DFW Running Club!!

beer_tins

Forgive me ROD, for I have sinned. Yes I'm back and my user name is only slightly changed.

Long story short, I've been a lazy slob for all of December and the New Year so far. I went for a run on Sunday and puffed and wheezed my way around 4 km in 20 mins exactly. OK, the pace wasn't so bad, but I've really go to crank up the distance. Why have I been so slack? Because I haven't entered any races, so the motivation to get out of the door has more-or-less disappeared.

So... I'm planning on doing the Reading Half marathon in March (had planned on the Lydd, but it's too soon for me to be able to drag my carcass round that). I've done a "rough" training plan to build up to the distance, but if I send it to you, can I have some feedback/a re-worked version Rich? I've only really entered my "long" weekend runs so far.

I think I should be able to get up to scratch by 29/03/2008, but as I've never done a half marathon before, please tell me if it's a bad idea i.e. too soon! I'd also be up for doing a 10K and maybe a 10 miler along the way to keep me motivated. I quite fancy the Valentines day 10K in London, but not if it doesn't fit into the training plan.

Feel free to give me abuse. I know I've been bad!

Idiophreak

beer_tins wrote: »

So... I'm planning on doing the Reading Half marathon in March (had planned on the Lydd, but it's too soon for me to be able to drag my carcass round that). I've done a "rough" training plan to build up to the distance, but if I send it to you, can I have some feedback/a re-worked version Rich? I've only really entered my "long" weekend runs so far.

I think I should be able to get up to scratch by 29/03/2008, but as I've never done a half marathon before, please tell me if it's a bad idea i.e. too soon! I'd also be up for doing a 10K and maybe a 10 miler along the way to keep me motivated. I quite fancy the Valentines day 10K in London, but not if it doesn't fit into the training plan.

Feel free to give me abuse. I know I've been bad!

Good to have you back, old bean!

I'm happy to sign up for the Reading half if it will help - give you someone to beat, and everything

I'm sure if you work hard you'll be able to do it without problem - see if grandpa rich will knock you up a training plan

beer_tins

Idiophreak wrote: »

Good to have you back, old bean!

I'm happy to sign up for the Reading half if it will help - give you someone to beat, and everything

I'm sure if you work hard you'll be able to do it without problem - see if grandpa rich will knock you up a training plan

Thanks! Although the last time I checked you were only a smidge off my 10K best time. So assuming you've been keeping it up it'll be more a case of keeping up with you rather than beating you. It's all good though.

I'm sending rich my rough plan now. Hopefully he'll have a laugh, delete it and do me a proper one. I won't call him grandpa either. At least not while I'm asking a favour of him!:D

Idiophreak

beer_tins wrote: »

Thanks! Although the last time I checked you were only a smidge off my 10K best time. So assuming you've been keeping it up it'll be more a case of keeping up with you rather than beating you. It's all good though.

Nah, have done jack all since mid december -only managed 11 miles over my 2 weeks off over xmas - shopping, then a cold and so on. Starting again friday with any luck, bored of waiting for the cold to go away now...(played footy yesterday and didn't die, trying some more footy today)...of course it will still be a challenge for you to keep up with me, you loser! (is that motivating you? nope? )

Didn't realise the reading one was so expensive - £28 or something seems like a lot. Seem to be looking at doing 3 halfs in just over a month now - could be "entertaining"

beer_tins

Idiophreak wrote: »

Nah, have done jack all since mid december -only managed 11 miles over my 2 weeks off over xmas - shopping, then a cold and so on. Starting again friday with any luck, bored of waiting for the cold to go away now...(played footy yesterday and didn't die, trying some more footy today)...of course it will still be a challenge for you to keep up with me, you loser! (is that motivating you? nope? )

Didn't realise the reading one was so expensive - £28 or something seems like a lot. Seem to be looking at doing 3 halfs in just over a month now - could be "entertaining"

Wow! Didn't realise Reading was so expensive! Chose it on the runnersworld website which doesn't show details to non subscribers. I picked it because the date was about right and it's close(ish) to London!

