Official Running Thread

[Guinness Boy]

Afternoon all - I'm baaack!

Good news. Been away in France. Only managed 4 runs at very gentle pace between being careful with the achillies and not wanting to get up early. Managed three runs near my mum's house in Sarthe which was picturesque but very, very hot and a run round my dad's (both my parents have houses in France near each other despite being divorced ) which started down hill and finished up but felt flat. Given that the side of the road was often mud or grass it was also part trail which my knees really thanked me for.

Bad news. Been away in France. Have eaten and drunk like a rugby player on his last night on earth. 2.5 kilos firmly put on despite the slow, fat burning runs. Training for Bright10 now commences which will need to include a gentle start and a better diet.

 

[knocky1]

Thank you. I am amazed how the human body can make these apparent leaps in performance, though looking back through my Parkrun history it is possible to make out some events where things changed slightly.

My first Parkrun was in Richmond in 2009, my then girlfriend had been running in half marathons and 10ks, and encouraged by this I'd just completed a couch to 5k course. I plodded around in football trainers and a Brighton top to finish in 24:13.

Then there was a gap of three years while I got married, started a family... and got 'comfortable'.

Then Parkrun started up in Guildford and I started running regularly again, and was bumbling around 22 minutes for a couple of years.

My best time in 2014 of 20:20 coincided with me training for my first half marathon - and that is where things took off. I broke 20 minutes in 2015 (19:40), and then 19:30 this year after introducing a weekly 10 mile run.

I am frankly amazed to be pushing for sub-19!

Certainly a brilliant upward progression and still getting faster. Onwards and upwards.
Being 5 years younger than [MENTION=25508]soistes[/MENTION] my graph is heading steadily downhill but managed to arrest the decline this month and give it a little hiccup but still well of the peak.

The main reason for the hiccup is the competition and support from NSC. Cheers all.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Afternoon all - I'm baaack!

Good news. Been away in France. Only managed 4 runs at very gentle pace between being careful with the achillies and not wanting to get up early. Managed three runs near my mum's house in Sarthe which was picturesque but very, very hot and a run round my dad's (both my parents have houses in France near each other despite being divorced [emoji38]ol: ) which started down hill and finished up but felt flat. Given that the side of the road was often mud or grass it was also part trail which my knees really thanked me for.

Bad news. Been away in France. Have eaten and drunk like a rugby player on his last night on earth. 2.5 kilos firmly put on despite the slow, fat burning runs. Training for Bright10 now commences which will need to include a gentle start and a better diet.

Welcome back. I shifted nearly half a stone last week, helped by not eating crap food, so you'll be fine I'm sure.

 

[Anchorman]

Interval training will hardly be unknown to anyone who posts on here, but I can't recommend it highly enough for getting your parkrun time down. Have always been a runner / jogger and now comfortably into my fifties had a parkrun pb of 22.01 for over 4 years which I simply could not lower with my regular running week. I decided to put in one extra session per week - 5 x 1k runs round the parkrun courses with about a couple of minutes walking recoveries. I lowered my pb within 6 weeks and was not expecting that so quickly. It's not a case of just turning up of course you have to push yourself on the reps to run faster than your normal 5k pace but it's all over fairly quickly!

 

[big nuts]

Thank you. I am amazed how the human body can make these apparent leaps in performance, though looking back through my Parkrun history it is possible to make out some events where things changed slightly.

My first Parkrun was in Richmond in 2009, my then girlfriend had been running in half marathons and 10ks, and encouraged by this I'd just completed a couch to 5k course. I plodded around in football trainers and a Brighton top to finish in 24:13.

Then there was a gap of three years while I got married, started a family... and got 'comfortable'.

Then Parkrun started up in Guildford and I started running regularly again, and was bumbling around 22 minutes for a couple of years.

My best time in 2014 of 20:20 coincided with me training for my first half marathon - and that is where things took off. I broke 20 minutes in 2015 (19:40), and then 19:30 this year after introducing a weekly 10 mile run.

I am frankly amazed to be pushing for sub-19!

I agree, I'm a little younger at 36 but I started Park Run in August 2014 at my first time was 24:00, I've gradually reduced my pb over the past two years and in March I managed 18:40. It's just not my 5k times but times across every other distance, probably most notably marathon where I've taken 64 minutes and a second across my three subsequent attempts.

I've really enjoyed my running over the past two years, and the fact my body at the moment is restricting me is quite depressing. The keys for me are hill running, core work, Park Run & rest days. I've never really tried Fartlek or intervals but may well give them a go once healed.

