Boghead ranter

When I was building up my distance to 10k in time for the Great Scottish in September, and again to get to half marathon distance (which I was doing by November), I used this as a 'formula'. Run the same route each time you're out. If you come home 2 runs in a row feeling like you could have done more, then up your distance next time out. If you manage 3 or 4 runs a week, you'll blow yourself away at how quickly you can increase the distances you run. Then aim to exceed your 'competition' distance, you'll find it easier to do that target distance. what I mean is that when I built up to 10k, I then tried to be under 50 mins (hey, I'm 45, lay off me) as much as I could, but didn't always manage it. Once I started doing 12, 14,16k runs and more, the first 10k was nearly ALWAYS under the 50 min mark during the run.

Good job. If you got the train home, I hope you paid your ticket I'm aiming for half marathon next year, but probably not as early as that. Going home for the Dumbarton 10k in early June, then aiming at the GSR half marathon. Plus any random events that catch my eye during the year.

I managed 20k run yesterday so I'm only a kick in the arse short of the half marathon I'm working towards. The last 2k can only be described as a stagger however, and I was at that point where I was praying I didn't have to stop at a road crossing, I don't think I'd've got my legs going again if I had. After the GSR 10k, Mrs Ranter suggested I aim for the half marathon in 2012, and I told her that was a mental idea. However I'm quite chuffed to be at that distance within 3 months, and I reckon it's do-able after all.

Think it must be, soon. Sky Atlantic currently re-running season 1, which they normally do just before the new season of something starts.

sorry to have bored you again!

so just 24 hours after having to give up at 2k, I've just knocked down 16k and felt great. Don't feel like I did anything different to prepare during today than I did yesterday? The human body's a right fickle thing.

just done a pitiful mile and a half where neither heart nor lungs felt right. Felt like I did at 9 miles on Sunday there. Had to stop and trudge home. F*cking gutted, I'd been looking forward to a good run all day. Rage.

How was your hydration? I find it easier if I drink lots of, and nothing but, water all day when I know I'm going to be out at night. I always struggle more when I go out impromptu, and therefore haven't drunk much water or have had a couple of cups of tea during the day. Which makes it so much harder when I'm on backshift and out first thing in the morning - if I hydrate the day before I'm knackered cos I got a crap sleep cos I was up pishing all night, or else I've had a good sleep, but I'm not properly hydrated.

15.5km (9.7 miles) this morning, furthest in my life, and for the first time ever I ran myself to a standstill, if that doesn't sound too daft. Fecking wind, Trying to run face-first into it during the 14th km finished me off, and I had to walk for a minute or so. Quite chuffed I managed to get my legs going again, 'cos when I stopped I didn't think I would manage it. The paramedics in a passing ambulance taking extra interest in me spurred me on to get going again!

my uphill beast is up Bogend Road and then up through Torwood towards Glenbervie Golf Club. It's a 2km stretch, all uphill, and usually after I've already done 7 or 8k already. Don't want to claim any ascent level as that's one part of Endomondo I don't trust, I just know it's a b*****d of a thigh-killer.

was out today, and just couldn't get any pace at all, so just settled for slogging out distance instead. Managed 14.7km in 1hr 20, which is further & longer than I've run in my life. What a beamer - when I was about 400m from home, barely putting 1 foot in front of the other & dead on my feet, I met my neighbour and his 2 daughters out for a walk. He's a coach at Falkirk Vics, and they're both very good runners. He managed a "keep it up, you're nearly in", but I'm sure he really meant "jeezo, what a knob"

Take a look out your window, then let it sink in that this statement was made just FOUR days ago. To paraphrase Trainspotting, it's shite being a Scottish runner.

I'm planning the Larbert-New Carron-Camelon-Larbert circuit tonight, should be about 12k. Looks like it's gonna be an ok night for a run!

