Sunday 18th January 2009

Morning

what: Helsby 4 Villages half marathon
why: too late to ask that now

Good luck to anyone else racing today, whether at Helsby, Brass Monkey, or elsewhere

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Comments

  • Hello

    what: Stubbington 10K
    why: it has a new route!!

    Good luck everyone racing.
  • Good luck racers

    What: 16 M d&d
    Why: long runs need to get longer
    Last rest: yesterday
    Last hard: today, last 1.5M consist of nearly 1M steep uphill (half continious), character building living on a hilltop

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    morning all.

    Good luck racing people. 

    What: 4 miles easy d&d
    Why: it had to be done
    Last hard: getting up at 6am on a Sunday
    Last rest: 2nd Jan

    I am well chuffed at this morning's run.  Av HR was nice and low and pace was the best it's ever been for that pace.  Still snail's pace compared to everyone else on here but it is gratifying to see that consistent daily running is starting to pay off.

    The reason for this morning's early start is that today is my mum's 80th birthday and us kids have organised a bit of a bash for her down where she lives near Southampton.  So OH and I are catching the train down this morning.  

    Bye all.

  • I remember at last year's Duchy marathon a guide and a blind runner steaming past me. I thought it was great, it reminded me of the blind and partially sighted folk at the guitar camps, who only learned to play after losing their sight, and they played a lot better than I did. One of them refused to carry a white stick, and indoors he could find his way around as long as he talked or whistled- echolocation on the human level image

    RFJ: nice one for jr!

    Yesterday's lyrics were Crowded House, Don't dream it's over. A Neil Finn classic.

    FL: The band got together again a few years ago, and made a new album. They toured (incl. the UK), and I don't know what they're doing now. I spent too many teenage hours singing along the four first CDs...

    Mr Pied Wagtail is still around, he now drinks from the bowl of water I put out. Correction: I put out a bowl of seeds, which filled up with water.

    What: Blaythorne 10
    Why: First of the Cornish Grand Prix
    Last hard: if you read this before 1pm: Monday; after 1pm: today
    Last rest: 11 Jan.
    Lyrics: no

    Good luck to all fellow racers today!
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭

    morning all

    what: easy 45 mins in forest

    why: 10+ miles xctry race washed me out yesterday!

    last hard: yesterday

    last easy: 9/1

    take care and good luck racers

    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • Morning

    Lots of racing going on today!

    What: Nowt
    Why: Tight calf muscles
    Last hard: friday
    Last rest: Today

    Target setting: new aim a age graded sub 3 hour marathon....... only another 5 mins to knock off. That should keep me going for a a couple of years.

    Good Luck to everyone racing today, awaiting reports with interest 

  • Morning All,

    Good luck to all racers today.

    What: 16 miles easy
    Why: Need to start buliding my long runs again
    Last Hard: In the wind yesterday
    Last Rest: Monday
    Lyrics: Not today

    This should take my total to 50 for the week which is not bad at all.

    Happy days y'all!

  • Morning All

    Had another rest day yesterday as my calf was still tight , feels better today .

    What: 10/20M depending on how I feel
    Why: Seeing if I can
    Last Hard:Being sensible the last two days
    Last Rest: Yesterday
    Lyrics: No

  • RFJRFJ ✭✭✭

    Stubbington Green 10K

    Plan to run at 3:55 pace for a low 39 and a new shining PB, weather was predicted to be bad, very bad, but was perfect............... Pre race food of toast and marmalade followed by a snickers bar 70 mins from the start.

    18 runners from our club running so had a strong team out for points in the Hampshire Road Race Lge, a pleaseant warm up and chat with friends, RW forumites, fetchies and club mates, the off to the start.

    The Gun and off

    1K - 3:52, pace manic as usual at the starts, but feel good 3rd place for club at present
    2K - 3:53, consistancy already, I like this, the tank is full and in cruise control
    3K - 4:01 Pace still showing as 3:53 but the blip is a hill, work hard and take club mate to move into 2nd (usual place for me)
    4k - 3:52, that the way I like it, solid and running well, starting to move through the fast starters who are now slowing.
    5K - 3:57 - on target and a 19:36 5k split, had a mouthfull of water at te drinks station hence the blip here, now to kick on
    6K - 3:49, pass a few known XC runners and see a V60 who is very handy, so hes my mark
    7K - 3:52, onto the seafront, wind not bad, but whats this, our No 1 club runner is only 75m ahead, have never beaten him or been that close to him, new mark, can I, I now he is coming back of injury, but even so.....
    8K - 3:43 - There is still fuel in the tank, time for the after burners and the snickers to strutt its stuff, foot down and accelerate for the last 3k.... closing on both V60 and club mate
    9K - 3:46 - Still burning still well on fire and within touching distance of V60, get him right on 9k marker 3m to go to clubmate, big kick now.....
    10K - 3:35 - Big kick and follow through too feeling really strong and see an even better V60 from my old club who I have never beaten, get him 10m before the line..... but just after the 9k marker, get clubmate. So get first for the club a second split of 18:49 (9 secs of a 5k PB 18:40).

    so 38:25 on the watch and a new PB of 1:24

    Rather happy and plan went plan, start within myself at 3:55 pace, ok went a bit quicker than that, but not much, then upped the pace from 5k when I knew I still have the fuel in the tank. Very happy.

