I just picked up a pair of Nike Pegasus 35s online to replace my aging Sauconys, according to the size chart I need a 9.5 which is smaller than I would have expected… But hey, free returns.

You might well need those returns, I wear an 46/11 in normal shoes and a 47.5/12 in Pegasus. They’re the comfiest running shoes I own, but the sizing is definitely snug.

Ha, thought it might be bollocks. I wear a 10 in 5:10s and I have an old pair of Scarpa Sparks that are also a 10, so we’ll see.

Oh I’m also in the hardmoors marathon in goathland mr.sparkle

Hampton Court Palace half for me on Sunday. Hoping the wind isn’t too bad, as it looks from the course as it’ll be a major headwind for the majority of the course. Hopefully I can improve on my current half PB which I set 3 years ago in of 76:03 Wokingham. Considering that I ran 6 minutes quicker than that in the first half of the Bournemouth Marathon, that shouldn’t be too much of a challenge 🙂

I’ve been following this thread quietly since it began.

I just wanted to say a quick thanks for the inspiration you’ve all given me. I’ve managed to get from pretty much nothing bar the very occasional shuffle around a campsite to doing my first 25 min 5k. Not that much really compared to you lot, but I’m chuffed.

Anyway, this thread and a bit of help from Jog Scotland’s local groups have been the motivation I needed.

A decent 10k is the next target, I just have to master balancing running, biking and recovery 😀

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.

Great stuff Mark! You should get in for the ormidale 10k mate.

Well done Zippy, everyone has to start somewhere fella.

This weekend is the D33 and D33 double running right past my door.

MY GOD THAT SOUNDS BORING !

we are going to do mount battock , clachnaben and mount shade…. reach for the stars. Double snow flakes ! we might re evaluate.

What’s D33 Terry?

Deeside way ultra from Aberdeen out the deeside line.

There’s d33 d99 and d133

Turns out the coach from trail tribe is doing it

http://live.opentracking.co.uk/d99d133/

99 and 133 are on now and 33 starts tomorrow

Ooft. Great weather for it too.

Wee bit of controversy at D33 today Terry! Oops.

Indeed. Didn’t end well did it .

We stayed off the hills the snow was pretty bad at low level for us .

Had a stretch of the legs at the Mighty Deerstalker last night at Inners. Was an enjoyable event and a positive change from just doing the miles. I’ve done a few events in that area now and they are all well organised and attended.

Settle in.. I can waffle 🙂

As mentioned on the previous page – I took part in the Hardmoors 50 yesterday which is a run on the North York Moors from Guisborough to Helmsley. Here is the event link

Hardmoors 55

Ok… I’ll start by saying I didn’t finish it. Let’s get that out the way.

I’ve ran quite a few Hardmoors races from short night races to half / full marathons and a two years ago I ran the Hardmoors 60 which is kind of the sister to the 50. Between the 2 runs you cover the entire 110 mile Cleveland Way path. If you’re a complete loon you can do the full lot in one 36 hour race in May. No thanks!

Onto the race. As I said, training since November has been far from adequate. I ran York marathon in October and kind of slipped into retirement after the training of that 🙂 I’ve been running and doing club sessions but only a handful of off-road runs and nothing more than 18 miles.

Genuinely up until a week before the 50 i was planning to bin it off but the lad I was running with (who hasn’t trained much more than me either) wanted to start so we thought why not just turn up, take it easy … meet the Cut-offs and see how we go. We’d paid for this so why not 🙂

The forecast looked reasonable early on in the week but by Friday heavy rain and gusts were forecast. Looks like I’m starting in full waterproofs!
We registered Friday night. Kit checked and trackers fitted.

There was close to 500 running and we all got stretched out fairly quickly. We had a double ascent of Roseberry Topping to do in the first 4 miles. The wind up there was fierce!
At the first main checkpoint 10 miles in (Kildale) i had to change my tracker as it wasn’t working, it seemed to those watching that I hadn’t bothered to start. We arrived at this checkpoint pretty much bang on schedule.

