Over 60s training.

JJ - dark chocolate with wasabi, especially if accompanied by Bombay sapphire, doesn't sound to me quite the thing for someone trying to lose a stone in weight.

Aws - again, not a 13 in sight.

NZC - three hours of mud, steep hills and tree-roots, - you're welcome to them! I presume you were carrying something to drink, if not something to eat?

Impey/JJ - I love those very tall sunflowers, but don't think there's much point in trying to grow them here because we get a lot of windy weather. Or do you fasten yours to something?

Misty and cold here to begin with; then the sun broke through and it was lovely to look at but with a chilly breeze. I ran 7 and a half miles in the early afternoon. First of all I thought I was underdressed, but after 2 and a half miles began to feel I was overdressed, but that was only because the wind dropped for a while.

JJ, I love dark chocolate with ginger, but not sure about wasabi - would be willing to try though.

Quite a trail challenge, NZC, a day of cooking with granddaughter plus a gentle dog walk sounds just right after that!

Our sunflowers (and sweetcorn) have been targetted by squirrels.

The rain has arrived. I am on day 15 of my 5 x 50 challenge. I went out on the club run on Friday, and did just over 6 miles. We definitely need the head-torches again now. Yesterday I ran the long way round to the allotment and met OH to pick produce. We are still getting a lot of runner beans, french beans and mange-tout peas. This morning had a shortish 4 mile trail run, which was luckily completed before the rain got heavy. I can now watch the F1 and go to a friend's surprise 60th party - should be a full and enjoyable day. 

Good Morning,
Well I think I have been very lucky. It did rain for my race and it was certainly cold, the wind on the last 600---800 m's was an uphill head wind. BUT compared to what is going on outside right now it was nothing. We have stair rod rain now. Just horrible.

I really enjoyed my race, despite being cold for most of the race. I think knowing the course pretty well helped. It started on a field near a school and we ran around the field keeping close to the cones, well I was, it was the shortest route. I don't think everybody cottoned on to that fact. I also started near the front, the start was wide enough for me not to hold anybody up.

My first 400 m's were ran at 4.04 min milling, I then had to give myself a good talking to and slowed down. We next leave the field into a narrow path which is uphill and lots of overtaking takes place, both being overtaken and me overtaking. Then a sharp turn and the very dodgy bit of lose stones and pot holes is waiting for us, but I am over that safely. Uphill on what I refer to as concrete hill which has lovely views over the country side. Not that I noticed them today! Next we turn again down an narrow very bumpy stretch which comes out onto Worth Way, the disued railway track,  sharp right and downhill, thank goodness. But because of the terrain, I coldn't run as fast as I wanted, but I think this did me a favour and kept my HR in check.

Down to the bottom and then a 180 degree turn and a hard slog back up Worth Way for 3.5k. I can honestly say that I found it reasonable easy running up the hill in contrast to what I thought it would feel like. I focused on overtaking younger men, I love doing that, but of course I was also concentrating on overtaking women too. At last we reach the top, then turn left onto the road where I live which is still up hill but I know if I can keep going that in 400 m's there will be a reward of a Kilometer+ of down hill running. What a relief to just relax and let my legs do the talking. I overtook many down this stretch of uneven pavement.

We pass the 8k on the way down and keep going down and then we turn onto the A22 and it is uphill for the last 800 m's right into a headwind. I did find this HARD, but knew I hadn't got far to go and we turn and run across some rough ground into the football pitch I train regularly on. I just go for it and see when I pass the clock that I have run a good race.

My time by my Garmin is 48:35 mins. av pace 4.51 mm, av HR 152, MHR 164

Splits:-
5.01 mm, HR 141
4.53 mm, HR 149
4.51 mm, HR 149
4.46 mm, HR 152
4.56 mm, HR 153
5.12 mm, HR 152
4.50 mm, HR 157
4.44 mm, HR 158
4.28 mm, HR 152
4.48 mm, HR 157

I met some interesting ladies and might consider joining E G running club as a 2nd claim club. It would be a way to meet new people. Everybody was very friendly. The interesting ladies were from other Southern East Clubs.


