'Mature' runners.

Two dog walks and 30 mins in the gym. Did 3 x 10 minute circuits.
Useful bit of a thaw today. Road salting has been very efficient including getting the side roads done.

matsmum
I metamorphosed into someone else who wasn't there. I was certainly very fit but it was the wrong sort of fitness to sustain the pace at which I ran the first half.
There's a lesson for you. Start at what you think is a slow pace and then slow down a bit more.

Diana
Hope you have the courage to come back. Enjoy.

IW
Many happies to 'im indoors.

TE
From what I've seen in my club you can get away with running a 20 mile race before a marathon if you are young and very fit.. Once you get 60+ you can't recover quickly enough.

Redhead
That was a bad day at the office. Hope things are now better.
JJ
JJ

BIW happy birthday to John.

Red, sorry that you are still suffering and hope that a solution can be found.

Matsmum and Columba, well done for making the effort to get out and run in very difficult conditions.

Diana, yes, as you said, the Stubbington 10k did go ahead, and quite a few of our runners also took part. I'm glad though, that the four of us did the forest run instead. Hope you have a great holiday

JJ, thanks for the advice. Helen, who I'm running with is young and very fit, but the VLM will be her first marathon, and she wants to treat the 20 miler as a training run. If I do run a marathon, it will be the South Downs, which isn't until June, so I would have plenty of time to recover. 

Last night, we did a hill session in falling snow which didn't settle. We did 4 sets of 5 minutes continuous up and down, with the intention of maintaining a steady pace, and not sprinting up and jogging down. We had a short jog recovery between each set. The snow hasn't settled and none is forecast for today, so I am intending to run an easy pace 8 miles on road.

Afternoon all,

Our lanes are all clear now and there was even a gritter through the village last night.  I think it's because the school bus collects children from there and there has been much criticism of the schools that closed.  

6 hilly miles @ marathon pace (averaged 'cos there's no way I can maintain marathon pace on those inclines) for me earlier without too many problems, thank goodness.  I did notice that I was doing a very good impression of a 'death rattle' going up the steepest hill!

JJ, doodle walking is excellent exercise and I love doing circuits 

Thank you JJ.

Matsmum - no, actually we have our stuff in the living room, it's quite a large room and more so now we've got rid of the huge ugly armchair that took up loads of space, and I like to watch TV or videos while I pedal, it makes the time go quicker and I don't get bored.

Hope you are feeling better Red, that sounded very nasty indeed. Sorry you are suffering.

Snow is starting to melt here too, we actually had some sunshine this afternoon. Temperature is supposed to drop but the weather to stay dry, don't mind that, at least you can wear appropriate clothing if it's cold outside.

Red, a gritter passed me last night as I was running back from the club session. It's the first time that I can recall one going my way,so I thought it was ominous, but we haven't had any snow yet today.

It's been raining all day today, and I did do my planned 8 miles. The pavements were wet, from the rain, but not slippery. It was nice to have been able to run without the fear of falling.

Red - glad you had a better day (in spite of the "death rattle"!)

Snowed a bit more in the night, and from time to time during the day, - just a few flakes drifting down, nothing much. Walked the two miles into town to attend a funeral (a 96-year-old lady who was in the same care home as my Mum. Described by the priest as "our oldest parishioner") And walked back again. 

Snow shovelling,exercise bike and pilates today - and the water has disappeared mostly from the roads which is great .  Still very cold with a biting wind. Oh no - heavy rain forecast for the weekend!  I just heard the weather forecast. Can't wait for the treddy - it's got a device on it so you can watch routes in other parts of the world as you run. Great Wall of China, here I come! And it inclines according to the topography of the land. The question is, will I ever get to go on it - everyone else in the family is as delighted as I am !!!

Bits of snow and a lot of mud now but at least it hasn't snowed or rained.

Matsmum
A club colleague of mine has run a marathon which was mostly on the Great Wall of China. I've walked some of it and it's quite hilly.

TE
You're right. Plenty of time to recover.

Columba
Keep running and you could one day hold the title of oldest parishioner!  
JJ

Morning all. A bright sunny morning and a light covering of snow which fell through the night. It's forecast dry for today, with a maximum temperature of 2 degrees. Looking forward to this evenings club session, which will be long circuits.

Matsmum - that sounds like a VERY upmarket tready!

