My missus did a 10k today and I went along, got me thinking about having a go again. I used to be a good club runner and would have won today’s race at my best. Not sure how close to that sort of form I could get again (I used to train hard most days, intervals etc) but I will be a veteran in 2 years time so could go for some age group times.

Anyone else on here done similar? How bad was it and did you get anywhere near your old form? Has your cycling fitness been of any use and how do you fit running training around cycling?

Guy joined our club this year …really good junior, packed in completely in his early 20s for beer, women and fishing(!). He’s already down to 17′ 5k and 29′ 5M as a V50, still improving too. The swine.

Whatever you do don’t mention technique on here.

Good luck to you. “Do a little a lot” Run as many days as possible (5 days minimum) but do very little. Work on time not distance, you could do as little as 5 to 10 mins a day and build very slowly (2 mins added to each run after every 2 weeks). That will get you used to running as part of your day and allow you to build steadily without stressing your body to much.

try to make Sunday as a longer day as you build time and perhaps have Wednesday as a longer run day (not as much as Sunday).

Once you have built a good level get some advice from someone who can help you be more specific to your needs.

I found parking my cycling for a while (injury recovery busted femur) and running really helped me when I got back to cycling (base fitness wise). Have fun.

It will be very bad.

Obviously not as bad as it’d be for Molgrips.

I once went for a run in South Africa: I joined my colleagues for a morning jog around Cape Town. It was only three miles and I had no trouble keeping up although one of them, running behind me, unkindly said: “We can see why you’re not a runner!”

….the next morning I could hardly walk and I was crippled for three days!

After being with MrsG for +20yrs and her showing zero interest in running. She found the NHS couch to 5k podcasts. She’s followed this (starts you back again in really easy and structured manner) and is now running 10k’s. I’m thinking of doing this too over the winter.

I gave up as a junior and only got back into about a year ago (20+ year gap). As has been said above, start slow and build up steady, but you probably already know that.
Maybe look for a local parkrun to gauge progress.
It will probably hurt at first, but with more mileage will come the conditioning.

I have a theory that anything you do as a teenager stays with you into later life. Something to do with the neural pathways being very strongly laid down, or hormone levels, or something.

Bike fitness seems to cross over to running reasonably well. Well enough that your cv system will allow you to ruin your legs completely 🙂

I stopped running regularly about 15 years ago and since then have every so often tried on the spur of the moment to run 7 to 10 miles.
It hurts more every time.

I used to be a good runner, never liked it, but always seemed to bang out reasonable times. Anyway, biking got in the way and i barely did any prolonged runs, especially last few years. Then a friend of mine suggests doing these adventure runs, Brutals, Hells etc. they’re nto that far, but always on boggy uneven land. So last year i did one, thought i better train for a while before hand…. my first run was ok, until 2 days later when i couldn’t move my legs. I realised after about 4 miles in that it was a bad move to set off the way i did, but my lungs felt good and so did my thighs.. Cue this year – i’ve got an “event” in 2 weeks time, i did one 4m run the other week and my legs hurt, and i know i’ve got to do something between now and the event to get my legs moving. Lazyness + boredom + expected pain = no training where do you lot get the motivation to run as well, it always seems so bloody pointless, especially when there are sweet trails to ride 🙂

it always seems so bloody pointless, especially when there are sweet trails to ride

Bingo!

You’ll probably die.

I did once go through a phase of loading up running shoes and a lock and riding out to run in places more motivational than plodding the same streets from my front door every time.

It didn’t last.

it always seems so bloody pointless, especially when there are sweet trails to ride

Yeah, but there are also a whole load of sweet trails to run on that are crap on a bike. Like the one I rode this weekend.

I took up running last year as a way to get some midweek exercise in when I’m working away from home.
My basic cardio fitness helped, but it takes a long time to adapt to the stresses of running. You’ll probably find you can get up to a decent pace fairly quickly, but your knees/ankles/ achilles, etc take a lot longer to strengthen up, so you’ll need to build up your weekly mileage gradually.
I’ve done a few 10k’s, and managed to fit the training around my normal weekend biking. At that sort of distance the training runs take take up too much time, and don’t take too much out of you.
When I decided to do a half marathon the running pretty much took over from biking. If I was doing a 2hr run on Sunday I’d have to stick to a short ride Saturday. If I did my long run on Saturday then my legs would be too tired to do a big ride on Saturday.
I’ll be sticking to the shorter distances from now – I enjoy my biking more than the running

I only did sprints for about 12 years as I was into power sports, I went back to running about 5 years ago and get extreme pain in my calf muscles, probably because I am still very heavy for a runner (ok plodder) my 5k time was 30 mins, my 13 year old Daughter (3 years ago) was able to do it in 19mins 🙁

Cycling seems to be less painful but whenever I run my calf muscles become sore for a few days after, my foam roller is my best friend.

Well I’m starting tomorrow with a walk/jog beginners programme and we’ll see how that goes! I commute a 50 mile round trip most Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays so I’m going to do the running in between.