  • Afternoon, looks a breezy, cold day so I'm intending to head indoors again for a bit of plodding on the treadmill and then some quality stretching!

    I need to treat myself to some new shoes but (I'm a tight Yorkshireman) can't seem to find anywhere that sells those shoes that aren't up to date. I think that someone on here used to get them from some place that did older stock? I'm a size 11, any recommendations?

  • FL: Out of the depths I post to you
  • AF - ahhh, thankyou so very, very gratefully! I thought it was you who knew!
  • Good afternoon everyone!

    RFJ, congrats on a PB and a place run to plan

    Tinebeest good to see you, hope your race went to plan.

    Mava, nice hearing of your run feeling good.

    Hope Mike's race also has been a good one.

    Shall read back and find out how DD's race went.

    A discouraging week for me. Having gone out with the Hash on Monday without problems, I was dismayed Tuesday to wake up not able to open right eye properly, hard to prop either eyelid up, if truth be told. Made cycling difficult, reading not so, as eyes are down on the page, but generally frustrating. By Wednesday was struggling even more so, whole face stiff, went to Doc's. Heaps of blood taken Thursday, Friday got inspected by all the little 4th year medical students who needed to see someone with weird neuro problems. Started clearing up Friday, but situation still fragile. Running today didn't work. I stumped round 3 miles, walking the last half mile, dizzy with eyes half closed. No point in flogging a poorly horse.

    Nobody thinks it's anything new, just a bit demoralising that it has taken a new and annoying tack.

    Other distressing news is a fellow sailor and runner has been diagnosed with leukemia, one of the nasty versions. May he out tough that horror.
  • TippTopTippTop ✭✭✭

    RFJ - cracking run. Very nicely controlled. Congrats.

    Sorry to hear that Stickless. Hope you feel better soon.

    Pammie - nice mileage. You're still on a roll!

    Podro - I couldn't resist looking through those menus when I sent them on. Think I'll need to organise a trip back there. I love the food and beer.

    Hope I haven't missed anybody in a quick read back. Will check in later for more reports.

    What: 16m am (8 easy out / 8 back a bit brisker, aka Tempo Lite) / 5m steady on the treadie at lunchtime.
    Why: In the mara specific phase, Sunday and Monday will be my two toughest/most important days, so this is a bridging day to what I'll be doing then.
    Last hard: this am.
    Last rest: Yesterday.
    Lyrics: No.

    Enjoy the rest of the day folks!

  • PodroPodro ✭✭✭

    Afternoon all

    Well done on the race RFJ.

    Sorry to hear about the problems Stickless. Very strange symptoms. Hope things improve.

    Brass Monkey Report
    Not running well at the moment so wasn't expecting much. Decided to start out easy and then just see how it went. Bumped into a few of the usual suspects at the start and during the race including Wardi.

    Mile 1 - 6:36 - Started off too far back and had to move through traffic
    Mile 2 - 6:27 - Easing through crowds keeping pace with a couple of clubmates
    Mile 3 - 6:27 - In good steady group
    Mile 4 - 6:37 - Feeling OK turn into loop at top of course
    Mile 5 - 6:34 - Into a headwind, not very strong. Make effort to cross to another group ahead
    Mile 6 - 6:27 - turn into top of course. Muddy roads
    Mile 7 - 6:39 - onwards to start turn back towards the finish
    Mile 8 - 6:31 - long straighht boring road
    Mile 9 - 6:30 - overtaking a few who have gone out too fast
    Mile 10 - 6:38 - spot a local rival in distance who I have never beaten before. Make him my target
    Mile 11 - 6:42 - target closer. Need good effort to close the gap before the end
    Mile 12 - 6:35 - target 10m ahead and tiring. Closing him down quickly
    Mile 13.1 - 7:16 - Overtake target just after the 12 mile marker and push on to the end overtaking a couple more. get pipped by 4 fast finishers in the final 1/4 mile.

