I’ve absolutely no idea how it happened, but it would appear that we’ve landed in December already. It’s even snowed where I live! As the photo shows, it’s hardly a winter wonderland, more a soggy smattering, but definitely the white stuff, and freezing into the bargain.
Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! With that in mind, the HU Elves 🧝♀️🧝♀️🧝♀️ (aka the Marathon Team Admins) would like to know if those of a running persuasion would care for another fun, seasonal challenge this year?
Last year’s bingo card covered the fortnight up to and including New Year’s Day, and featured such delights as Christmas lights, a Santa dash, festive Strava art, a New Year’s Day run, and much more. The elves were pondering something similar with slightly more flexible challenges and dates, to take into account the variety of settings, climates and contexts in which forum members run.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for this, so that the elves can work their Yuletide magic. 🎄 ✨
And of course don’t forget to tell us all your other running news, whether that’s naughty or nice!
Happy running, all!
The Marathon Team xxx
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Cmoi
Marathon
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Hi Cmoi, oh yes please ……. a bingo card would be most welcome. It will get me out running for starters! Lukewarm at best is where my mojo is at the moment. I chose PR at the weekend, having wavered hugely beforehand, but this morning I opted for a dog walk with my grandson and didn’t bother with a run, even a cosy one at the gym. 🥹
So yes, send me a mahoosive kick up the rear by means of a bingo card and I’ll be out, promise! 👊
Enjoy your snow. I’m hoping for just one big soft dumping for the grandsons’ and dog’s sakes, followed by no slush or ice (not much to ask!) ❄️
I definitely agree re the snow dump cheekychipmunks , I find it much easier to run - and drive, too - when there's a decent blanket of snow. It's been sunny, maybe 6° today, but in shaded areas the snow's stayed, and there's lots of melting and refreezing too. Already down to 2° so will certainly be well below zero overnight. Cue black ice.
Any particular ideas for the bingo card, or are you happy to let the elves loose to hot up your mojo?!
Hello cheekychipmunks, I'm sure bingo will suit you well and you will not want 'the thing' that seems to have made me appreciate my running more. 'The thing' being my injuries! Not being able to walk, yet alone run has made me so appreciate running now that I can. Not at all recommended though.
Aww, I’ll be fine over61, and I know I sound like I’m whining for no reason - but I haven’t enjoyed this prolonged period of back to back colds which has left me unable to run like I want to. No buzz, nothing. But I also realise I’ve been very very lucky this past 4.5 years with next to no time on the IC. I totally understand how you must appreciate your running now. 🥰
Aw I had vaguely thought that you were cold free. I am sorry that you have had back to back colds. Feeling not fully well clearly won't help your running feel good. Even more astounding that you could manage the I think it was 10 miles Great South Run (I hope that I have this right) So obviously a super star 🌟🏃♀️
I was cold free - for about a day - then another one did the rounds, starting with the grandchildren. This one was nowhere near as severe as the covid-like cold I had in September. That one knocked me for six and left me energy sapped for 7 weeks, including the GSR! I gave myself the goal of running the entire 10 miles, which I did at snail’s pace (20 minutes slower than my PB), but job done. Superstar? Numpty more like, but thank you. 🙏🏻
This cold is at the tail end. Next up is to rebuild my fitness and get the joy back. It’ll come! 😀
You've had such a rough time with injuryover61andstilltrying , so all credit to you for appreciating running more rather than simply giving it up.
As you'll see from the photo the elves are still a bit exuberant. I've told them they'll have to calm down and focus if they want this bingo card to work. If you'd like to send any suggestions please feel free!
Hi Cmoi. After tomorrow we are set for sub zero temperatures and a nice sprinkling of snow up here! That doesn’t seem to change for the foreseeable future ☹️. It was about 6 degrees this morning with a North East wind curving in from the arctic. Rain was forecast too….but I didn’t let that stop me. Three layers, with a waterproof jacket being the top layer, neck cover, woolly hat, leggings, shorts and gloves. I completed 7k, and then went into the cafe. Of course I was instantly far too hot in there; a real dehydration hazard!
