Running

and having joined a club, at your suggestion, i should be there.

training on a track seems to be destroying my calves at the moment. any suggestions for how to reduce the damage?

Excellent! Good man. Which division will you be in? I've run my last Surrey League for the foreseeable as I'm moving to Scotland at xmas.

As for the track and calf-pain… I get that a bit too even after years of weekly training on tartan. Personally, I suspect (with little actual evidence) that it's because you generally run a little faster on the surface that you can on road/grass and therefore naturally run more on your toes, increasing the load on your calves. If you're new to training on track then I imagine it's worse.

I know a significant number of pretty serious people who swear by compression socks.

my hilly twin skins are lovely to run in but by god they drive me insane when trying to put them on after they've been through the wash. y u no line up inner skin.

rwn: Will be running in Div 1. Thames Hare & Hounds (i think that's their name) that group.

Good hills in Scotland. TIme to dust off those fell trainers.

added a to/from work run this week, makes for better head space. It's just 3.2k, so gonna round it up to 5 each way next week. Should make for good base miles towards the half that I never get round to doing

There's the London XC champs this weekend at Parliament Hill and the South of the Thames at Streatham the week after. It is fairly easy to do XC most weekends from Oct - Feb.

Dam looks good, wish I could race the10km but needed to get entries in before Nov 1st.

Windrush aren't organised enough to be in the EA yet so can't enter the surrey league... but we're working on it.

why is it that whenever you're on the last few hundred metres of a long run you get some bastard strolling along the path with a lit cigarette bellowing smoke like a steam train. has happened the last 3 runs I've done.

why is it that whenever you're on the last few hundred metres of a long run you get some bastard strolling along the path with a lit cigarette bellowing smoke like a steam train. has happened the last 3 runs I've done.

Sounds annoying.

I prefer to allow my lungs to settle after a run before indulging in a cig.

#quitingoverxmasgov

Following my piss poor attempts to pace myself unaided, and with the help of my brother and Dammit, I bought a forerunner 210, which arrived yesterday. I’ve never been so excited to go for a run! After fiddling with it for ages and not really knowing how to put the HRM on (how exactly are you meant to put it on? It didn’t feel quite right but in the end I gave up and ran with it anyway), I went out for a 4-mile loop from my house.

About halfway round I was thinking about food, and how I need to practice eating and running, and that got me thinking about loo breaks, and how I needed to practice those too. And as if by magic, my insides made an almighty rumble. Not a happy rumble, either. Uh oh. I ran on, but every step made me feel worse. No. No no no, this can’t be happening. Fuck. By this point Peckham Rye Park was coming in to view and I seriously looked at the dark, quiet park, wondering if anyone would notice if I ran over and released the floodgates. Surely the only thing worse than doing a poo in a park is being seen doing a poo in a park? Given my terrible luck, the chances are that it would be someone that I know. I ran on, wishing I’d taken my house key with me and hoping, praying, that my housemate would be home to let me in and that I didn’t throw up on my shoes in the meantime.

I made it home in the nick of time and my heart rate makes for interesting reading.

i put my hrm on just under my boobs.

It's meant to go around your rib-cage Hatbeard, not your waist

Following my piss poor attempts to pace myself unaided, and with the help of my brother and Dammit, I bought a forerunner 210, which arrived yesterday. I’ve never been so excited to go for a run! After fiddling with it for ages and not really knowing how to put the HRM on (how exactly are you meant to put it on? It didn’t feel quite right but in the end I gave up and ran with it anyway)

Just under your boobs. Pretty tight as it has to stay put, but not so tight it constricts your breathing. You should have a nice relief in pink of the sensors when you take it off after a run.

, I went out for a 4-mile loop from my house.

About halfway round I was thinking about food, and how I need to practice eating and running, and that got me thinking about loo breaks, and how I needed to practice those too. And as if by magic, my insides made an almighty rumble. Not a happy rumble, either. Uh oh. I ran on, but every step made me feel worse. No. No no no, this can’t be happening. Fuck. By this point Peckham Rye Park was coming in to view and I seriously looked at the dark, quiet park, wondering if anyone would notice if I ran over and released the floodgates. Surely the only thing worse than doing a poo in a park is being seen doing a poo in a park? Given my terrible luck, the chances are that it would be someone that I know. I ran on, wishing I’d taken my house key with me and hoping, praying, that my housemate would be home to let me in and that I didn’t throw up on my shoes in the meantime.

I made it home in the nick of time and my heart rate makes for interesting reading.

There is a classic thread on letsrun about this...

About halfway round I was thinking about food, and how I need to practice eating and running, and that got me thinking about loo breaks.

I try to avoid both.
Have a banana or 2 in the morning. That seems to keep the stomach from feeling empty, but doesnt me 'need to go'. Then use gels, and energy drinks for fuel.

Just under your boobs. Pretty tight as it has to stay put, but not so tight it constricts your breathing. You should have a nice relief in pink of the sensors when you take it off after a run.

