Official Running Thread

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Here's a (slightly) interesting comparison of performances across the years. It was the Crowborough 10K on Sunday. I looked at the results and then dug out the results from 1989 when I did it. I'm assuming that the course (undulating) hasn't changed and that conditions (as I recall them) were just about the same (perfect?). I'm afraid I could only find my own result so forgive me if this reads like a self-serving narrative; it's not meant to be.

Time: 40.31

Positions:

1989 - 77/260 (men)

2019 - this time would have given a position of 21/215 (men)

This is of course just a snap-shot (one event, one competitor, two years) but that's a pretty big difference.

I've sometimes heard guys from 'that' era saying how standards at the top end of the fields have fallen. No way would one (this) little bit of data prove anything one way or another. Perhaps it's that there were just fewer events so the 'talent' was more concentrated.

Perhaps a fellow survivor of that time (i.e. [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION]) has a view?

 

[knocky1]

Here's a (slightly) interesting comparison of performances across the years. It was the Crowborough 10K on Sunday. I looked at the results and then dug out the results from 1989 when I did it. I'm assuming that the course (undulating) hasn't changed and that conditions (as I recall them) were just about the same (perfect?). I'm afraid I could only find my own result so forgive me if this reads like a self-serving narrative; it's not meant to be.

Time: 40.31

Positions:

1989 - 77/260 (men)

2019 - this time would have given a position of 21/215 (men)

This is of course just a snap-shot (one event, one competitor, two years) but that's a pretty big difference.

I've sometimes heard guys from 'that' era saying how standards at the top end of the fields have fallen. No way would one (this) little bit of data prove anything one way or another. Perhaps it's that there were just fewer events so the 'talent' was more concentrated.

Perhaps a fellow survivor of that time (i.e. [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION]) has a view?

1989 was a major year in my life. A young, receding, fit 30 year old began fighting a 3 year inflammatory attack on the spine and almost any body joint you could name. Iritis in the eyes and tendinitis all over the place. Undiagnosed for 30 months. Eventually told it was 50/50 chance of having it for life. Luckily it went and I only have 4 month periodical flare ups that are longer apart each time.

You would have come 78th in 1989 otherwise!

 

[knocky1]

On a serious note it’s the last of the Sussex GP races. Maybe those with no chance of a good finish drop out? I know Crowborough is hilly but the Chichester results from Febs GP have around 300 under 40”. Maybe worth doing a time capsule test?

I know Arena had a low turnout at Crowborough.

 

[Bozza]

Annoyingly, my long-sleeved top somehow managed to stop my watch when it was on 9.41m. I noticed a short while after so started another run and, to be safe, ran 0.7m. I was averaging 7:45 over both the long and short run recordings which should give me a 10 mile time of c1:17:30, well inside my previous best of 1:22:20 from just a few weeks ago.

I'm also annoyed that, last night, I didn't consider tacking a 5km cool-down onto the end of the 10 miles. Even if I'd taken 30 minutes to do that, I'd still have taken a big chunk off my best half-marathon time - 1:53:51 according to Strava.

If I'd put in a 25 minute 5km to finish it off, that would have given me a HM of c 1:43.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I'm also annoyed that, last night, I didn't consider tacking a 5km cool-down onto the end of the 10 miles. Even if I'd taken 30 minutes to do that, I'd still have taken a big chunk off my best half-marathon time - 1:53:51 according to Strava.

If I'd put in a 25 minute 5km to finish it off, that would have given me a HM of c 1:43.

Following your journey into regular running of distances reminds me a lot of when I really started getting into it - but you can't claim any Strava runs as PBs, they have to be timed events. [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION] says so, and he's a gaffer under no threat of the boot!

Do you generally go out with a pace in mind, or just run on feeling and see where you end up? It's very impressive how quickly your times are improving, and so consistently.

 

[Bozza]

Following your journey into regular running of distances reminds me a lot of when I really started getting into it - but you can't claim any Strava runs as PBs, they have to be timed events. [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION] says so, and he's a gaffer under no threat of the boot!

Do you generally go out with a pace in mind, or just run on feeling and see where you end up? It's very impressive how quickly your times are improving, and so consistently.

I'm almost certainly not going to run any events, so I'm not really fussed about what is official or not! I'm perfectly happy to see some improvement taking place, and accept there are going to be inaccuracies in time/distance. If I run the same route and do it quicker than I have before then I'm happy with that!

Last night I went out to run a short run. It had gone 9pm and I was annoyed that I'd not made it out on Sunday, in what looked like perfect conditions - dry, cool and little wind. However a couple of miles or so in, I seemed to be going along nicely and thought I'd extend it out as I knew I could take a chunk off my previous 10m best if I did. I would have been delighted to come in at 1:19:50 (7:59 miles) but I managed to hold the 7:45 pace all the way to the end.

Also 1:20:00 for 10 miles feels, for me, a significant milestone as it marks going under 8:00/mile for that distance. I wrote about that speed at various distances on this thread previously - at my level of running it feels great to be able to run longer distances quicker than that.