People who walked in after me were soaked through; the rain must have started within a couple of minutes of my walking into the cafe. It had stopped again by home time, but I jogged up the hill home instead of my usual cool down walk so as not to give the rain clouds a second chance of giving me a soaking.
The week ahead looks a bit bleak. I may have to take to the gym; I haven’t run on a treadmill for years. Do I just go for my usual distances and build in some virtual hills, or is a build up needed ? It would be irritating to pick up an injury indoors! Advice from treadmill users would be very welcome 🙂
They’re great BC, as long as you’re in the right environment. An air conditioned gym, things to look at/listen to, and ignore your watch stats as the treadmill is apparently more accurate than a watch on its treadmill setting. My Garmin gives the option to calibrate once I go to save the run, and I simply enter the distance the treadmill says. Can be shorter, can be longer.
Also it helps to set the treadmill to 0.5 or 1.0 incline to replicate wind resistance on a flat run (I sometimes do, not always) and I find that I can run a similar pace/effort to outside. All you can’t do is replicate running downhill. Experiment, it’s fun, and maybe try a short easy run to begin with. 😀
Just want to chime in again and say I thoroughly enjoyed my treadmill run this morning! Only just over 3k (the NRC Don’t Wanna Run Run) and Coach B had me smiling and wondering why I’d been whinging. It felt great - so more proof that treadmills are ok and get the job done. Looking forward to hearing how your foray goes Beachcomber66 😀
Well done Beachcomber66 on that run! I'd planned 10k today, but decided to take the dog with me on a canicross lead, so changed to what should've been a shorter and much easier route. Big mistake - got to 3k to find bulldozers digging up the track, so after a fruitless attempt to get past, had to turn round.
I'm the very last person who could advise on treadmill running, never having used one in my life! Good luck if you decide to give it a go again.
It's rarely dangerous Beachcomber66 , it just requires plenty of on-the-hoof risk assessment and the ability to adapt accordingly! I wasn't a happy bunny with the bulldozers though. Such a mess, and it'll be impossible to walk let alone run there until they've gone.
Minus 6° this morning, with sunlight creating the most beautiful sparkles on the heavily-frosted trees.
Ooh yes please Cmoi bring on the Elves . Life is a bit...well... lifey at the moment if you know what I mean so I am unable to stick to my normal training plans to keep me accountable. Some random challenges with a bit of flexibility thrown in would be a great incentive to keep running high up in my list of priorities where it belongs. It's such a mood booster!
It may be 30 degrees where I am, but there are (somewhat incongruous) signs of Christmas everywhere! I've managed one very hot and sweaty run since arriving and really hope to get a few more in 🤞 Hope the snow doesn't become any more inconvenient for you and that it stays reasonable for everyone to keep running. Have a great week everyone!
Tropical foliage, wooden shacks and Christmas decs 😍
Having looked at last year's card Frizzbomb67 I think the elves will have their work cut out to match it this time round, particularly as they're not being very sensible right now! Suggestions are welcome.
I like the run that ends in a festive treat 😋 and the selfies with something festive are fun to see. I also like run in something festive, that’s fun 😃
For lone runners it’s difficult to take pics of decorations as they are not switched on till after dark.
Thanks! Because of where I live there were a few challenges that were difficult or impossible for me last year - there weren't any Christmas lights for miles around, and delivering cards and pressies would've required a minimum of a marathon.
Our house is next to a forest with thousands and thousands of Christmas trees, amongst other species, they're not decorated though!
No, we're not that remote over61andstilltrying - there are all of four year-round residents in our hamlet, and seven (I think) in the next one, roughly 200m along the road!
It's a combination of distance and culture. Traditionally people in France exchange New Year's wishes rather than sending Christmas cards, though the latter have made an appearance in recent years. Plus, even before we moved here, I'd cut back considerably on sending cards anyway, as I prefer giving to charities.
As I now send a very limited number of physical Christmas cards and presents, the nearest recipient is indeed a HM distance away!
