Terry, I use the old version of this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AONIJIE-Backpacks-Lightweight-Hydration-Functional/dp/B06XCG9KHQ
Can fit all compulsory kit in it and a 1L bladder plus food etc. Cheap and cheerful. Does the job.
Those get lots of love on Facebook local hill runners sparkles.
I bought an inov8 race elite Terry, I like the bag, but the flat hard plastic bottles annoy me after you have a few drinks, water sloshes aboot too much, I'm gonna get some soft bottles for it.
IIRC it was about 50 quid from sportshoes.com.
Well done @stox and @slowpuncheur, stirling work both! I've walked on t'Moors in conditions like that and that was bad enough, running must have been horrid... Knowing when to call it a day is nothing to be ashamed of.
Cheers for link MrSparkle - looks just like what I’m looking for for July race. I ran with a Salomon pack yesterday - bought for a few quid from duckman here. Found it surprisingly comfortable but not keen on the bladder on the back. Ran across the Severn bridge - nearly got blown off, into Chepstow and then along Offa’s Dyke to Tintern. Lots of climbing and not much payback with losing it all on a bit of a hair-raising (at times. for an inexperienced trail runner like me) descent into Tintern for a hearty pub lunch with friends. Really enjoyable day out.
Terry, Ultimate Direction do vests that are the business, always discounted at wiggle as well. Decathlon also sell one that folks love. I used to use a Salomon running pack (now with DD!) until I bought one. In all honesty, I am a tart so like the UD one, but my other half has the decathlon one and there certainly isn't £40 in it. My mate did the D33 on Sat, we were up the Balmoral Cairns on Friday and returning saw the first of the 99 runners coming through. Nuts to that. No wonder Paddy didn't fancy it....
duckman , UD is what a mate of mines just bought . It does look good .... but im probably not going to get the good of such an investment would probably be 60-70 quid
im inclined to visit decathlon on saturday when im down in glasgow and purchase on of theirs - their kit just seems to work - ive had hundred quid shoes that cant hold a candle to my 30 quid kalenji's in terms of fit ,grip and mostly longevity
yep paddy and his mate really didnt do them selves any favours ..... if your doing shit like that you certainly dont podium and you even less sure dont stick it on facebook.
less controversial but there was a dude on the 99 took a wrong turn on scolty - 15 miles from the end , ran up the wrong hill , slept in a ditch , woke up phoned the organisers to say im ok etc.....
finished with a 33degree core temp.
Duckmon, to be fair, the pack was actually a dream to wear - hardly felt it on my back - and I think using an ill-fitting camelback 3l bladder with a leaky mouthpiece probably didn't help. But for a fairly basic pack, it was very comfortable. I'm going to try a smaller bladder as anything I'm going to be doing in it isn't going to require anything more than around 1.5l drink. I'll still try one of the decathlon jobbies with the front mounted soft bottles - or the one linked by MrSparkle - just to see which I prefer. So, thanks again for the pack - it'll get plenty of use over the coming months.
EDIT: Those UD vests are a bit pricey. You're even more of a tart than I thought you were duckers! 😆
By the way, what happened at the D33? Did someone do a little naughty cheaty?
d33 .
1 lad decided he couldnt do it ,
someone else did the event in his place without it being official- so the organiser had all the wrong details on file etc incase of emergency etc ....
And the guy who did it - podiumed and advertised all this on facebook.
The organiser saw this and banned them both going forward and removed their result....
Oh crap, right - I'm sure I saw that somewhere...I think there was a screenshot of the post on twitter or something. Brilliant!
DD, I am instantly Scott Jurek when I wear it, at least in my own mind. On the D33 thing,Terry is selling the guy's brainfart short; he didn't post on his own time line on Facebook...Oh no! He posted it with a pic of himself getting his trophy, and a full explanation of how he put on an Irish accent at kit check,AND telling his mate Paddy to defend it next year on Running Friends Scotland's facebook page...which has 10,000 members (near enough)
trail_rat
Member
duckman , UD is what a mate of mines just bought . It does look good …. but im probably not going to get the good of such an investment would probably be 60-70 quid
Yeah, that's what I said, bought it for the LG as that will be my first and last race of that length. But they are addictive.
