Running

Just challenged my BiL and SiL to who can get the best 10 km time. He's aiming for 45. We're both at 48.
Under 45 would be ace for both of us.
How many weeks am I looking at here?

Dunno what my best recent 10 is as I've been plodding them.

Achilles heel chat has been covered before (I had some pain around April/May time).
Lots of single leg calf work and not rushing back two key ingredients for me

I’m the oldest person on this thread aren’t I?

@Chalfie has a year on you, I think, and I've got seven on you. So no, you're not.

I'm 46 in not many days...
I'm not sure about the boundy bouncy shoes.

Anyone use an ankle support to avoid rolling their ankles?

As someone who’s always run in stability shoes (less stable equals a sore knee) I would love some fancy fast shoes to come out with some stability. Doubt it will happen though.

On my New Year’s Day run as I was trying to not think about being a bit hungover I came across a goal for the year which was to run a marathon a month for a year. So that’s what I’m gonna go for

Oh god this sounds like a horrible goal but I kind of want to do it too...

I'm already doing a challenge where you add 5km each month: kick off January with a 5km, then 10km in Feb, up to 60km in December. Some friends did a 10k version in 2020 which was just ridiculous, 120km in freezing december traipsing all over the city.

Dunno, I’ll be 48 this year (ffs)

Goals for this year:

• Get fitter, get faster and weigh less.
  
• Improve downhill technique
  
• Cader Idris race in under 2hrs (current on 2hrs 12)
  
• Post more, lurk less
  And I'll be 49 in September...
  

I keep banging on about this, but the way to do it is to get a decent podiatrist to make some proper custom orthotic insoles.
It will be expensive (£300 ish) but you can then wear fancy fast shoes by replacing the insole with your custom insoles. Never wear a stability shoe again.
It’s a total game changer. Brilliant for bike shoes too.
I had mine made about 10 years ago. I had them checked a year back and was told they were good for at least another decade.

That does sound good. Any recommendations for good places? I in Brighton but could travel when covid is reduced.

Is there a forum approved ice pack? I’ve just been using whatever the chemist has in stock but they’ve recently both split and spewed blue gel shit all over the house before I noticed.

I had mine done in Bristol. I got a referral from my previous employer’s physio scheme.
There seem to be plenty offering custom orthotics in Brighton

I've been battling a dodgy achilles for a while but determined to get over it this year and get back to running semi regularly. I'm nowhere near the pace of some of you guys but in terms of goals for 2021, injuries permitting:

5k: sub 20
10k: sub 45
half: sub 1h45

My best 5k time of 21:11 was about 18 months ago, I was in a good routine that summer of running 2-3 times a week at lunchtime with colleagues and doing the Serpentine last Friday of the month 5k. Off to do some more calf raises...

Achilles is my downfall too and it’s been nearly two years of pain, ice, snappy tendon, repeat. This year I’m being much more proactive in the rehab process with lower leg strengthening etc - basically copying @BringMeMyFix extensive research (see post #22213).

Also a recommendation for ‘Jogging Point’ website, I ordered some ASICS and they arrived from Germany with free postage in four days and were £20 cheaper than all the usual suspects.

Edit: @ElGonzo for me the sub 20 5K is still elusive (20:08) but I ran a 43:30 10K around the same time so I think that’s definitely a more attainable target. The difference between 21 mins and 20mins was seriously tough for me.

Lovely. Gonna check this out!

Do you just swap them out each time you swap shoes?

Yeah the sub 20 5k is a stretch target, particularly because the achilles really doesn't like it when I up the pace. I have a bit of a mental block as well because I keep telling myself that I'm not exactly built for running (1.85m, 82kgs) so that doesn't help, but then again I've been absolutely trounced by heavier set guys so it's not like I'm trying to bend the laws of physics!

It'll be tough but if achilles permits I might just do it, might take me most of the year to get there though!

2021:

Dunno really. Had all my 200/400/800 goals lined up for last year, was on target but horribly injured, then blah blah blah. Now spending more time Zwifting for a new team, but:

• turn 48 without dying

• stick to the rule of no runs without a 48hr gap, unless VERY short and VERY easy, to hopefully heal that final few % of dysfunction in my left Achilles (insertion)

• pleased with 118bpm avg HR during easy 5:20/k pace HM on Saturday, so maybe build on cardio base to revisit the idea of a sub-17' 5k… but my heart truly yearns for the buzz of the 400m, or 800m if I'm at a manic phase of my mood cycle

• pretty much carry on as I have been, enjoying a 3x run per week mix of road, trail, long, tempo, and hill

• enjoy the exploits of other members of the running community.

Running with someone that can run that pace easily would be a real help - I couldn’t get under 20, then did a park run and just held on to the lead group and did a 19:50. It was a mental thing as well as physical

Yeah basically i use them in pretty much all my shoes apart from shoes where I can’t remove the insole.

Yep, hopefully I can do that later in the year once park runs are (hopefully) a thing again. First things first though, run a pain-free 5k even if it is 30 mins and build from there.

Hope not to be hijacking the thread here!

Regular cyclist (a little under 6000km last year) but haven’t done a run in two years and that was a painful one off: hadn’t run in months and because my fitness was ok due to the cycling I went for a gentle 5k (just about sub 30min I think). Result: pain for a good couple of days.

Having stomped at speed on a tarmac downhill might partly explain (not being used to the impact etc), but since I’d like to try running again I’m wondering, is 5k potentially not the best first run in 2+ years even for someone fairly fit? should I aim lower and go from there? 🤔

What sort of pain and where? Generally it sounds like your body wasn't ready for the exertion that you imposed on it but that as someone who is fit and healthy that adaptation shouldn't take too long - At this point your cardio performance out strips your bodies physical ability. Does that make sense?
I'd try going shorter. Some specific strength exercises. Warming up properly. As your body gets more comfortable increase distance, effort etc.

Unless someone like @PhilPub or @juanito says I'm talking total waffle

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