Official Running Thread

[Greg Bobkin]

Well what can I say. I completed the RTTS 100k Ultra Marathon this weekend. Its hard to sum up the emotions that you go through during this type of event. Its is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, I have copied my Facebook post 24 hours after I finished as it reflects how I was feeling.

"Now had 24 hours to reflect on the RTTS ultra. What an amazing event, the marshalls and pitstop crews were all amazing. The fellow runners so supportive and encouraging. The people I ran with inspired me to keep going when the going really did get tough. The last 12k after leaving the final pitstop are a blur of emotions. How long did it take from 88k to 89k, it felt like 10 miles not 1k, then the high of hitting the 96k marker when I was expecting 95k. The delight of then arriving at the Avebury stones, then to the emotion of the finish line. It's the hardest, toughest thing I have taken on. I only got through to the end thanks to Tiffany Spicer, Bruce Mehew and Ian Spicer who made me believe I could do it, they were right, I DID IT, I ran, walked, crawled 100k. I have never felt so exhausted as I did when I got over that line, but now I look back with a massive smile. It was brutal but I loved it. ♥♥"

View attachment 113087

Fantastic

And smiling all the way through it – or maybe just when you knew there was a camera around! Love the fact [MENTION=27279]dazzer6666[/MENTION] the run-pusher is straight on your case

 

[Mr Blobby]

Absolutely incredible achievement mate. So proud of you. Quite a birthday present eh?
Hopefully still Beachy Head with me in October. I'll need a proper trail veteran to stop me getting lost

A 50th Birthday pressie that I wont forget in a hurray! Yep next big challenge will be Beachy Head! I need to know more about the sausage rolls!!!! PS if we need my chest light then we may have taken a wrong turning!

 

[knocky1]

Well done [MENTION=474]Mr Blobby[/MENTION] great effort. You ran in one day what I've run since BM.............

Are you joining me in the Sofia Half Marathon in October or doing full distance? Can you get hold of a Bulgaria England ticket for me? I'll put [MENTION=18183]big nuts[/MENTION] in your Weakest Link relay team again for 2020 and anyone else you want..

 

[Mr Blobby]

Well done [MENTION=474]Mr Blobby[/MENTION] great effort. You ran in one day what I've run since BM.............

Are you joining me in the Sofia Half Marathon in October or doing full distance? Can you get hold of a Bulgaria England ticket for me? I'll put [MENTION=18183]big nuts[/MENTION] in your Weakest Link relay team again for 2020 and anyone else you want..

Doing the HM in Sofia, there are 4 of us doing it. No idea on tickets yet as Bulgaria up on a charge of racist chanting v Kosovo so a likely punishment of a game behind closed doors! If its not then tickets will be easy to get out there, I cant get them in the England end as one per member and we have to collect them in person out in Sofia!

 

[knocky1]

Doing the HM in Sofia, there are 4 of us doing it. No idea on tickets yet as Bulgaria up on a charge of racist chanting v Kosovo so a likely punishment of a game behind closed doors! If its not then tickets will be easy to get out there, I cant get them in the England end as one per member and we have to collect them in person out in Sofia!

Cheers for that.

Have walked the Ridgeway in the opposite direction and a beautiful and challenging run it must be, particularly your last 20 miles where you always seem to be on the edge of Swindon. Hope you dealt with that psychologically when it first came into view.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

A 50th Birthday pressie that I wont forget in a hurray! Yep next big challenge will be Beachy Head! I need to know more about the sausage rolls!!!! PS if we need my chest light then we may have taken a wrong turning!

Beachy Head will be a great experience for you – and seem like nothing compared with RTTS. It's SUCH a good day out – I've not entered this year, but am tempted, if there are any place left. It wasn't as easy for me last year than in previous years because of an IM hangover, but I still loved it. Yes, make the most of the sausage rolls and tea, the atmosphere, the views, everything.

Just remember though – 19 miles (Cuckmere river) is the REAL half-way point

Another tip – practice hiking. You won't be running over those seven bitches at the end, so make it as easy as possible for yourself by getting a power walk on up the hills

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Hove Park this morning for me, for the first time since 16th March! I was a bit dopey, during my discussion with [MENTION=23419]penny's harmonica[/MENTION] at the end, I mistakenly thought my watch was telling me I'd run 4.01km in 5:04 per KM, but in actual fact it was the other way around - 5:04km in 4:01 per KM.

I'm disappointed not to run sub-20, but the football tournament from thursday is in my knees and I started along with the 26 minute pacer. I couldn't get myself up to pace quickly enough but ended with the final 0.1 miles in 4:36 per mile. I need to try and run a bit more evenly, but it's easier said than done! Next saturday is the Lunar-Tic, I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for it but we'll soon know.

Also, as nobody else would really appreciate this story - I drove myself and a friend to Crawley for the friendly last night but missed several turn offs and ended up in Croydon, before turning back and getting in just before kick off. I've been on fire lately.

