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Feeling a bit like an old human today. I've been building up slowly to 5K and done a couple of slow ones in the last couple of weeks. Went out last night for a steady 5K and my left calf felt a bit tight after 3K - no pain and didn't really cause any problems but I monitored it and all seemed well.
Got back and calf quite painful. Thankfully not a proper strain like I had at the start of the year and it's not too bad today. Should be over it in a couple of days, but just makes me think that I've got to be careful. Perhaps it was the colder weather, perhaps I didn't warm up properly, perhaps it is the shoes?
Any recommendations for good shops in South London or Surrey? I've seen one in Surbiton/Tolworth, just down the road from me, called "Up and Running" that has good reviews and looks good.
I'll lick my wounds and stick with it.
My kiprun 4¥ did well over winter they have plenty life left in them yet.
I only really use them on grotty trails and wet days so they don't get an easy life.
Massively grippy in the mud but not great for anything other than mud/trails very squirmy under foot on hard surfaces.
Interesting to know. I use Walshes in the mud but also have to run on a lot of sandstone which wears the knobs down in no time.
Good call on the 22 quid Kipruns btw - cheers! Picked some up yesterday and ran home from work in them, equalled my PB and felt comfy, so they're a thumbs up from me. Only struggled on a steep gravel path which I doubt was in the design brief.
down the road from me, called “Up and Running” that has good reviews and looks good.
They do get very good reviews although my personal experience with them wasn't brilliant as the shoes they recommended were very uncomfortable and gave me pins & needles but I guess I need to put that down to the shoe rather than their advice as I still run in shoes that help correct my running gait as they recommended but just another brand.
Was up in the Cairngorms on Sunday, saw quite a few folk running with numbers on, many looking quite dishevelled, turned out it was the 'type 2 fun run ultra' where there's dozens of check points and you choose your own route and which ones you do, so there's an element of planning and strategy involved other than everyone just racing the same route. The conditions Saturday (friend got hypothermia while out) and Sunday (first taste of winter) were pretty rough, so respect to everybody that did this overnighter (30 hours)
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These just arrived on my desk, a bit more than £22 :O
Not sure I can justify them really, but one can never have too many bikes or shoes 🙂
I couldn't justify them, but wondering if I could drill them to fit SPDs...
My running landscape is significantly less spectacular than those photos, but it’s the view from the mind’s eye that counts!
Call me mad, but despite my calf twinge on Wednesday, I decided to do a slow 3.28k this evening. I’ve been looking after it and massaging the painful bit and it’s felt ok. I’m determined not to give up this time due to niggles.
I warmed up well, took it easy, felt it twinging a bit but all is good. I think it actually feels better. I know I do.
Great inspiration here folks 👍👍
Its still dry and hardpack down this way, some of the forests in upper Wallington look like the last time they had rain was a few years ago..
Still rocking my ON fetish, still proving to be some of the best gear I’ve ever used.
Interested in ON. What’s good about them? Be grateful to get an insight.
Did the Ben Nevis race yesterday when I probably shouldn't have. Multiple niggles, a cold and 2 runs in the best part of a month isn't the best preparation! Blew up pretty badly towards the end but managed 2:01 something. 13 mins slower than last year but happy given the circumstances.
Interested in ON. What’s good about them? Be grateful to get an insight.
All IMO, others may differ....
I bought my first pair for running hard dirt and bought the Cloud’s ... then bought the Cloudventure Peaks, and then another pair of Cloudventures and then.... we’ll my wardrobe just expanded from there.
Firstly, I run for pleasure only and SDowns area, so mix of hard/soft trails and forests etc. I’ve done a couple of 25 & 50ks but that’s the longer distance, most weeks I do 15-20k a couple of times and a short 7k. Just for fun...
Bumped into a mate who had a pair of clouds on, thought “nice” and at the time I ran in Sal SpeedX’s for the trails. So tried a pair and they’re different to may shoes I’ve ran in, and way more comfortable too.
The shoes have a particular tread called “clouds” essentially some foam filled domes or hollow domes. Shoes are extremely well made, and light too. The clouds have a “bounce” about them, and have helped me become a more bounce/lift leg runner than a plodder... I still plod, but do tend to bounce more... don’t know if that’s the shoes or my style more these days.
