The Great South Run

[Jack]

Looking forward to the GSR now, although it's importance has been dwarfed by getting a ballot place in the 2014 London marathon. Training has been going well and I'm running 20-25 miles a week. Hoping to go sub 80 mins in the Great South, then the real training program starts.

[Minty]

Got my race pack now, looking forward to it. Upped the training again this last week or two and feel ok... not as good as I would've liked, but decent enough. Was aiming for 1h20m but will be happy with under 1h25m now... Planning on a short run tonight, a good 8 miles on Sunday, and then a nice short gentle jog midweek next week before Sunday.

 

Seperate question - wife wants to come with me to give support, which is nice, but is there much for her to do while I'm running? Not read the booklet yet, but for those who've done it before, what's it like for non-runners?

[Window Cleaner]

Got my race pack now, looking forward to it. Upped the training again this last week or two and feel ok... not as good as I would've liked, but decent enough. Was aiming for 1h20m but will be happy with under 1h25m now... Planning on a short run tonight, a good 8 miles on Sunday, and then a nice short gentle jog midweek next week before Sunday.

 

Seperate question - wife wants to come with me to give support, which is nice, but is there much for her to do while I'm running? Not read the booklet yet, but for those who've done it before, what's it like for non-runners?

 

depends how much they want to get involved really, mine used to charge about the course encoraging runners everywhere, sometimes you can see the race pass at a few places by cutting through the space between passages, thinking on the GSR route that I ran you could probably get to 3 or 4 places in the time available. Then again we're a running family,everybody runs, the youngest quite well actually, remember the wife charging round the Paris marathon course with a few other WAGs with a few kids in pushchairs, it does help though, used to pass us a drink or a gel sachet if necessary.Also helps before the start, you can usually offload your warm up stuff onto them just before the start, saves the trouble with bin bags, bottles etc.

[Jack]

I'm really looking forward to this now, will be my first proper event. Did my final long run before next Sunday today, up to Manchester tomorrow so I doubt I would've got round to it on Sunday after that drive back. I ran 10m in 1:28:20, it's quite a hilly route and I was taking it steady so pretty happy with my progress. Hoping to go under 1:20 next weekend.

 

Also hoping to drag a couple of people down there with my to hold onto my stuff during the race. They say you can use the lockers at the pyramids but that seems like a bit of hassle.

[Saint Keith]

well im as ready as i ever will be. was going great guns til about 4 weeks ago but picked up an infection that really knocked me back. have picked it up a bit the last 2 weeks, so just have to trust myself that ive got the mileage in my legs. only aiming for a time of about 1 hour 55, so im not quick. very nervous thos for some reason, maybe because its the 1st time ive done anything like this. a lot of money raised though so no backing out now.

 

looks like the weather is going to be biblical sunday as well

[Colinjb]

well im as ready as i ever will be. was going great guns til about 4 weeks ago but picked up an infection that really knocked me back. have picked it up a bit the last 2 weeks, so just have to trust myself that ive got the mileage in my legs. only aiming for a time of about 1 hour 55, so im not quick. very nervous thos for some reason, maybe because its the 1st time ive done anything like this. a lot of money raised though so no backing out now.

 

looks like the weather is going to be biblical sunday as well

 

You'll be fine mate, the adrenaline of the situation and crowd support will see you through.

[Minty]

Finished in 1:23:38 ... Really chuffed with considering the packed start and that headwind in the final 2 miles. That was nasty!

[Colinjb]

Finished in 1:23:38 ... Really chuffed with considering the packed start and that headwind in the final 2 miles. That was nasty!

 

Great work! Was it really that bad on the home stretch? So jealous of you guys for giving it a go this year. I'll be back....... eventually!

 

Looking forward to hearing how Saint Keith did.

[Jack]

1:19:54 for me. The start and finish were hideous! Hailstorm between the warmup and start, the wind and rain on the last 2 miles was something else! My target was 1:20, had to really get my head down and sprint the last 3-400 to beat it, amazing feeling getting over the line though! Never been more exhausted at the end of a run. St John's ambulance were busy today.

