Official Running Thread

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

How did you know how far you’d ran and when you’d actually completed the 26.2? I imagine GPS watches would have shown up their limitations on such a course and been fairly inaccurate and you’d surely have lost count of the laps.

This is a very good question and I admit that it bothered me before the event as obviously it would differ from a standard event where there'd be km or mile markers. I thought of how to do this and came up with some possibilities:

1. buy a clicker - I believe that golfers have these to record the number of their shots
2. jelly babies - take out 36 and bite one in half and ingest every lap (I'd be too tight to buy 72)
3. finally get a bloody Garmin and at least this would record distance and possibly laps too if I could work out how it functioned (I couldn't)

I went for option 3 and 'splashed out'(I told you I was tight) £30 on a second-hand Garmin 305 Foreunner. I thought that this would also be helpful for pacing purposes. It ran out of power as I left the house. So with no Garmin, no clicker and not having the sense to stop and buy some jelly babies I went on a wing and a prayer. My impression was that most of my fellow competitors also didn't have a lap recorder of any kind.
However, it was no problem - there were so few of us that the guy recording the laps would shout out as you past as long as you asked him! Obviously you couldn't do this with every lap. And the only lap they guaranteed to tell you was your final one.

The really weird thing for me was that I intended to run an even-split 4 hour - and obviously failed miserably. But when I got the data through, it recorded my half way point at 2.00.03 so at one point I was pretty much bang on although I had no idea at the time.

 

[penny's harmonica]

I hooked up with ninja and met [MENTION=18282]Left Back[/MENTION] for PP Parkrun. After we headed over to watch the the Marathon runners going round and round and round. Groundhog Day. Huge respect for the NSC 3 who took part. I can’t decide if the Worthing car park or the velo is more bonkers.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Could I make a suggestion for an addition to 'the' table – 400m? According to Strava, I got a pb yesterday at Hove Park – not sure where, but I'm guessing the last 400m! – of 1.16. I'm aware it won't be the quickest, but I was quite chuffed!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Could I make a suggestion for an addition to 'the' table – 400m? According to Strava, I got a pb yesterday at Hove Park – not sure where, but I'm guessing the last 400m! – of 1.16. I'm aware it won't be the quickest, but I was quite chuffed!

I was thinking half mile, because I ran a 2:35 half mile to start the parkrun on saturday! My mate Dave has since withdrawn his challenge of a 100 meter race which is unwise, I really think he'd beat me because he's a sprinter. I need that distance to get going!

 

[dazzer6666]

This is a very good question and I admit that it bothered me before the event as obviously it would differ from a standard event where there'd be km or mile markers. I thought of how to do this and came up with some possibilities:

1. buy a clicker - I believe that golfers have these to record the number of their shots
2. jelly babies - take out 36 and bite one in half and ingest every lap (I'd be too tight to buy 72)
3. finally get a bloody Garmin and at least this would record distance and possibly laps too if I could work out how it functioned (I couldn't)

I went for option 3 and 'splashed out'(I told you I was tight) £30 on a second-hand Garmin 305 Foreunner. I thought that this would also be helpful for pacing purposes. It ran out of power as I left the house. So with no Garmin, no clicker and not having the sense to stop and buy some jelly babies I went on a wing and a prayer. My impression was that most of my fellow competitors also didn't have a lap recorder of any kind.
However, it was no problem - there were so few of us that the guy recording the laps would shout out as you past as long as you asked him! Obviously you couldn't do this with every lap. And the only lap they guaranteed to tell you was your final one.

The really weird thing for me was that I intended to run an even-split 4 hour - and obviously failed miserably. But when I got the data through, it recorded my half way point at 2.00.03 so at one point I was pretty much bang on although I had no idea at the time.

My Suunto showed 25.9 miles, my mates Suunto showed 26.4 and my coach’s (who ran it with me as a pacing exercise for me - that ultimately failed obviously) garmin 26.5 I think, so none were spot on. Think this was the case for virtually everyone. Also bear in mind the lap was measured officially at the far inside edge (just about) and a lot of the time most of us were running wider to let the faster runners through.

There was a big fuss at the end of this event when they first ran it a couple of years ago. One of the female competitors had a massive hissy-fit when her watch said 26.2 miles but the lap-counter said she had 2 left. She refused to run the extra laps and stomped off in a huff, meaning the prize for first lady didn’t go to her either [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[knocky1]

Could I make a suggestion for an addition to 'the' table – 400m? According to Strava, I got a pb yesterday at Hove Park – not sure where, but I'm guessing the last 400m! – of 1.16. I'm aware it won't be the quickest, but I was quite chuffed!

NSC rule 431, sub section a (ii): every time must be in an official event using their timing system. This prevents cheaters running downhill with a tailwind.

So my 75 seconds in 1972 on the cinder at Withdean puts me on top so far. Brighton & Hove champ beating Ovett's U-12 record.

I was thinking half mile, because I ran a 2:35 half mile to start the parkrun on saturday! My mate Dave has since withdrawn his challenge of a 100 meter race which is unwise, I really think he'd beat me because he's a sprinter. I need that distance to get going!