Hi CmoiIve done a quick search on strava and found some of last year's bingo runs. I'm certainly up for another festive fun challenge. Bring it on! 🎄🏃♀️🌟
I managed to turn up for our Monday morning 10k run after a Christmas night out yesterday. It was ver sedate, but a run is a run! 😇
I'm unlikely to run if it's frosty or icy, so I've taken up swimming as a means of cross training and keeping fit. 😇😇 Hope it works!
I managed to find last year's bingo card Cantstopmenow and have a feeling I didn't manage most of the challenges!
10k after a night out is most impressive! Swimming for cross-training is great too. I'm so lazy, I never do any proper cross-training. I need to reform my ways in 2023!
I’m going to have to dig deep to complete my yearly mileage so probably won’t have any extra in me to be doing Christmas bingo runs. Kids break for 8 weeks tomorrow for Summer holidays & I’m lacking Christmas cheer. My Mum was due to be with us this Christmas. We haven’t seen her for 3.5 years but she has had to cancel her trip due to a major op 😔
Looking forward to reading all about your Christmas bingo fun. Cheering you all on as always ❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
Really sorry to hear that you won't be seeing your Mum as planned RunWillie . I hope she's much better soon andthat you can find a way to reschedule her trip.
As for the Christmas bingo, we want to make it as inclusive and fun as possible, with a definite seasonal flavour. So it won't so much be about running further or faster or more often, as about doing things that are different (and quite possibly daft!)
Hope your mum recovers well RW. As BC says, she’d want you and the family to enjoy your Christmas and she’d probably want you to reach your mileage goal you’ve been working so hard for. Life is tricky though I know.
Yes, definitely some nice ideas, but even then they're not all quite as do-able as you might think. The appropriately-named author says that eating a mince pie is "simple as." Not when you live in rural France it's not, you can't buy them here! I now make them from scratch, both mincemeat and pastry. Suet-free recipe for the mincemeat, because I can't get suet here either, and anyway who wants the claggy extra fat?!
Thank you for hosting and your reply in cheekychipmunks thread that mentioned me. I actually think that my running will have to end due to my knee injuries, so even more reason to enjoy it while I can. I'm still carrying out physio exercises for Achilles, hamstring and knee. My physio chose to advise me to make an appointment if pain worsens, but otherwise just keep doing what I'm doing. She wasn't opposed to me building up to a half marathon. Having said that the two physios that I have seen since my flare up disagreed on the reason for my April flare up. One thought it was an irritation to my meniscus injury the other thought it was due to my arthritis. Without some sort of scan, MRI perhaps, it certainly isn't possible for me to know what's happening in my knee. I am not in pain, but my knee doesn't like me to be standing too long, doesn't like tension or carrying heavy things and does sometimes give way! Oh dear! I'm still learning...
I do think that I over did things leading up to April and certainly think that any high intensity is now not really allowed say effort 8 or higher out of 10. It is a shame to me that runs are so often measured by time for a given distance. I need to measure my runs by an enjoyment factor instead or satisfaction. Yesterday's run included Christmas related errands. Purchasing Pumpernickel, calendars and diaries were ticked off yesterday among other things. I know that I shall have at least three runs delivering Christmas cards. So those things could perhaps be on the elves' bingo card.
I reached over 8km last weekend.(see photo) The run was really up there on the enjoyment rating. Just wonderful. And I plan to be going for 9km this W/E.
I think you used the word lazy to describe yourself, to me it seems you know what you enjoy and so do those things. Nothing to do with laziness. Happy running to you 😊🏃🏻♀️
What a beautiful photo over61andstilltrying ! I completely agree with you about measuring runs by enjoyment and not simply numbers. Of course, for some people, the enjoyment is in the numbers, particularly for those competing for a podium place.
However, it's always struck me as odd that so many runners who aren't competing in that way are desperate to shave seconds off their time. I mean, if you like running, why would you want to get it over as fast as possible rather than making the most of the experience?
