DFW Running Club!!

beer_tins

Hi guys, well I did the race on Sunday in 48'23". I'm really pleased with that, as it was my first effort. Good guess Rich, I think we can count that as 46-48. I didn't run a good race though, there are a number of things I will do differently next time. A brief description of my race:

0-1K I started near the front, so there was a huge crowd of people to contend with. This meant a slow start

1-2.5K I did this fast as the crowd cleared, too fast in fact. Trying to keep up with faster runners (and making up for my slow 1st K) rather than running my own race. Result: stich. Ouch

2.5-5K running slowly with hands on head/pinching my side to get rid of the stich. I didn't stop though as I'm told if you stop, you've had it! By 5K I was feeling much better and the stich had stopped.

5-10K This was the outstanding part of my race, I was running my own race and at my own pace. I did the last 5k in just over 22 minutes, with just enough energy left for a sprint finish up Olympic way.

So overall I'm pleased, especially as it was raining heavily. A few things I'd do differently next time:

1) Hang back at the start. Your time doesn't start until you cross the start line. After 10 minutes I could have started and run through the back of the field, which would be thinning at that point.

2) Run my own race. Unless I have a running partner who's going for a similar pace it's stupid to try to keep up with other runners.

So would I do it again? Oh yes. With a bit more training (+weight loss) and a better race strategy I'm sure I can beat 45 minutes in the not too distant future. I'm really glad I did this, as it gave me the motivation I needed to get up in the mornings to run, which was the whole point for me.

I'm astounded at how quickly my fitness has gone up. When I started in April I was going about 2k and was panting and wheezing afterwards. I wouldn't have dreamed I could run 10k at that point, yet 3 month later I had done that for the first time in training. So my message to you is, if I can do it, you can too. Keep at it and you will feel the benefit.

(Land_of)_Maz

yay!!!!!!! :T :T :T :T :T

congratulations!! Sounds like you done pretty good to me!!

48 mins is nothing to be ashamed of at all, in fact it's brill!!! (my 1 and only 10k took me 73 minutes! but i was just pleased to finish..)

So tell us more, how was the organisation, water stations, medals, tshirts, freebies (ever MSE!)

beer_tins

Thanks! I'm not ashamed at all - quite the opposite - it's just that I'd do it a bit differently next time.

To answer your questions:

Organisation. It was fairly well organised, but as this was the first Nike global 10k a lot of the stewards didn't really know what was where. Also, it was far too late in the day. It's not like it was timed so we'd run the same time as others around the world, a lot of them had done it before we started! It was dark when I finished and others were still running well after that (there were 4 phases and I was in the first). also the way they'd sectioned off the area around the stadium meant you had to walk a ridiculous distance to get anywhere. Let's say it could have been better.

Water stations. they gave out water bottles before and after the race. There was also a water station at 5k. Plenty enough as far as I'm concerned.

Medals. None I'm afraid.

tshirts. Well we got the red shirts with our runner numbers for the race, which were nice gortex (I think) numbers. they also gave out nice white long sleeve "I raced the world" t shirts of the same material after the race.

Freebies. The only freebies we got were in the racepack, a free shake at Starbucks and a free workout in a Virgin Gym.

RichOneday_2

beinerts,

Well done, mate. That last 5k was quite something. Its always great to put a marker down so 48-23 with areas you know you can improve plus weight loss makes you start to wonder what's possible..

I bet you can't deny that last night your thoughts were starting to turn to 'I wonder, I wonder, just how fast could I go...?' You must have a potential 44mins in you plus a little more I'd guess.

T-shirts, medals etc.They don't mean much when you've got that buzz of achievement do they?

So, congratulations - you're now officially hooked!

Maz - Good to hear you're on the mend. Injured and ill not really a good combination, but always temporary. Your body is a clever bit of kit though, so if it tells you it needs to rest, it probably does so take your time.


Sue - I'm seriously impressed! Now which part of '2 miles per day' did you not understand? lol . At this rate you're looking at 20lbs weight loss in 4 months!

RichOneday_2

The Obese Veteran Diary

Well, this morning went out and walked the same 6-mile loop as Friday in 1-47. This next 4 weeks are going to consist of 4 sessions per week walking and/or running with no great pressure. So, so far , so good!

I've got to say I'm really glad I found this forum. Everyone's so nice, but then again I've always found that runners are nicer people than the general public.

More importantly, having read a lot of the threads I've discovered the answer to something which has been nagging at me for ages in relation to motivation. So, I'm now going to have a ramble to myself about motivation (please feel free to skip this).

Motivation
I've been puzzled for a long time why I can't get motivated to achieve things which have given me a big buzz in the past.

Is it an automatic result of ageing for instance? Well that's what I thought but now the answer has hit me between the eyes like a sledgehammer - the answer is in the question.

To get a real buzz, true motivation, you have to have a target to achieve something you've not achieved before. So, to run 10k, to run 10miles, 1/2 marathon, marathon for the first time are specific targets which are also big achievements and the fact that some African stick insect finished 5 miles in front of you doesn't make a jot of difference to the buzz you experience.

