Official Running Thread

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

A little race report from yesterday, to expand on my comment before about Goodwood.

I've never done a track marathon or laps like that and it's a bit of a test of mental toughness as well as physical. You're completely exposed to the elements and most of the way around seemed to have a head or sidewind (I think up to 22mph at times). It was 11 laps of a c.2 mile circuit with 'XX miles to go' markers for every mile, spread around the circuit. Without a watch, I would've been screwed as I completely lost count of how many I'd done after a few goes.

The positives: enthusiastic marshals; flapjack (lifesaver) at the water station and the dude on the steel band. These three things gave me a bit of a lift on each lap. Got a t-shirt and a nice bit of bling too.

The not-so-positives: repetition; long sections of nothing but tarmac and grass (think BM's 'Road to Hell' when it first started); not much elevation and everything (supporters, water station, steel drum man) in the start/finish straight.

What was also a bit odd –*to me, at least – was the amount of races going on. We kicked off first at 9am, then were later joined by a 20-mile gang, then the HM lot, then a 10k race and finally a 5k. That meant we were on our own for about 40 minutes and then a bit later the place was relatively busy, normally faster people just trying to get past you. And then they'd all gone and the field was sparse again! I can see why they do it, but it was just a bit weird at the time...

I knew deep down I wasn't going to get sub-4, so then it was all about trying to get close to the Phoenix marathon last month. In the end, 4:23 was pretty respectable (I passed 26.2 in 4:20, I think), which is what I'd targeted after about 20 miles. I'd still like a decent winter of training to get the elusive sub-4 again, but I'm not fussed if it doesn't happen. I also think that my road marathons might be few and far between from now on. On the drive home I passed through Arundel and looked on at the riverbank where Mouth 2 Mouth runners were running and kinda wished I was there instead.

Splits are here and it's easy to see where it fell apart

00:04:52 (extra little outlap thing)
00:21:23
00:21:22
00:21:29
00:21:31
00:21:24
00:21:29
00:22:21
00:25:29
00:27:25
00:28:25
00:27:01

Great write up, as are the other Sunday outings above. Yours made me wince as it recalled my own 'track' marathon of 2 years ago on the Preston Park velodrome - 72 hellish laps with 50 other masochists. If running marathons is a kind of madness, then tackling any sort of track marathon is completely tonto. That Goodwood circuit is really windy and by no means flat (try doing a duathlon there) so your time was excellent.

 

[chaileyjem]

Thanks to [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] for suggesting it but i signed up to the Run Things "Run Up to Christmas" (I had no idea this sort of thing existed) after floating the idea of setting myself a xmas challenge.

I'm somehow #68 on the leaderboard after 9 days with already 85K or so banked. Despite being , back in April, someone more at home to spending December eating crisps, cheese and cake on the sofa. And definitely a non runner.

I also didn't realise at first but its for the excellent Mind Charity so if its ok with [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] - here's my justgiving for it.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jemrunuptochristmas

and thanks to you lot ( i dip in every few days or so) for always excellent tips, advice and stories about running. Always inspiring, and useful. Good stuff

 

[knocky1]

Don’t know what made me wear worn out flat racers at the Mine Pie.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

View attachment 118048

Don’t know what made me wear worn out flat racers at the Mine Pie.

That costed you those 2 minutes?

 

[knocky1]

That costed you those 2 minutes?

They made up time on the final 2 miles on pavement but it was very slippery on the paths. I did well to stay upright. I was only racing myself with that time anyway. [MENTION=26634]Simgull[/MENTION] is in a rich vein of form.

 

[Bozza]

Thanks to [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] for suggesting it but i signed up to the Run Things "Run Up to Christmas" (I had no idea this sort of thing existed) after floating the idea of setting myself a xmas challenge.

I'm somehow #68 on the leaderboard after 9 days with already 85K or so banked. Despite being , back in April, someone more at home to spending December eating crisps, cheese and cake on the sofa. And definitely a non runner.

I also didn't realise at first but its for the excellent Mind Charity so if its ok with [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] - here's my justgiving for it.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jemrunuptochristmas

and thanks to you lot ( i dip in every few days or so) for always excellent tips, advice and stories about running. Always inspiring, and useful. Good stuff

I sorta know the lovely Clare, also from Worthing, who is one of the co-founders of Run Things.

