Great Yorkshire Run

[BillyStubbsTears]

Anyone doing this in Sheffield this Sunday?

I'll be plodding round in 55 mins or so. Training was flying in August and I thought for a bit that I might be on for breaking 50mins, but I've had a succession of illnesses since then and hardly had my trainers in for 6 weeks. I'll be happy just to get round without puking.

[DaveDRFC]

I did it, just over 42 mins which isn't great for me. Only got back off holiday yesterday at 2am though, seems 10 days eating and drinking too much is not ideal race preparation!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Alright clever get! Think about us poor plodders bringing up the rear.

Seriously, that's an impressive time. Especially since it got a bit warm in the second half. I hit the turn in 27 mins which was way ahead of expectation, but I struggled in the second half. Came in at around 56:30 I think, but not sure as my phone ran out of juice in the last 3km so I didn't have an exact time. Pleased enough with that anyway after a shite of a year.

[DaveDRFC]

The second half is a lot harder, especially with the two hills at the end. Earlier this year I was quite close to breaking 40 minutes for 10k which is why I'm a bit disappointed about today, I've gone a bit backwards the last couple of months or so.

I know all about being a plodder at the rear, when I first started running 5 years or so ago my 10k time was over an hour, so it is doable to get your times down just by keeping at it. 5minstogo on here will agree with me on that one!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Agreed Dave. I only started running anything like seriously about 18 months ago, after 15 years of telling myself I'd start next year. I'd been in decent nick up to my mid-30s but had done mostly weights for the past decade with very little aerobic stuff other than cycling to and from work.

Came as a shock how out of shape I was. I did the GYR two years ago and staggered round in 64 mins. Started Parkruns 18 months ago and struggled to get under 30 mins. Now I'm down to 24 mins for a flat 5k. I reckon I've got a sub-50 mins 10k in me if I have a decent run without illness (had vertigo that put me in bed for 2 months this spring, then a bloody annoying set of colds for the past 6 weeks, so I'm chuffed enough with today's run). Looking for sub-25mins in the Hillsborough parkrun this winter (three laps and each one has a hill somewhere between Snig Hill and Commercial Street in the GYRun in intensity). Then aim for a low-50s 10k next spring. Preferably a flat one.

[DaveDRFC]

Lincoln 10k is nice and flat, I've done it 3 times and every time had a PB so would recommend it, even though the parking is a nightmare. That's usually late March or early April. There's also Askern which is in April or May that's pretty quick and a bit more local.

I've never done Hillsborough Parkrun. Done the one at Endcliffe twice and Rother Valley once. They are brilliant free races but my problem is I am a lazy bugger and I struggle to get out of bed ready to run for 9am, I reckon if it was on at 10am I'd do it every week! The Rother Valley one is nice and flat if you did fancy a change.

[5minstogo]

My first 10k was 54 minutes odd, the one and only time they did the Doncaster 10k from the racecourse.  First half in Sheffield was 1:59 so yes I know what its like having everyone and their dog pass you......(in fact two students dressed as a camel in Sheffield)

Consistency is key, if you can get a good run (pun intended) going without injury/illness you can improve really quickly.

Goals for this year and next year will be a sub 19 5k (PB 19:24) sub 40 10k (PB 42:24) sub 90 HM (PB 1:31:54).

Thankfully I haven't got a place for London Marathon next year so can focus on getting faster over these distances.  I've just joined Doncaster Athletics Club too so hoping that will help me improve.  The biggest change I've made this year was having a lactate threshold test and running to heart rate zones. I was sceptical and waited the best part of a year before committing to it but I managed to knock over 10 minutes off my HM time in less than 4 months.

I'm going to try a bit of parkrun tourism over the winter so might see you over in Sheff.

[RTID_Peter]

Also did the great yorkshire run finished it in 1hr 11 min, was slightly disappointed with that time but struggled to get a period of consistent training with broken foot and having the flu for the week in the build upto it. Next aim is for me to get under an hour hopefully with a decent period of training under my belt before undertaking it