Over 60s training.

Ceal - have a great time with Betsy!

Raining here and windy with it. Shan't be running - wasn't going to anyway (still aching after yesterday's 7 cold miles).

Ceal - Have a lovely day with Betsy. It will be nicer down in Brighton in the summer

Ceal-Have a good day with betsy,shame the weather isnt more forgiving,

JJ-Wow what a garden its really beautiful,thats a lot of hard work.Mines the same as grahams am afraid.Nice picture of doodle.

Columba - A deserved rest after your 7miles

Good weekend to all 

Thanks guys, she is now asleep! I am therefore taking a quick break.

It is raining cats and dogs here in Brighton, the wind is particularly fierce.

Columba
That was a great run by you yesterday especially when it was so cold.

Busbar
I hope you are on the mend now.

JJ
I don't know how you have time to walk the doodle, tend to your garden and run each day!

I stubbed my left big toe yesterday, ouch.

Out for a short run this morning, 3.9 miles, just as dawn was breaking. The rain started as I arrived back at the front door. Excellent timing.

MrsJJ is out all day today and most of this evening. I need to hire a chef.
An expensive scooter  was delivered this morning. I hope it's not my Christmas present from MrsJJ.

Ceal
It's easy if you enjoy doing things. I like the great outdoors.

"Ouch" plus some bad language?
JJ

Good morning

6.05M; 1:22:19.4; 13:37/M; 7°C

Taking it easy; still not looking at g whilst running.

al

Morning

Ran Barking parkrun this morning in 29:18

3.12 miles
Average Pace 9:22
9:46
9:06
9:18
1:06 (8:55 pace)

We did the Christmas Dash 5 miler this morning.

The good news was that it didn't rain at all in the race. Before and after, yes. Plus it was warm enough to wear shorts and short sleeved top.

But the course 2 laps and was very challenging. The course was slightly shortened by taking out a grassy hill which was considered too dangerous to race up due to excessive rain yesterday. There was a LOT of tough uphill, this was on a hard surface and one section seemed to go on for ever. On the 2nd lap I felt like a beginner, my legs nearly gave in and walked, there were many that did just that. Unfortunately one had to work very hard on the downhill return, which was quite long and certainly steep because it was thick with wet mud and leaves. Therefore, my downhill pace was nearly as slow as the uphill pace. My shoes were pretty good but even so one could not afford to relax for a second in case one landed in a heap on the ground.

The area where the race was held, was a very scenic route through the trees, and around Ashburnham Place house which is a prayer centre.

I actually feel quite proud if myself for competing in muddy race. It was the most difficult conditions that I have ever raced in. After the first 800 m's when the race was sorting itself out I was not once overtaken by another lady racer.

My unofficial finishing time of 39:16 mins is immaterial, because it was a multi terrain race.

I won a bottle of red plonk as the 4th or 5th Lady Veteran finisher. I can't remember which. The results aren't out yet.

On the start line, I was standing in about the 3rd row and got kicked on my anterior tibialis, at the top end of the muscle. A young male runner kicked his heels up behind him, he was very apologetic. It is now quite sore and bruised. Same side as my afflicted big toe.

Several racers said that the race had been run in the opposite direction to that of today. Which would have meant that the muddy sections would have been uphill resulting in the long downhill section being on the hard surface. I think that would have been the easier way around, at least one would be able to relax and benefit from the downhill running. But perhaps the race organiser didn't want to make the race easier!

Tracey
You are getting back on track.

Ceal
Well done on getting round the race unscathed. I've run it 4 times; twice in today's direction and twice the other way round. There's not much difference in the effort involved. The other way has a much longer uphill. It's not so steep but it's very hard running up it on the muddy surface.

Tracey
That 9:06 mile looks very promising.
JJ

Ceal - good effort racing in such tough conditions! Not good to get kicked before you even start!

Tracey - getting close to getting under 29 minutes -good run.

I seem to be really tired at the moment, so not doing very much. I did run the club's 10km champs in the Auckland Domain last Sunday - 47.49. It was a big effort. I was disappointed that I still haven't got on top of using my garmin. I tried to include the warm up and warm down, but they were included in the total run and the race didn't show separately. Think for my next race I'll only start the watch just like my stop watch, when I do actually start racing.

I had to ask the person timing what my time was!

I'm supposed to be running 3km on the track at 12.15pm today - crazy - in the heat of the day. Think I'll have to wet my head before I start! Not sure why I put myself through these things. I will be definitely using my stop watch!

Ceal-Well done on what was a difficult course,had some hills like that on xc where i just had to walk a bit of them.

