Running

Nice one.

Similar Knee test shortly!

I'm pretty confused by the data from my interval training. It was also hard to follow the instructions from my watch as I was doing it.

My top heart rate was 192. If I add 10, then my moderately hard 10k at 173 average would be 86% of max heart rate, can that be right?

Sounds feasible. When I was last in the habit of using HR data, my highest observed max was 202, hard intervals would get me to low-190, and low-170 would be somewhere between marathon and HM intensity - probably not far from "moderately hard 10k" intensity.

Not that I would use HR during interval training, cos it's too variable. But useful to look at afterwards, e.g. HR coming down at a quicker rate between reps being a potential indicator of improved fitness.

Cheers that's interesting. The most noticeable thing in the data is that towards the end of my run, after 50 mins, there was no more proper recovery, no matter how much I slowed down.

I have turned off all heart rate and pace alerts for next time, and will just follow the timer.

I haven't been for a single run since the Manchester Half Marathon. Knee pain that does not seem to be going away.

Physio gave me some exercises to do which I've been doing most evenings but I've not see any improvement yet.

Not sure what else to do, also concerned that if I ever do manage to shift it that it will return once I start running again.

735xt Can be bagged for £200 on chain reaction at the moment. Love mine.

Knees are complex. Is it front back side or inside? Best re-check with physio or second opinion?

Fwiw My knee felt ok on run last night but I couldn't pedal with that leg this morning & was almost late to work.

2 mins on feet again once I arrived it felt fine but clearly something is not right.

Fwiw My knee felt ok on run last night but I couldn't pedal with that leg this morning & was almost late to work.

Gah, hope it sorts itself out soon! Try some squats. They always help (done properly)

Front, under the kneecap, and occasionally on the side.

I suspect the occasional side knee pain is ITB as I have suffered from that in the past so have been stretching and foam rolling as much as I can.

The under kneecap pain is what's getting me down, it mostly okay day to day but descending stairs and squatting makes it hurt loads, and then if I run it starts hurting almost straight away, just an ache that over the miles builds up to be pretty painful.

Physio said there was nothing wrong with the joint of my knee, she suspects that it's a combination of weak muscles around the knee, and tight quads.

So I have strengthening exercises and stretches that are supposed to help but it's been a month with no improvement.

I'm hoping to join the vaporfly club. Got a pair on the way back from.NYC. I've heard you are guaranteed a sub 2.30 in them if you also wear a Kent vest...

On another note, a driver on their phone nearly knocked me over on a zebra crossing last night. They were on their phone and paying no attention. The beauty of the situation was that they got caught in traffic so I knocked on their window and suggested they may want to consider some of their driving and communication choices.

Are you due to see Physio for follow up? Could be worth a shout.

The 4%ers?

Fosters, Carling etc

5% ftw

I had something similar a few years back.
Squats on a 20degree incline helped (incline sloping away from you)
Maybe see a podiatrist too, you might need foot beds

Yes. The others who are running in a pair swear by them.

Ah lovely. Think a guy was racing in them at a half I ran this weekend. They're certainly interesting.

I'm getting back into a bit of running after a couple of years off.

3 to 4km at a very easy pace (6:00/km) a couple of times a week sound ok? How quickly can I increase the pace / distance? Any tips on what to increase first? I only really want to run a maximum of 10km but I like going fast. No goals really, apart from general increase in speed.

Any tips on what to increase first?

Time on Feet. Everything else will follow.

Yeah they never really mentioned a follow up visit, but as it was private I can go whenever I want.

Just need to be able to afford it!

I'd ask for a follow up to see if they can offer further advice. Else head elsewhere for a second opinion. Sounds like yours isn't like this but beware those that want to see you weekly at £40 a pop with no clear pathway to an end date.

Fwiw I see Rich at Pedal Precision, but hear lots of good things about Athlete Matters in Worsley.

I did actually see Rich a few years back when I had a bike fit, he was great.

