The Annual Running thread – beginners/ultras/whatever

That’s a cracking parkrun no beer, I did it in the snow between Xmas and new year last year. One of the few park runs I will miss with the new sponsor. I did the Loch Kinord trail 10k today…54 mins was only good enough for 84th place out of 151.

My feet end up in pieces though, what good shoes to recommend?

Go to a decent shop and get some that properly fit you. Try at least 3 pairs on, when you try the right shoes on it’s like Harry Potter and his wand – you’ll just feel it.

New sponsor? you or the park run?.

This weekend is the Festival des Templiers in my home town

Biggest trail running festival in the world . 12500 runners spread over 15 races . Longest is 103 km with 5000m élévation.

This weekend is the Festival des Templiers in my home town

Chatting about that race just today to a guy from my club – sounds awful, far too many people leading to bottlenecks all over the place. The kind of race you do just to tick it off the list, basically.

Anyway good run today, 23km up a mountain near my house with my club. Despite not having done any mountain running for ages I didn’t do too badly… although I suspect I’m going to be feeling it tomorrow in my quads 🙂

No beer; “happy” eggs is the new sponsor. I’m a vegan.

Ah, right.

I’m back runnig again after my injuries have cleared up. Went out this evening for an hour on some local trails but didn’t realise quite how quickly it was going to get dark out there!

So, any suggestions for head torches to use for winter running?

Ideally I don’t want to spend a fortune and should need anything with much more tham 1.5h battery life.

Any suggestions?

Made it round the Abingdon marathon in 3:29, happy with that as a first time result, and last too, since I’d targeted sub 3:30 and I’m keen to get back on the bike!

looking forward to a few halfs next year and maybe smashing parkrun to try and drop my 20:16 down sub twenty!

how did the other Abingdon stw-ers do?

edit: re lights, I have an alpkit gamma that works well for me

So, any suggestions for head torches to use for winter running?

I’ve got a Decathlon one, works fine and I’ve used it for ultras so 1.5hrs would be fine. AAA batteries which is a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it – easily available, but not rechargeable (OK, you can get rechargeable AAA batteries but they’re not as convenient as a USB charger….) Good for the aforementioned ultras as you can take replacement batteries for little cost, but probably less ideal for your use.

TBH though you’re spoilt for choice, there’s so much competition in the area these days that it’s hard to go wrong. You’ll probably want to spend 30-40gpb on a light, but at that price you’d be hard pushed to find something crap.

Well done sockpuppet sub 3:30 was my aim too, kept roughly on pace until mile 15 then started to die, came home in 3:38 with an 8 minute positive split.

seems I need to work on my endurance.

Well done sockpuppet and mossimus! Cracking times!.

Plans being hatched here for a wee marathon abroad with the good lady, reykjavik looking the favourite so far…..

So joined a local club, meeting tomorrow for the first time. It is going to be like a group bike ride, isn’t it?A few flyers out front and plodders behind with the majority being in the middle. Will there be a cake/ cheeky pint stop half way round?

Went for another trail run yesterday late afternoon. Starting from Hayfield then up and across Kinder Downfall- Jacobs Ladder and then back via South Head.

Longest run to date for me at 19.3k and 600m ascent. I took my headtorch and did the second half in the dark which was fun!

It’s pretty tough going to keep a reasonable pace in places. They should grade these trails like a trail centre! 😂 my legs are in bits today. Satisfying bits

So joined a local club, meeting tomorrow for the first time. It is going to be like a group bike ride, isn’t it?A few flyers out front and plodders behind with the majority being in the middle. Will there be a cake/ cheeky pint stop half way round?

They should tell you at the start and it depends on the club. Unless it is quite elite you should be fine. If you get in the fast group just make sure you know the route in case you get dropped.

