 Good news! been to the osteopath - no serious damage and i can run on Sunday!
Did a little 20 minute run this morning as want to rest tomorrow - went ok - slow, will not be a a PB but can at least run!!!
Am running for the Mental Health Foundation so going to meet up with them at M first off and then have a nose about after!
I know I will probably not recognise most or any of you on the day but will take heart from the fact that you will all be around me - wishing you all speed and/or comfort and a fab day,
Shellfishxxx
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 Thanks for the support SusieBee. Hope it goes well for all and I am glad that you can run Shellfish. I am running for Cancer Research, and will be wearing the blue TShirt and no other funny stuff as I do not want to draw anymore attention! I have also got a painful ankle, I think I may need to wear a support, so I will be running with a limp!
I am really looking forward to the race as I have never done anything like this before and do not know what to expect. What time do you think we will need to arrive and where do we go when we get there???
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 16905 is raing to go! However very nervous about running with so many people. I'll be going down to London tomorrow.
Has anyone got any last minute tips?
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I got a really nice info pack from my charity. They have recruited 41 women to run for them which is not bad seeing as they are a small relatively unknown charity.
They say that the race begins at 11am but we all need to be in position for 10.30 (god, better plan my loo break well then!)
they have organised a warm up at 10.15 then into position for 10.30.
They are setting up 3 groups of abilities to run in and I am told I am welcome to run in any of them or anywhere else I fancy. It is only my 2nd race and the last one was at Blackheath and quite a bit smaller - 7000 so i think i might try and run with the runners from the Mental health Foundation and see how it goes. Saying that i will suss out what is happening on the day too -even though i will not be going mad due to my knees and boiling hot forecast -i would still like to get a half decent time.
The MHF even have a picnic and massage and games planned for after so I think i chose quite well!
Cancer research might have a similar thing - if you haven't received any info you can check out their website and see what they say. I did my first run 'on my own' which i quite enjoyed as you chat with others on the way round but if you haven't sorted out anything you are welcome to run with us, I am sure!
MHF runners have been issued with white tshirts from the charity with their logo on and i am no: 18,661. No daft outfits for me either - well no dafter looking than i normally do any way.....
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Shellfish,
You lucky thing picking a charity which is offering massages after. I'm running for Children with Leukaemia and have really bright top with Mr Happy on the back and Mr Tickle on the front.
Many years ago I did run however that was only in local stuff. I think the largest field was about 1,000 so I guess it is just fear of the unkown. I only hope that I can get into a running group I'm currently doing 5K in about 35 min.
If you pick this up before you leave for the race Good Luck!!!
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05/09/04 08:34
 OK, girls, let's go kick some butt!
See you there, those that I do.
Hope you all have a great run.
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 Good luck you guys in London!
will be thinking of you as we trundle around Birmingham
xx
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05/09/04 08:44
And us of you, Joby!
Just looking to see when it is on telly.
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05/09/04 08:47
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05/09/04 14:55
No one else back yet? How was it for everyone?
I thought this was a lovely race. Of course the start was totally chaotic but that is just part of it. I did a PB, 20:00.56, so not the sub-20 I had hoped for but a nice result anyway. Spans and Susie, it was good to see you again. I looked out for you again once I had met up with Mr RC but didn't find you.
Spans, thanks very much for taking me to that PB. I'm horrified I ran the whole way with you without realising it was you but I really was too tired to think straight. As I followed your back most of the way I did think how strange it was that someone who obviously wasn't you because they weren't in club vest could look so much like you. In a way I'm glad I didn't realise it was you because I was using my race against you to push me along and wouldn't have had I known.
What an idiot I am.
Great goody bag, though! Did everyone else also get TWO t-shirts? I was meant to run home afterwards but had to walk because there was so much to carry.
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 I didn't see any of you around, hope you had a nice time.
Susiebee- I thoght I saw you trying to work your way towards the front not long before the start. For some reason I modestly positioned myself in the middle of the middle. It was like check-in at Heathrow. I can't stand crowds, but it wasn't as bad as I thought in that sense. Just trying to pass people took a lot of energy out of me.Of course I got separated from my friends while people were lining up. Anyway, I managed a sprint finish. I won't even tell you my time!
