Any runners on here; advice needed.

Running is for people who are late. Set out earlier.

 

The May one is the half that I did as my first ever last year and I loved it - it finishes with a lap of the pitch at the McDons stadium.

 

MK was my first full marathon last year. Great stadium finish but I was absolutely dead on my feet by then.

 

Even having run a few half marathons now the thought of a full marathon doesn't appeal in the slightest. It was a warm day last year as well if I recall correctly? Fair play to you.

 

5 new restaurants opened up there now for something to look forward to.

 

Bump; Anyone else doing the Berko half next week?

 

I went out for my first jog ( wouldn't call it a run) in a couple of months yesterday. I've torn a muscle in my glute, so thought i should lay off leg work, but I got fat and it hasn't got better so I thought **** it. I was slow, but at least I did 6k.

Gonna build up again. I think I might aim for a half marathon by the end of year. I've done a few 10k and managed a couple of them without preparation or training, so reckon I can aim for the step up, even with my painful arse.

 

I am sure you know what you are doing, but I returned to running before an injury had cleared up and it caused additional problems. Not to the original injury, but to other muscles as my body was protecting the original injury (without me even realising it), meaning that I was running slightly out of kilter, if that makes sense. In the end, I had to go to a Physio, just once, and she got me doing a few specific muscle exercises and stretches (3 times a day) - and it all cleared up in a few weeks.

Best of luck.

 

I haven't a clue what I'm doing to be honest.

 

MK the week after is my first one of the year. I did look at doing the Berko one but MK is likely to have a few less hills! Good luck with it - does it start just by the train station? My missus did Berko last year and it was close to the station.

 

Yeah starts not far from train station. Will be my first time doing Berko. Good luck with MK.

 

Cheers - good luck with Berko!

 

How did you get on?

 

Did it in 1 hour 48 minutes which was a PB so well chuffed with that on a hilly course. Would definetely do Berko again.

 

Wow, thats a good time. Congrats!

 

Superb time, good work!

 

I had a few mates running in that and was watching at the 9 mile point (just as you dropped left in to the Ashridge estate at Little Gaddesdon). They enjoyed it so it's one I'm going to sign up for next year.

Congrats on the time, very good.

 

Are you doing the LB 10k?

 

I am indeed. The route is ok, up until Shenley Hill which won't be fun. Are you doing it?

 

Hoping to. Trying to get a group of us there. I know numbers are capped so need to sign up soon.

 

Thanks guys. Happy running and be good to hear your updates.

 

Nowhere near your 1:48 but I did MK in 2:07. My PB is 2:03 and I'm not a natural runner so breaking the 2h barrier would be a huge achievement for me but that is the plan for this year. I really wanted sub 2:05 today so a tad disappointed not to get that but the last 3k was farking horrible including a very steep hill just after a mile of steady incline. Tough going but it's done.

 

Went out for a jog today after a week of rest, with heavy and wheezy chest cold. felt good after the usual 6k so pushed on to ten, but legs sore now. Very slow, but I've not had any real chance to go out regularly recently and like LBH, I'm very much not a natural runner.

My injured glute is not causing me any issue as the range of motion when I run isn't enough to pull at it.

 

Well done mate, always a great achievement to get round you will break the 2 hour some time soon if keep going. Btw I'm not a natural runner by any stretch, my first half 3 years ago was 2:11. Just keep at it.

 

i used to love running but i ****ed up my back muscles and now can't run without coming close to fainting (my muscles contract at the base of my neck now and cut off the supply of blood to my head making me extremely dizzy and leaving me in no lilttle discomfort) so for the last year almost i've been restricted to things like yoga. i've now been cleared to swim though and thought this would be a good thread to find out if anyone here was a keen swimmer. any hints or tips e.t.c i found a great over-60s club here with a rooftop pool and bar and managed to sweet talk myself into a discounted membership (on account of my sob story) and can now swim under the sun with usually only one other person in the pool so i can be quite experimental without worrying about embarrasment/pool etiquette if thats relevant to any of the suggestions. thanks in advance!

 

I generally don't run as a rule. I play football, but injury in October put me out.

