MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I'd be tempted to go shorter.
Probably something like 5 minute warm-up, run 15 minutes, 5 minute cool down.
And do that for about the next half dozen sessions before slowly working back up in distance/time. Avoiding that downhill for now too.
4 miles is 6.5km, which is quite some distance to just jump back into, you can afford to build up to that a bit more.
People with decent fitness from other activities like cycling are probably more at risk from joint injury - their cardio fitness writes cheques that knees and ankles can't afford.
I’ll leave this forum to your bickering and pedantry now.
Wow, if you think this thread has bickering on it you need to read the rest of the forum. This thread is about as sane and helpful as it can be.
I’ll leave this forum to your bickering and pedantry now.
Maybe thats best
@sadexpunk your age is against you... (I am also 56 so share your pain) There is a very helpful video here that someone posted earlier. The swelling would be best treated with ice and its unlikely to be the calf issue (particularly if it is settling after few days) I would suggest lots of calf raises and strengthening exercises, regulalrly through the day
Latest update in my search for the elusive "like a Nike Pegasus 36 but not a Nike Pegasus 36" continues. At this rate, non-essential retail will be back open and I'll be able to head to the Nike Outlet and raid their shelves.
Anyway, the latest to arrive are a pair of ASICS Novablast (£68 on Amazon).
First impressions were positive, looked great, felt really comfy on the feet, a slight rocker feel, very impressive.
Day 2 of wearing them around the house started to give me a question or 2. The toebox is wide which I like, but HUGE in volume, great for some, less good for me.
Then I lace them up to run in. Normal lacing was giving heel lift before I've left the house to a runners knot was used. This helped, but by gosh they had to be done up tight for my foot to feel even slightly secure.
They are very bouncy, not overly stable but are good fun to run in and have loads of energy return. They are also really comfy on the foot, feel like running on clouds, just super soft and compliant, I really liked the feel. But I couldn't get over the movement of my foot in the shoes, they just didn't feel secure at all, no matter how I laced them up. I wonder if half a size smaller would work, but 11.5's seem hard to find.
8 miles later and they're back in the box and on the way to the post office.
Conclusion is they could be a great shoe for someone with a high volume foot but be prepared to crank the laces up tight. If the next version reduces the volume and sorts the heel lock out I'd buy them without hesitation.
So, next up is some New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v10, on their way in the next day or 2.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment where I tell you why Peg 37's are a poor younger sibling of the 36. I'm sure you can hardly wait...
sadexpunk your age is against you… (I am also 56 so share your pain) There is a very helpful video here that someone posted earlier.
thanks, just watched it, very informative and bears out previous advice on here, namely loum's....
I’d be tempted to go shorter.
Probably something like 5 minute warm-up, run 15 minutes, 5 minute cool down.
And do that for about the next half dozen sessions before slowly working back up in distance/time. Avoiding that downhill for now too.
and alanf's.....
so you may want to try and do more frequent shorter efforts than a longer less frequent run. Shorter/longer will all be relevant to what you’re doing now.
I guess this is the whole point of walk to run in that it slowly gets you doing longer stints so your body can adapt.
i'll definitely do that, when the soleus eases up again. im pleased thats the advice rather than a long rest.
The swelling would be best treated with ice and its unlikely to be the calf issue (particularly if it is settling after few days) I would suggest lots of calf raises and strengthening exercises, regularly through the day
swellings gone now, i didnt even notice it, it looked worse in the photo.
i usually do around 50 single leg calf raises with a bit of weight every other day, so strengthening is sorted. and yes, i wont be going downhill again for a while.
I’d be getting on a foam roller and possibly adding in some compression too, to see if that makes a difference.
ive just got a roller but dont know any exercises, any good ones youd recommend, and for how long?
and what does 'some compression' mean?
thanks for your help
People on here must hate you punk....telling you to buy a roller.( I am kidding, they work)
I probably shouldn't advise what's good in terms of roller exercises and I generally only do my calves as they are usually the area that gets a bit tight.
I tend to just slowly go up and down across the whole length for maybe no longer than 3 minutes and you'll know if you are hitting the right spots as your eyes will want to water.
