@firestarter. Thanks for the info. They look good so will have a look into it.

@bob_summers. How long was that turner race? I can only dream of doing something like that at the moment. How do you do these long distances without collapsing in a heap of pulsating flesh and bones? Respect.

@root-n-5th It was just under 11 miles, but I promise you would get round, even walking most. I made the cutoffs ok but went so slow on the last descent (runner in front had sprained his ankle and I still couldn’t catch him) I honestly thought I was last. Last place came in about an hour later. There is always someone having a worse day than you!

I think I’m getting better at descending Spanish rock, but tussocky Lakes fellside with its hidden ankle twisting holes and stones will always have me beat.

That’s just practise – I’m a lot better at central Spanish sandy/loose rock than I am at the Basque stuff with added mud. There just isn’t enough mud here to learn on. If you were running in the Lakes everyday you’d soon get used to it.

Coming back to Spain was minging (local fiestas) so escaped solo to the Basque Pyrenees, knocking up 50km and 3000m climbing over the three days which was enough for me – how people can do that in a day is mind boggling.

Personally I think it’s easier to do it in one go, than to do half then get up the next day with tired legs and do the rest. Either way it’s just a matter of training for it, lots of big days in the mountains mixed up with shorter runs during the week. Add in a bit of weight training, maybe cross training with a bit of bike and you’re sorted.

So, head just about starting to heal up from nutting a pipe last Monday. Sunday I decide to repeat the process but with a big tree branch. Not quite sure how, I saw the tree, thought ‘that’s low, I’ll have to duck under it to avoid hitting my head’ and I then did so, but in the process still managed to scalp myself… Impact not quite so severe, but more of a cut this time. Not sure what everyone enjoying the sunshine in Alice Holt Forest thought about some nutter running around with blood dribbling all down his head :O

I think I need to start wearing my bike helmet when running as clearly I’m a liability

😱

Yuk.

What about a pair of glasses …

👻

I once ran into a motorway sign at a fair clip on a training run years ago. It was dark and the huge sign had been removed leaving only a thin steel frame the bottom section which was at the same height as the bridge of my nose!! My training partners went each side of the visible upright posts (about 6ft apart) I went through the middle not spotting the L shaped frame which was only about 30cm in height.
I was knocked unconscious briefly and the amount of blood was biblical! They helped me up and in true club mate style they slowed the training run for the last 1 1/2 miles back to the old Kirkby Sports centre to allow me to make my own way to the hospital to get patched up (I miss those guys :-))

Nasty. Didn’t someone here do similar on a canal bridge? *Winces* Luckily I still have a couple of hairs left on top of my head which I think act as sensors 😉

That’s just practise – I’m a lot better at central Spanish sandy/loose rock than I am at the Basque stuff with added mud.

Bit of MTB experience came in handy here – lots of sandstone which is lethal after a few dry days, but plenty of grip in the wet after that top layer of sand’s been washed off.

I seem to recall many pages back in this thread there were some nike road shoes folk were recommending and also something on sizing (consistently small/large fitting?). Cheers

I seem to recall many pages back in this thread there were some nike road shoes folk were recommending and also something on sizing (consistently small/large fitting?).

Nike Pegasus, they’re not the best shoe in the world for anything, but they are good at most things and seem to fit a range of feet sizes too. You may need to size up a touch, only half a size or so.

And it was me who scalped myself, I’ll find a pic!

View this post on Instagram

Day 2 update. Bald spot still in place, as are a few blood clots. Looking better, but still nasty.

A post shared by Stevo (@stevecold) on Mar 11, 2019 at 8:30am PDT

And of course, what was left on the canal bridge.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu-v0O1Av3C/

@dashed Nike Pegasus, I have the 35s but I think they’re up to 36 now. I had to size up half (normally 10, 10.5 in Pegasus). I reckon they fit similar to New Balance if that’s any help.

Correct, 35’s can be picked up dirt cheap in some Nike stores now and they’re a good shoe. Not tried the 36’s yet but they’ll be next on my purchase list I think.

