Runner's screed

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Started my personal American trilogy on Sunday, with a strange but enjoyable half in Long Beach.

In planning this trip I had noticed that there are two organisers who put on running events in the LA area every (or nearly every) weekend. One (A Better World) uses a variety of coastal routes, but didn't have anything on the weekend I was there, so I went with the other (Charlie Alewine), who alternates between two routes in Long Beach. You can choose from 5k, 10k, half, 2/3 and full marathon, most starting at 7am (5.30 for the full, or as an option for the others). I had noticed that the fields are small, and even within the scope of 'small' can vary somewhat from week to week.

Anyway I did the half and there were six of us starting at 7am along with the other distances as applicable. Down a straight road to a marina, back up and then a loop round a park, and repeat twice - which meant you got a fair idea of where you were placing. It was cool and cloudy for the first hour then the temperatures seemed to rise by the minute, so I ran to the conditions, made full use of the water stops and came home in 2:17, and was pleased to be presented with a 3rd place medal, even if I only beat three others to get it (two more had started at 5.30 which made them ineligible for the medals, one of which posted a slightly better time than me). I was about 13 minutes behind the winner, a time I could have feasibly done on a cold day in Lancashire but not there.

The next episode is the centre piece of the whole trip, the Bridge of the Gods half in Cascade Locks, Oregon, starting on said bridge and finishing in its shadow. Looking forward to it immensely.

[San Bernardhinault]

Bridge of the Gods should be stunning, provided the weather isn't crazy (which it has been in the NorthWest all summer). Your San Diego leg (if you're still doing it) might be similar to Long Beach in terms of climate, if the last few weeks are anything to go by

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Yep, still doing San Diego. We're about to leave San Francisco where it's been nice and cool after the heat of SoCal - from one day to the next we went from 42C at Magic Mountain to 20C in San Francisco.

[elguapo4]

Haven't done much running this summer with the heat,a couple of strains and pulls as well as holidays. Got back last week with 6k,done 8k on Tuesday and managed my first 10k run in a while today,have a 5k charity run Saturday week to get me back into proper running

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Bridge of the Gods should be stunning, provided the weather isn't crazy (which it has been in the NorthWest all summer). Your San Diego leg (if you're still doing it) might be similar to Long Beach in terms of climate, if the last few weeks are anything to go by

It was stunning, and the conditions were good - first hour in particular was very kind. The course was an absolute f***er, a lot of climbing and dropping in the first half and while the second half was gentler, it was still up and down and overall it was gruelling. I got round in 2:11 and it felt like tough going, but it was enough for 266th place out of 891 finishers so I'm happy with that.

I was there for the adventure and wasn't disappointed, it was good fun, from sitting with my daughter in a diner last night convinced we were in a scene from a movie, to the evident pride the community takes in the race. Initial feedback on Facebook is focused on two issues - 1) disgust that they didn't play the national anthem before the race and 2) you had to pay $3 for the post race beer. Have to admit I was surprised by the latter, but didn't even notice the former.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Your San Diego leg (if you're still doing it) might be similar to Long Beach in terms of climate, if the last few weeks are anything to go by

Completed in 2:17, conditions weren't too bad but I struggled in that last couple of miles which cost me a good few minutes. Enough for 1631/3528, so above the halfway point. I don't feel I've had a single decent run on my trip but they've all been enjoyable and successful on their own terms.

Enjoyed the finisher village today, plenty of freebies including a choice of IPAs from Ballast Point - given it was still not yet 9am by this point and I had to drive later in the day, I declined the 7%, but am actually having the same one right now in our hotel near LAX, having found it in the liquor store across the road.

Today was also notable for two other things. Firstly as the first couple of miles runs past a big military cemetery, we were told in no uncertain terms that (paraphrasing) no one was allowed to stop for a piss in the first two miles, (word for word) "out of respect to our veterans". Then they played the anthem about 5 minutes before the start, just as the scramble for the portable toilets was at its usual height. And everyone stopped for it, so when someone stepped out of one, they stood at the door and saluted - and the people at the front of the respective queues wouldn't step forward into the vacated toilet. At the start you could sense people's indecision, not knowing whether to go for it, followed by a ripple of amazed and frustrated looks along the queue as they (we) realised that the whole system was on hold while some fella up the hill was giving it the full Whitney Houston.

[San Bernardhinault]

You seem to have had a baptism of fire into the terrible nonsense that is "anthems before every single sporting event, no matter how trivial". Glad you got to enjoy a can of (presumably) Sculpin, which is a delicious beer that's retained its quality while going into (slightly) wider distribution.

The last couple of miles on that course are - as I've said before - very tough. Even worse on a day like yesterday, where the temperature will pick up rapidly as you head inland. (I was in Palm Springs and it was an ungodly 114F/46C on the golf course).