DD, I am instantly Scott Jurek when I wear it
#strangest
My plan suggested a half-marathon 6 weeks before London, and the obvious candidates were Hampton Court, Fleet and Reading. The latter 2 would probably offer the best opportunity to achieve a fast time, but Hampton Court was gracious enough to extend me a free entry and it was only half an hour away, so that clinched it. Although pancake flat, the course does run along the Thames towpath and the finish is on grass through Hampton Court Park, that combined with 15 mph winds meant that I had tempered my expectations somewhat. The aim was around 70 minutes, hopefully a bit quicker. I had company for the first 6km, along the Thames and over Kingston Bridge. Once we turned to head upstream on the south bank of the river the wind was in our face and I was keen to have company to share the work. However the pace was a bit too hot for my compatriot and I felt that I’d be quicker alone, so it was a solo effort for the remainder. After turning north at the Scilly Isles roundabout the headwind turned to a cross, and after crossing Hampton Court bridge to take this section of the towpath for the 2nd time, the tailwind was most welcome. I was on course for a mid 79 at this point but knew the last few miles would be hard work. Upon entering the park with about 4km to go it was feeling like hard work and the slippery grass/mud surface combined with the headwind wasn’t helping. My pace didn’t drop quite as much as I feared, but I did slip just outside the 69 minute goal and my watch time was 1:10:11 without much left in the tank. I’ve now knocked 6 minutes off my previous half time according to the Power of 10, a 1:16 from Wokingham in 2016, and hopefully this will convert to something around 2:23 in 6 weeks time.
Bloody'ell tf!
Well done tf, stox and particularly crewlie - that first 5k is the hardest 🙂
I’ll still try one of the decathlon jobbies with the front mounted soft bottles
That's what I'd recommend if you don't want to spend too much, the soft bottles don't move too much and it's a great price. If you want to spend a bit more obviously the Salomon, Raidlight etc models are all a bit nicer, but the difference isn't that great. Another thing to consider is the size - I've got a 5l model for summer runs here in Madrid, and it'll hold a very lightweight shell, safety blanket and a few gels. But no more. If you're planning on something to use in winter and you'll want to carry a bit more get a 12l pack.
Bloody’ell tf!
Yeah, I'm disappointed too! ;o)
After swearing blind I would never do it, I succumed and bought some running shoes to assist in getting some cardio fitness back after having hardly ridden this winter.
1st run: managed 8 km and despite walking most of the uphills, felt good.
2nd run: did 10k with the last km being entirely uphill by which time I was done. Considerably less walking than 1st run and was well pleased.
However, next day I could hardly weight bear on my right ankle and it is still sore over a week later. Gutted
Should I wait till I'm completely pain free before running again? I'm itching to get back out.
For context, I've never run more than a 100 yards before in my life
This:
For context, I’ve never run more than a 100 yards before in my life
With this:
1st run: managed 8 km and despite walking most of the uphills, felt good.
2nd run: did 10k with the last km being entirely uphill by which time I was done.
Has possibly led to this:
However, next day I could hardly weight bear on my right ankle and it is still sore over a week later.
Fair dues though! Getting out and banging out a bit of distance is bloody good work. But it may be that you've got a bit excited and gone too far. It might make sense to work up to those distances a bit more slowly when your ankle is better - your poor legs and feet probably didn't know what hit them. :o)
K’inell stox... that’s a great write-up. It sounded hard from the first paragraph, then got worse the longer I read it. Bloody good effort.
Bloody good effort all TBH..
And this too..
Week 3 of couch to 5k.
Got up to 3 minutes of running. I ache something rotten.
Was feeling despondent but Bolt only runs for 10 seconds and gets more puffed out than me.
Yeah, we all started somewhere 👍👍👍🥳
@guitarhero you are me and icmfp! Did the same over New Year, went from 0 to 65km (offroad) a week over about 2 weeks and I've had some real fun with injuries. Touch wood, nothing serious and hoping to get back on the trail tomorrow (30k race Sunday) but my fitness has taken a hit from all the resting/limping. My entirely amateur advice would be that you have a choice to take it easy now, or later when the injuries creep in, but there's no getting around it!
right time to shit or get off the pot.
Entrys for the Lairig Ghru open tonight on SI entries
not sure I'm ready - but will i ever be.
I've done miles , I can run 20k back to back and i know how to suffer so in for a penny in for a pound. Worst comes to worst ill walk out.
Anyone else on here heading along ?
according to the Power of 10
My Pb's are pre Power of 10 unfortunately....
trail_rat
Member
right time to shit or get off the pot.
DOIIDOITDOITDOIT
Not for me this year Terry, got into the "sold-out-in-10-mins" Barra half which is the day before. Doing the Glen Lyon Ultra which despite being 4 miles longer is considered easier. I am also in the Blades and the Dramathon marathons this year. THE LG was brutal, and as a first trail marathon(ish) it was maybe not the greatest choice. But it is set in my favourite mountain range, in fact I liked it so much, and it was so life affirming I have the route profile tattooed on my arm and will be back at it. You will be fine, you know what is in store with regards to the route and that is half the battle.
'the Blades' Duckman?
Nobeerinthefridge
Subscriber
‘the Blades’ Duckman?
Posted 15 minutes ago
Well, got told off last year for describing the LG as an ultra, so not sure if 31 Miles counts...
Run the blades? I'm doing that too. 👌🏻
I'm in.
Well done! Did you not join the club anyway?
