Official Running Thread

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I am, but don't tend to do the WSFRL races as they don't fit with my programme. I've done a lot of them in the past though. To be honest I don't have that much involvement in the club these days (I used to be the press officer and on the committee) as I don't train with them - just tend to meet up with a few at the events I do which are mostly trail marathons. Which club are you with ?

I wouldn't put anyone off doing the WSFRL races though - very good events, cheap to enter and all very social and inclusive with some nice routes.

Not with a club. I get the impression - perhaps wrongly - that most of the NSC runners are not club runners? I've been on the cusp of joining one (there are 3 or 4 in Worthing) over the years but never taken the plunge. Agree with the views on WSFRL races though - really good set-up. And I suspect that behind most Parkruns there's a running club doing the hard yards in setting them up.

I was at last years event as a spectator (crocked). It was great looking at the range of abilities. The guy who won it (by a huge margin) was wearing a Scotland international vest and seemed to finish just a few minutes after the more mature runners had cleared the starting line. I'm not sure there are many other sports where you'd get this sort of contrast?

 

[dazzer6666]

Not with a club. I get the impression - perhaps wrongly - that most of the NSC runners are not club runners? I've been on the cusp of joining one (there are 3 or 4 in Worthing) over the years but never taken the plunge. Agree with your view of WSFRL race though - really good set-up. And I suspect that behind most Parkruns there's a running club doing the hard yards in setting them up.

Think you're right on NSC membership - I really found club membership invaluable when I started up (or started to do more), real spur to thinking about training differently, doing events etc and always having advice on hand as well as being geed on by running with others. As regards parkruns, I know for sure Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath clubs combined to get Clair Park set up - took several months

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I don't think I'd join a club, only because I don't like routine in terms of one night a week being a club night. But it's not really my thing but I know a few who do enjoy it. Oddly actually, thinking about it, the two non-NSC club runners I know have no interest in races at all.

 

[Curious Orange]

I find it quite satisfying not being a club runner and finishing ahead of people who are in races, especially if they're younger than me!

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I find it quite satisfying not being a club runner and finishing ahead of people who are in races, especially if they're younger than me!

Well that's just so shallow...................

PS so do I!

 

[big nuts]

Lovely conditions out there today.

First flat out run for me after 4 weeks and it told as my last mile was significantly slower.

Still pleased with 19:15 bearing in mind I barely run for 2 weeks with a bad back.

Now looking forward to a slow plod tomorrow of somewhere between 8-10 miles.

 

[Capricorn]

I'm getting excited for the half marathon I'm doing next weekend. Earlier this year I set a new half marathon PB of 1:26:30, then in May I re-set it to 1:23:21. I've had a really good training cycle for this race averaging 30-40 mile weeks (which is my highest consistent amount I've ever done - aside from easy miles for marathon training a while back), and doing harder workouts than ever before. Last weekend I set a new 10K PB with 36:56 which I think is about right for what I'm aiming for. It's made me cautiously optimistic about scraping under 80 mins for the half, but I'll be pretty happy just to get close to it. It's nice when the hard work pays off!

 

[big nuts]

I'm getting excited for the half marathon I'm doing next weekend. Earlier this year I set a new half marathon PB of 1:26:30, then in May I re-set it to 1:23:21. I've had a really good training cycle for this race averaging 30-40 mile weeks (which is my highest consistent amount I've ever done - aside from easy miles for marathon training a while back), and doing harder workouts than ever before. Last weekend I set a new 10K PB with 36:56 which I think is about right for what I'm aiming for. It's made me cautiously optimistic about scraping under 80 mins for the half, but I'll be pretty happy just to get close to it. It's nice when the hard work pays off!

Strewth mate, that's ****ing quick (said in my best Alf Stewart impression)

Sub 80 would be a monumental achievement and you look well placed based on the 10k time to get close. Best of luck.

 

[Capricorn]

Strewth mate, that's ****ing quick (said in my best Alf Stewart impression)

Sub 80 would be a monumental achievement and you look well placed based on the 10k time to get close. Best of luck.

Haha thanks mate! Yeah I'm pretty happy with how my times have progressed. Slowly building up the mileage and trying to get in some solid speed sessions has helped a lot. I wouldn't have dreamed about getting close to sub 80 for the half this time last year, but now it's seeming more and more within my reach. Crazy to think sub 80 pace is close to the pace of my 5K PB in the not too distant past! I guess that's one of the great things about running though; you can see massive improvement in a short amount of time.

 

[big nuts]

Haha thanks mate! Yeah I'm pretty happy with how my times have progressed. Slowly building up the mileage and trying to get in some solid speed sessions has helped a lot. I wouldn't have dreamed about getting close to sub 80 for the half this time last year, but now it's seeming more and more within my reach. Crazy to think sub 80 pace is close to the pace of my 5K PB in the not too distant past! I guess that's one of the great things about running though; you can see massive improvement in a short amount of time.