Usually after a hard hill or speed session I'll do a roller session, and then probably for a couple of days after as well just to keep things in check.
In terms of compression, this is very anecdotal but I tried some recovery compression leggings (they are a specific thing) more out of curiosity then anything hoping they might aid recovery in some way. I was a bit sceptical but went ahead and in my opinion they definitely make a difference. Not in a " wow my legs feel amazing" way, more of a "my legs feel pretty normal", but when that's come after a 20 miler the day before, that's not a bad thing. Don't feel you need to have special compression attire though. I'd maybe try something you already have and see if that helps in any way to make your legs fresher. Recovery is a massive thing and often much overlooked.
For context, I'm 46, have been seriously running for about 10 years and have run every day for the last 648 days and probably averaged a 60 mile week over that time.
another useful rehab tool for ankles is one of these or similar:
made quite a difference when I mullered my ankle back in january.
People on here must hate you punk….telling you to buy a roller.( I am kidding, they work)
yes ive had a play on it, it can be excruciating in some places (sideways roll on quads) and i have to stop immediately, but i can roll my calves quite easily with no discomfort whatsoever.
What type of roller comes recommended, or, can you recommend a roller please?
I have one already but it's totally smooth, but quite firm. From how that feels I imagine the knobbly one must be torturous but perhaps they are softer with more give?
Also have a la cross ball which I quite like, good for targeting specific points.
Still new to rolling etc so uncertain how to do it properly or of I'm seeing results from what I'm doing.
just revisiting a post i made a couple of months back when just starting, i mentioned experimenting with 2 apps on 2 different phones for comparison (strava and komoot)
today, strava said id done 4 miles, komoot said 3.7. zooming in on the runs, i can see strava has me all over the place, in fields, in the road, its waaaay more ‘zigzaggy’ than komoot, so not as accurate. that sound normal?
answer was.....
Strava doesn’t measure your distance, your phone does, sounds like one phones GPS is unreliable (fairly common IME).
so ......it looked like one phone had better GPS.
weird thing is, mondays pootle round the village i just used the same phone and opened both apps, thought id compare them that way, so same GPS.
strava logged pretty accurately
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however, komoot didnt start logging the run until my furthest point around halfway. i didnt stop or play with the phone in any way, its just a straight line to where it must have started picking GPS up. weird eh?
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Interesting gps results. I use a garmin watch then upload to Strava and it seems fairly consistent for most of my runs. Get the odd flutter. I turn of the Russian satellite and just use gps which seems to help. Maybe both apps were a bit processor intensive running together?
I do find that parkruns on twisty courses come up a bit short, probably due to tree cover and tight turns. This bodes well for when Parkrun returns as I’m doing 5k based on when the watch beeps to say it’s finished - the last km is always longer but I don’t think this is down to gps!
I’ve found Altra shoes - like slippers, pain free and fast enough. No more black toes.
One pair of shoes arrived this morning, immediately discounted due to weird bumpy bit under heel which i guess is meant to serve some sort of purpose but just feels like there's stuff stuck in your shoe! Back to the drawing board
Anyone done MAF training before?
Have been trying it recently and have found that i can run much more frequently than if i was going full tilt.
Am just finding that my running feels horrible as i am trying to stay at our below 140bpm.
If anyone has done it please tell me that the speed and form comes back
There was someone earlier in the thread that was trying it. Seemed positive about it. Can't remember how far back, sorry.
I've been using MAF for around 7 weeks now. I asked here and his website is very useful. No need for the book I feel. I started it due to lack of running events and by default my miles were dropping off. Now I MAF run every day with a dog just so I can cover more distance in a day than by walking. Last night I did 11 miles . I like it because it never really beats me up, the run is just a lot slower. Yes it feels weird at first, especially almost walking the uphills. I'd say I'm getting used to it now. My plan is to continue with it until Park Run begins again and really open the legs there as a test to see if MAF has added anything. By chance my last few Park Runs this time last year I was recovering from injury so I'm hoping to better those times. Not very scientific I know, but I'm only a recreational runner. I established my max HR using the protocol from a link on here to the British Cycling website on a borrowed friends indoor training bike and HRM. I think it feels accurate for me.
