VLM 2012 first timers???

Hi everyone. 1st time marathoner too. I've run quite a few half's but have been out with knee injury for 3yrs!!! What better way to get back to it than a ballot place in vlm?

Goal is to get to start injury free and get round with no serious damage. (sensible half of brain)

Would like to train properly and get a "respectable" time...sub-5? (competitive default half of brain which must be quashed)

Currently trying to build foundation of running 3x a week and am managing a couple of 3 milers tentatively. Off to try my 1st parkrun in Manchester tomorrow...a 7.30 start on a Sat morn!!!

Also got Non-Runners Marathon Guide too.  

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eek, I'm getting nervous that most of you have done half marathon distance before - the furthest I have done is 7 miles and that was a couple of years ago.  At the minute I am up about 4 miles - but there is still 6 months to go - phew!

A few folk have mentioned the Non - Marathon runners guide - I have a look on Amazon and was hoping you could tell me if it's the one by David Whitsett or the Women's one by Dawn Dais?  I would like a good book that I can use for advice etc and also to pick up when motivation is lacking! 

Thanks RunningRaRa!   Glad you enjoyed parkrun.  I have a couple local to me to (Falkirk and Edinburgh) and I don't go as often as should but always really enjoy it when I do make it along.  

Referring to my previous post I am sorry about the typo. It should of course have read ORPHANAGE!

A 'senior moment'

Anyone interested in helping me?

Sorry Pam, I'm out too.  I don't have a charity spot, but am planning to raise money for a rheumatoid arthritis charity as my husband suffers from it badly.  Sounds great fun to be running with others in fancy dress though, hope you raise lots

Went for my long run yesterday and had a bit of a disaster!  Got lost as I was doing a new route and ended up having to get picked up by Mr TST at 10 miles - was only supposed to be doing 9 and I was still 4 miles from home when he picked me up!!

Very short run for me tonight after a bad cold has knocked me out for the last week or so    Hard going but should be able to get back into the swing of things this week.  Hopefully won't suffer any more colds - better to have one now than when the training really kicks in!

 Hope you're all staying well and injury free so far!

 TST - well done on doing 10 miles even if you did get lost!!

I'm not too far from you, I'm over in Attleborough Katie, so if you fancy a run in the country you are more than welcome to come over and have a run out with me   Definitely join a running club, there are quite a few in Norwich, as it will encourage you to get out and you will find lots of people there who will support what you are doing.  I was so scared the first time I went to my club at Wymondham, but they are so helpful and supportive that I'm really pleased I started going now.  What mean friends you have though for them to laugh at you for wanting to do the VLM   My friends just think I'm a bit crazy for doing it, but I guess it is another thing in a list of loony stuff that I do!  Try doing the part run over near the UEA too, it might be fun to do that every 4-6 weeks for a bit of variety and to see how you are progressing

And remember this .......

Let's see how much they are laughing when you cross that finish line

Morning all How's it going?

I delayed my morning run for this evening - it was pouring with rain when I woke up so I re-set my alarm and had an extra snooze lol. I'll go when I get in from work. The dog looked relieved, frankly, she hates wet weather!! 

So - are you all telling everyone and anyone that you're doing this?! Ive been a bit undecided about telling people, I'm worried about not being able to do it for whatever reason (mostly my plantar fasciitis problems, allthough that seems to hurt whether I run or not, so I've decided to ignore it!). I've told a few close friends but thought I'd wait til New Year to go properly public. 

Katie - I've only done 10k events too, and the last one of those was a couple of years ago! i'm unfit, overweight, and terrified .

Morning everyone  

Can't say I blame you having an extra lie in Len, running in the rain's not nice!  It was dry here, although dark when we got up to go swimming at 6am   Had a good swim though, so it was worth hauling myself out of bed for.  Same can't be said for running club last night though where for the first time we had a bad experience   In the end me and the friend I go with went off and did our own little interval session, but we were disappointed by the attitude of a couple of the coaches last night.

Which club did you go to Katie?  Sounds like they have a good variety of different levels of runners there

Welcome along Suarez!   And you are very right, it's where we go from here that counts rather than where we have been!