[Minty]

1:19:54 for me. The start and finish were hideous! Hailstorm between the warmup and start, the wind and rain on the last 2 miles was something else! My target was 1:20, had to really get my head down and sprint the last 3-400 to beat it, amazing feeling getting over the line though! Never been more exhausted at the end of a run. St John's ambulance were busy today.

 

Would agree with all of that - I saved a bit for the final 2 miles but it was mentally very tough to keep going... I too picked it up in the final 400 metres... seeing the finish line really spurred me on, and a really great feeling crossing the line. Couldn't wipe the grin off my face for about 10 minutes after!

 

Given the fact my training had faded a bit in the last few months, and in my final training run last weekend (8 miles) I was struggling to beat 1h30m pace, to pull out a 1h23m I was really happy.

 

Gonna look for some smaller events to enter now... glad I've done the GSR but think I'll get back to training and aim for some 10k races in the new year.

[Minty]

Great work! Was it really that bad on the home stretch? So jealous of you guys for giving it a go this year. I'll be back....... eventually!

 

Well, I wasn't sure what to expect as I've heard it is bad every year, and so at the time I thought 'don't whinge about, just get on with it', but it was really tough. Then to see the elite runners (even the mens winner) talking about how strong the wind was, I realised just how bad it must've been compared to other years. Gusts were up to about 35mph at that point I think!

[Jack]

Top work Minty! I need to start looking for some smaller events over the winter to keep me focused. I've got the London marathon to look forward to and I'll do the Reading half on March 2nd, bit they're a long way off so need something to keep the focus.

 

I hear the Stubbington 10k is a decent one, that's Jan 19th. I was thinking about the Gosport half but that's only 3 weeks away and I've never run a half. I imagine I'd be fine if I dropped to 9 min miles but still seems a bit soon.

 

Anybody know of any good local 10m or half marathon events over the winter?

[Window Cleaner]

Top work Minty! I need to start looking for some smaller events over the winter to keep me focused. I've got the London marathon to look forward to and I'll do the Reading half on March 2nd, bit they're a long way off so need something to keep the focus.

 

I hear the Stubbington 10k is a decent one, that's Jan 19th. I was thinking about the Gosport half but that's only 3 weeks away and I've never run a half. I imagine I'd be fine if I dropped to 9 min miles but still seems a bit soon.

 

Anybody know of any good local 10m or half marathon events over the winter?

 

A half is only 5k more than 10 miles, the fact that you could up your pace at the end tends to indicate that you still had something left in the tank so what you could do should you fancy the gosprt half is take in fairly easily through to say 3 miles, put in a good shift at something like your GSR pace through to about 11 miles and then ease home or push on depending how it's going for you at that point. Never run the Gosport half myself but I did run a couple of Pompey halves (when they had that March time I think) and for sure the ambiance and hence the stress at the start will be far less. There used to be a 10K around Poole park at Christmas time and then you have all the Turkey trots and what have yous.

 

Anyway here's the Hampshire AA calendar, might be worth looking for the other local calendars as well.

http://www.hampshireathletics.org.uk/events/calendar.html

Edited 28 October, 2013 by Window Cleaner

[Minty]

On a separate note, I was staying with my brother-in-law the night before the GSR, who lives in North End. I walked 3 miles from his house down to the start and back again afterwards, which was actually not a bad idea as a warm-up/warm-down.

 

BUT... my god, what a sh!t-hole the rest of Portsmouth is. They might have done more with the waterfront areas compared to Southampton, but the rest of it is a real dump.

 

I realise this may not be news to most of you, but it needed stating!

[Jack]

Thanks WC, will give that some thought. Although you say I had some in the tank, I was absolutely f*cked at mile 9, it took loads to keep going at that pace. When you know you've only got a couple of hundred metres to go you find that little bit more, there's no way I could've managed even another half mile of that though.

 

Something I've noticed about these smaller events is that they all state no iPods/headphones, but I've heard that it's not always enforced? Does anyone know much about that from experience? I've always got my headphones in when out running, it's a good distraction and keeps me from boredom on those longer runs.

