My training Blog - 10k in 60mins challenge!

Hi,

you are certainly mad - join the club!!  I've just registered for the Berlin marathon in September for the same reason - I'm feeling quite motivated to run at the moment so it's now or never with the marathon. 

Your 10K times are pretty simlar to mine - you must have been gutted with the 1.00:06 - I did 1.00.20 and I thought that was bad enough.  The driving wind would have made a massive difference to your 10K time at easter. 

ADBRU - which marathon are you doing?  Good luck with it.

NBFS

Hi there people!

Any chance I could join the club as I've entered my first 10K this July? I'm not too shabby over 800m up to 5K but I've got a nasty feeling 10K is going to really push my endurance.

Good luck guys,

Pethead.

Hi Everyone!

Love having newcomers - welcome one and all!

Thanks for the dates Colin - I fear I shan't be fit enough by then. I have the Barnstaple RFL in June - I think I may be able to struggle around that - Doctor's diagnosis permitting! I'm also taking a look at the Dartmoor "6 Moor Miles" in July - that might be up your street Matt - I think most of it is across the moor, so a bit softer on the muscles! Check it out here:

6 Moor Miles

Welcome everyone

NBFS, I am doing the Lochaber Marathon in Fort William.
Be able to look at Ben Nevis for most of the return 13 miles  plus its my home town so a fitting first marathon

Its in 9 days and I am now just heading out after taking a break for a week due to shin splints starting to flare up again  
Wish me luck !

Adbru 

Good luck!

Very best wishes Adbru - good luck!   

Proud to be HEROES and run /forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif[/img]howGlossaryDefinition('FLM');][b]FLM[/b]
My dear Fellow Runners

Little could i have invisaged what was going to happen in our lives !!! ( created by all of you )

How do we ever THANK all of you ahh ??

It really is just an HONOUR to know all of you - ( whether in person or on the forums ), you have ALL in one way or another taken a Sick and disabled young man and his dad, from the depths of wanting to end life, to being at the TOP of our tree

What a few weeks it's been, In January, i had an E mail saying we'd been nominated for the Prestigious Jane Tomlinson ( Heroes of Running award ) - I thought it was just fabulas, but i knew life had to go on, and i thought, well, really, there's going to be hundreds, maybe thousands nominated - and quite rightly so, so what chance will we have ??, so, i just never gave it another thought did i !!

On, i went with our life - Gloucester Rural tough undulating to hilly marathon,3 laps of it ( our 26th FM it was ) we cruised it in real style in 4.41 - so i knew there was a bit left in the old dog yet

Then came Draycote marathon - all 5 laps of it, stupidly being complaceant, i thought we'd more than likely cruise it in abour 4.10 - 4.40 - WRONG - LMAO
It was to become a bloody nightmare - 11 miles my calf and thigh went - i was in desperate agony, desperate trouble - not only in this marathon, but i felt my world had fallen apart - i was dragging my leg, hopping, i had to find a comfortable way to walk or run

Then i kicked my self right up the arse as it where - i though, come on Mick, your gifted my son, there's not 10% of men in this country that could or would want to do what your doing - but it still hurt, i had 14 or so miles to go, i dug deep into all my mental reserves, all my pyhscological strategies as it where

So, we battled on as you know to a 5.25 PW that day - but we stood PROUD

Then , just a while later, not sure what day, my nerves and head and legs and stomach where to turn to jelly, I had been sent an e mail to look at the Jane Tomlinson Shortlist of 5 - oh my god, we were on it

my heart thumped, i had never felt like this i don't think in my life - i was in floods of tears, it was like we had already won - but nothing had changed with London -for the next few days, i became a bag of nerves, proud, but nervous, could'nt sleep right, could'nt focus on anything, food, drink, it was a struggle - and i became depressed as you all know -

My wife's care, her constant pain, My son Philip, his daily needs, got to me, i felt mentally ill - oh i had plenty of support off Fetch and Runners World - You where ALL just fantastic

i was on my way to 50 i thought on the 1st June, what a way to celeberate, IF we won-

i knew the JT awards where Thursday 10 April in London, - it approached, come Monday 7 April i suddenly come alive, win or lose, were 5th - i was ice cool, on top of things, i had my new suit, pink lining, pink waistcoat, pink tie

GOSH, i felt PROUD - so very proud- so, Off we went to London - a taxi came to the hotel, and took us to the Imperial war musuem, there was all sorts of people there, Former London winners, ( Mike Stroud - SAS TV Doctor ),we were asked to move to the other side of the stage near the ramp, in case we were called up - i thought, STRANGE, why do that, if we've NOT won !! - anyway
so we waited just slightly nervy, but patiently, as the awards were been presented one by one, i thought are we going home bridesmaids, or what- i noticed people kept looking at us and smiles of joy, Then came Mike Tomlinson, to present The Jane Tomlinson award for ( Heroes of Running ), i clutched myself, and Phil, i listened and just could'nt take it all in as i was simply on another planet- but then i heard something said which i thought, MY goodness - It's US

i screamed out - WE'VE Done it - WE've DONE it - i cried, and my heart thumped, i thought all the work was'nt for nothing after all