I’ve got a question about heart rate zones. I’m really enjoying my Garmin 235 and I’m finding I’m using the pace, heart rate, 1k lap alerts a lot. Went for a run today and decided to go slow and “long” (long for me). I went the furthest I have ever been at 5.66km without pain which is great.

I kept it comfortable for me at about 160-165bpm, maxing at about 177bpm. My HRM is probably about 180-185bpm, 177bpm is quite uncomfortable, but 160bpm is fine – couldn’t hold a conversation but could exchange words.

On the Garmin Connect it says that 160bpm is in the red zone, but it doesn’t feel like it. Will the device adjust the zones or can I change them manually?

Cheers!

You can change manually IIRC, but as I always say on these discussions, optical HR monitors are generally bollocks, I wouldn’t base anything on mine (and I otherwise love my Garmin btw!!).

Chest HR strap ftw….

what he said about optical HR

right i know i said i would start last week…..

after 2 months clean off running i ran 5k yesterday lunch pain free.

ran 8k today feeling good.

On nobeer’s recommendation I got a chest strap. Seems loads more accurate and my Fenix updates max HR and zones automatically (but you can manually as well). Since using chest strap my zones seem to better align with “easy means I can hold a conversation” etc. Very scientific ;/)

Point taken about optical heart monitor. I think it’s good enough for me but I wonder if my old Edge 705 chest strap will work? Worth a try.

Edge 705 is ant + so it will speak.

I use an edge 500 one.

When I use just optical I can do entire interval sessions setting PRS and only be in z3 max.

Appols in advance if this question is a hijack.
I am looking for a sports watch to use running and general health tracking.
So far I am torn between a Garmin forerunner 235 and the soon to be released Huawei Band 4 Pro.
The Garmin looks a better wearable watch but 2-3 times the price – the Huawei Band 3 Pro gets very good reviews, and the new Band 4 will likely be better again .. but looks like a womans watch.

Any suggestions?

I’m sure the Huawei will be very good, is it a smartwatch like the apple, or a sports watch? If it’s ‘like a womans watch’ as you say, I take it you mean slim? Would suggest it won’t have a decent sized battery if so.

Last longish run before the River Ayr Way for me yesterday, kept it steady as I could for just under 18 miles, only got 10 mile round Isle of Cumbrae next sunday, then that’s it, ready or not!.

@mooman. I was in a similar situation a couple of pages back. Had my fr235 for a couple of weeks now and I find it brilliant for running. I’m used to garmin so find it fairly intuitive, quick to respond, easy view of data and brilliant battery. Argos have them for £150 last time I looked. I’m sure there is better out there, it for what I want it is brilliant.

18 miles is a distant dream for me. Maybe one day…

roots, It was a distant dream for me 20 months ago too, back when I started running, keep at it mate.

First group run in ages yesterday, perfect conditions and smashed out 24 miles of Richmond Park and the Thames path. This coming Sunday it’s the Surrey Bacchus wine marathon, followed by the European Masters Half Marathon Championships in Venice the week after 🙂

So – final long training run completed (with a new PB despite strong winds) and just a leg loosener to do on Wednesday then it’s the Great North Run on Sunday – I am really looking forward to it but I just hope I don’t get badly help up at the start with people that claim to be running a quick time then stopping to walk after 500 metres.

Does that thing where you get slow Runners near the front happen a lot? Seems crazy to do that. I suppose some people’s ego is bigger than their vo2 max.

Aye, happens a lot in the bigger races. It must be really disheartening when you’re blowing out your arse and loads of folk are breezing past you. 🙄😂

It’s a pain in the arse.
You get the back of the field thinking they are faster than they are who does not want to get held up by those that are realistic.

Then those that are a bit faster predict they are a bit faster so that they don’t get held up by those guys .

And those that are a bit faster predict they are a bit faster so they don’t get held up…..etc etc you see it in all types of events like these.

I like to start at the back and pick my way forward.

Does that thing where you get slow Runners near the front happen a lot? Seems crazy to do that.

It certainly does – especially at events like GNR which attract more of a cross section of ‘runners’ than at more low key regional events.