They have a particular grip, and TBH it’s not that brilliant in soft squishy mud or SDowns damp forest because the clouds tend to slip on the wet roots or flint. So if it’s soggy I run in my Sal SpeedX’s since the grips better for that type of trail.
Another slightly odd thing about the “hollow” clouds is they attract water if it’s wet and the shoes squeak a bit... but that’s it.
My original Cloudventure Peaks have done about 3k and still look great and loads of tread, but as a precaution I bought a second pair. They’ve changed the sole design a bit on this years model to more of a tread not unlike Sal SpeedX’s... but they’re white this year... which is pointless because they’re gonna look well grubby very quickly. 🤷♂️
The soles much lower cut than a lot of shoes I’ve owned, and I seem to prefer it... odd considering I ran in SpeedX’s for years.
ON are on the expensive side of things, but that’s fine considering the amount of K’s I run in them.
I’ve also got a wardrobe of their running gear, it’s very well designed... a touch better than Sal’s/Norona IMO and suits me well for fit.
I've posted on this thread a few pics and other musings about ON and my experience with them, could be a good few pages back... maybe worth a look.
Undoubtedly I’ll get some stick for using them, because some folk think they’re expensive and that they think you could get equally good brands cheaper... that’s their choice. But for me, and the miles I do I think they’re worth every penny.
HTHs
Tried some ON’s on yesterday. Seemed nice but the guy in the shop thought as I run about 50/50 road/trail they’d get trashed pretty quick.
Came away with some brooks cascadia 14, first run out on the moors this evening hopefully.
I’d agree with the road/trail mix ^^ the clouds will wear out quickly on tarmac. I have a pair of original clouds that I use for town/casual (worn them today as I happens) and the heal and outer edge have worn down but not lost any bounce... but I’ve never run in this particular pair (but use the others for trails)
IIRC Lunge might have tried ON but didn’t like them much, but he’s way more experienced than me and maybe a little different conditions (trail/tarmac, as opposed to me which is always trail)
Its probably worth reading back in this thread for mine/his views before buying em’...
I must add, I have a high instep. Finding any shoe that fits is always fraught with trepidation. The Sal Speedx are particularly odd choice for me (high heal foam, more forward tilt) yet I’ve been running in them for a good few years before I moved over to ON... but I still use the Sals, but only when it’s gloopy...
Also at the Ben race this happened...
Whilst warming up I came round a corner to find Charlie Ramsay himself standing in the middle of the path. I impulsively offered him my hand with the explanation 'I'm number 93 on your list.' We had a wee chat about his round and rounds in general then I carried on. When I passed in the race he shouted 'come on number 93!' Made my day.
Awesome Spin, a genuine legend. 😊
Aye, it was a lovely moment.
One of the guys in my triathlon club has haemophilia and can't run, so I came up with a genius plan: a sprint triathlon relay! He did the swim, another guy did the bike, and I did the run. Given my preferred distance is marathon and up, a 4.2km race wasn't exactly my forte... All good fun though, even if I did get soundly beaten by ex-European 10k champ Chema Martinez 🙂
IIRC Lunge might have tried ON but didn’t like them much, but he’s way more experienced than me and maybe a little different conditions (trail/tarmac, as opposed to me which is always trail)
Correct, I bought a pair of CloudFlyers (I think) which are their light stability road shoe. I only used them on the road and towpaths and found them a a bit dead feeling, no feedback or return for my effort is how they felt to me. I still wear them occasionally but don’t really like them still. If anyone’s a size 12/47 wants to try a pair I’m happy to part with them for a very fair price.
I’m having a bit of a challenge with shoes at the moment, keep buy8ng pairs, doing 5 or 10k on the treadmill and taking them back as they’re not right, tried Mizuno, Brooks, ASICS and Nike so far. Ideally I’d like Nike to rerelease a shoe with the same last as the Pegasus 34 as they fit me like a glove and I’m fast using up my stock of them.
I’m having a bit of a challenge with shoes at the moment, keep buy8ng pairs, doing 5 or 10k on the treadmill and taking them back as they’re not right
I love my NB, any reason you haven't tried them? What kind of shoes do you like? (I like low drop / wide forefoot fwiw)
I love my NB, any reason you haven’t tried them?
