Blonde half Marathon?

[kinboshi]

For what its worth Hastings Half Marathon is routinely ranked highly for half marathons.

On the plus side it isn't until March so you'd have plenty of training time,

on the minus side it means you'd have to visit Hastings - on balance I'd say the negative outweighs the positive and you're best staying away.

Not one of the easier courses either

Just ask Harold.

[Jon MW]

For what its worth Hastings Half Marathon is routinely ranked highly for half marathons.

On the plus side it isn't until March so you'd have plenty of training time,

on the minus side it means you'd have to visit Hastings - on balance I'd say the negative outweighs the positive and you're best staying away.

Not one of the easier courses either

I think that's part of the reason it gets ranked highly - runners are obviously a bit odd.

My brother said he didn't like the Peterborough half marathon because it was all so flat and boring, if I was going to run for that distance a completely flat course sounds good to me.

[KingPoker]

For what its worth Hastings Half Marathon is routinely ranked highly for half marathons.

On the plus side it isn't until March so you'd have plenty of training time,

on the minus side it means you'd have to visit Hastings - on balance I'd say the negative outweighs the positive and you're best staying away.

Not one of the easier courses either

I think that's part of the reason it gets ranked highly - runners are obviously a bit odd.

My brother said he didn't like the Peterborough half marathon because it was all so flat and boring, if I was going to run for that distance a completely flat course sounds good to me.

Agreed!

[4KingNutz]

Im from peterborough and have done the half marathon and its fine not all flat but flat enough for me anyways.




   Nutzzzz

[kinboshi]

Flat is fast.

[kinboshi]

Make it a mountain half marathon and I might be interested. Hardest thing I ever did was coming back off a lads holiday straight into one in Bosnia in 40 odd degree heat!!!!

Bit more interesting than some flat effort though!!!

You can run a flat half-marathon in a far shorter time, and therefore get to the pub quicker. 

[kinboshi]

If anyone's interested, the Marathon magazine is out now - just received my copy in the post today. 

This is the magazine that contains the entry form for the London Marathon.  You can pick up copies of it from running shops and some of the major sports shop chains.

Plenty of time to apply if you want, the deadline is sometime in October (I think).  Entries are done via a ballot, and you have a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of getting in.  If I don't get in this year, I'm guaranteed entry next year as it will be my 5th time of applying via the ballot.  Of course, you can get a Golden Bond place via a charity - and this will give you a place in the race as long as you pledge to raise £1,500 or more - which is how I got my place in 2004.  The pain from running it then has subsided now, and so I fancy running it again.

Anyone else up for it?

[Rooky9]

If anyone's interested, the Marathon magazine is out now - just received my copy in the post today. 

This is the magazine that contains the entry form for the London Marathon.  You can pick up copies of it from running shops and some of the major sports shop chains.

Plenty of time to apply if you want, the deadline is sometime in October (I think).  Entries are done via a ballot, and you have a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of getting in.  If I don't get in this year, I'm guaranteed entry next year as it will be my 5th time of applying via the ballot.  Of course, you can get a Golden Bond place via a charity - and this will give you a place in the race as long as you pledge to raise £1,500 or more - which is how I got my place in 2004.  The pain from running it then has subsided now, and so I fancy running it again.

Anyone else up for it?

I was thinking of doing it in 2009 - but the ballot lark might stop that. It would be just my luck that I'd hit my 20% chance at the first time of asking - when I would be quite happy to keep putting it off!!

[kinboshi]

If anyone's interested, the Marathon magazine is out now - just received my copy in the post today. 

This is the magazine that contains the entry form for the London Marathon.  You can pick up copies of it from running shops and some of the major sports shop chains.

Plenty of time to apply if you want, the deadline is sometime in October (I think).  Entries are done via a ballot, and you have a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of getting in.  If I don't get in this year, I'm guaranteed entry next year as it will be my 5th time of applying via the ballot.  Of course, you can get a Golden Bond place via a charity - and this will give you a place in the race as long as you pledge to raise £1,500 or more - which is how I got my place in 2004.  The pain from running it then has subsided now, and so I fancy running it again.

Anyone else up for it?

I was thinking of doing it in 2009 - but the ballot lark might stop that. It would be just my luck that I'd hit my 20% chance at the first time of asking - when I would be quite happy to keep putting it off!!

You should apply anyway.  If you get in, you can always defer until the following year (through injury, etc.).  If you don't get in, you're a year closer to getting a guaranteed place  via the ballot.

[kinboshi]

Went out for a run today.  Bloody hell am I unfit!  Ran for 50 minutes, at a very slow pace to what I used to run at 6 months ago.  I'm using the heat as an excuse though.

Got a lot of work to do to get back to the level I was at a few years ago.  Not looking forward to the early mornings though.  Poker and running are not good bed fellows.

[Jim-D]

I've recently started jogging and it is killing me, How long do you guys stretch before running?  after around 15 mins my legs begin to ache bad so i feel i'm not doing enough stretching before hand.

[kinboshi]

I've recently started jogging and it is killing me, How long do you guys stretch before running?  after around 15 mins my legs begin to ache bad so i feel i'm not doing enough stretching before hand.

I never stretch beforehand.  You'll only do yourself an injury.  Stretching afterwards is important, not before.  If you're going to play a sport that involves bursts of speed, changes in direction, etc., then a warm-up and stretching is important.  Usually, that starts with a gentle run.  If you were going to run 100m as a sprint, then yes you need to stretch.  If you're going to run at a more sedate pace, you don't need to warm-up.  Warming down is important to prevent stiffness, allowing you to run again sooner (or even walk the next day if you aren't used to running!).

Others will disagree though.

[Jim-D]

Cheers Dan, must just be that i'm totally un fit. simple as that

[kinboshi]

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=484

[vegaslover]

Yep I got the marathon mag this week too, haven't had a whim yet and entered it.

Re: Hastings half, it's not just the hills that make it difficult but the seafront wind, hills are easier than strong winds imho