Bloody lovely run this morning. 10 miles before anyone else woke up, morning sun, and a few hills.
Cheers @lotto going to stick with it for now as like you say i find that i am feeling absolutely fine after a run now.
I guess will see how it goes later in the year.
I think it said that it takes 3 months or so before you see major effects
I've not been following MAF religiously but I've adopted the ethos in the majority of my training. I've found it doesn't leave me feeling beaten up and able to train more frequently. I think the accumulated volume of mileage resulting from MAF does eventually make everything 'click' in terms of finding faster shorter distances feel much easier. I'd recommend speed work and hills if you want speed but if you find MAF works then stick with it. 👍
Bloody great conditions out there today, planned a 6 miler or so but it was so good that we kept adding bits on and ended up at 11. Love it.
The dry and tacky going reminded me that I'm in need of some regular trail shoes once my x-talons get put back in the cupboard for the summer. Does anyone have thoughts on inov8 trailtalon 290 vs roclite 235? Or any variation of the above. Trailtalons would be my gut feel for my local mixed paths and woody rocky singletrack + small sections of roads, however (all being well) I have a long race in the brecon beacons in the summer and I'm wondering if the extra protection (ie. Rockplate) in the roclites would be a benefit? Thoughts and or experiences are most welcome
Tried following MAF in the past.. - Didn"t work.
The thing that people miss about MAF is it isn't really about the heart rate. it's about controlling and minimising variables and tracking data so that you have a baseline, and can make adjustments accordingly.
The heart rate in the book is only supposed to be rough guidance and is supposed to be corrected for the individual.
Whilst MAF training pace is supposed to be slow, it is important to understand the context. - Slow is a relative term.
If you look at the detail of the book MAF was developed based on athletes running on a track.
MAF requires an aerobic pace. That means the pace is slow relative to the typical race or training pace of a college athlete who has probably been competing in 400m - 1500m events. People who tend to be quick but lack endurance.
If you are running at a steady pace on a track then there are no accelerations or sudden direction changes, and the surface is perfectly flat. It is relatively easy to keep a constant heart rate. So heart rate is a good reliable indicator of effort
If you are running in the real world there are constant changes in direction, undulating surfaces, gentle slopes etc. This causes effort to varyand your heart rate to increase. - It means that when you limit your pace to achieve the suggested MAF heart rates you will slow down a lot.
My point being that running at MAF heart rate on a track or perfectly flat surface is not what I would call slow at all. It's quite a hard effort. - (just more of a hard marathon than sprint.) On a track the pace for me at maffetone heart rate was almost identical to that recommended by most other training systems.
But when not on a track, I found myself going very, very, slow when trying to train in accordance with MAF heart rate. - I would end up significantly changing my stride or walking. It wasn't due to a major lack of fitness. It's a problem with the way MAF and heart rate monitors work.
Another problem with MAF is that there are alot of variables that affect heart rate other than how hard you are running, e.g. variations in temperature, if you are scared or excited for any reason, when you last ate, caffeine, undulating terrain, etc etc. All less of an issue in a consistent training routine on a track in sunny Florida.
And heart rate monitors rely on a minimum effort to make you sweat. - A problem in a scottish winter, if running slowly. Even when they do work there is a lot of lag, between you slowing down, your heart rate dropping and the display updating.
Note that whilst their training pace may have been slow, Maffetones athletes raced relatively frequently. - That racing trained them to go fast.
I agree with most of Maffetones, training philosophy.But it only works if all of the variables can be strictly controlled.
If you have access to a running track, turbotrainer or treadmill,or are cycling on an obstruction free road, then I can see how Maffetone would work well.
But otherwise I would just aim for most of your running to be at a moderately easy pace.
