(30-10-2009, 02:52 PM)stillwaddler Wrote: ON the subject of gym balls, the following is proof that my Mother was telling the truth when she told me it was bad for me to swallow my chewing gum...
Gym balls ... gum balls ... not a lot of difference really is there?
Wow ... 2 x organised 5ks in one day - impressive!
I enjoy night running (though Niguel's recent Oil Hash was pretty tough) but confess it's a mug's game. Very high chance of serious injury.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Night time is definitely my favoured time for running - the later the better, probably because of the solitude you talked about, EG. It's also cooler in this part of the world of course. That said, it has to be along well-lit roads. Off-road night time running is, as Sweder suggests, inevitably going to end in a nasty injury.
Well that report of yours has taken me an hour and a half to read! With lengthy side trips to weight-loss resource centres, the as-you-said, excellentPortico Quartet, and then something I'd never heard of, the very entertaining Room 101, for which a quick YouTube visit turned into nearly an hour's solid viewing (the Stephen Fry episode is very much worth watching), bang went my morning. Fortunately it's a Monday morning and i could take delight in knowing I could spend this time indulging while everyone else was going to work. Ha! The delights of shift work.
One comment of yours however has got my brain in something of a conundrum. I sort of instinctively know what you mean when you say "...there's irony in seeking solitude amongst large crowds, but you'll find a purer form of isolation within a multitude of strangers than you will on a remote mountainside", but I'm railing against it without fully knowing why. I'm also uncertain about your use of "amongst" when "among" would suffice, although that's merely a distraction from the fact that I disagree with you but can't articulate a proper argument. I'll mull it over some more and probably forget about it.
But well done on the two 5km races - I seriously think your sub-60 10km by year's end is totally feasible. In fact I'm ringing the bookmaker now and getting a punt on it. Certainly if we stretch the deadline just slightly I have no doubt you could run sub-60 at the Hyde Park 10km on New Year's Day, and indeed, think this might be just the goal to entice you to do it.
And stop being negative about yourself, and stop apologising! If I was your coach I'd be slapping you across the face about now and getting promptly banned from the world of athletics coaching. Um, so just as well I'm not your coach I guess. On a couple of levels. Or several, really.
(01-11-2009, 10:17 PM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: One comment of yours however has got my brain in something of a conundrum. I sort of instinctively know what you mean mean you say "...there's irony in seeking solitude amongst large crowds, but you'll find a purer form of isolation within a multitude of strangers than you will on a remote mountainside", but I'm railing against it without fully knowing why. I'm also uncertain about your use of "amongst" when "among" would suffice, although that's merely a distraction from the fact that I disagree with you but can't articulate a proper argument. I'll mull it over some more and probably forget about it.
Re among v amongst -- good question. The latter is commonplace in British English though there no longer seems to be any significant difference between the two in terms of meaning. Amongst is more weighty and formal, and appeals to my inescapable pomposity. But it isn't needed here. Noted.
As for the isolation within strangers etc, well I could be flippant, and lazy, and say that I just thought it sounded more profound at the time, and hoped no one would question it. But I think what I was driving at was the thought that the presence of unfamiliar people tends to emphasise one's sense of isolation and alienation more than geographical remoteness does. Related to loneliness I suppose, but that makes it sound like something unpleasant, when often it isn't. To be honest, I've used the word isolation, and left it open to interpretation as either loneliness or solitude, which is naughty, as they don't mean the same thing.
Bah, I think it just sounded more profound at the time, and hoped no one would question it.
The original Room 101, in case you wondered, first appeared in Orwell's 1984. It's a room in one of the ministries where you have to confront your worst fears.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(01-11-2009, 10:45 PM)El Gordo Wrote: The original Room 101, in case you wondered, first appeared in Orwell's 1984. It's a room in one of the ministries where you have to confront your worst fears.
Yes, am of course familiar with Orwell's book (and the excellent film) - in fact that scene where the hero has to confront the rats in the cage and the resulting change to his persona is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever read... but I'd not heard of the TV show. Pretty sure it's not been shown in Oz.
Incidentally, Room 101 also featured in The Matrix: it was Thomas Anderson's room within the matrix. Pretty certain it was a Wachowski brtohers' tribute to Orwell, bless 'em.
I find myself in agreement with El Gordo on isolation among(st) a crowd. Certainly works in situations where the crowd are familiar/ conversing with one another and not you - a clear case of literal isolation. I've been to Old Trafford on matchday sitting in a season ticket holders' seat. All those around me had their regular banter, plus their usual catcalls and comments on the match. I felt unable to join in for fear of being exposed as an interloper so I sat amidst an animated throng watching a fabulous match - Cantona, Hughes et al in a 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday, Hughes scoring from fully 40 yards off the underside of the crossbar - very much alone in a crowd of 50,000+
Crowds can provide the white noise ones brain needs sometimes to focus on specifric thoughts, or at least to allow a clear train of thought to surface. For example I find music + running creates a distraction for the 'general purpose' parts of my brain making room for creative thought, hence the deluge of downloaded drivel after a run. The solitude of a mountainside would allow far too much internal noise - thoughts and areas of thought crowding in from all sectors: work, family, logical, emotional, all jockying noisily for position.
