Had a lovely run around the block at lunchtime yesterday, less than two miles and slow (though I did have to stop at a pedestrian crossing) but it felt great to be out again after a couple of weeks where #babylife has made it a real struggle to find time.

In other news, has anyone watched the Barkley Marathons doc on Netflix? It’s ace! I already knew a bit about the race, but this really hammered home how eccentric it actually is. Also, spotted a guy wearing an East Hull Harriers shirt, local boy FTW!

if you liked the barkley marathons doc

take a look at

Life in a day
Leadman the Dave Mackey story

Both by Billy Yang and on Youtube.

And there is a doc on the previous Attempt at the Appalachian Trail Record on Red bull Tv that is worth a watch.

Training for LG still going well , did 14k Steady with the dogs in the woods on Wednesday night and 10 k with the metros last night 3x2000m at 10k pace and 1000m flat out. – Still keeping out on the bike too so gotta watch my TSS. Did 65k in the club race team ride on Tuesday and a 10TT on Sunday – so its been a hard effort week.

Down at Perth for a wedding tomorrow and have time to kill Sunday morning so hoping to break my half marathon curse but will monitor how everything feels.

out of my league but i noticed something local that some of you (spin ??) might be interested in …https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=5603

Lovely wee film

Ace, I’ll check some of those out. I just read North (the Scott Jurek / Appalachian Trail book) which was great.

Running for Life (I think that’s what it was called) on Amazon Prime is worth a watch too.

What’s everyone up to at weekend? Good luck if you are racing.
All being well it will be more recceing of the Joss Naylor Challenge route for me. Hopefully Leg 1 (Pooley Bridge to Kirkstone) and Leg 2 (Kirkstone to Dunmail) for me on Saturday. Ideally something else a bit lumpy on Sunday too.

@flyingmonkeycorps Eat and Run by Jurek is quite a good read too.

I’m looking after MiniMonkey whilst MrsMonkey goes to a hen do tomorrow, but I should be able to fit in something on Sunday hopefully. Even if it is just a couple of miles round the block!

I’ve just had two amazing days on the Pennine way. Got dropped off at Greenhead on Wednesday, ‘ran’ to just past Cow Green reservoir and camped in a lovely spot. Woke up to wet socks and fell shoes frozen solid! Carried on to Muker where I met Mrs Spin in our van. I think an easy couple of days beckon after all that.

Good work Spin.

Absolutely tremendous weather which really made it!

If you’re running and past the 5km is mark then this App has been a brilliant training partner for me.
Have always really struggled to keep running, or not get injured.
Then over the summer I lose it all to cycling!

Eastnine App
Free to sign up and uploads to strava

First 10k run done today. On trails rather than roads and a bit hilly (4K uphill from the start) but it was surprisingly fine, not quick, I did feel I could go further but I’m conscious of not getting carried away and overdoing things.

I was helped by running with a group training for the local Ormidale 10k in a couple of weeks time.

This is getting worryingly addictive 😀

👍👍🌞🕺

It is addictive, take it easy eh.

I went for a 10k trail hack earlier before Paris-Roubaix 🌞🙏

Lovely weekends running.
Trail half yesterday, that due to some scum bags stealing the signs meant it turned into nearly 16 miles. The trails were a load of single track at Cannock Chase and it was just plain lovely to run.
Then then off to Sutton Park this morning to watch Mrs Lunge do a half, and as I was there and the weather was good, I knocked out a very pleasant 10k myself.
Now to eat my own body weight in food in the pub.

Taking it easy, foot’s been gammy for two weeks now. Can run pain-free on the flat but steep climbs aggravate it, as does off-camber or treading on rocks etc. Don’t know what it is, a lot of the symptoms are plantar fasciitis-like, more pain on getting up, bottom of the foot/heel – but rolling a tennis ball around on the floor, the toes and top of the foot hurt. I’ve tried to keep running on it too which hasn’t helped. Time to rest it completely if it’s going to have any hope of recovering for Newlands Memorial on Saturday.

