Running

Week off - when I injure myself to the point of being on crutches.
Easy runs - every week, ha.

First run without ankle pain in two months! Still quite swollen but a combination of the exercises recommended upthread, icing three times a day and weight training seems to be having a positive impact. Just as well as I have a 30km trail race in a fortnight...

I only deliberately schedule a week off straight after a marathon. (Or maybe very easy running again from about the Wednesday/Thursday afterwards.)
Injury, illness or a holiday usually interrupts consistent running often enough for any niggles to reboot.
Lock-down seems to be having a good effect on my training consistency as well. On a 38-day streak at the moment.

Well done, keep it up.

Regarding easier weeks in training... Following various Triathlon training plans has had its effect on me when I'm planning my training.

Right now I'm coming back from injury and trying to lose weight so I'm just doing 3 runs a week and will be extending one of them from 5k up to 10k over the next month or so.

But for plans when I'm more focused on building distance or speed I tend to follow the theory of progressively increased workloads for 3 weeks and then an easier week to aid recovery. That seemed to work for me as it stopped it all feeling so relentless.

I've been running in zero drop shoes for years (the influence of reading Born to Run just as I stated to like running) and it took about 3 weeks for the calves to stop aching. If I run to work more and then put on work shoes with heels I feel like I'm tiping forward for the first half an hour!

Also on that note ^ I've recently got some vivobarefoot shoes for both running and normal use. If anyone is interested I have referral code that should get you (and me) £25 off an order. Let me know if you are interested.

I’ve run in bike zoom structure for about four years (probably had 7 pairs). I’ve took the plunge and bought some of the new infinity reacts. I’m not swayed by the no injury claims - if only! - but am interested to see how they feel.

I have become a more serious runner in those four years, so I had intended on having my hair analysed again but that doesn’t look likely for a while.

knees already feel the benefit - but yeah was guessing it's a few weeks of adjustment. I'm not striking on forefoot, much more mid foot - but still feels good.

Also on that note ^ I've recently got some vivobarefoot shoes for both running and normal use. If anyone is interested I have referral code that should get you (and me) £25 off an order. Let me know if you are interested.

Ah quite possibly - could you send over.
(If it's a one time code and someone else gets there first then all good)

Combination of quarantine and my pup reaching the age I can start going on very short (1 mile) runs with him has coaxed me back into lacing up my running shoes and plodding along again. Given that I've wanted a dog to take running with me ever since I did my first couch to 5k in 2010 this is pretty exciting.

We're starting out with a cheap canicross belt/leash to clip to his usual harness just to see how we get on but with two runs under our belt he's loving it. I'll probably splurge for a better harness soon just so he's as comfortable as possible as he definitely wants to go faster than me some of the time and for a 11kg dog has a fair amount of pull in him. need a small water system for him as we tend to run a mile away and then walk back just to get in enough exercise to keep him tuckered out indoors for most of the day.

Running with your dog is so fun. He looks lovely!

^ this, but how can you even manage to leave the room when tipping point is on?

I'm on lockdown at my mum's place. the living room is her domain, from where I sit in the kitchen I have to endure her high volume watching of bargain hunt, cash in the attic, tipping point, the chase, pointless and every single bloody news and politics show in between on a daily basis. Taking the dog out is the one moment of peace I get in the day.

A lady in my running club has a german shepherd that she runs with - she has a harness a bit like a jock strap. Sometimes she whizzes past at parkrun, then stops for doggo to do a poo.

Anyway, the harness seems like the next step

Your Mum's lounge tv playlist matches that in the staff room at my work! Tipping Point is strangely addictive though.

How often do you guys take a week off

Only when I'm ill really.

Week doing really easy runs?

When tapering I tend to do three or four easy runs, couple of days no runs, then the race. Then post event I will do a sort of reverse taper but go on feel for at least a week with no hard efforts. Sometimes it can take a few weeks to feel like training properly again, others it's only a few days.

You have PM..

I think I have another one if anyone else wants it (for use on orders over £100) and there is an affliate link here that will get you money off as well.

My dog has a halti which stops him from running ahead of me. He runs on my hip now no pulling at all. They can still pull in harnesses, at least mine could though he is like 40kg...

People keep talking about easy runs, if I run any slower its power walking.

On my little 5k loop over the top of Alexandra Palace I am so dead by the top the rest of the run is just survival. I really don't like running, but the feeling when I finish is the closest thing to the normal post exercise buzz I can achieve with all the restrictions in place.

Does the 'wet foot test' actually correlate to pronation/supination? I've just done it and have normal to high arches - but have been told I'm an overpronator previously.

From what I've read it's all just spin to make you buy specialist trainers/insoles

Do you reckon it’s better to just run neutral shoes then. I’ve been reading and watching a few things where people are sceptical about support shoes

It really does depend on how your ankle rolls during the stride. The "wet foot test" may not tell you this.

Drawing vertical/horizontal lines on the back of the Achilles and then getting yourself videod running (ideally on a treadmill but that's a bit tricky nowadays) in trainers without socks (so you can still see the lines you've drawn) will show you a lot more.

If you google for some videos of examples of pronation/supination you can find some really excessive examples that would need specific shoes. Most people will be within the range that "neutral" shoes would come fine with.

The video idea is great - cheers! Will do that when this is all back to normal

I had my original gait assessment done by someone watching me run up and down the road outside the running shop (Up and Running in East Sheen). The treadmill was already in use by another customer and the person I saw said "I just need to see you running, put these on and do some 20 yard repeats back and forth at fast jogging pace". They could tell all they needed to tell from that.