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    Runner's screed

    One last resurrection of the thread for this year.

    Yesterday was my last 10K of the year, and next weekend will be the anniversary of my nervous first 'proper' run at Warrington parkrun. The scoreboard of 'proper' runs for the first 12 months therefore closes on 1x 1 mile, 37x 5K, 23x 10K, 1x 11.2K, 1x 15K and 5x half marathons.

    Fittingly last week was the annual Cheshire trip with my sister and we got to do the Delamere Forest parkrun that was intended to be my first parkrun with her this time last year (but was postponed hence the late diversion to Warrington). The course was a lot tougher than Warrington, so maybe it was just as well I didn't make my start there after all.

    Marathon debut scheduled for April.

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      Runner's screed

      Again, chapeau for for your efforts this year. It really is quite something. With this sort of form I can imagine you will smash the marathon.

      I forgot to post about my 10K efforts. After my accidental 8mile training run in September, the 10k on the same course was a warm but very enjoyable team run. I then started training for my second Bath half. Yes, I realise that I said - probably on here - 'never again' but my nephew has recently had to have a brain operation at Great Ormond Street due to a form of epilepsy and it seemed like the only thing I could do was to run to raise money. Not only that but I haven't, in reality, found anything - running parkruns and similar distances, football, martial arts - that has kept the weight off and kept me fit like the training runs and boot camps that I do for the Half.

      Although we have only been doing 3 or 4 mile runs - alternating hilly and flat, the boot camps - mostly weights and boxing work - have been doing their work already. I haven't weighed myself but my stomach has gone and my arms and shoulders have firmed up. Due to the nature of the boot camps, however, the main benefit has been in my legs. The usual signs of my fitness and stamina improving are now there - five-a-side football hardly raising a sweat, better times in parkruns. It all looked good for my second 'proper' 10K last weekend.

      It wasn't an auspicious preparation as I missed the Friday boot camp and Saturday's parkrun and was starting a cold. However, I thought the former may negate the latter on Sunday. It was a freezing day and we were hanging around a bit but it was dry. There had been a lot of rain before hand and I knew that it was a hilly muddy course. There was a lot of talk about 'technical sections' which I had no idea of. We started off and I soon found out. The first mile was a decent enough trail run with a gentle climb through the local university campus' grounds up to the perimeter of of a gold course. The second mile was the 'technical element' and it was fucking terrible. Located in woods, it was ridiculous gradients up and down through muddy, root-strewn 'paths'. It wasn't a run at all as we walked, climbed and slid most of the time. I was paranoid about breaking an ankle, twisting my knee or falling on my long-injured coccyx. Indeed, I did fall on my arse at one point but not too badly. The third mile was a touch better but still muddy and wet but flatter and less treacherous.

      As I reached the fourth mile, I realised we were coming into the University again and, sure enough, the second three miles were a second lap of the same course. Not only that but we had to run up to the finish but then turn left, ignore the bacon and coffee van and set off again. So the second mile that was the worst mile I had ever run was to be the fifth mile as well. I considered not ignoring the finish and stopping there and then. Indeed, two of our team did. I have to say that the fourth mile wasn't as bad. I ended up running it with most of our group and we helped each other out and realised that we just had to walk it and forget any PBs. I still cut out one lethal downhill switchback turn as life is too short and my knee is too precious to me. Irritatingly, I ended up with a distance of 5.99 miles at the end and I am sure the 0.1 mile was that short cut. I ended the last mile running right through rather than avoiding that massive puddles which refreshed my feet somewhat but I had forgotten how heavy wet muddy trainers are. I did get a chance to enjoy the nice view at the golf course section though.

      After the race, a lot of the - younger - girls in our group were saying how it was excellent. They were lying. It was horrible and shit. I did get a medal but it was £15 for a run that was unenjoyable, not really running and could have led to an injury so I won't be doing it again. My mile splits were a ridiculous 15 miles a mile but I couldn't give a shit in the end.

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        Runner's screed

        Good work, WFD. And actually, good work Bored, too, even though the actual 10k was shitty.

        I did my first and only organised run of this year on Thanksgiving, just an easy 5k in Balboa Park organised by a local homeless charity - there are something like 7500 runners and walkers, so they make good money out of it. Anyway, running with other people always means I improve my pace, and Thursday was no exception. Indeed, despite not really training much recently - generally running once a week - it was a 5k PB for me of 25:40. Which I am crazy happy with. I think my normal training runs being on the fairly undulating terrain near the new house meant that I had stamina for a run on the flat.

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          Runner's screed

          been running again since 2006, when i was pushing 18 stone. lost 4 stone. currently injured but usually run 5 times a week

          PB
          10k - 44 min
          half marathon 1 36
          full - 3 45

          run 22 marathons now. swear by asics and this bit of kit.