BUT NO London, - there where poeple there who where going to talk to David Bedford, but i made it clear, i'd written to a lot of people in London including mET police to say - were running FULL STOP

So, back to hotel we went, next morning, we thought, lets go to the marathon expo, so we did- we had about 3 hours there, it was good, some knew us, congratulated us etc - i spoke to Steve Seaton while i was there, He's been very supportive at /forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif[/img]howGlossaryDefinition('RW');]RW
So, off home we went - took us 3 bloody hours from Docklands to M40, then 2 hours home, we just got home and my mobile went, - it was Steve Seaton, - " Mick, good running news for you" David bedford has given permission for you and Phil to run London - It's a H& S Trial run, experimental run, to see if it can be done safely, we must not be inside 6 hours, we must stay within the back -- THANKYOU Steve i said !!

OH MY GOD - OH MY GOD - OH MY GOD

We've done it, we've done it

No time to mess about, we had to get back to London the following morning-

So, we did, arriving in London at around 4 pm, i had my instructions, we prepared everything meticulously, we had a meal and went to bed

We arrived at Greenwich Park - i was totally relaxed, i was the master, i was in charge, i felt PROUD

We got ready, people stopped us and said So pleased for you, even offiicals did - THEN i put on my Famous Mick n Phil VEST - gosh i felt good and proud - NO nerves NO nothing, just could'nt afford to mess this up

We were going to party, and i mean PARTY - and party and wave , dance and scream we did -

i knocked off the early miles, i got our food down us, and our fluid- this was it, we were running London, not watching, i was just extacticly happy, i must have been grinning like cat cat licking milk , the party was on- all i could here was

GO Mick n phil, go on marathon lads - go Mick n phil

i responded with Easy, easy, easy - i heard go Mick n phil - Go mick n phil- 26 miles of it, i never got tired once, i was in top form, i celebrated where we could, i acknowledged people that i knew

it was great to see FLANKER, he was just fantastic, i was in tears nearly all day, i screamed and partied all day, singing, shouting dancing

BUT then, THE BIGGEST MOMENT of my life - MUDCHUTE, i saw it from 13 miles, before returning to it on 22 miles,- Oh my god, did they make me feal proud, human real - i can't describe it-

i put my hands to my ears to say " Louder, i Can't hear you " LMAO, we danced we jiggered around, no tired ness at all, FETCHES were in full vocal chorus, of EASY- EASY-- EASY , they made me feel SO PROUD, i creid when i went on, then i met people along route, they hugged me, they kissed me, they high 5'ved me,

Then i was heading for 22 miles, i was happy, i knew exactly what to expect, WE were there HEROES, gosh did we were feeling proud, then we arrived at FETCH 22, it was chaos, it was simply wonderful, i laughed, i shook hands, i had kissed, i partied, as we went along route, i felt even fresher, could have done it all again NO trouble, i was in TOP physical Form and Mentally bubbling - i meant hundreds of well wished on way to finish

I met georges dad and family at around 25 miles ? , that left me really feeling OH YES

We then rounded Big ben, from then on well, i waved my hat all most all the way in -the marathon was NO Problem , they roared us on to the finish line

H & S wise - from the back, ( There isn't one ) but i'll discuss that again

i have to thank everyone so much for making it ALL happen

you all turned our life around, out there running week after week, and at home on these forums, YOU have ALL done us so PROUD -

THANKYOU for making us your RUNNING HEROES and for getting us in London marathon - Thankyou for making my 50 th Birthday on the 1st June so , SO SPECIAL

i will never ever forget what you have all done - i am still very much emotionally tearful, my heart is pounding and my head is heavy writing this post

Dear Fellow RUNNERS - Bless you all so very much - you made our day happen - you made us PROUD,

just go out there and when you have a bad day, think, well, we've made a disabled lad and his dad happy, - go and get fit, feel mentally strong, - feel like i feel - because i'm going to be a PROUD 50 year old VET in a few days, made prouder by all of you

Thankyou and bless you all

Mick xxxxx

Hey mick Great stuff! Was nice to meet you on the course - really really glad you got the FLM in the end.

Hi Mick & Phil

Absolutely marvellous - all of it - I am in awe of your dedication. I hope one day to be fit enough to do a marathon, at the moment it seems like an awfully long way! )

Well done to both of you - I do hope that things continue to go well for you.

Take care. 

Bit a a time, and you'll achieve great things

Thanks Mick & Phil - a bit at a time is a great philosophy. Great things from tiny acorns as they say!

