Auviour Paris: So long and thanks for the cobbles

Good luck mcs - enjoy the event.

Thanks SB.  I did a bit of walking today - nothing strenuous - and feel okay.  So far so good.

mcs -  a really big "wish you all the best" for Sunday - enjoy.

Sleepy - recovery has gone well - 9 days rest then couple runs to complete first 2 weeks - now back into 4/5 runs a week - legs ok and fresh

Sorry I missed you leavin, but go my fingures crossed for you mcs. Enjoy Edi.

Hurt my achilles / calf again with a run yesterday. Going to take a few more days off.

My next goals. To try to keep on track with my marathon training for Chester in October with a half Windsor-Marlow in July. If I can improve my 5k time at parkrun and maybe a 10k or two along the way I'll be happy.
Immediate next goal - recover from injury!
I'm thinking about getting some sports massage. Anybody have any experience of massage? How many sessions should I get? Does stretching help with injury prevention & recovery? 

Morning all

Radical decision in this house (or may just be that I'm tired from last week) but I'm dropping my training down to 5 days a week (+ 6th day yoga) - feel like I need a day off once a week to "miss" running! I'm convinced that quality vs quantity is the way forward! How many days a week is everyone else doing?

oscarr - wow that sounds textbook - good on ya!

AC8 - the masseuse will be able to give you a better idea once they've been able to assess you - mostly I play it by ear as my legs respond to the treatment and there's a lot of support for going as regularly as you can afford for maintenance massage. (I used to go once/twice a month and do the same now just diy) Post run stretching definitely, definitely will help with both!

Wonde how jittery mcs is just now - sending virtual luck and calmness his way ...

What a beautiful day - enjoy all!

Hi all

Lots to catch up on - not been running at all as still got a sore foot.  Been to see podiatrist and physio but no tangible improvement as yet so off for an x-ray tomorrow.  Bit of a nightmare, this is the longest I've been out of running as far as I can remember!  Really hard to get my head around - at least if I knew '3 more weeks' then I could live with that...

Anyway, well done SB on your week of running - amazing!  I was running 6 days a week in marathon training but from the injury bench I would now say maybe that was too much and perhaps mixing it up a bit more is the way forward.  I am enjoying my swimming and cycling - been loitering longingly outside local bike shop looking at road bikes.... but as injury is costing me a fortune in orthotics and appts I probably shouldn't indulge!

mcs BEST of luck for Sunday - bet it will be an amazing run and will look forward to reading the race report!

Hi to everyone else, fingers crossed I will be back on here running at some point in the not too distant future!!!!

Hi all, am in time to wish mcs MASSIVE GOOD LUCK for Sunday?! Hope so. Nightmare about the accommodation fiasco but hope you;re settled now and focusing on the race. Looks like it'll be a hot one so definitely cap/visor and sunglasses - vest much cooler than t-shirt too.

I am slowly increasing my running again but very little at a time, as the pain hasn't gone away completely so little point in trying to up too much and aggravating it again. Will probably do another sprint triathlon in next couple of weeks to keep the competitive juices flowing!

Good luck to Rosie too at Edi - I believe she's going for another PB attempt, post Paris. And big congrats to SB on that amazing multi-day race. I hope I can get back to doing some more adventurous and challenging events soon. I'm coaching someone at the mo who is doing the Hadrian's Wall run - which sounds fun!

Phew, too hot to be inside. Is it home time yet? 

MCS,  thought I better pop on here and wish you the very best for Sunday.  Stick to your plan and I hope you run a great race feeling strong throughout the 26.2 miles.

As it looks to be hot when your racing I would take some electrolytes tablets and add them to your water.  I use NUUN, really good at replacing everything you lose through sweat.

Looking forward to your race report.

Good luck.  FH

Best of luck mcs - I know you'll be amazing!

Sam sounds like you are really on the mend ... shhh... fingers crossed.

I've lost my running ooomph at the moment - need to get back to some milage. Struggled with a 12 miler about 2 weeks ago and had to be recued at 9miles. Plan a long run tomorrow but my running chum is not feeling 100% and I am lacking confidence to run on my own. Mmm see how I get on.

Other better news is that my 7 year old completed a 2km race on long grass around the edge of a Rugby pitch - think he was 2nd in the under 8's and ... little Reubes (4 yrs) completed it too - with a sprint finish! I was so so proud!

Good luck mcs & Rosie & anyone else lining up tomorrow!  Hope you have a fabby fabby day - glad you'll be up t'north where it'll be a bit cooler!

Thanks for the congrats everyone. 

WW - I think you're right - I'm planning to ride my bike more next year, maybe I'll start sooner! Any progress on your injury? Have you been watching the bike racing on ITV4 (weekdays at 8pm)?  I can see you in a skinsuit already...

Sam - yay - glad to have you back! Fingers crossed you make continuous and steady improvement - see you at Cape Wrath next year?  We've already booked accommodation (I kid you not!) - we're doing it the luxury way next year!

Emma  - remember the beauty of running on your own is that you can slow down to your heart's content and truly run at your own pace - 999 times out of a 1000 I never come across anything that worries me - hope you have a lovely run! Try to relax and just enjoy the scenery (maybe just do a shorter run til you feel more comfortable about the concept?) Whoop, whoop - go boys go!  Team Manager Mummy!

Just a cheeky half an hour for me today - think I'll go out later once I've seen Ben off - he's heading for London and the BUPA 10k,  me - I'm doing a Ladies only 5k in a nearby country park.  Wonder if we'll have cucumber sandwiches with the crusts chopped off!

