Running

Just got back from my first run since 12 years, and that was in school so not voluntary.

3k, and felt fine afterwards. no idea how, i thought i would struggle after 1

hopefully me knees won't tell me to fuck off tomorrow

Mental strength course... I can't imagine anything worse than running laps of Dorney - at least its flat! I'm sure I've mentioned it but I had a coach who used to make do 180-210km rides on a 30km circuit going past my front door every lap. He wanted to give me every possible opportunity to give up and go home - his rational(?e) being that if I could keep going after 5, 6 or 7 hours of whizzing past my bed and a nice warm shower, then I'd have no problem in races. Out and back courses are easy - if you stop you don't get home.

I think its quite nice knowing where you are, knowing there are drinks and a crowd of people cheering you on at a specific point is a bonus.

I'd probably consider doing a marathon there tbh might need someone to tell me what lap I was on though!

Mental strength course... I can't imagine anything worse than running laps of Dorney - at least its flat! I'm sure I've mentioned it but I had a coach who used to make do 180-210km rides on a 30km circuit going past my front door every lap. He wanted to give me every possible opportunity to give up and go home - his rational(?e) being that if I could keep going after 5, 6 or 7 hours of whizzing past my bed and a nice warm shower, then I'd have no problem in races. Out and back courses are easy - if you stop you don't get home.

My last marathon involved a 1/2 marathon out'n'back course, which those doing the full marathon simply repeated. It saves on bodies for water stations (it was a tiny event).

As 90% of those taking part ran the 1/2, when I crossed the line people began clapping and handing me stuff. I had to say no thanks, and turn around. I dont think I've hated myself quite so much ever before.

theres plenty of self hate, elation, boredom, agony all at the same time on these,
check this shit out
http://www.trionium.com/

theres plenty of self hate, elation, boredom, agony all at the same time on these,
check this shit out
http://www.trionium.com/

Wife carrying sounds good. Do you have to return with them?

badoomtish.

i find the best technique is to carry the wife backback-like with arms over the shoulders and legs wrapped round the waist. unfortunately, after competeing in the berkshire regionals in 2004, i left the wife unattended at reading station and she was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

theres plenty of self hate, elation, boredom, agony all at the same time on these,
check this shit out
http://www.trionium.com/

Leith Hill Half coming up, anyone else doing it?

reduced my running addiction this year to a minimum of 4x a week - feel better most of the time... except on the days when I don't go running... then I feel shite. Like this morning... Grrrrrrr........

another 3k done.

like_a_boss.jpg

5km in 22mins. Decent time for an unfit novice?

not too bad mate
40 mins is my 10 k time
you have got a few years on me so should be aiming for around 20. for 5
entering the next boscombe 5 k then?

I've got the Bournemouth Half Marathon coming up on April 3rd. I feel quite under prepared and the thought of running further than 10 miles is making me feel a bit nauseous. I've been running for less than a year, skived off for 3 months over the Siberian spell and I've never run in an event before. I normally run out 2, 3 times a week 10k at a time and only recently have I got that down to 48 minutes.

Do any of the battle hardened runners have any training tips for me? Got less than a month to go and I don't want to make a fool of myself!

That sounds like fine training for a half, but I would seriously recommend doing a run at a more gentle pace for at least the time period you plan to do in.

Will give you an idea what it feels like to run for 2 odd hours.

if it's your first race don't get swept up in the mad dash off the starting line either.

figure out your goal pace and stick to it. (a garmin helps in this respect)

you see a lot of people a mile or two out from the start often start dropping back because they got all super competitive and raced off at the beginning to try and pass as many people as they could, they then end up having to run the rest of the race feeling knackered which is fucking awful.

Ed, looking at your posts above I'd like to achieve a similar level of fitness although perhaps not in time for the half. I'd like to think I can do it in 1h 50m but I'll just concentrate on running for a constant 2 hours for now and see how far I get. Thinking about it, I've never run beyond 10 miles before...

HB - Eagerness off the line is something I will be keeping an eye on. Fortunately I'm running it with the missus and she keeps a steadier starting pace than me. We have similar fitness levels although I probably run 10k a couple of minutes faster at the moment.

I've got a HRM watch and Cardio Trainer on my android phone which has been instrumental in the upkeep of motivation. Without it I would have thrown the towel in on this running lark a long time ago. I still don't enjoy the sensation of running distances having been competitive at 100m/200m in my earlier years but the sense of achievement and increased fitness is making it worthwhile.

