UKC

Not a runner Myself (always figured if its so good for you, why do runners always Look so Miserable and unhappy).

Just wondering if any UKCers are doing that London marathon this Sunday? If so, give a shout out to the charity youre Running for.

Serious Aiming for a Time? Or just for fun and charity?

Please Someone say youre doing it in outrageous Fancy Dress? The madder
the Better

Have fun, good luck, and hope the weathers Kind. Wave at my old Flat on Jamaica road about a km before tower bridge. The first of the Two massive council tower blocks, cant miss it.

In reply to Choss:

Hi,

I'm running London on Sunday.

i had planned to beat Mo Farrah, but I'll give him a head start.

running to raise money for Mtn Rescue

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPro...

In reply to Choss:

I am not doing London, but I have done a few marathons. Running is good for you, but racing hurts, the distance involved in marathons adds to the challenge for many runners. For me, I get enjoyment from challenging myself to run whatever distance as fast as I can in races and at other times just knowing that I can leave the house and run for 10, 20 or even 25 miles at a steady pace.

In reply to Choss:

Doing London sunday as my first marathon. Running for British Heart Foundation in memory of my Mum who died last year of a heart related complaint.

Best of luck to anybody on UKC doing it, or any other event at the weekend for that matter.

In reply to Choss:
Not this year - but it was my first marathon a few years back and I raised over £1,500 for Medecins sans Frontieres which I was quite pleased about.

Its a great day out for runners and spectators and for 75% of runners its a fun run - which is why when you watch the 4 hour+ runners they're in a world of pain because its all about completing the distance. The faster guys are in pain since as Nick says, they're racing and it hurts.

In my opinion, trying to run a marathon in under 3 hours (my current goal) is harder than running an ultra for 18 hours (its just over with more quickly). But whatever the level its a great achievement and everyone crossing the line deserves congratulations no matter how hard they worked.

Anyway, what stuck with me was the noise and enthusiasm from the crowd for the whole race - on a sunny day the turnout is huge and it makes a massive difference to runners. Despite getting cramps at mile 22 (and a nice lady in the crowd trying to offer me water and Ibuprofen, and lots of encouragement) I really enjoyed it.

Good luck to anyone doing it, especially if you're trying the distance for the first time.

In reply to yorkshireman:



totally agree, many ultra runners shy away from quick marathons yet they are brutally hard to do right. I think they are one of te ultimate tests of a runner as its a perfect mix of speed and endurance.

Not me this year, had a championship entry sorted but moved here, torn between chicago or MDI (scenic but slow) for the fall.

In reply to IainRUK: It's an interesting aspect of running in this country (and no doubt some others) that there seems to be a desperate to the marathon, and even straight onto longer stuff. I can't say I'm not guilty of it myself, but I can think of few people who start doing races who then don't very quickly look to complete a marathon, rather than spending time learning to train and race over shorter distances before stepping up to longer events.

I do wonder of the impact on top level running that outside of a fairly small scene a fast 10k would not be recognised, but a mediocre (in comparison to what someone should be able to achieve) marathon would be lauded.

In reply to Choss:

You used to live near the Salmon Centre and London Royal Marines accommodation?

In reply to Liam M:

I have made a decision recently to stick to getting faster at the shorter and not even think about a marathon for a bit, a recent run out at the National 12 stage showed me how much fitness I have lost through doing longer stuff.

The ultra scene is an interesting one, lots of people doing it because they are not competitive at shorter stuff.

In reply to IainRUK:


No, that's the 400m!

In reply to Choss:

Yes. I'm in. Doing it just for fun and speed as I managed to get a ballot place.

5th marathon but 1st road marathon. Going to be interesting.

In reply to Liam M:
Many ultra runners failed to realise the secret to running quick ultras is to run quick over shorter races.. thats changed now and the US runners have led the way in many ways, they now have a glut of sub elite roadies who have changed the field. Jez Bragg was for many years stand out the best in the UK now he's probably one of 5-10 over shorter stuff, to 100k, and some way of the fastest now.

Steve Way will run something like a 6:30 100k in a month.. to be competitive in the ultra's we need to be running 70 or below halfs and you dont run them without being a comfortably 15 something 5k runner..

But thats too hard so people just want to go further, strangely lazy in a way.

In reply to Tony the Blade:


Yeah, Casby House, one of the Twin towers next the school.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

No, 5k is the perfect mix...