Didn't even think of him for a running injury. I'll book another appointment with the physio, and see what she says. I may just be impatient and its gonna take some time to sort out

gonna take some time to sort out

Probably this. Whenever my knee plays up it takes ages to properly heal up. Do stick with the exercises and stretches though, I've worked on mine and my knee is as good as it's ever been, if still not perfect. Muscle imbalances and tightness were the vague diagnosis for me too.

Any reason not to get a Garmin forerunner 10 off eBay, there's plenty going for under £20? Only want it so I don't need my phone in my pocket

Some more long-winded nonsense about running. Feedback very welcome.

Getting back on the Horseshoe (a ramble about the Relay Champs, kinda).

I’ve had a pretty good year so far. I planned to train for, and then run a proper Lakes AL. From January to June I put the hours and miles in, culminating at the Ennerdale fell race at the start of June. My little training chart - compiled by a mystical computer algorithm - had a lovely upward trending squiggle. And I do love a bit of data based reassurance. I was running well and completed my goal – albeit with a performance slightly dampened by a cold – so I promptly took a few weeks off.
My little squiggle took a downward turn, but with my desires sated it wasn’t a concern. Training and rest must be balanced carefully if you want the scales of performance to tip in your favour, after all. But then Kentmere Horseshoe appeared on the horizon. It had been my first Lakes race the year previous and I was keen to see if I’d actually improved since then. It’s a cracking race; long and steep enough to put you to work, but not so serious as to scare you off.
A work stint in Carlisle gave me the perfect base for a bit of fitness rebuilding. I managed to make some quick hits on Scafell, Skiddaw, the Buttermere Sailbeck, and Striding Edge, to count a few, and my squiggle ascended accordingly. I was primed for Kentmere.
The race brought some full value conditions, which resulted in countless route variations (or detours, depending on who you ask) but it was a fantastic day nonetheless. Placing further up the field than before, I was happy with my improvements and started to plan out the rest of the summer’s races.
I returned to my local training ground - the Otley Chevin - with great fervour, stomping up the track with great intention. Cresting the top of the climb with a newfound momentum, and pulling round the corner, my foot somehow doesn’t quite land underneath me and with an horrific crunch I stumble to the floor in a pile of curses and pain. The summer’s racing plan almost visibly evaporating before me.
A dog walker enquires if I need assistance but I decline – either out of denial or embarrassment, I’m still not sure which. I hobble back down the track to the car – surely it can’t be so bad if I can walk on it?
Once again the squiggle tumbles. This time for two months. Eight weeks of holidays, stag dos and weddings later, I’ve ridden that downward squiggle like a party rollercoaster. Kilograms gained, fitness lost. I might as well take up tiddlywinks. And then up pops a little message from Dom.
“Can you run in the Fell Relays?”