I didn't enter RU2C because I just know I'd not be able to resist going for the full 250km and my past is littered with me breaking myself through over-doing it. I have a ridiculously addictive personality that I struggle to resist.

That said I noticed this morning I'm up to 429 miles for 2019 which isn't bad given, other than a couple of runs in July and August, I didn't get going until September, so my target for the remaining 21 days of the year is to cover the 71 miles I need to make it a round 500.

I was going to stick some money into Mind (I'm pretty sure I mentioned Mind on my post) in lieu of not entering, so I'll do that by way of sponsoring you.

Well done and keep it up!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I'm also doing Run Up To Christmas, I also know Clare (through running and Instagram only, but we've had numerous conversations post running). I'm definitely going for the 250km and I'm pretty comfortably on track at the moment. I've got 75 miles left to run (125km) and last night I was 18th in the leaderboard. I find some of the milage ahead of me to be bordering on suspicious - but I'll just be happy to qualify for the big medal!

Today was 5 x 750m around The Level in the pouring rain and the kamikaze wind. It was decent, but I had no pace endurance. I was running about 3:40 per KM by my maths, I'll sync the run tonight and see what was what. The first was 3:30 per KM pace but that wasn't sustainable.

 

[Bozza]

I noted that one of the chaps I follow on Instagram walked to his train in London instead of catching the bus in order to add a coupe of KMs to his tally.

If I'd known walking was also included, I might have entered!

In November I may have only run 92 miles, but I walked a further 217 for a total of 309 miles (497km). I'm averaging 12 miles a day so far this month, so could be nudging 600km by the end of the month.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I noted that one of the chaps I follow on Instagram walked to his train in London instead of catching the bus in order to add a coupe of KMs to his tally.

If I'd known walking was also included, I might have entered!

In November I may have only run 92 miles, but I walked a further 217 for a total of 309 miles (497km). I'm averaging 12 miles a day so far this month, so could be nudging 600km by the end of the month.

I would seriously challenge that - I walked about 50 miles last week as my bike was out of action, that's a whole bucketload which could have counted, if we're including walking. Why not include daily steppage as well, while we're at it?! Not for me, Clive.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Checking a FB memory today, I ran my 200th parkrun (at HP, obvs) three years ago. Then I've managed a paltry 69 between then and now. In fact, that's just NINETEEN since 31st March last year!

Shambles. Bobkin OUT

 

[Anchorman]

View attachment 118048

Don’t know what made me wear worn out flat racers at the Mine Pie.

This reminds me of when I wore plimsoles in the school cross country and once I entered the muddy woods section I'd had it, finishing 12th. The previous year, despite being in a younger year I'd finished high enough to run for the school in the Sussex Cross Country at Stanmer Park (top 8 qualified) which would have been the Winter of 1972. I remember you saying Gaffer you'd run as an 11 year old at Stanmer Park in 1971 - was that through the school and the corresponding event, albeit a different year, or was it for a junior club, independent of school?

 

[Simgull]

Checking a FB memory today, I ran my 200th parkrun (at HP, obvs) three years ago. Then I've managed a paltry 69 between then and now. In fact, that's just NINETEEN since 31st March last year!

Shambles. Bobkin OUT

Jeez - and I used to look up to you so much - now I’m only about 15 behind you.
I reckon you were cursed as soon as you ‘played away’. I’m sure the stats will bear this out.

 

[knocky1]

This reminds me of when I wore plimsoles in the school cross country and once I entered the muddy woods section I'd had it, finishing 12th. The previous year, despite being in a younger year I'd finished high enough to run for the school in the Sussex Cross Country at Stanmer Park (top 8 qualified) which would have been the Winter of 1972. I remember you saying Gaffer you'd run as an 11 year old at Stanmer Park in 1971 - was that through the school and the corresponding event, albeit a different year, or was it for a junior club, independent of school?

I thought you were much younger than my bald wrinkly self. Now you’re asking someone who forgot to take his Garmin and right shoes on Sunday about a run 50 years ago, so it will take time.

I ran for the school and it may have been ‘72. I can ask a school friend and there is School magazine in Hove Library I can reference. I’ll get back to you....

