Been concentrating on bigger days in the hills recently and seems to be paying off. New 5km PB at Victoria Park Run (17:18) and then a 3rd at Cort Ma Law hill race last night.

Not long till Arrochar Alps now!

Superb Will!.
Supposed to be tapering for this Arran thing on Saturday, not really working out, couple of races since Tuesday, hillwalking today, ebike demo at Cathkin tonight…🙄🤣

I’m starting out. I got a new Apple Watch so have been using Nike Run Club My Coach training programme. Following a programme really gets you out, even when you might otherwise find excuses not to go.

Good luck Frank! I’ve not followed anything so far – just entered a bunch of races I was woefully underprepared for, and the motivation arrived thusly 😉

Supposed to be tapering for this Arran thing on Saturday, not really working out, couple of races since Tuesday, hillwalking today, ebike demo at Cathkin tonight

My taper’s gone the other way. Thanks to the hip thing, I’m running the T3T Sunday on the back of two 10k trots in two weeks.

I’m sure we’ll both be fine Bob!

Good stuff frank Sinatra, watch oot, it’s addictive!

Did my Bristol 3-peaks thing today. Conditions were ok – trails were a lot muddier and slimier than during the Recce. A lot more growth, etc. Still more than passable though and nowhere near shoe-clogging claginess so all good.

Felt wonderful for the first 15km – passed quite a few that were in the wave ahead of me. Jeez though – last 11.5km were a real slog – proper test of resilience.

Anyway, came in at 2.43ish for the 16.5 miles. 32nd overall out of 182 starters and 6th VM40. Am thinking positively – only ever ran a half “off road” before so this was quite a leap for me. I can’t but be happy with it. I think with a bit of experience, I could knock off a few minutes. Great day out though. Loved it.

Awesome Ciaran, brilliant stuff. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

How did Arran go for you Nobeer? Not the best of days!

Was amazing Spin, loved it, abiding memory is coming off North Goatfell down some of those mental gullies, finding myself grinning like a loon! Lass in front must have thought I was a right weirdo! 🤣

Last 3 miles was horrible on the flat, but I’d had my fun by then, just over 5 hours, really pleased with that for my first race of that kind.

How’d you get on?. I reckon more than a few folks will have got lost in the murk, especially coming off Nuis.

Nice one. It is a very good course. If I do it next year I’d probably do the 26k as it is a better loop. Those out and backs on the longer one seem a bit pointless.

I had a good race, didn’t feel great at the start but got better as it went on and came in 5th in 5.30 something.

A few folk did get lost including the guy who was leading your race.

Good work NoFearOnTheBridge and Spin. Great stuff. 👏

Well done sir, that’s a great result!

Good job all, well done NBITHF, Spin and DD!

I did a half-ironman, went pretty well all things considered – swim was cold and awful until I got into the swing of things, bike was great, run was hot and dusty and hilly and horrible…

Good training for next month’s full Ironman though 🙂

Cheers mogrim. And jolly well done on completing a half-Ironman. Sounded tough.

Awesome mogrim, you still in Madrid area?.

Well done all, top work. I’ve had a lazy couple of weeks (I say lazy – no sleep due to littlun) but I’m packing my bag now so I can get a couple of miles in at lunchtime tomorrow…

Some good work over the weekend and why I love this thread!! Different league but great to read about 🙂 Good end to Father’s Day for me – squeezed in a loop of Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head in-between pretty filthy weather. Ran with a pal from work who lives up here and is a big fell runner – jeez he’s quick on the descents!! I thought I was ok going down but we’d set off on a rough descent and I’d look up after what seemed like only a few paces to see him 200m ahead already!!

Completely brilliant to be back out in proper fells though 🙂

Newbie advice (well just getting back into it)

47, 33BMI, used to run all the time 15 years ago, forgotten everything.

So I have found myself doing a gentle 3k (25mins) every morning on workdays I did weds thrus fri last week and have merrily popped my runners on this morning. Its run/walk as I am very fat and unfit. Feels OK though. I am planning to continue.
Should I reign it in do it every other morning?

Well done all!

Finished the marathon yesterday – very happy to get it done. 43km and a shade under 2800m. Tendonitis was painful on the walk up to the car, and the warmup, but seemed to ease off. Necked a couple of Ibuprofens.
Went through a very tough patch though. Probably went out too hot, first climb is 1200m continuous and it was around 28º at the top – felt shaky and there’s some hairy scrambling up there, very exposed. Hit the second climb and just ground to a halt, vomited, went dizzy, almost shat myself and then the cramps hit me. Dully predictable – I knew it would pass, and I was too far from anywhere to abandon so trudged on, passing a couple of guys laid on the floor with their legs up, later heard they DNFd. Passed the CP, sat down for a bit, then along came a fellow sufferer so we buddied up and got round together. His family were waiting at the next CP with cold beer, nice touch.
Stopped the clock at 7.41 – winner was 4.05, first woman 4.45. They obviously escaped the death march!

Not sure what to do next. Don’t know if Paul Tierney’s Wainwrights are being covered on here. Tracker etc:

AND HE'S OFF 🏃‍♂️

inov-8 ambassador Paul Tierney begins his Wainwright record attempt with current record holder, Steve Birkinshaw leading him out on the first leg of the epic challenge.

