Running

Is it normal for your hands to swell up while running? My right hand keeps ballooning.

Seems quite common. It's a circulation thing I think, and usually harmless (if it returns to normal relatively quickly after you stop).

Try wiggling your fingers and opening/closing a fist whilst you run to see if it keeps it at bay (or makes it go away if you forget).

Try reducing the blood pressure in your hands by running with them above your head. Even if it doesn't work you'll be running in a permanent victory salute, so win-win.

@Greenbank speak to the physio, good ones will give you the exercises you need, I wouldn't have thought anyone would recommend using weights, plyometrics and the use of therabands will fit both holiday plans and give a workout that you're less likely to do any further damage to yourself with!

failing physio advice I would have thought squats, deadlifts, single leg squats and hamstring curls are the way to go (all with swiss ball/theraband/bodyweight)

my ankle is just about healed again, been for three runs, including a 4x400m session yesterday to try to get my legs used to moving at speed.

I've spent a lot of time over the last four weeks swimming, cycling and doing core work so hopefully I haven't lost too much condition in that time.

it is still swelling a little after a hard session, but going down again fairly quickly and apparently this is normal during recovery...

I hadn't enjoyed running over the last few weeks as all I could think about was the pain at the top of my right femur when I pushed hard or on hills. Did a bit of self-diagnosis and I seemed to have fixed it! Turns out that my gait was waaay too narrow and so I have since been conciously running with a widened gait, which feels a bit like I'm running like a penguin. It's going to take a while before I run like this subconciously and get my speed back. Just need to stregthen my glutes, hip abductors and general core.

@Sainsburys_Ed @Greenbank
I've agreen with Ed, if you have a strain I wouldn't go anywhere near weights.

Sorry, should have been clearer. Looking for two things:-

1. Stretches/exercises to do whilst on holiday; with no access to equipment, so don't suggest foam rollers/etc.

2. Strengthening exercises are for after when it's been rested/stretched/contrabathed/etc (which I'll be doing on holiday) and it's fixed, and I'm back at work with access to a gym.

Put your hands in the air like you just don't care!
Gonna give this a go tonight...

Also suggestions for exercises (stretching) that can be done with no equipment (when on holiday) if that's possible.

Lots of yoga asanas (poses) will give a good hamstring stretch. Specifically padangusthasana (stand feet shoulder width, fold at the waist index and middle fingers catch big toe), padahastasana (same as before but hands go under feet, bend at knees a little if you need to), and Prasarita Padottanasana A through D. There are loads of videos online but they aren't hard to remember once you've done them a few times.

I joined a club and tonight was my first time racing for them. Much excitement! In fact, so much excitement that I fell over and twisted my ankle. Fucksake.

I get the hand swelling, not balloons, but they feel weird, I've always assumed it's from restricted circulation because of the angle of my elbow when I run, so when I start to feel it I straighten my arms and kind of wave them about... Will try the victory pose too.

Ok, so I'm going to give ParkRun a go tomorrow- q: is it frowned upon to run with music/headphones/not make small talk?

The barcodes and competition excite me. Having to be sociable, less so #curmudgeon

q: is it frowned upon to run with music/headphones/not make small talk?

"
Can I run with my headphones and listen to music?

We would rather you didn't - it makes it difficult for our marshals to communicate with you.
Our events have a special community feel, which you cut yourself off from when wearing headphones.

However, we appreciate that some runners do feel naked without their music, so they are not banned.

We do ask that as a courtesy to the volunteers, you remove headphones from your ears during the safety briefing before the start, and on approaching the finish area.
Finally please keep the volume at a suitable level to be able to hear any marshals instructions out on the course too.
"
https://support.parkrun.com/hc/en-us/articles/200566393-Can-I-run-with-my-headphones-and-listen-to-music-

I see plenty of people running with headphones at the parkrun I usually do.

I've avoided all small talk at parkrun, the only people I've ever talked to are people I already know, or saying thanks to the volunteers doing the various jobs (time keeper, finish marshal, barcode scanners, etc).

Good luck, enjoy the parkrun, remember that your first run will be a PB so it doesn't matter what happens.

Heh. Thanks @Greenbank

I was trying to find something like that on the site but clearly failed miserably! I need to carry my phone to track all the things so might as well listen to some music too I reckon ; )

Heyaaa! I've run with headphones before but only at Dulwich where it's really wide, otherwise I prefer to be able to hear my own wheezing and the oncoming footsteps of children lapping me. Loads of people run with music though. In terms of being sociable, I tend to wander about before and after saying "can I pet your dog?" to people (mainly dog owners) and sometimes I congratulate the children who've overtaken me. I volunteered a few times at Dulwich so I knew a few people there and would chat to them a bit but I've moved away and don't know anyone at my new one. #foreveralone

Big drama at my local parkrun last week as one (or maybe more) runner pushed someone out of the way when lapping them. The route is on paths around a lake and although it's not the widest it's really not that narrow - plenty of space for overtaking, as long as slower runners keep to the left. It's gone wild on facebook as the fast runners say that the slow runners don't keep left and the slow runners object to being pushed about. There's going to be a special announcement tomorrow, I'm gutted I'm going to miss it.

