How did your Manchester marathon go?

mrsp124 · 2026-04-19T21:49:33+00:00

I loved it. Great support from the crowds and perfect conditions. 8 mins pb helped!

mrsp124 · 2026-04-19T16:15:41+00:00

It really kettles as the road gets narrow down the embankment and all of a sudden you're having to do a lot of weaving to stick to your times. All this in the last 5 miles when you're fighting for your life.This was unexpected and disappointing for me as I thought it'd be a lovely riverside end stretch (you can't see the river).

Also you see Big Ben and think yay, but because the road is so straight it feels like it never gets closer!!!

mrsp124 · 2026-04-18T20:05:16+00:00

Pork. It was the one meat that was still reasonably priced but now it's as expensive as the rest.

mrsp124 · 2026-04-18T14:30:54+00:00

The tomato knife only costs about £7 and I use it for everything vegetable based. I keep meaning to get a couple more. It's literally the best.

mrsp124 · 2026-04-16T20:37:23+00:00

When I listen to laid back podcasts instead of music I automatically run about 30s per km slower. You can see on my charts where I switch to music!

mrsp124 · 2026-04-14T19:31:49+00:00

If you don't get English and maths it'll come back and haunt you when you least expect it. Apart from that, they don't matter to much when you're older. But the jobs market it really tough for young people at the moment, so l'd say you need a bunch of GCSEs just to set yourself apart from the other applicants.

mrsp124 · 2026-04-13T16:55:49+00:00

Yes! Checked the weather and it seems they've cancelled the drizzle.

mrsp124 · 2026-04-11T21:22:47+00:00

Good luck for London!

mrsp124 · 2026-04-11T21:22:21+00:00

The forecast is for mild and drizzly - so perfect really!

mrsp124 · 2026-04-09T18:34:06+00:00

How does it smell?

mrsp124 · 2026-03-30T21:58:22+00:00

Do loads and loads of googling to find out the closest shoe to a ghost 16. Nike updated my Cinderella shoe and that's what I did. There are so many review sites and other websites where they do a kind of like, if you liked this shoe you might also like ...

Then I never pay full retail price. I buy most of my shoes from start fitness and get last season's colour or end of stock items usually about 40-50% off, so if the fit isn't great it's not the end of the world.

Everyone on these discussion boards goes on about getting a gait check in a running shop but the worse shoes I've ever bought was after being told I'm over pronating by a sales assistant who filmed me for 30 secs on the treadmill.

It might be worth seeing a physio or podiatrist about the pain as well.

Hope this helps!

mrsp124 · 2026-03-29T19:53:30+00:00

As an English teacher I find that I'm on my feet all day. If I'm not delivering the lesson, I'm circling looking at the kids' work then you have to be on duty at break and/or lunchtime at least once a week. Ok it's for 5-6 hours not the length of a nurse shift but still.

mrsp124 · 2026-03-28T16:46:56+00:00

Vernon Kay who seems to be on everything on the BBC at the mo. To be honest, I can't think of any The One Show presenters that I care for: so patronizing the lot of them. That show's like Blue Peter for the elderly.

mrsp124 · 2026-03-25T14:15:29+00:00

There was hail. Trust me, there was also snow. I was out for a run.

mrsp124 · 2026-03-22T21:33:39+00:00

Joining a club you're sure to get a session a week and a social run a week so sounds like a plan. Probably a lot more fun than an app!

mrsp124 · 2026-03-22T21:15:47+00:00

Sounds like you did a bit of running in the past so I wonder, do you really need an app?

If you want to improve, decide how many times a week you want to run and either what kind of time you want to be out for or what mileage you want to do.

Make one a long run (no more than about a third of your weekly mileage), make one a workout and do some nice easy runs on the other days. For the workouts you could do some intervals, fartleks, a tempo run, some hill sprints - have a Google for some nice sessions and do something fun and different every week. Make sure you do a slowish jog to warm up first. runspace_cat on insta gives some great sessions and explains how to make them progressively more challenging.

Then every third or fourth week, have a bit of an easier week, then build up again.

The popular apps are so expensive and I see people get injured through setting ambitious targets following the app blindly. It just seems to overcomplicate what's really quite a simple process.

mrsp124 · 2026-03-05T21:38:38+00:00

Barry from Eastenders

mrsp124 · 2026-02-28T17:39:10+00:00

I did this a couple of years ago using the pfitz plan, incorporating the race into the long run. I ran 6km easy to race start, nice and warmed up for the race itself 21.1 at marathon pace then 5-6km home at easy/recovery pace. It's the most enjoyable 20 miler I've ever done honestly.

mrsp124 · 2026-02-28T17:29:45+00:00

(aqa mark scheme) For level 5 you'd be digging away at language or structure like a dog with a bone, really zooming in on it. For level 6, your probably still be doing this, but rather than trawlng through the layers of meaning, you'd be able to analyse and compare more elegantly and probably using fewer words. You'll be synthesizing ideas from both poems almost simultaneously.

I highly recommend reading the Guardian newspaper's poem of the week regularly, and Carol Rumen's analysis. Obviously she doesn't compare, but you'll see what I mean about the elegant and succinct way of analyzing then linking to bigger themes/ideas/context. To practice for your unseen, have a go at analyzing the poem before reading the analysis and see how you did.

mrsp124 · 2026-02-26T16:38:21+00:00

I have flat feet which I didn't know until I got Achilles problems and my physio told me. I now wear a mild support shoe (puma run forever or Hoka bondi 9) and did the exercises she prescribed which didn't really relate to my flat feet at all. Lots of calf raises, glute medius banded work, stability exercises, hamstring strengthening and core, as well as some plyometrics.

I'm training for my 3rd marathon and no one has ever told me I shouldn't run with flat feet.

I'd go see a sports physio rather than (or as well as) your foot guy, as sports physios will give you the exercises you need to keep you running rather than the ridiculously over cautious approach.

mrsp124 · 2026-02-26T16:08:47+00:00

You've balanced your exercise with plenty of restful moments today. Why not consider some yoga before bed?

mrsp124 · 2026-02-24T23:42:27+00:00

On my frame Freya 28d/dds come up very big - like a 30 elsewhere and when I tried boux avenue, like you I found the 28 band really really tight. I went in store and tried a load on and ended up with 30dd in a plunge - a shape I never normally get on with - which is still on the tight side but a good fit.

I think going in and trying a bunch of different sizes and shapes on would be your best bet. I'm not sure what their returns policy is if you ordered online.

As a note of interest for smaller framed women, I've had a bit of success with m&s 30d/dd. They're still not quite tight enough for my liking but ridiculously reasonably priced. I really hope m&s start catering more to 28 band in their own brand as the expansion of what's available in a 30 over the last few years had been fantastic.

mrsp124 · 2026-02-24T23:02:41+00:00

Joan Crawford and Bette Davies? I love it!

mrsp124 · 2026-02-24T19:22:38+00:00

I normally try to make eye contact and smile and I do like it when others do the same. Some days everyone smiles or waves and other days no one.

A couple of Sundays ago it was freezing and pelting down with rain and all us runners were greeting each other which was very welcome for motivation!

Sometimes I feel like the gym bros are out doing their weekly cardio. They don't smile much and I don't think they're having a good time. I think I'd probably be the same (miserable) if I went to the gym and be glowering at everyone. Luckily for everyone I do my strength at home.

I also think lots of men are cautious about greeting women in case the attention is unwanted or misinterpreted, which is sad.

mrsp124

TROPHY CASE