Yeah I'd agree with your observations and I've considered all the variations myself. My dog runs are on three routes. So easy for me to consider variables and analyse accordingly due to the variations. The weather as you observe in Britain is variable, this I cannot control and accept as life. Diet, caffeine etc considerations I have effectively eliminated with running at the same time and on a controlled diet. I feel MAF can be achieved by mortals outside of laboratory conditions in Florida, plenty of testaments to back this up too. If you can make a bastardised MAF program successful for you, does it really matter to the recreational runner that you are not 100% compliant with strict protocol. If it makes you get out and run, winner winner chicken dinner.
I try to do a similar thing to MAF from the 80/20 running method. I worked out a heart rate when I change to “tempo” and try to stay below that. For me it is around 147-150bpm. After I while I got to feel the change between easy running and working harder so can back of automatically.
My running did change after applying this boundary - this time last year every run was pushing fairly hard and if I was slower on a segment I’d get disappointed. Now I’m happy to cruise along, go longer, and not feel beaten up.
The heart rate obviously varies from day to day depending on fatigue, heat,
Coffee, etc. Some days I can keep it below 140 for a bit, others it hovers around 150 but can feel the same.
The more I did it, the lower the heart rate got for a given effort - that must be good.
I’m probably like most people where I naturally increase the pace on a run until I am working hard. I now consciously slow myself down to keep it easy. I enjoy it as it doesn’t feel like a chore. Of course, you can always do fast bits in the middle, like going for a segment, recover and carry on.
Has anyone heard of or tried the 496 challenge?
Running everyday for a month with day 1 being 1km, day 2 - 2km, working up to 31km on day 31.
I watched this 496 challenge vid of a semi well known adventurer chap called Sean Conway completing the challenge. He made it look easy but the last week is back to back half marathons and more.
Long story short is I've decided to give it a bash in March. I'm on day 7 today and all is well.........unsurprisingly given up to 7km a day isn't hugely strenuous. Motivation is high and I'm absolutely buzzing for it, however the furthest I've ever run is about 30k so I'm fully expecting to bail before day 31
Wish me luck!
That sounds like a crazy challenge. Should have done it in feb!
Re. Maf, my normal 5k route is about as flat as it can be. But i take the point on hr being more than just running speed. Will keep going with it for now as i think it is good base work and will do some other faster runs too
Has anyone heard of or tried the 496 challenge?
No, but that sounds right up my street. Might have a crack at that.
Today’s discovery is that the trail aren’t quite as dry round here as I hoped. And that wearing white road shoes was a really bad idea...
What next for me? Since Dec I’ve got my 5k time down from 28.17 (first 5k since secondary school - very long time ago ha) to 21.20 which I’m happy with. Where do I go from here? Try to go faster? Or start doing longer runs?
Also, any recommendations for a thin hoodie to run in? I already have a decent shell for wet days but want something that breathes a bit better
That's a really good time and improvement.
Next obvious challenge is to go under 20. Probably as much work as you've already done. But the bigger question is what do you want to do? Distance, speed or both...
I find longer runs good for the head, feels like there's more time, less rush, and can settle into enjoying them more without pressure to be targeting something.
And something lightweight with vents
Vanilla, very impressive. I’d likely be pushing to 10k. 5k is great as a quick thrash but adding a bit of distance opens up the area you can run in, what you can see and gives you more time to think.
Sub-20 5k is also worth a look, particularly as parkrun returns in June.
A sub 20 5k is a great target but depends what you want from it. It became a bit of an obsession with me - 26:30 parkrun October 2019 and I managed to do it last weekend. There was no reason for it other than I got it into my brain as a target, but it could have been anything.
How much faster do you think you can go? Finding another 16 seconds a km sounds easy enough, but when you’re already in a world of agony it’s not so simple. Hill reps, intervals and slow runs should do it.
Were your splits even? How did you feel at the end?
Longer runs are a good challenge as you get older as speed obviously goes down. Train for an ultra in the autumn?
First 10k ever run in my life today after starting running mid January when the pools closed, fairly slow but felt fine apart from my feet which now have blisters.
Thanks @loum @lunge @root-n-5th (well done on smashing your sub 20!)
Originally running was just to get away from my laptop and WFM set up but it’s increasingly becoming my thinking time and clearing my head too so maybe 10k should be my next target then if you both like the additional thinking time.
