Hi all you wonderful runners!! There have been some amazing, inspirational HU achievements this weekend! How’s it going for you? Do let us know in the comments below.
My main news this week, on behalf of the Marathon Team, is to confirm a date for our Autumn 2021 virtual HU Half Marathon and 10K, and invite you all to join us!!!
⭐ The HU autumn 2021 event is now OPEN for entry
Main event Sunday 14th November, 9.30am
(or as close as suits you!)
Anyone who can set off at 9.30am on Sunday 14th November will have the added boost of knowing we are all on the virtual HU start line together - running on our own, but definitely not alone.
However, we do realise the date/time might not work for everyone, so in order to give greater flexibility we will accept runs at any time on Sunday 14th November or at any point during the following week of Mon 15th - Sun 21st November
This event is of course entirely free to enter and once again, there are no t-shirts, medals, socks, aid stations or toilet queues! No training plans or routes will be supplied! Instead, a unique HU experience, run your way 😍
⭐ How will it work?
★ If we receive enough submissions, we will compile an event playlist based on your suggestions. Let us know any tracks you would like added to the playlist either by sending me a PM via chat or pop it in the comments below 🎶
★ We will again try to put together a ‘run experience’ using RunGo. Some people liked it in spring, others were less keen! It will of course be entirely optional but may prove a good distraction from sore feet and aching legs! This will be very much better if we can fill it with motivational/funny messages (text that would take from 15 to 60 seconds when read aloud would be ideal) from as many HU members as possible. Please send your suggestions to me in a message via chat (to keep it a surprise for everyone else). 😊😊😊
★ We will put up a post for you to submit your finish times after the main event on 14th November, which will remain open until 22nd November. No proof required.
★ Race reports will be most welcome, as always.
★ Finally, we will of course have a winner! The winner will be the person who completes their run in the time closest to our randomly generated time (after the event closes). There is absolutely no requirement to run fast to win this event! 🐌🏆
⭐ We hope you’re eager to join us
If you are interested, register your entry NOW - simply comment below
Here's to a great week everyone, whether you're running, cross-training or resting - have fun!!!
The Marathon team xxx
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If you have an event coming up next month, or would like to find out what our VRBs are up to, check out Irishprincess' brand new October Events post! healthunlocked.com/marathon...
I’m out for the HU autumn 2021 HM event 😭 as I’ve picked up a knee niggle so my long runs are on hold for now. My Maurten fuel box arrived which I’m keen to try so I will have to practice patience. I’ve been so inspired by everyone’s marathon running over the weekend. One day, I might be ready! ❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
Training is, well, I suppose it's continuing. I'm in what I'm coming to recognise as the dip-in-the-middle phase of the training plan. So I'm feeling tired and sore a lot from the combination of more kilometres run and from strength building, and not feeling like I'm making much progress. But it's easier having been through this before - I know it is normal to feel this way and that progress is being made even if I don't feel that way. I just need to keep in my amber zone, not too hard/far but not too easy, and I will start feeling the benefits when I get to the taper phase. I am also making good progress in using my glutes more during my runs which I think will make a huge difference once I get used to it, though I'm sitting on a cushion this morning! Might need to ease off a little as I'm doing the Great South in a fortnight and would like to give that a good shot.
I'm running an actual race Half Marathon on the 21st Nov (which I am pretty sure is the Sunday) so not quite sure if I can count that towards the HU half?
Yes, sorry about my date mistakes! I've let it run to 21st to give you some extra motivation during your mid-plan blues. Sounds like you know yourself really well though, and are using that to your advantage. Well done!
Hi Linda, I’m not going to run a HM in November, having just done one, but I’d love to join you all virtually and run a 10k that day (I’m not suggesting you have a 10k version too, by the way!)
I’m a sucker for an occasion, and HU occasions are nearly as much fun as the real thing. So I’ll be lurking on here (because I’ll get FOMO if I don’t!) and running a virtual 10k in November with all the HM superstars! ⭐️ Hope that’s ok! 🥰
Are you sure we can't tempt you to a leisurely half? Just kidding, you know best what's right for you. We could do a 10k race alongside the HM again if enough people are interested (although maybe reusing the 10k soundtrack from last time).
Haha I see what you’re trying to do there Linda! 😂 No, there’s nothing leisurely about running a HM on the common (those two I did in March proved that! 😩🥵😂). I’ll stick to 10k thanks, and if there is a virtual HU 10k posse too, all the better. I’ll watch this space! 👍🏃♀️🐕
Hi linda9389 and lovely pompom-waving VRBs! I so appreciated the virtual support on Saturday, thank you all.
I'm definitely up for the Autumn 2021 virtual HU Half Marathon, unless we're snowed in or similar. Unlikely but not impossible in mid-November.
My Trail du Gévaudan race report is underway - I want to add photos, but haven't got them all yet. In the meantime, if you want to see this year's race gallery, it's at trailsaintjacques.com/galer...
I think I might need to invest in trail poles... ⛰️🏃♀️⛰️
Your run was amazing! It doesn't sound like you've been put off either!!! Fantastic! Great that you will join the HM - can you share some of the motivation or distraction that got you round on Saturday? I'm sure there must be some good stuff we could use in the soundtrack 😊
Hmm, as well as virtual support from family and real-life and HU friends, and the utterly glorious scenery, I fear it was largely being a weird pigheaded little thing that got me round on Saturday linda9389 !
More seriously, there is at least one quote that I can mail you for the day. I also have some thoughts re training and preparation if you're doing any advance stuff. Not because I'm an expert, it's precisely because I'm not!
So sorry I missed this Cmoi! Do you have your motivational quote? I imagine I am too late for the training and prep stuff now, but if there is anything you'd like added to a post this week - let me know!
