MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Sorry to hear that Bob. It was bloody roasting. Lots of folk struggled in the heat.
Inov8s have been a bit of a revolution for me.. really love them for running technical terrain.
Also, nike have just dropped their new trail slappers on the website, wildhorse and terra kiger. Tempted.
Gingerrunner does a review of the new Nike.
Well ive been out for almost two weeks with a painful knee and its feeling much better now so on Thursday I'm gonna give the 3 peaks a bash, like you do lol wish me luck. Itll be my longest and toughest yet
Id love to check out that review but that chopped up style of video is just completely brutal. I cant cope with more than 30 seconds of it..
Whats the verdict??
Cheers Spin & Mrsparkle, gutted to miss it (came over from Spain not quite especially for it, but timed it to work) but would've struggled to get round. Did 10k today over Kirkby Moor and running on spongy moss and heather was totally pain free, but landing my bad foot slightly twisted off-camber had me yelping out loud a couple of times. Pretty sure now it's not PF , back to the physio next week to get the skinny.
Latest two science of ultra podcasts are really good.
Worth a listen. - recovery and running economy and how to monitor and plan /grow
Did my running economy test last night on the treadmill 1hour at 8.5m/km and had minimal hr drift.
Suffered badly on the Teenager on Saturday but clearly everyone else was suffering too as I came in 9th overall and 3rd vet40.
Delighted with that but the real highlight was the handshake from Joss Naylor at the prize giving!
Swoon!
Bought Joss book recently, most expensive book I've ever bought, but he's a bit if a hero of mine!
Well done mate!.
Sound's good Terry, I'll give that a listen.
Nice one Spin!
Cheers Bob and nobeer.
Better luck next time for you Bob. They're both excellent races.
I spent the weekend in Bethesda in Snowdonia and bagged my longest run yet! I was a little apprehensive as a shorter run earlier in the week really agitated a knee niggle that I’ve had for a while. I thought that if I just take it easy and stretch every now and then it’d be alright and fortunately it was! Did just over 30km and 1,480 meters of ascent. The wife dropped me in the middle of the Ogwen Valley where I headed East and then back over the tops to the West of the valley back to the cottage that we were staying in. Absolutely stonking day out, still some patches of Snow up there and I managed to avoid the crowds with an early 7am start.
Im still pretty sore!
I would always choose Nike shoes. I now run mainly in Hokas but that is due to arthritis in my large toe joint. If not for that I would still choose Nike shoes and unlike all you young fellas I actually had the originals in the late 80’s. Ran in pretty much everything else in the meantime but love the company or not for me they make the best consistently good quality running shoes ever.
Good advice but its difficult as sometimes you may have to make a decision for example to run harder to stay in a group and get the benefits later as oppose to running alone. Your energy levels will also vary slightly as well as your motivation. If you were in a competitive race then you simply have to go with surges and pace changes to be in the mix at the end but in a race such as London you are not realistically racing for a “high” position so I think consistency of effort is key.
I would normally agree with this, however on Sunday I might find myself in the position of actually doing some proper racing in London 🙂
Clapham parkrun PB on Saturday 15:35 I think is a reasonable indicator that I've got a bit of form at the moment. Nice easy week and then smash myself at the weekend! Bit disappointed that the lovely sunny weather is departing as I go well in the warm, but for most it should be pretty much perfect marathon weather.
No running for me this weekend as I was up walking in the hills with the family. Planned on getting out today but ended up getting up at 5 and being late for work on baby duties, so I'll not have time. If not tomorrow then I'll definitely (probably) be out on Thursday.
Good work those who were out this weekend, that sounds like a cracking run @r8jimbob88! And good luck for Sunday @turboferret...
Normal hacks for me, still bogging along 10k’s and avoided QECP because it was just going to be a “little” bit busy 🥴
Helping out at London this weekend for my mate Jonny the UltraBloke.. His warm up? Well he’s been running 🏃♀️ into Town from his home in Beaconsfield 🥴 And home again - 40miles 🤮 a mix of canal and minor roads, twice a week.
All the very best to all who venture onto the streets of London at the weekend. Hope all your nerves translate to energy 👍👍
You'll smash it this weekend TF!
Really good weekends running, 7 miles Friday, 5 on Saturday and an 18 miler in the sun on Sunday. was meant to rest on Monday but the weather was to good so did another 6.5 then as well. The even better thing was that, as the weather has been dry recently, all the farm tracks and paths are dry, hard and great for running. Almost all the miles, bar a mile at the start and end, have been off road which has been great and has really helped stave off the monotony of the long run.