A sub 20 would be nice but I’m not sure I have that in me. My splits are fairly equal except the final 250m when I empty everything and have to sit on the pavement for 10 mins! My route has a short sharp hill in it so maybe on a totally flat course I could do it but I kind of like comparing myself like for like to see my improvements if that makes sense.
An ultra is also a good idea. I used to love cross country running at secondary school so maybe going back to that is something to aim for.
I bought some new shoes (old ones were 15 years old!) off the back of this thread and the running shoes one so really appreciate all the replies and comments
I’m no expert, but if your splits are even and you have enough for a final sprint then it shows you can pace a 5k well. There are different ways to run it, but I have found there’s no point going slower at the start as the distance is too short to make up the time. You’ve got to hit pace from the word go and stick with it. Absolute agony by 3k. Lots go far too fast at the start, go into the red and have to slow down to recover. Not good either.
Also, a decent slow run warmup is important - 2 or 3km with 1, 2 or 3 progressive sprints/fast running to stress the body to give it warning about what to expect, the last one faster than target pace. Nothing worse than getting that burning leg feeling and gasping for breath after 400m, go through that stage in the warmup. It seems that if you’ve done it before the 5k, the old body says: ah, I know what’s happening, let’s get on with it.
Keep training and I reckon you’ll get there.
Another thing with running I’ve found (and any racing sport really) is that a lot of people don’t push themselves and suffer enough, so they perform waaaay below what they could if they really went into that dark place. I always say I won’t do it today, but can’t help myself caning it on a 5k - last 500m screaming for air. Love it. From what you say about how you feel at the end, it sounds like you are familiar with that particular part of hell - great stuff! I reckon it’s in you. From your username you’ve got 11 years on me too so you should smash it.
Another thing with running I’ve found (and any racing sport really) is that a lot of people don’t push themselves and suffer enough, so they perform waaaay below what they could if they really went into that dark place.
This is a good point, but I find I need the buzz of a race, even if it’s just parkrun, for me to embrace the pain. Ask me to run at a proper fast pace even for a short run solo and I’d laugh at you. Put me in a race and I can hold much faster pace that what I train at.
@lunge. Yes, very good point! I’ve forgotten what it’s like to run in a big race (although I did an XC in Croydon in October - 5k, soon after my ultra and found I had good legs and was able to hold someone off for 2k). I hated solo efforts when it all began a year ago, but I’ve got much better at it over time - feels normal now. I’m hoping I can push myself even more in a group event and get a pb in parkrun when it comes back.
Decided to push it a little this afternoon and just did a 10k in 59.32
Actually feeling fine after that so clearly the slow pace running is helping. Time to push it faster next time.
An ultra appeals at some point, we are near the greensands ridge which is a decent distance and a really nice route to have a crack at in time
Is that the time under he hour? Great stuff!
I like the idea of ultras more than marathons. With the latter you go for a time and it’s hard, but an ultra is about finishing so far more relaxed and easy going. I guess they are both good and suit different people. I suspect you’ll see me lining up for a marathon in the next couple of years though.
It’s a perception thing. If you say to someone you did a marathon in 7 hours they’d think it was a bit slow (although we all know it’s still a great achievement), but say you did 50k and it’s: wow, how did you run so far???
@root-n-5th Never done a running warm up - just stretches & a few things to get my core going so maybe that’s the first thing to try to get me closer to sub 20 then.
I like the idea of a parkrun as well. I’ll look into that when things get better
I was a bit surprised to be honest, i was just enjoying the run rather than going for any type of time.
Will see what i can do next i guess but am more enjoying running rather than chasing times
You've done a 5K and now you're thinking of an ultra? Don't. Really, don't. I don't think there's anything particularly exceptional about finishing an ultra, but you still need to work up to them. I do them, my friends I go running with do them, and for all of us a *short* weekend run is a half marathon. So I'd strongly suggest waiting another couple of years, and building up to it.
