My Forum

Hi, well I certainly picked a freak week for my first event, having booked a 10k taking place in October I was expecting a nice cool autumn day .... well, barring snow I couldn't have got it more wrong!

My story is in an earlier message, but having only started running in June and a foot problem hampering training I went into this 10k never having run more than 5k. However, I had my 10yr old son for company, a very fit Banbury Harrier junior, but also never having run this distance.

So we got to Blenheim early, with wife and son no. 2 in support and my Sister and a friend also running, had a good look around which was handy as we found the 'proper' toilets in the courtyard which saved a long queue for the portaloos (quite handy as we were drinking loads and suffering the obvious consequencies).

We hung back at the start, Sis went off ahead keeping her own pace as she's got a marathon to do next week (mad!) and Charlie (the boy) and me hung back and enjoyed a very steady pace which was just as well as the course soon commenced a climb which seemed to go on forever. We kept plodding on, fortunately with a water bottle each as it was officially 'Stupid Hot', we'd heard on the PA there was water every 2k, which wasn't the case. But, we kept on plodding up, and up, asked a couple of marshalls where the water was, and it always seemed to be "not far now", eventually we could see a red gazebo on top of another hill at about 5k, but couldn't believe it when it was empty, being told the water is in another 1k. At this point my body cried enough, and we walked the loop, which took us 1k back to the point where the chap said the water was 1k away - but he was right, water had arrived!! So we grabbed a bottle each, drank half and ran on, only to see more water about 600m away, so we poured what we had over our heads and carried on, picking up more of the precious liquid further on.

Shortly after this, around 7k, Charlie (still a 10 year old!) asked if he could kick on and left me standing as he shot off into the distance - I can still hear people moaning about being overtaken by a child. We were getting near the car park and house by this time and starting getting some speactators, who's encouragement really helped, so I kept on plodding, finding wife and Son 2 just before the finish  barriers and then it was head down and go to the end.

So, to the point of this beginners tale, Charlie clocked 1:10.20 and me, 1:14.47. Can't quite understand how the winner managed 38mins, but I was chuffed to get the end without the need for an ambulance and walked away ready for 'a cold one' and looking forward to training to get the time down to 1 hour.

Finally, Charlie took 4 minutes off me in 3k, and so could easily have beaten his time, so whilst I'm pretty sure 10k times for 10 year olds aren't officially recorded, I'd love to know how this compares with any others known about?

See you next time

 Mark

Thanks, I certainly won't be rushing anywhere and hopefully BHF will be setting up ice-cream handout's in addition to water!

Seriously, I'm thinking of wearing a camelpack we've got unless the temperature is a lot lower tomorrow. Not sure if many others do this, or whether the water stations are frequent enough that you don't need to, but I'd rather look a little silly than risk running dry ......... wonder if I could put cold Guinness in it?

Hello

Just joined and my story is perhaps similar to many on here:

• My body is officially 47 - but I think I'm 26
• I still have to work to pay the mortgage and feed the kids
• Having to buy new suit trousers with a 40" waist was a wake-up call
• Couldn't keep-up with my two young boys
• People I know started having heart attacks

You get the picture ........ so on June 1st '11 I asked my 10yr old to help me start jogging, I looked up a training plan and we set off for 10 1min run/walk combinations. I just about managed it but felt terrible and realised that I had to take this seriously (now or never!). So, being too embarrassed to run on the road I started building up some treadmill distance at the local gym, and eventually added in some road running and finally the track at my son's athletic club to build up some outdoor distance. As I got fitter (and lighter) I bought a Garmin to help record progress and offer some pace assistance, and now, October 1st (4 months on) I'm 17lbs lighter and can now run 5k in 35mins without feeling ill afterwards!

There's a little more to this, as once the mileage built up I started getting problems with my right foot (very stiff after a run) and to cut this short now have orthotics to correct an issue and things are getting easier.

However, one of my motivational tactics was to sign up for the Blenheim 10k, which is tomorrow (2/10/11) and apart from the fact I wasn't banking on a heatwave, I have the problem of 'only' having run 5k on fairly level ground so far.

So, I need advice please, do I:

1. Try to keep a slow pace and double my best run distance (I'm not convinced I could do this)
2. Run as far as I can and walk the remainder
3. Plan some run / walk combinations (1k each) to cover the distance and hopefully manage a run over the finish line

I don't have ego issues, but equally don't want to be too embarrassed, so what do you all think?

Mark