Any runners on here; advice needed.

I totally understand that there are more efficient ways to get fit/lose weight, etc, than jogging. There are also more efficient ways from driving from A to B than in my little sports car but it doesn't mean I would like a Prius hybrid . Life isn't all about best/most efficient/everything and always, sometimes life is a compromise. I needed to get my weight down and get fitter, but I also needed my exercise to be enjoyable and sustainable - otherwise I wouldn't stay motivated. I didn't want to drive to the gym every morning (which I have done before) but I wanted to be away from the house/phone/emails, etc. For me, jogging has been the main reason why I have lost 37 lbs in 9 months. It is is certainly not overrated by me.

 

Never suggested that long duration cardio is useless, it certainly has a place. There are few things better for high level conditioning.

Iniesta would be overrated if no one spoke about how good Messi is. The point being that most people think that to lose weight/get in shape you have to start running and enter a marathon. There are more natural methods that provide better results.

Easier to maintain? Debatable. It might be OK for a couple of months, but rarely does your average joe keep up the whole running shebang year round.

Don't want to turn this into a tirade against running, just think that a lot of people are misinformed about health/fitness.

 

Honestly, good for you! Enjoyment and motivation are huge, the key to sustainability.

Didn't intend to sound so preachy.

 

i dare say there aren't more natural methods of exercise than running. seems to have done okay for the last 200,000 years

 

With respect to running I find that you don't need to if you set out earlier or maybe even get a cab.

 

ZZ - do you enjoy/tried swimming?

It's really good that you've found something daily you enjoy, the benefits as you say are massive. I would, of course, be mindful that there may come a time your body becomes too used to the daily run and craves for something else to reach your objectives. I have hit this barrier a few times over the years, so nowadays I do two weeks of one thing, two weeks of another, or occasionally month by month if I feel the work I'm doing is still effectively. I'm currently on the fortnightly regime that consists of swimming for 30-40 minutes every morning (kick starts you for the entire day, it can become so addictive!), then interval training in the evening every other day with circuit training (and one spinning session a week) on the days in between. I've lost about 5 pounds since new year, so not too bad.

Keep up the good work! Shed any advice you have!

 

I did this last year, swam 4/5 times a week for about 6 months, lost around 2 stone (along with improved eating) and actually gained quite good muscle definition in my chest and shoulders just from swimming. I would happily do 60/70 lengths of a 25m pool without getting bored. Got out of routine and haven't been able to get back into unfortunately. Also became quite expensive.

 

I felt knackered after just reading that Orny. I'm not sure if wanting to for a long run this morning makes me insane.

 

Yes, Orny I have done regular swimming in the past and quite enjoyed it, but that was at the David Lloyd, a drive away, and on my way to work. But, now I am tending to work from home more and more, thus avoiding the commuter traffic, so it would be a drag to drive out for a swim. But, I may well look at running to the local public pool, and running back home because, as both you and Forza say, it has tremendous benefits, and is probably a better "all round" exercise than jogging.

You have a great routine there Orny. Keep it up as I think (from what you've previously said) you may be a bit like me, in that you have a tendency to put weight back on if you stop! When I was last into all this a few years who, I did a mix similar to yours at David Lloyd. Really enjoyed group circuit training of various types, spin classes and even went to a Yoga type class regularly.

But as you say, I have to find suitable, enjoyable and sustainable alternatives to jogging, otherwise my body will get too used to the jogging (muscle memory and all that). If I can come on this forum in Feb 2015 and still talk about my regular exercise routine, I'll be well chuffed! My goal is to be comfortably maintaining a weight of around 11 stone 11lbs by 2015, and then to ensure I never go back over 12 stone for the rest of my life.

 

I agree how good swimming is for the upper body muscles. I'm going to look at trying to fit it in with my running.

 

If you want muscles you'd be best weightlifting. Lift heavy.

I just did a 10k at uni to warm up for the bath half marathon in 2 weeks. I got 58.53, and so getting under 2 hours for 21k is going to be harder than I thought, hopefully my legs will be better rested than today though.

 

I find a long run to be the single most relaxing thing i can do , as i get older , i still enjoy martial arts and boxing , but nothing feels better than a 7 or 8 miler along the canal or similar , its difficult in the winter months as its restricted to weekends , so i cant wait for the clocks to change in March as it opens up evenings to a run

I came a cropper last year though , ran too long , too often , street running and managed to get a loose bone , just by the fifth metartasal on my right foot , it was a secondary pain but needed sorting , had an op last sept that left me in a boot for 6 weeks , only just getting back into it properly now and feels OK , but if it werent for that i might have tried these bare foot trainers being talked about on here..

 

An injury is what worries me. 4 years ago I did a couple of half marathons and both were messed up by an injury to my knee. I had been doing mostly street running, up one side of a dual carriageway by-pass (on a pavement) round a roundabout and back down the other side. I did this to have the traffic coming up behind me and "sweeping" me along rather than knocking me over with their slipstream (have I explained that well enough). The result was that I was always running on a pavement sloping left to right and it damaged the ligaments on the inside of my left knee. I stupidly ran the Robin Hood Half Marathon dosed up on ibruprofen. It meant 3 months out and the end of my motivation!

