Any runners on here; advice needed.

Will also help me cross the tape a full second earlier.

 

I nearly ran to catch the bus this morning - but said to myself - "stupid idea u scum canut".

Do people run becus they want to be Forest Gump?

 

Exercise? Me? The only running I do is with my nose when it's cold on the way to work.

 

does anyone use gps watches here? i used to use my old phone to track my routes but i've replaced it with something better and i don't feel like getting stabbed just to see my stats on a map. unfortunately, everyone i know uses a phone to track so it's hard to get opnions. but i'm thinking it'll be easier to pause when i stop to do pull ups and other body sculpting shizzle, thus ensuring a deadly accurate review. hopefully.

 

One of my colleagues has a GPS watch he uses to go running and he thinks it was an excellent purchase. He also uses it as his main watch as well though, so not like he only bought it for the GPS.

 

Bump...

My original running challenge fell by the wayside, but I've been running again since last April. I worked up to being able to run 5k, and I did that in 33 minutes one Sunday morning and that was my benchmark. Since then I've been running regularly and doing sub 25min 5k's and sub 55min 10k's.

My missus is in training for a half marathon soon so I've been joining her and got through a couple of eight/nine mile runs recently which are helping for my first ever half marathon in MK in May.

Good for weight loss as well - I'm 2.5 stone lighter than this time last year.

 

Uncanny LBH, I am also 2.5 stone less than I was last May, when I got back into running again since letting it slip a few years ago. I'm training for a 10k race in a few weeks, then a half marathon in May (and probably one in July and September) as well. My 10k's are similar to you, but I want to try and beat 50 minutes in the race.

Must admit, I'm finding it really tough running in the recent weather. I don't mind wind, I don't mind rain, but cant stand both together.

At my age, I have to be so careful with injuries as they just don't fade quickly like they used to, so I have to keep things steady otherwise I could end up having to take an enforced break. As you probably know, getting back into it after a break is the worse thing!

Best of luck and keep us posted!

 

If the May half goes well I want to do another this year. I've got myself kitted out with decent trainers etc. so I'm giving myself the best possible chance - the biggest problem I have is setting off too quickly. My first KM is always a lot quicker than any of the others and that can make life tough.

I don't mind the rain, but the wind is horrible to run in.

Good luck with your events!

 

I can identify with that first km, my first half marathon effort was spoilt by me almost sprinting the first few miles.

I'm not investing in one of these sport watch thingies, but I use this android App called Cardio Trainer (I think it was free, or minimal cost). I dont use all the facilities, but it can help with the pacing of my runs, as well has the GPS facility. It is pretty good, logs all my runs, measures the distance on the map and generally helps quite bit. Do you use anything similar?

 

The watches are good but expensive so I use an iPhone app called RunKeeper - another benefit is that it allows me to listen to music as I run. Not necessarily for motivational purposes, but to save me having to listen to myself wheezing! It is a good app as afterwards I can look at my KM splits and also maps, inclines etc.

The only downside is that every now and then it goes mad i.e. after a few seconds it will tell me I have run four miles...it just has a meltdown. But in fairness it has only done that twice in a year.

 

Thanks, just looked up that App and it is pretty much the same as mine, maybe slightly better, but probably not worth changing to.

 

I've had other apps recommended to me before but a lot of them are very similar and all ok at what they do.

Off for a 6k now in the rain...!

 

i've had to stop my training. i can handle the insane hills, wild traffic and air pollution but not the forty degree heat. it's inhuman

 

I have just joined a gym around the corner from work, so I can do 5ks on the treadmill at lunchtime, as it's the only time I can train. I would run outside, but there are no showers here.

Just want to get the distance back into my legs.

 

i joined the gym opposite my house purely because they have air con. but they never seem to turn it on, so every day i do my weights and my 5k and everyone else makes fun of the sweaty gringo.

 

I tried to start running, but I can't. I mean I can run fine, but the next day my hips are in so much pain I can hardly move. Should probably go to the Dr's but haven't got round to it. Anyone else the same?

 

What trainers do you wear? You should probably just do what you can and slowly your joints should strengthen. But I probably shouldn't give advice like that because I know nothing about it.

 

I've got nike free runs that I use. My hips always click, quite badly just randomly so I think I have some kind of problem with my joints.

 

That sounds a bit painful. Aren't "free runs" designed to make it feel as if you are running on your bare feet - the new "in thing"? Maybe they dont have enough cushioning. If you are serious then maybe you should get your gait measured as you may need the support shoes. Most of us do, (here's mine www.amazon.co.uk/Brooks-Adrenaline-Running-Shoes-Regular-mens/dp/B00E92QIF6 ) to counter pronation of some kind.

 

you might have a tight ibt, so stretches and strength training should fix that. if it only hurts after the run, rather than during, it's probably a weak/tight muscle

 

the free runs/minimalist shoes should have almost no cushioning at all. the idea is that run on the balls of the feet so your heel doesn't strike the ground, thereby elimination the cause of most injuries. i haven't seen any studies, but on a purely anecdotal basis, since i switched 2 years ago i have no had a single injury (i run usually 3-4 times a week). before this however, i was usually out of action about 2-3 months of every year.