Did my first ever event yesterday a trail half pretty flat but on mud, grass and gravel . Went aiming for a 1.50 as my pb at half in my regular runs was 1.53.11 so figured I could do that at a push, even dreaming of the impossible 1.45, I got 1.40.56 so very pleased but wish I’d been 57 seconds faster haha does it ever end lol. Got a nice first medal and a hat too , happy days

Well nowhere near as good as some others, but I got a PB at my local ParkRun on Saturday – 24:21. Well chuffed with that 🙂

What’s people’s views on weight loss and how it effects performance? I’m probably 3-4km heavier than I was a couple of years ago, when I was riding (and Zwifting) a lot. To be honest, I’m surprised I’ve not lost more since running circa 4 times a week instead. I guess a small amount of that may be more upper body muscle through running as a more all round exercise and I’m definitely quicker now than then. I wondered if anyone else has experienced an inability to shift weight – although I appreciate having just turned 44 it might just be a fact of life. The other thing is that I see heavier runners than me who are quicker so I’m wandering whether to have a concerted effort to shift the flab and if I’ll see improvements in my times. I appreciate it would help with injury prevention of course.

Some mighty fine achievements going on in here 👍💪👏

but I got a PB at my local ParkRun on Saturday – 24:21. Well chuffed with that

And so you should be. Most of us here are racing against ourselves really. Any Pb is a good thing. Good work.

Did the Dramathon half at the weekend (they also do full + 10k). Mostly follows the Speyside way, really nice at this time of year with all the autumn colours. I’d promised a friend trying for 1’40 I’d run along with him, wasn’t fussed about competing myself just doing it for the craic, at 15k though got overtaken by a few wobbly arm flappers and thought I’d best put the hammer down, move forward in the field a bit and keep it respectable, ended up 17th out of about 380. Quite pleased with the race swag, a bit better than the usual.

What’s people’s views on weight loss and how it effects performance

Makes a huge difference and yes getting older doesnt help! Needs to lost largely in the kitchen although when I was younger I could eat anything that wasnt nailed down and still struggled to keep my weight up! At 54 its a challenge, particularly as you are unlikely to be able to do the regular, intensive stuff that really gets you trim. Trick is not to give up…

glad to hear that was good mike , a friend asked me if i wanted a last minute spot to do that this weekend – i coudlnt parttake as im west of shetland ATM BUT if it runs next year im well up for that !

One of the highlight of the running year for me – British Fell Relays in Grasmere. All the best runners in the country mixing it up with the ‘enthusiast’ end of the spectrum like me. I did the navigation leg over some pretty rough ground and a bucketload of climbing – 3000′ in 6 or 7 miles. We made a decent job of it and route choices seemed pretty sound. Mist was down for most of it, so bit of compass work. Lovely!

One of the highlight of the running year for me – British Fell Relays in Grasmere.

Glad you enjoyed it – I was actually marshalling on the nav leg, patrolling below the fence on the descent to CP2 in case anyone was tempted to climb straight over instead of using the marked crossings. We didn’t see any infringements, which was good news after last year’s shenanigans on Moel Eilio although I think the RO was still secretly hoping we’d have someone to tar and feather 😉

It was a damp day to be standing around but as a bonus I did get to see the Keswick pair make their fatal error right in front of me – they hit the fence further north than most of you did, then turned the wrong way towards CP3 and disappeared off into the clag again. It took them nearly half an hour to sort themselves out and relocate back onto CP2. Of course we’ve all done similar at one time or another, you just pray it doesn’t happen when you’re leading a national champs race…!!

What’s people’s views on weight loss and how it effects performance?

Generally, lighter is faster, it certainly is the case for me. Like cycling, there will always be someone who is heavier/older yet still faster, but they are the exception and not the rule.

I’m 6’4″ and 85kg ish, there are some cycling and running goals I want to hit next year and I reckon I need to be under 80kg to get them. I’m oddly looking forward to the process of getting there and the performance gains it’ll give.

And so you should be. Most of us here are racing against ourselves really. Any Pb is a good thing. Good work.

Cheers 🙂 I have been aiming to get over 60% (local club standard for my age group) which I have now achieved. Was running like an idiot in the final 100m only to be overtaken by a 10 yr old lad like he was on speed – although this shouldn’t have surprised me as my 9 yr old daughter can out sprint me over the last 100m of a 1500m run 🙂

Well, I suppose the good news is I know what to do to get faster. I’m 5’11 and about 81kg so reckon dropping to 77kg will see some decent improvement – more so in trail running and the hilly parkrun I do.

