Gladstone

Anyone partaking in Movember this year? This is the first time I've done it - had to sacrifice the beard which hadn't been shaved off in 5 years...

Aberdeen were great tonight. 4 magic goals - the last one was the best.

I've got the new National album playing in the living room at the moment. My 10 month old daughter has been bopping her head to the music. I'm so proud of her.

What's brown and runs round the garden? A fence

Everyone knows that - stop ruining the fun. Everton are above Man United in the league, so Martinez wins. (I only know that because I just checked for the first time in about a month...). Spurs v Everton on Sunday - bring it on Philkaline.

That new Little Mix song is a catchy little bugger. I really like it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwD4eJGxPc4 I can't work out how to embed it into the post.

Ha! That looks like the beard I shaved off the other day...

The Run, Less Run Faster LSRs are a bit aggressive - but I was training for a 6:50 per mile HM, so 8 per mile (well it was a tad less than that actually) isn't that slow. I strapped on a heart rate monitor after that and discovered that I should be doing LSRs closer to 9 (or slower). I use Garmin Connect to track my training - http://connect.garmin.com/profile/calumcrighton

He left my beloved Everton for Man United. Traitor.

Is that David Moyes? Traitor.

As it says up there - I need a new avatar. Post your suggestions here...

Haha - I'm going to start a thread...

Pick an Avatar for me.

Aye - Chris, I think there's a fine line between being happy to progress very slowly and pushing yourself a bit harder to get quicker gains. I've normally gone for the latter and have fallen foul a couple of times with minor injuries - had a scare a couple of weeks before the half marathon - thought I had a stress fracture which turned out to be nothing of the kind...!! I was training for a sub 1:30 half marathon, which in hindsight was stupid because I was nowhere near ready for that. If I'd trained a tad more sensibly and then set out at a slower pace, I reckon I could have gone sub 1:35 but I lost a couple of weeks of training due to injury and I set out too quickly over the first 4 (uphill!) miles and had a less than enjoyable subsequent 9 miles...!! The week in question that I injured myself, I ran 15 miles on the Sunday at sub 8 minute miles, then did a tasty intervals session on the Tuesday, chucked in a recovery run (4 miles maybe) on the Wednesday (this was the downfall I think - an extra run that I never ever did at any point in the training programme!) and then a 10k tempo run on the Thursday (43 minutes I think). After the 10k tempo run, I had a really bad pain on the inside of my shin which I thought was a fracture - it was just shin splints, but it taught me a lesson. Either increase mileage or increase pace. Don't do both at the same time!

I would disagree with that actually. You can't get faster at running 5k / 10k / any distance by only running once or twice a week once you get down to the sort of pace that Chris is already running. Adding intervals sessions, tempo runs and more miles (not all at the same time or you'll injure yourself) and perhaps adding in cycling / swimming to help with general endurance will help - BUT, Chris is in a running club and has been doing this for much longer than me so he'll know that already!! I wasn't going to advise him how to get faster because he'll already know how to get faster and is getting faster all the time - so he isn't in a slump!

Ah right - I get it. You were saying "no training" meaning, only really trained for a few months because you've been slogging away for a long time. I can totally understand that. But, as I said before, I've always maintained a really good level of fitness ever since I was a kid, not just focused training for running. It's been mainly football over the years, but have pitched in with other things and I used to walk and cycle everywhere when I lived in Aberdeen. So the focused training of earlier this year to get down to 42:01 on the back of something like 5 months training was the tip of the iceberg and honing the speed/endurance I guess. And during my training regime in the first half of the year, I was working out 6 times a week most of the time - running 3 times, cycling/swimming twice and doing strength exercises another time. (Following the "Run Less, Run Faster" programmes - I would recommend!) I'm now trying to run 6 times a week with some swimming / strength training added on. It's been a bad couple of weeks with holiday last week and then not feeling great at the start of this week, but I'll get back on it on Monday. Swimming 3 mornings a week, strength exercises the other 2 mornings, running 4-5 lunchtimes and a run on a Saturday... I'm gunning for sub 40 minutes at the Garioch 10k in March! Sounds like you're making great progress too - the sub 50 will come surely if you're down at 50:34 now. Pick a flat one and go for it!!

I did loads of training for those times though! I mean, I actually trained - followed a training programme and worked really hard - a massive change for me. I used to just rock up and see what happened. But, with a background of keeping fit through various other things, just no actual focused running training. Unless you mean the marathon time? I didn't train much for that admittedly. Have you ran a marathon now? You were building up to it last time you mentioned it.

So, yeah - this is a bit late, but completed the 100 mile challenge... Loch Ness Marathon 2012 completed in 4 hours 24. I did nothing that could really be classed as "training" - in hindsight, doing it in that time was quite impressive given the lack of training I put in! Since then I've actually started to run a lot more often and put in some proper training for a couple of 10k races earlier this year and a half marathon. Garioch 10k in March in 42:52, Fraserburgh 10k in June in 42:01, Campbeltown Half Marathon in May in 97:33 - massive improvements on previous PBs! I also managed to run in the National Lottery Anniversary 5 mile race down in that there London town - lap of the Olympic Stadium!! My offiicial time was 34 minutes something - can't remember without looking it up. I was about 2 minutes behind Paula Radcliffe and I beat Victoria Pendleton and Sporty Spice!! Shove your girl power up your arse.

Yeah I finished the challenge - I'll go and find that thread and update it rather than hogging the footy thread... Ryan - the place looks pretty much as I left it. Well - it doesn't "look" as I left it, but the content looks much the same.

That reminds me - I was in Madrid when they won the Euros. Phenomenal.

Haha - I've barely looked at this forum in about a year or however long it is since I deleted my profile. For some reason I looked it up yesterday and was having a flick through, decided to sign up again... You still running? That's been my only hobby this year - actually did some proper training for a change - it's incredible what that can do for you...

You know - just been living the dream generally. I'm a Dad now - that takes up a lot of my time! Not playing in a band anymore, not playing football anymore... Family life has taken over!

So - how's it going? Decided to drop back in after a wee while away from the forum... You might remember that I declared my love for Wigan Athletic at the beginning of last season, so the end of the season was fairly dramatic for me. My love really is for Martinez though, so I'm now unashamedly following Everton... (By following, I mean occasionally looking at their results and having a smug smile to myself if they win). Cracking start to the season for the Dons! Here's hoping it continues. In other Gladstone related news, I no longer support Celtic. Just lost interest completely - I cheer them on in Europe but want them to lose every other game - not because I hate them like non Old Firm supporters do, just to try and keep the league as interesting as possible. I'm probably an Aberdeen supporter, kind of. Scotland supporter mainly though.