 

Sounds like it will kill your calves at first!

 

aye! in my experience, you also run a fraction slower. but on the plus side, there are no niggles or pains during the run and no injuries afterwards. plus ladies love well carved calfs

 

I love a good cut of veal too.

 

That's interesting. It is something I may look into (when I get another stone off in weight). I currently run 5 times a week and any change in technique that reduces the chance of injuries would be worth looking at. Already, I don't land heavily on my heels first, so maybe it wont be too much of a change.

 

you should definitely look into it. i really only got into because i was living next to a beach and i noticed for the first time that running barefoot had a completely different natural stride to running in shoes. after thinking about it for a while, i looked it up on google and found i was a good 5 years behind the times.

 

Cheers for the advice guys, I think the shoes are ok, I've run in other shoes and still experienced it. I think Fan may be right, with the weak/tight muscle theory, and I should probably look into trying to strengthen it.

I've had my suspicions about this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapping_hip_syndrome as my hips do randomly crack and about once a week i get a really painful, really loud crack. Embarrassingly it's also known as dancers hip! Ha.

 

i dislocated both my legs when i was a teenager and needed surgery, a result of which was a lots of cracking and discomfort after a run like you. the nhs let me try massages, ultrasound massages, acupuncture and physiotherapy but the only thing which has worked through to today was the minimalist running style. it's very slow to start with (because your calves are probably not very strong) but if you build up slowly, after a month you'll be back at your old milage.

 

I think Fan is right as well. Sorry about that!


It is still fairly unusual for "beginner" runners to start with a "barefoot" running shoe, or a compromise shoe, like you have. It has just been advised that new runners get properly supportive shoes. But after reading what Fan says, I've done a little research and the new thinking is that it is a probably preferable to start with shoes that promote the more natural running style.

I've come to the conclusion that I may start a transition period next autumn.

Thanks Fan!!!

 

I had the same issue as Fan. I tried massage, physio, aqua therapy and in the end, the only thing which worked was a boob job.

 

I can't believe that this thread I started years ago now keeps coming back up, but is a good thing if has helped anyone get motivated to run and to share advice.

My update; I've now run 5 half marathons with a PB of 1 hour 48 minutes. I'm doing the Milton Keynes Marathon in May, which will be my first full marathon. Unless I sustain an agonising injury or get shot on the way round will finish it. Aiming for around 4 hours, probably slightly over realistically.

 

Looked into the MK run myself, but may just stick to Blenheim. I've recently completed three triathlons (in the space of 7 days), which was pretty rewarding, never thought I'd be able to do it, so now looking at the next thing to work towards. Just don't want to die that's all...

ZZ - good work on the health-regime. What's your secret? I've recently just changed regime; interval training every other day. Tonight I did 45 minutes, which consisted of the first minute run, second minute sprint, third minute going hell for leather, then two minutes on a slight incline and pacey walk. Then repeat... It sounds easy, but it's not. I find running for an hour non-stop much easier than tonight's session.

 

It isn't a secret, but my morning run has become a real habit now as I find it relatively therapeutic. The fact that I don't have to concentrate on the actual exercise means I can think about other things, how I spent yesterday, how I'll spend today, about current events, threads on these forums, etc, etc, or sometimes I'll get back and hardly remember anything I have been thinking about. And then, to look how I have improved my times week by week, adequately provides the competitive motivation.

I have just found something that provides the right compromise between health, motivation and enjoyment.

But, doing the same type of excercise, day in day out, does lose some of it's benefits over a time. So, I like this idea of the intensive interval training. It seems to make sense and and I now sometimes find myself sprinting up the hills on my run, rather than "enduring" them. I have also been doing short, intensive weight sessions at home and a I use a rowing machine 2/3 times a week. These changes have been really beneficial but I don't enjoy them in the same way. At my age, I am scared that I would lose the motivation to regularly have to endure a high intensity (and high concentration) session even if it has more beneficial health effects. I would just miss my therapeutic daily run.

 

I love hill sprints, definately one of the best forms of exercise for getting "in shape".

From a health (and even body composition - which is what most people care about) standpoint, I think any kind of endurance activity is overrated.

Sprint, lifting heavy things, generally do explosive movements (insert joke) and be mindful about what you eat. It's why most footballers are in awesome shape - they spend their days sprinting and jumping.

Logging hundreds of miles jogging everywhere is not really conducive to most people's goals, yet it is what everyone does.

 

interval training is better than static cardio, no question. but people always seem to then draw the conclusion that static cardio is completely useless. it's not a zero sum game here. it's akin to saying iniesta is overrated as a player because messi is much better. aside from the health benefits, the static cardio is far easier to maintain on a log term basis as zztop alluded to in his post.