Saw quite a few of these on the trail at the weekend, basking in the sun. Bit more care required with footfall!
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Like an idiot I've entered a marathon next week - can you actually taper if you're not really doing the mileage? 🙂
Of course - it's called an inverse taper 😀
Not always 100% effective!
You'll be fine, just pace yourself and prepare to walk downstairs backwards for a few days afterwards
Next bit of training for the JNC. A group of us are having a go at the Abraham's Tea Round on Saturday.
https://www.georgefisher.co.uk/news/2018-08-01-abrahams-tea-round-starupdatestar-july-2018/
Needless to say, the weather forecast is sh*te. It'll be nice to see a few new fells and hopefully have a good day on the hill with some friends with no time constraints.
Well I ran the Yorkshire 3 peaks yesterday, I say run but it was a run and walk and a crawl at various points lol glad I did it but I wont be rushing back, my legs are in bits today the stairs are a real struggle
Good job @firestarter, I've walked it a couple of times and that was hard enough. How long did it take you?
Has anyone noticed Nike Pegasus' being a bit slippy in the wet? I went out for a lunchtime run today and felt a bit all over the place on the wet pavements, more so than I was in my old shoes.
Maybe just due to a long dry spell? It's not rained here in Ayrshire for a few weeks, always gets slippy first rain after that.
Flying monkey strava said 5hrs 21 moving but watch said it was 6hrs 41 all in what with photos, eating, gates, refilling water, getting breath back route finding and map reading for a number of lost people. Pleased I did it but more training before the next attempt lol I also opted for the more scenic official challenge route rather than the fell race route as it's a nicer route
@firestarter that's not bad at all, nice job.
@Nobeerinthefridge Yeah you're probably right actually!
strava said 5hrs 21 moving but watch said it was 6hrs 41
Once you fall below a certain pace Strava interprets that as having stopped. I don't know exactly what pace it is but it's certainly pretty easy to fall to that walking up steep slopes like the climb up Ingleborough.
Great day out isn't it? I did it a week or two ago with my wife who'd never done it before and she loved it too. We did have great weather though which helps!
Yeah watch was buzzing a bit on the ingleborough climb, yeah it's a great day out
I’m doing the Stroud half marathon, which is in October. It’s a road event which I generally avoid because I find 13 miles of tarmac quite punishing. However, it’s to pace a friend who’s doing his first half. Its been a couple of years since I last ran a meaningful distance (marathons and ultras) so I’m winding down to more manageable dashes.
What other race/challenge recommendations are there for xc half marathons in June/July? Somewhere scenic would be nice. Something a bit different. I’ve not done a fell race so might have a go.
That climb up Ingleborough is brutal at the best of times, I had to have a little sit down just walking up it.
Was contemplating a trot round t'Peaks as part of my training but so far I've been able to get up to the Lakes every weekend so it's a bit more relevant. It's a good old route though. Good luck to anyone doing the race on Saturday.
Regarding the Strava thing and elapsed time versus moving time - if you save it as Run type - 'race' you will get total elapsed time. Just in case you weren't aware.
Ah no I wasnt thanks
Good luck to anyone doing the race on Saturday.
I decided to skip it this year having done it the last 2. They call it a fell race but it's really a trail race, you need to be a proper runner to do well not a hill plodder!
10 under the Ben for me this weekend. So be a week off running for me. Bored my tits off last weekend on the treadmill at work so not been feeling the love for it.
Looking forward to 10 under though. Wasn't supposed to be here but I am now and even if work calls they will be told I'm way out West 🙂
Weather in Town tomorrow looking decidedly horrible... 😱
Not looking forward to being blown over, so will hunker down in Canary Wharf and catch my mate there...
Todays little pootle at QECP was nice and hard, it's so dry there these days you almost need a dust mask. 🤮
Last long run before the Worcester Marathon on Sunday for me. And in prep, I might try and give it a nudge at parkrun tomorrow and see if I can get a good time for the first time in a while.
Hoping the weather holds for Sunday, I can deal with 5k in the rain and wind but 22 miles is a very different game indeed.
Awesome, best of luck all for this weekend!.
Entered another couple of local-ish hill races this morning, Dumyat and Cairn table, think I may have found my most enjoyable form of running!.
No planned running this weekend how ever just been given a 5.30 am check in on Monday.