    Finish time (unofficial) 1:26:04 which was unexpected and very welcome. Just under 2 minutes slower than PB though.
    After the race I ran back to meet Mrs Podro who had a terrible time with a poorly hip. Ran over 2 miles back up the course and met her well past the railway bridge. Accompanied her to the finish for a total run of 19 miles. Very well organised this year with chip timing and a rucksack at the end instead of the traditional sweatshirt.

  • PodroPodro ✭✭✭
    TT - I'm going out there with some hard drinking workmates. I think that there will be lots of beer sampling going on image
  • Well done Podro for Brass Monkey, must have been quite tough today with that wind. I'll check back later or tomorrow for more reports on the race.

    What: just run in the gym as didn't fancy a cold breezy run. 4M in 33mins (from 8.34m/m to 7.30m/m pace),  which pleased me as it's been a long time since I did this sort of speed on a treadmill (or anywhere) in regular training, especially after yesterday's 7M.
    Why: ticking over and getting in my weekly 20-22M training (21M actually this week, like last week) image
    Last rest: Friday

    If I can get my weekend 'long' run up to 10M, I'll be pleased as I can then race up to 10k when the less-cold weather comes along.  Thanks again, AF, for the link; I've bought myself a nice new pair of Nike shoes for a lot cheaper than some places!

  • tbh, would be v surprised if someone got the lyrics today without googling a certain affirmative prog rock band....

    ....but no apologies for that - this was the best thing they ever did (only no-one noticed) and I've often used this piece when travelling to Borders League fixtures for inspiration.

    Anyway, headlines are: 74th, 1:24:46 (chip) 1:24:51 (gun)

    so, 1:25 target achieved, feeling quite pleased

    more details later

  • Stickless, get well soon

    RFJ-well done on the pb, and you too Podro

    I did a pb at the brass monke half too, by-drum roll-ONE  WHOLE SECOND

    I was very, very unwell after gut wise, i could have given no more

    (mind you, had gut trubble all week)

    At least i know that last years sub two hour half wasnt a fluke

  • oooh, just read  a bit further back

    Well DONE Dubai dave

  • Pammie*Pammie* ✭✭✭

    Afternoon

    DD/Joe - Hope the tight calf muscles improve

    RFJ - Lovely racing - even nicer pb

    Stickless - hope you are feeling better. Hope your friend beats it

    Podro - good racing, unexpected is always welcoming

    What: 15 miles in 2:32 (70% WHR)
    Why: Long run
    Last Hard: Today

  • Pammie*Pammie* ✭✭✭

    Mike - i admit i did google

     Hippo well done on your pb,hope you are feeling better soon

  • RFJ: ooooh nice one! Congrats!

    Stickless: big hug- for your mate and for you. I'm joining you in the hope that he may out-tough the evil.

    PH: a new PB is a new PB! It's the same for world records, so why not for you image Hope the guts settle a bit.

    Today's Blaythorne 10: Start delayed by 15 mins. The organisation was wise enough to wait for the thunderstorm to clear, or some folks may have ended up sliding over ice carpets of hail, or fried by lightning. We lost electricity to race HQ for a few seconds. Wow!

    M1 10:18: downhill start, easy warm-up
    M2 11:13: uphill bit, keeping pace nice and easy
    M3 11:06: more uphill, but we get to run down this in the final miles, so no complaints
    M4: 10:16: nice long downhill, water everywhere from the melting hail stones...
    M5: 12:38: followed by uphill, and water stop where I took a gel, and power on past club mate
    M6: 10:54: we've now turned from the highest point of the race, so a lot of flat and downhill to follow. I know I can get a PB if I can keep this up. Can I?
    M7: 10.33: giving in to gravity where possible, catching sight of somebody in front of me.
    M8: 12:02: catch person, then walk through water stop (so I could actually drink instead of spill it), am already reeling in next target
    M9: 10:43: that was the downhill we were promised from mile 3, making some progress on target.
    M10: 12:52 (forgot to stop watch, should be less!): the last half mile is uphill and I thought I'd puke before I got to the finish, and my target finishes 10 seconds ahead of me. She was tantalisingly close, but I could not push for my usual sprint finish- everything had gone.

    But: shiny new PB by 5mins and 12 seconds for 1hr52'12", very happy with how everything went and felt during the race. That's 30sec per mile faster than last year, I didn't realise till somebody told me. I didn't walk except for 2 waterstations and one minute towards the end, that made a lot of difference. So the daily running has paid off nicely, and I finally have my my pre-race fueling (eating till I explode the day before and porridge on race morning) down to a t. Lovely. 2009, here I come!

    Hope you all had similarly nice race results image
  • RFJRFJ ✭✭✭

    PH a PB is a PB well done

    Great Running Mike

    Timebeest great new PB well done

    Good racing too from Podro, well done

    (((Stickless)))

  • RFJ- great running - awesome to smash through that barrier! Those last few kms suggest something even faster might be in the wings!