Equally, PBs are great because even breaking a PB by one second means you've achieved something you've never achieved before and therefore gives you that runner's high.

So, Further or Faster are 2 great motivators and are very personal achievements.

To aim 'To Be Fit' or 'To Get Fitter' just doesn't cut it because it's wishy-washy - there is no achievement point or Eureka moment where you can say 'I've done it!'
But yet that's exactly what my aim has been for the last few years and got me nowhere. It doesn't grab you enough to get you outta the door when there's something else to do.

The other great motivator is Rivalry and there's an element of this going on on this forum. I remember Seb Coe saying that on Christmas Day 1979 he went for a morning 10 mile run aiming to then relax and enjoy the rest of the day but he couldn't, something was eating away at him. He finally realised that he had a nagging fear of losing out to Ovett, that if he didn't do another run Ovett would have done and gained an advantage. So, on with the kit and another 5 miles before tea. And this was a full 9 months before the Olympics.It was a full 20 years later that Coe told Ovett about this and how obsessed he had been with losing out. Ovett's response was 'Oh, you only did two runs that day?'.So Rivalry can be a great motivator.

So, the crux of my motivational problem is Further, Faster and Rivalry are missing as targets. I have no particular desire to go beyond marathon distance so Further is out, in terms of Faster my PBs are too far out of reach to feel realistic at this stage and there is no great Rivalry to get motivated about.

So that's good. I finally know what the problem is and that's half the battle. But what's the answer? Amazingly, once the problem was defined the answer presented itself within 24 hours.

And therefore, in the full knowledge that I am opening myself up to ridicule I am going to attempt to transform from an obese blob now to a fully ratified world record holder. Now that gives me a buzz just typing it.

The attempt will be carried out at either The Great North Run 2009 or 2010. It is realistic and achievable and as such there may be others on here who fancy a crack at it as well. What better than two or more DFW Running Club members going head to head for a world record?

It's a bit quirky and, quite frankly, pointless but nevertheless a real world record. Since this is already long enough I'll post later re what it's about

beer_tins

Thanks! Yes, you're right on both counts, not fussed about medals etc. I was just doing it (no Nike plug there, honest) for me. I'm pretty sure I could run a better time simply by hanging back and then running my own race, without much improvement in fitness needed. Mind you, if I lose these last 10 lbs or so (why do they go so much slower?!) to reach my ideal weight and improve a bit more, I can do even better. The seed has been sown I think!

RE: weight loss, over the last 7 weeks I've run about 158km (100 miles). I know, because that's when I got my Nike+ SportsBand which tells me. I suppose the 10 weeks (maybe a bit more) before that I would have covered about 75-100km (took a while to build it up). In that time I lost about 20 lbs. I guess in that time I've been walking more as well (instead of getting busses to and from the train station both ends and also during lunch breaks). I've also been drinking less beer i.e. drinking less generally and going for something other than beer when I do.

beer_tins

Rich, you're completely right. Getting fit/losing weight was my aim, but it is not a motivation in itself. The 10k was the target that gave me the motivation I needed and I am now looking for the next challenge (a 10K or 5k, but faster, or a half marathon). I also believe you need to have these goals for your motivation.

As for your own motivation, well I don't know what makes you tick, but how about timing yourself over 5k (walking if you need to some of the way). Look at the time and say, right I'm going to shave x off that and get under y in the next z months. Look at it as a season best and not an all time personal best.

As for setting a world record, it's good to have goals but :eek:. Fair play to you for aiming for it though! As you say your PB times are out of reach, can I assume you meant a fastest average time (with others) over a set distance? Either way, I'm intrigued. Lol, look at Mr 1 race over here getting ahead of himself, I think it's still the post race buzz!

donner_kebab

sallyx wrote: »

Evening All
I really really need to have a huge kick up the bottom. Since last race in July I seem to have lost all enthusiasm. My half marathon is in 2 weeks and when I signed up I had in my mind that I would be well prepared, the fittest I have ever been and slimmer...grrrrr
So here I am 2 weeks to go and ive put on a stone since last race, I can only just do 12 miles (then can hardly walk for 2 days after) and my eating is appauling. I need to really get my head together and get prepared.

Don't worry Sallyx, you will be fine! I'm like you said I would be slimmer and am about a stone heavier, said I would be at my fittest but feel like a sloath and have been eating nowt but cack for months! But we can do it! :T I knocked out a 12 miler yesterday (took it easy) in the rain after only having 4 hours sleep! Oooops! But felt a lot better knowing that I had done it whilst everyone else is still snoozing in bed! I am gonna start to taper off now though...4 miler tomorrow, 5 miles on Thursday, 6 on Sunday and then 3 on both Tuesday and Thursday next week! Really need to sort my Nike + out though as would be good to get that sorted!

MissShoes

OMG I have applied for the marathon...what was I thinking? I've applied for a charity place and find out in a few weeks but gotta start training now. I am about as fit as a marshmallow.

(Land_of)_Maz

Well miss shoes, you are in the right place for motivation!! welcome to the fold!!!