Running

I've been scanning this thread but any recommendations for some new shoes please? The very old Reeboks I have give little grip on grass and muddy hills and this is where I'm aiming to do most running over the winter. To the cheaper end of teh spectrum please?

Also, those arm band thingies (the technical term I believe...) that you put phones and mp3 players in. Are they generally all the same or is there a forum approved version?

I got a 99p ebay arm thingy. It works just fine. A fully waterproof lifeproof type thing would be nice but probably pricey..

I am loving adidas adizero 2

^^ I'm liking the price range there!

Still no long run, but managed 1 10k and 3 6k runs last week, work should now become less stressfull from wednesday onwardds so I should be able to focus on fitness a bit more!

Cliveden 10k in a month and want to be close to 40 minutes so I need to focus!

Hope everyone has a great running week.

Also, bloody well done Hobo, that's a stonking time for 100 miles.

43 days since I last ran.

30 days until I next run.

This not running thing is a.ma.zing.

And I am *really *good at it.

^ Got a Strava link?

I'm not sure how to post up partial strava sections - I've not pressed "stop" yet.

As the snow has disappeared. I managed to get back to 'barefoot' running yesterday. Definitely more fun. Going to miss my silly light shoes, when big heavy studded overroader season starts.

Hobo, wow - you're clearly insane, chapeau to you!!

I've spent weeks working on my marathon training plan (this has involved not reading any books, listening to too much internet advice, moving all my longer runs ever further into the future) but I was finally happy with it. Then I panicked this weekend and ran 10 miles (I've never run further than 7 before). It was suuuuuper slow but fine, though I have the biggest blister on the ball of my foot and am about to go into a meeting in just my socks as I can't bear putting my shoes back on.

Oh also - I think Dammit was looking for a hill to run up? Try Nightingale Lane in Richmond. 12.5%, I went cross eyed near the top.

The length of the hill is pretty vital. I've found a beauty. Been running it for years. But its part of a run that contains bigger more interesting climbs. So I've never really considered it. Anyway, joined Strava, and noticed after transfering data I'd taken 3rd on a climb I tend to ease off on. Attacked it and went from a fast cruising HR of say 156, to 174 at the top. Think 174 is a recent record. If the hill was 3 meters longer I would have passed out. Do repeats on it now if I have the time.

Cheers Strava (yes I CR'd it).

One thing I forgot to mention about saturdays race. Fuck fucking coconut fucking water.

It's fucking rank, especially the one they seem to have a surplus of with orange in which they give out at every race now.

Almost everyone I saw drinking it was pulling funny faces and saying how rank it is but as they only had 2 small water butts set out by the finish line it was the quickest hydration option available.

As I was waiting at the park for fucking ages for my no-show dad I also saw people leaving at the end carrying armfuls of boxes of the stuff as they obviously hadn't been able to shift it all and there was 1700 odd runners in the race.

Nuun people if you read this forum now please sponsor some races and give out waterbottles with a pre-diluted tablet or something and stop this coconut flavoured travesty.

Every single eventnotrace that I have been to in the past 18 months has been plagued with companies trying to shill their coconut water.

The coconut water grimace is a regular sight.

Still - I'm sure they raised a bundle through kickstarter...

Converts car to run on coconut water

Oh also - I think Dammit was looking for a hill to run up? Try Nightingale Lane in Richmond. 12.5%, I went cross eyed near the top.

This is fun, although my personal preference would be running up the path through the small park just before it (coming from Richmond), followed by a swift pint at the Roebuck for re-hydration purposes :)

Much rather drink a natural juice than a science labs fizzy pil.

not if the 'natural juice' has what I can only imagine to be the same taste and consistency as watered down jizz (plus coconut flavouring).

Flavoured coconut water is rank. At the London Marathon expo last year I tried all the different flavours (SCIENCE!), they're all gross. I developed a taste for the plain one a few months ago but my housemate stopped buying them so I stopped drinking them...

Fantastic work Hobo - didn't know who you were or would've said hello. We were on the 79/96 mile aid station - ewanmac was the guy with the beard, I was the handsome Irish one.

Wonderful conditions for ultra racing - not cold or wet, gorgeous clear night, mainly firm underfoot. Great results from firends of mine - one came second overall, another sub-20, another sub-24 and another managed to complete - all very happy with their lot.

I paced/bullied the sub-24 guy to the line, as he'd not have made it otherwise, and then ran back to my post, a paltry 8 miles. Foot, knee and back in pain today - guess I'm not ready to start running again yet...

Well Done Hobo! 22hrs is great going!

KL, great to meet you and put a name to the face. I hope you manage to get your back/knee sorted out for next year.

Going to bully myself into getting out for 10 miles tonight, hope my head torch is up to the task and I can actually see!

After my efforts on saturday I had a slight twinge in my right knee. mostly just an ache when I'd been laying bed overnight with my leg bent so have taken a couple of days off. will be doing an easy 3 miles to see how it feels this evening.

I think pounding down the big hill in greenwich park running almost flat out twice (then running down it again after the race) was just a bit too much for it just yet.

as such have binned off the idea of doing 13 miles on sunday this week and will stick to nice easy runs until my next race on the 15th dec. by which time I'll be into my marathon training so I'll be spending the next 4 weeks after that building up my weekly base mileage to the mid 20's before I start on the speedwork, tempo and proper long runs.

I promised I'd post my calendar here as well but i only just got round to finishing it...

Link is here:-

Ciq's Marathon Plan

as it stands currently based on recent race results the paces for the runs are

Easy A - 10:08 min/mile
Easy B - 09:27 min/mile
Long Run - 09:06 min/mile
Tempo - 08:23 min/mile
Strength - 08:13 min/mile
Speed - 07:20 min/mile

So while it's a lot of back to back running, most days are less than an hour of training and following any hard effort days the (easy a) runs are more like a slow jog to get the legs used to running tired while staying in the fat burning zone rather than continuing to deplete the carb energy stores which should help to increase overall running efficiency. but it only works if you stick to the prescribed paces.

then in 6 weeks I need to revisit the pace/goals and make sure they match my current ability so that I'm training in the right zones for each workout.

you are so organised. well jel!
I am doing the myasics plan for Paris Marathon in April, even tough I am not convinced by it as it doesn't have any speed work. I am finding quite difficult to create a plan myself even though I know how it should be - more or less-

I may continue with this until 12 weeks to go when I will start Macmillan's training plan. From all the stuff I read it is the one I like the most.

I hated the greenwich Park hills :)