The Annual Running thread - beginners/ultras/whatever

This thread has been a little quiet of late.

So, I ran the Kingston Break-fest run 20 miler today, nice flat course, very competitive field lots of marathon runners using it as a pre London or Brighton marathon event. Awesome weather, perfect in fact, and got round in 3 hours and 29 seconds, I was pretty happy with that but amongst the field there today it was barely average 😂

Anyone else been running in the sun?

I ran the breakfast 20 in Kingston today too! Not really my thing as I prefer hills and trails, but I enjoyed it. The weather was amazing and was just on the limit of not being too hot. 
it was a prep run for the London marathon which is 7 weeks away. Felt good at 22km so pushed on from there and it looks like the training is working. 
good stuff for getting it done! Running on the flat hard stuff is relentless. 

Yeah. Did a half marathon distance yesterday (first since last year) up to one of our remote lochs. Weather was stunning and my biggest "hurdle" was avoiding the thousands of frogs 🙂

@root-n-5th yeah not really my thing either, I was going to do a trail half marathon on the South Downs yesterday, but a mate who is training for Brighton marathon was doing this so I said I'd tag along instead, road running sucks 🤣

Stunning views @scotroutes

I think i can finally call myself a "runner", only took up running at start of December with C25K, a dislocated knee and knackered spine had put me off for years, but turn 50 in May and wanted new challenge to raise money for Diabetes charity as daughter is T1, so saw the London Landmarks half marathon on 6th June and entered to set myself a new challenge and got on well with the person who runs the charity, so now down to do Edinburgh and Cardiff as well for them...

I managed my first 13 miler last week, but up to now have been running as much as i can off road to help joints, I have also swapped one of my two strength sessions per week from the classic weight training to more run focussed knee and hip mobility/strength work.

I have been following the Coopah app plan, which seems to have done me well 

Questions for the more experienced:

- Should I try and get some longer runs in on the road, as my events are road based and stop running off road?

- Any race day tips for London? 

- Ideally i cannot see myself doing longer than half marathon on the road, but would like a crack at a trail full marathon, and there is one that goes along the Norfolk coast here, as few friends have said longer distances off road can often be easier than road marathons due to changes of pace and terrain? Am i best building up to a distance of about 17-18 miles for that in August? 

Given the rubbish weather, I've come out of running retirement this year and very slowly building myself up to 10k again (have entered local 'race' at end of April).

Up to about 4.5 miles now but must admit finding it really hard work.

Only real benefit is it has made me think that when it's over I need to get back on the bike!

Posted by: scud

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- Should I try and get some longer runs in on the road, as my events are road based and stop running off road?

At the very least I'd want a few runs in those sooper-dooper comfy road shoes you've bought yourself. 😉 

- Should I try and get some longer runs in on the road, as my events are road based and stop running off road?

Yes, for a half you'd want to have done at least 10 or 11 miles on the roads in the shoes you're going to race in.

Posted by: ScotRoutes

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At the very least I'd want a few runs in those sooper-dooper comfy road shoes you've bought yourself.

haha @scotroutes - weirdly i have been doing my easy short run and my long weekend run off road in some mid range Asics trail shoes, my third run for the week is usually about 5 miles and is usually intervals of some sorts... and done that on the road in my new fancy sneeks (Asics Superblast 2) thinking they'd be like running on a large cloud, but actually still come back with the same aches and stiffness (which doesn't last thankfully!) 

Also @scotroutes, thanks for suggesting Run better with Ash on youtube, i have been a religious convert to his soft yorkshire tones for my warm up and cool downs

Half a dozen of us out tonight for a 5km "run". 307m of ascent (and descent) in the sleet 😆 

That looks bloody lovely @Sctroutes. Certainly better than the 18 miles around the streets of the West Midlands I did last night.

Where are you based @scotroutes? It's felt very spring like in the Lakes recently with nice dry trails 

I'm doing WHW recce this weekend; Tyndrum to Fort William over two days. Forecast looks reasonable at present.

