ran with a local club last night at their speed work sessions.
8 x 300 hard with 300 jog recovery
all a bit structured for my liking I've never liked someone else telling me what to do - but then for speed work i probably need that.
managed my 5k a day for 6 days so far.
Racing sunday so 2 easy 5s the next couple of days and then its duathlon time.
Should be on for a PB run - its been 10 years since i did this event and i didnt run at all back then !
since august 1st this year I'm down 12kg , instead of being 1 belt hole away from needing a new belt ive moved 6 belt holes to the right and am 1 away from needing to punch more in so it can go smaller. ive gone from 25% BF to 18%. and ive gone from 5k being a battle to 10k being a trivial matter.
5 weeks till Spine time and I'm struggling with tendon pain down the front of my shins. I've not got half as many miles in as I would have liked. Just got to hope the body holds together long enough, and some proper weather kicks in.
since august 1st this year I’m down 12kg , instead of being 1 belt hole away from needing a new belt ive moved 6 belt holes to the right and am 1 away from needing to punch more in so it can go smaller. ive gone from 25% BF to 18%. and ive gone from 5k being a battle to 10k being a trivial matter.
Love it. Hopefully I'll be posting something similar in a few months. Getting out regularly is definitely making me feel better in general, I definitely miss commuting every day (well, some aspects of it anyway).
I probably need to up to more runs a week, but I'm happy to take it steady and build up.
I’m pretty happy with that
I think that's all that matters to be honest. Given where you are now, you have the chance to see that steep improvement that comes with taking it up, and getting more into it. It's a really enjoyable phase. Good work!
Anyway, I hadn't read my parkrun email properly from last week, where I ran, with a bloody hangover again, a soggy 5k in Northampton with 190 others while we were visiting friends for the weekend.
I knew I'd finished top 20 because of the place chip they'd given me. But I came first in VM45-49 category and wasn't beaten by anyone pushing a buggy. That's probably one I won't be repeating any time soon as the fields in the other runs I do tend to be 400+ runners and there are always a few VM45-49 gazelles that come in well sub-20. Obviously, there were none of those types turning up on Saturday where I was. Still, you can only compete against who turns up, yeah? Yeah!
@trail_rat - training needs to have a structure. Whether that's a run "leader" or trainer telling you: "full effort to the end of the road" or yourself telling you the same, it doesn't really matter. Possibly a bit easier in a group as hopefully the competitive instinct kicks in and you work harder as there isn't the temptation to ease up 50m before the line.
Not all sessions need to be structured though - you can get a good workout with fartlek sessions for example - and it's good to mix things up to prevent it all getting a bit stale.
I think that’s all that matters to be honest. Given where you are now, you have the chance to see that steep improvement that comes with taking it up, and getting more into it. It’s a really enjoyable phase. Good work!
Yeah I reckon. There's a benefit in comparison I think, especially as you start to get a bit 'better', but at the moment I'm taking the posts of epic runs and 5k a day as inspiration more than anything. Am I there now? Nope. Will I get there? Maybe. Am I enjoying trying to get there? Actually yes, pretty much for the first time I'm enjoying running on the road (I've always liked trail running more, but that's a drive away).
while i agree .
ive had good results in other sports training at my own pace to my own set schedule
so structured sessions with shouty people dont really appeal to me.
ill give it a few more and see how it goes.
Does depend on the person leading. I used to run with Ilkley Harriers and their weekly training runs were understated and varied from semi-structured like The Big Dipper: a series of road climbs around the town. To a run out to Burley and back: "anyone who wants to can do an effort from the next lamppost to the bridge" type stuff. There were certainly no Sergeant Major type characters.
indeed , its just the nature of the beast i think im generally by nature a solo trainer
ill probably benefit greatly as you say but it will take time to adjust.
If you want to maximise your performance then yes your training should have structure. The more considered and structured the better. On the other hand running to a plan can take away much of the fun and without enjoyment you are never going to train hard over a long period of time in order to get good results. If you can stick to a plan and that structure helps, then fine. IME the best way to introduce structured and hard workouts is to train in a group.
I was lucky I loved running so much the main issue was trying to do less, not more! My enthusiasm and (like most competitive runners) my "enjoyment" of "pain" meant that even if I wasnt as strict in terms of specific sessions as I should be my overall volume and intensity probably meant I got there in the end. If you dont enjoy running for its own sake then no schedule in the world will get you training.
Day 7 of 5k+ per day and still going. Get to Christmas Eve and I've promised myself a Garmin Instinct watch.
My legs seemed to have stopped aching in the night which is a bonus.
"If you dont enjoy running for its own sake then no schedule in the world will get you training."
Diffrent strokes.
Ive always been the sort that sets goals/targets and works towards. Ill put up with alot of shit to get to that target - as i said above its worked for me many times when ive decided i want to do something.
I have my 2019 focus and know that i need to train towards that - thats my motivation.
my goal i set in august for this weekend is whats got me this far.
