Official Running Thread

[Badger]

Totally agree. I’d rather get absolutely humiliated by some proper athletes and finish last than have to weave around Karen, 53, from Mile Oak who watched last year’s HM, decided to enter despite never running before and has brought her entire family out to see her plod round in 3hr 20min in the mistaken belief she is the hero of the day.

What really pisses me off is those people who put themselves in one of the front waves of runners despite there being no chance of them keeping up any kind of pace. I entered a half marathon a couple of years ago and there were people walking within the first 5K. I'm not talking runners with injuries, these people were just clearly unfit.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

So, how is anyone locked into a training routine going to keep running with the snow looking to stick around? This was a low mileage week for me anyway but I don't want to lose too much progress.

Anyone know if you can pay a day rate at the Council gyms?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Brilliant, thanks. I’ll enter this week as my aim for this summer is to get fast so I’m signing up for any 10k I can get my hands on.



It was the same yesterday. I would have a rule that says if you don’t finish within X minutes of your predicted time you are disqualified and do not receive a result.

I really don't have a problem with 3-hour-plodders or people doing a one off HM as an "achievement" as they are making a positive change in their lives and doing something to get healthy and active. At the end of the day walking 13 miles is better for you than sitting on the sofa with wine and donuts. As we've touched on, different races will have different entrants and it should fairly much self police. No need for a sweeper at Phoenix because no one really runs more than an hour. Brighton Marathon is an all day event, if someone really wants to spend all day doing it that's fine - it can include people collecting in buckets / dressed as rhinos / dressed in full army gear with huge kit bags etc who raise absolutely thousands for charity.

BUT I would love to introduce actual electrified cattle prods for anyone who starts in a pen that's too fast for them. I am actually a good example. With a PB of 1.46 that included being severely hampered by slow runners in the first two miles I thought sub 1.45 was entirely reasonable when I entered and that was what was on file as my expected time. I therefore got a blue (1.30 - 1.45) number. After three months out no way was I going to be near that so I took it upon myself to start in the middle of yellow (1,45 - 2.00) which proved to be bang on. Even on the first hill there were people who were clearly out of their depth and barely making it up. I don't know what comes over them.

(EDIT - basically I did not come within "X" of my predicted time but I self policed it. Your suggestion would only work if you could edit the expected time to take in to account injuries and training disruption. There is an unwritten rule that you should never start in a pen faster than your bib - it's a shame it's not practically enforceable)

 

[GypsyKing]

So, how is anyone locked into a training routine going to keep running with the snow looking to stick around? This was a low mileage week for me anyway but I don't want to lose too much progress.

Anyone know if you can pay a day rate at the Council gyms?

I use the website payasugym.com for those days that I'm working from home so can't access my usual gym in London. Just find the nearest available/cheapest gym near you...

 

[Guinness Boy]

I wasn't being serious with that comment! There are loads of reasons why people can miss their target time without it being their fault whatsoever. And with so many races entered months in advance it's always a bit of a guess anyway.

I was just frustrated at starting in the 1:30-1:45 pen as I should have done on Sunday and instantly losing time behind dozens of people who clearly shouldn't have been there.

I think that will happen every year at Brighton unfortunately. Two years ago I got 1.46 but my first two miles were the slowest with the group being held to 8.45 minute mile pace, slower in the pinch points. As soon as it thinned out I was running 8.00s!

 

[knocky1]

I started in the sub 3:30 pen for 2016 BM. Stood at the back of the pack and pretended I had to do a stretch at the start. Ended up running almost alone for first mile as they have a delay between pens. Only downside was when @GB came by on Hove Prom I was 7" behind with 2 miles to go and out the race........

 

[knocky1]

Hydration packs.

As someone who needs 5 pints of water after a long run I think I better sort something for the Moyleman. Any advice? [MENTION=24635]Greg Bobkin[/MENTION] and [MENTION=21215]Dazzer[/MENTION]666 ?

I'm prepared to get an upmarket bladder but not bothered on pack as long as it's stable.

 

[knocky1]

This brings me back to a question I asked on Sunday. What was to stop me simply starting the Brighton HM at 9.45am when everybody else was at least 30 minutes up the road and running it on my own? Obviously I'd never actually do it as I'd look like a right oddball, but is it possible?

[MENTION=13055]Ninja Elephant[/MENTION] can answer that one.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

This brings me back to a question I asked on Sunday. What was to stop me simply starting the Brighton HM at 9.45am when everybody else was at least 30 minutes up the road and running it on my own? Obviously I'd never actually do it as I'd look like a right oddball, but is it possible?

[MENTION=13055]Ninja Elephant[/MENTION] can answer that one.

Classic joshing from our gaffer!

I was the final starter at the Worthing Half 2017, I timed it THAT well and just didn't want to try and sneak through the field. I started last and cantered through the field, I really needn't have bothered entering the race and paying the financial monies but it would go against the spirit of the event to just show up and run it. I considered doing that for Brighton this year, and then not taking any of the goodies at the end because to be honest, I only wanted water and a banana (and a medal to hang around the neck of a stuffed dog!). But I'd feel like a fraud.

 

[knocky1]

Dropped brother off at Gatwick today and so decided to run Woolstonbury and Newtimber Hills by Pyecombe. Great snow fun. Salomon Speedcross had no problems with snow drifts and rutted, icy ground underneath. I did shorten the stride and step gingerly as I don't want an injury.
The easterly wind was strong, cold and bitter. At one point running into it reduced me to a 10:45 downhill pace.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Dropped brother off at Gatwick today and so decided to run Woolstonbury and Newtimber Hills by Pyecombe. Great snow fun. Salomon Speedcross had no problems with snow drifts and rutted, icy ground underneath. I did shorten the stride and step gingerly as I don't want an injury.
The easterly wind was strong, cold and bitter. At one point running into it reduced me to a 10:45 downhill pace.

I managed a 5K recovery run and it was the coldest I've ever been while out running. Mixture of ice, snow, stiff legs and headwind had me post up a 31 min 5k time. One to just get in the bank and forget about.

 

[dazzer6666]

So, how is anyone locked into a training routine going to keep running with the snow looking to stick around? This was a low mileage week for me anyway but I don't want to lose too much progress.

Anyone know if you can pay a day rate at the Council gyms?

Running in snow, offload, is a) great fun b) a good strength workout and c) cleans your trainers better than any other method

The Triangle in Burgess Hill definitely does -£8 a session - as I use it myself. You need to sign up for free membership. I suspect all the 'places for people' run centres are the same.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I am CONFIRMED in the Phoenix 10k - I have just paid, so I know it has happened.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I am CONFIRMED in the Phoenix 10k - I have just paid, so I know it has happened.

You might even get out of bed in time for that one

 

[dazzer6666]

Worst event for this is the London Marathon.....whenever I’ve done it I’ve been in one of the middle pens (4 or 5 out of the 9 they usually have on red or blue) which is more or less in line with my usual estimate of 3.45-4 hours. The pens are RAMMED with people you instantly know have literally no chance of being anywhere near that. Last time I there was a bloke with a fridge strapped to his back who told me he was expecting to take 8 hours +

Really pisses me off in chip-timed events where there is no need to rush over the start line. I know some of these people will have aimed for, say, sub 4 and then not been able to train properly etc but so many are first-timers that clearly aren’t capable of it.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

You might even get out of bed in time for that one

I accept this criticism.

That being said, I have completed every available parkrun in 2018 so far! Admittedly, I've not been ready at the start of one for a few weeks and maybe 2 in the last two months!