What parkrun do people do?

Also training; I'd like to start training for fast 5ks. I don't think 6 min/mileing one (18:38) is out of question given enough time/quality training. I went form non runner to 19:25 about 5 years ago in 4-5 months of running 3 times a week with no structure (and awful pacing).

Things to consider; a bit injury prone, I don't feel comfortable running greater than 10km.
Only want to run 3 time a week (longer slow runs can be replaced with bike ride).
Really poor at pacing myself.
Would prob need to lost the 3-6(+)kg extra weight I'm carrying to get quicker than my previous pb.

Is it as easy as doing a tempo run, an interval run, an other (?) run and an easy bike ride at the weekend? how do you judge a tempo run?

Anyone got any good advice?

It's gone wild on facebook as the fast runners say that the slow runners don't keep left and the slow runners object to being pushed about.

It's a parkrun, if fast runners are so worried about their time that they are willing to push people out of the way they should fuck off and race.

Yeah, this is my view, and the organisers. It's an inclusive event! My mum does the odd parkrun- if anyone pushed her I'd chase them down and chuck them in the fucking lake.
Unfortunately some people don't understand appropriate behaviour (see also: bad manners at sportives and notably at the IOW randonnee...).

How do you judge a tempo run?

Personally when I do a 'Tempo' run, it's normally:

• Longer than race distance
  
• approx 90% of target race pace
  
• Running at a consistent pace (flatter routes preferrably)
  
  

If you suck with pacing, best get yourself to a track (or run somewhere of a known distance) and use a stopwatch, or buy yourself a cheap GPS watch.

I listen to music so I can't hear my wheezing and thundering, pounding heavy footfall!

You should have mentioned drama and outrage earlier, not to mention petting dogs which would have made me view ParkRun's waaaay more favourably.

So I should push small children into the watery bits of Peckham Rye and pet other people's dogs whilst ignoring marshals I can't hear over my Kelly Clarkson? Got it!

Thanks, not sure what current race pace is.

I ran this yesterday:
Distance 4.9mi
Moving Time 38:01
Pace 7:44/mi
Elevation 186ft

laps

meters	min	sec	min/mile	min/km
4660	22	56	07:55		04:55
3161	14	37	07:27		04:37

the 2nd lap I upped the pace but not to race pace. I'll take a punt at 4:45 min/km pace for tempo.

Poots - much lols. Hope you enjoy your Park Run!

Run a park run. Smash it. That's your race pace.

Plug your numbers into an online training pace calculator (Mcmillan, vdot etc..) for training paces.

My tempo pace is the race pace that I would run double the distance I'm currently running - e..g 10k race pace for 5k, 20k race pace for a 10k etc...

Had a HORRIBLE run this lunchtime. Decided I'd try a couple of long tempos, 1k steady, 4kfast x2 - taking me to a nice round 10k.

Backtrack a few hours and last night I had a few glasses of wine, nothing massively excessive - a third of a botle. So had been feeling a little lethargic this morning but nothing too concerning.

Fast forward and after 5k I was fucked (and 5k away form work). Had to slow to a walk as I had nothing left at all. Also had pins and needles in my hands/arms (wtf?). Recovered a bit and jogged on but had nothing in the tank for the 5k back.

Somehow still managed an average of 4:46/km (wtf? This is way better than I was feeling) over the 10k but was completely empty by the end of it. Now feeling like I might have had a bit more than a mild hangover this morning. EVERYTHING aches including joints as well as muscles so I think I might have been in the first stages of some infection or other, which I have kicked into gear by running :(

This is the first run I've done in AGES that I haven't enjoyed so I'm sure I'll bounce back, and it's reassurring in a way that everything can go so wrong and I can plug away through it. All my running is looking forward to VLM next year so if the last 10k of that are better then today I'll be well happy.

New longest fell race this evening. Steel City Striders - Salt Cellar. 11k with nearly 500m of ascent. Managed 1:25:35 according to Garmin but too a while to remember to turn it off. Way at the back of the field but still decided to contest a sprint finish. Ups were tough and the descents very technical and steep. Running on about 2k of Peak District flagstones an utter beast. But I enjoyed it all the way round because the route challenged you in a variety of ways. I would have liked to see what I could do without getting stuck behind bunches where I felt I could have gone faster but the answer to that is to be better and get away faster at the start.

Did this and got a 21:07. I think it may take me a year to see if I can 6 min/mile one. I'd like to run a sub 20 this year. That should be achievable as I'm not in great condition. I also only really want to run 2-3 time a week.

What I have worked out is that trying to structure my training really turns me off. I may to too lazy to train in the best way. Think I might just keep running and turn up to parkruns every now and again. When I get to the point where I'm not getting any faster I'll think about my training then.