Running

The run/walk technique is a good one for getting some miles under your belt and to lose weight. The walk part allows you to recover, while keeping the muscles quite warm. Break it up into minutes. train every other day for good recovery.

Eg. (run 3 mins, walk 2 mins) x6 = half hour session

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=815

VanUden: I would start running on grass (or gravel paths if you can't find any grass that isn't slush or frozen). It is easier on the body than running on hard surfaces like roads and footpaths.

Smallfurry's advice is very good, mix up running and walking so you can recover a bit between running bits, this will help you have longer sessions than if you just went running and destroyed yourself straight away. Building an aerobic and strength base takes time.

Good advice gents thank you. Also useful for anyone else who might be browsing this thread and thinking about dusting off their running shoes.

yeah the trick with running is to get started, once you've done a couple it'll be lots easier.

If you've got some proper trainers you're well away

Went down to Up and Running in East Dulwich yesterday to get some trainers, the guy in there was really sound. Videoed my running style then explained what I needed from my trainers.
I then noticed a felt dispatch in the shop, turns out he rides fixed too!
Thumbs up from me!

I sometimes find fixed riding and running compliment each other as they both require constant leg movement.
Although being a runner, I am good at forgetting about what my legs are doing, which can give you a bit of a scare riding fixed.

well managed the first half marathon today, really chuffed with my 1.58, based on the last couple of shorter races I've done was down for 2.07 and given I'd not been out much the last fortnight with man flu thought a 2.15 was far more likely.

In fact I think the time off any running/cycling ironically made me quicker.

Taper ftw

Better to go into an event undertrained compared to overtrained. Rest is best.

Went for a jog on Friday-taking in the Southbank on a half term lunchtime was a mistake, but the street artist who played the rocky theme for me as I ran past totally made it worth my while.

yeah thats def what I've found from this experiment, i'd already done the distance in training which I think really helped.

Not sure I'll be able to do that with a full marathon though

don't do a full marathon distance in training! well done on taking 10 min off your scheduled time over the half marathon. going into a race with lowered exceptions also helps to prevent starting off too fast. A conservative pacing often gives better finish times. don't make the mistake and overadjust your marathon target time after todays positive indication. i dont know you and your running history but the figures are very tempting to aim for a sub 4:00 marathon finish but that could be a big mistake.

yeah good advice i reckon Claus, does reassure me that my four and forty five target I set myself when I started training is pretty achieveable

again without knowing you or being a coach I would say form the time you did today and assuming you are planning for London marathon a time sub 4:30 should be on for you

Hi Kevin, great progress from you. Congrats. Below 4h ? That is quite daring for the first Marathon and if you are not from Kenia
;)
Sounds like you are pushing your training levels quite hard. Be careful with your shins ! no joke here !

This is advice I should have had been given earlier in my running career: Stretch !
Especially the calves as they strain the shins when they are tense.
You should be able to comfortably run marathon distance per week before any aspiring time training

My marathon preparations have taken a bit of a blow as my running shoes died a couple of weeks ago. The cushioning just suddenly disappeared over the course of a week (I think they've down about 2000km). Never had that happen so fast before. I thought I had developed a subtle injury at first.

Gave me an excuse to order these lovelies though.

PS. With all the R&D that goes into running shoes, I would love it if they could bring out a system which warned you in advance that your shoes were coming to the end of their life (like those toothbrushes that lose their blue colour).

2000 k is ridiculous, 800-1000 k or when the sole starts going bendy.

its usually around 300km for foam based running shoes
but in different systems eg nike air.nike shox it varies due to the elasticity
and impact resistance of the sole and various other components
im not a running expert but im a trainer nerd haha

Just realised that I guessed how far I had run over the last year or so, and translated to kilometers ran in my now worn out shoes.

Reckon I run 50/50 off- and on-road, and I have two other pairs of trainers for for off-road so more like 1000km in the worn out ones.

They were Nike air structure triax and have this plastic 'ride liner' thing running through the sole. like running in fecking horse shoes once the cushioning started to go.

structure triax are decent, IMHO the only decent stability shoe Nike make.

fun fact: the 'air' or 'gel' cushioning is really just designed to make the shoes last longer, the primary cushioning is the EVA foam in the midsole, which is designed to wear out before the upper and outsole.

i really need to start running again. i stupidly managed to tear my hamstring while trying to hurdle waves while off my face in Australia a few weeks ago.

Hi Kevin, great progress from you. Congrats. Below 4h ? That is quite daring for the first Marathon and if you are not from Kenia
;)
Sounds like you are pushing your training levels quite hard. Be careful with your shins ! no joke here !

nah no way I'm going to kill myself to get below 4h, I started training before new year and rather than new years resolutions set my self a few sporting goals, and based on my speeds I was running at that time a 4.45 seemed a good goal.

Since then I've improved a bit so expect to get under that reasonably comfortably, And though set a good time in the half I'm still working on that original goal

structure triax are decent, IMHO the only decent stability shoe Nike make.

I'm running in these which despite fitting perfectly and feeling great are possibly the most ugly shoes I've ever owned.

Unfort Puma running shoes fit me a perfect it's a shame they are all so ugly

I reckon Kayano is the king of shoes. 50% of finishers of the New York marathon wear Asics. What an endorsement.

I'm currently running in Brooks Trance and I have Asics DS Racers for fast interval sessions.

Was very tempted to order a pair of kayanos (tis the true king), but I've only been comfortable in the wide versions of asics shoes, and heard that they narrowed to toe box of kayanos recently. Brooks trance were also high on the list, but I've never owned a pair of Brooks so was unsure of fit (ordering online, unwise I know). It came down to my ever favourate Mizuno Wave Nirvana, or the newish Saucony Grid Paramount (both Saucony and Mizuno fit me well). Went for the Saucony, as I fancied trying something new.

its usually around 300km for foam based running shoes
but in different systems eg nike air.nike shox it varies due to the elasticity
and impact resistance of the sole and various other components
im not a running expert but im a trainer nerd haha

Back in my prime running years I was doing nearly 50km a week thats a new pair of trainers every six weeks. That cant be right?

YouTube - Sian Welch & Wendy Ingraham - The Crawl - 1997

i managed to squeeze in a quick jog today and feel much better for it. running is good for the soul.

as the great philosopher will smith says:
YouTube - Will Smith - Running & Reading (The Key to Life)