Ive found if theres no goal - there is no need for structure - and thats not to say i dont see why training should be structured but theres my structure and there is what someone else who doesnt know me from adam thinks i should be doing.
How ever i am enjoying running right now and especially hill running. Steeper the better it seems.
Bit of a late "buy-in" to this 2018 thread but after recently getting fitted for some running shoes to stop my ankle pain (it turns out I'd mistakenly bought the non-support version of the Nike Zooms I had previously when I tried to replace them like for like ) I've been gradually getting back in to running. Hopefully off to my local parkrun for the first time tomorrow if it's not lashing it down!
The struggle I'm having at the moment is I have a nice flat and well-lit 4k or 5k route to default to in the evenings after work, and over the last month I've gone from running the 4k at 5:15/km to the 5k (same route, with a small extension loop at the end) at 4:44/km which I'm really happy with, but I can't seem to stick to a slower steady run pace?
Ideally I want to start adding distance, and pegging back the pace a little for those longer runs but I seem to find myself just running faster & faster until I finish up flat out and completely wasted at the 5k mark. Does anyone have any strategies to keep pace down/steady? I know it sounds like an odd 'problem' to have!
Heart Rate Zone training?
Once you're feeling fitter, runner slower is hard. If you've a smart watch you can set alerts if you get above Zone 2 for example.
Did the Percy Pud 10k in Sheffield last sunday and it was pretty grim. I usually run first thing before breakfast or later in the day but it was a 0930 start so had a decent bowl of porridge but it was definitely still sitting there a couple of hours later on the start line! On the upside, the stitch passed at the 7k mark... Lesson learnt 😉
Does anyone have any strategies to keep pace down/steady?
Dont worry too much about slowing down. Your training should include a number of core sessions. Some will be longer and slower, some uphill and intense and some in the middle. if you find you are exhausting yourself and cant complete the session the it is really a case of discipline and as a runner you are going to need some of that!
Into the marathon training for me now, bog slow at the moment but should have measurable improvements by Christmas.
Facian. I would imagine you will adjust the pace to what it needs to be if you know when you set out you are going to run further. Raising the pace a bit as you go through the run is fine in my limited experience but keeping a lid on it is discipline as mentioned in the wise post above.
A way to practice pacing and effort is to run one way for 15 minutes, turn around and get back at the start in bang on 30, while paying close attention to how you are feeling and keeping your breathing nice and steady. - I believe that is how Arthur Lydiard started out his joggers?
Funny how we are all different. I have absolutely no problem running slow. Apart from at the moment as I cant run at all (damn those slippery stairs)
Facian, get out with someone who can help you with the slowing down, run at their pace.
My plan for 5 mile a day Marcothon never lasted, been pressed for time all week so just did the minimum 5k every day.
Really enjoying my running just now, the more I run the more I enjoy it, funny that? 😊
@facian - run/jog for fifty metres, walk for fifty metres, repeat.
Slightly less sarcastically (though the above is an old technique for managing pace for very long distances) is to run at your 5:15 pace and get a feel for how it feels. Could you hold a conversation at that pace? If so then that or thereabouts is the pace you can hold effectively indefinitely.
I’m interested in having a go at this HRM training. What exactly should one be doing...going out for 40 mins in Zone 4 (which I think might be Zone 3 for anyone without a Garmin who have 5 zones from resting (1) up to max (5)?
I can programme in a HRM plan on my watch - and would like to try something s bit different from pace-based stuff all the time.
Terry, are you noticing any difference in yer biking since starting your currently running?.
In the last year I've probably only averaged out on the bike on average twice a month, but feel really strong on it, especially attacking stuff, and climbing out the saddle.
Dont really seem to be losing the skillz either, I think my confidence from my fitness carries me through?.
Darcy, I'm interested in that too, tick!.
Bil is a very good runner and swears by long n slow miles mixed with intervals and hills to get speed up.
Anyone down to do the Marsden Edale in January? I’ve got a score to settle with it, done it a few times but last year I had to DNF it at Snake Top as was carrying a lung infection and probably (definitely) shouldn’t have started it in the first place.
Hopefully this year it’ll be the first time it’s not wet, cold, snowing or 50mph winds, as that’s all I’ve ever known on it previously. A cold crisp day would be wonderful.
And it’s all a build up to doing the High Peak Marathon in March, so if anyone else is doing that I’d be keen to know how your preparation is going!
Tight legs today after club session last night .
Ran into the village to get yeast and coffee. 7.5km at 7:04mins/km.
Skins and beer have been deployed. Off to give the TT bike a wee tidy up and tweak it's been a long time.
Another easy run immorn before Sunday's 4km sprint.
And yes Greg I do notice a big correlation between bike and running I certainly don't lack in speed up the hills from.the running work. And a hard climb on the bike feels I'm all the same places a hard running climb does. Probably why I like climbs on hill runs so much
Tight legs today after club session last night .
