What Mr Sparkle said. Been a club member for over 40yrs. The support they provide particularly for younger athletes is worth the subs alone. I am actually a member of 2 clubs (4 if you count the FRA and NVAC) but the local "harrier" tradition is what its all about.
First commute of 2019 this morning, in fact, first cycle of 2019! Further confirmation of the power of running fitness, I only ever go sub 30 mins if I have a big tailwind and put a decent effort in (it's 8.5 miles, but lots of furniture and a fair few crossings/junctions) but was sub 29 this morning, and never above threshold heart rate either.
Happy days. 🙂
Yeah doesn't work well for 24 hour training though. Running up to 20km prior
Did 14.5 hours at top end of Z2 .
Mangled my back.
Still can't beat time on bike for time on bike.
Just getting back to the grind now after letting my back muscles recover.
Just got the email to say I haven't got a ballot place in the Great North Run 🙁
And neither has my wife! She has a charity place application in as well so that may come good, but raising enough sponsorship for two places seems like a bit of a stetch.
Same here:( Hopeful of getting in on a charity place though. Last time I did it was 13 years ago!
Tbf, you were going great before that injury Terry!
Anyone know if FRA membership is required to enter their races? I'd like to try a few races if they coincide with visits back to UK, unlikely to get to many though.
I'll probably just join anyway for the sake of 16 quid.
On my second week of c25k and going well except for stiff and squeaky knees? Walking upstairs, I’m like a proper old bloke!
Any ideas?
If you really start to struggle with your knees, rest. They're right buggers if you damage them.
I'm currently sat here with 4 day old Mini Monkey giving Mrs Monkey a break, so it may be a while till I'm out again. Keep up the good work guys, I'll need inspiration!
Anyone know if FRA membership is required to enter their races?
Not sure exactly what you mean here. Most races are organised by clubs under FRA rules rather than the FRA itself. Some races (not many) require that you be a member of a club to enter and I suspect individual FRA membership would count in that case.
Yeah, not sure how it works - I meant FRA registered races. For example, there was a Kendal Winter League race in my hometown at the weekend - had I been in town, could I have entered with FRA membership? Do I need to be in England athletics?
Sorry for the daft Qs, I know how this works for bike racing in UK and Spain, but maybe fell races are a bit more casual.
I’m currently sat here with 4 day old Mini Monkey
Congratulations mate! Enjoy learning how to run on only a few hours sleep 🙂
Bob - last KWL was at Birkrigg on 27th Jan. If you look at the results there are plenty of Unattached folk taking part. You don't need to be a member of FRA or indeed even a club to take part. It's a great series of races. Very well organised, cheap, tough but fun. Recommended. There's one on at Barbondale on Sunday.
I got a charity place for the Great North Run. Realistic target is sub 2 hours but 1:50 would be better. Anyone else doing it? Target times?
That was the one @MrSparkle, I was over the following weekend (Dad lives in Ulverston).
Not been up to much running that's hugely challenging, though have seen some nice scenery, Mount Keen mostly on bike then dumped it lower down and ran back down from the top, last weekend did a couple hours hiking up from cairngorm ski centre, and also ran the descent back down at sunset, as much as one can run ploughing through knee deep powder with crampons on. Minus 9 plus windchill but great fun
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@bob_summers - I can't remember any FRA race (other than the FRA relays for which you have to be a member of an affiliated club) requiring FRA or club membership. Some may have restrictions on numbers taking part and some of the more serious (i.e. over long and difficult terrain) races require that you have some suitable experience but that's it.
@whitestone nothing serious planned, only 3 months into my running career 😀 , looking at local races with generous time cuts and if I can try any fell races when in the Uk, bonus.
Unexpected although obvs benefit from all this running: I can run! Got to the station on the way home tonight, had left my phone at work. Legged it there and back just in time - at no time in my life could I have done that 😂
Superb pics Mike!
First club track session tonight, ooft! 10 x 700m with 135s recovery. Tough going, but loved it!. 😊
In the run-up to the last XC race of the season on Saturday, I decided to front-load my training this week. 10km recovery Monday morning, same in the evening, 6km recovery Tuesday morning, 19km with 7km above marathon pace on Tuesday evening. 19km steady on Wednesday morning and 24km with 13km tempo Wednesday afternoon puts me on about 90km with 2 days of taking it easy before race day 🙂
Most fell races are phenomenally low key and low faff. Turn up in a car park, pub, village hall or whatever, scribble your details down and hand over a fiver and you’re in. Bigger races are pre entry but again no need to be in the fra or a club. Subs are good value for the calendar and mags though.
Bigger races are pre entry but again no need to be in the fra or a club
A few do, Ben Nevis for example although I think this is a filtering thing rather than anything else.
A shufti on the listings on the Race Calendar of the Fell Runner site should tell you all you need to know.