I definitely subscribe to the view that if you push yourself out of your comfort zone you can achieve almost impossible goals.

 

[Bozza]

Day 78 today for me. Limping along, literally and figuratively. Despite having my knee injury, I still managed 30 miles last week although I was in so much pain one day that I cycled instead of running. It felt like my knee was improving yesterday so I went for a short run last night. More agony today, so took to the Downs on my bike today again.

Only two more days of stuff to do now - I might run one of them if I think I can, although I'm getting grief at home each time I try. I think it's more worry that she'll have to push me around in a wheelchair on holiday than any great concern as to my wellbeing.

Still a fair bit of weight to lose before I start running properly, with rest days and the like, and begin to even think about times at all.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Did a brutal 20 miler yesterday which I'm still feeling a bit weird from today. Been on holiday and needed to get my marathon training back on track.....so decided to cram 8 miles, 5 miles and 20 miles into two days (Sat morning, Sat evening and Sunday morning respectively). Way to much after a week off and 8 and 5 is not the best prep for 20 miles.

 

[dazzer6666]

Interval training will hardly be unknown to anyone who posts on here, but I can't recommend it highly enough for getting your parkrun time down. Have always been a runner / jogger and now comfortably into my fifties had a parkrun pb of 22.01 for over 4 years which I simply could not lower with my regular running week. I decided to put in one extra session per week - 5 x 1k runs round the parkrun courses with about a couple of minutes walking recoveries. I lowered my pb within 6 weeks and was not expecting that so quickly. It's not a case of just turning up of course you have to push yourself on the reps to run faster than your normal 5k pace but it's all over fairly quickly!

Spot on....to run faster you need to, er, run faster........!

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Day 78 today for me. Limping along, literally and figuratively. Despite having my knee injury, I still managed 30 miles last week although I was in so much pain one day that I cycled instead of running. It felt like my knee was improving yesterday so I went for a short run last night. More agony today, so took to the Downs on my bike today again.

Only two more days of stuff to do now - I might run one of them if I think I can, although I'm getting grief at home each time I try. I think it's more worry that she'll have to push me around in a wheelchair on holiday than any great concern as to my wellbeing.

Still a fair bit of weight to lose before I start running properly, with rest days and the like, and begin to even think about times at all.

My goodness, this does rather raise the question of 'why?'. Maybe you need to listen to the missus as you are not listening to your body. I write as a serial 'beater up' of my own body over the years. Heroic but a bit concerning. Hope you recover quickly.

 

[Bozza]

My goodness, this does rather raise the question of 'why?'. Maybe you need to listen to the missus as you are not listening to your body. I write as a serial 'beater up' of my own body over the years. Heroic but a bit concerning. Hope you recover quickly.

It's a bit silly, I fully concede. I'd finally got myself mentally sorted to get back into running so made a commitment to myself to get out for 80 days straight. No excuses, just get out. I figured I'd use the bike a couple of days a week as 'rest days' when I felt I needed it. Other than a couple of twinges with my foot, I've got on fine with running every day, so that's pretty much what I've done.

Then my knee, the one I've had ACL reconstruction on, went around this time last week. Just feels very sore and 'heavy'. It does seem to loosen up with use, however. The worst times are when I get up after a period of inactivity, such as sitting on the sofa for a bit, or getting up in the morning. Anyway, I was stubborn and didn't want to give up when I'd got so close to my 80 days, so wanted to finish it off.

I think I'll be on the bike for the next couple of days to minimise the stop/start impact I put on it.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

It's a bit silly, I fully concede. I'd finally got myself mentally sorted to get back into running so made a commitment to myself to get out for 80 days straight. No excuses, just get out. I figured I'd use the bike a couple of days a week as 'rest days' when I felt I needed it. Other than a couple of twinges with my foot, I've got on fine with running every day, so that's pretty much what I've done.

Then my knee, the one I've had ACL reconstruction on, went around this time last week. Just feels very sore and 'heavy'. It does seem to loosen up with use, however. The worst times are when I get up after a period of inactivity, such as sitting on the sofa for a bit, or getting up in the morning. Anyway, I was stubborn and didn't want to give up when I'd got so close to my 80 days, so wanted to finish it off.

I think I'll be on the bike for the next couple of days to minimise the stop/start impact I put on it.

Am wincing at the thought of your knee! But hope you get across the (virtual) finishing line in one piece and then have a long rest...........................