I broke my half cherry.

I’ve tried a few times and kept getting bad knee pain at 18k…..and as not racing I just put it back in the cage for another day.

Managed hilly 18k in carse of gowrie chasing the wife on her bike and felt fresh,ran the last 5k back to the van for the half @ 4.45/5m/km with my uncle. Finished in 2hrs 12.

Going to skip metros training this week in favour of the scolty hill race on Thursday night. 7k climb with 400m vert. Winning time about 35mins….IL be happy sub 50

Cracking family week in the Lakes including a few ace runs in the sun (and cold wind) – Skiddaw, Ashness Bridge, Walla Dash, etc. Was up for Loughrigg race on Wed but went to theatre instead – much less sweaty! Interested in JNC MrSparkle – target’s a bit harsh till I’m 6 months older 🙂

Managed a cheeky 5k on Sunday morning – so a little bit of an upping of the mileage from my current usual mile and a half on a lunchtime. Almost broke the half hour mark (5 seconds over!) which I guess is something to aim for next time… Did a different route to usual too, more wiggling around and fewer long, boring, traffic filled straights. Much nicer.

Well done @trailrat and @crewlie. I had a great weekend of training for JNC. A good mate of mine came up from Wales and we did a recce of Legs 1&2. Checked out a few optimal lines and made sure nav was right. Was still inside time limits for each leg to get round inside a 15 hour schedule. 24 miles and 6,200’ advent. Felt good after it too. Very happy with that. Near the end we met a group also recceing the JNC and one of the blokes was using poles on the descent of Seat Sandal. He left us for dead. Must have been over 5 minutes ahead by Dunmail. I am going to have to give them a try.
Yesterday drove to Torver with Mrs S and dogs and ran up Brown Pike and back. Another 6.5 miles and 1700’ climb in the bag too. All in all a very worthwhile weekend.

Going to skip metros training this week in favour of the scolty hill race on Thursday night. 7k climb with 400m vert. Winning time about 35mins….IL be happy sub 50

Cooolio, my first wee hill race this week too Terry, Kaim hill, 5.5km, 380m ascent, but more than half is up and down a heather clad bog. Canny wait!. record is 25 minutes, sub 45 would do me, it’s the bog descending and not being able to see where you’re gonna land that’s my biggest concern.

Can I pick the collective brains of the STW marathon runners please…
I’ve got my first ever marathon coming up in 3 weeks – training is going pretty well – 40-50 miles a week mostly (and I accidentally got 2nd V45 in the County 20 mile champs in a training run); but I’ve never run further than 20 miles in training, and have no real idea how fast to go out in the marathon.
Everyone says that you should go out super, super easy; which I did at the Oakley 20, but ended up running sub 3:15 marathon pace with an average heart rate 0f 135, and I felt pretty fresh at the end (negative split too)…
Do I try the same pace for the marathon, or do I go out 10-20 seconds a mile slower assuming that it will suddenly get much harder at sometime in the last 6 miles?

If you felt fresh at the end of your 20 why not just try the same pace and see what happens.
As it’s your first effort, you’ve got nothing to compare to, and with a negative split for 20 it suggests you had some in reserve at half way. Give it a go, what have you got to lose?
I’m not really someone who can give too much advice on pacing though as I don’t use a watch or timing device. I just run by feel and see how it pans out. I seem to be getting quicker though so there must be something in it. If you’ve done the training miles you’ll have a pace that you’re comfortable with, so utilise it. The last 6 miles are a mental challenge though. You’re body will be more than capable, but your head will be telling you otherwise. Overcome the negative thoughts and feelings and push on, oh and good luck.
I’ve got London in 2 weeks to look forward to.
Anyone other than TF running/racing London this year?

