Running thread

[peter.evans]

Absolutely this mate, I'm always saying the 25 stone bloke who is chugging round a marathon in 9 hours is working far harder than the whippets at the front, the mental fortitude to get it done that them folk have is huge.
Most in the running community is are hugely supportive of each other as its pretty much understood your only ever racing against yourself and your own goals...... well that's apart from that Dutch bloke who is currently getting miles in front of me in the montane virtual spine race! It's an ultra not a sprint pal!!

Absolutely agree. It's only running and you go at your own pace and get what you can out of it in terms of enjoyment and fitness. I have often said that races should be weight related including the Olympics, etc, like boxing. If you are built like a stick you are obviously going to run quicker than somebody carrying several stones more around. Park run is great and they do age weighted scores but they should also do weight related scores too, which I think would be even more encouraging for people. If the system could allow you to enter your weight prior to each run or if it changes that would be good and then we could get a real comparison of performance !

 

[inchy14]

71 year old bloke doing his 300th parkrun today.

He beat me.

Did Heaton Park on Saturday, first time in a few years, one bloke doing his 500th!!

Started in all the traffic and just took it easy to begin, finished dead on 26mins. Happy with that under the circumstances. Need to just chip away at it now.

 

[MCFC1993]

Just picked up a spot for the Manchester Marathon. Can't believe I'm putting myself through a Marathon again! It's an addiction isn't it.

I'm currently bed bound with flu as well, so I won't be 100% for a while. Hopefully 10-12 weeks of solid training is enough.

I was disappointed with my tail off in the last 10k of Chester Marathon, so hopefully I can right those wrongs here. Once I'm well I'm due to join a running club and implement strength and conditioning so that should help.

 

[ob]

4 enjoyable cold lunchtime miles today

 

[staffsblue]

4 enjoyable cold lunchtime miles today

I went out for a circular run from Castlefield to Salford Quays and back this morning, out via the Irwell and back via the Bridgewater Canal. Lovely morning for it and perfect running conditions.
I don't use tech so no idea of the distance, but given that it took about 32 minutes, I'm guessing it was about 5.5km.

 

[Manchester33]

This is madness. The guy walks a 5k quicker than most of us can run one!

 

[chesterbells]

Did Heaton Park on Saturday, first time in a few years, one bloke doing his 500th!!

Started in all the traffic and just took it easy to begin, finished dead on 26mins. Happy with that under the circumstances. Need to just chip away at it now.

Not done that one, aiming to do it in the next few months. Is it a decent course? Multi-lap? Any climbs or flat?
Did the one opposite City last year & parked in the club car park. Enjoyed it, a pretty elite affair though, less than 100 finishers iirc.

 

[chesterbells]

Could not agree more. One of the most difficult things when running longer distances is holding it together mentally. Im relying on music at the moment, as I am not quite there yet. Those who stack up the hours to train for a marathon and then, as you say chug round in 9 hours, that takes some mental strength, not just race day but all the hours of training and suffering to get there.

One of the best thing about doing an Ultra to be honest is the lack of competitiveness. You cannot go all in at full whack, so you just run around at a comfy pace chatting to people as you go.

I’m not sure the wear and tear on joints and tendons is that good for someone on the roads that many hours though!
I keep expecting to see Eddie Izzard in a wheelchair sooner rather than later.

 

[BlueHammer85]

This is madness. The guy walks a 5k quicker than most of us can run one!

Jeez, what would be his time if he actually ran ?!

 

[2smokinberyls smockfrocks]

i live up in the foothills of the pennines so i see a lot of people running by.

i often look at the obvious pain on their faces (pain they are inflicting upon themselves) and wonder who it is they are running away from?

my conclusion is that they are running away from themselves.

 

[BlueHammer85]

i live up in the foothills of the pennines so i see a lot of people running by.

i often look at the obvious pain on their faces (pain they are inflicting upon themselves) and wonder who it is they are running away from?

my conclusion is that they are running away from themselves.

Some truth there.
Running is testing yourself physically and mentally and making you stronger for it.

 

[franksinatra]

i live up in the foothills of the pennines so i see a lot of people running by.

i often look at the obvious pain on their faces (pain they are inflicting upon themselves) and wonder who it is they are running away from?

my conclusion is that they are running away from themselves.

Going to work can be painful, having a relationship can be painful, building friendships can be painful, having and losing a pet can be painful, running can be painful. Everything we do of value in life, of any value, can hurt in some way but also gives you the greatest rewards.

Running and yes the pain gives you a sense of achievement and in life what is worth doing which does not involve some discomfort along the way?

When I run up a hill over the south west coast path, I feel the pain, but once I get to the top, looking along the coastline, wind in my face, stunning views, and feel alive at my accomplishment, it makes it all worthwhile.

Pain and happiness are not always mutually exclusive, sometimes you have to suffer the former to experience the latter.

 

[franksinatra]

I’m not sure the wear and tear on joints and tendons is that good for someone on the roads that many hours though!
I keep expecting to see Eddie Izzard in a wheelchair sooner rather than later.

Yeah, true. Like most science there are arguments running increases bone density etc but also man is not probably designed to run on roads for those periods of time.

I always try to stick to the trails as much as I can for that reason.

 

[Gaz76]

i live up in the foothills of the pennines so i see a lot of people running by.

i often look at the obvious pain on their faces (pain they are inflicting upon themselves) and wonder who it is they are running away from?

my conclusion is that they are running away from themselves.

It brought a frown to my face reading this, my conclusion is that you are talking shite

 

[chesterbells]

Yeah, true. Like most science there are arguments running increases bone density etc but also man is not probably designed to run on roads for those periods of time.

I always try to stick to the trails as much as I can for that reason.

Yep, agreed, varying the surface is great, esp when distances are moderate to long, or when you are running days back to back … which tbf I don’t do anyway mostly - I always go every other day at most.

 

[inchy14]

Not done that one, aiming to do it in the next few months. Is it a decent course? Multi-lap? Any climbs or flat?
Did the one opposite City last year & parked in the club car park. Enjoyed it, a pretty elite affair though, less than 100 finishers iirc.

1.5 laps, 1 huge hill (named Angina hill for a reason) no other real inclines really. Just gets hammered so you need to be at the front for a good spot.

 

[inchy14]

Going to work can be painful, having a relationship can be painful, building friendships can be painful, having and losing a pet can be painful, running can be painful. Everything we do of value in life, of any value, can hurt in some way but also gives you the greatest rewards.

Running and yes the pain gives you a sense of achievement and in life what is worth doing which does not involve some discomfort along the way?

When I run up a hill over the south west coast path, I feel the pain, but once I get to the top, looking along the coastline, wind in my face, stunning views, and feel alive at my accomplishment, it makes it all worthwhile.

Pain and happiness are not always mutually exclusive, sometimes you have to suffer the former to experience the latter.

Nail on head. Nothing better than the feeling after finishing a real tough run.

 

[Manchester33]

Jeez, what would be his time if he actually ran ?!

He tried running 5k shortly after and was slower than his walking pace lol. I guess it's a different sport so it doesn't transfer across very well.

Competitive walking is a goofy-ass sport isn't it haha

 

[Manchester33]

i live up in the foothills of the pennines so i see a lot of people running by.

i often look at the obvious pain on their faces (pain they are inflicting upon themselves) and wonder who it is they are running away from?

my conclusion is that they are running away from themselves.

There's a nice quote for this, replace 'walk' with 'run':

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.

A more humorous one is this:

I'm going to go torture my legs and lungs in the hope of tricking my brain into releasing chemicals that make me think I'm not miserable.

 

[Gaz76]

No I wont, not a chance