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Interval training will hardly be unknown to anyone who posts on here, but I can't recommend it highly enough for getting your parkrun time down. Have always been a runner / jogger and now comfortably into my fifties had a parkrun pb of 22.01 for over 4 years which I simply could not lower with my regular running week. I decided to put in one extra session per week - 5 x 1k runs round the parkrun courses with about a couple of minutes walking recoveries. I lowered my pb within 6 weeks and was not expecting that so quickly. It's not a case of just turning up of course you have to push yourself on the reps to run faster than your normal 5k pace but it's all over fairly quickly!

This! My PB a few days after doing a session of hill sprints and had be dropping in the weeks beforehand due to the added speedwork.

I don't do much of it at all at the moment.

 

[lost in london]

Day 78 today for me. Limping along, literally and figuratively. Despite having my knee injury, I still managed 30 miles last week although I was in so much pain one day that I cycled instead of running. It felt like my knee was improving yesterday so I went for a short run last night. More agony today, so took to the Downs on my bike today again.

Only two more days of stuff to do now - I might run one of them if I think I can, although I'm getting grief at home each time I try. I think it's more worry that she'll have to push me around in a wheelchair on holiday than any great concern as to my wellbeing.

Still a fair bit of weight to lose before I start running properly, with rest days and the like, and begin to even think about times at all.

Respect for nearly completing it, but I'm finding this a bit of an odd challenge. I have no knowledge of training methods but it seems quite arbitrary. Each to their own I suppose, but I would worry that it would put a lot of strain on your body and possibly make you utterly fed up with running so you go into another period of no running at all.

I know from your previous posts that you don't seem to like the idea of training for an event or even entering one, but you really, really should - sign up for an event, get an app, follow the three sessions a week programme for ten weeks and eat sensibly and I bet the difference will be enormous compared to this 80 day punishment (but see comment above about me not knowing anything about training).

 

[Bozza]

Respect for nearly completing it, but I'm finding this a bit of an odd challenge. I have no knowledge of training methods but it seems quite arbitrary. Each to their own I suppose, but I would worry that it would put a lot of strain on your body and possibly make you utterly fed up with running so you go into another period of no running at all.

I know from your previous posts that you don't seem to like the idea of training for an event or even entering one, but you really, really should - sign up for an event, get an app, follow the three sessions a week programme for ten weeks and eat sensibly and I bet the difference will be enormous compared to this 80 day punishment (but see comment above about me not knowing anything about training).

I'm odd, certainly!

It may seem odd because I'm not training for anything - to crack a particular distance, achieve a certain time nor a specific event on a known date. My only aim is to lose weight and, I guess, regain some level of basic fitness alongside that.

I've certainly not got fed up with running, quite the opposite which is why I've done so much and so little mountain biking in comparison. And my body seemed to hold up pretty well, all things considered, until last week. I didn't get fed up with running last year, I got fed up with life - work mainly and it was getting me massively down. I left my job in March and haven't worked since (I might need to do something about that soon) so I don't have any excuse to not be as active as I want to be.

I've been sensible to a degree - as far as I can recall I've not pushed myself in any run - always taking it slow and steady, and there have been days when I've run in the morning and felt a strong urge to go out again later in the day, but resisted. Last Sunday (as in 9 days ago) I ran the best feeling half-marathon I can remember doing. it was one of my slowest, but it was such a nice controlled pace that I didn't feel like I was hanging on at the end, or having to push to retain a pace. Immediately I was finished, I felt I could have gone out again for a few more miles.

I also have no issue with entering events and I fully expect to do so, but only when I've got to my target weight which will allow me to give a decent account of myself. I see absolutely no point in entering events until I feel ready in that regard. Others do, I know. I'm not saying they're wrong - we're all doing things for different reasons and with different targets.

 

[Curious Orange]

I agree, I'm a little younger at 36 but I started Park Run in August 2014 at my first time was 24:00, I've gradually reduced my pb over the past two years and in March I managed 18:40. It's just not my 5k times but times across every other distance, probably most notably marathon where I've taken 64 minutes and a second across my three subsequent attempts.

I've really enjoyed my running over the past two years, and the fact my body at the moment is restricting me is quite depressing. The keys for me are hill running, core work, Park Run & rest days. I've never really tried Fartlek or intervals but may well give them a go once healed.

I definitely subscribe to the view that if you push yourself out of your comfort zone you can achieve almost impossible goals.

I remember when you leapt to sub-19, shortly before that we'd been a similar pace! Hope the injury clears up soon.

Day 78 today for me. Limping along, literally and figuratively. Despite having my knee injury, I still managed 30 miles last week although I was in so much pain one day that I cycled instead of running. It felt like my knee was improving yesterday so I went for a short run last night. More agony today, so took to the Downs on my bike today again.

