VLM 2012 Outsiders Thread

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  • Come on Minardi!

    I feel your pain (or apathy). I find it hard at the moment to drag myself out. I don't mind the weekends when I can do my long runs in the light, but going out in the dark, cold evenings after a long day at work to go round and round the local streets is hard to do. But on the positive side, lots of people have their christmas trees up already and their curtains open so it's good for nosy parkers like me. And you can promise yourself something nice when you get back in - a hot bath followed by a glass of wine perhaps? I wonder why I'm not getting any thinner.

  • Oh yeah, one thing I love about running at this time if year is nosying at other people's Christmas lights, it takes your mind off your legs! image

    I do fancy a plod tonight but every time I go out in the cold I cough like a forty-a-day smoker so I'm wondering if I should wait until Thursday when the weatherman said it would be warmer - allegedly.

    Then again, I made pasta carbonara at the weekend and have some of all the ingredients left over including a lot of parmesan and pancetta so I'll feel less guilty if I do plod first, And I can get my Helly Hansen top and woolly hat out and feel like a well 'ard extreme sports type .... hmm.....decisions...

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    First Christmas Dinner tonight so might be on the plod first too!

    Disappointed that the Asics Super 6 things hasn't got ANY slower runners in it....but very grateful for this thread..

    Hope everyone else is doing ok this week. Work is manic but got out of ra hilly few miles on Monday. 10K on Sunday - eek!
  • Hi Mitiog -  mine's tomorrow afternoon, should be OK if I go easy on the Prosecco image

    Good luck for your 10k!

    OK I've finally made a decision about sponsorship - I've decided I'm running for the London Air Ambulance and have just got in touch with them about it.

  • Sorted!

    All I need to do is wait for my vest and hopefully for them to arrange a photo on the helipad for my justgiving page image

    All seems a bit more real now though - eek!!!!

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Great news, Screamy image Once it gets to the New Year it'll seem a bit more real to me. You hold off the Prosecco if I hold off the mini stollen bit, right?
  • Um...not sure I can make that promise mitiog. I've just stuffed my face with a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting image

    OK justgiving page all set up...I guess that means I really HAVE to do it now OH...MY...GOD! image

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    You'll be fine Screamy, just relax! 60mph gusting wind here and lots of rain so may not get out tonight. image
  • Seems OK here in London Mitiog - I work on the 7th floor and can normally hear the wind whistling but it seems pretty quiet at the moment. How was your Christmas dinner last night?

    I must say I've not had a "canteen" Christmas lunch in many a year so I was impressed at how much the quality has improved - not sure about the pud though image

    Feeling a bit pink in the cheeks after the old Prosecco I must say image

  • Well I wouldn't recommend running in high winds with a stomach full of sprouts and Christmas pud but it was quite invigorating. It strarted raining just as I got back to my gate and when I looked at my watch I found I'd run a whole extra mile further than I'd thought - result! image
  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    My dinner was ok thanks Screamy - especially the pear tart and cheeseboard!!!!

    Did a really easy 4 mile plod last night in all the wind and rain. Sometimes I wish marathon times were awarded based on determination and perseverance in training not on the race itself!!

    Got any plans for the weekend? 10K race on Sun - eek!
  • Yum......imageimage

    Hope you enjoyed your wild weather plod - I quite enjoyed mine but wouldn't have fancied a long run in it.

    I'm supposed to be running 10 miles Sunday but missed doing 9 last week so will be doing that.  I'm trying to work out a route that goes downhill most of the way - I feel a bit lazy. Will be the first long run boosted by jelly baby power image

    Hope the 10k goes well - don't forget to report back image

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Will do image Love to see show you manage a 9-mole all downhill route!!!! I guess you'll need to get a lift one way image
  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Well, the 10K.....

    It was fab. I loved it. I ran 6.2 miles faster than I could run 1 miles 2 months ago. I ran a negative split race and enjoyed overtaking people towards the end. I still had enough for a strong finish and came in at 1:07:29.

    Splits:
    10:47
    11:00
    11:00
    10:43
    10:55
    10:40
    2.24
    Average pace: 10:53

    No idea what that means in terms of a marathon time...my previous 10K race was 9 months before my last marathon and I did 61:30 in the 10K to get a marathon time of 5:31 so I reckon it might be sweeper bus for me in Edinburgh. If only I could shift the weight I gained when I was in London (working in London, that is, not running the London marathon!)

    How did everyone else's runs + races go? How was the Half Que Sera?
  • Hi Mitiog and well done image

    You are probably looking at 5 hours plus for the marathon. Hard to gauge exactly as things can be a bit unpredictable on the day you will slow down as you get more tired but you might also have a great run that day - it's a strange beast!

    Well I had a really disappointing run yesterday, I had to stop at 7 miles image

    It's been a long time since I've had to do that but it just wasn't happening yesterday for some reason. Miles 1-3 mostly uphil were great. Mile 4 was a bit tiring as there were a few undulations but I expected to revive after that. Instead I just got tireder and tireder and slower and slower and the jelly babies didn't seem to help. In the end I got to the set of towpath steps before the one I was due to take and just stopped, got off and walked home.

    I've been running long enough to know that this happens sometimes but it was really annoying especially after such a good run on Thursday. My 8 miler had been fine too so it was an unpleasant surprise.

    Hope everyone else go on OK this weekend.....

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Sorry you had to stop early Screamy - but a wise decision. You're right, marathons are strange beasts. The thing that gets me is trying to do the even-pacing thing (which everyone seems to recommend) when knowing the pace that you're meant to go at is nigh on impossible. Those pace conversion charts never seem to work for me, whatever the distance.

