Running

I cycle and I work out but I suck at running, I'm struggling to run 3km now.
I'm thinking about doing half a marathon on the beach in January.
If I go running 2 times a week from now on (next to the gym and commuting by bike) do you guys think I can be prepared by then or is it too quickly?

You'll be fine - the biggest risk is over-use injury, so slow, gradual increase in weekly distance/time on feet is the plan.

half a marathon on the beach

Dry sand is a killer to run on. Both in terms of lack of stability and just how much harder work it is than solid ground (or even wet sand).

I'd assume at least some of your regular runs will be done on the same conditions as you expect to run on the day...

Starting to run a little.

Are trail running shoes terrible on the road?
I run from home to the park, which is about a mile, then its mixed surface, grass when its dry, type 2/gravel when its too wet.
Chances are I will also be running on road entirely some days.

Looking at Saucony, as I get 50% off (don't want to buy 2 pairs)

Or would it be better to get road shoes?

I’ve got a pair of Saucony Peregrines, and it’s about a mile to my local park, which has loads of good trails. They don’t struggle with that mile each way, so I think you’d be fine.

Actually, I also have a pair of Omnis, I think that’s the correct name, which are more of a road shoe, and they can cope with the trails in the dry. When it gets wet and muddy they struggle for grip.

I would go road shoe and buy a dedicated trail model after the summer 👍

It was honestly pretty routine as I wasn’t looking to break any speed records! I ended up going to 24km.

Previous longest runs were a 15km, a 13km and a few 10kms, but most of the time while building up over the previous months I was sticking to 6/7kms. Only difference on the half is I had to eat beforehand and took some dates and raisins for a little munch on the hour mark!

Next time it would be good to do it as part of an actual event and I’m sure I’ll get under 2 hours (was just over 2 hours last week)

Agree with this. If you've only got one pair of shoes, I'd rather deal with a tiny amount of slipperyness off-road in road shoes than miles of tarmac in trail shoes.

Just tried on the new Metaspeed Edge+ and looking forward to a test rep session tomorrow.

Does anyone have the forerunner 30? I’ve just started wearing mine again. The time is easy enough to change, but changing the date is proving a struggle. I’ve checked the manual and there’s no mention of changing the date.

Down at my elderly mum’s near Hastings for a few days while she has a hip replacement. Thought I’d do the Hastings Parkrun while I’m here. Brutal hilly ride to get there and back but the 420-strong run on the front is excellent!

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Welsh Castles Relay adventure done. Train down to Newtown yesterday to camp then up at 4.30am with the sunrise. No heavy duty toilets until 5.30am was awkward as (tmi) I'm a get up and go kinda guy. Survived that by taking a stroll to loosen off my legs and enjoy the sunrise properly, then back to camp for loo, brewed a quick coffee, snacked a granola bar + welsh cake brekkie, packed my stuff & chucked it in the club minibus then to the start.

Nearly 7 miles up hill I took steady, then kicked on and picked off the eager until the finish. I forgot my HRM strap so wrist HR was my ref point, it dropped from 175 to 150 whilst I was full gas, and was still there when I crossed the line ready to vomit.

Collected my stuff, waved off my clubmates as they headed further South, found another loo to deal with the aftermath, then hiked some quieter roads back to Newtown which was fun and a chance to take in the scenery.

It'd be great to do the full two days supporting and hopefully I'll get chance in another year.

I ran 72mins for 10.5 miles 2/3rds uphill which I'm happy with that.

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I did a vertical marathon (stupid name - basically running up 62 flights of stairs) the other day. I thought it was only 31 flights until about half an hour before, which was a nice surprise. My only goals were a) beat my friend and b) don't trip up the steps. Managed both, ate an ice cream at the top of the building and somehow I was the 10th fastest woman (I guess not a very competitive field, but 10 out of a couple of hundred is ok).

Anyway, lesson learnt to check how long any race is!! And never agree to run up stairs again.

Frankly this sounds awful! Very impressive. Presume its a winding staircase as well?

Thanks for the advice. After on various stretching techniques and it worked out well. Alas, I’ve now increased my distance and both Achilles have flared up.

Irritating.

I’ve agreed to race 800m on track tomorrow. Slightly nervous, despite absolutely nothing being at stake

That's a tough distance. Good luck!

I can understand that. Any idea what the field looks like? Don't be tempted to go with any youngsters, they've either gone off way too quick or are just bloody quick. Either way, lap 2 could be nasty. (Says the person who's never been brave enough to race anything shorter than 1,500m.)

We're on final day of holiday in a wet and windy Weymouth, so I'm pleased to have got 5 runs in over the last week. 5,000m at Sutcliffe Park next Wednesday to look forward to.

I used to be 800m specialist until everyone grew and it became a sprint.

Southern Vets so the youngsters at least are still 35+, though I think I'm perfectly capable of being dropped by a quick 15, 35 or 55yrs old :)

Looking at last year anything from 2:00 to about 2:35. All being well I should be comfortably within the tail end, and it'd take a miracle to trouble the sharp end of that range, so mid table mediocrity beckons!

mid table mediocrity

I’d love to be mid table!

Week off running with a mystery virus
Thought I was ok. Went for a mellow 7k run.
HRM said i was in zone 5 for all of it. BPM about 20 pts above the usual. Guess I’m not over the virus.

Thought a week off would give me some needed rest from tendinitis. No luck, it’s painful AF now.

Still…I got to run a bit

^^^ didn't embarrass myself

Definitely hard work. First 400m felt a fraction too easy, and then the last 200 really was quite hard work. 2:11 and the Strava tracking reckons 66s then 65s laps, so I'll take that to mean it was fairly well paced.

Then got roped into the 4x100m to make up the numbers. Not gone flat out in as long as I can remember. No idea how quick it was, but I was closing on the folks in front rather than being closed down, so another decent effort.

Enough to make me think I might have another crack at it

gurning wasn't too bad @PhilPub
Good running in windy conditions

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That picture made me laugh. The reaction of the teenagers on the left to the sweaty old men on the right!

Ha! I sweated my way to 16:16.96 for 5,000m, a nice improvement on a few weeks ago, and good enough for 4th V50 ranking (now down to 15:14 for 1st this year!) Happy with that on a largely solo run in a bit of wind. Cheers again for the shoes @duncs, legs were buzzing in bed after such a late race but calves fine today.

18m07 season opener for 5km in local series tonight. Pasta inverse doped myself by eating at 5.30pm could feel it heavy but not sure it affected my time too much. Effort was bang on, the last mile was horrible but last 400m my fastest 400 split (track assisted for 350m of it tho).