Have a lovely weekend all - ice bath in the paddling pool anyone?

oops - Luke - meant to say the only thing I do in the heat is try to run early/later when it's cooler.  When I had the choice I would always head for forests/woodland so I could run in the shade!  I always wear sunny's when it's bright - macular degeneration (which can result in loss of vision when you get older) is worsened by over exposure to bright light - and I'm already a mole without my glasses/contacts so I'm all for protecting my eyesight as much as possible!

Still no running for me.  In fact, no walking either  Since Wednesday I have felt like I've been competing in a nadgers kicking contest, where the unlucky loser (me) progresses through to the next round.  Feel a bit better this morning, though, so I hope it won't be too long before I can start some activity.

Two weeks since OH and DD left, so nine weeks to go until they return.  Also nine weeks to my 10K.  

Make sure you start out slow mcs!  Hope they've got plenty of sponge stations.

Hi all 

mcs There's always a saga associated with the logistics of marathons [and often other races too!], hope dd is recovering and that you are raring to go. 

I'm doing Bupa tomorrow and it will be a scorcher, only 10K I know but my first mrathon was also a scorcher and I found that easier due to slower pace.

I will have cap, a Zero before in water to which cold concentrated green tea hs been added, and will take it from there and hopefully give it some.

I actually won the Stockley Park WV50, was pissed ff the other agegroups got a mention in AW, don't often feature, it was a fun race, although I was in pain for two days afterwards again with Tfl attachment / ITB.  This completely went after two days in the pool.

Funny thing about Stockley was that I had a proper race with someone I'd seen go off way fast and indeed thught she was the usual 50s winner, looked the part.  Caught her at 7K after Garmin died at 4ish, could ony tell I was doing around 5 min Ks, technical enough course.

We had a little chat up a steepish hill [knee was fine up, it was don that hurt], and I felt very strong so hurried up and held her off by 14 seconds it turned out.

Imagine my surprise next day when I found out I'd narrowly beten the WV60! MInd you she took 9 mins off the course record, and I beat the next WV50 by nearly 5 in 51:53.

What a blast to have an actual race though!

AC8 I have massage and see an osteopath quite a bit [especially recently with bone in foot drama and now ITB thing].  I have been doing pilates a few months and can touch toes after all that [with quite long nails! and only just! but it's a huge difference].

I actually like stretching now the way it feels.  I also have a small hard rubber ball that I use around insertion points to glutes etc that's mega ouch. And if I sit on it on the floor, moving after every few mins, you wouldn't believe the transformation [ditto for feet, arches etc].  Another tip I have is standing or lying on the famed acupressure mat.

SB congratulations on your fab [and sounded highly enjoyable] event! 

Sam you are so wise, well it would look bad if you behaved like a nutter too I guess, loved the article in RW, you really capture what it's all about.

Just watching the athletics from Ostrava on Eurorsport. 

Have the Great Manchester recorded for this afternoon's pre race inspiration.  

mcs, really sorry to hear about accommodation hassle, and also sick daughter. Hope things are looking up now. Loads of luck for tomorrow. If you need any help with practical stuff while in town just pm me. Good luck to Fraser too and anyone else running tomorrow.

I've eased off from PB target as managed to fall off bike (hit by car door) and needed sutures - both knees, I look like I've had a playground accident - last week and been under the weather this week so going for a PB Sept instead and just going to enjoy tomorrow I think. Did the 10K to support a friend this morning and it's a bit warm to be running, just been out to get factor 30..

SB - amazing stuff on the multiday!! Am in awe

Sam - great to hear you're on the mend, thanks for the luck . I'd seen The Wall race and very tempted for next year or the year after.. Are they doing the 1day or 2day option?

Rosie - ouch - hope you're ok - that had to be sore! Thanks - wasn't trying too hard - treated it as a training week - too much for me to even contemplate racing at this point! Big Hugs

Ben's pulled out of the 10k tomorrow - he's full of cold and so made the decision today that he just wasn't up to it (largely based on his pulse being high and sounding like a snot monster). Very, very rare occurrence!

Good luck RR - hope you have a good 'un! and congrats on the win - whoop whoop [multi-days = good excuse to eat waffles with toffee sauce

I've just been out now that it's cooled down - feel really stiff after my gardening mission yesterday - hopefully tomorrow will feel easier, talk about feet and shoulders like cement!

Get yourselves settled for a good night everyone - will be thinking of you ...

Go Go Rosie!

SB you are quite frankly super human - week long events, gardening, run again tonight - you make me feel quite lazy!

I found today very tricky heat wise and my poor running chum struggled a bit. We managed a very slow 11 miles. Most exciting thing ... I nearly stood on a snake sunbathing on the path perfecty camouflaged - beautiful! Grass snake I believe about a metre long.

Good luck everyone running and racing tomorrow!

SB...no not see the biking on ITV4 (must take a look) but become obsessed with which bike is best to buy!  Went for 20 miles off road this morning (a subsitute for my weekend run).  Getting to know quite a few bike routes now..

I had x ray on Fri - results should be available Tues (I had to be very persuasive to get them this early - it was going to be 2 weeks!).  Really hope it isn't a stress fracture of the heel - treatment looks like wearing a plastic booty thing and crutches for 6-8 weeks which will make life fun...

RR well done on winning the race!

mcs & Rosie best of luck for tomorrow, hope it isn't too hot and you have a good run.

Good luck to anyone else racing tomorrow.