Only two more days of stuff to do now - I might run one of them if I think I can, although I'm getting grief at home each time I try. I think it's more worry that she'll have to push me around in a wheelchair on holiday than any great concern as to my wellbeing.

Still a fair bit of weight to lose before I start running properly, with rest days and the like, and begin to even think about times at all.

You are hardcore, frankly. I very rarely run on consecutive days as I don't enjoy the vast amount of complaining that emanates from the various leg joints/muscles of my now middle-aged body when I do. I usually go for a walk the day after a long run which I find helps to loosen things up nicely. Having said that, I have found that one of the benefits of running for me personally is that it has considerably strengthened my ankle - in the past, before I started running regularly, it would get very sore if I went for a long walk, or spent any period of time stood up, and that soreness just doesn't happen now.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Did my best run since Phoenix this morning. Looking back I underestimated how much running "just a 10K" would take out of me - especially as I PBd by over 4 minutes the day after a wine and cheese evening . Odd that the one thing that got me during distance training, my calves, were fine and it was the achillies and hamstring that were complaining. Both fine now though. Managed a nice 6 miler on the seafront with the middle 4 at marathon pace. Progression run or intervals on Thursday evening assuming no ill effects and then back to a long-ish run on Sunday to start Bright10 training.

 

[knocky1]

Did my best run since Phoenix this morning. Looking back I underestimated how much running "just a 10K" would take out of me - especially as I PBd by over 4 minutes the day after a wine and cheese evening . Odd that the one thing that got me during distance training, my calves, were fine and it was the achillies and hamstring that were complaining. Both fine now though. Managed a nice 6 miler on the seafront with the middle 4 at marathon pace. Progression run or intervals on Thursday evening assuming no ill effects and then back to a long-ish run on Sunday to start Bright10 training.

Sounds like the rest has been advantageous and you're back raring to go.When are you doing Parkrun to smash your PB at 5K?
I'm glad you found the 2.5kg I've lost since the Phoenix. Upping the pace has set off my metabolism. 3 weeks more of intense training for my 5K goal and then likewise have to drop the pace, up the distance and ask you to return the 2.5kg for the Autumn longer races.

 

[knocky1]

Interval training will hardly be unknown to anyone who posts on here, but I can't recommend it highly enough for getting your parkrun time down. Have always been a runner / jogger and now comfortably into my fifties had a parkrun pb of 22.01 for over 4 years which I simply could not lower with my regular running week. I decided to put in one extra session per week - 5 x 1k runs round the parkrun courses with about a couple of minutes walking recoveries. I lowered my pb within 6 weeks and was not expecting that so quickly. It's not a case of just turning up of course you have to push yourself on the reps to run faster than your normal 5k pace but it's all over fairly quickly!

Fully agree. I love intervals. I have been very precise with mine as my 5K target may be seconds beyond my grasp and no use flogging a dead horse. This afternoon I planned to run 5 x 0.6 mile intervals with 90 second jog recovery. 6:21 target pace 5 seconds below the sub 20 5k pace 6:26.

End result 6:23 average pace which I will accept as had a Downland run Sunday and a 5 mile jog yesterday. Best trick I have is to wear a watch and a Garmin. Stop the Garmin for the recoveries and time the 90 seconds with the watch. End result an excellent 3 mile time of 19:09 even if it is accumulated.

 

[Guinness Boy]

5 mile progression run this morning. Really enjoying using the heart rate monitor during the cool down phase. Gave myself a session of four miles going from easy to just faster to steady to HM race pace each mile. Ran / walked the cool down in an effort to get the heart rate back to around 120 /130 at the end.

https://www.strava.com/activities/673078760/overview

 

[knocky1]

5 mile progression run this morning. Really enjoying using the heart rate monitor during the cool down phase. Gave myself a session of four miles going from easy to just faster to steady to HM race pace each mile. Ran / walked the cool down in an effort to get the heart rate back to around 120 /130 at the end.

https://www.strava.com/activities/673078760/overview

I haven't had a working HRM for 7 years now and miss it. It's a design fault of my antique Garmin 305 that they stop working. Too tight to buy another one.

Meeting Penny's Harmonica for some Hove Prom frolics in the morning, if anyone else is sober enough. Planning on pacing him to sub 21:00. My ankle turned in a rabbit hole on the Downs yesterday. Massive shout of "F****** F***". Ankle stood up to it but slight pain on outside of leg below knee. Should be OK.