I'm playing footie tonight, in fact am leaving for it in 5 mins. Should be a good indicator of how (un)fit I am!

RichOneday_2

jj - You're quite right I am mad, but it is a pleasurable time to run early in a morning, dark or otherwise. Interestingly, I bumped into several runners this morning between 6am and 7am and they were all girls! This struck me as a bit odd, but thinking about it, it may well be the lack of hassle that girls get at that sort of time which makes it a more attractive time to run than, say, early evening?

30DB - That 6.5K just gets you into the training threshold range where improvements start to accelerate. You should find that adding further distance over the coming weeks comes relatively easy, as long as you keep the runs at low intensity.

In terms of the heart rate readings, its best not to think in terms of good or bad but rather how your own readings change over time. Personally, I've never experienced 172bpm so that sort of number scares me to death, it represents pain beyond belief!:p But whatever the reading is for your steady runs you should see a lowering over time representing improvements in your oxygen transport system and the efficiency of your heart.

Beer Tins - Congrats on the name change - wherever did you get the inspiration from?;) However, considering the lack of activity in the last months maybe another name change to 'Too Many Beer Tins' may be on the cards?:p

I've sent you an outline training plan for you to ponder since you refrained from calling me names that may indicate that I was no longer a youth!:rolleyes:


Idio - I haven't even made it to the 'pa' stage, never mind the 'grandpa' stage!!:p

And I agree about entry fees for local races getting out of hand. There is a distinct thinning of fields at the competitive end because of the fees. More and more club runners are just getting together and having their own competitive 10Ks or half marathons on a Sunday morning. If 20 runners get together to do their own thing they can save upwards of £500 between them and still get an accurate hard race, so they become a lot more choosy about which official races they enter. If entry fees were still £3-£5, which they should be, then this trend wouldn't be happening imvho of course!!:rolleyes:

Having said that, if you got a momento like we did on Sunday at every race you would feel comfortable with fees up to about £10 I suppose!

Moan over (for now!):p

hypno06

Hello lovely people (endorphins have kicked in here.....)

I did an easy - yes, an EASY - 7.9 miles this evening - I could quite happily have kept going but I needed to collect the children from karate!

It was just under 85 mins so I reckon about 10.45 a mile? I didn't have my garmin so can't be too precise but mapped it on getmapping, and timed myself on my ipod stopwatch.

It was a lovely evening - a little slippy underfoot and I have a couple of blisters from the new trainers which is a tad annoying, but basically I am pretty pleased for a mid week run!

I know what you are saying about girls being out early because of not getting hassle - groups of yoofs don't tend to get up that early........!

jjwhittle1981

Rich So i see your method of running in the morning is to make your self look good to the opposite sex, as your the only male runner out at that time in the morning LOL.

Iv managed to do some running today. I managed 5.08km in 32.08.
Its not my best time but im glad that i made it to 5km as id wanted to stop at about 2km.
I was hoping to complete 10km but my body was still sore from the circuit training from tuesday. Iv got more circuit tommorrow, so im sure that i will be aching but it will be good to push myself.

RichOneday_2

Nice run Hypno - I think you've left that '11 minute per mile come what may' runner behind now if you can have EASY runs at a quicker pace than that.:D

Don't you just love those endorphins?:D

jj - shhhh don't give away all my strategies!;) Well done on getting out and you did the right thing, pushing on when the body says no is something only to be done in races and hard quality sessions - there's no point causing damage for no reason.

hypno06

Yes, I have to confess I would never have expected to run that easily - my very first attempt at running in the summer was once round this loop - I couldn't get round it without walking and it took me 38 mins (although that included a quick glass of water at Panias on the way past because I was almost dead.....).

Today I went round the same loop quite happily three times - ok, so it is a nice flat loop with nothing that can be called a hill, but still, the difference between today and the summer is phenomenal!