Which brings me to the bit I actually meant to write about – The British Fell Relay Championships. Organised by Ambleside AC and held in Grasmere, NLFR fielded four teams, which is no mean feat for a small club. Shrouded in darkness, we piled onto the bus on the dreary Saturday morning. I was to be running the first leg – a hearty five mile romp with 2400ft of climbing. I avoided looking at the route in advance, choosing to remain in blissful ignorance; I knew it was going to hurt and that was sufficient. Either good fortune or foresight had me on a fully flagged route – something I was definitely happy about upon our arrival at a very claggy Grasmere. The marquee was absolutely buzzing with teams from all around the country getting down to their pre race rituals. Reassuringly, everyone seemed to be juggling dibbers, numbers and maps, with expressions of less than total comprehension. This is the cottage sport of fell running, not the Olympics, after all.
Soon enough the time rolls round to switch into race gear. I do the classic awkward shuffle into my shorts and vest, trying to use my hoody to shield my slither of dignity. I head for a quick trot up the hill to get some blood back into my legs – they feel as rubbish as you’d expect after a few hours on a coach. The first climb is a bit of a shock, even walking it felt pretty hard going, and it’s only about 200m from the start. Not the greatest omen, but with the swirling fog and tense atmosphere – today wasn’t a day to let superstitious thoughts get the better of me. Back down to the start I trundle. 20 minutes to go, launch prep commencing, final ablutions, a quick scoosh of caffeine charged energy gel, a swill of water, a kiss to my partner, and a saunter to the pen. The sight of a familiar face – Bill from Chorley – helps break the tension. We laugh at the ridiculousness of our nerves; it’s only a run up a hill anyway. I make the slight error of not jostling my way to the front, but before I have time to adjust position, we’re off!
Races always set off fast, and so should you. I don’t. Well, not fast enough anyway. The first steep climb is as unpleasant as expected but it turns into a speedy bit of track soon enough and the pace shoots off. It feels great to be smashing along the winding path as it slowly gains inclination. It’s steady and fast for just over a mile, I feel a touch regretful for not pushing harder for position at the start, now locked into the locomotion of runners snaking their way up the path, pace dictated by your allotment in line. This is what cross-country must feel like I think to myself. The path steepens again, my heart pounding and lungs pumping, but a cursory glance at my watch tells me there’s less than a mile to go. A mile to the top of the climb that is, the only marker that matters for a gravity burdened plodder like myself. Checkpoint one at Grisedale Hause passes, dibber sweatily fumbled into the reader, and steeply up to Sandal Seat we go. It’s less than half a mile to the summit, but the angle and terrain are unquestionably fell rather than cross country now, my hands pumping down on my thighs (if I’ve got to lug these bloody arms up with me I might as well use them), sweat pouring from my face even in the cold, claggy air. The summit is crested with another clumsy thrust of my dibber into its companion, and the sweet relief of a downward trajectory begins.
The grass is incredibly slick in the wet, and the lack of pronounced tread on my shoes promptly makes this clear - traction being variable at best. Either way, I’m definitely a downer rather than an upper, so I throw myself into the descent with the regular reckless abandon. Arms windmilling, I kick my legs into long strides, as if I was trying to launch a football the full length of a pitch. Interspersing the long leaps with the occasional tap left or right, trying to keep the unwieldy vessel on its winding course. Questionable as the technique appears to be, I keep passing runners – so I continue, body shaking and praying that my legs don’t crumble. Even a minuscule miscalculation guaranteed to send me Klinsmanning down the fell. Something which is brought clearly into focus as I pass a downed runner, head bandaged, surrounded by co-competitors who have come to their aid. The final checkpoint is rambled through, and the surrounding runners and I all audibly groan, as we realise there’s still some uphill left. Climbs – no matter how insignificant – always seem an order of magnitude worse when they’re near the end (a pertinent issue with The Tour of Pendle soon approaching). But with some heart pounding stomps, we’re up and over and on our way back along the fast track. The final steep descent – that caused such concern at the start – continues to deliver, as I completely lose all grip, engaging in a full bum slide manoeuvre. Definitely not the Olympics. Still, back on my feet, to the final romp back through the starting field. Arms flailing as I dive into the pen, passing the invisible baton to my 2nd leg team mates. In my anoxic state, I clamber through the barrier, completely disorientated, and totally oblivious to the finishing pen and mandatory kit check to my left. It seems reasonable proof that I was trying hard at least, or that I’m an idiot, both plausible options. Redirected by the marshal, like a bouncer gently guiding an intoxicated patron, I empty the contents of my race vest and thus validate my stint, with all the correct accessories, and we’re done.
Wrapped back in warm and dry clothes, gleefully tucking into a polystyrene box full of chicken, rice and peas, I am a very cheery man.
Over the day, the runners from the remaining legs return, some jubilant, others glad to be passing the baton, sharing stories of the day’s trials and tribulations. Regardless, a fantastic achievement by all, on a course with no easy legs, and conditions to match.

Yeah FR10 are decent and worth £20. Strap isn't great and battery probably wont last much more than a slow marathon though. Oh and won't sync with a HRM, FR15 does though I think.