TRACK PAUL LIVE 👉https://t.co/leXBJjrWxI#inov8 #GetAGrip #wainwrights214 pic.twitter.com/cEUURdPVYU

— INOV8 (@inov_8) June 14, 2019

One of the more iconic trail ultras coming up this weekend; the West Highland Way race begins at 0100 Saturday from Milngavie, beside the railway station. A few years back, we used to think that 16 hours would never be beaten but now, the course record is inside 14 hours. At the other end of the field, the official slowest finisher record is at 34 hours, 47 minutes. That must have hurt.
If you’re anywhere near any parts of the event, start, finish in Ft Bill or anywhere in between, please give the runners a shout.

Bob-summers and anyone else that this might apply to: please stop taking Ibuprofen on distance events; it’s very harmful, multiplies the kidney insult involved in rhabdomyolysis and can lead to kidney failure. It’s confirmed use leads to an automatic disqualification in Scottish ultras, it’s that harmful!!

Aye, **** that, Ibuprofens to be avoided!

Well done though Bob!.

Awesome mogrim, you still in Madrid area?.

Yes – the race was in a small town to the north of Madrid.

Well done bob_summers for finishing, but highlandman makes a very good point about ibuprofen and long-distance events – it’s safer to stick to paracetamol.

@5plusn8 – I think the best advice is to listen to what your body is telling you. If stuff starts to hurt, back it off.

Thanks for the heads-up all, I did not know that. I have survived 45 years without ever taking Ibuprofen so I’ll knock it on the head gladly.

I am an occasional runner (do the ParkRun most weekends but that’s about it). This year I am determined to get <24 minutes but I am damned if I can – I ran as fast as I could manage (peak zone for the entire run and legs feeling it today) but still only managed 24m 28 seconds (normally can do anything between 25.30 and 24.45) which is basically requiring me to shave 10 seconds per mile to reach my target. I find it hard to fit more runs in during the week so how do I get to my target otherwise?

Run a bit more? Surely you could find space early in the morning or evening to fit in say 2 x 30 minute runs? Within these you could incorporate some speed work which in my experience delivers results best.

Watch your diet too – lose a few lbs and you’ll be a bit quicker.

If you cant do more runs then run them a little further each time. Also run them faster (all sounds simple I know) but warm up then push very hard then slower then hard again. I used to do 4 miles in my lunch hour and around 3 of that was about 5 min mile pace. back and showered in about 30 mins. It will transform your running and from your current pace, 10 secs is not that much.

Nice to be running in a vest again..

And a cap and shades to keep the sun and flies off rather than the rain…

johndoh, to add to shortbread’s and surfer’s posts. I don’t think in min/m anymore so I’ll go with min/km. I think, injury aside, you can get from 24.30 to <24 easily enough. You’re looking at knocking 6s/km off so run intervals at 4.30-4.40/km. Obviously helps if you have a GPS watch to help with this.

Warm-up for 5-7 min.
Run 500m at 4.30-4.40.
Recover for 2-3min. Recovery might be walk for 30s then jog.
Repeat 5-6 times.
Cool down to home.

Do this twice a week. Mornings after a strong coffee are good. I go out twice a week at 0515 with my training partners. If you can find another victim to accompany you, it helps. Also this time of year, it’s lovely running that early. Nice and light, dead roads, generally crisp conditions. It’s only a half hour work out. Run Parkrun on Saturday morning. Aim to go at a constant pace over your 5km – really important to warm up before starting. Gets the heart rate up and you won’t be dying on your arse after what will feel like a fast first km. Willing to bet you’ll go sub-24 after a couple of weeks.

EDIT: If you don’t have a Garmin into which to program an interval session, there are plenty of apps that’ll do it via Bluetooth headphones.

Quality advice ^^^

After doing a walk/jog recce of the Arran route 2 weeks ago that took us over 8 hours, my legs were in bits for days.

After doing the event on saturday in 5 hours, 2 days later my legs feel great, I’ll be running today.

Bizarre!.

Mine were like lead this morning. I blame junior Parkrun. 😂

Getting down with the kids mate, it’s not easy! 🙂

My legs are still **** from that 10k 10 days ago followed up by a fast 10mile TT a couple days later

Ran to and from the track at easy pace and Tried track training Thursday night . Died 1000deaths

Calfs super super tight .

Been stretching and stuff

Offshore just now so taking it light and calling it a *taper*

12 days till lairig ghru.

I had some alcohol free erdinger when I finished, mibbe that’s the key!

EDIT: If you don’t have a Garmin into which to program an interval session, there are plenty of apps that’ll do it via Bluetooth headphones.

Even if you dont have any tech just set yourself a route and test and time yourself over that. It may just be between 2 key points. Dont worry if it is 685.4m or 1028m etc, doesnt matter. Run it hard with a recovery and simply time it on your £10 Casio. The benefit comes from the hard run over a set distance and a fixed recovery time.

Thanks for the thoughts – to confirm things – I really struggle with finding extra time as other spare time is spent at the gym doing spin classes but I might have to try to find time mid-week (and drop one of the spin sessions) to get another run in and perhaps I can use that run to improve my speed.

I didn’t see this (long) thread, someone has just pointed me in the right direction.

I have just posted up a thread about shin splints. 🙁