The FastDay Forum

I hope your hips feel better soon, Pete.

This week I've gotten my first few real runs in since breaking my arm. I have only done 7 to 8K and a 5 1/2 K hill run. It is probably insane, but I am still hoping to do the half marathon in two weeks. They give you a lot of time so I will just walk and run.

Good luck, MaryAnn. A half marathon after your problems sounds awesome.
I tried a sort of interval training today, but the pattern got a bit messed up when the Cocker got left behind and I had to go look for her. Then later I was surprised how tired my legs were feeling, thinking it had taken more out of me than I realised, until I remembered I was running fasted! It really does make a difference, so hopefully I was burning fat.
The foot also seems to be improving gradually - I certainly don't think the running is making it worse, which I am pleased about. I would hate to have to stop to let it heal.
Didn't get to flat out though.....another day, Pete. I plan to try some faster bits on my short morning runs.
All good fun

Simon, I know lots of people with dodgy knees and hips, but few of them are even remotely fit and active, and most have a lot of other issues as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. If you're going to have the pain, you might as well have the gain

But I'm only 26!

Morning parkrunners

Dry, clear and chilly here. Good luck everyone

Well I had a pleasant but not very quick run, I'm not sure where I lost time but my watched showed 29:01 - about 30 sec over my PB. I'm quite relaxed about my time as it isn't that long ago that 30 mins seemed an impossible goal.
How did everyone else get on?

I hope your hips feel better soon, Pete.

This week I've gotten my first few real runs in since breaking my arm. I have only done 7 to 8K and a 5 1/2 K hill run. It is probably insane, but I am still hoping to do the half marathon in two weeks. They give you a lot of time so I will just walk and run.

So I managed 12k without walking yesterday. This half marathon is starting to feel within reach. I'll do one more long training run but mostly take it easy next week...

Thanks for all the sympathy, chaps - I managed to get round today in miserable conditions (which improved within a few minutes of finishing, of course!) in a time of 25:23, which is slow compared to June/July but still OK. Hips still sore but breathing seemed to be the limitation today.
Got passed by quite a few of the girls who are saving themselves for tomorrow's half-marathon though...
Well done SianS, I am 200 seconds slower than my PB!
MaryAnn - it looks as though you will be OK for your half, good luck with your final long run...

I chatted to another runner after today's parkrun and she told me that my local half marathon is "undemanding" by which she meant flat, the next one is next April. This week I ran four times a 5.5k, a 6k and a 7k, and a parkrun 5k,how far should I be comfortably running on a regular basis before seriously considering a Half?

April would be good - only need to be training up to 8 or 9 miles as a long run to be able to get round a half, especially if you can manage 4 runs a week, with the proviso that you increase training load steadily enough not to get injured...
If you wanted to race hard, of course, I would recommend 12 - 14 mile long runs every Sunday, with shorter/faster sessions in the week...

Thank you for that Pete. After posting my question I went and checked the website and found that they ban the use of music players and headphones. which has I'm afraid put me right off.I will browse around looking for another one or possibly a 10k to get me in the right direction.

No ParkRun for me last week, as I was instead doing the GR8 Dundrum Run! That was 8 gruelling miles of road, gravel lanes, beach, hills, soft sand, stony beach.....

But very pretty in the shadow of the Mourne Mountains. And it stayed dry. I'd set myself a realistic target of 1:30, so I was very pleased with a chip time of 1:26

I've shared some of the photos from the day on Facebook, and many of my friends have remarked on how fit I look - so I'm basking in those compliments.

SianS, they always ban the use of music players and headphones.
But having done two half marathons, I cant count the number of people that had them, so in my experience its not all that enforced, especially if it is a big event, they cant check that many people.
The other option is to try running without your headphones, I started doing that a few years ago and now I cant run with them in, I just love having that time running with my own thoughts listening to my breathing and using that to pace myself.

So... the dreaded half-marathon is almost here. I'm still sad I couldn't train properly, but given that I got in a good 12k run last week, I'm going to give it a go. They give us loads of time, so I can walk if I need to.

The doctor has let me take the brace off my wrist, but I'll wear it for the race for security. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't approve of the half, but I fail to see how it will affect my wrist (especially now those pesky pins are gone!).

anyway... wish me luck. I will need it!

edit to add: It's a 'moonlight' marathon, starting at 5pm on Saturday, the 19th.

Good Luck MaryAnn - be prepared to walk, but be happy to be carried along with the masses - you will almost certainly do better than you expect!

So much to catch up on!
Good luck MaryAnn, I'm rubbish at working out timezones but I hope it goes/has gone well.
al, I can't imagine running with no music, my playlist sort of tells me where I am in my run, but I might give it a try one day soon.
I went out on Tuesday and it was a nice day and I felt good so I ended up running 10k just to see if I could and after 1hour and 5 mins and several repeated laps I finished it.
I am now in Pembrokeshire (Wales) and ran 6k along my usual seafront path, lovely and mild and NOT RAINING The nearest Parkrun is over an hour's drive away and much though I'd love to be a parkrun tourist, it is just too far to go.
I hope everyone else's runs went well today