I should probably stop sucking on this bong and go to bed.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Weird. Just looked at the parkrun results and I'm placed 78th (as noted in the report) but... out of 80. This is very strange as there were at least 10 people behind me at one stage. Could they have all been unregistered runners? Or DNFs? I've mailed the organisers to ask. A bit worrying though, if you think you're comfortably not last when it's all actually too close to call. And it looks like the 'sturdy young woman' behind me was unregistered too. Tsk.
For the night race I apparently came 259 out of 315, which is quite respectable for me.
Anyway, 2 weeks to Brighton.....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Yes indeed. Crashing onto the 5k scene with a brace in one day. Great effort.
Once you acclimatise to the distance again (I'm guessing you've done a few in your time) watching the times come down as you get fitter and trimmer is exciting stuff for me. And I really think it's the perfect test of pace and stamina rolled into one.
Which reminds me, despite all the evangelising about this distance, I haven't done one for a while. Time to get registered for the Leeds event maybe.
btw night running and racing seems to be becoming quite popular around these parts. I think people are constantly looking for new stuff to keep life interesting. No doubt I'll be biten very soon.
(02-11-2009, 05:37 PM)Seafront Plodder Wrote: Top effort EG.
It appears to all be coming together rather nicely for THE Showdown at Brighton. err....your prep I mean, mine's sporadic at best.
Having had a right stressy day and a fight with the lawnmower in the fading light, I'm now planning my weekly plod tomorrow early doors.
I would take it easy if I were you, SP. You seem to have Brighton in the bag, so I'd rest up for a couple of weeks, recharge the batteries a bit, then return to training for Almeria starting after Brighton....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Good running so far Andy (and Plodder too... although he probably doesn't need me to tell him that!)
Sometimes I wonder whether you actually realize what you achieve... most 50-year olds I know couldn't even run for a bus...5k...10k...marathons... dream on! If I had a small portion of your guts (oops, no pun intended) I'd be breaking world records.
I'm waiting for that sub-60 minute 10k.. or rather I'm looking forward to the write up!!
(03-11-2009, 11:04 AM)Bierzo Baggie Wrote: Good running so far Andy (and Plodder too... although he probably doesn't need me to tell him that!)
Sometimes I wonder whether you actually realize what you achieve... most 50-year olds I know couldn't even run for a bus...5k...10k...marathons... dream on! If I had a small portion of your guts (oops, no pun intended) I'd be breaking world records.
I'm waiting for that sub-60 minute 10k.. or rather I'm looking forward to the write up!!
Thanks BB. 50 is a fast-receding memory, I'm afraid. 52 and a half these days.
I'm genuinely more excited and positive about the next few months than I think I've been since I started running. Regarding the age thing, I've finally woken up to the fact that it's only going to get harder, so this is as good a time as any to get more serious. Getting into the gym/cross-training habit over the past year has helped a lot by offering an alternative to excessive running, which is never going to be the right answer as you get older.
As I've said, the real key is shedding weight though, and getting well beyond the normal point where I start to take it easy (about 200 lbs). If I can push on through that point, I still have about 20 pounds to lose before I even get to the start of what's supposed to be my healthy weight. That 20 pound area is an undiscovered country, and I'm certain that's where the sub-60 10K and the sub-2 half marathon are hiding. I'm totally confident about the former milestone which is very close to my PB in any case. The New Year's Day 10K in Hyde Park is the intended venue.
Sub-2 half is much more challenging. Need to lose about 20 minutes off my last half (Reading) and about 11 minutes off my PB. Almeria will tell me a lot about my chances. If I can dip under my PB there, I reckon I can get my sub-2 later in the spring, ideally at Reading. Connemara will be a bit too undulating.
You'll be sick of hearing it, but I'd still love to get out to your neck of the woods for one of those quirky races of yours. Just need to build a bit of momentum. How's your running going? You've been understandably quiet recently, but I hope you are getting back out there. Remember that 'Running is the Answer' for most things.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(03-11-2009, 11:24 AM)El Gordo Wrote: I'm genuinely more excited and positive about the next few months than I think I've been since I started running. Regarding the age thing, I've finally woken up to the fact that it's only going to get harder, so this is as good a time as any to get more serious.
Funny that. I'm 40 tomorrow and I've been thinking exactly the same!
Have been out for a few runs recently. Nothing over half an hour though and all on the flat. Can't get over the river onto Monte Pajariel any more as the police have taken the makeshift bridge away ...this time forever. I'll write about that one when I get time...
Cheers... and you're right, running is the answer!
Excellent. It's so satisfying when all the desperate slogging pays off in a feel-good session. Those fears - that you'll never so much as glimpse your running mojo never mind get it working again - evaporate. As you say it's only a stepping stone but it's a nice large, solid flat one from which to progress. Nice one.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(06-11-2009, 12:41 PM)Sweder Wrote: Excellent. It's so satisfying when all the desperate slogging pays off in a feel-good session. Those fears - that you'll never so much as glimpse your running mojo never mind get it working again - evaporate. As you say it's only a stepping stone but it's a nice large, solid flat one from which to progress. Nice one.
Thanks old chap. Yes, it felt good -- and there's more to come. Recovery seems to be a bit slow, but that could be mixed up with flu-ey type symptoms that have descended today. If I can beat the feeling away, I'll aim to have another crack at the parkrun tomorrow morning. Are you in?
If it becomes real flu/cold whatever, it'll be very annoying as I want to capitalise on the current good spell. But if it happens, so be it. I'll have to take it easy for a couple of days and aim to be fighting fit for Brighton.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