Long shot, but anyone here running in Kalenji (Decathlon) shoes? I’ve been doing a few road runs recently in an old pair of bald trail shoes, maybe time to get something better. Don’t want to spend much, only really run on road if I’m working away or something.
So they do a 55 quid model which looks fine, seem to fit ok, but will I regret not splashing out the extra 15 quid for the top of the range ones?! Specifically the KS Light: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/kiprun-ks-light-id_8519136.html

Any thoughts? Fit-wise, I’m using Inov 8 and Walshes depending on conditions, neither cause me any problems.

Long shot, but anyone here running in Kalenji (Decathlon) shoes?

Yep, I had a pair of Kirpun LD’s which I think are the old version of what you link to, they were a lovely shoe but a touch narrow for my wide feet. I do use their trail shoes and they’re spot on as well.

For the money, you’ll not go wrong.

If you’re looking for some value, there’s a big sale on at Nike at the moment, some good value shoes on line but in store it’s even better. My wife picked up a pair of last years Pegasus 35’s for £40 at the store in Birmingham.

I get my shoes from https://www.sportsshoes.com/ – I generally just pick a previous year’s style (for the good discounts) from a brand I like (I prefer Saucony at the moment) and get a few pairs around the size I am then send back the ones I don’t need. I would suspect you could get a better pair of running shoes than the Decathlon ones for the same or less.

Hey JohnDoh. I’m in pen E. See you there! 🙂 I was chatting to a neighbour who is also doing it and as above, she openly told me she would get around in about 2.20 but was told to put a faster time down, hence she’ll be one of the slow ones in my group. Grr

Having done the GNR once before, I would say that the start is always fast anyway as its downhill to the Tyne Bridge and there’s lots of adrenaline/inexperienced runners going off too fast. It’ll setting down once you get to Gateshead Stadium. As TR suggests, I’ve become a big fan of a negative split since training for this so I’ll be doing all I can to take the first half easy-ish.

I *think* I am in Pen P but not sure. I put down a 1hr 45min expected time on my application – I know I should be able to run around that as I am currently running a 1hr 30min 10 miler on my training run which has over 700ft of climbing and the GNR is net downhill (and I will doubtless get carried away on the day).

Really looking forward to it – it’s 16 years since I last ran it.

All of that nice downhill is out the way in the first 1.5 miles. There’s about 450ft of elevation. 13 years since I did it.

Hmm it seems you are right with the climbing (based on Strava, although Map My Run says differently). I certainly don’t recall it being very hilly when I did it though – certainly nothing like the training runs I did (and do) around my home town of Harrogate.

This thread from Runner’s World reflects how I remember it…

I agree, nothing that’ll slow you too much. Run well.

Cheers 🙂

I do use their trail shoes and they’re spot on as well.

Now, those I tried too and they didn’t fit that well – wish they did as they seem spot on. They had the Fujitrabujo (?) which fit better.

All this talk of GNR – I might have to pull my finger out and enter next year! I grew up in the north east and it’s always been on my bucket list but never felt that realistic until a year or so ago when I started running! How hard’s the ballot to get in? I see you can become a “member” for an additional £65 and guarantee entry for the next 3 years…

First club run for me tonight – done a couple of track sessions but first proper time out with the club I joined last week (Chorlton Runners) 🙂

It’s also the Glenmore 24 hour trail race this coming weekend, with a straightforward four mile route around the forest near Aviemore and to the south of Loch Morlich. 1200hrs Saturday until 1200 Sunday at the Hayfield. If you are anywhere near, come and say hello and support the runners; I’ll be at the medic tent as usual, offering support and abuse in equal measure.
One piece of advice that I sometimes offer to nervous runners before they overnight in the forest:

Don’t worry, there’s nothing out there at night that isn’t there during the day.

…only now its awake and hungry

How hard’s the ballot to get in? I see you can become a “member” for an additional £65 and guarantee entry for the next 3 years…

Not sure about the ballot but if you run for a charity the ‘demands’ for sponsorship are quite sensible compared to the London Marathon with the likes of Cancer Research UK expecting people to raise £3k+ – I am running for South Tees NHS Foundation Trust and I only need to raise £200.