I think that suggestion was that it was something to aim at in the future. Not do it next week 🙂
Probably good advice. Just from a personal view point - October 2019: 5k was a good run, 10k was very long. October 2020 - did a 50k. I’m not exceptional but I built up to it. 50 mile or 100k might be a different story! Gotta aim for something but maybe a half first.
I'm not saying it's not possible, but it's risky. FWIW in 2013 I did my first marathon at the end of April, then did an (admittedly "easy") 100km ultra in September. But before that I was regularly running 20km every weekend, and while training for the marathon I upped that distance to 25-30. Not huge distances, but definitely a pretty big jump from a short distance run like 5K.
An ultra is a huge step up. I’m doing my first this year off the back of consistently running over 60 miles per week. Like above, most weekends have a half in them, and 20+ miles in total.
January 2011 - Did Janathon (run every day, distance immaterial but something every single day for the month) from a starting pint of piety much zero running in 6 years due to injuries. Ran 150 miles in the month.
August 2011 - finished the Grand Raid des Pyrenees, 50 miles with 5,000m of ascent.
It's doable, but yes, build up. I've never run a road race of any form, they don't interest me, but trail ultras can be fun.
@lunge How far is your ultra? I suspect a proper one. A 50k is very doable for a lot of people, but not running at pace. People in my group walked a bit, jogged a bit and still came in under 8 hours - a pleasant day out in the country. Felt a lot like a sportive/long distance mtb thing, and I’ve done a few of those that were longer than I was ready for - dragon ride and SDW spring to mind. It wasn’t a hilly one, and obviously running it fast would be tough. Depends how you approach it.
I’m not saying go mad and push, get injured and be unable to run for 6 months, but it’s good to have goals, and is there a point having a goal that is easy?
40 miles on rolling trails.
I’ll get round, no question, but I’m a competitive sod so want a time. I want to do it in under 7 hours, closer to 6 would be great. 6 is 9 minute miles and I can’t work out if that’s really ambitious or really doable.
My new favourite shoes are the Roclite G290s. The heel drop is a bit low (4mm) if that sort of thing affects you (which it did for me but got used to it). They feel far more nimble and lighter than the Roclite G275s, which feel wooden in comparison. They're great all-rounders and don't think that the grip is much far off a mudclaw, and much more durable than that of the X Talon, which I've always found wears down a bit too quickly for my liking. I also think the orange and blue colour scheme is great in the flesh.
Furtehr to my post above, I love running in my X Talon 230s, as they are nimble, however having spent more time in more substantial shoes, I prefer the extra protection you get from these than the benefits of a lighter shoe. The protection offered by the G290s is much higher than the Talons. For an all dayer in the hills I'd prefer fit and protection over lighter weight. I also reccomend the Salomon Wildcross which I was surprised by.
@lunge Have you ever ran the Sandstone trail? I did it a few years ago now and its a lovely route, quite flat but goes through some quite unspoiled areas. The record is 4:10 and I sneaked under 5 hrs when I did it but I wasn't hammering it and hadn't run the last section so had to keep an eye on the map. Think its 55k.
@surfer, no, but looking at it, it looks beautiful, and it's not far from home either. That maybe a summer option for when we're allowed out.
Calm and order has returned to the Lunge household.
After ordering and returning various shoes from various manufacturers, the latest of which was a pair of New Balance FreshFoam 1080v10's (felt soft under foot, very weird and restrictive upper), finally I get that most reassuring of texts "This is DPD, Archie will deliver your order from Nike today between 9:19 and 10:19".
And breathe.
A fresh pair of Peg 36's is in my hands. Lovely.
May still try some Brooks Ghost if I can get them cheap mind you!
I have ran in Hokas for a few years now (should say jogged really) due to arthritis in my big toe joint and the stiff forefoot of the Hoka's helped. I spotted the Nike Fly 3 claimed it had a stiff plate so bought them late last year. Only jogging a few miles a week now (would like to do more) but they are really comfortable and better than the Hokas as they have a more natural propulsion feel to them as oppose to feeling like you have a huge midsole between you and the ground. For a forefoot striker like me they are very good
@alanf, you know it.