I was aiming at 2 hours for the Leith Hill half, but I started off too fast and had to back off a lot because I was about to blow up. Came in at just over 2:10 in the end. A bit disappointing, but I've been so busy at work recently that I haven't had time to train properly.
It was a lovely day though, cold at the start but blue skies at the end. I'm really glad I did it, and it's given me the kick up the arse I needed to start concentrating on training for stuff later this year.

can anyone recommend a good stretch/warm up routine for a novice? i did my first spot of fell running at the weekend and my thigh and calves are sore as shit. haha! i tried to stretch out before but i think i mainly did the back of my legs.
i think i essentially over did it for a total noob. my knees were shit the day after, walking down a gradient feels like my right knee is going to fall apart! ha! :/

plus, looking for a decent running app for anroid if you have any suggestions.

thanks

I never stretch before a run, only after.

can anyone recommend a good stretch/warm up routine for a novice? i did my first spot of fell running at the weekend and my thigh and calves are sore as shit. haha! i tried to stretch out before but i think i mainly did the back of my legs.
i think i essentially over did it for a total noob. my knees were shit the day after, walking down a gradient feels like my right knee is going to fall apart! ha! :/

plus, looking for a decent running app for anroid if you have any suggestions.

thanks

Any kind of off-road running is tough on joints, and the variation in stride length can add work to various leg muscles. Muscles that you dont usually use in that way.

Basically your legs will get stronger. But still if youre running off-road, a stretch is a good idea. The classic press-up position, one leg over the other, bum in the air, calf and hamstring stretch is a quick and easy one.

I recomend running off-road to my rugby team, as I feel it builds strength and flexibility around joints. Reducing injuries.

I never stretch before a run, only in the shower after.

Ai

I'm gonna start doing some non-serious running to shed the paunch I've been developing over the last couple of years. However, the only trainers I have are New Balance M576s, i.e. a classic old school running shoe and not the Tron-esque contraptions I see in 'proper' running shops. Are these likely to be OK or am I about to fuck my body up completely?

they're fucking cool trainers. want.

probably not for running though. i'll let someone who knows more about modern running shoes fill you in on that. there is a big difference between them and modern modern shoes though. you don't have to spend a lot. i have some decent new NBs and they're very comfortable, light and stable. cost me about £40 last year in a sale. several people will now tell you get fitted for proper shoes at runners need because if you don't your knees will expolode and you'll catch plague. i can't really comment on that but really though, it can't hurt, and if you're more comfortable i guess you'll stand a better chance of keeping it up. i'm the world's worst, slowest and most laboured runner (i was passed by a woman who's rolls of back-fat were visible though her running top at lunchtime) but at least my shoes aren't hurting me.

just ran a circuit from seacontainer's house along upper ground, over westminster bridge, back along embankment and over blackfriars bridge. think it's just over 4k. maybe 5. hard to say as my nike+ GPS app went bananas and started telling me id' done 2 minute kilometres and that I'd run diagonally across the river twice. Stupid thing. Think i might ditch using it and just go the old fashioned, known-distance-and-a-watch thing.

I'm gonna start doing some non-serious running to shed the paunch I've been developing over the last couple of years. However, the only trainers I have are New Balance M576s, i.e. a classic old school running shoe and not the Tron-esque contraptions I see in 'proper' running shops. Are these likely to be OK or am I about to fuck my body up completely?

They dont look up to much to me.

In the same way internet bike recomendations are'nt worth the paper their written on. Running shoes are best bought from a decent running shop. At least the first time. Running shoes can be broken into three general groupings.

Support (highly structured, and often highly cushioned shoes)
Structured (mildly structured, medium cushioned, and what most people require)
Cushioned (neutral shoes that are'nt more cushioned than those above, its just that cushioning is the only function)

They following points are important.

Body weight.
Type of foot (flat/high arch).
Type of gate.

If you are particulary heavy you will need a lot of support and cushioning.

If you have a high arch, forget internet recomendations and get proper advice in a shop. If you have flat feet buy supportive shoes. If like most people you have an average arch, you will need either plain cushioned or structured shoes depending on your gate.

By type of gate I mean how your feet strike the floor and how they continue through to toe-off. Most people land on the heel (need cushioned shoes), and roll the foot at a slight angle, in towards the big toe (need structured shoes).

Hmm, have another much trickier half next weekend and have done ECM les training for this one as the last one caused some tendonitis in my left foot, have only done two runs in the last month, away this weekend with basically 0 chance if running sonwill have to go hard on Monday evening and try and knock out a fast 10 miles and then see how I do.

Next half is the marlow water of life half which is off road and has 20 or so kissing gates so very stop start....

Super has a 5 bar gate and two left feet.. this could be tough

I have just stuck to a 8k to the river and back everyday i can fit it in. but got ghosted by this lanky streak of piss last night. he just floated along like a gazelle. crushing really, he must be in training for the marathon