If anybody in E. Lancs fancies a trot out on Sunday then I'm having a (day time) recce of the course of my night time fell race. Royal Hotel, Tockholes near Darwen at 11.00am. Social trot round and in pub for a beer after. All welcome. (The race is full though)
Lovely run yesterday, malham to the cove up to the top over to the tarn and then down to gordale scar onto weets top then down to airton and pennine way back to malham. Driving wind and rain but loved it and it cleared up in the end.
Grand, I'll join FRA anyway even if it's not really necessary.
Biggest week so far last week (not saying much as I've only been going since Dec) - 65km and some 3600m elevation, all off-road, and knocked around 15mins off my local 15km loop. So firmly in that period where it's pretty much impossible to not keep going faster, under no illusions as to how that plays out!
However, last night my right knee developed a sharp pain, feels like I've whacked it (haven't though), still sore today. I've been carrying a bit of an ankle tweak recently and wonder if I've overloaded the knee when descending to keep the weight off the ankle.
Did last round of winter duathlon yesterday.
Still not over the puffer.
5kph at least down on bike speed. Was taking lots longer than usual to catch people.
Run was a joke between 30-75 seconds per kph down on normal pace.
No power at all. Couldn't get out of z3
Finished down in 24th . Was 8th and 6th in the previous rounds. So ended up 7th over all in series due to many folk missing a round.
Today woken up with my back achey sore again.
Doh.
Never mind that's the last race till April. Back to base for a bit and get more core work going.
I've still been doing runs here & there, but not been able to ramp up much as I'm still getting my IT band knee pain. I had hoped that regular stretching of my hips would sort it out & I'd have resolved it by the New Yr, but if anything it seems to have plateaued & isn't getting any better.
My 'targets' to kick the year off were 30km/month running & 100km/month on the bike.
January, I ended up running almost 49km & so far this month I am up to just over 23km.
I did 10km yesterday & Strava reckons I got a PB of 50:55, which I was quite pleased with & wasn't really expecting - I certainly didn't feel very quick!
I went to see an osteopath about my knee a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think he has solved anything. Lying on the bed thing with a bent knee; you know that thing medical people do when examining knees where they put a hand behind your knee & pull your knee forwards - he immediately noticed that there was no 'play' in my left knee that there is in the right one. The movement should be there, and I can't remember what he said but something was trapped - sacrificial nerve?
He did various manipulations that did free it up - I could really feel the difference afterwards, but don't think this is related to the problems I'm having.
He also spent a bit of time cracking my back this way & that, which felt quite nice but again I wasn't really sure how it was going to help - and it doesn't seem to have.
Bit crap, because I have only ever seen physiotherapists about this issue & I thought that a fresh pair of eyes and a different mindset would perhaps spot something otherwise missed.
Back to stretching for now...my plan was/is to run the Great Eastern Run (1/2 marathon) in October if I can sort my knee out, but at this rate it isn't looking very likely.
On Saturday I did a local Long Distance Walkers Association event, the Anglezarkle Amble. Walkers can do a 16 mile or a 24.5 mile event but runners can do the longer one. The event has been going 45 years and is pretty popular. Anyway, it was a tough day out - 24.5 miles in 4 hours 41 with 3400' of climb. Two feed stations on the route, a meal at the end and a certificate. I think it was £13.00. Really good cheap and cheerful events these if you don't want all the expensive ****ery of trail races.
The day after I lead the recce of my fell race as mentioned above. That was good. Decent turnout and went for a pint after. With running there and back I got another 12 miles and 1900' climb.
I'm a bit tired and sore but quite happy with how it's going. The next event on the calendar is the Haworth Hobble in March. 32 miler. :-0
Watched 'Running for good' on Prime last night, film about Fiona Oakes, what a remarkable lady indeed, well recommended.
What a day for a run today is?! Did 4 miles on the canals over lunch and the conditions were absolutely perfect. Clear sky, still air, sunshine but not to warm, just awesome.
And tomorrow I'm working from home, conditions are meant to be the same and I reckon I can sneak an even longer one it.
went for a run with my buddy at lunch.
followed him along the cliff path. Got to the end.... Which way back to the office then.
Well then ted - you can go 5 k back the way we came or 5 K round this way But the railway line in the middle will stop us going directly back to the office
5k run became nearly 12 - oops
First event of '19 today, hillbilly 10k, fairly happy as I took 3 mins off my '18 time. It was a lovely crisp cold day last year, hard dry ground, this year was grim weather and muddy as ****.
Everyone I spoke to was a fair bit down on last years times, so I suppose in reality I was probably better than 3 minutes up.