Hi Ratcatcher- Yes, I thought I had gotten lucky when I saw the 2 t-shirts, but it's 2 different companies. The "are you up for it" logo does seem a bit too much like an invitation when you're out running, though... V.Good goody-bag, I've got the contents on my living room floor, and I'm dividing up what's for me, and what's for Scotty. He's doing the Kent Coastal Marathon today, so I can't whinge about today...
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 What a lovely race that was!!!
Had a great time, very crowded at the start and felt a bit hemmed in and then spent the first k weaving in and out of people who had pushed to the front then decided to walk after 100 yards....not that I am a sprinter but it is actually dangerous like that.
I had my wisdom teeth out 2 weeks ago and have not run for a couple of weeks but did it in 24 minutes so am really pleased.
Well done Ratcatcher and Spans....one day I will run as fast as that!!!!!
Well done to everyone it was great camaraderie and a lovely day.
Big hugs
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Hello!!
I ran in 38.40 secs, was my first race, lost 3 stone since jan so well chuffed.
Had a fab day x
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WELL! Bit of a misery guts aren't I!?
Had a catalogue of bad luck all day - got there on time, couldn't find anyone from my charity, queued for ages at the loos,
by which time my partner got bored and went for a fryup at a local cafe, I couldn't get anywhere near where I wanted to be in the line up by this time and spent the majority of the time staggering round walkers who were sprawled all over the shop ( I thought they were supposed to keep to the right?!) and ended up following lots of other exasperated runners outside of the course to try and get round those out for a Sunday stroll....
There, moan over, learned some lessons at least.......
So so much for a PB - I was 10 minutes slower than my first 5k!
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 it was chaos at the start wasnt it!!i was sooo nervous i wanted to go to the loo but the queue was far too long. it was only nerves anyway. the corners were a nightmare too and we all ended up walking or jogging on the spot. walkers all over the place getting in the way!! everyone saying sorry bumping elbows. i got a few balloons in the face too which was argghhh! wasnt it hot and sunny. borrowed bf's shades which helped a lot. anyway. 38.36 for me with my friend a minute ahead of me on the last sprint. the fastest in training i did was 43 so i am very pleased with myself. and i only started running in january!
the tube was so packed afterwards we walked a couple of k to victoria and my hips started to tighten up. not used to running on road. i run on grass and trails. do it again next year i asked my friend...oh yes she says! just hope its a bit cooler but thats wishful thinking!!
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Shellfish - I feel exactly the same. It was my first race and in training I've been doing 5k in high 26's, so I figured I should go in the middle of the middle. What an error; although in retrospect, that I was lined up with people smoking and wolfing down cornettos should have been a clue. Things started out ok, but after 500m it was just a wall of walkers. I kept thinking I would get some clear spance, but it never happened. I resorted to dipping out to try to get pass the herds of girls yapping. Very frustrating. To have walkers around me suddenly start sprinting and trying to barge past me as they caught sight of the finish was the final straw. Oh well.
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 Shellfish I too had a frustrating day at today's event (London)
The whole race for me was a constant battle. I had to continously weave in and out of people and avoid bashing into people who suddenly stopped in front of me. I felt like screaming.
What they should really do is stagger the starts ie. Elite (15 mins - 20 mins runners) go first. 5 Minutes later the 20-30 minute runners go after. 5 Minutes later the newbies/beginners and walkers go last.
Nike are good with this. When you enter for their event you have to put down an estimated time in which you will complete the run and according to your times you are put in colour coded sections. So for instance the elite are in the red start, intermediate are with the blue starting point and newbies etc are in the green section, which goes off at different times and I think works quite well considering there are 20,000 people in the event.
Right, rant over. On a more happier note however, the goodie bag was great as usual and my medal is proudly laying next to my other medals.
Well done all who took part.
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Drilakila and Seza - thanks for helping me not feel like such an old misery guts! I just watched the highlights on TV and feel a bit better about it all now but still would try and do things a bit differently next time. I suppose smaller events are easier to organise and it was a biggy...
So what next? another 5k? A 10???!!!!
I have got to go to work tonight so will think about it in the week.....
And drilakila , you have to change your profile now - you are an official racer!!
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That sounds like a good system Sammy1
Yeah, I think we al feel better after a whinge - I just felt bad being the first to start the whinging!:)
A big well done to everyone - hope we all keep up with each other's adventures now this one's done!xxx
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I knew what to expect because I spectated last year, but it still doesn't prepare you for it when you're in the middle of things!
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