I never got the “pointless” or boring thing with running, I probably would if i didn’t have a goal though so my first goal will be to get to a continuous 5k, then 10k of running and then work up from there.

Might even try a duathlon if I can keep the running going, anyone tried that?

Yeah, but there are also a whole load of sweet trails to run on that are crap on a bike. Like the one I rode this weekend.

And that’s before you even get ‘off trail’

Which constitutes the biggest driver I have for running.

I never got the “pointless” or boring thing with running, I probably would if i didn’t have a goal though so my first goal will be to get to a continuous 5k, then 10k of running and then work up from there.

For me, running being “pointless” is in itself part of the ‘point’ I have no targets other than long days out in the Highlands, over everything and through everything. Just the simple joy of moving well over trackless terrain. It’s closer to meditation than sport.

To be honest, if your commuting 50 mile round trips you’ll probably slog out a 5k on your first attempt. You might be a bit sore after. Good luck though, just take it easy for a while.

I try to start running every January, but the weather and then workload usually stops me and I don’t get back into it; I think I managed seven runs in Jan/Feb of this year.

I’ve decided to start early this year, so went for a run on Sunday evening. Stupidly, I’d seen two friends on FB discussing their Parkrun 5k times so I decided to do 5k.

Running 5km on a Sunday evening off the back of no running makes it quite painful to walk for the next few days. I beat my friends’ times by a couple of minutes though 🙂

I’d wager it was less the 5k that did the damage, and more the beating the mates.

I still get DOMS every now and then when I get carried away. Despite having a fairly weighty level of weekly mileage and mixed training. Getting carried away seems to be the issue.

Walking was painful on Monday. I could barely walk up the stairs to bed last night. Almost pain-free this morning.

This post inspired me to get out running again, probably only a year since I was last out and only managed 5 miles but it was great fun.
Slight twinge in my upper legs today but didn’t stop me from cycling about earlier.
Good luck with it 🙂

Blimey that’s a bit keen, 5 miles after a year off! I am being extremely careful with my “comeback”, just did 8x 1 min run, 1 min walk, and I had achy legs after that. It’s going to be a long road back but I’m up for it.

I don’t know how anyone can get carried away running. The general discomfort overwhelms me, I really have to fight that to get to the point where I hurt the day after.

As mentioned earlier – I would really recommend Parkrun on a Saturday morning. Great way to start the weekend – very friendly atmosphere and a good way to see progress!

Parkrun UK

I find that the fitness i gain running helps with the biking rather than the other way around.

To be fair Molgrips, youre a bit of a special case. 😛

I get a bit forest gump when I start running, I love the simplicity of it and the clarity of mind it brings me. Nothing but me and my bursting lungs.

piemonster – when you go out on these very long runs in the Highlands, what sort of distance do you cover, at roughly what sort of average speed?

Varies a lot Scotroutes, both from the terrain underfoot to fitness on the day.

When I think of “long runs” I’m generally thinking in the 20-40 mile range. But it’s so dependent on the terrain that it’s as much to do with effort and time than distance and ascent. Heading out for 20 miles on the hills around The Cairnwell and Lochnagar is a lot quicker than 20 on the Cuillin. I’m light years behind Finlay Wild.

In both instances, I’m not particularly quick. Time wise I’ve not ventured over 10hrs…yet. Although I’m being coerced into Knoydart Munros in a single day sometime next year. So that’s likely to change.

Couldn’t do it now mind, the chubster has a hold of me.

And – genuinely – how much is running and how much walking?

I’m just trying to get my head around it enough to think about whether or not I would even consider trying such a thing 😆

Walking was painful on Monday. I could barely walk up the stairs to bed last night. Almost pain-free this morning.

#CraigDavid

Felt brilliant yesterday evening, but sadly couldn’t get out and run again. Absolutely flew on the bike on my way home from work though.

Can’t get out again tonight either and have a big ride planned for Saturday, but I’ll run again on Sunday.

And – genuinely – how much is running and how much walking?

I’m just trying to get my head around it enough to think about whether or not I would even consider trying such a thing

Varies a lot, but I’d guess anywhere between 3.5mph and 7mph for my long hill runs. Depends on the route. Those boys on the Bob Graham Round barely manage 3mph. But theres a fair bit of climbing involved there so I’ll let them off.

Again, how much of a run/walk ratio depends on the route. No concrete answer. I ran 38 miles last year, but that was trail. Another run last year which was 3 miles shorter took 2 hours longer.

Two weeks after running 5km and crippling myself for three days, I did the same run again, faster, and with no pain the following day.

Looking forward to trying to make it a habit over the next few weeks. Should be able to manage a 25 minute 5k?

New job, biking-related injuries, lack of time and general apathy mean that I haven’t run this year.

I started running again 2 weeks ago and can’t believe how much fitness I’ve lost.

I was at my fittest ever last year and, in my mind, am still pretty quick. My quads and calves disagree quite violently. I’m doing 30 easy minutes 4-5 times a week and planning to increase time every 3 weeks. Not increasing speed until December. This week is better than last week.

I’ve entered a half marathon in March to get me back into the swing of it and I will go under 1:18:35 (6min miles).