My next aim will be to average under 8:00 for a 13.1, which should be relatively easy based on last night's run.

I feel like I have a standard running pace, and it's that pace that is clearly getting quicker right now. If I don't look at my watch, I now seem to run naturally at about 7:30-7:40 and I have to make a concerted effort to go both quicker and slower than that, as strange as that may sound with regard to going slower!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

All sounds good [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] - I think people (myself heavily included) get far too wrapped up in running at speed all the time. Reading about Eliud Kipchoge's training has turned me around quite significantly really, and more close to home, [MENTION=6625]Badger[/MENTION] says things very different to my experienced short distance running mate who has been my chief influence since I got into running more seriously. I've run relatively few events this year (37 parkruns aside...) and I'm not really looking to do too many more in 2020.

Today's run was a tempo run as I needed to get back to work relatively quickly (I couldn't spare 2 hours, just the 90 minutes!), so I ran 10 miles at 7:15 per mile. It's the quickest I've run the distance in quite a while, but also the first time I've run such a distance with a quick target pace in mind. I need to really sit down and think about planning for Worthing and Hastings Half, and then Brighton Marathon. And possibly a tilt at trying to win the Lunar-Tic 2020.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Anybody have preventative measure from wear and tear, blisters in this instance

I only did 5 k and was chaffing after 2.5k.

I think it was due to gritty soil carried upon water which slide down the back of my calves to my heals.
Not a serious injury but annoying, any ideas how to avoid it

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

On a serious note it’s the last of the Sussex GP races. Maybe those with no chance of a good finish drop out? I know Crowborough is hilly but the Chichester results from Febs GP have around 300 under 40”. Maybe worth doing a time capsule test?

I know Arena had a low turnout at Crowborough.

Ah, that's a good point. As to the 'time capsule' analysis of various events this could yield some interesting insights. The problem is that the data for these events (in the period I was referring to) are kept of yellowing bits of paper. A bigger issue is that so many of the events of those days have been removed from the calendar (to name but one, the Midhurst 10K) or have had their courses changed (eg the Worthing HM). So comparisons over time are tricky. I suspect there are some serious analyses out there but (as you tend to say when you get into your 60s) life is too short. So I'll snuggle down with my prejudices that 'things aren't what they used to be' and remain blissfully unaware of any evidence to the contrary.
And, besides, whatever has happened towards the top end of the pyramid is more than compensated by the widening of the base at the bottom, through the likes of the Park Run phenomenon.

Talking of time capsules, I might have given you a bit of a run for your money in 1989, notwithstanding your rotten luck with illness?

 

[Badger]

I got back from Philadelphia last night. What a fun race weekend! The drive from Toronto is very long, around 11 hours in total which was about 9 hours of driving and 2 hours of breaks. A long journey to do twice in 4 days, but at least there were 4 of us to keep each other entertained.

It was the plan to pace one of my friends to a half marathon PB and try and get in under 1:30. Not only did we do that, but it ended up being 3 of us running together for the whole race and another friend caught us up at the 10 mile mark, so we finished together as a four. I've never run with people in a race before, it was so enjoyable and it just seemed to fly by. We crossed the line within a couple of seconds of each other at 1:29:21, all three of them setting quite big half marathon PBs and me being proud to help them do it.

I then ran the 8k. That was pretty horrible. I blame my friend for saying "you might as well try and run this fast" just before we crossed the start line. Of course I did try and run it fast, which was fine until the last 3k where I was just willing the end to come. My advice would be not to run an 8k an and a half after you finish racing a half marathon.

As for the guy who was running HM/8k on Saturday and marathon on the Sunday, he absolutely smashed it. A sub 1:50 HM followed by a 50 minute 8k, then he got up the next morning and ran a 4:12 marathon. This was with barely any training. We were all incredibly impressed with his achievements but there was also a slight annoyance that he could do this without any training

We set up the most Canadian of cheer stations for the marathon. It was a long out and back, so the runners got to pass us twice. We were decked out in red and white with maple leaves everywhere, playing Canadian music and handing out beers to the runners about a mile from the finish. It was a lot of fun despite the weather turning decidedly wet towards the end of the morning.

I really liked Philadelphia as a city. It has some interesting architecture, cool looking neighbourhoods, and all the craft beer we sampled was top notch. I wish I'd stayed an extra day to do more tourist stuff. I'd definitely recommend it if you haven't been.

Next up: Boston training begins when I'm back in England next month.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Another amazing running experience for [MENTION=6625]Badger[/MENTION]

One thing I am very keen to add to my running experience is away days, travelling to different countries for events. It's not something I've currently done and I'm not really in a position to do so in the short term, but come 2021 I'll be unleashed a little bit financially and that'll mean I'll be popping up all over the place for a race or ten.

