you have to push hard but it's knowing how hard to push image well done on your 2lb, i think all my excess is now gone. hmmmm 40 cals each eh. That's about 325894264456644778946466252 excess cals that i consumed on christmas day when i ate all the toffee ones then.

    Apple well done on your run, seems a pretty speedy time to me especially in the wind. I've got some bramleys in the fridge, might have them stuffed for tea tomorrow. image

    Caz, woohoo well done on your loss image and here's a KICK KICK KICK up your bottom to get you out of the door. OH i'm really sorry, that was so rude, i hope i didn't hurt. You must be doing something good tho to be losing weight. think how much more it could be!

    4 x 800m intervals at 97-99% max HR to look forward to tomorrow. Nice. image

  • Heh Julia- I look forward to hearing what you find out re the HR stuff and glad it's not just me.

    Have you seen one of the last intervals sessions is 10x800m? I did some basic maths and reckon the total run is about 10 miles-aaarrghh.  Might have to do my usual warm up and run the towpath loop 3 times to achieve it.'Mare.  For social reasons I end up running 3 days in the trott this week ending with my pretend 10K on Saturday.  Then have to do the rugby thing on Sunday with cub1, hope it's not too cold and wet else will have to hide in the clubhouse and try not to get tempted by the bacon sarnies.

    Only 4 miles tomorrow, maybe 5? See how I feel.

    Cheers and Caz *KICKKICKKICK* get out there!

    Hope injuries are healing.

  • Oh my that was hard. 4 x 800 today, never really thought about it but 800m turnes out to be half a mile. OOOOEEERRR missis. I just pushed as hard as i could, no way was i ever going to keep my heart rate in the 170's for all that length of time so just gradually accelerated each interval until i was going as fast as i could then slowed down when i absolutely had to. Still it made me push myself and is bound to be doing some good image I can do a happy smiley face now because i have another week before they come round again. Must have done some good even though i only hit a max of 175. At which point i must confess to having uttered a VERY rude word as gumpy garmin (it's computer name) beeped and said 'heartrate too low'....................................

    OMG i see what you mean about the 10x800. I have that delight on the 3rd of march. My race is 15th March, what date is yours? And everyone else? I'm sure we've all said but there are now a lot of pages to scroll back through.

    Hope everyone is ok, taking Daughter to the dentist later then she wants to enrol at Curves so off to sign her up. I do believe I am becoming a good positive role model for her which is very satisfying, without shoving the healthy eating/exercise thing down her throat which would then make your typical teenager revolt.

  • Yeah so 10 x 800m = 5 miles, i wonder how long we get to recover in between? Do you do your intervals on speed the Foxy? If so how fast do you run or do you just push as hard as possible?

    2 miles w/up cool down = 7. and inbetweens why oh why did i want to do this crazy running thing..........

  • sorry just having a moment. better now. that run is still 6 weeks away for me. nothing to worry about.image
  • Hi All

    Well done on your intervals Julia & Foxy , If you were going flat out wouldn't that be your maximum HR? All this information can get me baffled at times.

    Julia - Sorry to hear about your Mum.  Doesn't it bring a lot of things into perspective.

    Regarding breathing I have read different articles one was 2 in 3 out the other 2 in 2 out.  While many chose 4 in 4 out etc.  One thing that seemed common was  if you had stitch to plant your foot down and breathe in on that side of the body.  I looked back at my notes yesterday and made a mistake with my striding first time was 168 and later notes was between 174 - 176.  I've not   bothered with cadence or breathing for a while I'm just jogging.  A man can't do more than one thing at a time?

    Well my foot now I've Iced it the soreness is in my heal and I suspect achilies tendon problems probably Bursitis from all the information about on the www.  I expect from the steep hills so they are winning the battle (not the war).

    Will have to take things very easy when I'm back.

    Take care and look after yourselfs.

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