Running

Has anyone got a Strava etc of the likely Southern Champs route at Stanmer? Never run it and the SEAA website has nothing... (also I assume it's spikes suitable?)

give this a go

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/682049151?share_unique_id=3
?share_unique_id=3

can't remember if I wore spikes or studs, I remember the grass at the bottom was fine and springy. there are some longish uphill in amongst trees. I don't remember any gravel sections but I'm an almost 40 year old caner so take my memories with a pinch of salt

I wore spikes in 2015 (pre-Strava for me) and it was fine. I may wear Inov8 XTalon this year, partly because I'm looking after my achilles, but I also like them for stability/heel grip on downhills, not my strong point!

Ta gents, looks climbier than Parliament Hill, joy of joys!

I was surprised by the elevation figure, yeah it's very up and down but I remember it being quite runnable. Far easier going under foot than Parly Hill, and you can get some good speed going on gentle downhills. (A long old slog back up again though, definitely.)

Hey, I signed up to that half marathon in March. I better start running again for 2018, I've finally shaken my flu off.

Went out to do an hour run yesterday, got carried away by running in the lovely, lovely sleet and did 2h30. Not exactly the 'raise the volume by 5 mins every week' instructions I've been given, but no bad reactions other than expected muscle pain.

If you're speaking to my physio, they don't need to be told about this, right?

The Big Half on March 4? Nice, you have 6 weeks, just get the miles in and you'll be fine.

Peroneal tendonitis

A new one for me - massively painful.

Is that tendinitis of the perineum?

I’d be happier being unable to sit, than being unable to stand!

Yeah that's the one, you're doing it right?

I've been lurking on this thread for a while, but now hoping to tap in to some specific advice from the long-time runners as I up my own running quotient.

Firstly some background. I classify myself as a cyclist, but have always done a bit of running. From XC at school, to a previous marathon, a bunch of halves and 10ks, and running c. once every couple of weeks - generally a 10 mile run commute with bag etc. However for the main part I train and race on two wheels...that is up until June last year when this [see pic underneath] happened. >>>>>>>>>>> epic fail thread

For a few months after that I was contained in plaster and confided to the wonders of the indoor trainer. On release I wasn't capable of, or safe to go, riding and my inner chimp went into meltdown with the lack of something to strive for on the exercise front. I'm now back on my bike in a limited way, albeit my radius is still healing and it hurts quite a lot. So racing is on the back burner and I've upped my running with the aim of going sub-3 at the Manchester marathon in April. Probably doesn't sound like much to some of the epic athletes on this thread, but it's enough of a stretch for me at the moment.

So far so good, and I'm enjoying the novelty of running training. Mixture of tempo/speed/lsd work, all of which fits much more neatly around my young family. I'm very conscious of the margin for error with injury, so trying to build in as much stretching time as possible, alongside a weekly 2k swim and general XT on the bike commute/Trainerroad.

However I'm finding that particularly after my long runs (longest so far is 2 hrs) that my lower back just above my hips is getting really stiff and I can't seem to stretch it out. My working assumption is that I need to restrengthen my core after being injured, so am planking in front of the TV and trying to generally improve my posture when sat at my desk.

So to the specifics / tl:dr:

• Has anyone else come across this? A quick Google suggests it is relatively common for n00bz
  
• Any good tips on stretches / core exercises to help combat?
  
• Anything else I can do? Running techniques to work on?
  

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Yeah, that’s the one. Most of Runhead are doing it. Will be fun.

I was getting this a lot last year. What finally helped was hanging off the bars in the train between stops to relieve the pressure. I apologise that there’s little sound medical reasoning for this, just something that worked for me.

Has anyone else come across this? A quick Google suggests it is relatively common for n00bz

Yep. Not just noobz.

Any good tips on stretches / core exercises to help combat?

Upward dog yoga stretch

This
http://www.thebrunettediaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/womenshealthmag.com-Arm-crossover.jpg

This
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jJyztdYiGIM/Uh_Se5VvDVI/AAAAAAAAAPw/81lVr3mhzsQ/s1600/crossover-stretch.jpg

For me, much of the problem is from my gluteus medius being weak - clamshell exercises are helpful, as are these

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0616/2405/files/4006L.jpg?15193580634059678044

Anything else I can do? Running techniques to work on?

My problem was dropping my hips - keeping a strong hip frame helped, as did having my strike closer underneath me, and not overstepping

Perhaps also check your posture while running? Maybe arching your back (tight hip flexors etc )

^^ YMMV, and you may die in a shower of fire and brimstone.

Ta. I'll look at stretching out my back vertically (anyone have a medieval torture rack knocking around?). Sadly my hanging from bars phase it at least a few months away with this lot going on

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Give James Dunne's free 30 day challenge on the Kinetic-Revolution website a go.

Thanks! A bunch of useful advice there, I'll give all those exercises a go (not all at once)

keeping a strong hip frame helped

Not sure what this means though?

Not sure what this means though?

See @pifko's post. James is all about the hips.

Your hips should ideally be level (laterally) when you run, with a fairly neutral forward tilt - your legs & back just connect to this as a stable frame.

Not sure of he still does them, but he used to hold clinics regularly(ish)

bump Rescued from page 3!...

Breathing... I've just started on a new technique for working on tempo runs at a controlled perceived effort. Like most normal people my breathing pattern changes according to intensity; I'm barely aware of it when running easy pace (a good thing), then it's 2-in, 2-out with my cadence for harder pace, finally going out to 2-in/1-out for close-to-maximal effort. I breach the threshold at different stages during races, e.g. early on during 5k/10k/cross-country, much later during HM/marathon, but there's always a switch, and things always feel less comfortable with the heavier breathing pattern.

Sooo, my thinking is if I can maintain 2/2 pattern during a tempo run this will (a) keep the effort in check and stop me losing form, in effect running a time-trial too close to race effort, (b) give me a vaguely objective measure of fitness by comparing pace against a set level of perceived effort, and (c) train me to run a marathon with the easier breathing pattern for as long as possible, before the inevitable kitchen-sink gurnfest.

Anyway - TL/DR - 8 miles at lunchtime including 5 miles on grass @ 5:46/m without breathing out my arse. Aiming to repeat this run a few times before the marathon. Running at MP effort or just above on grass should give me good fitness benefits without the pounding of actual marathon pace on tarmac.

Want a watch to help me with pacing as that is my issue atm. One that was waterproof and played music would be perfect.

What are my options?

Garmin 645 Music is the latest and greatest I'd expect