Weird weather for February here. Yesterday temps were in the mid 20s and it's forecast to last the rest of the month. Had my first lesson in the importance of carrying water - went for a 2h mountain run and felt thirsty from the off. Halfway round, there's a steep (40% avg, says Strava) 600m scramble up a firecut which ends with am exposed climb up through a gully in the crag at the top. It takes me 20mins as I'm terrified of heights, south-facing, boiling hot, zero shade... felt sure there's a tap at the top as there's a couple of antennas - nothing, and not a soul to ask for water. Ridgeline descent is wonderful but I was struggling to pick my feet up, proper death march back to the village at the bottom.
Good work all as usual - where are you for that kind of heat bob_summers?
On the flip side, I nearly went for a run yesterday then I had a nap instead... hashtag babylife. It's early days yet though, I'll get back into it.
*edit* also - does anyone know anything about New Balance shoes? Sportpursuit have a bunch on offer, with a few in my size but the choice is baffling. I guess I just want something bog standard middle of the road - I currently have (very old) Saucony Jazz, which seem fine. I've had a few pairs of NB for general bumming around which have been grand.
ran 13k on the trails on saturday with my mates 7 month old GSD and 2 year old sprocker - sprocker going mad the whole way and done about 40k and the GSD was quite honestly just walking along....
My third 12-13k run for the week. Happy with how thats coming along. Soon start going back to the metros for more speed sessions I seem to be getting back to the grind after puffer.
New bike came on thursday so picked that up sat afternoon ,
Did my core session in the woods yesterday morning and then jumped on the bike.....
60k and PRs everywhere. Bike is immense
More impressive is that My back is not in bits today like it was last week(after 20k on the bike)
@MrSparkle I ran the Sandstone trail a couple of years ago, great fun and saw very few people other than the occasional honey pot (and car park) along the way. The LDWA seems a good organisation, I am tempted to do a few more. Share your view (I think) of the over inflated "new" trail runs that seem to have sprung up all over. FRA has been doing it for years.
where are you for that kind of heat bob_summers?
San Sebastián - though the weather is far from typical. Feb is generally cold mizzle. The ridge descent of Jaizkibel would be familiar for anyone who's ridden with BasqueMTB.
Ah I've been to Basque MTB, though only for a day. Glorious part of the world! Can't remember where it was we rode, I think it was further inland though.
I’m really enjoying getting some off-road miles in the legs again. My “problem” is that, and I suppose I have this in common with quite a few other urbanites, I need to run 3-4K just to get on a trail. Road shoes are ok but a few runs on the trails and they’re looking and feeling knackered - they were at end-of-life anyway. I’m damned if I’m driving to a trailhead.
So recommendations for something that’ll do for both? I’m aware “hybrid” may mean compromise so will a grippy traily shoe’s soles get knackered that quickly? Is it worth getting a road-2-trail offering?
EDIT: what I’m hoping is that a few people will say, “I’ve got these trail shoes, they’re not hybrids and I run on the road to a trail, and they’ve been fine.” 😀
I have always been a fan of Nike shoes. Some of the newer ones have smooth soles but if you can get ones with the older "waffle" sole they have a full air midsole and they are very good off road. I used to run a lot on some rough stuff as well as fells and they were great unless it got really rocky or off camber when a lower profile helps. Many road shoes with a decent outersole will be fine. I know its bucking the trend a bit not to have the grippiest Inov8's as soon as your off the pavement, sorry about that...
I’m asking an open question. My road shoes are knackered. I’m happy to buy last year’s or two year ago’s model to replace them for pounding the pavements but it’s clear that the trails I have in mind will knacker them a bit sooner than I’d like. Just want something a bit harder wearing and a bit of protection for off-road stuff.
There's usually some being sold off. Try Sportsshoes.com or Pete Bland maybe. But make sure they are ones that you have tried on and feel comfortable in.
In other news, I haven't got much running in this weekend but it was my fell race on Friday night - Mr Sparkle's Dark Un. 5 mile off road route over the hills and moors in Darwen. Biggest turnout yet. Conditions good. Fun was had. Beer was drunk after. Happy days. £££ raised for Bolton Mountain rescue Team and prostate UK.
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Same boat as DD here. I've got some Inov 8 Roclites (I think), fine on the pavement 2kms to and from the trail, cope OK in the thick mud and offer some protection from sticking up rocks. Problem is, they lasted about 10 runs before holes appeared in the upper. There's a printed reinforcement right where my foot flexes and it's torn the material. I'll tape them back up until they die, at least I know what to look out for next time I'm buying...
https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/asi7804/asics-gel~fujitrabuco-6-trail-running-shoes-~-aw18/
These are decent on the road, cracking on everything I've done offroad. Yesterday's race had everything, tarmac, grass, mud, Rocky mud, the works. Quite a few folk on their arses, never so much as slipped.
I'm gonna get another pair for when they die.
I’d seen those Gel Fujitrabucos NoFridge - they look like they’ll do the job. Anyone know what the difference between say, 8 and 8H is on the ASICS Outlet sizing?