I am very surprised with my time, and even more pleased to find that the present time for LV70 rankings is a time of 51:31, so thrilled to crown that by nearly 3 mins.

Competitive me, no never.

Now I am awaiting Betsy and parent who are coming for lunch.

I forgot to say I like salted choclate ice-cream

I also forgot to mention that my time gives me a 97.1% age-grading.

Ceal - that is awesome. But I am confused. Was this 10 km or 10 miles? You've given distances in metres / kilometres, but speeds in terms of minute miling (mm).

I am also confused as to why, if you've beaten the present time for LV70 rankings by nearly 3 mins, your age grading is "only" 97.1% rather than something over 100%.

Stair-rods here, too.

Dark chocolate with ginger (mentioned by Diana) - yes, yes, food of the gods. 

Columba
Apologies, the time should be mins per K. not mm, Certainly not a 10 mile race, I couldn't do that one. LV70 rankings to which I refer are the UK ones, if I got a 100% age-grading, that would be excellent, but there are not World Records for road races, every road race is different. Some one of 70 yrs (instead of 72 yrs, me) could run the faster than me but not necessarily achieve a higher age-grading, it would depend on how much faster.

Columba-Good run from you and you will be wraping up fairly soon with winter around the corner.

Diana-Just 35 more days that's quite a challenge

Ceal-Excellent time and run on a tough course,when are you going to give those youngsters a chance?.

16miles done today along river towpath @7.48pace felt tired after that.Just a 20mile run next week and then taper. 

ceal, that's a brilliant time for a multi-terrain race (or for a road race for that matter!). Very well done. I think all us older runners get a lot of pleasure from overtaking youngsters . And of course if they pass us, which is much more common, that's only to be expected...

Busbar, blimey, I'm not surprised you're tired. That's a great pace for 16 miles training and it's on top of the 20-miler you did last week, also at a very impressive pace. You must be in great shape and feeling confident about the marathon. I wish I could say "just" a 20-mile run!!

The horrible rain's yet to reach us, but reach us it will. Hopefully the worst will be over before tomorrow evenng's club run.

We're back from Italy now and had a great time. Would you believe I fell over again? Apart from coming off my bike on an icy patch a few years ago, I can't remember falling over badly as an adult and now it's happened twice in a few weeks. Not running this time though.

I was taking a photo from the side of a road near a vineyard and walking forward down a slight slope to get the best angle. Suddenly I felt something holding me back and looked down to see a low wire fence. Too late to stop. I went forward and landed literally flat on my face. Much swearing at my stupidity and I got up to find blood pouring from my nose. Luckily it wasn't broken but I had cuts and abrasions on it and my forehead. I looked quite a sight, and still do.

Yesterday I ran the park run and was pleased to do a PB of 20m 37s. It was the best attended park run in the country apparently. Great to see so many people keen to run but the downside is that there is now a bit of congestion for the first few hundred yards or so. 342 took part.

I watched a video of the race and once again I was appalled by how I look running. That's probably true of a lot of us though.

Graham-Sorry about your fall but good you had a nice holiday.
Super 5k time not far now to get sub 20,graham i have been pushing the pace on long runs as only running 3 times a week on limited mileage.Still think i will struggle to go sub 3.30 but just hope i feel ok on the day.Just watched spurs and we were so,so lucky to get that result.That is a big attendance for a parkrun.   

Ran 5 miles this morning in the wind and light rain. It was 4 miles off road and 1 mile of road which had a huge hill in it. Fairly comfortable effort taking 53 minutes but that included gates and stiles.

Ceal
Your time would have been good for a road run. Multiterrain makes it even better.

Columba
Tall sunflowers always need support. They don't fit into any sort of planting scheme but they are great fun. Nowadays you can get small ones that are good for bedding.

Busbar
16 miles at that pace augurs well.