@mark88 - I'm in Aviemore. We expect it to be reasonably wintery for a bit longer than most folk. Having said that, it's been fairly dry and we did have 16C last weekend. The weather for your recce looks pretty good. Remember some photos.

Anyone else doing the Leith hill half this weekend? My goal is to get round!

I ran the MK Festival of Running Half Marathon yesterday (16/3).

I only took up running in June last year, and if you'd said to me back then that I'd be 20lbs lighter and doing a half within ten months I'd have thought you mad. However, I did, and finished in 2:10, which was my target time, so I'm chuffed with that. Not quick by some folk's standards, but quick for me.

Anyhow, trumpet-blowing over.

Scotroutes - Those first pictures make me a bit jealous, I do have the a lot of trial running just a mile from home but it doesn't look like that.....

I am a recent runner too, started around 10 months ago and I just have one word of warning for those that have started recently and have not yet ended up injured - Dont do too much too soon! 

Build up the intensity and distance slowly, don't add a load of distance out of nowhere or run harder than usual more than once a week until those legs are used to things (the 80/20 'rule' is widely accepted for a reason) or you will likely end up like me, spending hundreds on physio and taking nearly 3 months off running over the Christmas period because you have some kind of tendon / hip issues - If you look at my strava that week's activity shows higher than usual elevation, higher than usual pace and higher than usual distance.

Back at it now, building slowly and touch wood no huge issues other than than one calf protesting if I run too many hills in a week.

Trying to work out if I can get ready for a September 50k ultra right now... longest run being just 15k that feels a long way off though!

For 2025 I have set the targets of running a marathon a month and cycling a Gran Fondo (or longer) each month as well.

Saturday I completed marathon #3 for the year. I don't run fast but I offset that with sheer stubbornness to get the distance done 🤣.

April marathon will be an eight hour event involving  laps of 4.3miles around Devilla Forest. Should be interesting! 

After many failed attempts at getting into running, this year it seems to have "stuck" and I am really enjoying it. I feel like I did when I first discovered cycling 10 years ago.

I have done spits and spats of running before with friends. I always figured my cycling fitness would carry me though which it definitely didn't. Endless hip pain, knee pain, whatever. Running always felt clunky and clumsy to me because I just barely did it, and always would try go fast when alone which caused loads of issues. No technique, over-expectation, just a mess basically. 

After starting from "scratch" this year and forgoing any kind of expectation I feel much better; springier, and lighter on my feet. Also lost a good 6Kg which helps too...

I've been focusing on easy and increasingly longer jogs/runs on & off-road, and building up muscle endurance almost exclusively since New Year. It's funny because I'm quite cardio-fit from cycling so my HR stays low and I can breathe fine at jogging speed...so it SEEMS like it's not training but it definitely is. What a difference in such a short time. 

In recent weeks I've started to incorporate some speed work in the form of strides towards the end of my runs and it seems to be doing wonders. Certainly noob-gains. I decided I'd test my progress and did a parkrun on Saturday morning and managed to get sub 25 minutes without it feeling *too* sufferfesty - whereas my first one in January it was about 29 minutes and felt awful. Happy with that. 

I have entered a trail half marathon in Lochinver in May that I have been fairly excited for. Looks ace - my aim is mostly just to enjoy it, feel like I "belong", and not feel like I've been hit by a bus come 15km.

In terms of this race in May, I would be really happy with about 2h15 mins. That's a 6.24/km pace which feels really quite doable at this point. My "Easy run" pace at the moment is about 5.45/km but I of course want to account for terrain / mud / steep climbs etc of which I know there's a decent amount on that course. I'd still be chuffed with anything under 2h30. If I got closer to 2h with another 6 weeks of training and noob gains, and a race-day boost I would be absolutely overjoyed. But - most of all as I said I just want to feel like I enjoyed myself and that my body was capable for the whole race. 

All my mates are now bothering me to try an Ultra next year, but I'm not sure I really want to just yet. One thing I like about running is that you can get a comparatively good workout in such a short time with little faff compared to bikes, which means essentially more time to do other stuff I like. 20Km seems like a really nice length. 