Interested in the mention of Hoka's, anyone had any success with them? The website has a try for 30 days and send them back type arrangement so I may be forced to have a look
Interested in the mention of Hoka’s, anyone had any success with them?
I love my One One Rincons. Very light, and a nice fast shoe - not ideal if you're a heavy plodder. They look like they're going to be really high with that weird outsole, but it's an optical illusion and they're actually pretty normal.
@Pieface
That's ace, thanks for your thoughts on them. Sounds like the Roclite 290 is the one to try and you're not the first to suggest that route. My main concern was that they'd be too much shoe for my local trails and paths, but if the 290 is a bit more nimble then its worth a pop.
this is getting as bad as the "what tire..." threads!
I’d be tempted to go shorter.
Probably something like 5 minute warm-up, run 15 minutes, 5 minute cool down.
And do that for about the next half dozen sessions before slowly working back up in distance/time. Avoiding that downhill for now too.
4 miles is 6.5km, which is quite some distance to just jump back into, you can afford to build up to that a bit more.
Each time you rest, the calf is going to revert back to former state in terms of how it will react to a run, so you may want to try and do more frequent shorter efforts than a longer less frequent run. Shorter/longer will all be relevant to what you’re doing now.
well the 'comeback' starts here. did a minute of calf rolling (just cant get the hang of it, it feels awkward), then 5 minutes on the rower for a warm-up. thoughts were that its 5 minutes of my leg constantly bending plus raising the heartbeat a little. is rowing ok as a warm-up to a run would you say?
then a short 11 minute run, 1.2 miles i think strava said. knee felt slightly better, its 'there' but not as uncomfortable as before, and the calf didnt get chance to start tweaking.
would you recommend going slightly longer each day, or every other day?
thanks
Interested in the mention of Hoka’s, anyone had any success with them?
I have ran in them for a few years now. I only started running in them due to arthritis in my large toe joint and their stiff forefoot. I always preferred running in more traditional shoes but the Hokas were just a way of me protecting my feet and still being able to run.
They do quite a range and not all are the large volume clown shoes, they do much lower profile shoes as well and spikes and racing flats.
They are as well made as any other shoe and very good quality and even the most voluminous ones are still much easier to run in than they appear. They are very low drop, not that that has even been a concern for me. Of all the models I have had I like the Speedgoat the best and they seem to include all of the features I like, thickish midsole, firmer (but not stiff) forefoot and a good outersole for off road stuff.
If I didnt have foot problems I wouldnt choose them though
is rowing ok as a warm-up to a run would you say?
I think something more specific to running would be better. start by walking then very slow jogging. Anything that elevates the heart is helpful but you want to prepare the muscles you are going to use.
would you recommend going slightly longer each day, or every other day?
I would be ultra conservative, build up the distance slowly and run every other would be my suggestion. Calf injuries strike with little warning and you really need to stop immediately you feel anything. IMO if you stop as soon as you feel the first twinge you will limit any damage and be good to begin again a couple of days later at the reduced level. If you try to push on even a little bit you may cause weeks worth of damage. Frustrating I know.
edit: just 1 tip. I never carry my phone when I am running (other than several hour runs in the hills) but I came unstuck with this injury on 2 occasions. both months apart but the first occurrence was about 3 miles from home (loop course) and I had to walk back and I think that made it worse and set me back weeks. The same happened again a couple of months later when I thought I was totally over it. I had ran a lot in between so there was a high degree of confidence in the leg but at my age (56) it is so common that I take my phone with me now on most runs which I dont really like...
I've just ordered a pair of the Rincons. stupidly went from a 0mm drop trail shoe to a 10mm drop road shoe (asics cumulous) as it has played havoc with my calves, to the point I had to abandon my long run at the weekend.
Rincons are 5mm, and they arrive today 🙂
Re Roclites: if you’re the sort of person who pokes toe holes in shoes, no matter how short your nails (even when the big toenail has dropped off in my case), you’ll hole roclites in half a dozen runs. Trailrocs (why are the names all similar) not so bad. I moved, for now, to Pegasus trails for the harder packed stuff - they have holed already but only on the inner layer, the toe bumper covers it. X talons for the mud, seem to be holding up ok but get little use.