[Jack]

On a separate note, I was staying with my brother-in-law the night before the GSR, who lives in North End. I walked 3 miles from his house down to the start and back again afterwards, which was actually not a bad idea as a warm-up/warm-down.

 

BUT... my god, what a sh!t-hole the rest of Portsmouth is. They might have done more with the waterfront areas compared to Southampton, but the rest of it is a real dump.

 

I realise this may not be news to most of you, but it needed stating!

 

Haha. That's not just a stick to hit them with because we think they're c*nts, they really do live in a sh*thole.

[Window Cleaner]

Thanks WC, will give that some thought. Although you say I had some in the tank, I was absolutely f*cked at mile 9, it took loads to keep going at that pace. When you know you've only got a couple of hundred metres to go you find that little bit more, there's no way I could've managed even another half mile of that though.

 

Something I've noticed about these smaller events is that they all state no iPods/headphones, but I've heard that it's not always enforced? Does anyone know much about that from experience? I've always got my headphones in when out running, it's a good distraction and keeps me from boredom on those longer runs.

 

On the Ipod etc stuff. According to IAAF rules (under which these big events are usually run) all forms of electronic devices and aids are banned in competitive events, they're not going to turf you out if you're mid-pack though because then they'd have to start implementing rules on advertising on clothng, not having a Nike top and Adidas shorts (or similar) and out of zone refreshments which are all of course banned under real IAAF rules. My girl is a (fairly) top runner and she always trains with an IPod but you need to watch out when crossing roads and stuff.

[Jack]

That's all good then. A friend said that she'd not taken an iPod to a local 10k after seeing that they were not permitted, but said there were plenty of people using them. I'll go with that then, I won't be anywhere near the club runners so shouldn't be an issue.

[Saint Keith]

i did 1 hour 55 mins on the dot! so right on target time. i was cruising all the way round at about 11.5 minute miles for the 1st 8 and half. i got my pacing absolutly spot on what i was aiming for. 57 minutes 1st 5 miles. but then that wind the last mile and half wowzers. i think that took 2 or 3 minutes of everybody time at the very least. i sprinted the last 800 metres as well. wasnt even out of puff at the end. had plenty left. could have done another 3 miles easy. i think that was a good pace for half marathon, but i know now i can go quicker over 10 miles.

 

im so pleased. it was a truly amazing experience and the atmosphere at the start was just incredible, everyone was buzzing. and the support on the way round i couldn't believe either. around mile 9 was really tough but as soon as i saw 1k to go i knew i had plenty left and picked it up. the £3700 we have raised was really spurring me on

 

i was aiming now for either the brighton half on 17 feb, or the reading half on 2 march. or maybe both. but i didnt realsie there was gosport half in a few weeks im seriously considering that now

 

thank you to everyone who has given me advice and support over the last year or so, its been really valuable

[Jack]

Top work Keith, great effort. It's good to have that benchmark now for you to consider your pacing for future events.

[Minty]

Nice one Keith!

[Joey-deacons-left-nut]

That was fun! Never done anything like that, a lot easier than I thought it would be... turned up early to be greeted by lots of very serious chaps doing warm up runs...

 

"Cripes!" I thought, I'm going to come in dead last...

 

Only then to see a large collection of fat birds with massive arse's in very tight lycra running trousers ... "I'm going to smash this!!" I thought to myself...

 

First half of the run was fun, lots to see, nice buildings, some old ships... and then the run along the back of Southsea common was... well.. dull....buildings got progressively more run down, bystanders got progressively more inbred and then a nice jog along the last 2 miles in a fairly strong wind...

 

1 Hr. 27.

 

Will do it again next year I think....

 

Does anyone know if there's a time limit when I can no longer wear my medal around the house?

[Highfield Saint]

On the Ipod etc stuff. According to IAAF rules (under which these big events are usually run) all forms of electronic devices and aids are banned in competitive events, they're not going to turf you out if you're mid-pack though because then they'd have to start implementing rules on advertising on clothng, not having a Nike top and Adidas shorts (or similar) and out of zone refreshments which are all of course banned under real IAAF rules. My girl is a (fairly) top runner and she always trains with an IPod but you need to watch out when crossing roads and stuff.