    Easy running week for me - just a few short plods. Back to proper training this week (sort of!).
  • Hi all, morning Mitiog,

    Well I managed to run 9 miles on Saturday and I made myself do the same route as last week. It was hard and I did grind to a halt halfway up a little slope in mile 8 (restarted after 20 seconds of so of cursing) but I did it  image

    It took 1.46 which is sub 12mm and having to wait at traffic lights, negotiate pedestrians and cope with extra mud along the canal probably added 2-3 minutes or so, so I was quite encouraged,  especially as I was making a concerted effort to take it easy.

    I wore my brand new sports bra which I bought because my boobage had been suffering on longer runs and it did a sterling job. Today, though it feels quite tender right in the middle of my breastbone so I might have to use an extender next time.

    Not that anyone really needs to know about my boobage! image

    Anyway  - how did everyone else's plods go? Bit nippy wasn't it? Brrrrr!

  • Hello All. Been a bit quiet lately - sorry about that. Glad to hear that yesterday's run and bra was a success Screamy. I did my half yesterday. It was a nice off-road route round some lakes, but chilly in the sleet, and some of the alkes were frozen. It was OK though - not too windy and quite flat - and I finished and wasn't even last - about 2 hours 15 I think though forgot to check my watch. But I did feel quite knackered in the last couple of miles. I also seem to have bruised my middle toe, though it felt fine at the time. But it feels tender now and I'm hoping I won't have lost it.

    My training plan begins this week, but what with Christmas and then a work trip to the states in early January it might not settle down right away. I'll try to get out tomorrow (having a rest day today) toes permitting.

    All best to everyone with their runs. I'm having a mad work week with lots of pre-Christmas deadlines, and will need to fit in finishing christmas shopping, all my wrapping and decorating etc (for a family of 16 over christmas adn I'm working till Thursday!) Yikes.

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Well done Que Sera! I'm not going to even attempt to get much training done over the next few weeks - just keep things ticking over. Am working til Friday so I know what you mean about everything being a rush to sort out.

    Hope the toe is ok image
  • Hi all- stuck at 2hr mark myself- and sleety/ windy slow is a real shock to the system . Better than trying to run on it do counting my blessing! Considering a balaclava - will I get arrested ? !
  • Ha Ha, not if you leave the sawn off shotgun at home Siony image

    I was thinking of getting a buff to cover my mouth on colder days, I saw someone running with one on Saturday. I'm not sure that the feeling of suffocation will be worse than the feeling that someone has set fire to my throat though image

    Is anyone going to be brave enough to run on Christmas Day? I'll be vegging out having hopefully managed 10 miles Christmas Eve - it will be good to get up to double figures.

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    Came 4th in a Festive 5K at club last night! Won a nice Christmas selection box. Pretty much 10-min-miled it so chuffed to bits with my time. 31:12 I think.

    Not running over Christmas. It'll be the only week off I get until after the marathon so I reckon rest is a good plan. And catch up on sleep.
  • Well done mitiog! It's always nice when your efforts are rewarded.

    I was planning to run on Chritstmas Eve but I'm feeling the beginnings of another cold.image Oh well, at least it means I can properly get involved with the festivities.image

  • mince-pie mitiog wrote (see)
    Came 4th in a Festive 5K at club last night! Won a nice Christmas selection box. Pretty much 10-min-miled it so chuffed to bits with my time. 31:12 I think. Not running over Christmas. It'll be the only week off I get until after the marathon so I reckon rest is a good plan. And catch up on sleep.


    Yay, well done image 

    Hi Sacco, sorry to hear you have another cold. My cough still hasn't gone completely, the cold weather really made it play up Saturday and Sunday, but I'm not letting it stop me. It might explain why that  failed 9 miler was a bit "dodge" though. 

    I've decided to do a figure of 8 route for my 10 miler with 5 miles one side of the A40 and 5 on the other - I'm hoping splitting it into two parts makes it more bearable.

  • I need to start ramping up my milage too. My plan at the moment is just more laps of regents park, but that's already dull.

    I'm templted to try this (http://www.walkjogrun.net/) to plan something more interesting, but in the run up to Christmas I haven't found the time.

  • I use GMaps Pedometer which uses the same technology.

    It's really good for distance but I find it difficult to translate the elevation graph into something I recognise as flat or hilly so I always have the actual profile of where I'm running in the back of my mind too - luckily I've been running around my local area for a good few years now so I know where most of the hills are.

    Now and then I do take pot luck and plot an unfamiliar route for part of the way - not knowing whether it's uphill, downhill or flat is sometimes a good thing! image

    Having the canal nearby is great too but at the moment it's really muddy so I'm trying to avoid it.

  • mitiogmitiog ✭✭✭
    GPS is rubbish for elevation data anyway - best bet is to look at the contours of an OS map if you want to check where the hills are. I quite like to know roughly where I'm going, so to speak; it helps me with my pacing.
  • Hello can I join you?

    had an early christmas present today, mr fe and I got our club places.

    I have done it before twice, very slowly.

    I just love the atmosphere.

  • Welcome fairy elephant
    And happy Christmas all
  • Morning Outsiders, hope you all had a great Christmas image

    Welcome aboard Fairy Elephant - love the avatar image

    Christmas plods went well. Ran 5 miles on Christmas Eve in 54.34 which I think is a PB for that distance. Yesterday I ran 10 in 1.55. 17 so I can still afford to slow down a little bit (believe it or not) and still get round faster than last time image

    I am done in today though - my legs feel as if they belong to someone else image

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