NZC-Can sympathise with you on tiredness i seem to be in that mode as well.
Good luck with your race and garmin

 

Good race runs today from Ceal, Tracey and Christine(last Sunday).  Quite a tough one where Ceal ran.  Doubt I could keep going if I was in it !!

Poor performance in my 5k parkrun this morning, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.  Recent illness had definitely affected my fitness, certainly for racing.  But at least I know where I stand, got to keep at the training and forget about 5ks for now though maybe they could still be ran as a training idea. Not sure about that though.

Mile times were 10.07, 9.45, 9.51 and 0.57s for the 0.1m.  Official time 30m.43s (yuck!)
Can't fault weather, no frost just wet surfaces with sodden leaves. Once or twice I felt the slight inclines quite hard and was almost tempted to walk a little but no I preferred to persevere for what it was worth.  Only congestion from runners was at beginning thats all thanks to a smaller turnout.

194th out of 234.  Age % 59 summat.

 

ceal, annoying to get kicked on the start line - bad enough actually in a race. Congratulations on the prize, especially as you must have been competing against younger runners in that vet category (usually 35 plus I believe).

Christine, a very good 10K time in your race, especially if you aren't feeling at your best.

Good park runs from Tracey and (considering a lay-off recently) Impey.

I did a cross-country race this afternoon. Very muddy after yesterday's heavy rain but the mud claws coped very well as usual. Almost fell over walking on the way from the car to the start though, wearing normal running shoes. 5.6 miles @7:29. My younger club mate, who's about on a par with me, beat me by a few seconds though this time, after I'd just pipped him at the line last time out. He's a granddad I found out today, but a very young one!

Ceal - ouch! to the stubbed toe (lot of nerve endings in toes, I believe) and ouch again to the anterior tibialis.

I take my hat off to all you people doing muddy cross-country races in wet conditions, and to all running despite fatigue.

Had a day's working today so didn't run. Don't usually work on a Saturday but this was an exception, - had to be fitted in before Christmas.

Good morning,

NOTHING on here yesterday!

Impey
I think you have used the incorrect word to describe your park race time. It was not a poor performance or indeed a disappointing performance but more of an expected one and is a time which is a benchmark for your next one. 5k ran faster than a present time for a training run is good for your running. I can see that you were held up again in the first mile! Don't stop doing them, will you?

Graham
Your av pace for a xcountry race was an excellent one in muddy conditions.

NZC
Your 10k time was not too shabby at all considering how your are feeling. You obviously give it all. I am now waiting to see how your 3000 race went. Yes, yes, why do we put ourselves thought such torture! I only ever use my Garmin like a stop watch!





I woke yesterday morning feeling very tired indeed, my body didn't want to move at all. I ached in places that I have to ached in for a long time. My big toe is still sore but not too bad. My leg is very sore and I can't stretch the anterior t which makes stretching my quad rather tricky.

I just set went out for a short 20 mins easy run yesterday, but not a shuffle, I don't do shuffles any more. The run stretched out my muscles nicely. But today I can still feel Sat's race in my legs.

Results are out and I finished overall 89th out of 233 finishers and 16th lady. Considering my age I am pleased with those stats.


I was surprised that Mo wasn't placed in the Sports P of year, he was well down the list.

Good morning

5.15M; 1:08:24.6; 13:17/M; 5°C

Back in shorts today.

Ceal - Congratulations! Well done!

al

aws
Thanks, you are getting nearer to the 12's again!

Ceal - Many congratulations! I've just looked back to your account of the race and it seems to have been really tough; no wonder you're aching.

Ran 4.8 miles yesterday; felt hard for some reason although I'd been looking forward to it and conditions were good, - mild, not raining though a bit wet underfoot. Shall have a quiet day today; possibly a bit of cross-training with the vacuum cleaner.

Ceal's comment on not shuffling made me wonder, - if it's a choice between shuffling and not running at all, which would I choose? Which would anyone else choose?

Columba
A difficult question. The trouble is when one does a run when one's feet aren't picked up and hence neither are the knees, then one is practising the motion incorrectly and it could then be the the incorrect action of running which is then implanted in one's brain and this could then become the norm.

Maybe when one suspects that one's legs feel as if they are not going to perform properly then one would perhaps be better engaged doing some cross training, for instance some running related weights or other exercises which would strengthen one's core.

Or another idea would be to just run several very short intervals, say 20---40 secs, but fast, with walk back recoveries (after a warm up of course). That way one is not using a lot of energy to do this and there is a good recovery, and one is not shuffling but actually picking up one's heels and running properly. A much better message to the memory bank would be desposited.