They’re next on the list.
I need a wide forefoot, that’s the main challenge. Bar that, a firms ish, neutral shoe that’s good for some distance work, nothing too complicated!
I've got NB 990s. Only issue is the paper thin insole - I had to glue it in, as it would slip back in the shoe and leave my toes with even less padding... a bit of silicone and it was sorted. Otherwise I'm very happy with them, lots of space for my toes and very comfortable, I've done a few half marathons and the run leg of an ironman in them with no problems. Sounds like they'd be ideal for what you're looking for.
So - back from the GNR and what a great day it was. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get anything like the pace I was hoping for - it's 16 years since I last ran it and it was considerably busier and the hills were bigger (and more of them) than I recalled (as others have said on here) so I was nowhere near my hoped for time, but still ran inside my cut-off and finished with 1hr 58. I guess that's okay for a 52 yr old who had run no longer than a ParkRun until the beginning of July. Onwards and upwards for next year 🙂
It was the Surrey Bacchus wine marathon yesterday, which I've run numerous times before. I recycled my outfit from a few years ago, but wasn't able to arrange to have number 118 this time to coordinate!
One good thing about this is the additional head protection 🙂
Plan was to actually drink wine this year, as I received a torrent of abuse last year for winning but not embracing the spirit of the event! Also was treating it as a fairly hard training run but leave the legs relatively fresh as I have a more important race next weekend. Was glad to have company for the first lap, a Serpentine runner I have crossed paths with before, so we chatted on the way round before he loitered to wait for his friends and I pushed on a bit more. Finished in 2:45 and I think the next full marathon finisher was about 45 minutes back! As there is no timing mat at the half-distance, all of the folk who were entered the full, but only completed one lap, appear with their one-lap times in the results, but with no way of differentiating 1 lap from 2. I think 9th in the results was actually 2nd...
Anyway, a fun morning out with pretty much perfect weather, and a nice 871m of climbing!
Great effort johndoh..... I'd never consider a marathon on road... a great result and hope you continue...
Anyone know if the Northumberland coastal runs on soon..
Congrats to Johndoh. It was a bit warm as well wasn't it? I second what you said about the crowds - twice as many people as last time I did the GNR. I got in in 2hr 4mins as I had a bit of a wobble at 8-9 miles with dehydration I think. Pulled myself together after that and really enjoyed last 4 miles. I just can't comprehend how TF does 2.45 for twice the distance. Awesome stuff!
Cheers - I will be continuing my running (although I want to get back on my bike after not using it all summer using all my spare time with running training) but I do want to get faster and hopefully get closer to what I know I can do with a decent amount of focussed training.
I just can’t comprehend how TF does 2.45 for twice the distance.
While chatting 😮
Congrats to him and to you johndoh!
@Bikebouy - Northumberland coastal run (assuming you mean Beadnell to Alnmouth) is in July.
Entries usually open in January, but sell out quite fast
I just can’t comprehend how TF does 2.45 for twice the distance.
Yeah I have to accept that some people are just built very differently and accept that, whilst I might be okay (and a hell of a lot better than many people of my age) that there are always going to be people much better than me. I was well reminded of that early this year when trying to set a ParkRun PB and was overtaken on the second of three laps like I was just jogging by a young lad in his very early teens 🙂
But well done slowpuncheur - it was a bit warm so I made sure I took on fluids (just a few sips from a bottle about three stations) even though I don't normally drink. I could feel small stiches start each time I drank so kept it to a minimum then had a few bottles at the end (followed by celebratory beers in the sponsor tent 🙂 so well done to you for pushing through - I did see one person being carried off through the barriers unable to go on with about 400 metres to go and another on the TV later of someone looking like she was about to face plant just as she turned right onto the grass and the finish line but somehow she managed to finish.
I just can’t comprehend how TF does 2.45 for twice the distance.
But it does look like his unreasonably hairy shoulders have spread to the surrounding car park so he is clearly some kind of X-Men freak. 😉
^Yup. Running is good for your humility. I think in MTB and road biking you can buy speed to some degree but whether you've got £20 Sports Direct specials or £200 Nikes, it doesn't make much difference.
