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Having started running from scratch in Jan, having never ran really at all in my previous 40yrs, I decided to try and do the Strava 100km in July challenge. Previously I guess I've been running twice/week on average and only covering 40-50km/mth.
47km done and my legs are really feeling it. Going to need a few more 10km's to get over the line I think (this is as far as I've run) as not sure I'll get there with just my usual 7-8km routes.
Going to be a wet run today but need to keep going! Hat's off to you guys doing big mileage regulary.
@dooosuk - I set myself the challenge of 10k a day for 7 days in lockdown (from my previous 25-30k a week mileage). Day 3-4 were pretty hard but then it seemed to get easier and I could have probably kept going. Hopefully you'll find the same and the last 53km will be easy 😉
Was TF doing his Capital Ring thingy today??
@dashed I didn’t run it today as the legs didn’t quite have the zing that I want them to have. Clearly the 9 hour MTB ride at the weekend took a bit out of them and they haven’t fully bounced back. There’s no time pressure so seems silly to run it while a bit fatigued. Maybe early next week, I’ll keep you all posted.
I see a few people have mentioned Altras. I bought a pair of Altra Timp trail running shoes a while back, very soft and comfortable, for walking anyway. I did want to try them for running but the grip was so poor I didn't feel safe in them. I mean I was literally sliding about on wet pavements/ roads, it was so bad it was laughable. I wrote to them but received no response. Just my two pennies worth if you are considering Altra shoes.
The Fenix 3 lives again
Bit of old camera strap and 2 minutes with the sewing machine
Then a moment with a soldering iron
The main reason I retired the Fenix 3 was because it was a bit big for my dinky scrawny wrist and the button would gouge me, so the sweat band should sort the comfort factor
In the world of couch to 5k I’m into the second week (for about the tenth time!)
The day after the first run on the first week I woke up with the familiar aching calf that always gives me problems. I was expecting it to worsen as it always has in the past but it’s been absolutely fine ever since. It’s all going surprisingly well so far and really enjoying it. I need to resist the urge to do too much too soon or not follow the plan and hopefully it’ll be problem free.
I’ve now got something to aim for as if our planned move comes off we’ll be living a few hundred yards off The Ridgeway where there will be any amount of trails to run.
Good work notmyrealname.
The day after the first run on the first week I woke up with the familiar aching calf that always gives me problems.
The new runners foe that is.
Calf raises and calf lowers help, as does lots of stretching.
Didn't have the the best session this morning, failed to hit LT pace as part of warm up, then only managed 1 of the planned 5x1k. Not quite sure what happened as never had this issue before. My watch did say 11hours recovery still beforehand.
The new runners foe that is.
Calf raises and calf lowers help, as does lots of stretching.
It’s an odd one. It’s always the right calf, never the left. Any knee problems I get are always the right as well. It’s obviously some kind of imbalance but neither myself or my physio have managed to resolve it.
I’ve been making an effort to stretch before I started this time so been doing a daily stretching/yoga routine for the past three months now which hopefully means I’m starting from a better place than previous efforts.
@j4mesj4mes we've all had crap days where the legs just don't do what's asked of them. Sometimes it's obvious why, sometimes not. I like to work on the assumption that for every rubbish day you have one where you're flying for equally inexplicable reasons 🙂
Last lockdown club challenge was this morning. End of April was 4 mile TT, end of May 5 mile TT, end of June 2 x 2 miles with 3 min recovery. Today - 3 x 2 mile with 3 min recovery. Quite pleased with 4:42, 4:51, 4:49. Bizarrely my first mile, which was probably a little quick, was faster than the 4:45 single one I ran in June! Glad that there's still a bit of speed in the legs, hopefully this will be a good little primer for upcoming long stuff...
Calf raises and over stair slow drops, Do the calf raises with the knee bent as well that engages the soleus
@dooosuk I'm sure you'll get there - just rest a bit when you feel the need. I upped my mileage from about 40km to 115km last week and I'm still feeling it now. Only been running once this week and it was not that inspiring. I hope that's normal and I haven't burst my bubble. Really taken it out of me.
Nicely done TF - I like keeping good old kit going. Lost a pair of gloves I've had since about 2007 yesterday, but found them today after unlocking their location by ordering a new pair. Have blisters now.