It was probably too structured. 😀
Good pace Terry. 👌🏻
@turboflard - the HPM was one of the hardest races I did, I got drafted in five days before because one of the team broke their ankle in training. Running along the "ridge" between Cut Gate and Bleaklow in rain then sleet then snow is not something I ever fancied repeating! From memory we finished in 13hrs30 or thereabouts.
Sounds like a tough one @whitestone. I’ve reccied that section a couple of times in the day, the route now actually drops down cut gate to Slippery Stones and along the shooting track before climbing up to Swains Head so not as exposed, but Bleaklow will still be, er, bleak.
Turboflard- We’ll hopefully pass each other in January as I should be running in the opposite direction. I’ve never competed in the HPM but often run the course in training as it’s a great route.
I’ll be the one carrying everything but the kitchen sink in a Totley vest @marcus, guessing you’re doing the Spine Race? Good luck!
I am not convinced by HRM training. I think it may be useful at the extremes but there are too many variables to control in my view. "recovery" effort running is important but once you slow down too much the training effect is so trivial that in my view the risk of injury and energy use (ahead of an important, fitness contributing session) is counter productive. From my experience the athletes who use it generally do so for their easy runs and when training with them they appear too slow (talking about athletes I am used to training with)
Well psychological pacing today.
Said to glupton I'd run 4:15m/Kms today
Ran 4.14m/km
4.3km in 18.33 for 25th place from 120
Jumped on the bike and got into target fixation mode.
Over took the same tractor 3 times .
Over took 16 people on the bike with 36.30 for 20km and crossed the line in 9th over all 6th in senior.
Very happy but no doubt about it all the work on the running and dropping the 12kg made the odds. Last time I did this race 10 years ago I'd be watching folk ride past on the road a km into while I was still a km from the finish. This time folks were only riding our of the park while I was a couple of hundred meters from my bike.
Lotta work to do as round 2 has a second 4km after the bike so 4-20-4 and the third is 4-40-4(hopefully I can put in enough space to get a good placing on that one )
DD - my PT has suggested I spend a few weeks over Christmas running only in zone 2. It has resulted in my average pace plummeting! But I’ve found I can keep running for longer without starting to get sore hip flexors - this is great for me, being new to running. It’s just getting me and my feet used to running for longer durations. Then after Christmas I’ll start a half training plan.
Good work that Terry! Well done.
Superb Terry, good stuff.
Did a very wet muddy 10k today bloody hard work and super sloppy after a night of rain, disappointed with 53 mins but came 79 out of 400 so not too bad I guess
wallop, have you targeted a half? Bath prob a bit early for you? Bristol/Cardiff maybe too late? Got your eye on anything?
A couple of nice Meon Valley Trail events coming up if anyone’s interested..
Cheers guys , still work to do. Probably shouldn't vomit coming off the bike when I have a second 4 km run to do.......
DD - Westonbirt, mid April. Got 19 weeks so might be OK!
By 'eck it were chilly this morning! But to be honest it was a lot nicer running in cold, clear air than in constant sheets of drizzle. I even saw stars!
Spent the weekend sitting in the car (in laws stuff down in Dorset) so I had fairly stiff legs this morning. I'm not sure whether it was the lack of activity (I usually at least walk a couple of miles a day, if I'm not out on the bike or doing something more fun) or the extra chill in the air but I really felt it in my legs from about half a mile in today. I was up early so I upped the distance a touch - just a gnats whisker under three miles.
I managed it, but I definitely knew about it by the end. Average pace was down by about a minute over my last two mile effort, which I expected - I was consciously knocking it back to try and make sure I had enough in the tank to make it round. About a mile from home I (unsurprisingly) struggled a little bit, and found myself hoping that I'd have to stop at the crossing but as it turned out I got straight across and found a nubbin of a second wind, and made it home fine.
I think I'm gonna rest tomorrow then do a shorter, faster run Wednesday, then a shorter gentler run Thursday. Then play on the bike at the weekend!
I've never tracked the mileage I do in my shoes, but I've had 'em for a few years and they must have covered a few hundred miles by now so if I'm still going after Christmas I might treat myself to a new pair.
DD – Westonbirt, mid April. Got 19 weeks so might be OK!
You’ll be grand.
Thank you, kind sir ☺️
Thanks all for the advice (haven't been online over the weekend).
I went out last night and made two changes:
*Set a target of 10k from the outset, rather than "start running and see how I feel"
*Ditched the headphones and music.
Had a nice steady run at a comfortable ~5:15/km on the flatter parts, suffered a little on the hills at the end to bring it to a 5:36 overall.
I think setting the distance overall beforehand definitely helped me pace myself, also I knew I was running a much more hilly route so I deliberately left some in the tank and felt like I could have carried on almost indefinitely.
Planning to do this at least once a week now, I may introduce the music again but find something slower-paced than the usual stuff I listen to. My friend who runs a lot suggested a podcast or audiobook if I really do need something for company!