Got my GSR certificate in the post this morning - time still the same, but I appear to have dropped 4 places compared to what was on their website after the race .

that made me LOL, but not in an derogatory way. Well done getting out there and doing something about your fitness if you're not happy with it, rather than just sitting there moaning about it. Next time out try for 750 yards before felling like a sack of tatties, next after that 1000 yards, etc. As said already, you'll amaze yourself at how quick you pick up stamina. And if you can keep it up, starting at this (shitey weather) time of year, really well done to you!

after all my whining like a blouse earlier today, I've just knocked out 14k on a beautiful clear moonlit night. Wind was still more brisk than I would like, but a really good way to spend 70 minutes. Certainly better than Thursday telly.

The logical part of me says that on my big loop of a run, in a wind I must get as much benefit as I get deficit. However, practically, why does the fecking wind always seem in your face, no matter how many times you change direction? I'm like the previous few opinions, given the choice of rain or wind, I'll take getting wet every time.

Jeezo, how hard is it in Autumn/Winter to know you're going out a run at night, spend all day looking out the window at the crap weather, and keep your motivation up?

To me that's no different to any athlete that sets a record using a pacemaker or pacemakers. Indeed Radcliffe's record is more honestly achieved, the men in the race weren't only in the race to get her along at WR pace, unlike the way a lot of track WR's are set. Now, I must go and knock back Usain's texts again, I keep telling him I'm not gonna pull him along to my sprinting pace....

Nothing wrong with being a plodder, so long as plodding makes you happy! I'll never be anything but a plodder, so I just take pleasure from small 'landmarks' (bit like being a fan of a diddy football club), like every time I set a PB for my favoured 10k. Have broken 49 minutes twice now, and I'm now seeing if regular runs help me get under 48. So long as I can see tangible improvements, or even no regression seeing as I'm now nearer 50 than 40, then if that's plodding then I'm quite happy to be a plodder.

had a 54 minute, 6.5 mile cold shower last night. I must be howling mad, but I LOVE running in the rain! Pace was a wee bit slower than usual, but within the first km I was heavier than usual too....

Good jobs.

I'm the same, I've only run twice since the Glasgow 10k. I think it's a combo of having no events to work towards just now, and the fact that the weather's throwing a few reminders that it won't be long until you have to look out the long-sleeved tops and the shorts get dumped in favour of 'longs', plus the rain will soon be horizontal rather than vertical. That said, I was out last night and felt great, so maybe I can get the bug back fairly easily. Something going 'ping' at the front of my ankle though, and I had a wee bit of pain on uphills, and it's a dull ache this morning, but hopefully it's a short-term thing. I'd recommend starting with a JogScotland group, just until you (not specifically you CS) see whether training with others floats your boat. If it does, fine, graduate to an athletics club. If not, just go back to training on your own. I find I must be too anti-social athletically to train with others - if they're faster than me I get pissed off, if they're slower I just say "f*ck 'em" and run away from them.

Thank you. My chillout activities yesterday were - taking the 3 kids to the Falkirk Cooncil sports/active day in the afternoon, then after they were in bed, putting up my wee boy's new 12 foot trampoline for his birthday surprise. Thank god I can go to work today and get a proper rest. Still got a deep ache in my left hip, but other than that I feel pleasantly pain-free!

That was my first ever 10k event yesterday, didn't realise how big a thing it was! My official time was 48:28, 105th in my age category (40-44), and 708th overall. I'm cool with that, as I wanted anything under 50. But jeezo, running up St Vincent St and then from the Clydeside Expressway up onto the Kingston Bridge are killers. What crazy fool picked that course? I was looking forward to running over Kingston Bridge as a highlight, but I was blowing so much air out my arse at that time after the incline up the slip road, I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. I got a 'number check' off the crazy guy at approx 7k who had set up his own PA outside his house, and was just shouting random encouragment at people. My best feeling of the day was running along the home straight with the PA guy shouting "well done all of you, you're under 50 minutes, that's fantastic". My wife met me in tears at the end, she said it was out of pride for what I did, but it could just as easily be because I made it round. She had asked me where the insurance policies were beforehand, though I'm sure she was joking...