[Moonlight Shadow]

I never thought it would happen after a bad experience with road running but the missus got me running...we started one of those 'couch to five miles' interval programs on an app a week ago. We decided for trail running, plenty of them at the back of the house.

Today, we stepped up and went on Anglezark moor, hiked up and started our interval training on a long stretch of slabs/trail that snakes on the tops, bumpy but no major uphills. We enjoyed it so much, we repeated the whole sequence straight after, this time encountering grass and mud too. My Adidas Terrex trail running shoes, which i use for summer hiking, are finally being used as they should be...

[Bored Of Education]

Did my first parkrun as a 'tourist' on Saturday at Skipton. It was 4 unsurprisingly bumpy laps of the local park but surprisingly fast. At 31:58, it was a minute of my average in Bath and almost two minutes off my more recent runs.

[HORN]

My physio has taped me up like I don’t know what so I shall go to the ball/run tomorrow’s parkrun.

The 10K is two weeks away. It’s looking unlikely

[Bored Of Education]

I am still posting at this time and I have had neck strain for a week now so I am not sure I will be joining Mrs B for parkrun tomorrow.

I have checked back and can't see what your specific injury issue is, HORN, but what I would say is that the jump from the 5K parkrun straight to a 10K isn't too bad - unless you were planning to in the thing.

[HORN]

Prior to my very first training run in April I neglected to warm up, tore both calf muscles, entered a cycle of rest/reinjure/rest, then began with a physio who set out a fitness programme.

It had gone ok. I managed 3 parkruns (32, 31, 30 mins) but my left calf went during #4 (29 mins) but physio can’t detect a tear hence her taping me up (a bit like giving a child a plaster, though she stopped short of spelling it out).

I’ve bought compression socks too.

Mrs H feels that as things stand the 5K is her limit. I feel fairly fresh at 5KM but will my calf muscles last?

[HORN]

Uhm, no, they didn’t.

I managed 27:45 (calf muscles quite sore) then properly tore one calf muscle trying to cross the road. I’m done for.

[Bored Of Education]

Oh, shit, sorry to hear that. I assume your physio has given you a warm up/down routine? Normally, I would say there is something awry there but here it just sounds like you need to rest your calves. Having said that, 5 parkruns in 4 months isn't a huge amount - especially as two of them were ended by injury - so you have been resting it quite a lot.

[San Bernardhinault]

I did my first ever Parkrun today, visiting friends in North That London. It's really well organised and civilised, isn't it?

Very respectable 27:36 (and no torn muscles) for me.

[San Bernardhinault]

Oh, and massive sympathies to HORN. That's a complete fucker.

[HORN]

It’s quite frustrating.

I’d assumed that resting a torn calf was all that was required then I read that if it’s torn then until you break down the scar tissue it will simply keep re-tearing.

Certainly that seems to be what’s happening.

Yes, Bored, I’ve been following my (oh god, so tiresome) 20 minute warmup routine as well as cool downs. This morning’s injury came after my cooldowns when I tried to nip across the road back to my car just as the traffic lights were changing (a real head-in-hands moment, as you’d imagine).

SB - did you get a nice parkrun welcome as not only a first-timer but one from the other side of the world?

[San Bernardhinault]

I didn't get any special welcome because I wasn't at the announcements. My friends are not the most efficient.

[Bored Of Education]

When we were at the one in Skipton last week, they asked if any tourists were there so we announced we were from Bath only for 150 runners to chime in with BAth (said the Northern way).

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Congratulations and commiserations to all as applicable, and welcome MS.

Today's joy was the inaugural Carlisle Half, starting outside and finishing inside Brunton Park, so nice experience for me (and the first time I'd set foot in the place this season). This has been set up as an obvious rival to the Great Cumbrian Run which I think I reported last year as being shambolic (despite its name it is not part of the Great Run series and the organisers have got a bit complacent).

They made a good effort in making a runner-friendly event which integrated into the city a lot better (city centre road closures, running though the grounds of the cathedral and through the local shopping centre) but then managed to f- things up slightly when the lead-out cyclist took the leader the wrong way. This happened right in front of me, as it was on an out and back section where I was of course several miles behind the front runners, and thought it didn't look right - and as I ran past a police officer heard them say "they've gone the wrong way, someone had better tell them". Luckily (for him at least) the second runner was a local who the organisers had used to test the course, so he knew exactly where to go so the rest followed. I don't know how far the leader detoured, and did hear that the second guy slowed to let him catch up, but the second guy went on to win it.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Change of role for me this weekend, I've answered a late plea for volunteers to work on the Cumbria Way Ultra.

This is a 73 mile route right up the middle of Cumbria, from Ulverston to Carlisle (the first half or so is very similar, but in reverse of course, to the Keswick to Barrow that I've done previously). It goes through the night, starting at 6am Saturday in Ulverston with a cut off time of 9am Sunday in Carlisle (and other cut-offs en route), and I'm working at the finish from Saturday midnight - not exactly sure what I'm doing other than getting the finishers in safely and making sure they are OK. There are 122 solo entries (and two relay teams) for the big one, and last year there were 52 finishers (don't know how many entered), so it's going to be fairly sparse at the end and although I've committed to 'a few hours' I think there are sleeping quarters (it finishes in the castle) so I might do a longer shift if I can nap when it's quiet.

