Sheffield social

Sounds well tested mate, go for it

Thinking of all possible methods to avoid blisters. petroleum jelly, double layers of socks etc. Reckon the main other thing I can do is not run through a hotspot. Best take some blister plasters in the bag.

Anyway, yesterdays birthday means I now have the choice beteween a belt/bottle or my new small hydration rucksack.

Think I may take the rucksack as it'll give it a test before I make a decision on something else.......

morning all , hope every one had a good bank holiday  . I have been busy in the last few days left work got myself a new job , went to skegvegas to look at  the chavs why I don't know hate that place, and did the matlock tri yesterday went OK not really race fit at the moment and had a scare when my bike went into a speed wobble at 35 mph thought i was going to die and probably would have if there had been much traffic on the road  but apart from that was really uneventful so not going to bore any one with a full report  

Don't know if we'll get a race report from Gareth, he said he had a shocker? But here's mine.
I don't know the route. Bits of it I'd been on before, family days out, climbing etc so I knew the basic layout but there were plenty of connecting bits I was oblivious to. But I was prepared with full kit, this obviously includes map, compass and I'd studied the map. Basic plan was to generally follow the crowd. I deviated a bit from this and found sometimes 'follow the Totley runner' wasn't the bet I'd follow next time.
I set off with a fellow Kimmy Strider, but with a mind to run my own race. I was a few mile in, having been passed by a couple of Smileys, when I started looking at the garmin. Glad I had the HRM on as it prompted me to slow down. I didn't want 175+bpm for 16 miles! Even walking the ascents it was 170, so I walked, picking up the pace elsewhere.
Strange race in retrospect. Took me a while to get into it, but in the middle section I felt 'in the zone'. Legs were going round, didn't have to think, just kept going. Then I got to mile 9. The next mile sees 600ft of ascent.
It did me.
I lost my fellow strider here.
Got alongside a Steel City Strider and kept my feet turning. My lower back didn't like it and kept letting me know, but I kept going - down along the bottom of Millstone, through the checkpoint, by Lawrencefield Quarry and down to Padley Gorge, by which point there were 3 of us, having picked up a Mansfield runner.
No stepping stones here. There were a couple of Totley lasses, making hard work of getting across but they decided they'd have to do the same and get wet. I was mid thigh in the water and just wanted to sit down. I could imagine how good that ice bath would feel on my back.
Climbing out the other side and the climb upto the road and further up the other side hammered it home. The next mile(?) was pretty flat. I kept trying to run, but had to keep walking too. Then theres a short steep climb up whats essentially stone steps. Pack of runners 100 yards infront. I looked back. Mansfield runner 100 yards behind me, then no-one.
I got to the top and looked over the next bit of moor to the start of Moss road. Along here I lost the group infront and the guy behind caught me. We 'gee'd' each other up over the last mile. Neither of us could see anyone behind. There was never going to be a DNF and I considered there may be a certain  kudos to absolute last place, so when it came to the finish I let him go first.
5 minutes later he shouted as a couple more finishers came round the corner.....
So I was exterminated, but I did what I wanted. Got the experience. Finished.
I'd kinda like to say, it's a race I hated in the last few miles. But it isn't, not in retrospect. I hurt, it's definitely not the same.
Would I go back?
I'm thinking about the series next year - so i have to.
I'll need more hill training. More fell runs.

Followed the link. Nice report bakatcha. Sometimes its nice to know you weren't the only one sufferring and better to know that 'better' runners have ended up with a DNF whilst you pushed on.

Good report Garry and nice blog runningowl, well done to both of you for finishing a tough race

back after a weeks camping near Filey nice site but boy was it windy no real shelter on any pitches . Didn't do any running but did plenty of walks on the Cleveland way ,went out on my bike today and did 27 miles but the speed wobble i had the other week put me off from pushing the pace down hill got to get my confidence back

nice report Garry and runningowl  

Morning

Bawtry Forest trail race on Sunday.

Lovely race and well worth doing. Legs a little tired after a 60 mile week before the race and running 14 miles on the day before. Set of a bit to fast and felt it from around the second mile. Finished with a time of 50mins (I think - still a/w full results) for approx 7 miles. Failry pleased with run would have prefered sub 49 but given the miles I have been putting in and the lack of taper not to bad a time. Ran in road shoes so slipped around a bit on some of the muddy bits. Nice to bump into Garry there

Nice blog runningowl.

Sorry to hear you have lost your mojo. I am sure it will come back soon and probally when you least expect it.

