Over 60s training.

Ceal
Trust you to have a designer injury. Hope the diagnosis and treatment solves things quickly.
Can't get to Hyde Park tomorrow to support. MrsJJ is out and I have to dog sit. You have quite a collection of Serpies' 5k trophies.

Tracey
According to the long range forecast there's no snow for T.Wells on Sunday.

TS
Having sorted out their briefs who was responsible for de-briefing them afterwards?

Daffs in my garden are still small. Early crocuses are all out.

Columba
The swimming lessons sound quite good value.
JJ

ceal, had to laugh at JJ's "designer injury" comment. Pleased you have a diagnosis which makes sense and that you have a remedy to fix things. Sorry to hear you haven't been too well though.

Columba, good that you've sorted the swimming out and are enjoying it.

Mick, more impressive mileage this week. 

I had a track session for the first time in a while yesterday and for a change was joined by a couple of club-mates. One was a 77-year-old lady who's just done a HM in 2 hr 5 min. Not bad eh? 

After warming up I did 5 x 400 laps with 60 secs recovery rather than my usual 90. There was the usual wind, very cold yesterday. Then I had a decent break before doing another 4 x 400, also with 60 secs recovery, this time with my friend (not the lady). My times on my own were 1:34, 1:32, 1:30, 1:31: 1:32 and the other 4 laps varied between 1:40 and 1:42.

I'm taking part in the National Cross-country Championships on Saturday. How cool does that sound? It's going to be bitterly cold but at least the dry weather recently might mean it's not quite as muddy as it could have been.

Pammie
What's the alternative course and why might it be changed? I really want to have a go at the course I did last time, where it finished on the flat with a right turn.
Good news about the gym

I've been wearing my Nike Frees around the house. It seemed like a bettter idea than slippers, particularly as I tend ot lift my big toe up to keep them on my feet. The slippers not the big toes.

Columba
Great lessons!

Graham
Very impressed with the XC champs. A friend of mine was at the Northerns a couple of weeks ago and got frostbite on his feet.
Don't want to put you off......................
Goodluck!

K2, thanks for those cheery words . Might wear an extra pair of socks!

ceal, Joyce. Do you know her personally? Age for age she must be the best runner at our club.

Anyone know the Forest of Bowland well enough to comment on its suitability for a southerner to spend a few days break? Looks quite scenic on the map.

Graham
I ran the national XC about 8 years ago. They don't half run quick but it's a great experience.
Excellently paced 400s.

JJ

JJ
I used to go through the Forest of Bowland quite a lot as a child as I had an aunt and uncle in Clitheroe. I can't remember it in detail but I liked it a lot and it was unspoilt. Not many trees, though. definitely worth a look, I'd say.

YOu might have just given me a holiday idea.

K2 think you might have done it if memory serves me right starting at the boathouse and its a 2 lap course. Usually in June theres a rock concert in the area of the start and finish of the normal couse (bandstand)

Pammie
I might be able to do August or September. It would be good to have longer daylight.

ceal
Sorry to report that I've had to call off the firewalk as I couldn't get enough people to walk it and I'd have been liable for the full cost which wasn't really an option.
The company have said I can carry over the deposit so I'm looking at other options (other venue or tagging myself onto someone else's). I will do it and you will most definitely be told when I do.

Lol at the "designer injury". Also at K2's attempts to keep her big toes on her feet.

Ceal, I remember watching you run a LFOTM, a year or so ago, and you pointed out to me a very fast 75-year old lady who was also running it. Would that have been Joyce?

Graham - really impressed at the National X-C Championships.  Maybe gloves and a buff as well as extra socks?

K2 - shame about the firewalk but I look forward to later attempt.

good morning

K2 wrote (see)

Pammie
I might be able to do August or September. It would be good to have longer daylight.

I hope it doesn't take you that long to complete 

JJ
not a tree to be seen in the FofB. However you may get a glimpse of a  hen harrier. It is an area like much of the North Pennines - pretty wild and unspoilt by too much tourism 
I need the crocus out to do a max HR test 

Graham
see that wasn't so hard was it ?  Good times for the first effort
Is the xcountry at Sunderland this year - I seem to have read somewhere that was the venue?

Columba
sounded a good start to your swimming lessons
I thought you were suggesting Graham ran the xcountry in the buff for a moment!! 

Ceal
my mules must have lower heels than yours !!

It ws bl**dy freezing out there this morning and I was underclad having just put my lightweight Izumi top over the merino wool base layer - needed my thicker Mizuno one - bbrrrrrrr

I therefore had to run a bit harder than I wished just to keep warm but still controlled it quite well for 5 miles in 44:06 (8:50m/m) with avHR127 (63%WHR) and a max of 142

1m 9:42 117  129
2m 8:42 121  131
3m 8:47 127  138
4m 8:26 132  139
5m 8:45 138  142 Hipps Hill  - bit of  a guess on HR as suddenly started to spike

Nice lazy north east breeze that just blew straight through one's body - lovely!!

Knee was okish - I had remembered how to tape it properly but had forgotten the essential preliminary trick that my physio had shown me - didn't shave my leg - and remembered only when I removed the tape

TS, ouch to the knee! Yes, they're in Sunderland this year. A place I try to avoid normally of course but too good a chance to miss running when it's so local. We're getting a really good turn-out from the club.

Columba
Pam Jones was almost certainly the lady. She's a LFOTM regular.

TS
Thanks for the succinct description of the F of B. I like the thought of few tourists.

K2
You and TS are clearly in agreement about F of B
JJ

TS,
Another very solid run with a good avg WHR %. I am doing a lot of my running at a similar avg WHR % but a bit slower.
Let's hope that the knee doesn't get any worse.

Graham,
Good luck with the XC tomorrow but it would not be a worthwhile XC if it didn't have lots of mud and was a bit on the nippy side. Reminds me of HS where we ran XC all year round in shorts and of course we were not allowed a hat or gloves. Black plimsoles were the standard footwear so no grip at all.

I really enjoyable run outdoors with a couple of friends today. Picked it up over the last mile.

Unable to post my run !!!

 This website is really flakey, I can crash my session at will. The US is much more stable with more consistent formatting, it is hard to understand why the two sites have to be different. Why would you use the same design team and just let the locals control content?