I beat you to the beers though. I have a lovely plastic cup of the stuff at about 10 miles. Better than haribo.
whether you’ve got £20 Sports Direct specials or £200 Nikes, it doesn’t make much difference.
You'd be surprised, going from road to trail shoes makes a huge difference to pace. It won't turn you into an Olympian athlete, though 🙂
I beat you to the beers though. I have a lovely plastic cup of the stuff at about 10 miles. Better than haribo.
I saw them and thought the better of it after nearly choking on a jelly baby and completely upsetting my rhythm earlier in the run 🙂
Well, that's bloody annoying!
I've been training for the Peterborough Half in mid-October.
Training was going OK, although I was probably pushing the 'easy' runs a bit harder than I should have been; sticking to a plan has never been my strong point.
I'd like to do the race in <2hrs, although 2hrs for a first attempt will be OK.
I did a 'long' run 2 Sunday's ago - 15km (sticking to the plan) & wanted to get an idea of what sort of comfortable pace I could sustain, so just ran at a pace that seemed an effort, but comfortable. Ended up averaging around 5:18/km or so, which I was quite pleased with. in the final few km I increased the pace to around 5:08/km and realised that was taking me into a pace that wasn't sustainable for any real distance.
Once I'd cooled down though, I realised my hamstring was quite sore on the inside behind my knee where the tendon-y bit starts.
I barely ran during the week last week (a really slow 5km) and then did a gentle 8km on the Sunday just gone. It was a little niggly, but OK.
I went out yesterday & did 6.5km at a slow pace & it's playing up again today....
I think I am going to have to give it a bit more time to sort itself out, which is annoying as I'm entering the phase of my plan where the training ramps up in terms of distance....
I am away next week, so think I will put off the running until I get back from that - that'll be ~10 days of not running on it, to give it a chance to recover.
Might get some time in on the bike instead to keep the cardio system ticking over....
I would suggest doing some stretches
However, I often struggle with hamstring niggles and I can normally run them off (but that isn't necessarily my advice to you) . In fact my right hamstring was niggling like hell as I walked through Newcastle on Saturday evening yet I still managed 1hr 58min in the GNR the following morning (my second ever half marathon after doing one 16 years ago)
johndoh
Member
I would suggest doing some stretches
I quite often find when I've got a strain/muscle pull of some sort that stretching just makes the problem worse. Gonna let it lie for a while to recover.
Thanks for the YouTube link - once I get this half marathon out of the way, I am going to drop the mileage right down & incorporate more conditioning exercises into my routine. I know I have weak hamstrings, so something I definitely need to work on.
Fair enough - you know your body best. What I did when I had a niggle that I wanted investigating earlier this year though was to see a sports physiotherapist and she identified that I constantly placed all my weight on my right leg every time I stood 'straight' which was forcing my hips out of alignment. I now consciously correct myself to equally weight both legs when standing and things have straightened up and I suffer less with the niggles I used to get (I still get them but less severely and much more manageable).
.wrong thread.
While we're on the subject of injuries. I'm currently resting up a 'sore knee'. Very sore boney lump on the outside of the left knee. Symptoms are that I can run uphill, for a while, but descending/straightening the leg hurts. 'Pain' (actually more a unpleasant nervy feeling) spreads down the lower leg as far as underneath the heel (thought I had Plantar fasc at first). After a few KM the whole knee feels sore and I bail. Additionally I can't crouch down; the left knee hurts when the joint closes. Pain shooting down the shin and outside of the calf.
Had physio today and her diagnosis is an overuse injury of the popliteus muscle or tendon, which is compressing the (sciatic?) nerve and causing the pain/numb lower leg. Makes sense I suppose, quick google shows it might be more common in hill runners.
So, anyone had this? I've got to rest it and do some nerve flossing exercises, but keen to know what worked for you.
Thanks for the ON info. Very interesting.
I used to get terrible knee pain which is why I stopped running a couple of years ago. A ball of pain with the epicentre growing from the bony bit on the outside of the knee. Got so bad after a few km that the leg seized and I had to stop. Would be ok in the morning strangely with with only a slight twinge.