That's what I went for, but it felt weird with a bra on top. I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I try to avoid both.
Have a banana or 2 in the morning. That seems to keep the stomach from feeling empty, but doesnt me 'need to go'. Then use gels, and energy drinks for fuel.

I run after work though, I can't do a full days work and 20 mile cycle AND then run on 2 bananas. I'm trying to think what I ate yesterday that could have aggravated me and honestly there was so much rubbish that it could have been any of it :(

So, in 2 weeks I'll be back at this running lark with more time to spare, currently random 10-15k runs are tiding me over...
I'd like to get a winter/ cross country shoe that is similar to the Viratta (which is hands down the best shoe I've ever run in), which has a 18mm cushion and a 0mm drop, giving a natural feel, whilst offering a decent level of protection on road...
The grip in the mud is shocking, and I really want to do as much training in the mucky stuff as possible- because its more fun.

Thoughts?

Head torch: hints, tips and suggestions

I've been running with my Hope Vision1 held in my hand the last couple of winters, but I'm looking to get a head torch this winter. Does anyone have any hints or tips as to what to look for or consider, and also any suggestions for torches. I don't want to spend more than 30 to 40 quid and my night running is mainly on quiet country lanes not too much off-road stuff.

I have a extreme deals head torch. Nice and bright. Plus light. I'll link it later. If you dont have running tights. Chuck cycling leg/knee warmers on with your under shorts. Its very comfortable for running.

http://dx.com/p/flood-to-throw-zooming-focusable-cree-q3-wc-130-lumen-led-headlamp-3-aaa-29435

Any LFGSSers thinking of doing the Fleet Half marathon in March?

Looks a good London Marathon buildup race and closed course
http://www.fleethalfmarathon.com/

@Smallfurry. Thanks for the suggestion and link. I read somewhere that a bright, wide beam can mean that you loose some of your night vision so an ability to focus the beam sounds good.

Head torch: hints, tips and suggestions

I've been running with my Hope Vision1 held in my hand the last couple of winters, but I'm looking to get a head torch this winter. Does anyone have any hints or tips as to what to look for or consider, and also any suggestions for torches. I don't want to spend more than 30 to 40 quid and my night running is mainly on quiet country lanes not too much off-road stuff.

I don't have the monies to splash around trying out different torches so I read some reviews on ultra blogs that recommended the LED Lenser. It's the best I've ever used and I carry around a tiny little CREE light as a backup. Small comfortable and plenty bright enough for any nighttime trails I've run. Both were cheap as chips on Ebay. On roads I tend to run with the light dimmed right down to preserve battery and then flick to full for trails.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=led+lenser&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1311.R2.TR10.TRC0.A0.Xled+lenser+&_nkw=led+lenser+h7&_sacat=0

Edit: Just checked SF's link and it's the same torch!!

Does anyone know anything about the effects of altitude training in lay terms.

Specifically, I find myself working in Flagstaff, AZ for the next 10 days or so and it's about 2000-2500m and is used as an altitude training base particularly for international swimmers (apparently). So, how much difference am I likely to feel? I did a 10k at 5min/km pace yesterday, which is my "easy" zone in the UK... Yesterday it definitely wasn't easy!! The same today in the pool. I don't notice anything just walking around but I feel like I've been reduced to a quivering petal in sporting terms!

Well, altitude affects everyone very differently.
2000+ is in theory high enough to notice a difference, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't due to your travelling there rather than the altitude.
I always find a flight fucks with me for a few days.

I did a 10k at 5min/km pace yesterday, which is my "easy" zone in the UK...

I'll be working my arse off to run that fast tomorrow for 5k :(

Increased my distance to 6.5mi tonight on a bit of a whim, I don't have many route choices living out here in the sticks but I hate doubling back on myself just to make a distance. Felt quite comfortable especially now that I'm making more of an effort to keep the heels up. Calves feel fine but I need to stop bringing down my lh foot on the outer edge.

Well, altitude affects everyone very differently.
2000+ is in theory high enough to notice a difference, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't due to your travelling there rather than the altitude.
I always find a flight fucks with me for a few days.

Yeah, you can obviously get a lot higher but apparently the reasons it attracts swimmers for altitude training is that it has one of the highest olympic standard pools in the US and plenty of international swim squads come here to take advantage. I guess the runners look for properly high places like Colorado. I also wouldn't be surprised if I was comparatively unfit... I gave up proper training in September to focus on my studies.

@Hatbeard... I've been working my arse off for the last 5 years to be able to run that fast and before that I had a good fitness base from rowing. I'm proud of myself for my achievements in running and triathlons, but I'd never consider myself naturally talented - it's been bloody hard work. Everywhere I look I'm surrounded by people who go faster with less effort but that just makes me try all the harder and I love it so it's not really much of an effort at all :-). It's a truism that you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else... just be the best you can be and the rest will follow.