 

[Badger]

Another amazing running experience for [MENTION=6625]Badger[/MENTION]

One thing I am very keen to add to my running experience is away days, travelling to different countries for events. It's not something I've currently done and I'm not really in a position to do so in the short term, but come 2021 I'll be unleashed a little bit financially and that'll mean I'll be popping up all over the place for a race or ten.

I'd definitely recommend it. We're quite lucky having all these American events we can pop across the border for, without having to worry about booking flights and packing light. The road trip is all part of the experience too. I've especially enjoyed Pittsburgh and Philadelphia this year. In both cases we had a big group of people (c.20 in Pittsburgh, c.40 in Philly) which really adds to the fun. I really enjoyed the races because I was doing the half marathon and not trying to set my own PB in either case. It's a lot easier to run when you're not putting pressure on yourself.

If I was still living in the UK still, I think I'd be travelling all across Europe looking for interesting races. It's a lot cheaper to enter races in Europe too.

 

[knocky1]

Anybody have preventative measure from wear and tear, blisters in this instance

I only did 5 k and was chaffing after 2.5k.

I think it was due to gritty soil carried upon water which slide down the back of my calves to my heals.
Not a serious injury but annoying, any ideas how to avoid it

I thought I heard there was going to be blood on the streets.

 

[knocky1]

Talking of time capsules, I might have given you a bit of a run for your money in 1989, notwithstanding your rotten luck with illness?

I'm sure you would. It remains a conundrum hidden in the depths of time, unless [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] can merge a couple of apps together and create a timeless race off .

 

[dazzer6666]

Anybody have preventative measure from wear and tear, blisters in this instance

I only did 5 k and was chaffing after 2.5k.

I think it was due to gritty soil carried upon water which slide down the back of my calves to my heals.
Not a serious injury but annoying, any ideas how to avoid it

Decent-fitting socks (with wide, elasticated tops) should stop this - if it helps I use X-socks for all my running these days having tried loads of different makes. They are thin and hard-wearing as heck - pairs last years. Any 'foreign body' in your shoe or sock will always cause a problem - hence when you feel a stone in your shoe or whatever always stop and deal with it immediately.

You'll probably see all sorts of mad and convoluted recommendations online for blister avoidance (from vaseline on the feet to toesocks to soaking your feet in bulls piss or whatever) but thin, wicking socks, good-fitting shoes (not too big - all this 'a size up' advice is crap) and staying hydrated should avoid any problems.

 

[big nuts]

Entered The Downland Devil last night so have a nice double header of DD9 and Mince Pie 10 on consecutive Sunday's again.

See you there [MENTION=26634]Simgull[/MENTION] & [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION]

Just passed 1200 miles for the year which has already exceeded my previous best of last year which from memory was 1136.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I thought I heard there was going to be blood on the streets.

Love it, admittedly I set some jokes up, but this one passed me by!

Decent-fitting socks (with wide, elasticated tops) should stop this - if it helps I use X-socks for all my running these days having tried loads of different makes. They are thin and hard-wearing as heck - pairs last years. Any 'foreign body' in your shoe or sock will always cause a problem - hence when you feel a stone in your shoe or whatever always stop and deal with it immediately.



You'll probably see all sorts of mad and convoluted recommendations online for blister avoidance (from vaseline on the feet to toesocks to soaking your feet in bulls piss or whatever) but thin, wicking socks, good-fitting shoes (not too big - all this 'a size up' advice is crap) and staying hydrated should avoid any problems.

Great tips thanks, to be fair I think the sock elastic was knackered!

Dear Santa.........

 

[knocky1]

Entered The Downland Devil last night so have a nice double header of DD9 and Mince Pie 10 on consecutive Sunday's again.

See you there [MENTION=26634]Simgull[/MENTION] & [MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION]

Just passed 1200 miles for the year which has already exceeded my previous best of last year which from memory was 1136.

1200 is great going and nearly injury free. Both OK for lifts?

 

[Mr Blobby]

Another amazing running experience for [MENTION=6625]Badger[/MENTION]

One thing I am very keen to add to my running experience is away days, travelling to different countries for events. It's not something I've currently done and I'm not really in a position to do so in the short term, but come 2021 I'll be unleashed a little bit financially and that'll mean I'll be popping up all over the place for a race or ten.

Me and a couple of mates are trying to do at least a marathon or a half in a different new country each year. So far I have done Marathons in Iceland (Reykjavik), Cyprus and Norway (Tromso) plus HMs in Bosnia (Sarajevo) & Bulgaria (Sofia). Always amazed at the number of GB runners at the events I have done. Undecided for next year, possibly Yerevan in Armenia. Now I have ticked off every country in Europe it may mean looking further afield. I want to visit China and various places in South America so always on the hunt for something a little different. I have also entered the ballot for New York (gulped at the extortionate price) as NY been a place I have wanted to visit for a long time.

 

[big nuts]

1200 is great going and nearly injury free. Both OK for lifts?

Thanks for the offer. I think I’m ok for Sunday. Would need one for Mince Pie but I don’t think you’re running that one?