Sports Events 2018

[Duophonic]

Trail is up hillsides, mountains and the like.

XC is like it was at school, mud grass and back to more mud. Because I'm a running club member I can enter Scottish Athletics events which are held in parks all over the country and I run alongside Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan which is the closest I'll get to be an elite runner, only running clubs compete and it is generally good fun if you get past the fact that the events are held over winter so it's either pissing it down, frozen over or a mixture of both.

Either trail or xc will toughen your legs up for road running.

I have a couple of pairs of road shoes, a pair of trail and my xc spikes with a box of different length metal spikes to attach depending on the conditions on the day.

[Topcat]

Ah I see! Trail is what I do on a Friday but I didn't know that there was cross country too, but I think trail is going to be my thing still. Mad John says that about trail running, its much better for all round improvements than just pounding roads is.

I will never see elite runners. Ever. But then you obviously do this for real and I'm a bit late to the show.

I've got a pair of trail and a pair of triathlon shoes, but they are getting killed by the road pounding so I'll have to get myself some road shoes. Spikes ain't ever going to happen, I don't think.

Thanks for taking the time out to explain this stuff to me. And to everybody else that has put up with my stupid questions.

[Duophonic]

I'm a fat blooter these days so it takes everything I've got not to get lapped by these young fit things.

Trail will build your cardio and leg fitness like nothing else and not just on the ascent. My longer run on a Sunday tends to be on trail as my town backs onto a regional park.

[Topcat]

Yep, thats what I've been told elsewhere too about trail running, I should probably look to do more of that. There are other clubs down here that do trail running more than just once a week, my problem is having the time to fit it all in.

[mojojojo]

28 Jan - Scottish Vet Relays (3.6m) - Duo 35:08
4 Feb - Mad Dog 10k - Bramble 58:20
24 Feb - Rhyl 10 mile - Pov 1:46:53
24 Feb - National XC Championships 10km (shit!) - Duo
8 April - Little Bromley 10k - Mojo 1:06:50 (pb)
29 April - Chester Half Marathon - Pov 2:18:02
3 May - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 32:34
13 May- Bristol 10k- Smal 51:28 (PB)
28 May - Hatfield Broad Oak 10k - Mojo 1:05:44 (PB)
7 June - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 31:49 PB
10 June - Women's 10k - Duo 1:03:59
17 June - 50 mile ride Bob Clift Cheshire Cycleway - bramble and Gannet 04:31:37 moving time...around 5 hours in total including a couple of pit stops
15th July - Ipswich Ekiden relay (5k leg) - Mojo 33:16 (unofficial)
22 July - Wigan Bike ride (50 miles) - Bramble and Gannet 03:59 moving time ...04.24.12 official chip time
5 Aug - Brisbane Half Marathon - Estrella
12 Aug - Port Glasgow 10km - Duo 01:01:05
19 Aug - Paisley 10km - Duo 01:02:21
02 Sep - Warminster Carnival chase 10k - Topcat
9 Sept - Langham 10k - Mojo
16 Sept - Pleshey half marathon - Mojo
14 Oct - Tiptree 10 (mile) - Mojo
21st October - Wix 5(m) - Mojo

I’ve seen sense and removed the 15 miler on 30th Sept. Still plenty of races!

[Topcat]

*gulp*

[mojojojo]

Is your 10k on road, TC?

[Topcat]

Yeah, it should be easy enough but Warminster is bloody hilly so we'll see

[smalex]

Next weekend! Exciting.

[Topcat]

Well here is a small list of the things not to do before a 10k race.

1. Stay out until gone three the night before
2. Wake up half an hour after registration has started, 20 miles away
3. Forget to go to the toilet

There are more but this outlines the debacle that was this morning though. Luckily I lied to the organsiers and they let me in, so I did it. I also had a lovely surprise of seeing the James family cheer me on.

It was bloody hard work, and hilly but I put most of the hardship down to self inflicted idiocy the night before, but I got around and completed my first event thing. Now I am going to collapse and quietly pass away.

[Duophonic]

Well done!

We need more details.

[mojojojo]

Well done. I was slightly concerned at your planned preparation, but it’s great that you got it done - the next one will be even better sure.

[smalex]

Oh TC . That must have been brutal. Did you enjoy it enough to try another sometime?

