Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

I plan to run my first half-marathon at the end of September - the Robin Hood Half Marathon in Nottingham, England. There's just one thing that's stopping me from sending in my application form - the fact that I can't run very fast! This may sound a little daft to the experienced people out there but I run because I enjoy it, not necessarily to achieve a fast time. I can only go at a pace of 5.5 mph! I ran 9.5 miles at the weekend with a time of 1 hr 50 minutes! Yes, I know this is incredibly slow, probably classed as 'jogging' but I really enjoy it. I just don't want to feel stupid in a half marathon as I'm likely to be the last one home. Do you think it's worth for me to enter anyway, or should I just give up running cos I can't go fast?! What do you think?

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Heidi Sinclair']

[Dan]

Hi Heidi,

If you enjoy it, by all means go for it! Running is an individual sport. All that matters is that you are happy with what you have put into it and accomplished. There will be people faster and slower than you no matter who you are. No point in worrying about it, just do the best you can and have fun with it.

You could probably search through the Robin Hood Marathon site for previous results and get a feel for what time the bulk of the people run.

Cheers,
Dan

[Guest]

Thanks for the encouragement Dan. I'll get my form in the post!

Heidi

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Heidi Sinclair']

[Dan]

You're quite welcome. What do you mean by "get my form in the post?"

Dan

[Guest]

I think she meant she would download an entry form from the link you put in your message. Their website has entry forms.

[Dan]

I suppose that could make sense. I assumed from the first message of the thread that she already has an entry form...

Dan

[Guest]

Sorry for the confusion!! Us British sometimes have daft ways of saying things! I do already have a form - what I meant was that as a result of your encouragement I'll now post it!! Should have simply said 'I'll post my form!!'


[Anonymously Posted by: 'Heidi Sinclair']

[Dan]

Aha! I guess "post" referred to the mail system? I have a good college friend from England that I can barely understand half the time... Quite the diamond geezer.

Dan

[Guest]

Excellent!! That made me laugh!! I'm not surprised you can't understand your friend - sounds as though he's from the London area! That's a totally different language altogether. An English person has trouble understanding, never mind from anywhere else.

Anyway, I've been for what I call a 'long run' today, approximately 10.5 miles. I don't know why but my legs felt as though they were about to drop off, something that I normally don't feel. I take some Liquid Power with me whenever I'm running over an hour so I should have had enough energy. I also ate pasta last night and had a fairly light breakfast , so I thought I had enough carbohydrate to last. I had to walk a couple of times as well, something I also don't normally do. It was about 25 degrees when I ran and I hate running in the heat - do you think this has anything to do with it? When I got home I just laid down and went to sleep for 2 hours! I feel a bit lethargic generally at the moment - probably due to the fact that I'm searching for a new job and have been since February - the financial toll is a bit worrying. I'm also studying quite hard as well as 'temping' (working on a temporary contract for terrible pay). Do you think my current situation could be having an effect on my running? This is the first week that I've felt 'under the weather' running wise since I started in May but I really don't want to miss the half marathon on September 24th. Any suggestions? Should I have a week off? I've been wondering whether to do my longer runs on a Wednesday evening to avoid having to run in the middle of the day. Don't suggest to get up early and run - I'm not a morning person!!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Heidi Sinclair']

[Dan]

London indeed! He's also Nigerian, so that probably doesn't help the accent factor.

Fatigue of that sort can be a sign of numerous things, including overtraining. Going very easy for a week, just enough to keep the blood flowing and stay loose, might be good to try. It takes 2-3 weeks to lose signficant conditioning, so the worst that will happen is you won't improve for a week.

Job stresses can definitely get you down. I've been stuck at a desk the past two years and my body has not responded well to it. I am quitting at the end of the month and am hopeful that my body will fare better...

Cheers,
Dan

[Adam]

Heidi,

Sounds like you need more sleep, especially if you have other stress in your life besides running (unless you're independently wealthy, we all do). I've had the same experience, and found that about 9-10 hours a night was necessary to keep me feeling good during hard training. Maybe you can write down how much sleep you get each night and how you feel each day. After figuring out how much sleep you need, it can take 10-14 days for the full effects of a regular sleep schedule to kick in.