Just started running to build up the muscle and managed 25.2 miles this week over 3 runs - 9 miles Monday, 7.5 miles Tuesday, 8.7 miles last night. Injury seems to be pretty good. I want to do a half marathon but will probably do it first of an evening rather than a sponsored event.

One thing I struggle with is something which I've read online referred to as "runners knee". A pain, or dull ache, on the outside underneath of the kneecap. Managed to keep it in check so far recently, but always feel it twinging after a few miles and it feels like a lottery as to if it will go again. I generally therefore do loops rather than out and in again as don't want to be stuck 5 miles away from home having to hobble back.

Anyone else suffered this and have any hints or tips?

 

If your knee makes it difficult to run why not try leaving it at home before you start?

 

Or simply use your good knee

 

I have had various running injuries over the years but over time I have learned a few things that have kept them to a minimum
- do yoga and / or pilates to build your core strength
- never increase weekly mileage, or the length of your longest run, by more than 10% a week
- take rest days and listen to your body
- cross-train, don't just stick to endurance sports, do something to build strength
- try chi running or pose running
- try to increase foot turnover and shorten stride length; keep good posture
- eat well and sleep well (if you can!)
- mix up your running - build in speed work / hills - don't just plod around at the same pace

 

dont heel strike. use the front of your feet

 

There was a similar thread on here a while ago. I mentioned that I had a persistent (6 months) knee problem, although it was on the inside of the knee rather than the outside. I went to a physio for just one session who explained that the knee injury was actually caused by poor core stability and strength, and lack of flexibility in my legs (as I sit down in a car or at a desk all day).

She gave me about 4 exercises/stretches to do, 3 times a day. They were easily done at home in about 10 minutes per session. I am not kidding, after less than 2 weeks the knee problem had gone, never to return.

As Yellowyeller says later, running as the only form of exercise, is not good.

Currently I am returning to running and I am combining it with 2 or 3 sessions in the gym, so I am at least practising what I am preaching!

Best of luck.

PS, I am also progressively changing my running style to reduce the heel strike as Fan says. It reduces the shock through the body at each stride. It is a similar idea to barefoot running but most runners doing it use trainers with less supportive soles (thinner) which encourage you to land on the ball of the foot rather than the heel, partly through a shorter stride as Yellowyeller mentioned. Many experts say that this type of running reduces injuries drastically, so long as the change is made over a long period of time.

 

i think i once read an interview with portuguese ronaldo (in a portuguese publication, because i'm cool) that he said the best way to do speed bursts was to imagine you had a giant parachute tied to a rope which was looped around your waist which was picking up a perfectly horizontal drag and thus dragging your body forward from the centre of your mass. it stuck in my mind because the parachute metaphor seemed like an unnecessarily complicated way of saying 'lead with your hips'

 

Thanks for the tips Yellowyeller, Fan and zztop.

It generally used to happen at the end of the run, and it's on my weaker leg, so I assume this was when I was getting tired so my action was starting to get lazy.

I have started shortening my stride and concentrating on my posture, which is how I'm now doing 9 miles without major issues... so far, as a pose to 6 miles a few weeks ago, even though I can still sense a tingling. I understood from stuff I read that heal striking could be a main cause, but there are so many conflicting articles saying either way is bad.

When it does start tingling, I sometimes find that rolling the whole foot actually helps, landing on the heel but rolling though the foot and pushing off from the toe rather than just stamping down.

I have also read that it could be over pronation, and the way my heals wear away suggests that I do run on the outside of my heal, so I have also started altering my run to strike the inside of the heel rather than the outside.

I'm trying to take bits from each thing I read and trying and testing them to see which works best for me.

What are those stretches zztop? Are thy easily explainable in text?!

 

i think for the majority of people the biggest change has come from adjusting the foot strike, although i think zztop still runs in circles from leaning too heavily to the right (hur hur). Seriously though, you'll be frustrated at first that you're speed/time reduces by a fairly noticeable amount but i'm very confident that if you're landing on the front of your feet (think jurassic park raptor) that 80% of your injury problems will disappear and you'll mostly be complaining about tight calves.