This won't be till a year October, so I will have been running for two years by then. It has a very generous cut off time of 3.5 hours and a flat as a pancake route. I can currently do 10k in 1hr 35 minutes or thereabouts, in warm conditions, up and down hill, elevation gain averaging 150 metres, so I should be fine.
Should I aim for this only, or enter another earlier in the year? Taking into consideration that I'm an older runner (71).
Thanks Mike. and i still haven't done a park run either, though I have the Blenheim 10k in September, which I'm stressing about like mad as I'm worried about needing a wee or not memorising the route - though with the route thing I guess I just follow everyone else ... I'm bound to be last anyway x
LOL, i think I will! I'm glad you have faith in me. My daughter is doing it too, but she's a lot faster than me. Seriously, your encouragement means a lot. I dont get much from Mr I Dont snore because he comes from a sporty physically active family who keep going with limbs hanging off. He says he's proud of my running but I do go on about it! Thank goodness for these forums where everybody else is going on about it too
You’ll be fine! There are marshals to tell you which way to go. Although I have similar anxiety about loo prior to racing 😂 It’s a girl thing for sure. There will be plenty of people slower than you Flick - people who’ve next run before at all and are walking 👌🏽
I once needed a loo at the start of a race where we’d been bussed to the start on a drab industrial estate It was on a Sunday morning. No lav at all as it was back at the muster station. So I spotted a guy in the doorway of some nearby offices and asked him. Yeah o’course. I was busy chatting to him not realising they'd called folks to the start. I heard my name being bellowed so hot footed it to the back of the pack. Except that I was actually at the front ☺️ All the elite males gathered in a tight bunch. Well I didn’t know 🤷♀️ My first race 😁. They had a good laugh at me 😁
When I went to London to watch the boat race one year, the ladies in the nearest pub was chockablock so I marched into the gents and used a cubicle, to the horror of several men caught by a woman with their apparatus out.
Oh that’s exciting, Flick, and sounds well within your capabilities! As for other races, could doing a 5 or 10k help in preparing you for race conditions? ie running with other people? I don’t have experience, but I think that is what I would like to try before doing a HM. xxx
Thanks Sadie I think you are right, that sounds a really good idea. I have the 10k race at Blenheim this September. It will be my first public outing, as we don't have park run here. It's apparently a tough course, though I don't think it's any hillier than my normal longer runs, so it should give me some idea of how I perform running with others. If we can get back to Oxford then I will certainly do park runs. I shall also look out for other local 10k runs over the next few months. xxx
thank you I'm doing a virtual challenge to run 50 miles in August, so that should focus me too. Who am i kidding! I want the medal and the compression top! I ran 44 miles this month, so it's only another 6 and i'm determined to do it. actually virtual runs look a lot of fun, and you get bling!!!!
Look forward to hearing about park run. I've never done one. My daughter did and she said she set a steady pace, and that helped.
Wonderful news Flick, well done! It's great to have a target and I think you will love working towards this. What an inspiring lady you are! Good luck😀x
Park run is no challenge at all if you don’t want it to be. Runners - or indeed non runners - of every ability are there taking part, getting round come hell or high water. It’s not a race! It’s a body of people, and dogs, moving forward en-masse. Great it is but nothing to fear all. In fact, it’s the very opposite 😃. It’s FUN
Personally I don't do that many 'races'. But I like to have one in the calendar to motivate me. I like to see my weekly runs as training runs, and having an event to aim for keeps that focus. However, if I did too many 'races' I would get fed up with them.
So plan to do as many as you want. Too many and it becomes a bit of a production line, too few and you may just lack a bit of spark.
Thanks. I don’t think I’m in danger of doing too many since expense and not being able to drive are restrictions. I’m looking forward to Blenheim as that’s my first and my daughter will be running too.
I like the idea of your weekly runs being training runs.
Way to go Flick. As roseabi said, if something comes up beforehand and you feel up to it then why not. You’ve got over a year to go yet so plenty of time to consider your options 😊
I’m doing the Oxford half this year 😳 I am currently up to 15K so a bit of training to go to get those miles in my legs. I’m looking forward to it now. Will let you know how it goes!
Flick there is no way you are 71! Wow. Looking good.
Running wise I reckon you will be ready before next year..... I was aiming for a 10k and ended up doing the half! But have fun training and gaining confidence that you will do it. X
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