Out of Kildale and into what for me is the worst section – over bloworth crossing to Clay Bank. An impressively bleak moorland track that just goes up and up and on and on.

Our aim was to get to the next main checkpoint at Osmotherley (31 miles) by 4pm in reasonable condition. From that point the going got a little easier in terms of terrain …. all of the big climb is done by 35 miles on this race. If we could get out of Osmotherley we’d have time to walk it if we had to and meet the midnight cut-off.

The wind was relentless .. with hail battering our faces. Thankfully the wind wasn’t cold but my gloves were soaked and I was looking forward to getting to clay bank to put my warmer dry gloves on. That turned out to be a ball-ache .. getting wet, old hands into a pair of thick fleecy cycling gloves isn’t easy. I spent the climb up to Wainstones trying to get my fingers into them.

I knew we were going slow by this point. My running buddy wasn’t moving fast and he was walking on sections that we should have been running.
The wind over the wainstones ‘three sisters’ was scary. It could knock you off the track. Definitely the wildest conditions I’ve ever ran in.

We made it through Carlton Bank, next stop Scugdale. A few jelly sweets and some Pepsi and we continued.
I was starting to feel a little tired but still quite upbeat and optimistic although I knew my partner was probably thinking he might want to stop at Osmotherley. He didn’t tell me this until we were a few miles from the checkpoint but I had a feeling it was coming.

We got into Osmotherley village hall at 17:15 – much later than we’d hoped. The cut-off was 18:15 so we were well within that.
We had a discussion and we decided to call it a day.
Honestly, I was gutted not to complete it but on the back of very little training we did remarkably well covering 31 miles and almost 7400ft ascent in brutal conditions.

I do believe I could have carried on … I would have if my partner had but 20 Miles on my own, in sopping gear, wet gloves, in the dark .. on the only section I’ve never ran before I think I would have slowed down dramatically and potentially got myself into a spot of bother.

By all accounts around 130 DNF’d which is a huge amount for a Hardmoors event. Some even stopped after Roseberry Topping at 4 miles and TBH I can well understand that!

Unfortunately i didn’t take any pictures. Wet gloves, cold hands, hail, sleet and a phone buried in my bag out of harms way meant it rarely came out.

A Strava link is all I have
https://www.strava.com/activities/2217889954

You did ask how it went 🙂

Stox, I enjoy a good waffle!.

Sounds a tough day, I reckon on days like that you need to think about what you have done, not what you haven’t. Kudos sir.

After only been running for about a year, I was a bit apprehensive about doing a local Duathlon today. It was pretty short and a I knew the bike leg well enough. Run legs were fine but I have discovered it’s really good fun picking off the faster runners who can’t ride particularly well. Made up about 10-12 places on the bike leg and kept about 7 of those behind me on the last leg. Given that i’ll never swim competitively as I have the buoyancy of a brick, I reckon these quite suit my skill set. Just need to keep getting running miles in. Finished 31 of 72.

Well done sir!

Duathlons sure are addictive.

Did my 4th of the winter season last week.

See big gains quick just from actually running 🙂

Need a bag.

I normally run with a kimmsack in the hills

It’s seen better days and faaar too big for a hill race. – I do bivvy overnights with it

Got mandatory hill kit to carry for next race.

What you run with and how is it.

Well done @stox, sometimes quitting is harder than carrying on.

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….

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/trail-running-backpack-10l-id_8488292.html?iv_=__iv_p_1_g_67963057356_c_338129057440_w_pla-329717980542_n_g_d_c_v__l__t__r_1o1x_pla_y_15177021_f_online_o_2503238_z_GB_i_en_j_329717980542_s__e__h_9046868_ii__vi__&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZW0-MiL4QIVFZ7VCh1jYgGtEAQYASABEgJ4u_D_BwE

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 👍👍👍🥳