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Checking a FB memory today, I ran my 200th parkrun (at HP, obvs) three years ago. Then I've managed a paltry 69 between then and now. In fact, that's just NINETEEN since 31st March last year!

Shambles. Bobkin OUT

Life gets in the way! I've gone the other way, I've equalled my annual best of 39 and this saturday should (touch wood!) see me break my record with parkrun #40 of 2019, out of a possible 52 so far. I took a few weeks off before the marathon, and then afterwards but I've only missed one parkrun since May, which was because Peacehaven was cancelled and I didn't manage to make the start at East Brighton.

2016 saw me do just 3 all year, in 2017 I'd matched that after 3 days!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Life gets in the way! I've gone the other way, I've equalled my annual best of 39 and this saturday should (touch wood!) see me break my record with parkrun #40 of 2019, out of a possible 52 so far. I took a few weeks off before the marathon, and then afterwards but I've only missed one parkrun since May, which was because Peacehaven was cancelled and I didn't manage to make the start at East Brighton.

2016 saw me do just 3 all year, in 2017 I'd matched that after 3 days!

It sure does. A mixture of Ironman training and then Jnr Bobkin changing football teams in summer 2018 to one that trains on a Saturday morning at 9am (not at Hove Park, sadly) has mullered me. But now he's almost old enough to go on his own, so I'll be back!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I popped out at lunch time and, without trying to diminish it, I ran 14.5 miles including Falmer Road from Rottingdean to Falmer and then Bear Road from bottom to top. I have a bit of dilemma now, though, because I can either tell people at work the distance I ran OR tell them I get one hour for lunch and used that for a run of undefined length.

I'll upload it to Strava later but essentially the route was;

Pavilion - Marina - Rottingdean - Falmer - Bear Road - Elm Grove - John Street

... 2.5 hours later and I'm back at my desk!

 

[Bozza]

For some reason I get emails from an organisation called Sussex Sports Photography.

Anyway, the one that has just arrived has a link to the Mince Pie gallery.

Here it is for those who ran, in case you don't get it from elsewhere: https://uksp.photoshelter.com/galle...gn=Seaford-Mince-Pie-10-2019&utm_source=event

 

[Greg Bobkin]

For some reason I get emails from an organisation called Sussex Sports Photography.

Anyway, the one that has just arrived has a link to the Mince Pie gallery.

Here it is for those who ran, in case you don't get it from elsewhere: https://uksp.photoshelter.com/galle...gn=Seaford-Mince-Pie-10-2019&utm_source=event

Not sure how you made it onto SSP's mailing list, but Ant is a good guy (in the photographer and businessman sense) who I've seen at events for about 15 years or so. Does a great selection of photos and (I think) provides hi-res downloads (albeit with a watermark) FOC. I've had some classics in my time from him and his crew!

Meanwhile I dragged myself out this morning for a couple of miles. First run since Goodwood and there was a distinct 'Cant Be Arsed'ness about it.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Perhaps we are approaching the time of year to review - NSC Runners' version of Sports Personality of the Year?

So how about sharing your greatest achievement(s) and even your biggest disappointment?

After reading [MENTION=24635]Greg Bobkin[/MENTION] berating his own Parkrun stats, I checked out that I've run 44 of them this year and had category wins in 23. But I've only run 5 other events, including the hugely enjoyable Weakest Link. No real 'peaks', but at least still keeping going which is in itself some sort of achievement.
Biggest disappointment: losing the NSC Age Grade gold - with still time to lose the silver too.

 

[Badger]

Ooh, good idea. I'd say it's been a year of two halves for me:

1st half - Races galore, personal goals, PBs.
February - Phoenix Marathon (PB)
March - St Patrick's Day 5k (PB)
April - Spring Run Off 8k (PB)
May - Pittsburgh Half Marathon, Ragnar Niagara (team category win)
June - Toronto Waterfront 10k (PB)

2nd half - A lot less running, an injury, getting myself ready for 2020.
September - Boston entry confirmed
November - Philadelphia Half Marathon (paced friends to a PB) and 8k


Greatest Achievement:
That's a very easy one. Running a 2:56:33 marathon in Phoenix in February and being the first sub 3 runner on the table! I still can't quite believe I did it.

Biggest Disappointment:
Not being able to pace my friend to a full marathon PB in Philadelphia because we both got injuries during training.