 

It's a safety thing. You cant hear marshalls or respond to other directions and therefore wont be covered by race insurance

[Window Cleaner]

It's a safety thing. You cant hear marshalls or respond to other directions and therefore wont be covered by race insurance

 

Oh right, I can see that, but IPods, headphones,GPS devices etc are banned under IAAF competiton rules so if you were to be competing in say the AAA championship at the Londson Marathon (having previously enregisted a qualifying time of course) you could be disqualified if they see you with a GPS watch or an Ipod.

[Saint Keith]

 

Does anyone know if there's a time limit when I can no longer wear my medal around the house?

 

top effort, well done. i reckon its ok to wear the medal up to when you do another race

 

was quite easy to spot the people who clearly hadnt done much training, they were walking before we had even reached 2 miles! you must have finisehd quite high up with 1 hr 27. i came 13575th out of 25,000, was quite pleased with that for 1st go

 

have entered the Gosport half marathon in a couple of weeks

[Jack]

 

was quite easy to spot the people who clearly hadnt done much training, they were walking before we had even reached 2 miles! you must have finisehd quite high up with 1 hr 27. i came 13575th out of 25,000, was quite pleased with that for 1st go

 

have entered the Gosport half marathon in a couple of weeks

 

It seemed that lots of them had decided they'd be fine in the orange wave as well and got near the front, then caused lots of traffic over the first couple of miles. I started about 3/4 of the way back in the orange, and it was quite a frustrating start, quite a lot of weaving and overtaking to be done.

 

I've also now entered the Gosport half, cheap and local so I thought I'd give it a shot. Guaranteed PB as well having never done that distance!

[Minty]

It seemed that lots of them had decided they'd be fine in the orange wave as well and got near the front, then caused lots of traffic over the first couple of miles. I started about 3/4 of the way back in the orange, and it was quite a frustrating start, quite a lot of weaving and overtaking to be done.

 

I was probably in about the same starting spot... I knew the pace I wanted to do and stuck to it pretty well, and was quite surprised at just how many people went off way too quickly but then not at all surprised as I overtook lots of them. It's easy to get wrapped up in the event and lose sight of the fact that, if you've been training, the last thing you should do is suddenly ignore your training pace, and try to keep up with those who go off quicker than you.

 

To be honest, to start with even I thought 'Hang on, loads of people are overtaking me, is this right?' at the start, but quickly realised their folly and that, no, I'm doing exactly what I need to do... although the size of the event does help, you still need to make sure you do your own thing and I was really pleased with how disciplined I was at keeping to my desired pace.

[Window Cleaner]

It seemed that lots of them had decided they'd be fine in the orange wave as well and got near the front, then caused lots of traffic over the first couple of miles. I started about 3/4 of the way back in the orange, and it was quite a frustrating start, quite a lot of weaving and overtaking to be done.

 

I've also now entered the Gosport half, cheap and local so I thought I'd give it a shot. Guaranteed PB as well having never done that distance!

 

Basically the vast majority of occasional runners have absolutely no idea of the pace they can maintain over 10 miles. It's why races like the Great Runs are such a pain in the butt for decent but non-elite runners, you are always hampered by joggers and grans with ideas way above their station. You'll find the Gosport Half way different, time for a proper warm up and not have to spend a lot of time on the start line. You'll need to get your initial pace right though because getting a real start can bring you into contact with runners way faster than you and you'll get (unconciously) dragged into the red zone.

[Saint Keith]

have done my entry for the gosport half marathon next sunday.

[Spudders]

have done my entry for the gosport half marathon next sunday.

I did this one a few years ago;

Pros - very flat route so great for a PB

Cons - Most boring uninspiring route ever (unless you like running aroud industrial parks past lorries, in which case you'll love it).

[Saint Keith]

I did this one a few years ago;

Pros - very flat route so great for a PB

Cons - Most boring uninspiring route ever (unless you like running aroud industrial parks past lorries, in which case you'll love it).

 

im normally so focused concentrating on what im doing that i rarely take in whats around me!