I haven[t run much but I did go on a brilliant CX/gravel blast around Headley and surrounding areas yesterday evening. 2 on MTB, 2 on Cx/gravel and the pace was fairly high. Haven't been on a bike in anger for months and was expecting to get dropped in the hedge after about 5K. However, long dormant muscles headed the call, woke up and did the job. I got woads of Strava PBs on climbs and looking at my heart rate it was very interesting. Despite pushing on, it didn't really go above the 149bpm moderate intensity level I try to keep it at running. It obviously went up on the hills, but I was never anywhere near going into the red. It was the wrist based one, so not entirely accurate, and I think the zones are a bit different for cycling but I think it shows just how bloody hard running is. I'm not saying cycling is bad, just different, but it's enforced the point that even running slowly is good value.
Light week for me for running, made up for it with 2 big peak district rides, nearly 6000ft of climbing in total!
My HR stayed fairly low on both rides, avg of 145 with a peak of 165 for the first ride with fresh legs, and a peak of 163 on the second bigger ride. A year ago, with the climbs involved I'd have expected to see my HR into the high 170's regularly, so running has obviously done the job!
On the second ride though, my legs were the limit, so I NEED to get some more cycling miles in, especially as I have a trip with 4 straight days of MTB rides coming up in just over 2 weeks...
I think I'll try and put in 3x runs for 25k or so, and 3 or 4 1-2hrs rides for the next 2 weeks then have a few days rest before the trip.
Not been for a run since 25th June. Seeing this thread pop up so frequently, and during a brisk walk to the shops and taking long way home, I remembered I was starting to enjoy running. Despite my attempts being sporadic, after a warm up this evening and then sandwiched between two sections of brisk walking, I managed to run/jog a full 5k. Pleased with that, is a first for me since school ended in '91. Still happy with the trail glove 5 shoes (love the vapour gloves just for walking).
So, the weather is looking quite favourable for tomorrow, the planning is all done, and a days holiday has been booked....Capital Ring is GO!
I'll be trying a tracking app on my phone which may or may not work reliably, so I'll drop a link in the morning so anyone who is bored can do a bit of dot watching 🙂
Nice, good luck! It is another stupidly early start for this one?
@sirromj - well done, this thread helps keep my motivation up!
@turbo - good luck! 13km at the weekend (my longest run ever) has done me in, don't know how you do it!
I had planned to start at 6:30am to coincide with when Horsenden Farm opened at 8:30 for water. However, as that is still closed, I've been forced to find alternative options for water, so I'm not constrained. While starting earlier will have temperature benefits, as I'll be running about 1 minute/km slower, heat won't be so much of an issue. I might start a bit earlier, but certainly not 4:18 🙂 Also as I'll be running so much slower, keeping up a quick pace through crowds won't be a concern, and I don't think there will be too many pinch points to be worried about on a weekday.
Just been out for a little 3 mile run again, still trying to get my fitness back after injury. Three runs ago I was doing 9.11 mile pace, the next one was at 8.52, today I managed 8.28 pace so happy with that. Gonna step up the distance a bit for my next run and try to keep it <9 min mile pace.
@turboferret. Good luck! I’ve no doubt you can do this. Like everyone here, you’ll hit the wall at mile 60 (always the way, eh?), but push on through!
In aviemore for a week, having way too much fun biking and hill walking to run, I'll mibbe run a hill, then again... 😉
I seem to have become a (once a week) runner - not quite sure how it happened... Even bought a fancy watch for pace and heart rate. What is going on? 🙂
There are a few at work that go out early for a brisk 5 miles. I eventually joined them in June, using the 30 min pedal-in as warm up. Struggled at first but last week managed 6:58 avg pace (fastest mile 6:40). Joints are a bit clunky at 47 so no desire to run bigger distances and think I'm near the speed limit. Ignoring the burning lungs, got to say the faster pace feels more natural in terms of breathing and cadence.
It does seem perfect training for CX. Local league is still promising some form of racing over winter so will be interesting to see if it makes a difference. Must say I'm finding running very effective at hitting and holding an unpleasant level of effort for 30mins.
6:58 avg pace
If that’s in miles then that is pretty damn sharp!
That sure is brisk. Just about did my 10k
At that pace and it slaughtered me.
@sirromj You inspired me to get my trail
Glove 4 out for a run tonight. Haven’t worn them since before Christmas as moved onto grippier stuff in the mud and more cushion on the road. Did 9k with 2k road. Found them quite firm on the road and wouldn’t want to do many miles on road in them, but by ‘eck they were smashin’ off road. Light, tactile, confident, cushioned enough, no toe problems, no arch problems. Ok, I did get the expected tight calf but that has rolled out. Just a lovely shoe to run the trails in. Also happy that I forgot about them and didn’t need to change my running style to suite them.
