Any runners on here; advice needed.

I find running with someone else really helps. On my own I get knackered quite quickly but with a running partner I don't notice it as much and my mind is taken off the time/distance.

 

I second that. I can go for miles without thinking about the distance at all when I run with company. The trick is finding someone of equal ability and speed.

Well done to anyone who went out this morning, I did 13 miles in that heat and was close to collapsing by the end. This had better be a good game or I'm likely to fall asleep.

 

I think I'm gonna put in for the Moor Park 10k in late Sept. Anyone done it?

 

LBH - You cant stop mate , and start , no good for you , keep going even if you slow dramatically , keep the jog going , dont walk...

also , listen to music when you run , with the right tunes you can keep a decent pace , personally i find when i let my mind wander i start to dawdle and my app (runtastic i use) tells me i get down to 6 miles an hour , when its good to ry to keep to 8 or above

that run from ther globe to cehddington , is it really 8 miles , seems a lot?

Will be joining some others tomorrow in the morning for a 9 miler similar to last sunday , dreading it already lol

 

Yup I won't be stopping and starting again, not good! I always have my music in when I run, that helps a lot. I'm told that run is 8 miles, though maybe I should check it out so that he isn't pulling a fast one!

 

Funnily enough, I can run much faster on average by stopping for interval rests or Fartlek running. However, I'd never do that in a race run - it doesn't feel like an acheivement.

 

The first couple of runs I did, I stopped for a breather and stopped the clock as well so I was only recording my running time. My average speed has been better without the break than it was when I was taking breaks.

I appreciate that sounds like I've been for a lot of runs when I haven't - only four or five. I am very unfit, can only run a couple of miles currently and have about four weeks to get myself up to the eight mile mark. Daunting but doable.

 

The reason you shouldnt stop is because if your planning to do 8 miles , or 13 or anything substantial your training your body to become able to endurance run, stopping means you wont be able to reach the level required to run anything decent , distance wise

 

Yes did it 5 years running (excuse the pun) but not the last couple of years. It is a fairly tough 10k - particularly from about 3-6km as you run up through the golf course. Don't let that put you off though. As you start running down through the Moor Park Estate you get "second wind" and plenty of water.

It starts and finishes on Merchant Taylors fields. I usually keep a bit in my tank for a sprint finish and overtake a few towards the line! Best time there I think was about 46m.

 

Thought i'd bring this one back to life! Just started jogging again over the last few weeks, did 3 miles in 21 minutes... not too shabby for a smoker!

 

Everytime I try to run the next day I can barely walk because my hips hurt so much, so i've had to stop. This isn't right for an 18 year old... haha

 

(Only just seen this thread)

Did anyone do the Herts 10K in Harpenden on the 14th October?

 

Not this year. I did it a couple of years ago and finished 1500th out of 3000 people. It was the first time I'd ever run that far and as I'm over 40 I was quite pleased with a time of only just over an hour. A mate of mine (same age) did it in about 37 minutes - madness.

 

37 minutes is crazy!

 

I did the couch to 5k plan and got up to running two miles in twenty minutes but stopped recently as we got a dog and it took up a lot of time. Done lots of walking with the dog but jogging is a different sort of fitness. Still have a mile to add on to that, need to finish the plan.

What I noticed was that after I did twenty minutes jogging and got back my heart rate was still very elevated for a good hour or so and I was light headed. It didn't hurt or anything it was just weird. I guess my blood vessels dilated when I was running and were still dilated after I stopped making my heart work harder but I did do a five minute warm down walk. Felt fine during the jogging, aside from being knackered obviously. Anyone know what you can do about it?

I realised the other day I've lost almost two and a half stone since my second year at uni. That drinking weight isn't half hard to shift! Down to a nice respectable 13-and-a-bit stone now.

 

Hi runners I overdid it in the gym the other day and it now turns out I've slightly torn my Achilles muscle, so thus have tendinitis

Doctor didn't really have any treatment options other than resting it.

Any of you guys had the same injury/know how to deal with it?

 

I know a couple of guys at my running club that did.

I did the Tring Ridgeway 15k run on that day, its officially called a 'trail' run, but I would call it cross country if there is much difference at all.