    PH- is always odd when you run a very marginal PB or just fall short. To my mind it's just that you may not have improved substantially but if you're running as well as you've ever done in your life it ain't bad either!

    Tinebeest- congrats! Nice running.

    Stickless- Really sorry to hear that. Hope it keeps on clearing up a little this week.

    1:45 for me. Second time I've run that long and was feeling very strong towards the end with almost no fatigue. Definitely much easier doing it at 7:30mm than last time at 6:20mm! Capped a 72.5 mile week for me (well 540 minutes!) which is great progress and since Easter 2006 definitely my biggest mileage week.
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    Some great running in here today.

    Hipps a PB indeed

    MikeS, that's pretty clinical that

    RFJ, WOW!!!!!

    not wishing to miss out I popped over the M25 and ran the Fred Hughes 10 finishing 4th in 56.03. 4 miles before and 5 miles afterwards. All done faster than last Sunday.

    The race was good for 7.5 miles as I marched through the field but some twists and turns and more wind than expected during the last few miles hurt a little. All in all I am happy and took time out of the chap in 3rd in those last few miles.

    Nice to catch up with Padams and run a little with him on my cooldown as he was strolling back from his marshalling point.

    The course was not as we expected but still fast enough for the workout we were looking for.
  • RFJ, excellent shiny new PB, and a very well judged and competed race

    Stickless, your vision problem soulnds nasty, but also sounds as though  'they' are taking it seriously, which has got to be good

    Podro, that was very evenly paced, and great that you did so well when you weren't expecting it

    MikeS, and PH and tinebeest, seems to be a great day for PBs day; well done to all of you

    What: 20ml, recceing the Stratford Marathon route; later,  perhaps weights and recovery run
    Why:  I was dithering about whether to enter Stratford, and now I'm just as unsure. Its really convenient for me, only c 30mins drive away, and not too big a field (which I like).

    I knew there were some hills and that part is along a disused railway with packed sand surface.  The railway surface is fine, a few puddles at the moment, but should be OK in April, but the hills...   I hate hills and they really slow me down, and I'm worried that if I work hard up them they will take too much out of me for the rest of the course; They actually only add up to about 70m on each of two laps, and most of that is one quite steep hill, and several  long but not too steep drags. 

    Now the question is, do I:-
     a) enter anyhow, but accept that it will be 5-10mins slower than I might run on a flat course
    b)  enter and spent the next 14 weeks working really hard on hill reps
    c)  enter a different marathon eg  Lochaber (long journey); Halstead (ditto) (can anyone eg PH tell me how these two compare on course profile with Stratford); Prague or Hamburg or Copenhagen (I don't really want to make a long w/e of a marathon this spring as I'm already going to the Algarve for warm weather training a month earllier)

  • Evening peeps.

    What:   Long session yesterday, at last !

    Rest today.

    Well run to Dubai Dave, RFJ, Hipps, tinebeest, Mike and anybody else that I've missed...

    Lyrics: Nope.

    Have a proper read back now to catch up.

    Night peeps.

  • Mava - Hope your Mum has a wonderful 80th.

    Dubai Dave - love the new target.

    RFJ - 10k 38.25 - great stuff - nice PB guess you are one happy boy.

    Stickless - sorry to hear things aren't doing what they are supposed to.

    Podro - 1.26 half - good run - sorry to hear Mrs Podro was having problems.

    Mike S. - congrats on bettering your target.

    PH - another sub 2 and a pb - good one. Maybe your body must like only having to go half the distance sometimes.

    Pammie - you are just stacking in those miles - well done.

    tinebeest - congrats on your huge 10 mile pb - you sound over the moon.

    Gobi - can't be bad - 4th and 56.03 in the middle of a long run!!

    TMR - nice 20 miler - a) enter now and enjoy - being close to home must be a huge benefit.

    What: Ernie Haskill 3000m and 800m. Woke up feeling tired and thought I'd just go back to sleep. Then I changed my mind - told myself not to be so lazy. The 3000m wasn't too bad until I thought I'd try to pick up the pace on the last 200m, silly old girl, felt like I was going to vomit. The body is only used to easy running - must have thought what are you trying to do to me!! Then the wait for the 800m - thought only 2 laps - can't be that bad. Had a bit of a coughing fit afterwards, and went home and took the gkids to the beach. Not sure of my times - but nothing to write home about. Usual 60 year old woman was in front of me in both races!! The point of these races is to see who gets the highest age-grading over a series of 3 meetings. After the first meeting she was 81.32% and I was 80.59% so unless I somehow find a new boost to my speed - she will win the trophy. I really just turn up to keep her honest, and I think she appreciates thatimage

    Good running everyone.

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