 

[dazzer6666]

Beachy Head will be a great experience for you – and seem like nothing compared with RTTS. It's SUCH a good day out – I've not entered this year, but am tempted, if there are any place left. It wasn't as easy for me last year than in previous years because of an IM hangover, but I still loved it. Yes, make the most of the sausage rolls and tea, the atmosphere, the views, everything.

Just remember though – 19 miles (Cuckmere river) is the REAL half-way point

Another tip – practice hiking. You won't be running over those seven bitches at the end, so make it as easy as possible for yourself by getting a power walk on up the hills

Practicing hiking is the best piece of advice for races like this (and others including ultras). So many people struggle on the traily/hillier/longer races because they haven’t practised walking (sounds stupid but it isn’t). My coached programme from my guru includes loads of hiking (particularly uphill) when training for longer events.

I can also recommend regular visits to Greggs to get used to the Jevington challenge at 17 miles [emoji106][emoji16]

V tempted to enter this again myself, such a good day out and no time pressure or anything.

No parkrun for me today, started a course of horse-strength antibiotics yesterday to try to get rid of this bug (3 weeks now), running at high effort irritates my gut too much at the moment so it’s mostly plodding/maintenance. Hope I’ll be fit enough for the Lunatic next week.

 

[penny's harmonica]

Hove Park this morning for me, for the first time since 16th March! I was a bit dopey, during my discussion with [MENTION=23419]penny's harmonica[/MENTION] at the end, I mistakenly thought my watch was telling me I'd run 4.01km in 5:04 per KM, but in actual fact it was the other way around - 5:04km in 4:01 per KM.

I'm disappointed not to run sub-20, but the football tournament from thursday is in my knees and I started along with the 26 minute pacer. I couldn't get myself up to pace quickly enough but ended with the final 0.1 miles in 4:36 per mile. I need to try and run a bit more evenly, but it's easier said than done! Next saturday is the Lunar-Tic, I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for it but we'll soon know.

Also, as nobody else would really appreciate this story - I drove myself and a friend to Crawley for the friendly last night but missed several turn offs and ended up in Croydon, before turning back and getting in just before kick off. I've been on fire lately.

Don’t forget your head torch next weekend

 

[sjamesb3466]

Braunstone Parkrun completed today with a new PB of 24:44, first time under 25 minutes. What is slightly annoying is that due to some gates being locked they had to alter the course slightly and ****ed it up as they made it approx 100m too long so I would probably have been another 20 seconds quicker still!

So happy at the moment that shins appear to have calmed right down haven't reacted to upping the mileage again. Have run 20k the last three weeks and will up it by 2k per week over the next few months as I train for the Leicester Half Marathon in October. Haven't been able to train injury free for more than a month since I took up running 15 months ago so the last 5-6 weeks has been bliss and it's encouraging to see the improvement.

Still nowhere near you lot but if I continue to train and stay injury free hopefully I can at least climb the leader board a bit!

 

[wallyback]

Brighton trailblazer 10k for me Sunday. Very hilly. I'll be happy with under an hour. Typically I run 10k in 50 mins.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Braunstone Parkrun completed today with a new PB of 24:44, first time under 25 minutes. What is slightly annoying is that due to some gates being locked they had to alter the course slightly and ****ed it up as they made it approx 100m too long so I would probably have been another 20 seconds quicker still!

So happy at the moment that shins appear to have calmed right down haven't reacted to upping the mileage again. Have run 20k the last three weeks and will up it by 2k per week over the next few months as I train for the Leicester Half Marathon in October. Haven't been able to train injury free for more than a month since I took up running 15 months ago so the last 5-6 weeks has been bliss and it's encouraging to see the improvement.

Still nowhere near you lot but if I continue to train and stay injury free hopefully I can at least climb the leader board a bit!

Good to hear (except the bit about the course). Sounds like you have a sensible strategy for your upcoming HM. Look forward to hearing of steady (or even better, spectacular) progress.


Bog standard 22.14 for me on a windy Worthing prom. But a category win, which was good to have, and an AG of 74.74%.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Braunstone Parkrun completed today with a new PB of 24:44, first time under 25 minutes. What is slightly annoying is that due to some gates being locked they had to alter the course slightly and ****ed it up as they made it approx 100m too long so I would probably have been another 20 seconds quicker still!

So happy at the moment that shins appear to have calmed right down haven't reacted to upping the mileage again. Have run 20k the last three weeks and will up it by 2k per week over the next few months as I train for the Leicester Half Marathon in October. Haven't been able to train injury free for more than a month since I took up running 15 months ago so the last 5-6 weeks has been bliss and it's encouraging to see the improvement.

Still nowhere near you lot but if I continue to train and stay injury free hopefully I can at least climb the leader board a bit!

Nice one fella! Rome wasn't built in a day - my first 5k took me almost 35 minutes and included a nice walk section. Make sure that you're doing plenty of strengthening work, as well as running. And not just running distances, going out and running 3-5 miles is great for your endurance and you'll inevitably get quicker and stronger, but you'll get much better results if you're able to mix up the sessions. Try throwing in a few KM faster than you usually do, aim for 4:30 per KM and see how the step up in pace feels. A few of those with a 90 seconds/2 minute rest and you'll be flying come parkrun day, without even feeling like you're moving quicker. Remember the old adage though - it doesn't get easier, you just get faster.