YES! Thank you – that’s what I was hoping someone would say – the old school race pace calculators get me in the mid teens, but the new supposedly more accurate Slate calculators put me much nearer 3:30. &:30 min miling it is then, and we’ll see what happens – if the wheels come off, I’ll book another marathon and have another go.

7:30 min miling that should be…

Go for it!
Don’t over-think it, just run, enjoy (as much as you can) and learn from your experience (whatever that may be).
Which marathon are you running?

Everyone says that you should go out super, super easy;

Do they? I’d say try and do the race at a constant pace, and if you’ve got anything extra left in the legs when you’re 5km out from the line go for it.

Do they? I’d say try and do the race at a constant pace, and if you’ve got anything extra left in the legs when you’re 5km out from the line go for it.

I agree with that, but it’s hard to hold yourself back when you’re on the start line, the adrenaline is pumping and you’re ready to go. I have to really hold myself back for 4 or 5 miles until I’m in a sensible rhythm or I blow up at the end. Because of that, I have to feel like I’m going really easy to begin with even if that’s actually just about race pace.

I agree with that, but it’s hard to hold yourself back when you’re on the start line, the adrenaline is pumping and you’re ready to go. I have to really hold myself back for 4 or 5 miles until I’m in a sensible rhythm or I blow up at the end. Because of that, I have to feel like I’m going really easy to begin with even if that’s actually just about race pace.

Definitely, and I was going to include something about that when posting but work got in the way 😀

I keep a close eye on the Garmin at the start of road races to make sure I’m not overdoing it.

Actually got up in time to make Aberdeen beach park run, a bit disappointed with 19’23 as thought I’d make it under 19 but it was quite a stiff breeze in the face first half. Followed that with a 70k trip on the mtb. Sunday did 27k of the Cateran trail, the bike trip had taken a fair bit out of me though and the last 10k was a real struggle. Will need to start upping distances once I get the Balmoral 10k over with in a couple weeks.

Work out your pace for your target time – do enough training runs at that pace so you know how it feels then on the day check off each mile to keep you on track. When you get to 20 miles see how you feel then start pushing it as you get closer to the finish.

All well and good but on the Wilmslow half marathon the first few mile markers weren’t in the right place! The first mile was actually 0.9, the second was 1.2, the third was 0.8, etc. You could see everyone checking their watches at each point as no-one thought they were doing the pace supposedly indicated.

Do they? I’d say try and do the race at a constant pace, and if you’ve got anything extra left in the legs when you’re 5km out from the line go for it.

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.

How’d it go Terry?.

I was up for sub 45, ended up 42ish, was absolutely awesome, loved it!. Lost shoe in a bog, got caught in traffic at start too, so lessons learned.

Whinlatters a bit lumpy innit 🕺

My southern legs are shot 🥴

Hill race was tonight but I’ve been called to the heliport for a check-in .

Not gonna make it.

Will smash my self on the treadmill instead.

Nae joy.

@bikebuoy – isn’t it? I enjoyed the Parkrun there. One of the best for a fell runner I reckon! NOT a PB course ;0)

What are we all up to at weekend? Good luck if racing. More recceing for me. Hoping to try out my scree gaiters following a few instances of having to stop to pour the stones out of my shoes after a descent.

Off up to Settle with the family, so a bit of walking in the hills and hopefully a cheeky run with my little sis at some point.

Hope you all have a good one!

Lakes for a week but probably just walking as my calf/nerve issue is stopping that at the mo. May invest in a set of foldable poles to see if that helps me when descending and at least do some of the walking at an intense pace 🙂

@surfer – whereabouts? I am experimenting with poles. My Mrs has a set of the Alpkit ones (good value) that I am borrowing. They are adjustable so can set them for my height.

Staying outside Windemere MrSparkle. Yes I was going for the foldable ones from Alpkit. I like the thought of being able to put them in my bag.

Schoolboy error here today: long run in the rain, loose long sleeve top under a waterproof, and guess who forgot to apply vaseline to his nips before heading out? Ow ow ow.