Graham
Too much pinot grigio?
You don't need too much extra effort to duck under 20 minutes. Well done on the PB.
JJ

Busbar
3:30 is almost exactly 8 min. miling. It would be worth a try because Abingdon is a lot quicker than towpaths.
JJ 

JJ, no not pinot grigio! Not one of my favourites. We had a local rose (can't do accute accents) though one evening, which I'd always assumed were light wines. When I looked at the bottle it was 14.5%. It went down very well though...Something else we had which we normally don't was a dessert wine. That slipped down nicely too...

I like Italy a lot. I'm going to have a real try at learning the language now.

Graham
The Italians don't do white wines very well. The rosé was nearly sherry.

Click "Start" and in the search box put "character map". You've then got a fair old choice.
JJ

Good Morning,
There is a little respite in the rain at the moment, but it is due to commence again very soon.

Graham
EXCELLENT pb, you are so near to the sub 20 mins. A thought, unless you already do so, why don't you pluck up the courage to start at the front of the pack, thus avoiding the congestion at the start, or do you think that this wouldn't make any difference to your time? Falling over again, but I can see why, I don't think lack of balance had anything to do with the fall, it was all the fault of the piece of wire.

Not sure why JJ thinks that the Rose that Graham had was nearly sherry. I have had high alcohol content of Rose Wines which have been quite dry.

JJ
Another good training run to add to your comeback.

busbar
What a good pace for 16 miles. I would have been surprised if you hadn't felt tired afterwards.

Thanks everybody for your well dones. The results are up and they have given my time 5 secs slower than my Garmin, which I know to be incorrect. 1 or even 2 secs out but not 5. I also notice that the time of a Lady who finished shortly after me has a time that is 5 secs out too. I had talked to her and she showed me both her and her husband's watch (spectator), and I remember the read out well. Also as I came past the clock it said 48:31 mins so I know it didn't take me 10 secs to cross the line. Annoying, but there is not much point in telling the organisers, I have no wish for them to have to spend time going throught the results again and it is still a good time.

I finished 85th out of 331 racers and was 14th Lady overall. 

I will not be running today. In fact because it is the Hyde Park race on Friday, I will most likely only run tomorrow before the race. I have had 2 unaccustomed long races, for me, over the last 2 weeks and I have no wish to struggle with a 5k on Friday. .    

ceal, shame about your being robbed of the 5 seconds. I do actually start near the front of the park run pack. Not too cheeky as I normally finish around the top 20% and, anyway, the normal race etiquette of slower runners not going to the front isn't really there. I've lost a bit of confidence and worry about being tripped but luckily when it's not too wet it's possible to run on the grass alongside the path when the congestion's at its worst. In any case it's only for a short distance and not normally too bad. It's just until recently there wasn't any at all.

It's a horrible wet and windy day here and expected to get worse but I still plan to do the club run tonight.

Wet and windy morning. Norunday; legs are stiff. Dog walking was a slog.
The house is crawling with workmen this morning. The main job is installing kitchen worktops.
JJ

Ceal - thanks for the info; - I didn't think that you (even you!) could really have run 10 miles at a pace between 4 and 5 mm! And I'd forgotten about it being multi-terrain when I asked about age gradings.

Sherry can be dry. Eg. Tio Pepe, which was a tipple my mother favoured.

Graham - ouch, ouch! Not much fun. I hope the camera didn't suffer?

Busbar - talking lightly of 16 mile and 20 mile runs makes me feel tired. The half mara is the longest I've ever done.

Rained here all night and most of the morning. Easing off a bit now but shan't be running; have a swim planned for this afternoon.

Weather is just awful here. I need washing up liquid but it's too wet to venture out very far!!!!!!!!!!! But I will have to at some point later today, maybe early evening will be a quieter time for the rain and the wind.

Graham
Pity about the congestion at the start of the race. I know just what you mean about starting at the front and being tripped over, it only needs someone else to trip then we can all go down like a pack of cards. I have seen it happen. But one jsut has to be very aware, I try and keep my elbows sticking out to give me some protection. Hope the rain relents by the time your club run starts tonight.

Columba
Of course, I had forgotten about Tio Pepe, I like that one when it has been chilled.

JJ
I can only empathise with your house and work men. However, the kitchen is the one area where we haven't had much work done, but I can well visualise what is happening at your house.