Great North Run next weekend. I shall not be participating.
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Great North Run next weekend. I shall not be participating.
I know someone who runs marathons occasionally in a decent tim. i think he said 3 hours 40 or something, and yet when I play Football with him, he is looking wrecked after 10 minutes.
Strange thing Fitness.
Because marathon running is all about pacing yourself. Whereas football you tend to do a series of sprints?
My dad is aiming to do the Great North Run next year, so maybe have to join him... :(
He got his new treadmill delivered on Saturday morning (at 7:45am dammit!) and I had a shot of a 'warm-up' program and I couldn't finish it, though it seemed to be about 20 minutes of uphill walking and running!
Jamie; you'll also have to be training for the Durham Big Ride next year ;)
I'm busy that weekend :p :
No worries there's other rides the weekend before and weekend after ;)
Sadly I'm busy those weekends as well ;)
Went out last night and did a short (9 mile) route which I hadn't done for about a month and was pleasant surprised how much easier it was. The gentle hill up from Chester-le-Street cricket ground I was able to ride up on the middle chain ring, instead of the bottom one, and the sharp hill after Finchale Priory I kept waiting for the 'real' hill to start as I remembered it, before I knew it I was at the top :D - Freezing mind. And 5 minutes faster than last time.
Went for a 66 kms ride, had to stop after the first 44 km due to, lack of light and the cold temperatures.
Looks like next week end will be one of the last bike sessions for this year, unless the weather improves a lot.
BTW, Mark you are impressively active! :up:
Well done. :)
I wouldn't say that tbh. It looks like I do a lot of walking cos that's the breaks I get at work. I don't go that far. I'd do more but to family time constraints.
I was tired after 20 miles cycling today but to be fair most of them were straight up!
Like for you the weather is closing in here. But I've found with lights the dark is ok.
I got a huge personal best time for running 10km this morning. I beat my previous best time by a little over 7 minutes. All but two of the kilometres were under 7 minutes and I was annoyingly only over by a few seconds on each. Next weeks aim is to get every kilometre under 7 minutes and a target of completing 10km in under 1 hour 6 minutes. I was quite proud of myself. :D
No cycling for me this weekend or for the remainder of the month. Will hopefully get back out some time next month. :)
7 minutes off. That's massive; well done!
I have some personal achievements for today. Cycling up the hill to Edmondsley in my second gear (the jump from 'granny' to the next gear is a big one). And managing to cycle up Iveston Bank which I had to push up a few weeks ago on the Durham Big Ride; but this was in bottom gear! :D
I just managed to complete my routine for the first time since May. :dozey:
Pih, My company, along with 1500 other companies and clubs is participating in Kilometrikisa(or Kilometer race for the non-Finnish speakers), where participants log their commute or other cycling activities from May till September. I'm still 52km short of my 1500km commute goal until end of this month. Tomorrow I can cycle to work, but Thursday and Friday we'll be on a drinking trip with the sales staff. I'll end 30km short unless I do some cycling on sunday
Everybody seems to be doing great :up: I am quite far back but only due to lack of any effort at all...
Thats a really nice hill, I did it going down a couple of weeks ago, went around the back roads near the garden centre, along and ended up at the top of the hill next to the cricket ground you mention.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Speaking of that journey, heres a story for you....
On that very same bike ride, I stopped when Isaw two cyclists on road bikes, it looked like one was in trouble so pulled over to see if they were alright. They were both fine, although one had fallen off and that would explain the dirty clothing. Anyways, I got talking, and asked where they headed. They were from Sunderland, and they went to Middleton teesdale....And back. For people who dont know the area, they had done 90 miles..... I worked it out though, and Im pretty sure Sunderland to Middleton is more than 45 miles, and I know from experience that Sunderland coast line is at least 13.5 miles away. When he said they'd done 90 miles, I think theyd done 90 miles so far....And they still had another 15 or so to do.
At the time I spoke to them, I had done just 10 miles....And I thought I was in reasonable physical condition, it turns out I am very, very wrong!!
Iveston is near the peth bank, have you cycled up there before? 60 Peth Bank - YouTubeQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark
That is on my to do list, I'm surprised there was a youtube video :)
No; however I have planned out a route to do it next weekend! I don't imagine I'll get up in one go without a few breaks, but it's worth a go!Quote:
Originally Posted by tfp
Having said that I plan out a route every week and nearly every week it ends up getting changed for one reason or another!