Knackering but enjoyable.

 

I had my Achilles reattached after bone spur removal surgery and I can tell you it takes a long time to heal, and when it is torn rather than cut and reattached like mine was, the healing is probably more inconsistent. Definitely try to get a sports physical therapist to give you a good recovery plan if you want to keep being active.

As we get into our late 30's and early 40's, the Achilles gets more brittle and inflexible.

 

Wouldn't have thought you were a day over 50, mate.

 

In fact, I am 4 years under 50. And at this age, that's not a lot.

 

Hi runners. Anyone doing the Watford 10k this year on Bank Holiday Monday (6th May)? It's a new course as they can't go through Whippendell Woods (the actual woods, not the valued wfcforums user) this year.

I'm just starting to train for it and went for a 7k jog this morning to clear the cowbebs. I'm just about on target to get under 1hr for the 10k (6m/km) but I can't seem to really get my speed up. Any tips on routine to shave some time of my splits and get my pace up? I'm not worried about completing the distance, but I'd like to post a reasonable time, but don't seem to be able to get any faster especially where there are inclines.

 

I had the runs this morning.

 

Hi Moog, I struggle with improving my speed too. The best results I've had came from mixing my training. You'll need to run at least twice a week, preferably three times. One session should be interval training; Jog, Sprint, Walk over set distances (visualise targets ahead of you for the sprint and try to minimise the walking recovery time). The other session (assuming you'll still do a distance run at some point) would be for sprints. I go to a local park and sprint 3/4 the circumference and walk out the last 1/4. I do this four or five times, sometimes sprinting the whole park on the last run and recovering (coughing up lungs etc. is standard etiquette) on the walk home. Don't kill yourself on this, but do work at it as it produces result.

Good luck and enjoy the run.

 

moog! I recently started experimenting with 8 seconds all out sprinting followed by 12 seconds recovery running repeated over and over again for 20 minutes and i'm seeing a definite gain in my 10k speed. I'm finding it helpful too to run very hilly routes when the weather is challenging (so either ridiculously hot or near-flood like) because it makes a flat 10k with good conditions seems even easier, which in turn improves my finishing time.

Another thing which has really improved my times is the 'race a friend' function on endomondo (and i imagine most other apps). If, like me, you can find a friend with a similar, but slightly better, running calibre then it gives you a good spur to go quicker, especially with the audio updates as you run.

 

I think the hilly routes advice is great. If I have more hills to contend with, any regular or slightly undulating course will be a treat. The problem with my training route is the first 3 km is all downhill and then 2km with quite sharp inclines, then a more level km, then another climbing km. All the hard work is done when I'm, already fatigued.

I will maybe go to the gym at least once a week and try some intervals on the treadmill.

 

Make sure you buy no household items or tools from B&Q during the race, carrying them will slow you down.

 

Speed intervals are definately the best way to improve speed. The coaches at my club call them Fartleks, which is a Sweedish word meaning speed play.

We usually do intervals of 1minute then 2minutes ,3minutes,4 minutes,3minutes 2minutes and 1minute with effort levels of 8 out of 10 which is not quite a sprint, but you should not be able to hold a conversation. There is a two minute recovery after each interval in which you must at least keep moving in something quicker than a walk.

 

fartlek typically has completely random sessions of speed, no? I always thought that standard interval training was as you described with pre-defined bouts of 1 minute sprinting, 1 minute jogging e.t.c whereas fartlek was, 'i'll sprint all out up the the next tree, then normal to the next post box, then a slightly faster pace to the fence...'

 

I thought much the same. I also can't believe that PYA has allowed Fartlek to go on here without some crass comment. Possibly it's safe from him on a thread about running.

 

fort i may learn about cooking runners.. jog on s.uckers...

taxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

do steroid runners count?

 

Take a Viagra on race day to increase blood flow through your muscles. Proven to increase endurance and speed in distance athletes. Google it.

 

*Also see 'Pole Vaulting'

 

I read your post Vespa, glanced at the profile picture and got confused thinking I'd posted in here without knowing.

 

Haha, I've done the same. I've also made a negative version but it needs some work. Once I've finished it I'll change my avatar so that you can enjoy this one and we'll be less confused.