I never got round to it.
I thought entries opened in April. Glupton noised me up the other day to say they opened now.
I’m going to have an attempt at the Joss Naylor Challenge in June. https://www.gofar.org.uk/jossnaylorlc.html
This is an enormous challenge for me and I’m not really sure I actually capable of it if I’m honest. The hard work starts now.
The JNC is said to be hard especially for the 50+ category. A lot of people wait until they are 55 then try it. One of my BG pacers paced someone on the JNC and said the required pace was much faster.
Good luck!
Thanks Whitestone. Apparently the V50 version of JNC is equivalent to an 18 hr BG. :-0
Lucky (kind of) that I'm 56 so get 15 hours. I should have had a go at the BG when I was a mere youth of 40 or so and I've always regretted not doing. This is to make up for it, hopefully. I like the idea that you have to raise money for a charity too so have chosen Prostate UK. I *may* be asking for people to chuck a quid or so in nearer the time.
You're all mental 😀
Good luck Mr Sparkle. Same as you I wished I had done the BGR years ago (55 in October)
Well I joined the Aberdeen metros today
Closest to a runner I've ever been.
Also hit 200bpm during the pyramid session tonight
There was very much moaning about the lairig ghru race being full. I kept very quiet on that front
😂
Took a wee while to sell out last year, must be the media exposure.
The adventure show effect.
Happened to the snow roads audax -used to be able to show up in the day. ...now it sells out early doors.
Strathpyffer . 2006 we got in the week before ... Now you have 45 seconds
Yeah, I suspect some folk may be launching their tellys out the window afterwards...Not you obviously...You will probably just turn round and run home.
Well, thanks to the advice of folk on here (and a not-too-bad sale price) I ordered myself a pair of Nike Pegasus 35 to replace my geriatric Sauconys. I followed the Nike size guide which suggested I needed a 9.5, but after some folk on here (lunge I think) suggesting that they fit quite small I changed my order for 10.5s, which is what I usually wear. They arrived yesterday to my great excitement.
First impression: holy cow! They're BRIGHT! (I ordered these in red, and they're a flourescent, retina burning shade of red. Awesome.)
Second impression: they're light. My old shoes aren't especially heavy, but these are noticeably lighter.
Third impression: they're snug. The 10.5s felt (pottering around the house) like a really nice fit - no need to lace them super tight, just the right length. I've struggled with running shoes before as to get the width I need I've had to go half a size larger, which isn't ideal. These seem spot on, and the nice wide toe box gives me plenty of room, with no obvious rub points or seams.
Obviously with new shoes it would have been rude not to go out for a run, and since Minimonkey woke me up needing a change at 6am I thought I might as well pop out before work.
I did my usual 2 mile loop (flat, tarmac) and basically forgot that I was wearing new shoes, which is kinda the biggest compliment I can give. With my old ones either they were laced a little loose so I could feel my feet moving around, or laced tight so they were rubbing on the top of my food - nothing too terrible, but enough to be noticeable. The Nikes just fit. There's significantly more support around the midfoot (where I strike) and I definitely felt springier in my step, though that might've just been a placebo. The last few runs I've done I've been trying to concentrate on keeping a better 'shape' - ie staying more upright rather than hunching down, and I think that felt easier and more natural in the new shoes.
It was the best pace I've done this lap before (8:52/mile, which is the first time I've been under 9 minutes so quite a nice threshold to pass) although interestingly not my best mile or two mile time according to Strava. I think I'm definitely getting better at finding a pace and holding it (for the 2 mile loop at least).
Anyway - thanks again all for the shoe advice, hopefully they'll be as comfy after a few runs as they are now.
Yeah, I suspect some folk may be launching their tellys out the window afterwards…Not you obviously…You will probably just turn round and run home.
I paid for the bus- but now you mention it Running home does sound preferable to a bus i HATE busses.
Shite!
Message from mate - "my wife can't do the Forest of Dean trail half-marathon...we can transfer her bib to you if you fancy it..."
Me (thinking I need an excuse to say no) - "we've got visitors that weekend, not sure I have a 13 miler in my legs at the moment, but I wouldn't be able to make it anyway. Thanks for the offer."
Prospective Visitors: "Sorry, we can't make it. My dad is quite unwell so we need to get up to York to see him."
Me in a fit of excitement to mate: "Our visitors have cancelled. Is there still time to transfer that entry? Here are my details, ICE etc."
Message from mate: "All done. See you Sunday morning."
Me: "Great!"
I haven't run anywhere near a half in around 4 years! I'm now in the "well, anything under 2 hours would be great!"
😆
You'll be fine Darcy, I actually much prefer half distance to a 10k, but that's cos I tend to take a half too easy!
Just turn up and run, can't do much more than that now and I reckon you'll bloody hate it the following day.. But a day out with your mate? Priceless and whilst running, painless.