[Spudders]

[Jack]

I'm in for Gosport now too, I'm looking forward to testing myself at that distance. I ran 13.1 miles on Sunday to get the miles in my legs - 1:57:30 and felt pretty good at that slowish pace. I think I can shave at least 10 mins off that.

 

The only thing that does concern me is the boring route and the fact they've reiterated no iPods/MP3s when the race numbers were sent out, due to traffic and being able to hear marshalls. I always have my headphones in for long runs, could get a bit boring out there.

 

Good luck Keith, hope it's another good run.

[Jack]

If any mods see this - could be worth changing the thread title to 'SWF running thread' or something along those lines?

[Rut]

Did anyone do the very first GSR when it was in Southampton in 1990? Or the 2nd one (1st one in Pompey) in 1991?

 

Are the results for these up anywhere on the web? I can't find them. This ( http://www.greatrun.org/Results/Default.aspx ) just goes back to 2005.

[Window Cleaner]

Did anyone do the very first GSR when it was in Southampton in 1990? Or the 2nd one (1st one in Pompey) in 1991?

 

Are the results for these up anywhere on the web? I can't find them. This ( http://www.greatrun.org/Results/Default.aspx ) just goes back to 2005.

 

Did both, don't know about the results though. If I recall correctly the Southampton GSR was very fast, think I ran about 54 minutes myself, Pompey in 91 was windy as per usual, ran about 55'30"

[Quickfire Double]

Did both, don't know about the results though. If I recall correctly the Southampton GSR was very fast, think I ran about 54 minutes myself, Pompey in 91 was windy as per usual, ran about 55'30"

 

54 mins for a 10 miler?? Huge respect sir, that's impressive!

[Window Cleaner]

54 mins for a 10 miler?? Huge respect sir, that's impressive!

 

Thanks, I always made a point of trying to finish before the first lady, now it's more like the first great gran.

[popyto]

I may not be the fastest runner in the world and next year I run only my third marathon when I go back to Berlin but for my fellow runners, strugglers and those who intend or know someone who intends to run a marathon I have started a Blog, http://realrunfatboy.wordpress.com/ which will go through my own marathon experience as someone who no one thought could or would run and finish.

[Jack]

have done my entry for the gosport half marathon next sunday.

 

How did you get on Keith?

 

Perfect day for it today, cool and no breeze. Ran 1:40:20 which was nearly 5 mins faster than what I thought I could achieve today, so dead happy with that.

 

As said above, the course is pretty uninspiring, but it's flat and fast, cheap, well organised, and a decent goody bag at the end. All in all it's not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning.

[Window Cleaner]

How did you get on Keith?

 

Perfect day for it today, cool and no breeze. Ran 1:40:20 which was nearly 5 mins faster than what I thought I could achieve today, so dead happy with that.

 

As said above, the course is pretty uninspiring, but it's flat and fast, cheap, well organised, and a decent goody bag at the end. All in all it's not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning.

 

 

A good run then, told you you'd be OK. So much energy is burnt up with the crap mass start conditions at Great Runs and the like that you can usually perform way in advance of what you'd expect based on them at "smaller" events.

[Jack]

Ha, cheers WC. The start was pretty crowded, I think what made the difference was the fact that it was mainly club runners there, and the majority set off at the correct pace for where they were stood at the start. I was right next to the 1:45 marker, and I just stayed with the pack that was around me. It was a bit quick at 7:30 but things opened up after the first mile so I could pick my pace. Much better prep for this than the GSR and it showed. I was a couple of mins quicker than my GSR pace through 10 miles, and was still feeling great so kicked on. I must have done the last 5k in a few secs over 21 mins which is quick for me, I don't even run 7 min miles on tempo runs at the moment.

 

A couple of weeks of ticking over now then my London Marathon training plan starts for real, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm thinking I should join a local running club too, it looks like being involved would be a laugh and good motivation, not that I feel like I need it at the moment!