While it appears that me and my stumpy little Duracell bunny legs can go up and down hills literally all day, I'm still scared of trail events with cut-off times. As for road races, I find them thoroughly intimidating - way too much pressure!
For my forthcoming road race, I’m thinking about how to approach it. Reckon I can do it comfortably at 7min/k and recent long runs have been 6min/k (although I don’t think I could maintain that over the full distance). Think it helps that I’ve already covered more than the event distance but I’m still not taking it lightly. It would be intimidating to approach it at the faster pace so, what I might do, is aim to start around a 6:30 pace and maybe push that up a bit if it’s going well.
I'm also thinking of the South CANUM at the beginning of April. It doesn't have a cutoff time but, barring mishaps on the way, I recon I can improve on my previous pace and it would be good preparation for another attempt on the GMU.
That sounds like a plan SkiMonday . I'm really not good with pace at all as I so rarely run consistent terrain, I'm much more comfortable going by effort.
It's interesting the way that I seem to come up with plans when I'm replying to people.
I find it tricky setting pace around here on the gently changing gradients. As you wrote, going by effort works much better (and is probably a better target than pace for a race).
Mind you, the Vale of York is flat so, hopefully, pace and effort should be more consistent.
I want to do this, but I won’t, every time I agree to join in with something it all goes wrong, but I will keep it in mind when I go out for longer runs, I can’t join a race because I doubt I get the distance in cut off time. I really enjoyed the last playlist too
Shhhh, say nothing. If you sneak on to the starting line at the very last minute, that's just fine - no rules against that in this race, and no cut-off time either! On the other hand, if there is enough interest then maybe we will do a 10k alongside 😊
Oh well, looks like a change of plan for me! I had just decided to take a break from longer training runs in favour of short faster runs to try to increase my speed over 5-10k as I did in February of this year but now you have tempted me with your HUHM . I really enjoyed the Run go on HU10k earlier in the year so I am unable to resist giving the HM a go !See you on the start line on the 14th .
So far, I've got "Like, err, KEEP GOING" (inspired by the Dilbert cartoons). I'll try and improve on that and send a PM if I come up with something reasonable. I've also got "if you were on a bike, you'd have finished by now" but I suspect that's equally unhelpful (just the way my sense of humour works). I’ll have a rummage around to see if I can find my “sensible” head.
Quite honestly if you'd told me beforehand about some of the climbs and descents, I'd have gone "Nah, won't bother, can't manage that!" Whereas once you're there, you don't really have a choice.
Being confronted with a sign that said "Dangerous descent!" at 2km to go - bearing in mind we'd already done 44km including tricky single-file paths and boulders with grab ropes, none of which carried any warning at all - was also interesting. I invited the guy behind to go ahead of me, on condition that he caught me if I fell! He replied that it was the least he could do!!
Brilliant! It would be a great way to achieve that distance! A half really isn't too much further than the 10 miles you have already achieved. Are you still running that distance?
I just did it once! And then in the summer I didn't run so far in the heat... And then cut my distance for a while when I started in barefoot shoes... I've ran 10km recently, and been doing 5s, but would need to start training now to get back up to bigger distances!!
Yes you would need to plan carefully to get from 10 to 21k in the 5 or 6 weeks. You could always add in some walking if you were concerned - either at the start or end, or adopt a run/walk approach to the whole distance. Lots of options!
I'd suggest being careful about building distance. You're best getting up to 10 miles again first. Once you've done that I'd suggest doing 18km and maybe even 20km before attempting the HM.
As linda9389 says, you can do a run/walk combination. It's more important that you don't injure yourself than you run the whole distance before your body is ready to do so.
I actually really like them... But I think I run a little differently in them, and get a bit of a sore hip sometimes that I didn't before... So it's true, I should be careful increasing really... Just got all excited because I'd love to do a half at some stage... But maybe it'd be pushing it a bit... Will see...
Count me in. Totally scunnered by my virtual Skye half last weekend, but as long as nothing untoward is going on with my lower legs (🤞) I should be good to go again by then.
Hi linda9389 and running friends 🏃♀️🏃♂️ I’m up for the Virtual HM👍 I’m not sure exactly when I’ll do it as I think it’s also Remembrance Day that day, but I’m sure I’ll do it within a week before or after. Before that I’ve got the GSR in Portsmouth this Sunday (which is good practice anyway). After that I’ll build up by 1km each week for my longer run. That seems achievable to me, but I’m not counting my proverbial chickens 🐓🐓😊
Ummmm linda9389 ……… I’ve changed my mind! I AM going to enter the HUHM next month if that’s ok? 😀 I’m going to make it an experimental Jeffing HM, and stick to it for the whole 13.1 miles. No idea what ratio yet, but it’ll be fun. It’ll also satisfy my curiosity by seeing if I’m any quicker that way, much as I’ve never allowed myself to walk before, no matter how much I’ve wanted to! It’ll be on the common again, and I did vow never to run more than 10k up there when it’s soggy, as it’s horrific! 😖 Jeffing may make it palatable. 🤞
So ….. please may I join the merry gang after all? 🙏🏻
I did it a little, out of necessity when my leg hurt to much running, just to get back home. But Black scorpion uses it alot and if it helps in building up distance I'll certainly give it a go. I know I can walk miles but I want to increase my running capacity 🏃
Hi Mormor1 , I came across MyPaceCalculator.com (I couldn’t add the link unfortunately). It’s really easy to use and you can tweak your data to give estimated times for everything up to Marathon distance, including run/walk intervals. Might be worth a look.
Hi Linda, hopefully, just hopefully I should be able to do this 😊. I won’t put my name down quite yet as I want to see how it goes over the next few weeks. But fingers crossed it will be a yes 😁. Thanks for organising!
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