Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Yep, i might create us an OCUK team actually (currently bored in work)

It's typical Vitality of terrible development though. It was meant to start yesterday but it's pulling in a run from Wednesday. But only the morning one, if you're going to pull in runs from the wrong day, at least pull in both of that days runs!

EDIT - Done

https://app.runningworldcup.com/teams/invite/i5pp6q?ref=8ocsre
 
Associate
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Thanks all. I know have very flat feet so I'm going to try some insoles. The running pace is no problem, very easy so I suppose I'll keep at it. I know that I can run longer without arch pain than this time last week or the week before so perhaps it is just persistence!
 
Caporegime
Joined
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Thanks all. I know have very flat feet so I'm going to try some insoles. The running pace is no problem, very easy so I suppose I'll keep at it. I know that I can run longer without arch pain than this time last week or the week before so perhaps it is just persistence!


running injuries are a result of accumulating training stresses with insufficient recovery.

Dont be persistent in running through pain. There should never ever be pain while running. There can be minor discomfort which from prior experience you know will go away of you reduce training load.

Even if 1 week has the same or less traiy volume as the week before, you can still be insufficiently recovered as the accumulation of stress occurs of a period of weeks and months.

What you need is patience in increasing running volume. One thing about running is you can never buy gear that alleviates an issue in training or running form.
 
Soldato
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Barnet, London
It's typical Vitality of terrible development though. It was meant to start yesterday but it's pulling in a run from Wednesday. But only the morning one, if you're going to pull in runs from the wrong day, at least pull in both of that days runs!

EDIT - Done

https://app.runningworldcup.com/teams/invite/i5pp6q?ref=8ocsre

Joined. Yesterday morning I decided to buy a vest top from them, almost as something to mark my efforts of the last year and running specifically over this winter (I've never run before). £23 is quite expensive, but what the hey. An hour later I get an email saying congrats for qualifying, haveh £10 off an order over £15. Damnit!!! I emailed the shop and they cancelled the order within about a minute! So, I've ordered again at only £13. Not too bad now I guess.
 
Associate
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running injuries are a result of accumulating training stresses with insufficient recovery.

Dont be persistent in running through pain. There should never ever be pain while running. There can be minor discomfort which from prior experience you know will go away of you reduce training load.

Even if 1 week has the same or less traiy volume as the week before, you can still be insufficiently recovered as the accumulation of stress occurs of a period of weeks and months.

What you need is patience in increasing running volume. One thing about running is you can never buy gear that alleviates an issue in training or running form.

But, where do I go from here? That's the bit I'm struggling with.
 

SPG

SPG

Soldato
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Brutal cross country run today, everyone apart from the front runners was on hands and knees in two places. Really took it out of me as had a 2hr nap this afternoon :)
 
Associate
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Thanks all. I know have very flat feet so I'm going to try some insoles. The running pace is no problem, very easy so I suppose I'll keep at it. I know that I can run longer without arch pain than this time last week or the week before so perhaps it is just persistence!

To update. This has made it worse. 11 min/miles feel comfortable from a conversation point of view but, I've pulled up after 5 minutes with pain in arches. Next step just start again from week 1?
 
Caporegime
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To update. This has made it worse. 11 min/miles feel comfortable from a conversation point of view but, I've pulled up after 5 minutes with pain in arches. Next step just start again from week 1?


What has made things worse is you haven't recovered and you are basically injured. Take 1 week off from from then do a test run, soemthign very short even by your standards. If there is still a problem wait another week. If things feel OK then slowly add some more runs that are slightly longer E.g, if you normally run about 39 minutes then start with a 7-8 minute run, if that feels OK take 1-2 days off then try a 10 minute run etc., slowly building back where you were. If the pain comes back then you need to take another week off and repeat this doing a slower build.
 
Associate
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What has made things worse is you haven't recovered and you are basically injured. Take 1 week off from from then do a test run, soemthign very short even by your standards. If there is still a problem wait another week. If things feel OK then slowly add some more runs that are slightly longer E.g, if you normally run about 39 minutes then start with a 7-8 minute run, if that feels OK take 1-2 days off then try a 10 minute run etc., slowly building back where you were. If the pain comes back then you need to take another week off and repeat this doing a slower build.