Butt in gear, I'm going to try and dodge the rain later & do my "bit" for today.

Happy plodding Sundays everyone! 

Hi all,

Glad someone's put this forum up, I've got my first 10K race in a couple of weeks, (The Great East Anglia Race), and was hoping to get some advice.

My training mainly consists of running distances between 5 and 10K, having done 8.5K in 44mins on my last run, so I'm aiming for around 50mins for the GEAR Race, but hopefully slightly quicker as my training is in London and includes bridges & steps, whereas the GEAR course is flat and fast . . . supposedly!

 As I haven't competed in a road race situation before, I was wondering if I could get some advice from those that have on how they ran it?

 Andy

The race tactics I usually use are:

• Get the worst start out of anyone
• Attack madly so I'm no longer last
• Then pick people off gradually
• Sprint-finish

Well, that's how I will run almost any race!

Mick n phil - I just love reading your threads - you've really got a way with words.  Well done for everything you've achieved - you truly are both heroes!

Pethead - I like your tactics - also works for me.  Basically I need to start slowly - find my own pace and just enjoy - eventually I find I start overtaking people then finish really strongly.

Can I ask people's advice.  I went to get some new running shoes yesterday, decided to go to a running shop and get them fitted.  I was advised that I needed a little support as my right foot was collapsing a little - tried on several pairs and eventually decided on a pair.  Used them on the treadmill today - my intention was to run for an hour - looking to do about 11 K or a little under.  Anyway felt great for about 6 K but then developed a blister on my right foot where the shoe is slightly built up.  Ended up having to stop.  My question - is this just because they are new or is the support too much for what I need?

NBFS 

Haha!

Cool to see other new people join the thread....let's delurk together!

 Mick and Phil, that's inspiration reading. A marathon seems ilke a long way off. And a long way. That's because it is Thanks for sharing...

 Pethead, you almost made me splurt tea over the keyboard. I'm also hoping you're not running the London BUPA 10k, as I am now a little afraid.....

 Andy79, a lot of my running is in London and hilly too - I'm telling myself I'll be super cardiovascular woman and that it will make the flat seem like a breeze? But it would be great to hear how other people actually ran it.

 As for me, two exciting training things. One was I finally bit the bullet and went to the gym. I started running to get fit and not have to go to the gym...of course then I find out it might help me run. I feel slightly cheated, but am now pleased as am not scared of gyms anymore. Local authority gym, recently had refit, lovely people..I got shown how to do lunges and squats and consequently spent the evening being able to claim my bum hurt.

 Today for my long run did the experiment of running 10k for the first time (previous longest run was 4.5 m). Really glad I did - think there was a bit of a mental block about the distance. From about 7k I was having to tell myself that I had run this far before, it was just a little bit extra. I think when I got to 9.5k my brain remembered I hadn't actually run that far before and sent me the idea to walk for 250m. i probably could have kept on running the final.5k, but when i got back in checked my timer and realised my time was roughly 1hr 4min ( I really need to buy a watch). Which was with walking, and not going hell for leather as I was slightly nervous about going 'that' far. I am pleased.

 Also had revelation of running when the sun was shining. I swear since I started training I've only been out once before when it hasn't rained. Now of course contrarily I think I prefer running in the rain. I also (amazingly for a sunny afternoon and a route partly in a park) didn't get any 'helpful' comments from the general public once . The last time I went out for a long run in good weather, I had some wag slow down on his moped to deliver the witticism 'knees up love!' just as I was at the zenith of a particular bitch of a hill. Had I the reach, I may have pushed him off it. Although best public information heckle on the same run came from two blokes outside a pub  who informed me 'the marathon is that way!' ( I live quite a way from the route) .

Hope you all got to enjoy the sun! 

Tortoisenothare - No sweat, I'm doing the Cardiff one (Great wales Run)  not the London one. Glad I didn't wreck your keyboard!

NBFS - Any information (ie names) on the shoes you bought and on your old ones? It could be that he shoe has too high an arch, and your collapsing foot is rubbing on it, and causing a blister. People say shoes need wearing in though.

Hi Pethead,

the shoes are made by Saucony - not sure of a particular name beyond that.  Previously I have been using Nike Shox which aren't the best and offer very little support but are actually really good for me.  It does, as you say, feel as though the arch is a little high and the foot is rubbing on it.  It could be that I need to wear them in though - I guess the bit that's collapsing hasn't really been touching anything previously so maybe I just need to get used to having support for my whole foot.  I'll give them another go on a shorter run.

NBFS 

Er...Nike Shox are something like 70% fashion and 30% running (guesstimated percentages but the point is they're not dedicated running shoes) while Sauconies will be designed to run in. I guess the change from stylish non-supportive Nike to supportive Saucony could be giving your feet grief but other than that I can't see a major problem if the Sauconies are OK for your running style.