This year for the first time they are also doing a short option, 30 miles from Keswick (at noon Saturday) to Carlisle, including the 10 toughest miles on the whole route going up and over Caldbeck. I did consider doing that one this time around but I've got more than enough on, but volunteering on Saturday qualifies me for a free entry in the future so I'll take up that option and do the 'short' next year.

[Me Old Flower]

I'm off out running after work. I'm been building up incrementally over the last few months, following a beginner's 0-30mins training plan in an effort to avoid injury. Pre-DVTs I used to run a lot, but it has taken me two years to get back into any kind of rhythm. No competitive targets for this year though I might try a Parkrun down in Tampere soon or Yorkshire over Christmas/NY. Will aim to run a couple of 10k races in 2019.



Edit: I've just realised that I posted much the same thing a year ago. That went well, didn't it?

[Bored Of Education]

Missed parkrun on Saturday as I was feeling the aches and pains from Friday's bootcamp (never sure it is a good idea to be doing it the night before but there you go). Realising that I haven't done one since Skipton a couple of weeks ago, yesterday, I took advantage of having no work (and the end of my travails as described in the "Using up all your "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards" thread) to got for a slightly longer run. I ended up taking the same route and making the same ridiculous over-ambitious mistake that I described in this post only, this time, I hadn't been doing anywhere near the regular running previously that I had then. I got to turn-around point and , whereas previously the fact that the rest was downhill and I had done half spurred me along, I started having trouble straight away. By 5 miles, I couldn't carry on - my lungs were ok but my knees, hips and, oddly, neck were killing me and, realising it was down to the impact, I had to walk. The problem with this was that I was now 4 miles away from home. After a while, I managed to start walking quite briskly which meant that, with my long stride (being 6'2"), I was going almost as fast as the uphill running certainly just before I had stopped running. However, there were a couple of occasions where, even just walking, I was feeling dizzy - once being in the middle of a mile-long tunnel. I was fine after a while and ended up back home well over two hours after leaving. That has confirmed what I have said a few times on here - I am going to build myself back up to 6 miles/10K and leave it at that as a maximum. If I want to do any more, I will just do another run in the week (especially as the weather is getting cooler now). My body just can't handle distances over that anymore (if it could in the first place). Anyway, the good news is that I didn't feel too bad this morning - although my hips are making me walk like John Wayne. I did realise that the other issue was that I drove three quarters of a 400 mile round trip on Monday (again, described in the "Using up all your "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards" thread) which didn't help - especially my hips.

[caja-dglh]

Killington, VT on Saturday. Just the 13 or so miler this time. Though this image suggests there is a bit more to it than the NJ course (besides the fact it is a World Cup ski slope).



Plans for next year are probably going to include a proper marathon and some regular trail runs as well as this obstacle nonsense.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Change of role for me this weekend, I've answered a late plea for volunteers to work on the Cumbria Way Ultra.

This is a 73 mile route right up the middle of Cumbria, from Ulverston to Carlisle (the first half or so is very similar, but in reverse of course, to the Keswick to Barrow that I've done previously). It goes through the night, starting at 6am Saturday in Ulverston with a cut off time of 9am Sunday in Carlisle (and other cut-offs en route), and I'm working at the finish from Saturday midnight - not exactly sure what I'm doing other than getting the finishers in safely and making sure they are OK. There are 122 solo entries (and two relay teams) for the big one, and last year there were 52 finishers (don't know how many entered), so it's going to be fairly sparse at the end and although I've committed to 'a few hours' I think there are sleeping quarters (it finishes in the castle) so I might do a longer shift if I can nap when it's quiet.

Of course, I ended up doing the whole night shift, without sleep. I think a total of 87 solo runners and two relay teams finished the full version, most of them in my shift. I missed the winner by several hours however, as someone broke the course record by some distance, doing what is advertised as 73 miles - but some finishers reckoned 76 miles according to their GPS watches - in an incredible 12 hours 15 minutes. This on a course which has over 10,000 feet of ascent, and mainly on trails and paths.

The relief and joy of the finishers was clearly evident and understandable, particularly towards the end - the conditions were good for most of the day and night but deteriorated from 3am and around 5.30 am the wind and rain were so bad that we had to dismantle the gazebo and leave the barriers to blow over, while we moved the finish into a small space of shelter in the entrance to the castle.

It also meant of course that the slower participants caught the worst of it while they were struggling through the last few miles, and while there were some withdrawals along the way, everyone who got through the penultimate check point made it to the finish before the official cut off, the last two making it with only twenty minutes to spare.

All round, a great event to be part of.