That's road bikers for you! I've been looking at the pages of Cestria cycle club who meet in Chester-le-Street market place (apparently) and they do the likes of cycling down to Darlington and back. Even back when I was 20 and cycling all the time the most I did was 55 miles in one day, and even that took all day! I do aspire to have that level of fitness, maybe one day!Quote:
Originally Posted by tfp
My fastest 50 mile cycle ride is 4hours 0minutes and 16seconds but that will include some element of stop time. That personal best was achieved during a 72 mile bike ride completed in 5hours 42minutes of which 5 hours was total cycle time and 40minutes was stop time. Long distances are do-able in short times. It just takes a bit of practise. :)
I will have a weekend of shifting boxes and flat-pack disassembly and reassembly, if you are looking for a bit of help with your muscles Mark ;)
I think you need opportunity to catch up, so make sure you have your endomondo logging when you are going to and from the car ;)
I think ideally I'd like to do some spinning over the winter, maybe just an hour once a week to keep my legs moving. But the prices locally (and probably everywhere) are crazy. Bannatynes is completely out - £60/month minimum 12 month contract, I don't want 12 months, maybe 4 at the most before I'm back outside.
So what about Chester-le-Street leisure centre, run by the council. £5.80 per admission.. £5.80 for an hours spinning - piss take. If you want a membership it's £27/month, (but if you're only going once a week, no benefit to paying one off!) much better, but again minimum 12 months, so if I'm only going for 4 months that works out to £81 per month - piss take.
I wouldn't mind £27/month if it was just month by month, but I'm not signing a 12 month contract!
Work for a decent company who cares about their employee's fitness, and they might cover your membership completely :D
hahahah. No chance then.
If you can travel that far I heard Guantanamo bay do free sessions, spinning fits in between waterboarding and mock executions apparently.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
I've managed to survive one session of spinning, never again...
Yeah it seems expensive anywhere. When I got the swimming membership in Edinburgh there was no minimum contract but a £60 joining fee and £25 a month or something. They want the money out of you somehow :(
But if you were to go a couple of times a week then it makes it more worthwhile I guess.
Well that's the thing, I'd probably hate it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Malbec
I told you to get that trainer for indoor riding few weeks ago. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Yeah I know; that's an option, but I'm wary of spending £150ish on something which might get used once or twice I find boring and then never used again... I suppose the obvious answer is pay £5.80 per go a few times and if it's ok, then buy a turbo trainer!
I quite like spinning but I think I'm quite the sadist. Everyone else seems to turn such a light resistance (or gear) compared to me who is going flat out on a really hard resistance (or gear). Its good for the legs but I don't think will help improve stamina for long rides.
If we bought a turbo trainer we would also need to buy a tv for the garage as entertainment. I could imagine staring as my garage walls would get dull pretty quickly.
I wouldnt bother joining a gym, just keep on cycling through the winter. I found that this year the off road tracks have actually been worse this summer than back in the winter! And if its tarmac tracks or road cycling is your thing, then theres no difference at all, i find it easier in the winter because of the cold air :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
And I'm off out now, if my ipod ever syncs....
Did Peth Bank today. Liked it so much I cycled around and did it again!
The first part of it has a 20% sign and is just a wall! Thankfully that doesn't last long and it then turns into a more 'normal' and very pleasant climb.
It was extra good this time as the road was closed due to a landslide so no cars to worry about :)
I was out today biking, mapping out another jogging route, or Id probably have asked you if you wanted to go and try it out, looks like you beat me to it :) Well done on getting it done though! and twice :up: ! Any hill that has signs warning people in cars to keep in low gear is a good hill :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Peth bank is still on my to do list, I might even give it a go tomorrow. How did you get there? I was thinking of going up the c2c route and turning off at greencroft or something?
Through Sacriston and down to Witton Gilbert then pick up the cycle path which takes you to the next roundabout then up to Langley Park to join the Lanchester Valley railway path then along there to Lanchester across the road. Ignore the road closed signs and up the hill. Stopping briefly to navigate around the barriers across the road!
I'd recommend you do it today. It's great when closed to traffic!
PS You, me and J4MIE should make our own local cycling club!
Will it involve sitting in a bar and talking about cycling? :D
Through sacriston? Haha! I probably cycled right past you :) I was up that way, near waldridge and ended up near that mini moos farm place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Theres a cycle path on witton gilbert? How did I not know about that! the route you took, that sounds maybe 15-20 mile journey round trip? I'm looking on google earth now, I think Ill be turning off at greencroft industrial estate, down maiden law then up the hill :D
That sounds like a plan, I'm game :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark
This sounds like an even better plan, I'm game for that aswel! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by J4MIE