Racing at 10 under the Ben tomorrow.....might superset that with a run on Sunday to ensure my legs are obliterated for the check in. How bad does a hobble have to be before they stop you flying 🙂
Cairn table
It's a great wee hill. Never done the race coz it's midweek but a wee run up Cairn table has saved many a depressing weekend at my in-laws.
Googled ..
Cairn table
Looks like a right old tough lump 🥴🏃♀️
The Fellsman this weekend. 60ish miles of Yorkshire's finest miles. Weather looks interesting so it's going to be a long long day.
Really feel I should have trained more, oh well too late now.
Ohh, where’s that?
F’christsake, that’s mental.
All the best, what a route.
Would take me a week 🤣
It’s a great wee hill. Never done the race coz it’s midweek but a wee run up Cairn table has saved many a depressing weekend at my in-laws.
I'm feart to ask where your inlaws are spin... 🙈🤣
I’m feart to ask where your inlaws are spin… 🙈🤣
Actually it's not that bad, Strathaven. Pretty middle class really.
My mate Jonny pulled out of LM today, means I get a day of windsurfing 👍
Take it easy if you are in the LM, could be pretty horrible under the buildings 😱
Looks lovely @Nobeer.
Good luck to anyone running in London (or anywhere!) tomorrow - have a good one!
I was up to 38km in January with plans of entering my first 50km at the beginning of the month - a succession of niggly injuries meant I've never really got back on the 'programme' - trainings been going OK, including setting some PBs for up to 30km, so I just thought I'd go out today and run 50km! Decided that I'd run home from Gomshall in the Surrey Hills along the North Downs Way, so ran 12km along the Basingstoke Canal/ Blackwater Valley Path to North Camp station, train to Gomshall and run back home again. Deliberately kept my pace very steady and whilst I did start to struggle in the last 10km, running time was 5hrs 15mins. See how muck recovery goes and think I'll have a go at the Greensand Way in a few weeks which is 66km - trails are drying our nicely.
I seem to have broken myself. Had a great run in pretty vile conditions to come 15th in the Fellsman.
Happy I managed to race the entire 60 miles and not drop into survival mode where I just needed to finish.
I am now in a lot more pain than at any time in the race. Everything aches and I woke up last night to be sick.
Oh how I love ultra running??
Ooft! Bravo sir!
Wonder how tf got on at London....
Sounds awful ajf, well done 🤣👍👍👍👍
Good result, ajf! I'm suffering today after yesterday's half ironman, nothing like as good a result as that!
Sometimes you do a long run and it gives you every confidence that you can run a marathon. Other times, today for instance, you feel beaten up and think there’s no way I’ve got another 5 miles in the locker.
21 miles done and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Not a good look.
London didn't go too badly thanks 🙂
Goal had been set at an arbitrary 2:22 as this seemed like a potentially achievable if ambitious target. Got into a good little group early which was going at a solid 2:20 pace, not necessarily perfect pacing for my target, but I was reluctant to abandon them and run solo given the significant headwind for the majority of the course. Came through half-way bang on 70 minutes, equalling my half PB from Hampton Court 6 weeks ago, so I knew it was going to start hurting soon. Intentionally dropped off that pack at around 25km as I could tell I was courting detonation if I didn't. Started sweeping up solo runners soon after, and I think I passed the majority of the pack I had been part of earlier. 3 minute positive split could have been a lot worse considering the initial pace, so pretty pleased.
10th non-elite, and 1st V40 from the mass-start. Also 3rd team for Hercules Wimbledon as the 2nd scorer.
This was clearly in the 2nd half given my facial expression 😀
Nearly 4 minutes knocked off the PB, and only 9 seconds outside the 2:22:XX target, could have been a lot worse. Clearly the wind was less of a factor than the heat was last year for most - my time for 15th place last year would have barely scraped inside the top 50 this year.
Oh, and for perspective, Mo had time to get changed etc and be interviewed by the time I crossed the line (top left corner!)
Fantastic effort Rich - interesting you mentioned the headwind, I didn't find it bad at all. Only a couple of places where it was a big blast, but for the majority of the course I thought it was pretty benign. I didn't quite reach the heights you did but still managed a pb by 6 minutes and was well under my target of 2:40 so all in all a fabulous day.
@ajf - well done on the Fellsman, one of my few DNFs. Excellent runs there @turboferret and @alanf
Well done Alan, a 6 minute PB is very solid 🙂
Maybe the wind wasn't so much of an issue and I would have been fine solo. Who knows, maybe better pacing with a more conservative start would have paid dividends later? In hindsight the wind wasn't so bad when I was solo from Billingsgate to the finish. Executing a perfect race takes a bit of practice, and practice doesn't necessarily equal perfect!