Thank you, this seems more reasonable than starting again. Didn't recognise that I'm injured as the pain only presents whilst running. I've seen a tennis ball used as foam roller is a good idea for my week off.

Would this be a strategy throughout a runners career?
 
Soldato
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Edinburgh
It can be very easy to get running related injuries which 'disappear' as soon as you're not running and flare up as soon as you start running again.

As DP says, the key is sufficient rest and a gradual build back to where you were.

It's easy to get frustrated with injuries and end up resting for weeks, then pushing yourself too much when you do finally start back. If I've learned anything from my injuries it's been to keep yourself mentally motivated (don't just give up in frustration) but not to rush yourself physically just because you want to get back to your 'best' asap.
 
Caporegime
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Thank you, this seems more reasonable than starting again. Didn't recognise that I'm injured as the pain only presents whilst running. I've seen a tennis ball used as foam roller is a good idea for my week off.

Would this be a strategy throughout a runners career?

yeah, typical run injuries is you can wlak and go about daily life without any issue but 5 minutes into a run pain comes back. Patience is the key, and then take a look at training to see what can be changed. Injuries are common with beginners for several reasons but mostly related to increasing training stresses too quickly before the body can adapt combine with a training style with high injury risk (running too fast, too much speed work, trying to beat strava segment times, etc.).


Messaging with tennis balls and so on can help but overall I don;t think such measures are that effective. They certainly don't prevent the root cause of injuries so I see zero purpose in including massaging as part of a daily regime. Sometimes you can develop very tight muscles, especially calf muscles and that in turn can increase tensi0on of tendons or adjust your natural gait. The most improtant thing is to reduce training load, but massaging the tight muscle can help loosen them and speed recovery a little. Likewise, some injuries to tendons and muscles can be helped with a more direct pressure from a ball massage that can help breakup scar tissue
 
Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
32,618
It can be very easy to get running related injuries which 'disappear' as soon as you're not running and flare up as soon as you start running again.

As DP says, the key is sufficient rest and a gradual build back to where you were.

It's easy to get frustrated with injuries and end up resting for weeks, then pushing yourself too much when you do finally start back. If I've learned anything from my injuries it's been to keep yourself mentally motivated (don't just give up in frustration) but not to rush yourself physically just because you want to get back to your 'best' asap.


That is the hard part. It is hard to admit to yourself that you are injured, and once you commit to some rest it is easy to think 2-3 days is sufficient when depending on the nature of the injury it could eb 2-3 weeks or months. Even harder to restrain yourself when you start back running. It is so mentally reward to do a great run after missing a few weeks of training, all can go well without pain. Then the the next day you go out and run again even longer, then the next day again but BAAAM, pain comes straight back and your 3 week recovery was wasted as you started up too rigorously.
 
Caporegime
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oh yeah, Barcelona Marathon is cancelled so I don;t have to make that decision. Just worried that this super long training cycle will be for nothing as it looks like most major races will be cancelled.
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
oh yeah, Barcelona Marathon is cancelled so I don;t have to make that decision. Just worried that this super long training cycle will be for nothing as it looks like most major races will be cancelled.

Whilst it wouldn't be an "official" time, could you not just take the challenge to set yourself a PB on your own? At least that would feel like it's not overly wasted.


A great run for me last night. Intended to go out and do a 10k in under an hour, as my watch keeps telling me my fastest 10k was 1:10 as anything of that distance has generally been on very muddy trails.

Set off and felt like i was running quite fast, then the first pace alert popped up saying around 10min/miles. Didn't bother me much but i thought i was going faster than that. Carried on and felt great. It was cool and raining but seemed pleasant. Then my miles just seemed to be getting faster and faster. I also got lost a few times so was running aimlessly around some cul-de-sacs which isn't exactly ideal for getting a good rhythm!

Mile Avg Pace
1 09:55
2 09:45
3 09:31
4 09:35
5 09:23
6 09:18
7 08:33
8 08:13

I very rarely drop into the 8's and when i do it's generally for a fairly short time and feels like i'm taking a real effort, but last night i felt like i could've carried on for a bit longer.

Not sure what the reason was, although i had eaten around 3pm and had a caffeine gel before setting off, which i don't normally do. Might have to start doing that more!

The other annoying thing, is that i ended up wearing my old Brooks Ghost trainers. Makes me want to rebuy those instead of my current ones!
 
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