Running

Anyone popping along to Ladywell for some fun 10,000m action today? I've managed (I hope) to get myself fit enough post-injury to volunteer for sub-40 pacing in the 2nd race of the day at 2pm. We've got 7 races throughout the day, culminating in the A race at 6pm which could see some sub-30 times. If you fancy coming along to watch there will be beer, pizza and cake.

Well, thats the training done. Im on a weeks rests until sunday for the great north run.

Absolutely bricking it. The training has been fun and im averaging 7 miles with the intention of making ten before the run. However last week was brutally hot and I managed 9 before the missus and I called it a day. Just got to get through this run and I can have a nice cold beer.

Good luck!

I’ve still got 3.5 weeks before Berlin - so plenty of nerves to build up

Make sure you are relaxed and try to enjoy it. The great North Run can be very very busy at the start, particularly getting in to the pens. Be as prepared as you can.

Just entered the shortest course at the OMM. Now I have to hope it is possible to get public transport away from the location on a Sunday afternoon...

what makes a chest strap HRM swim specific

As TW says, there's the ability to store the data whilst it can't communicate with the watch.

But there are two other major features (one required, one useful).

Being waterproof is definitely a requirement. Not all HRM straps can survive full immersion in water, they'll survive getting sweaty but not immersion.

The other difference is to do with the stickiness of the strap. With the Garmin straps, the HRM-Tri strap can do all of the above but if you wore it in the pool it would slip down your chest each and every time you pushed off from the wall to start a length. The bright blue HRM-Swim strap has a wider strap made of stuff that clings more to the skin, so it stays in the right place when you push off from the side. It's still comfy though, I've worn my HRM-Swim for many a 1h40 swim with no irritation.

If you're doing open-water swimming then a HRM-Tri strap would be fine (except for any initial dive in), if it's worn under something (e.g. a tri-vest or wetsuit) then no problem with that.

Anyway, running. Avulsion fracture of the medial mallelous from playing 5-a-side so I'm off running (and 5-a-side obvs) for a few months whilst the physioterrorist sorts that out - can also get my dodgy hip flexor strengthened too.

The Nike outlet store near Kings Cross has some quite good deals on at the moment, stability Zooms for £72 and a treadmill for testing.

The bright blue HRM-Swim strap

@nefarious

There's one selling on fb 40 notes

https://www.facebook.com/groups/782698895141346/permalink/2391485057596047/?sale_post_id=2391485057596047

I'd like to give some cross country a go this year if I can fix a niggly achilles problem. Is there a site anywhere that lists out events in London/Greater London (Surrey way) ? When does the cross season tend to start roughly?

@nefarious

Another option is Polar OH1. I don't really like chest straps - feel constricted a bit when running. The arm straps seem to be far more reliable than the wrist ones despite both being optical. I have a Garmin 945935 and I've just disabled the wrist sensor since getting the polar.
Less movement, less affected by sweat, and fleshy of your arm is a better place to record or something.
OH1 also includes a clip to attach to goggles which I haven't used myself but it's an option.
I definitely prefer it for bike and run though.

Obligatory DCR link - https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/polar-oh1-plus-optical-hr-sensor-in-depth-review.html

Ooh, had missed the OH1, that looks good (as I'd prefer something that clips on to the goggle strap rather than a chest strap for swimming).

For general running I just use the wrist sensor on my 935, it's mostly ok for running (but really struggles with big swings in HR that happen during 5-a-side). Also don't get running dynamics stuff (not that I care about it that much) with wrist or OH1 - I'd need a running dynamics pod clipped somewhere to do that. If I need to wear the OH1 and a running dynamics pod I may as well just wear my HRM-Tri strap.

Looks like a bit of a faff to get the HR synced with a swim activity if using a Garmin (and not using the Polar stuff) but I'm up for a challenge.