Consistent injury free, quality mileage is the key. Get your speed, hills and long runs in plus rest, recover, stretch and strengthen your core and you will see improvements beyond your wildest dreams.

Easier said than done but if you have time and the determination anything is possible.

 

[Simgull]

22:15 at Hove Park this morning. Pleased with that as it seems I have finally started improving again after a spell of plateauing.
Also on the back of going to the Test match yesterday and arriving late this morning and not warming up at all.

Looking for around 16 miles tomorrow - Berlin 8 weeks to go.

 

[Capricorn]

Consistent injury free, quality mileage is the key. Get your speed, hills and long runs in plus rest, recover, stretch and strengthen your core and you will see improvements beyond your wildest dreams.

Easier said than done but if you have time and the determination anything is possible.

Yeah, I'm definitely starting to believe that more and more.

Makes for an interesting question of what the peak potential is for someone without the natural talent and genetic endowment that characterises a lot of elite runners. I'm not sure that you could necessarily quantify it in terms of time benchmarks (5k - sub 16:30 maybe?), especially considering even among us mere mortal runners there's a massive variety in genetic predispositions and intrinsic motivation. It does beg the interesting question though of "If you took ANY athletically average person and provided them with the perfect training regimen/diet/they avoided injury in the process, at the peak age for physical fitness - what kind of times could you expect them all to achieve?"

I've been thinking about this recently and I'm caught between a) there must be a time benchmark which given the ideal training regimen and assuming they had sufficient motivation - any average human could achieve, and b) there's too much genetic variety in the starting point for each person that it's impossible to suggest any person could achieve an objective time.

 

[knocky1]

22:15 at Hove Park this morning. Pleased with that as it seems I have finally started improving again after a spell of plateauing.
Also on the back of going to the Test match yesterday and arriving late this morning and not warming up at all.

Looking for around 16 miles tomorrow - Berlin 8 weeks to go.

Swerved Parkrun as I need to run off the pace and I always end up chasing someone in. Glad as I would have chased you in vain today.

 

[Mr Banana]

22:15 at Hove Park this morning. Pleased with that as it seems I have finally started improving again after a spell of plateauing.
Also on the back of going to the Test match yesterday and arriving late this morning and not warming up at all.

Looking for around 16 miles tomorrow - Berlin 8 weeks to go.

Brill. Fair play. Tough conditions today. Saw Greg Bobkin going round, looked good.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

22:15 at Hove Park this morning. Pleased with that as it seems I have finally started improving again after a spell of plateauing.
Also on the back of going to the Test match yesterday and arriving late this morning and not warming up at all.

Looking for around 16 miles tomorrow - Berlin 8 weeks to go.

Well done, Have you got a target time for Berlin? I'm only up to 11 miles for my 'long run'!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Brill. Fair play. Tough conditions today. Saw Greg Bobkin going round, looked good.

Looks can be deceiving, Mr B – I still have Lunat-Tic legs and ideally wanted to be closer to 22 than the just under 23 that it turned out to be. I saw you too – were you pacing someone, as I expected you to be off like a rocket and much further up the field? Popped out for an easy five-miler yesterday and then did 30 mins of yoga which seemed to sort out the slightly dodgy knee that had been rearing its ugly head. One thing's for sure though, if I DO make it to the prom on the 12th, it probably I'm probably not going to be SB hunting!

Signed up for Brighton Half this morning –*early bird discount ends today, apparently...

 

[Guinness Boy]

Having told various people I was never going near a football again I lied. When one of your best mates asks you to play in a charity match for children's cancer what are you going to do?

So no Strava last week but actually managed two 7 a side training sessions and then played 50 mins at full pelt on Saturday. Wouldn't have got through that without running & though I'm a bit achy today the old injury hasn't come close to appearing. The Stretches of Jesus have done the business & going to try to go out Weds, Friday & Sunday this week to get in shape for the glorious 12th.


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[Simgull]

Well done, Have you got a target time for Berlin? I'm only up to 11 miles for my 'long run'!

No this is definitely a just go out there and enjoy it effort. Just be pleased to make the start line,

Only did 15miles on Sunday but a tough 15. Hove to the Chattri and then a bit of the SDW. Need a long flat one now to see where I am for Berlin.

 

[knocky1]

Another one not going for SB at the Prom on the glorious 12th. I'll be there but stopped running at the moment Achilles sore even without running.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

No this is definitely a just go out there and enjoy it effort. Just be pleased to make the start line,

Only did 15miles on Sunday but a tough 15. Hove to the Chattri and then a bit of the SDW. Need a long flat one now to see where I am for Berlin.

Thanks. I guess the great location of yours will help. I've got until early November so am a long way out - but slogging around the PP velodrome 74 times won't be quite as much fun as seeing one of Europe's great cities. But I certainly share your 'just be pleased to make the start line' comment.