In the past I have found things like just running without stopwatch, garmin etc can help as you are just running for fun and not to achieve a time or distance etc (not saying that you are just what has happened to  me). New routes, new races and new challanges etc can also help. If all else fails take a week off eat pork pies and cake and you will be soon itching to get your trainers on

Prob not saying anything you don't know or have tried.

hello everyone!

I'm sorry its been so long since i posted.....busy summer of festivals with intermittent wifi access and having to fit in 5 hour training sessions when I was home!

I saw the blog yesterday runningowl....think we've all been there. Then when you do have your mojo you get injured/ill and you are sad because you can't run!! Hope you find the mojo....maybe have a bash at some other kind of sport for a week to mix it up? bit of cycling or sumfink?!

this exterminator race sounds scary!

ooh went to see Wiggins/Cav etc on Monday.....it was over so fast, but absolutely brilliant! so exciting to see them zooming past! you can see me and Ryan on the ITV4 coverage too hehe!

It was my last A race of the year on Saturday (absolutely brilliant experience, would def recommend the Vit if you want a first middle distance Tri) so I'm having a few weeks of unstructured training, just doing things I like for fun....so anyone heading out for any social runs, let me know!

Well done on the Vit CJ. Saw some of the pics on FB. Rutland Water is a great place I lived there for about 3 years in the early 90's and ran around the lake many times as well as the local area. I still have nightmares about Pig Farm Hill

Well, decision made.

a few weeks ago, another close death. A colleague finally succumbed to leukemia and I got this daft idea. Only a few weeks to go. Do I do the Round Rotherham? Couldn't decide if ti was something I wanted to do or if I was just feeling that typical "live for today. Do it. You never know what'll happen tomorrow" response.

I think the idea came straight after Elsecar. If i can do a 28 miler on a max 12 mile training run, could i do 50? decided to make a decision after Belper and Exterminator.

'The blister' didn't put me off, after all that was mainly down to ignoring the hotspot, lesson learned. It did take Belper off the list though.

Exterminator was another lesson. Tough, painful, but i kept going. It was the hilliness that got me and RR isn't exactly hilly. All this time I was looking online, checking out the navigation etc. Thinking that by the time i got back round to maltby, leg 7 I'd have done 35 miles, I could have someone meet me with kenny and he could run the last 15 with me. I could get sponsorship.... But it'd mean a big training committment, hit 'family time' etc.... and I don't have to make a final decision as soon as i planned.

Then I did Bawtry. A relatively short run, 7 miles. I really enjoyed it, although it made me realise my speed has majorly sufferred over the last couple of years. I did a bit of speedwork too.

I guess i realised it's what i like.... As I said, decision now made.

1 -RRs off for this year at least.

2 Silkstone shuffle this weekend

3 At least 2 fixtures of SYXC will be done

4 One half marathon by xmas, possibly Bridlington, maybe Clowne

5 Entered last night - three 10ks, Stocksbridge, Cusworth, Barnsley

Hopefully this is me, back on track.

RR is a big commitment so probably a good decision if your heart isn't really in it - sometimes the thought of doing these big challenges can be appealing but it's about enjoying it isn't it.   Re the half mara have you ever done Keyworth - just East of Nottm - that's quite a nice one normally early Dec - about 1000 runners - fills up really quickly though.

Anyone planning on doing the Dovedale Dash in November ?   I know it's only a 5 miler (if that) but after 2 years off running Ive been dragging myself round the local park  for 3-4 miles at a time and think I'll do Dovedale as something to aim for.   Read that Feet In The Clouds over the Summer and wouldn't mind trying some fell running - just shorter ones as I'm a long way from being run fit - is there much of it over the Autumn/Winter ?

Whereabouts did you watch the ToB CJ - I rode up to Duffield/Turnditch for one of the climbs - was hoping to ride out to watch it today but working got in the way. 

http://www.turkeytrot.org.uk/news/2012-entries-opening-date/

My other half says she's going to do it - little bit tempted myself.

I fancy RR. I have done for a bit, but not now. I'd like to do myself justice on it. 2 or 3 of the legs are my local runs, which I guess is an advantage on an ultra.
Turkey Trot - Despite the distance to it, I was tempted. Then I saw it clashes with the last fixture for SYXC. I have to do 2 out of 4 to get the points for the club champs. The firsts already looking dodgy - clash with Brid half.  I'll be at the Maltby Turkey Trot though. Boxing Day 5 miler.
Fell running - Theres the Stanage Struggle you could have a pop at, in a couple of weeks. It attracts a lot of runners, so navigations definitely no problem and so long as you don't try to go of with the elites, you'll have to walk the worst bits of ascent - its essentially single file by the time you get to the plantation