I recall a conversation with an international level orienteer and later team manager who told me that 5k just wasn't hard because it never hurt him - 'umm perhaps you should try going faster?'
I knew another orienteer who would have been superb at 1500m or 5k, but due to pressure was hanging around on the edge of the national team at O instead. And no, he wasn't doing it because he liked it - he liked running, but orienteered because his father was a selector or somehing.

Lets face - at this point in the UK nothing less than a half is a target for most new runners

In reply to IainRUK:

Yep - this is exactly the problem with a lot of road runnig clubs in the UK. People start, maybe run a 10K and then they want to move up to the marathon. This is because the people who are seen as being "good" in the club run marathons every week which gains them kudos. No-one has any idea that running under 35 mins of 10K is hard work, nevermind sub 32 or sub 30 even! Once they have done a marathon then were do you go? Too much effort to get that 10K time down so how about an ultra?

In reply to wbo:

I do often think some people at the back of races would do well to stand at the finish line and watch the front end of the race finish - they are nearly always hurting more.

In reply to Liam M:

Yep - not that I'm bitter but people tend to ask if I have run a marathon (I haven't) rather than be "impressed" by my times over 5K/10K (not that I'm after recognition because they are plenty of people quicker than me!) I'd like to think that I buck the trend you described as I want to get my times over 1500/3K/5K down first before running fast over 10K and maybe then stepping up to distance.

In reply to Choss:

I've found this also with triathlons. For shorter distances I'm fine but slow. If I push my pace and frequency, then I tend to get injured.
Hence I'd rather go longer and still slow, thats just building up endurance.

In reply to Choss:

Aiming for a marathon is the only way someone like me, a woefully slow runner, could ever sound like I have any running cred at all

In reply to Humperdink:

Funnily enough I ran my first ever competitive 10k race yesterday (I've run a few marathons and ultras). It was a local club event and I did it out of interest and figured it would be a good opportunity to test myself. It was this thread that made me think about gauging my ability at that distance.

I went all out despite getting squashed at the back at the start and got a finishing time of 39.18 which I'm really pleased with - and I have a new found respect for the 10k event. Previously whenever I think of 10k its just an easy training run, but like others have said there's a big difference between running and racing, and with the shorter distance there's nowhere to hide - you have to be putting out 100%, 100% of the time.

In reply to yorkshireman:

Yep - well done on your time, sub 40 is something a lot of people aspire to but will never do.

In reply to Humperdink:
Aye, I'm trying to find some 10k's/5k's but just got a Chicago Marathon entry so may go for that in October.. but maybe next winter I may try and do indoor races, 3k/5k's and try to get better times.

I've seen many get down to 36/35 for 10k and then make grand statements about cracking 33 or lower just thinking they can easily extrapolate their improvement.. just getting down those few minutes is bloody hard work and running longer is much easier and people do give you more credibility for it..

None runners are more impressed with distance and I always get asked the 'whats the furthest you've ever run?' question.. where as if someone says they are a runner a runner will ask 'whats their 5/10k pb?' etc


In other news we should all quit running.. read the comments section and please just stop running.. it kills you..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2603906/Two-runners-die-half-marath...

Yorkshireman: well done, I'd keep doing a few more, racing more is good experience, but getting faster improves your running efficiency which makes ultra's so much easier.. if you can run a 10k at 5:30-6 min mile you can drop 90 sec/mile off that pace and run for hours..

In reply to IainRUK:

Just to be clear - I wasn't knocking you when I was talking about marathon then an ultra! Sounds like you've plenty of time to have a crack to lowering your 10K then focus on Chicago (but you've probably got some fast ultras to run in between as well).

In reply to IainRUK:

A mate of mine who is a sub 33 10k runner, got so sick of people asking him if he had run a marathon, he entered one with two weeks notice, ran 2:51then retired from marathon running.

In reply to Humperdink:

Oh I know, dont worry, its right its why I keep trying to get my short distances down.. I did what many do, went straight for the ultra's.. but then came back down, and have gravitated back to ultra's but still have an interest in all distances.

Ultra's can also wait, your window to run a fast 5k is pretty small.. but I also enjoy the racing too much to only race ultra's which personally I can only do 3-4 a year at a standard where I'd be happy with my performance.

In reply to The New NickB:

Well that is an option! Its always amusing for me watch when people (usually male) ask my fiance if she has run a marathon and she says yes. They often respond by saying "oh I have too, what time did you run it in?" with a big smug grin on their face. Seconds later this is wiped away when she replies "I did it in 2:46"......