Got some advice and they recommended more minimalist, zero drop shoes to allow leg and foot to adapt to terrain naturally. It worked. I don’t get knee pain now, but do get calf injuries. Oh well.
I've been plugging away the last few months getting in 2-3 6km (ish) runs per week. I've really noticed some improvements the last couple of weeks. TImes have come down from high 5min/km to a few runs (that are on flatish routes) now sneaking under 5min/km.
Better than the speed going up i've noticed i feel like i'm running. Previously I felt i was labouring round, heavy legs, lethargic feeling, always wanting to slow down and stop.
By contrast the last couple of weeks i feel like i'm finally 'running' rather than jogging. My core feels more upright, stride length has i think increased a bit, i get a good sweat on now and the feeling of lethargy has gone. I feel like my limiting factor is my breathing capacity rather than my legs. The last few times ii've done a run in the morning i've seriously felt like getting out there in the evening for a few more km!
As someone that typically runs for a few weeks and then gets injured and goes into hybernation again for a few months i feel the last 4 months of steady 5km runs, not worrying about speed or increasing the distance have really helped my body adapt and build a solid base on which to build.
To those battling out there, stick at it!
Gave a flat 5km a go tonight, my usual loop is pretty hilly. Took 1m30 off my PB, 24.20. Happy with that.
Good stuff djambo and jam bo! 👏🏻
Nice work D/jambo. Consistency and knowing when to rest that niggle seems to be the key. I'm not so good at the latter.
I was delighted the other week, went out to run 10k on flat pavement (for probably the third time ever) and just decided to see how fast I could do it, expecting around 50 mins.
Finished in 48 flat, which was nice.
It did highlight I don't do nearly enough speed work (well, any in fact). My HR peaks at around 170, legs won't go any faster. On the bike, a similar effort would be at least 175 average, getting up to about 190.
Anyway, celebrated by buying my first pair of road shoes. Steady on though, 25 quid from Decathlon 😅
Resting that knee hard, hoping it'll be reet for an easy Sunday run.
Djambo, you sound just like me. Just got to a point where I feel like I’m running rather than stumbling along, gasping for air waiting for it to be over. ‘Tis a good feeling.
Of course, I’ve picked up an injury, but I’m battling on and won’t stop for 6 months, relegating “running” to the “stupid idea” box in my brain. Thanks for the motivation in knowing I’m not alone.
First parkrun for years tomorrow. Hope the calf holds out, hope the lungs hold out, hope for a sub 25. The latter won’t happen, but something to aim for...
Nonsuch near Epsom if anybody on here doing it?
Longest one yet tomoro, 40 miles of the River Ayr Way, weather looks not bad too.
Hopefully be less than 8 hours all in, looking forward to getting some thinking time, it's been a tough week.
Good luck man! Looks breezy tomorrow - may the tailwind gods be with ye!
Wind was okay tbh, bit of a headwind for a few miles early on, but lots of the route was sheltered.
My target was 8 hrs, made it with 4 minutes to spare, happy bunny tonight. 😊
Nice one Nobeer.
how did you get on root-n-5th?
Forgot how much fun park runs are. Over 800 people!
Strapped leg and it felt ok. Got a steady 26:30 - but 26:18 moving as started too near back and was at almost walking pace for a while. Felt good enough for a sprint at the end. Next time I’ll move up a bit at the start and try to get the first km a fair bit faster and hope I can hold out. 25 something to aim for - I’ll never be fast but that’s not the point.
Met some Sutton Runners and David Williams in the club started running in his forties (48 now) and does sub 17 min parkruns!
5km looks a bit pathetic against 40 miles, but I’m very happy I did it. Well done Nobeer - amazing stuff.
In a hugely unexpected turn, I have finally found a solution to my shoe woes.
Walked into the he Nike store in Birmingham after visiting the Cycle Show and what did they have? A whole rack full of Pegasus 34’s, a shoe that’s fits me like a glove but is 2 seasons old and so impossible to get hold of...until now. So I did what any sensible person would do and bought 2 pairs (I debated a 3rd but though that would be silly!). So finally, that’s my shoe needs sorted for the next few months.
