Running

[Russ Greaves]

I guess you don’t have to define it in such absolute terms - meaning, your ‘best’ times/races don’t have to be your fastest. Nobody can keep setting PBs but there are so many ways to define achievement in running. For me, to still be running in another 22 years (when I’ll be a V60) will be a huge achievement and I really hope I manage it. It’s hands-down my favourite sport in terms of participation. Nothing like it.

[sneakyfate]

Yes, in this context age-grading is a very helpful concept. According to the Runners World Age Grade Calculator:

• My "best" time in a half-marathon is not the 1:34:37 I ran in my prime but the 1:41:57 I ran 11 years ago when I was 55, which has an age-graded score of 66.81% and is equivalent to a "prime" time of about 1:27:22.
• My 2:04:19 recently in the Scottish Half Marathon scores 61.48% and is equivalent to 1:34:57, so right back to where I was!
• However, my T&G time yesterday scores 65.35% and is equivalent to 40:52, which is over 2 minutes quicker than the best 10K I have ever run, so not too shabby at all, maybe a bounce-back is on the way

[Russ Greaves]

Yeh I like the way running deals with ageing in terms of the age grading and age categories. You can keep improving relative to your age and you can still shoot for positions within your age category.

And beyond all of that, you can just run for the joy of it and forget about times and positions. I’m just not there yet - the racing/pushing myself is a huge part of the appeal.

[spyros]

Oct 16, 2023 17:10:33 GMT Russ Greaves said:

Now revised to 1.11.35 after a timing error - 32nd out of 15,894. I’ve hit my sporting pinnacle!

Not even good for age, but a proper champs qualification time!

Incredible effort - usually marshalling somewhere around 23 miles at London, so let me know what season's United shirt you'll be wearing and I'll set my pattern recognition

[Russ Greaves]

Ha. I’m nervous already!

I ran the Leeds half in a Cambridge shirt and only realised afterwards why people were saying ‘go on Mick!’.

Alas, off the championship start at London you have to wear your club vest, so I’ll be in City of Hull purple.

[spyros]

Oct 17, 2023 12:18:54 GMT Russ Greaves said:

Ha. I’m nervous already!

I ran the Leeds half in a Cambridge shirt and only realised afterwards why people were saying ‘go on Mick!’.

Alas, off the championship start at London you have to wear your club vest, so I’ll be in City of Hull purple.

If you're leading by more than 500 yards I'll throw you a flag...

[Russ Greaves]

Doncaster 10k on Sunday. Can be a pretty painful distance, but then I guess they all can be! Just feels like with a 10k you're on the borderline of overexertion and yet there's over 6miles to get through, so it's not like you can just push through in the same way as a 5k. It also doesn't have the same 'comfort zone' of a half marathon, which is a distance where your average pace really shouldn't cause you any problems in its own right - it's just maintaining it for the duration and avoiding the mistake of pushing too hard too soon.

I think a 10k might be one of the best all-round indications of your running ability. That's more an instinctive feeling than anything science-based! And of course many would make the case for the marathon to be the ultimate proving ground.

[rocky]

Nov 21, 2023 16:33:28 GMT Russ Greaves said:

Doncaster 10k on Sunday. Can be a pretty painful distance, but then I guess they all can be! Just feels like with a 10k you're on the borderline of overexertion and yet there's over 6miles to get through, so it's not like you can just push through in the same way as a 5k. It also doesn't have the same 'comfort zone' of a half marathon, which is a distance where your average pace really shouldn't cause you any problems in its own right - it's just maintaining it for the duration and avoiding the mistake of pushing too hard too soon.

I think a 10k might be one of the best all-round indications of your running ability. That's more an instinctive feeling than anything science-based! And of course many would make the case for the marathon to be the ultimate proving ground.

Smashing time, Russ (yes, I've stalked your result).  It's very consistent with your expected time based on your recent half-marathon result (using an online race time predictor).  This also suggests you're capable of breaking 2:30 in the marathon, which I assume is your goal?

[Russ Greaves]

That was a cold one on Sunday! Felt like a slog but in the end not a bad run at all. I want sub-32 eventually but patience is required.

Yes, breaking 2.30 would be my absolute A goal for London, but it’s my first marathon and there are so many variables. I’ve got to do the training and I’ll see where I’m at. Should be a great experience though.

I’m all ears for any marathon tips!

[Russ Greaves]

Properly started marathon training today and I can already see how tired I’m going to be for most of the next few months!

[sneakyfate]

I've had a nightmare trying to train for the Cambridge Half Marathon. At the start of the year I had two weeks with no running at all due to shingles, then as soon as I got started again I tweaked a hamstring. I've seen a physio, who reassured me it's a minor tweak and gave me some exercises that seem to have worked, so I'm going out for a test run tomorrow and praying that it doesn't twang again. If all is well, I've got exactly 4 weeks to get myself back up to running 13.1 miles/21.1km. This will be very much a case of survival, and sod the time! My son-in-law is coming down from Edinburgh to run it too, and I fully expect him to finish 20-30 minutes ahead of me - well, he is 30 years younger than me!

[Russ Greaves]

I’ve been fortunate (so far) with injuries - any I’ve suffered since I took up running ‘properly’ have not been caused by running.

Hope you can train without issue between now and the Cambs half. I’m really looking forward to it. Gona be part of a normal training week for me but I hope to be able to have a really good go.

[cambsno]

Does anyone want a place in the Cambridge Half in a few weeks?

Injuries and other stuff have prevented me from training fully so will not be running.

[sneakyfate]

Feb 6, 2024 17:05:23 GMT cambsno said:

Does anyone want a place in the Cambridge Half in a few weeks?

Injuries and other stuff have prevented me from training fully so will not be running.

Unfortunately the deadline has passed for getting a refund or transferring your place. The only way to pass on your place is for someone to impersonate you! Not recommended. I'm almost certainly going to have to pull out, my test run yesterday has left me very sore, but I didn't take out the insurance, so I'll just have to accept I've lost my entry fee. It's a shame they don't let you roll it over to next year, but I guess by now they've incurred all the expenses associated with my entry.

[Russ Greaves]

Sorry to hear you’ll both have to miss out. I think the drop-out rate must be quite high for races. Entries open so long before the event and, while some people will simply change their minds, a lot will suffer injuries.