Did the greater manchester one for my first one this year.
Pros: good size, well organised, easy to get to, pan flat (48m of total elevation iirc), very fast
Cons: not a very interesting course, esp. miles 18-22 which are out in the sticks with barely any spectators which is a bit of a pain during the hardest section of a marathon.
I was running for a time though so it was perfect for me, may do it again next year
Thanks, I want to run a marathon for the challenge of doing it. I’d feel conflicted raising money for charity from friends and family for what is essentially a hobby. I’d like to run it at some point but might wait for future years when I can finish in a better time.
I might try and grab one of the general entry spots for Brighton, would you recommend finding accommodation when coming from London?
I think I’ll sign up for a smaller half in Jan/Feb now I’ve got a time to beat as well.
This does look good and flatter than i’d have expected.
The spectator lull for the last 1/3rd of the race sounds like hard work.
I would, yes. You need to pick up your race pack ahead of the day, and unless you plan on making a trip on the Friday, then the Saturday is usually the best day to do it (but make sure that you leave enough time to get through the queues). The marathon starts in Preston Park on the Sunday, and you’d have to be there by about 8.00am, I think, and in previous years, the Preston Park station has been closed, so you’d struggle to get there from London on that morning.
I’d use it as an opportunity to have a weekend in Brighton, but get your accommodation sorted early, otherwise it can be very expensive.
Thanks, I’ll bear that in mind.
looking for one to do around that time so hmu if you find a quick looking one please
Peaking around, Hampton Court Half is flat and London-centric for me. No first or second hand information though. On the 22nd of Feb.
Had a look and there’s one in great bentley (near my home town) and one in fylde (near my gf’s home town) i february so will probably do one of those for convenience
February on the Fylde Coast… Grim.
If anything could inspire me to a 1:35 half marathon, it’s the urge to not spend 1 hour and 35 minutes outside in february in Blackpool
that ‘bleak bit’ really is a fucking boring ballache
I’ve fallen back in love with running. I’m sure it will be very very short lived as most of my things always are.
I’ve done the last maybe 3 or 4 parkruns at finsbury park and I’ve been trying to beat a previous goal of doing the 5k in under 30 mins. I was never able to do it but managed to get 29:17 a few weeks ago, then last week and the week before it was just over 30mins (30:18!! 18 fucking seconds!!)
BUT I had ran to work for the first time in a very very long time and managed to run the entire duration without stopping.
I did 8.7km in 54mins which I am so fucking chuffed with. Not even for the time or the distance, just for keeping a good pace and sticking to it mentally for the whole time.
Meowingtons top running tips:
But does anyone ever have days where they feel like they have no running rhythm?
Some days like today I feel like a gazelle! Then other days because I have to lug around a pair of quite large breasts and a big arse, I feel like i’m stomping about and really uncoordinated and just like i’m running for a bus.
Well done!
And yeah, everyone has those days where it doesn’t seem to click and you’re really conscious of what you’re doing and it feel like you’re running on a stopped escalator.
hate those days where it feels like somebodys sneakily attached weights to your legs and you’re conscious of every single movement. sometimes it passes, other times you just have to call it a bad job and listen to your body.
It’s so weird. I feel like sometimes i’ve never run in my life before and my body is like wtf are you doing to me here
Nice one! I am aiming to start again properly in earnest on Monday of next week. If I don’t run in on Monday you are all very welcome to call me an enormous failure.
I know that peer pressure can be a great motivator, but don’t pile it on yourself too much.
Peer pressure will make me want to do it less.
Unfortunately I am a sucker for a bit of routine so I have told myself I will go every saturday to parkrun (ran in the pissing rain on saturday!) and anything else is a massive bonus and well done on me for even getting out there, even if i don’t do well/run hard etc.
Habit for me is a massive motivator. I go to the same gym classes each week pretty much too.