Brighton trailblazer 10k for me Sunday. Very hilly. I'll be happy with under an hour. Typically I run 10k in 50 mins.

I'll be there - [MENTION=18183]big nuts[/MENTION] will be too. Tall bald fella, you can't miss him! I'll be hanging around in his general vicinity too I'd think. I'm looking forward to getting back on the snake hill!

No parkrun for me today, started a course of horse-strength antibiotics yesterday to try to get rid of this bug (3 weeks now), running at high effort irritates my gut too much at the moment so it’s mostly plodding/maintenance. Hope I’ll be fit enough for the Lunatic next week.

I hope to see you there - I'll be running. Aiming for 3:30 ideally, depending on how I get on this week with a bit of distance work and a bit of speed work. Nothing too intensive, it's a very energy sapping course.

Don’t forget your head torch next weekend

That's not the sort of thing I'd expect myself to do.

 

[knocky1]

An easy 24:23 for Billy No Mates down on the Prom. Ran by this bloke with ease and called him a fat w*****. Anyone know who he is?

 

[sjamesb3466]

Good to hear (except the bit about the course). Sounds like you have a sensible strategy for your upcoming HM. Look forward to hearing of steady (or even better, spectacular) progress.


Bog standard 22.14 for me on a windy Worthing prom. But a category win, which was good to have, and an AG of 74.74%.

Thank you. Will be happy with steady injury free progress. Couch to 10k in 6 weeks in 2018 was definitely not a good idea where shin splints and plantar fasciitis is concerned! Will be delighted if I can ever be at a stage where 22:14 is bog standard!

 

[sjamesb3466]

Nice one fella! Rome wasn't built in a day - my first 5k took me almost 35 minutes and included a nice walk section. Make sure that you're doing plenty of strengthening work, as well as running. And not just running distances, going out and running 3-5 miles is great for your endurance and you'll inevitably get quicker and stronger, but you'll get much better results if you're able to mix up the sessions. Try throwing in a few KM faster than you usually do, aim for 4:30 per KM and see how the step up in pace feels. A few of those with a 90 seconds/2 minute rest and you'll be flying come parkrun day, without even feeling like you're moving quicker. Remember the old adage though - it doesn't get easier, you just get faster.



I'll be there - [MENTION=18183]big nuts[/MENTION] will be too. Tall bald fella, you can't miss him! I'll be hanging around in his general vicinity too I'd think. I'm looking forward to getting back on the snake hill!



I hope to see you there - I'll be running. Aiming for 3:30 ideally, depending on how I get on this week with a bit of distance work and a bit of speed work. Nothing too intensive, it's a very energy sapping course.



That's not the sort of thing I'd expect myself to do.

Thank you for the advice. I have definitely learned the hard way that doing too much too soon is not sensible long term so I am going against my natural instinct and building up slowly again. Had some physio a while ago so have quite a lot of resistance band exercises for my shins, ankle along with calf work which will hopefully continue to help.

I have been running 4 times a week for the last three weeks with a Wednesday tempo run (5k at approx 5:00 per km), Thursday gentle 5k (approx 5:45 per km), Saturday ParkRun (today just under 5:00 per km) and 1no long run on a Sunday (at the moment 7k at approx 5:45-6:00 per km). Does that sound about right? Next week am going to start upping the mileage slightly but not going crazy, still got 11 weeks until the HM. Aiming for sub 2 hours after completing in 2:02 last year. The big target would be 1:50-1:45 and although that's probably a bigger improvement than is realistic at this stage, am going to give it a bloody good go all being well!

 

[Simgull]

Gave Uckfield a go this morning- thought it might be a mud bath after the rain last night but was just a bit squelchy in places. Nice course - but different to have an off road out and back. 22:54 and 19th place was good after 15 miles on the Downs yesterday evening.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

No parkrun for me either today – kids football getting in the way again! I was, however, offered a place for Beachy, which I'm contemplating at the moment, but I'll probably snap it up...

 

[Richy_Seagull]

Any tips for interval training? Looking to start to try and improve pace. Have got my garmin watch so can add custom times/distances in to that....

 

[Mr Banana]

Any tips for interval training? Looking to start to try and improve pace. Have got my garmin watch so can add custom times/distances in to that....

This is quite good: https://instagram.com/redzonerunning

They have a fairly simple (for a dunce like me) programme you could also download in their bio.

If you prefer outdoors to the treadmill, you could use trees as markers and sprint between one or two, then walk the next set. The slopes at Hove Park are quite useful for switching tempos. For example, you could run sub-20 5k pace from roughly the basketball courts to the opposite side of the track (about 500m). Then walk or light jog down the slope back to where you started as recovery, give yourself a few seconds and go again.