Likewise banned through rule 431, sub section a(ii).

My 2:28 for 800m on grass at 13 in 1973 had a starter gun and Mr Ross on the stop watch. Recorded in Hove Grammar School magazine and possibly reluctantly witnessed by your Dad.

Good start to my day. Top of two tables so far!

 

[knocky1]

To be serious I would enjoy sub mile challenges next year. Once my trek and marathon training are out the way I'll look into next summer. Maybe we could have the track session we nearly had this year.

 

[Curious Orange]

My 2:28 for 800m on grass at 13 in 1973 had a starter gun and Mr Ross on the stop watch. Recorded in Hove Grammar

Timed events at school, that's dead posh! I've no idea how fast my third place finish in the Sondes 5th form 1500m was, I just have a certificate to prove the placing...

 

[Simgull]

I won the Moss Hall Junior School 1976 egg and spoon race. Can we have a section for that? I don’t think it was timed and it did help that the leader dropped his egg one metre from the finishing line allowing me to swoop in for glory.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Are there any NSC runners out there with experience of the Nordic training regime of prancercising?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

NSC rule 431, sub section a (ii): every time must be in an official event using their timing system. This prevents cheaters running downhill with a tailwind.

So my 75 seconds in 1972 on the cinder at Withdean puts me on top so far. Brighton & Hove champ beating Ovett's U-12 record.



Likewise banned through rule 431, sub section a(ii).

My 2:28 for 800m on grass at 13 in 1973 had a starter gun and Mr Ross on the stop watch. Recorded in Hove Grammar School magazine and possibly reluctantly witnessed by your Dad.

Good start to my day. Top of two tables so far!

Blimey! Goodness only knows what sort of time you could do if you weren't high

 

[knocky1]

Blimey! Goodness only knows what sort of time you could do if you weren't high

From experience I'd say more likely to do 800m in 2 hours 28 mins , man.

I'll let you know I'll be in Kathmandu this time tomorrow.

 

[lost in london]

Has anyone used www.mbition.coach? I had an email from the Brighton half which included a link to their website. I have signed up to the free trial and quite like the look of it. I'm not serious enough about running to pay for a coach, but also well aware that my usual training (or lack or it) needs a bit more structure. I'll be interested to see if I stick it out.

 

[BlockDpete]

So are any NSC'ers planning a weekend trip for the Old Trafford game on the 25/11 and doing a local Parkrun on the Saturday morning?

I'm staying in the Eccles area, and planning on having a go at Worsley Woods parkrun on that Saturday.

Just wondering if I'll see any Albion fans

 

[big nuts]

Anyone running Brooks Sunday? I'm really struggling with my groin which emanates from my back and everything around the top of my left leg isn't great.

Hoping it starts to ease by the weekend, if not I'll give my entry away or pace someone here, if anyone is looking to achieve a time above 43 minutes I could potentially help

 

[Simgull]

Anyone running Brooks Sunday? I'm really struggling with my groin which emanates from my back and everything around the top of my left leg isn't great.

Hoping it starts to ease by the weekend, if not I'll give my entry away or pace someone here, if anyone is looking to achieve a time above 43 minutes I could potentially help

I’m in. God knows why, I hate10k and Brooks is over crowded.

Oh well at least the weather should be better than last year!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Anyone running Brooks Sunday? I'm really struggling with my groin which emanates from my back and everything around the top of my left leg isn't great.

Hoping it starts to ease by the weekend, if not I'll give my entry away or pace someone here, if anyone is looking to achieve a time above 43 minutes I could potentially help

Sorry to hear that, this was the one you were hoping to go sub-39 in wasn't it? I'm not going to be running it, I'm going to spend the next 3 weeks training for pacework to try and increase my speed endurance but another 10k race isn't on the cards. I think I'll probably run a few more parkruns but then call it for the year. I'm still weighing up the Portsmouth marathon in December to rack up some mileage before starting to train for Brighton Marathon 2018 but I'm very much in two minds at the moment.

 

[BlockDpete]

Yes I'm doing the Brighton 10k Sunday. Don't Brooks sponsor the race anymore.

Looking forward to the race, but gone down with a cold early part of this week, so haven't got out for a run yet. So not sure about time. Was hoping for sub 60mins, but I think 1:05 might be more realistic.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I'm staying in Cheshire on the Friday night and planning to do Congleton Parkrun before going to the game. It's three laps around a lake on tarmac so I'm hoping it could be a fast one.



I'm doing the 10k this Sunday, although I'll be much slower than you even when injured! I'm not sure what to aim for really. I did Littlehampton in September in 46:15 and I think I'm faster now, but my problem is that 10k is the distance I'm least interested in so I rarely run it even in training, and I never run it at my maximum pace. I tried pacing myself at Littlehampton and that went okay, so I am tempted to do the opposite and go for it at Brighton, pretend the first 5k is a Parkrun and clock about 21:00-21:30, then see how long I can hold on. At least I'll learn how I cope with that approach.

Well it's a strategy - an unusual and painful one but a good one to learn from. Many, many years ago this event was my PB. The problem was I didn't realise it at the time! Best of luck.