Helsby Half Mara

Hi!

Thought I'd just report on how the training run in Helsby went today. Apart from Mark, co-runner (and ran the course several times!) sending us the wrong way up a much steeper hill (not included in the real course - glad to say!!), all went very well.

Mike- don't mind the 'graveyard mile' too much. We did 18km (11.25miles) in 1u40'52". Really happy with that. A bit too fast again for a training according to my brother but now I know the latter part of the course (bit we did correctly!) and feel happy with my target of 1u50.

cheers - Nat

Well done, Nathalie. If those distances and times are accurate, then you can be confident of achieving your target of 1:50 without too much difficulty - let's just hope the weather is kind to us on the day

Can I ask a favour ? Can I use some of your course photos to put on my blog ? I will only use 1 or 2, to contrast the roads/houses/terrain between North-West England with North-West Rwanda. I will give you credit for the photos, and if you want, I'll put a link to your blog as well

cheers

I got my number this morning but I can't run now.

Never mind. Enjoy it everyone.

Hi!

 ok running4rwanda to use my photos and post a link to my blog!!

Yes, hope the weather will be kind. Only 2 runs so far this week due to the ice earlier, Thursday 8.6km and yesterday 11.5. Hopefully tomorrow another 10km.

What should I do during my last week?! Brother said I should do one session with 3 x 1000metres at Helsby race speed. Not sure if I should have the last run on Thursday or Friday.

Hope my cold gets better too - right nuisance!!

Good luck to everyone!

 Nathalie 

thanks for use of photos.

Hope yesterday's run was OK - mine was awful. Felt sluggish and heavy-legged from the start - intended to do about 80-90 mins steady, but knew very early on that I wouldn't manage, so ended up with 65 min slow, but an unpleasant slow. Didn't help that I was running into a headwind on Formby beach, and then had to slow to a walk to cross the dunes, but not much quicker on the road with the wind behind me. My own fault - hadn't had enough fluids Sat, so was dehydrated.

I'd suggest easy runs most of the week, any efforts on Wed , easy on Thur (max 30 mins), easy run on Fri (max 20 mins), rest on Sat. If you don't get out Friday, possibly go out Saturday morning (but max 15 mins, very easy - no more than w/u & w/d)

Above all - plenty of rest, plenty of sleep and plenty of fluids. And I hope the cold gets better

Good luck all!

The signs have gone up in Helsby.

For me that counts as exciting news, maybe I should get out more.

Hi!

Thanks for all the advice!! Hum, strange but my run was sluggish and didn't feel good either yesterday. Did 10.3km @ 10.5km/h (sorry still can't get used to miles after 17 years in the UK) and it was a struggle! Two days previous, on Friday, did 11.5km at a faster speed than yesterday and felt great?!

I've therefore not been out today and will wait until late tomorrow to have a run or even Wednesday evening. Will then also run with some others on Thursday (but taking it easy at the back!) and a short slow one on Friday.

 Looks like it might be mild weather on Sunday but my only worry is strong winds - am rubbish running in those! Rain funnily enough makes me run better.

Off to bed now, will need a good rest with my cold.

 Nat

swittle - possibly - but I was struggling so much, I can't remember seeing anyone else. If I blanked you, sorry . I got on at the bottom of Fisherman's path, and went south, but came off quite early (Gypsy Path ?), but that ties in with the sort of time I was out.

Good luck on Sunday - I've never done the Brass Monkey, but have done a few races in York, and elsewhere in Yorkshire. Used to live in Wakefield, so some of my PB's were set over there - including my marathon at Barnsley (which shows how long ago it was !), and 10m at Tadcaster

Nathalie - I hate wind as well, but am not bothered by cold or rain. Must be because we're so light-weight, we get blown about so much !

By the way, I've just used one of your photos on my blog - thanks

I might be going back for Wakefield 10k: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?URN=6&UTN=135310&SP=&V=1#7307420 but need to get Helsby, possibly Blackpool, and possibly Liverpool out of the way first !

Did lunchtime run - picked a route that I thought would be 40 mins steady, but underestimated the distance. After 30 mins, realised there was no way I'd be back to work in time, so had to pick it up for last 15 mins - probably faster than half-marathon pace. Feeling OK, but haven't cooled down properly yet. At least I now have a route suitable if I ever want to do 50-55 mins steady

Just a few days to go, problem is I've had a cold this last week and haven't massively done much running since Christmas Eve, have been out since but just not as much. Managed a 25 mile tough challenge walk last Sunday (probably why I had a cold for a week) but am getting over it now.

Should I try and do a shortish run tomorrow and then just see how I get on Sunday, not bothered about a personal best or anything

R

WRW, same advice as to Nathalie earlier in the week:

running4rwanda.com wrote (see)

I'd suggest easy runs most of the week, any efforts on Wed , easy on Thur (max 30 mins), easy run on Fri (max 20 mins), rest on Sat. If you don't get out Friday, possibly go out Saturday morning (but max 15 mins, very easy - no more than w/u & w/d)

Above all - plenty of rest, plenty of sleep and plenty of fluids. And I hope the cold gets better

Good luck

Getting really excited now! Travelling home today for the weekend, to run in this great race and feeling confident of a good time!

Some good training been done by you guys. Well done! and best of luck everyone for Sunday.

great - that's all we need. all that training, and we'll get blown all over the place, and get pelted with hailstones.

good luck everyone, and don't forget to wrap up warm  !

One year it was so icy lots of people slipped over