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            Runner's screed

            Ha ha, I mentioned to rick to come onto this thread as he, along with another non-OTF 1927 club member, are somewhat my mentors as far as running is concerned. Not that I am up there with their marathons and iron mans but it is good to get advice from them. I said to him that he would probably enjoy the thread and would have good advice for those new to running. Than he comes in and, boom, shows us his PBs. Mind you, at the end of the day, rick had to start somewhere like the rest of us and, with WFD's tremendous trajectory, I can see him getting up to those.

            I am surprised that you only started running again in 2006, rick. I though that you had been running throughout the time I have known you which must be nearly 25 years now.

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              Runner's screed

              here is my previous attempt at getting a running thread going. from only 6 months ago

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                Runner's screed

                I think you intimidated us all by starting off with a sub-3:45 marathon rather than a 35 minute 5k in the park.

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                  Runner's screed

                  Surprised Rick's last thread didn't even muster a "This means nothing to me" given the Vienna Marathon mention.

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                    Runner's screed

                    Good stuff all and well done Bored for getting through what sounds like an awful 10K course. I've only had one course which went beyond an acceptable level of challenge and that was the (then very new) parkrun course in Drumchapel where not only was it a struggle to run up the hills, it was also a struggle to run down them.

                    I've never seen the attraction of these Gladiator / Tough Mudder type events, there's a few of these round our way but I've steered clear. There does seem to be a growing trend of night runs, or maybe its cos I'm noticing them with a couple of people I know having done them recently, and one of the local 10K organisers announcing that they are looking to stage a couple locally next year - so I may try one of those.

                    I've done a deal with my sister to do a few half marathons in SW Scotland next year, I'll run them and she'll walk them, as they all have separate walker starts, which to me is a very good thing indeed.

                    Also hoping to do a Scottish island half marathon next year and have narrowed it down to a couple (there are plenty of them to choose from).

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                      Runner's screed

                      First half of the year today, the Central Lancashire New Year. The aim was to break two hours for the first time (having been 58 seconds out in Manchester), the outcome was a very pleasing 1:54.06 and missing out on a rare top half finish by three places (231/456). Like most events round there it was heavy on club runners and lacking in people dressed as a Minion or a knight in full metal body armour, so the edge of top half will do nicely.

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                        Runner's screed

                        My running tailed off over the summer after last winter's Couch to 5k introduction to running.

                        The same C25K course starts again on Wednesday, and I'll be returning. Very low expectations, despite having done much more exercise in 2016 than for many years (mainly thanks to walking our new canine arrival). Not really looking forward to it as I found it all very tough last time around. Last time I went out with the group I really struggled past 2.5k and ended up walking and cutting it short.

                        Parkrun record is pathetic, two such runs and PB of 34 minutes.

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                          Runner's screed

                          There's a lot of it about, my club's new year You Can Run course sold out well in advance and there was well over 200 at the local parkrun on Saturday.

                          I've had my own circle of life moment, my efforts have reportedly inspired a friend to start running (doing Couch to 5K) and she is now excitedly tagging me on Facebook reporting progress so I've ended up as an unlikely mentor. We led similarly unhealthy lives in our 20s and 30s so when she said 'if you can I can' I didn't take it the wrong way.

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                            Runner's screed

                            Bloody hell, can't believe I haven't added to this. Since WFD's last post, I have trained for and, today, completed the Bath Half in 2 hours and 33 minutes. This is actually longer than I took last time two years ago but I felt stronger finishing, I am now 50 and I was more running for a cause than a good time. Never abloody again though. These long distances are murder on my knees, back and hips and I am not going to get any faster with these so I am quitting anything over 10ks and the weekly parkruns.

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                              Runner's screed

                              My brother in law did the Bath Half today.

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                                Runner's screed

                                Congratulations Bored, and indeed hobbes' brother in law.

                                I've deliberately stayed off this thread so as not to jinx what's about to happen but recent developments:

                                Parkrun time down to 25:51 (on our winter course which is 5.2k)
                                10K time down firstly to 52:18, then 50:19 two weeks later.
                                A 10K on the outskirts of Stuttgart, which was basically running up and down a big f'ing hill in a forest.
                                Training runs of 17 and 20 miles respectively.
                                Back to back half's over a weekend, Stranraer on the Saturday and Haweswater on the Sunday, clocking 2.01 and 2.03 respectively.

                                All leading towards a 20 mile race on Sunday, and debut marathon two weeks later (Manchester).

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                                  Runner's screed

                                  Marathons seem to be a yuppie rite of passage. Don't get me wrong, the skinny black fellas they're alright, but Gavin the consutant can fuck off.

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                                    Runner's screed

                                    So the "great Ireland run "is on in two and a half weeks, everything was going fine, doing sub 52 minute 10ks in training when something went in the back of my knee, cue three weeks rest, everything feels ok now so going to give it a bash tomorrow, wish me luck!