Week off here resting a nasty sprain. Had a trot on the beach Saturday and it was pain free so just off to try a bit more. The sprain itself seems ok, the swelling and tenderness means most shoes hurt, it swelled up so much the skin blistered and it’s itching like buggery.
Seems to be healing better than the one last year which iirc took a month to start trotting on sand.
Had a clear out so if anyone wants any neutral size 12 running shoes then let me know. Couple of pairs of Peg 36's, a pair of 34's, some ASICS Cumulus 20's and a couple of other random things. All have 300+ miles in them but they'd be fine for someone who doesn't have Imelda Marco tendencies like I have.
What I have left is below, we have:
2 x Nike Vaporfly Next%, one pair used, one to be saved for races.
1 x Nike Streak 7, and if I can find another pair I'll buy them, fabulous shoes.
1 x Nike Terra Kiger 7, lovely low-drop shoes for the trails around here.
1 x Nike Pegasus 37, not a big fan of these but I'll wear them for slow runs until they wear out.
3 x Nike Pegasus 36, my favourite all round shoe and I stocked up.
1 x Nike Pegasus 36 Shield, mainly bought for when I'm run director at parkrun, I can run up in them, not get cold wet feet when stood around and then run back.
1 x Nike Pegasus 34, the finest Peg made? Perhaps so, my last pair.
2 x Nike Pegasus 36 Trail, or are these the finest Peg's ever? Hmmm....
1 x Nike React Miler, a heavy, ugly but super comfy slow day show. Least exciting pair of shoes I own, but functional.
1 x Decathlon Kalenji XT7, super grippy in the slop, a touch narrow, a bit heavy, but I've run a 1:35 half in them so they must be OK
1 x ASICS Cumulus 20 GTX, pretty average these are, they only just escaped the chop, I suspect they won't next time round.
I'm not saying I have a shoe problem, but...
Crikey, so how many pairs are you keeping lunge?
I can't take the piss though, I have more pairs of cycling shoes than that.
Those are the ones I’m keeping! The ones being discarded are out of shot.
@lunge - looks familiar, although I'm 3 stripes rather than swoosh and that's not including the wifes!
Still, I think we have a way to go before rivalling @turboferret
You clearly need to spend more on bikes.
😉
You clearly need to spend more on bikes.
Given I ran 3 times as many miles as I cycled last year I’d suggest that’s not entirely true!
1 year anniversary of the last parkrun today. I’ve really missed it.
It was a wet and muddy Banstead parkrun a year ago. First time there as Nonsuch was flooded so had been cancelled. I came in at 21:59, which was ok in the slop. The target last year was sub 20, though wasn’t expecting it there as it was tough going and I didn’t know the course, but it never happened. I’ve had to drag it out of myself solo this year.
Parkrun is a good motivator indeed, and the community spirit is what makes it good, something we’ve all missed over the last year.
Roll on June! It’s going to be crazy busy so get those jabs.
My asics trail shoes have split about a 1cm hole near to little toe joint, bought at start of lockdown as forgot to bring the ones I keep at work home. I've just done 200 miles in them, is that acceptable or should I complain?
@mattcartlidge you have nothing to lose in complaining, bar an email and some time, so I certainly would. I would expect most trainers to get in excess of 500 miles before developing holes.
Great thats what I thought, only other trainers I've had an issue with split after a matter of weeks (this was 1st generation new balance minimus) they replaced them.
We're they FujibTrabuco's by any chance?
It's worth an e-mail but I'd be surprised if you got anything. 200 miles is not huge but for trail shoes that get a tough life is not completely unknown.
Gel Venture 7, felt extravagant at £62 normally spend under £45 so a bit disappointed as they are really comfy.
Am feeling comfy at 10k now.
Wondering what might be an interesting challenge this year.
Anyone got any suggestions?
Not looking at increasing speed as am not bothered about chasing times, comfortable at 10kmh so wondering if there are any good ideas of longer distance runs with nice scenery. Preferably off road and doable in a day with driving from Bedfordshire.
Cheers