Will add the OH1+ to my "possible" list, although I'd much prefer it to support ANTfs so that my 935 can download the HR from it post-swim, rather than having to faff around with it at a later date. Will hold out in case they add that to a newer/future model.

you may find that joining a running club is the easiest way. I think that's the only way you can enter the large blue riband events like the southern and national champs

+1 for joining a running club. Some of the best XC fixtures London/Surrey way will be in the Surrey League, which has 4 divisions, 4 fixtures running October - February. Even if you just join a club for the XC opportunities it'll work out good value cos they'll just enter you as part of the team. (We - Kent AC - were Surrey League champions 5 years running until Wimbledon nicked it off us last season. Not that I make the team these days!)

Urrrgh. My ancient Forerunner 610 has given up. It won't find GPS or connect to PC. Is the Forerunner 45 the next cab off the rank or are there better (basic-ish) options out there? (slightly long in the tooth 235, Polar Ignite, etc.) To be used for 5-10k training mostly - maybe build to half marathon, if kids allow!

+1 club for Xc is great call

Here our 5 fixtures are out, 2 doorstep ones, one ever present course & 2 new courses. Should be fun season.

In other news, 47cm snow!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10151245488234969&id=33824234968

Will xc give me the thrills I want from cx without the faff of travelling all over the north west and reconfiguring bikes?

'without the faff of travelling all over the north west and reconfiguring bikes'

You definitely won't need to worry about reconfiguring bikes.

You may start to fret over whether to wear studs or spikes, and which length spikes to use. I've driven from Leyton to Leeds and back again, so i could run for an hour.

You may still travel a bit

travelling all over the north west

Birkenhead & Tatton Park are the long travels this year. Notts for the National.

Less faff as mentioned above, much more routine. Cleaning up after is easier too!

I don't think I have ever used 'thrills' when discussing xc though!

Just read this
https://www.coachmag.co.uk/running/7746/the-beginner-s-guide-to-cross-country-running
looks like the same kind of "fun" I was imagining. Not crazy distances either. Last time I did xc was at school, where I was consistently last 10% kind of position!

@rhb my partner is from Wallasey so Birkenhead isn't much trouble, and Tatton Park is hardly a stretch either. Cx has you up in Preston and beyond!
I'm assuming I should be looking at this: http://maccl.co.uk/ ?
Looks like, if this is a plan, I need a club

My fenix 2, bought from on here, appears to have been formatted in error by me. What can I do to bring it back to life? Or should I buy new? I have a hr strap, would prefer to stick with that, the option of swimming would be nice but not really needed. I'd like it to play nicely with strava, show my hr, and be easy to program should I want to start doing more structured running to work (rather than plodding in and out).

Master reset?
https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=vDZYHLmNsH0FEw11w2G2X6

1. Ensure watch is powered off
   
2. Press and hold Down button
   
3. Power on GPS while continuing to hold Down button
   
4. Release Down button once "Clear all user settings?" message appears
   
5. Select Yes
   

Frustratingly, I am here and my watch is there. I'll try when I get back to there.

I'm assuming I should be looking at this: http://maccl.co.uk/ ?

Yes.

Looks like, if this is a plan, I need a club

Yes. CR is right on your doorstep as you know, other clubs are available.

You'll need to join and affiliate to England Athletics - most clubs do this automatically however some (like mine) don't so it's another thing to do.

P.s. was nice to bump into you both at the weekend gone!

Commons/Lords?

Ha. No.
Red vs Blue (borough)

Apologies for the frustrating rookie question but I could do with some tips on shoes.

About 12 years ago, I treated myself to a pair of Gel Kayanos and liked them so much I have only run in Kayanos since. I still love them, but fancy broadening my horizons a bit and something that is not ASICS.

I suppose I'm looking for a stability road shoe and possibly the only other relevant info is that I'm a big unit, ~100kg. I'm not much of a running nerd so I get really confused when looking at the options out there and trying to see through all of the marketing guff. Online reviews appear to be a confusing and disingenuous shambles too.

Does anybody have any recommendations for me? I guess its pretty silly to be changing something that doesn't need to be changed.