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[Taka]

I would just put it down to the cold - I've tried running before with a fresh cold and it's tough, where my legs feel like I'm running through treacle.

I stocked up on beetroot juice yesterday and pee has turned pink today! During my run last night, I ran past some shop windows and for the first time ever, I was able to catch a glimpse of myself and my running form and whilst it was strong and swift, I also looked really camp with the forefoot-midfoot striking in action! Oh well, I'm preserving my joints and expending less energy this way...

Weather report for Sunday doesn't look good, with showers and 14mph gusts of wind. The kicker is that Saturday and Monday immediately surrounding Sunday are forecast as being superb autumnal weather!

[JazzFunk]

Need some lower back problem tips, anyone!

Basically, had to shift a fat corpse a week and a bit back, I took the top torso/head end and my fellow porter took the legs/feet end. It was on an air mattress (which seems to create a 'drag factor'), and when I went to hoik it onto the trolley, it somehow hit an obstruction and all my 'pull energy' hit a brick wall and I felt something in my back 'go'....it took a few days for the pain to show but three/four day after, I could barely walk(!!!!)

I've been doing some old physio exercises, which have meant I'm not taking sick time, and seem to be keeping it at bay (standing and bending backwards) but it's still 30% there, and is very annoying. It's OK when I'm laid horizontally or standing up, but gets exacerbated when I sit down for 5mins+, and the whole thing feels like I'm getting hot needles pushed into my lower back/groinal area.

Anyone got any additional tips? Don't like taking time off, trying to get to mid-December when I'll have had a full year of work with no sick time.

[charlesr]

Take lots of anti-inflamatories and see a doctor - could be nerve damage or trapped between discs (which compress when you sit down). Non branded pills are cheaper (ibuprofen).

Busy time of year coming up with all the old people dying, so you need to be sorted. Why not take a sick day? Why is it important? Take a holiday day? If your job requires you to lift cadavers, you need to get better rather than let it fester or worsen.

[JazzFunk]

^Cheers for the advice, maybe I might consider it. It's just really bad at the mo, trust is trying to get rid of people, five people been sacked due to absence in the last fortnight, like to cover my back re. should I apply for a different job, my record is top notch so far.

[Taka]

Did my final speedwork session before the big race on Sunday. Mother nature's sticking two fingers up at me with rain predicted for Sunday, whilst Saturday and Monday immediately around are sunny! Will stick plasters on my nips and put plenty of vaseline under the arms, thighs and on feet. My Flyknit Racers are so well ventilated, I'm sure loads of water will get in but oh well.

Been carbo loading since Tuesday as well as drinking 250ml of beetroot juice each day. Still religiously washing my hands with sanitizer everywhere I go for fear of picking up something.

I feel like such a caged animal at the moment so will have to be very careful not to overdo it in the first few miles.

[charlesr]

Have you tried carb loading in training? If not, then I'd take it easy.

[Taka]

I've carbo loaded before, not a problem at all and I stick to what I know. I've put a pound on since earlier in the week, but better that than be deprived at the start line!

Did the Parkrun this morning but held myself back for all but the final stretch. Very, very odd sensation to hold myself back to such a pace when I normally go racing round each week.

The forecast for tomorrow is now looking good and all the road side signs and banners are starting to go up. Absolutely pumped for this! Aiming for 1:45 or less but anything in the 1:4Xs will be great.

[Brad]

Holy crap. It's worse than I thought. 12 minutes to run 1 single mile and I look like I've just finished a marathon :-(

[charlesr]

Good news is that it can only get better How are you legs today?

Taka, I forgot to say good luck. How did it go?

[Taka]

Another year over, another Birmingham half marathon/Great Birmingham Run completed. Managed to come back home with a time of 1 hour 45 minutes and 22 seconds! That's smashed my former half marathon PB by 21 minutes and my former course PB by a whopping 35 minutes!

Started the run with a friend of mine who was just aiming for a sub 2 hour finish and at mile 2, we shook hands and said we'd meet at the finish. By mile 4, we were still running together and just agreed to keep going as long as the pace was still good for both of us, with checks every 5 minutes or so. Really helped having somebody run alongside me, keeping me from going too fast and vice versa. We kept bumping into peope we knew, either from my school days or from Parkrun. When we reached the end of the hills at mile 11, we were knackered but were running faster than any mile split previous so kept up the pace. A 1:45 finish was slipping away quickly at this stage and we changed our target to a 1:48/1:49 finish. We bumped into another friend with about a mile to go who was looking bad and needed support, so we told him to stick with us and use us as pacemakers. We get back to the home stretch and we all just go full pelt, finishing with a 6:30 mile final mile split!



Sadly, somebody died after finishing the course today which really upset my friends and I. The other half has asked me to go and get a checkup at the docs to make sure I don't keel over!

Race calculators are saying I could do a marathon in 3:41 with the right training. I think aiming for a 3:45 finish should make for a good target to work towards. Everybody said I still looked fresh at the end of the race today and reckoned I could have gone further or faster, so there's hope yet!

[charlesr]

Wow, that's amazing. Well done!

[PeteJ]

Amazing effort Taka, that's a great time

I've gone and signed up for another stupid event - the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships in December. It's basically a 2k sprint on a rowing machine but it should be a giggle. We're doing it as a club 'social' thing now the light is too poor to get out on the water so it should be a laugh... or rather good training during the winter. Did my first 2k test tonight and I was off my pace from earlier in the year quite significantly, and off the best guys in the club by around 50 seconds, but never mind

[Taka]

Thanks guys!

I think I'm going to join a running club and really commit to this. It's clearly something I enjoy and to be surrounded by people as enthusiastic as I am about the hobby can only be a good thing. I actually had a chat with the president of the running club I want to join mid-race yesterday and then duly overtook him (hehe...) - he mentioned that I'd be in the top 20% or so of the club and would really improve from their interval and hill rep sessions each week. I'd also get a discount for many of the big races I typically enter.

That sounds like quite good fun, Pete, especially as others are taking part. What have you traditionally done in the autumn-winter in previous years when it's too dark?

[PeteJ]

That sounds like quite good fun, Pete, especially as others are taking part. What have you traditionally done in the autumn-winter in previous years when it's too dark?

Play videogames

[charlesr]

19 miles in the morning. Will start at 6am.