Blimmin awesome effort tf..
What a talented bunch we have on here, at whatever level. 👍
Some quality runs going down these days! And equally great to see people making their tentative first steps towards things like a 5k non-stop.
I've had a funny year mojo wise - I've been getting back into climbing and kept the running at no more than ticking over. I try and do something big most years and figured I had to commit or risk the whole thing slipping away.
That being said I entered a new event last week on the deadline - Sea to Summit from Prestatyn to one of the Clwydian tops 26 miles away. With smallish numbers, a half and full option and staggered starts I thought it might end up a lonely affair, but as it was I fell into pace with a good handful for the first 15 or so and then drifted off the front. Ran the first half really conservatively off a pretty limited base (handful of club 8 milers plus regular hills) then pushed on a bit in the second half. I know the top half of the Clwyds pretty well so could gauge the effort ok.
Delighted to get round in just over 5.5h (towards the front of my guesstimate times) and 6500' under the belt. Smashing.
Well done @turboferret, @alanf, , @ajf, @stever and anyone else who ran anything this weekend - awesome work.
Well done, amazing efforts.
I can't match any of that but nonetheless pretty content with my effort at the Balmoral 10k at the weekend.
Didn't start far enough forward (hundreds of folk forward of the 40 minute flag who it turned out were in no danger of being anywhere near that time) so then had to use the slippery grass verges to pass the crowd, until the hill began and it thinned out nicely. Overtook folk for the rest of the climb and the descent, shaved a couple secs off of my (flat) 10k pb, and obliterated my 5k best by almost a minute, ended up 34th out of ~1800
Fantastic guys, some inspiring stuff there, love it!.
Completely forgot I have a hill race tonight, entered it ages ago, as it was advertised as a good race for beginners - The Whangie, it's a wee hill just north of Glasgow, only 280m of ascent over 7k all in, be good to use it to practice my downhill technique.
Oof! That looks monstrous. I've not even managed to bike it yet (though it's on the list).
On a related note I did this last year. My first Ultra. Despite some 'interesting' weather it was a great day out with friends and an interesting route.
https://www.ascendevents.co.uk/lakeland-five-passes-ultra/
Aye, that looks ace too sparkles, but it's the same day as my Arran 'ultra' (only 16 miles, but with 7000ft of ascent, I'm claiming ultra status!)
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Lovely run this morn.... Sunny Brentwood was resplendent and I saw a lady galloping a horse, a bull rubbing its arse on a fence and a wood pecker.
I celebrated with a lovely slice of Bakewell Tart (brought home from Bakewell last week) and a cuppa in the back garden, when I got home.
Love running I do
🙂
A bull rubbing its arse on a fence and a woodpecker? Well, that’s something you don’t see every day!
Some great results above!
Anyone got stuff on this weekend? I'm doing the Stuc a'Chroin race and there's a bit snow forecast on the tops.
St illtyds Ultra in Burry Port on Sunday. Only signed up to it as the cake looks superb. Can't wait.
Repping the City of Dreams in the MK Marathon!
Anyone got stuff on this weekend?
Isle of Wight ultra.
Wondering if I have possibly bitten off more than I can chew, but hey, only one way to find out!
And at least navigation is easy - keep sea on left
Good day at Stuc a' Chroin today. No results yet but paced it well and finished strong ahead of a few people who often beat me. Pleased with that in the build up to Jura.
Anyone got stuff on this weekend?
Did an 18k trail race here in País Vasco, after about 5 or 6 weeks of easy runs on a gammy foot. The injuries behaved, though my hips tightened up in the last few Ks - would have finished stronger if not.
The Basques do love to put a bit of scrambling in their trail races. I am scared of heights. One section yesterday involved climbing up a gully over well-polished, wet limestone. I literally crawled up it, with a queue of runners behind me. I'd reccied the mountain a while back, but assumed it would come up another route with a path.
Descending was just embarrassing. I can run on my foot but have to be careful on placing - if I put my weight on it and it isn't straight, it wrecks. Gingerly picking my way down a trail with folk barreling down either side of me, and watching the group I was with disappear into the distance was annoying, though I did catch some later.
Still, fairly happy with how it went. The previous races I'd done had gone progressively worse so good to buck the trend.
Did a recce for my hardmoors in Nov the other day 20 miles on very open moorland that's gonna be fun on a cold day , enjoyed it though