Personally my best running memories have nothing to do with what my watch tells me. I was getting sucked into "If it's not on Garmin and/or Strava it didn't happen," which is just ridiculous. So now I don't wear my watch for every run, and don't always record either. It helps me keep things in perspective.
Hi Cmoi, I continue to wear my running watch. I had a phase of looking at my heart rate frequently during my run, but soon decided that to keep looking to see if it was low enough was not for me, so just run at what feels like an easy conversational pace. I do still enjoy checking my VO2 max and heart rate after my run and was pleased to see 39 for VO2 max today, so apparently in top 5% for my gender and age. Perhaps because not many ladies do a great deal in terms of fitness, but still good to see 😊🏃🏻♀️
I checked my VO2Max after my run today, and as I expected Garmin has docked me a point. I'd run 10.7k on trails rather than 3k-5k on roads. I'm still working my way back after injury, yet my V02Max is currently higher than when I was regularly running HMs and capable of completing a trail marathon event. So I'm pretty cynical about the algorithm. I have no doubt that as I work my way back to longer distances, increased elevation gain and more challenging terrain, Garmin will decrease my VO2Max and increase my fitness age.
I completely agree with your doubts about the algorithm. I have plenty of VO2max readings that make no sense at all. Still haven't lost interest in what Mr Garmin has to say. I don't think elevation is even used in the calculation which is clearly nonsense. 10.7km sounds like your running is going well. 🏃🏻♀️😊
Thanks! It was very much a pootle for me yesterday, and at 210m elevation gain flatter than usual, certainly nowhere near my definition of hilly. I could hear hunting dogs baying so I went off in the opposite direction to the one I'd planned.
Hi Cmoi, a Yuletide challenge sounds like fun. I’m excited to be spending my first Christmas in France. The cottage already has a few decorations up and I’m collecting some interesting foodie delights for the big day. Yesterday’s purchase was a labelled ‘Chocolate in a Bottle’, a champagne based aperitif.
Running club dinner this weekend is at the new Indian in Eymet that everyone is raving about. So that will be fun and may be the Sunday run, the morning after, will be at a steadier pace. I’ve just been to Decathlon and bought a ‘winter’ running shirt so hopefully the icy cold temperatures will not be too horrid.
Oh, the cottage looks so pretty and cosy Shake-and-run !
I've just googled that apéritif and it's boggling my mind. Think I'd rather keep my champagne and chocolate separate tbh. Do report back though!
Our nearest Indian restaurant is tiny and almost 60 km / an hour away, so I've only been there once. It's also very difficult to find the right spices here, so I generally get friends to bring jars of curry paste and I improvise from that!
I should go for a run shortly. It was minus 6° and slippery first thing so am being cautious. Enjoy your French Christmas!
Here is the website in case anyone else is wondering what we are talking about. I bought it at the Christmas fair in Bordeaux yesterday. I did taste it first. It is nice and unusual and not too sweet. The nuts and cocoa flavours are very interesting.
we love cheese in this house. I will look and see if I can find any in our supermarket (it has a huge selection). However it sounds like it is a local specialty so I may be unlucky!
I very rarely buy fromage aux artisous because although I like the taste the mites give me an allergic reaction! If you can't find it - it's not often available in supermarkets here, it's usually sold at markets or in organic and local product shops - I can send you some if you want. I now buy almost all my cheese from a cheese van run by two farming brothers who know their stuff really well, so I'm sure the quality would be good.
Or you can buy it online here: salaisonsduvelay.com/fr/fro... and if you added other stuff they're doing free delivery from 30 €. Their charcuterie is also good. NB they send out stuff on Wednesdays only so you'd need to order by Tuesday for next week's shipping!
Oh lalalala, non non non non non, don't put it in the fridge! 😱🤣
You need a cool place, maybe one of those little cheese larders. 🤓 And the mites are only on the rind, so you can cut that off, and brush off any mites that are partying on the paste. 🥳😈
Of course, this - and the lack of quantity, it's very much a rustic, artisanal cheese - explains why supermarkets aren't keen on stocking it. I don't think they like the idea of teeny-weeny bugs invading their pristine dairy sections! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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