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                                      Runner's screed

                                      Good on you, elguapo.

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                                        Runner's screed

                                        Ha! I've done the Bath half 4 times (my sister lives in Bath), although the last one was about 4 years ago.

                                        These days, my only guaranteed race every year is the Brussels 20k in May. I do this purely to ensure that my lifestyle and drinking , and occasionaly smoking, alas, do not go completely off the rails. I have a friend in Brussels who is also 53 and twice we have appeared in the same 15 second video clip at the finish, even though we never run together. He tends to go off quickly, and I gradually reel him in. We've never actually seen each other during the race though. The beer post race, is superb, of course.

                                        Anyway, I thought I'd post today as I'm doing my first training run this afternoon. I have to limit things a bit these days because I constantly get achilles and lower leg niggles.

                                        As far as times go, in my heyday 5-10 years ago I would metronomically run halfs in around 1h35. Heroic training might get me 1h34. Slobby training would mean a 1h36. I'm a big, metronomic diesel, which meant that while my legs were still holding up, the bigger the distance the relatively faster I got. I can NOT sprint, and have no urge to.

                                        These days, I'm happy to finish the 20k in under 1h40, which I've managed every year so far.

                                        I've done 3 marathons - the last one being in Dusseldorf about 5 years ago. All between 3h33 and 3h39, but I know I could never do another - I just don't think my legs could take the training anymore.

                                        When I'm not running, I walk and walk with the huge help of audiobooks and the odd sneaky can of beer. I'm hoping this might strengthen my legs and help with the injuries.

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                                          Runner's screed

                                          Ran the great Ireland run course 10k course this morning in 50.42 minutes, delighted with that time considering I took 52.32 last year, conditions were benign this morning with sunshine and mild winds, a strong westerly wind on the day could add minutes on to everyone's time, have to wait and see

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                                            Runner's screed

                                            Ran a five miler yesterday around the lake. It's my longest run in a while, and amazingly did it at under 10 minute mile pace (8k at 6 minute pace for you modern metric types). I was feeling great about it...

                                            Unfortunately, after stopping for a coffee on the way home I got some stabby pains in the arch of my left foot. And this morning there's a dull ache whenever I do too much. I'm worried that I have early indicators of plantar fasciitis. My right foot's already fucked because of some nasty pain in the big toe (possibly gout, but I think more likely a tiny cartilege type tear). I may not have many running years left in me.

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                                              Runner's screed

                                              I joined the club, 4:25.15 in today's (Greater) Manchester Marathon. I'll beat that next time, with next time likely to be Dresden in October.

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                                                Runner's screed

                                                Fair play Walt, well done, I've always admired anyone who's willing to take on the marathon without having any desire to do so myself, 10k is far enough for me thanks

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                                                  Runner's screed

                                                  Yes, chapeaux, Walt's. Your journey is incredible.

                                                  More prosaically, I ran for the first time since the Bath Half at the local parkrun on Saturday. As I was getting back into it and my knee has been dodgy, I decided beforehand that it was going to be an easy lazy one. I recorded my first sub-30 minute PB of 29:52.

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                                                    Runner's screed

                                                    Cheers both and well done Bored.

                                                    I've recovered just about enough from Sunday to consider going back out for a few miles on Thursday, ahead of the obligatory return to Parkrun on Saturday, wearing the finisher t-shirt - I won't be the only one looking smug, there were around 20 from the running club there on Sunday, and they'll all be doing the same.

                                                    On Sunday I did the first half in 2:03, and the second in 2:22, having got into difficulties in the last few miles, with my calves going into spasms every few hundred metres, and a training injury flaring up nicely.

                                                    Since then it really has been like being let into a club - there are a few at work who've done marathons and after all the 'you'll be fine, you'll smash it' bravado before the event, once I reported back everyone started admitting their own war stories - 'Don't tell me - you got cramp in your calves around 21 miles? Happens to me every time, never found a way round it'... 'That time I did Manchester, couldn't remember anything after mile 18, still can't'..... 'Oh yeah never told you that did I, when I did mine I was doing walk breaks from mile 15 onwards'.

                                                    Mostly positive feelings about the event itself, it really does feel like you're part of something special (compared to the quieter 10k/HMs I usually do, where on certain stretches you can't see the person in front or behind) - but the traffic getting in was a nightmare, left the hotel at 6.50 for a 15 mile drive and took over an hour to do the last of those, luckily I'd pre booked parking at what turned out to be the closest car park to the start line, which was just as well as I eventually parked at 8.50 for an official 9.00 start (though I knew I wouldn't get through til around 9.20 anyway).

                                                    I may do it again next year, but the next one (or two, perhaps, still working on options) before then will be a bit quieter.

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