Have you tried the version 4 and how do they compare to the 5?
Yes 6:58 was average pace in miles - just checked and it was actually 6:57 🙂
In fairness we have a pretty perfect route and I'm starting well warmed up from a steady pedal in - bang on 1 mile run onto route, 3 laps exactly 1 mile each (so wind direction cancels out), flat, good surface and no traffic, then a mile back to work. Last week the 5 miles were 7:03, 6:44, 6:40, 6:58 and 7:12. I'm reasonably light and fit from a lifetime of mtb - just needed the legs to acclimatise to running without being crippled for the next 5 days. No way could I manage running off road or some of the crazy distances you lot can cover.
The fast guy is out tomorrow morning (6:20 if he turns on the pain so I'll not be sticking with him). Just the 5:30 am start that kills me so better get to bed..... Might be a route variation so could be 6.5 miles - eek!
@dooosuk thanks!
@root-n-5th no not tried the trail glove 4, but compared with the vapour glove 3, the trail glove 5 feels relatively sturdy and substantial!
Turboferret is doing his mad London ring at the moment. He sent me a tracking link and I’ve asked if he would mind if I put it here. He hasn’t got back so not sure what to do. What do you reckon?
He did say that he was going to drop the link in here so woulnd't have thought it would be an issue sharing it? How's he doing??
If anyone is after some new shoes, there's a few bit in the sale at Nike at the moment.
React Miler is meant to be a good, solid training shoe.Streak, for an old skool racing flat.
If someone can buy the size 12's in those 2 then it'd stop me doing it and really help my marriage...
Well I survived this morning's work run. Average pace difficult to know as there were some chunks of stopping and waiting. Colleague persuaded me to cling on so there was a 6:20 ish mile in the middle. So do I leave it a week or go out again with them on Thursday?....
Nice one @lunge - ordered a few pairs to try on (free delivery and returns on the nike website if you sign up).
Sen to have lost contact on the tracking app. Maybe phone died as it was about 6 hours in.
Hope it's going well for turboferret.
Nice 10k run this afternoon, first 5k was in 27:14 with the 10k done in 58:01, not far off my best 5k time of 25:39 and my best 10k beating the 59:39 I did a few weeks ago.
Average HR of 147.
I had attempted to send that link to this thread this morning, obviously failed 🙁
In hindsight I would have been better with a 200g phone battery than 1kg of food I was unable to consume 😮
https://strava.app.link/9WOl3jd3i8
122km in 10:15, 2.5% above my goal time so I’ll take that as a win. I think I might take tomorrow off... absolutely battered now. I would have ordered an Uber home from the finish but had no phone battery so hobbled 2 1/2 miles slowly instead
Amazing stuff! That average speed blows my mind 🙂
@turboferret. It’s remarkable what you did today. It’s not just the distance, but having no support and the mental capacity to stick to the route, feed yourself, and keep the pace up. I applaud you, sir, and think you now deserve a rest.
I’m refuelling like a true professional
Sorry, on my phone, you’ll have to click the link
Looks like it should do the trick. Don’t forget the chia seeds.
Magnificent effort TF, awesome work.
So, after a terrible nights sleep due to sore legs and hunger, I'm in the worst physical state I've ever been in after a run or triathlon 😮 Legs are barely functional, stairs have to be attempted sideways with a death grip on the bannisters! Trying to sit down on the toilet is about the biggest challenge...
However, happy to have ticked off a decent achievement in a respectable time. Weather was a bit warmer than forecast but nothing extreme. Cooling headwind was certainly welcome on my return south of the river. I managed to record 49 GB of video on my way round, muttering inanely into the camera and wobbling it around at the scenery, so that will be out to enjoy in due course 🙂 It charts the emotional ups and downs along with the route. I must admit that had I not sent out a tracking link far and wide (apologies for it being a bit glitchy and stopping part-way) in advance I may have been tempted to quit part-way through. This was one of my strategies to keep me accountable.
I wonder what I could do in something like a 100 miler? I'm not sure my wife is particularly excited about this potential direction my running may be taking - not quite the same as smashing out a quick 5 or 10k 😀
Magnificent effort @turboferret - truely living up to the name, massive respect.
Brilliant effort, I'd be sleeping for the next few days if I'd done something when half or a quarter of that!
Look forward to the video!