[Saint Keith]

i did it in 2 hours 25 minutes, about 7-8 mins ahead of my target. i cant believe how much difference there is between a 10 mile and a 13 mile, unbelievable difference. i was cruising til about 10 and half, the last 2 ans a half were a real struggle but i kept my pace. was doing about 11 minute 10 second miles most of the way, which is a quicker pace than my plan but felt quite comfortable. really felt it last night and today, and have quite a swollen tummy as well. enjoyed it though, and we have raised over £4,000 which really kept me going the last 2 miles.

 

felt like a more serious event than the GSR, less fun runners, but equally not so much of a buzz from it. felt like a bit of an anti climax at the end, maybe just because id done so much hard training, and it was a bit of an after thought as the GSR was the main thing for me this year. im so pleased i finished, i learnt a lot that i can take into next year

[Minty]

Well done Keith, onwards and upwards!

[Colinjb]

i did it in 2 hours 25 minutes, about 7-8 mins ahead of my target. i cant believe how much difference there is between a 10 mile and a 13 mile, unbelievable difference. i was cruising til about 10 and half, the last 2 ans a half were a real struggle but i kept my pace. was doing about 11 minute 10 second miles most of the way, which is a quicker pace than my plan but felt quite comfortable. really felt it last night and today, and have quite a swollen tummy as well. enjoyed it though, and we have raised over £4,000 which really kept me going the last 2 miles.

 

felt like a more serious event than the GSR, less fun runners, but equally not so much of a buzz from it. felt like a bit of an anti climax at the end, maybe just because id done so much hard training, and it was a bit of an after thought as the GSR was the main thing for me this year. im so pleased i finished, i learnt a lot that i can take into next year

 

Superb Keith! Great for your first ever half marathon time. Don't make the mistake I did and keep on going now, i'm finding it a real struggle getting back into it, enter another event as soon as you can and consolidate your effort and progress.

[Saint Keith]

Superb Keith! Great for your first ever half marathon time. Don't make the mistake I did and keep on going now, i'm finding it a real struggle getting back into it, enter another event as soon as you can and consolidate your effort and progress.

 

yep im aiming for the brighton half on 17 Feb, or reading half on 2nd march. although my brother reckons i should do both!

[Window Cleaner]

i did it in 2 hours 25 minutes, about 7-8 mins ahead of my target. i cant believe how much difference there is between a 10 mile and a 13 mile, unbelievable difference. i was cruising til about 10 and half, the last 2 ans a half were a real struggle but i kept my pace. was doing about 11 minute 10 second miles most of the way, which is a quicker pace than my plan but felt quite comfortable. really felt it last night and today, and have quite a swollen tummy as well. enjoyed it though, and we have raised over £4,000 which really kept me going the last 2 miles.

 

felt like a more serious event than the GSR, less fun runners, but equally not so much of a buzz from it. felt like a bit of an anti climax at the end, maybe just because id done so much hard training, and it was a bit of an after thought as the GSR was the main thing for me this year. im so pleased i finished, i learnt a lot that i can take into next year

 

 

That's not normal really, you need to get it checked out before you run again..

[Saint Keith]

That's not normal really, you need to get it checked out before you run again..

 

its either too much water, or not enough water. or my body wondering wtf i am doing to it and not decided how to cope yet! will give it a few days to see if it settles down, its not uncomfortable or painful

[Quickfire Double]

I may not be the fastest runner in the world and next year I run only my third marathon when I go back to Berlin but for my fellow runners, strugglers and those who intend or know someone who intends to run a marathon I have started a Blog, http://realrunfatboy.wordpress.com/ which will go through my own marathon experience as someone who no one thought could or would run and finish.

 

I'm in at Berlin next year, nabbed a place in the second ballot! I'll have a look at the blog...

 

While I'm posting: Brighton 10k yesterday - new PB of 46:21 for me, which would seem to suggest my legs have finally forgiven me for putting them through the Purbeck, Bournemouth and Beachy Head marathons within the space of 6 weeks recently!

[Quickfire Double]

yep im aiming for the brighton half on 17 Feb, or reading half on 2nd march. although my brother reckons i should do both!

 

Brighton half is full I do believe - popular run, goes quite quickly. I'm in, easy one for me as I live nearby, and it's a PB course! Might still be charity routes in perhaps...