Managed to get an 11km run in at lunchtime from work. It is pretty rubbish running the streets of London on a Monday lunchtime (compared to my runs around home along the countryside footpaths) but i managed to get round running 5.30 min/km despite trying to keep plenty in the tank and avoid injury 🙂
After my efforts at the Great North Run last week I was back to my usual ParkRun on Saturday with dreams of a new PB. However they changed the start point from the usual place so we all walked over to the new one and I ended up right at the back and had a rubbish start (lots of slow jogging and dodging people). However I *did* feel like I was running hard and fast so I was gutted to be 45 seconds down on my PB and even when the course cleared up a bit I was still running 10 seconds per lap slower than my best so I can't blame it all on the start. (Finish time 24:20)
Rubbish - not happy.
Chin up mate, if ye wanna get your parkrun time down, get some speed work in.
Yeah - I know I need to do speed work but I am old and set in my ways - I think for that to work I would need a personal trainer.
Yeah – I know I need to do speed work but I am old and set in my ways – I think for that to work I would need a personal trainer.
No you don't. Just motivation 🙂 Interval workouts are about the easiest workouts to do on your own!
Yeah – I know I need to do speed work but I am old and set in my ways – I think for that to work I would need a personal trainer
I'm not expert but if you can't summon the motivation to do speed work intervals maybe find some local hills to incorporate into your routes?
I've done a few track sessions with my local running club. Too early to tell whether it's improved my parkrun times, but they're good for motivation. You rock up, pay 3 quid, beast yourself for an hour (intervals / speeds all defined by coaches and tailored to suit individual fitness levels) then off home for beer and medals 🙂
find some local hills to incorporate into your routes?
I do that - my 'goto' run has a mile of constant climb with about 200ft elevation gain and also steepens at the end.
Dashed - that is also a consideration TBF - now I am back running regularly I am tempted to run with others to learn from them. All I have ever done really is buy running shoes and go out running - all a bit Forrest Gump really.
I do that – my ‘goto’ run has a mile of constant climb with about 200ft elevation gain and also steepens at the end.
That won't build speed though - find a much shorter hill, like 50m long and a decent gain, and run up it 10 times "full speed" (i.e. what you can handle...). Jog down to recover. (There's nothing wrong with "your" hill, but you're building stamina not speed).
Managed a 36k hill run at the weekend, mostly being blasted by a strong headwind, knee still dodgy. It didn't begin to hurt until the start of the final ascent at around 25k across a reasonably steep boulder field / deep heather, I'll take that as 'progress' as it's been closer to 10k previously when it's started throbbing.
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That won’t build speed though – find a much shorter hill, like 50m long and a decent gain, and run up it 10 times “full speed” (i.e. what you can handle…). Jog down to recover. (There’s nothing wrong with “your” hill, but you’re building stamina not speed).
Noted - will try to work out a good spot to do that. As it happens the school my 10 yr old girls go to has just announced they are competing in an inter-school X-country and one daughter wants to compete again (she has qualified the last three years) so I'll be out with her training and shorter runs are up her street (she can out-sprint me) so will be a good workout for us both 🙂
I’ll be out with her training and shorter runs are up her street
Make a game of it - do fartleks. "Race you to that tree" "Last one to the bridge is a rotten egg / **** / <etc 🙂 >". Aim for 30-50m sprints with a couple of minutes recover between. The first one should be easy, but as you do more you don't get enough time to fully recover, and you should be begging for mercy by the last 😛
Nice pics eastcoastmike!
🙂
She'll kill me to death - I will take a wheelbarrow with me so she can cart me home 🙂
That won’t build speed though – find a much shorter hill, like 50m long and a decent gain, and run up it 10 times “full speed” (i.e. what you can handle…). Jog down to recover. (There’s nothing wrong with “your” hill, but you’re building stamina not speed).
True. Hills are speedwork by another name but part of building speed is forcing an increased cadence. Running downhill is also useful for this, with some care!
I've just started running again after two years of pretty much zero exercise, I'm five runs in and just managed to do 5k in 35 minutes which feels like a bit of an accomplishment but still a bit demoralising when I think where I was. I picked up some Eufy smart scales which seem pretty good and am going to pick up a Garmin to give me some stats to pick through and hopefully keep me interested and on track.