JJ - oldest active parishioner I wouldn't mind.

6.25 miles this morning - or rather, midday-ish - in road running shoes and almost entirely on cleared roads and pavements. There were a few small patches where I couldn't avoid the snow and ice. It was quite cold, but there seemed to be a slow thaw going on, helped in the last half-hour by the sun breaking through the clouds.

Columba
A bit of normality creeping in there.
Not sure how I would define "active". Maybe capable of 20 - 30 minutes slightly anaerobic exercise?
JJ

My run ended up being 2 sessions of 3 miles each as the one this morning had to be cut short 'cos of coughing, which annoyed me so much that I went out again after lunch to teach my body a lesson!

Red
Bit chesty today then. Did you cough after the second 3 miles?
JJ

More snow shovelling, a lo-o-ong day at work, then straight off to take K to her athletics. Last time I took her I spotted a zumba class going on in the studio and rather rashly asked grandaughter J whether she would like to join with me. I must have been feeling energetic at the time. But I kept my promise and we did have a lot of fun. Dancing never fails to make me feel good. The weather doesn't though - more snow today although it didn't settle, but warnings of a lot to come tomorrow and Saturday.

BI - who needs a huge comfy old armchair in a lounge when you can have exercise equipment in there instead!

Red - this sounds daft, but it is a tip I actually got from RW magazine. Or possibly Women's Running. If the weather is really cold make sure you do the first part of your run with a scarf across your nose and mouth. That way your airways don't react to the initial big difference in temperature. You have to have your body thoroughly warmed up before you lose the scarf. Just a thought, but you probably know this anyway. I hope it clears up soon for you.

Morning all,

Bit shell shocked here in Redheadland.  A dear friend was found dead by her husband yesterday morning.  He'd just got up and left her sleeping, or so her thought, whilst he went down to make a cup of tea and some toast and only realised there was something wrong when he went back upstairs with it.  She had been taking medication to help her sleep but otherwise was healthy so there will have to be a post mortem.  She was only 49 and leaves behind 3 grown-up boys and dear, sweet Lola who's only 9.  Heart-breaking.

JJ, yes I did cough after the second one but not during so I felt better about that.

Matsmum, thanks for the tip and it is something I've always done in cold weather except I now use my buff (which is one of the best inventions ever!).  Although I've only recently been diagnosed with asthma, I have had breathing difficulties for as long as I can remember which I just put down to having smoked cigarettes in my 20s!

Red, what terrible news, it makes us realise how precious life is. A lifelong friend of mine, who is only a couple of weeks older than me had a stroke before Christmas. We must make the most of every day, as we never know what is round the corner.

Last nights club session went well, and was very competitive. We ran a total of 8 miles, and the main session comprised 4 long circuits of 0.83 mile. We had approximately 2 minutes walk/jog recoveries between each.

Watching the Murray/Federer semi final on BBC2 at the moment, but must tear myself away and go out for a recovery run.

Red - not only very sad news, but what a terrible shock. Poor little Lola, having to go through her teens without a mum.

Matsmum - I have read (and it may even be the same article that you mention) that some people have an allergic-type reaction to cold. My nose and eyes regularly stream if I'm out in cold or windy weather; I have to fill my pockets with tissues before I set out. But I don't cough, nor get closed-up airways as Red describes. I'll remember about the cover-your-nose-and-mouth advice; I was given a couple of buffs for Christmas, and they're lovely. So simple. Why didn't someone think of them before?

JJ - I don't really know how I'd define "active" either. Possibly as you say; plus, an element of flexibility, and retaining good balance.

Oh dear Redhead, that's horrible, she was so young. I really believe that each one of us has an allotted time span, some more, some less, and sadly this was the end of hers. Poor Lola, growing up without her mum for advice and only 3 grown-up brothers, if only she had an older sister to advise her about "women's stuff". It will be tough on your friend's spouse having to be Mum and Dad to his little girl while mourning his own loss.

Sad news Redhead life is short lived and glutted with agitation.......I was made redundant yesterday so not slept much last night......oh well had the best year ever in the UK office and January and then they shut us down................what to do now is the question.

Mark, bad news being made redundant. Hope you find another job soon.

Did a 7 mile run this morning, bringing my weekly total to 45, Saturday to Friday.