Now, I run mainly on dirt and gravel tracks in and around a big country park - much more varied and much easier on the joints, but I just have to be careful where I step, avoiding stones, roots and fallen branches, otherwise I'm likely to go over on an ankle.

Having done a fair bit of research after what Fan said about the bare foot trainers I wonder whether they should be dismissed so early, as it seems that after a properly done transition, they reduce chance of injury rather than increase it.

 

Thanks, but I am more interested in definition and tone rather than getting muscular, so I it's reps rather than heavy weights for me I think. I nearly entered the Bath race as I'm down in Gloucester that weekend, but didn't in the end. Best of luck, I think it's a pretty flat course so a 2 hr race looks possible!

 

Is this the running thread or the tell ZZ top what he's doing wrong in his workout without knowing the first thing about it thread?

Typically, Arry took us off course. Keep swimming to your swimming threads and Portsmouth to your Portsmouth threads.

 

What happens if I want to go swimming under the Spinnaker tower? (Other than getting poisoned by the pollution).

 

Who pulled your chain?

 

Take Moog with you.

 

Good on you, ZZ. I'm genuinely interested in 'what works' for people, and I'm glad you've found something that does.

Yep, prone to put on weight if I'm not careful - but thankfully I am. Winter is the hardest in that respect, not because of Christmas, but simply because your body naturally needs more food to keep warm (not that you're necessarily eating more, just 'storing' more of it).

Good luck with reaching your goal, I hope you'll share your successes on here when you do!

 

A communist

 

I'm not a distance runner, just a sports runner. Basketball and soccer, basically. Anyway, I've lost the ability to run due to a problem in my right foot. I just had an MRI done on it and find out next week. I think it's bone spurs causing tendinitis. Sucks to be old!!!

 

I did some exercise once but didn't like it.

 

I just did my first proper run in about a year and a half. Managed 2.9 km in 20 minutes. Not great but I thought it was a decent start, considering how long it's been. Felt pretty good, but my left ankle is killing me. It always does, is that just because I'm unfit and it'll get better as I do more? Or because I run weird?

 

A good start. If you carry on doing that sort of distance every other day or so for the first couple of weeks, you will soon build up some fitness. But be very careful about the ankle, as it's a complicated joint and very susceptible. The pain could just be down to the ankle doing something that it hasn't done for a long time - every new runner gets pains, but be careful, and best not to run on it until the pain has almost gone.

 

Cheers ZZ. Ankle seems to be ok now, just hurts whilst I run!

 

I did a 10k race yesterday. I beat my personal best by 1 minute 20 secs, but missed my target time by over a minute as well.

I completely messed up my pacing. I aimed to run the first few kilometres at rate 5 minutes per km, but did them in a (ridiculous for me) 4 minutes per km. I felt so comfortable early on, I just didn't realise it. It caused me to suffer horribly towards the end and lost all my advantage - and more! :sick1:

I've just purchased a GPS running watch off Amazon, to help me with future pacing.

It was great fun though and I'm looking forward to my half marathon in April.

 

Bump.

How is anyone getting on who is preparing for a race? Just 5 weeks now till my first marathon (Milton Keynes). Am doing a long run this morning and maybe next week and will then start winding down a bit.

 

I'm just running the cobwebs out ahead of a 10k in May (Watford 10k). I hope to get under 55 min. I don't have time to train for anything better than that.

 

Bump...

I did my first ever half marathon in May. I had a target of 2h 10m and I did it in 2h 10m.......and 56 seconds. Those extra 56 seconds have bugged me anough to do another one so I have booked the Northampton half in September.

The other reason for booking another is because I was running regularly in the build up to May, but since then I have lost all focus and been running less which has left me feeling rubbish.

Good weather for getting a sweat on!

 

What are you aiming for this time? Under 2 hours would be a nice round number target.

I did my first and only half marathon in march, and got 1.53 something, not ran since other than 1km to warm up in the gym.

 

I want to beat the ghost of 2.10, but in my mind I'd love to get sub 2 if I could.

 

If you got 2.11 on your first one, compare that improvement to where you were when you started training, I know I could only jog if I stopped to walk quite often. For me if I wanted to do the same amount of training again I'm sure I could take 10 minutes off. Just remember when motivating yourself to train if you miss your target you will need to do a third!

 

Another shameless bump, as I'm sat setting some targets for myself for 2015.

I finished 2014 having run three half marathons. First was 2:10:56, second one was 2:02:07. I was bang on for sub two but then between mile 10 and 11 my hamstring started cramping but I'm happy with the result. The third one was the LB dirt run in November. I was carrying a foot injury, it was my first trail run and I was aiming for 2:15 - so I was delighted to come in at 2:10.

Six half marathons is the aim for next year - MK, Northampton and St Albans are already booked.

Interesting to use this thread to look back and see the progress!

 

I'm doing the St. Albans half next year too, it'll be my 4th time and my PB is 1h55m.

Did the Great South Run in Portsmouth earlier this year which is 10 miles in 1h19m, but haven't done much running since...

 

I'm doing the Berko' half in March and Milton Keynes marathon in May. Good luck fellow runners. PS Love that my thread started years ago keeps re appearing it motivates me to keep going and reminds me where I started from.