[Topcat]

Cheers! One of my idiot pals did a 250,000 schoville chilli vodka shot through his eye. So you can probably guess it wasn't exactly taking it easy, either.

Brutal was something of an understatement, I'd say. It was easily the toughest run I have ever done, but I think that was mostly down to my meticulous preparation for it.

I'll certainly keep doing them, I have set myself a modest target of getting one done in under an hour, which should be very easily achievable. And I need to keep on in order build up for the Bath Half. Today was a bit of a reality check with regard to how much more work I'm going to need to do to be ready for that.

[mojojojo]

What was your time? The list must be updated!

[Topcat]

I don't know about official, but I guess the times will be posted somewhere? I shall try and find out.

[Topcat]

28 Jan - Scottish Vet Relays (3.6m) - Duo 35:08
4 Feb - Mad Dog 10k - Bramble 58:20
24 Feb - Rhyl 10 mile - Pov 1:46:53
24 Feb - National XC Championships 10km (shit!) - Duo
8 April - Little Bromley 10k - Mojo 1:06:50 (pb)
29 April - Chester Half Marathon - Pov 2:18:02
3 May - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 32:34
13 May- Bristol 10k- Smal 51:28 (PB)
28 May - Hatfield Broad Oak 10k - Mojo 1:05:44 (PB)
7 June - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 31:49 PB
10 June - Women's 10k - Duo 1:03:59
17 June - 50 mile ride Bob Clift Cheshire Cycleway - bramble and Gannet 04:31:37 moving time...around 5 hours in total including a couple of pit stops
15th July - Ipswich Ekiden relay (5k leg) - Mojo 33:16 (unofficial)
22 July - Wigan Bike ride (50 miles) - Bramble and Gannet 03:59 moving time ...04.24.12 official chip time
5 Aug - Brisbane Half Marathon - Estrella
12 Aug - Port Glasgow 10km - Duo 01:01:05
19 Aug - Paisley 10km - Duo 01:02:21
02 Sep - Warminster Carnival chase 10k - Topcat 1:06:16 Unofficial
9 Sept - Langham 10k - Mojo
16 Sept - Pleshey half marathon - Mojo
14 Oct - Tiptree 10 (mile) - Mojo
21st October - Wix 5(m) - Mojo

[bramblerose]

Unofficial time for the prep you did is a good one, you fucking idiot

[Topcat]

I know. What a div, eh? It's not like I even go out very often these days so God knows what on earth I was thinking. I could have probably taken 10 minutes off of that if I was sober.

[Topcat]

28 Jan - Scottish Vet Relays (3.6m) - Duo 35:08
4 Feb - Mad Dog 10k - Bramble 58:20
24 Feb - Rhyl 10 mile - Pov 1:46:53
24 Feb - National XC Championships 10km (shit!) - Duo
8 April - Little Bromley 10k - Mojo 1:06:50 (pb)
29 April - Chester Half Marathon - Pov 2:18:02
3 May - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 32:34
13 May- Bristol 10k- Smal 51:28 (PB)
28 May - Hatfield Broad Oak 10k - Mojo 1:05:44 (PB)
7 June - WRC summer 5k series - Mojo 31:49 PB
10 June - Women's 10k - Duo 1:03:59
17 June - 50 mile ride Bob Clift Cheshire Cycleway - bramble and Gannet 04:31:37 moving time...around 5 hours in total including a couple of pit stops
15th July - Ipswich Ekiden relay (5k leg) - Mojo 33:16 (unofficial)
22 July - Wigan Bike ride (50 miles) - Bramble and Gannet 03:59 moving time ...04.24.12 official chip time
5 Aug - Brisbane Half Marathon - Estrella
12 Aug - Port Glasgow 10km - Duo 01:01:05
19 Aug - Paisley 10km - Duo 01:02:21
02 Sep - Warminster Carnival chase 10k - Topcat 1:07:31
9 Sept - Langham 10k - Mojo
16 Sept - Pleshey half marathon - Mojo
14 Oct - Tiptree 10 (mile) - Mojo
21st October - Wix 5(m) - Mojo
27th October - Warmley Forest Run 10k - Topcat.

I have updated my time to an even slower one. And I also signed up for another 10k in October, I will be better prepared for this one.