All I have ever done really is buy running shoes and go out running – all a bit Forrest Gump really.
Ditto! I found it good to run with other folk though...
Another Forrest Gump here. Just bought some short shorts and walshes and went to play in the hills (though it wasn't that simple, I now own a -shudder- hydration belt).
I'm slow because I don't really train, just run, but plenty people finish way ahead of me in races who I absolutely cannot imagine doing hill reps or fartleks. So just running along must work to some extent.
Ten days laid up with the knee now. Felt good enough to stop the ibuprofen, and today I had to dadrun 100m to catch a train. Felt alright, til I went to get off the train and almost toppled over. Knee def better than it was but still pain shooting down shin and ankle.
just managed to do 5k in 35 minutes which feels like a bit of an accomplishment but still a bit demoralising when I think where I was
Started at a similar pace back in March. Ran a 24:20 last week.
Club hill session tonight, surprisingly I was feeling good after Saturday's 40 miler, even managed to beat a few mates that I wouldn't normally!.
Really enjoyed it. Joining a club has been absolutely fantastic.
Just back from a few days in Italy competing at the European Masters Athletics Championships. I ran in the half-marathon on Sunday, and went in pretty optimistic that I should be able to come home with a medal. However, things didn't quite pan out that way. The first problem was leaving my drink and gels etc all back in the apartment which wasn't ideal, but not the end of the world for just a half. Weather was great, 24-25ish with a bit of a breeze. The early pace was brisk with the Italians out in force pushing the pace. I think they had a few folk who were there just to get things going fast at the start before dropping back. I was feeling good and went with the front pack, but coming through 10k in 32:25 (which would have got a medal in the 10k) felt a bit punchy. I dropped back from front the group of 5 and ran most of the 2nd lap alone, and although I was catching 4th and 5th towards the end, I finished 16 seconds away from a medal 🙁
Had I been a year younger, I would have scored bronze in the M35. Rather annoyed with myself as I'm sure had I ran my own race I could have finished close to a minute quicker and scored a medal, but I suppose championship racing is often going to be tactical, and had I not finished on the podium with a solo paced effort I would have regretted not trying to go with the pack.
5 weeks until York marathon now...
Great work TF and good luck at York
So... tonight I am going to do some speed work. Can anyone point me in the direction of some simple guidance for the hard of thinking so I can get out and do something meaningful.
Cheers
johndoh - fartlek is probably the best bang for buck, and has been described pretty well by a few posters recently. Doesn't have to be super structured in terms of distance or repetitions, as long as you are stressing the right systems repeatedly. I'd say something along the lines of a 100m sprint followed by the same distance very slow jog. Repeat 10 times ish, it'll start off fairly easy, and get progressively harder. Make sure you are nicely warmed up first, and have a decent gentle jog afterwards to shake out the legs. If your legs feel utterly ruined the following morning you've done well 🙂
An alternative to doing this on the flat would be on a decent hill - sprint up, jog back.
Cheers - I have no choice but to have hills due to where I live so I might just base it on 'jog down hill, turn around and run hard back up'.
I've been looking at going to a Sutton Runners session for a while now but thought I had to be able to run 10K to be able to join in. Met some friendly chaps at the Nonsuch ParkRun on Saturday and they said all abilities are welcome. So, I plucked up my muster and turned up last night, got a very warm welcome, free membership, free shirt and went off to some hill rep sessions. Gulp.
30 minutes of running fast up the hill then slow down the other side. Ha!, thought I, not a chance, what with me gammy leg, old bones and having run a km to get there. But, I gave it a go and to my surprise I did the full 30 minutes without stopping, gave it some beans up the hills, was pretty knackered by the end, but boy did it feel good! Total distance run was 6.3Km last night which beats my previous furthest by a km! I wasn't the fastest by a long way - some of them just float up the hill, but by no means the slowest - a solid midfield I'd say.
If anyone finds training on their own boring then I recommend joining a running club. I would never have done hill reps for 30 minutes on my own, but with others around to chase and pace I got through it. BTW, Sutton Runners recommended as one of the friendliest clubs I've ever been to. Free membership still on offer for a short time longer...