Glad you enjoyed it – I was actually marshalling on the nav leg, patrolling below the fence on the descent to CP2 in case anyone was tempted to climb straight over instead of using the marked crossings.

Oh brill, we popped out of the mist and hit that crossing dead on soon after …small moment of satisfaction! The extra graft, or lack of, on Moel Eilio last year was noted – nowhere to hide on Strava! We were good boys and no tarring and feathering due.

Thanks for helping out – one of the tougher events to marshal no doubt 🙂

Absolute newbie here, both to this thread and running in general. Decided to start doing some semi regular running as a way to become a bit less of a single faceted athlete (normally I’m a XC MTB racer).

I’d tried doing this in previous winters but suffered from hip pain and never really got on with the shoes. This time I did it properly and went to a proper running shop, and ended up with some zero drop Altras. Combined with a more sensible build into the distances the hip pain seems to be a thing of the past.

Fourth run of the year yesterday and got a bit carried away, the trails stretching off into the distance were too enticing! Ended up doing 27km at around 5:20/km, and actually felt alright until the end, although my calves are complaining today!

I’m now eyeing up some trail 15km races, fully caught the bug!

After a few busy days working I did 10km on the dreadmill watching countdown in 7.2m heave. Felt like a trail run with the constantly changing gradiants 🙂

If I get off of here Im probably gonna end up at Aviemore parkrun on sat morning.

Things looking good for the target early  duathlons in December and jan

So s anyone coming round to visit me on the weekend for the OMM? Conditions are looking perfect though it is going to be cold at the overnight camp for sure. If so I look forward to having a beer with you. Just look out for the obvious farmer looking bloke 🙂

If I get off of here Im probably gonna end up at Aviemore parkrun on sat morning.

Mucho envy.

I’ll have to make do with Eglinton park again on saturday, just a gentle one with my daughter though, Jedburgh half marathon on sunday.

Ruddy hell Paddy that’s good going for your 4th run of the year!  Sounds like your in a similar position to me – wanting to mix it up away from the bike a little.  I’ve got little interest in running on the roads but have really been enjoying the trails.  I’ve been running up and around Edale near where you did your Hill Climb at weekend recently, it’s ace.

Just keep on top of the foam rolling / stretching / massage whilst your body adapts to something different is my best advice.  I neglected that and it eventually caught up with me!

Likewise i’ve got my eye on a few trail races.  There seems to be plenty to go at

Don’t be too envious yet . ..I’m still 140kms west of Shetland in some nasty heaves.

You don’t see many bulky fast runners, so weight is certainly an important factor.  I’m quicker now at closer to 60kg than I was at 64, although that’s only one of several factors.

Hi – new to this thread and new to running. Wondering if something is achievable or if I’ve set the bar too high. I currently don’t run regularly and never have, when I do run (once every few months) I never do more than 5km and can do that at 5:00/km pace / 8 min miles. It’s quite hard but I feel that I’m just getting into my stride.

I typically do endurance road riding and can comfortably do long distances (200-300km) at a good pace 25kph if that helps. I’m 40.

I ‘ve registered for a half marathon in May 2019 and want to do it in 1hr30m so 4:30/km / 7 minute miles. Do you think that’s achievable? I’d be ok with 1hr45m but not with anything slower. I’m prepared to train a couple of times a week but no more than that.

Not much chance really

It sounds like you need to put more training in to get where you want to go than you are prepared to invest.  Also quite a short timescale so I’d be inclined to agree with Surfer.

As part of my recovery from prostate cancer surgery 12 weeks ago, I’ve set myself some running goals. The first of which is Run Every Day in October. They are only short runs, the longest has been 6.5 miles, but I’ve done a minimum of 2 miles every day so far. I know it’s no big deal or owt in the great scheme of things but I’m quietly pleased  and will be chuffed if I manage the whole month.