---

P.S - It's true what they say but I was always in denial. For anyone considering making a first bash into running: The complete lack of faff on a weeknight run when compared to sorting the bike out is bliss. 

That's very cool to hear @elray89 and I couldn't agree more with your comment on the lack of faff.

Ultra's are awesome, but if you don't want them to be an ordeal then the training is long and hard, which maybe defeats the object for you. I'm really liking small, local trail races at the moment, 10k, maybe half marathon. They all seem to be super friendly and the courses have lots of variety, might be something worth looking at for you.

Penultimate "winter" Monday evening social run tonight. 

Stunning evening after a bluebird day.

Posted by: Lunge

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That's very cool to hear @elray89 and I couldn't agree more with your comment on the lack of faff.

Ultra's are awesome, but if you don't want them to be an ordeal then the training is long and hard, which maybe defeats the object for you. I'm really liking small, local trail races at the moment, 10k, maybe half marathon. They all seem to be super friendly and the courses have lots of variety, might be something worth looking at for you.

Yeah! I was having a look at some smaller races for later in the year up to half distance. There's a few really nice trail events; I'd even do a road half tbh - I think I enjoy road running just as much at this time of the year at least. Great for people watching and a bit of exploring round town with a podcast or something.

I'm a terrible bu**er for overcommitting to hobbies though, so expect me in the entry list of some kind of awful 100 mile job in a couple years haha. 

But yeah, feels like I have to go out for twice the time on the bike to get the same (at least perceived) feeling of "I have now done a good exercise". Feel fitter on the bike too though so all thumbs up.

Right i've my last longish run on sunday a local  trail 10k, before my main event, half marathon on 06/04... any tapering tips?

I've not posted here for ages, but actually I've been running quite a bit - steadily building up mileage to hopefully do a half marathon distance sometime over summer. I'm following a plan on my watch which seems to be working pretty well, I've done nearly 60k in total so far this month, running four times a week which is way more than I've ever managed before. Obviously pocket change to some on here, but I'm definitely feeling the difference in a good way. 

Is there any advice for strength exercises to complement running that I can do at home with a kettlebell or dumbells? I'm currently doing kettlebell swings and goblet squats a couple of times a week, pull-ups and push ups plus a fair bit of stretching (static stretches after a run, dynamic stretches just through the day whenever I get up from my desk). 

Bonus points for being easy to fit in!

Posted by: flyingmonkeycorps

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I've not posted here for ages, but actually I've been running quite a bit - steadily building up mileage to hopefully do a half marathon distance sometime over summer. I'm following a plan on my watch which seems to be working pretty well, I've done nearly 60k in total so far this month, running four times a week which is way more than I've ever managed before. Obviously pocket change to some on here, but I'm definitely feeling the difference in a good way. 

Is there any advice for strength exercises to complement running that I can do at home with a kettlebell or dumbells? I'm currently doing kettlebell swings and goblet squats a couple of times a week, pull-ups and push ups plus a fair bit of stretching (static stretches after a run, dynamic stretches just through the day whenever I get up from my desk). 

Bonus points for being easy to fit in!

I can never remember what they're called - Bulgarian split squats I think? - but doing kettlebell/dumbell lunges with one foot raised behind you on a chair or similar. That's a very good exercise for running and biking - and general core stability / balance! Isolating each leg allows you to overcome and target any imbalances you might have which go unnoticed during two-leg squats etc. 

Ah yeah, I think I've seen those - I'll give them a blast in this afternoon's session. Cheers! 

Evening all, looking for advice re. training

Ive entered b the Round Sheffield Run in June and trying to ascertain how to train for it - 20km, 11 stage 

I followed a Garmin training plan for the 1/2 marathon and that was pretty good but this is a lot more interval based as there is a walk between each stage! 

https://www.roundsheffieldrun.com/stage-route-info

Any thoughts - not just "I'd do some intervals" please