Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Hi everyone! Been running casually with the local run club (read: pub club) and sounds like I need to do some general reading of this thread for tips and technique. Been steadily finding it easier but I'm far from where I'd like to be effort vs time wise. Equally would like to step up the distance slowly and take on a half marathon some time next year.

Anyway - will ask the locals at this week's run but does anyone here have a recommended torch/light for running with now it's dark? Probably something body worn if it's not too irritating as I assume a head torch would bounce to much. Cheers
 
petridish said:
Hi everyone! Been running casually with the local run club (read: pub club) and sounds like I need to do some general reading of this thread for tips and technique. Been steadily finding it easier but I'm far from where I'd like to be effort vs time wise. Equally would like to step up the distance slowly and take on a half marathon some time next year.

Anyway - will ask the locals at this week's run but does anyone here have a recommended torch/light for running with now it's dark? Probably something body worn if it's not too irritating as I assume a head torch would bounce to much. Cheers
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I use the Petzl Bindi its a light head torch at 35g and recharge it via usb and can he had for about £30. It's only 200 lumens brightness its enough for me, but if your in complete darkness in the complete wilderness with no other light sources around you might want something a little brighter.
 
Yeah, it depends a lot on what you want it for, for just rubbing around the streets i'd pick up a cheap/lightweight headtorch. Head mounted makes it easy to look around. I'd try and get something with a red light on the rear too for visibility. Especially if you ever end up on rural country roads without a pavement. Maybe even just an arm strap light like this


For anything more adventurous, i have the Silva Trail Runner free. Which has been pretty great, but it's overkil for just on roads and not as comfortable due to the weight of the battery.
 
Thanks both, and I've now realised I should have added more info originally to help. Our runs are a mix of in town (majority pavement and reasonably lit) and more rural, old railway line / gravel tracks around some lakes with tree cover etc. Usually a bit of both in any given route.

For the round town bit I'm only worried about being seen and always wear bright colours as a minimum but the other areas are very dark and often slightly uneven. That's where I really need the light and expect the brighter / wider the better.

The other thing is I currently go out as minimally as possible as it's only a 5km run and I don't need sustenance, but I could look at a lightweight running pack if that'd help with torch mounting and battery carrying. Presume I'd want one anyway once I get up to longer distances and need to take water out with me.
 
petridish said:
Thanks both, and I've now realised I should have added more info originally to help. Our runs are a mix of in town (majority pavement and reasonably lit) and more rural, old railway line / gravel tracks around some lakes with tree cover etc. Usually a bit of both in any given route.

For the round town bit I'm only worried about being seen and always wear bright colours as a minimum but the other areas are very dark and often slightly uneven. That's where I really need the light and expect the brighter / wider the better.

The other thing is I currently go out as minimally as possible as it's only a 5km run and I don't need sustenance, but I could look at a lightweight running pack if that'd help with torch mounting and battery carrying. Presume I'd want one anyway once I get up to longer distances and need to take water out with me.
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No worries, always impossible to know what's relevant until someone starts asking questions!

I'm not sure i'd bother with a pack yet, you don't really "need" to carry water until you're getting over 2 hours in my experience. Especially not in cooler temperatures. Plus as before, i'd always favour a head based torch, just for being able to look around you and light things up. The only annoyance is that you end up fogging up the light beam with your breath when it's particularly humid!

My preference would always be to avoid separate batteries if you can, and the ones in something like this would be good for a couple of hours

Also can never go wrong with Decathlon stuff. This one arguably looks better for me, but it depends if the rear battery would annoy you
 
Thanks again. That second one the battery does look a little beefy to be hanging off the back of your head. Last time I had a head torch was at least 15 years ago now and I remember it being pretty heavy, which is pushing me the towards lighter the better. For sure lights and LEDs have come a long way since then though.

Thanks for the tip on decathlon too. I think I need to get down to my local one at the weekend and try some on for feel to know what suits me best comfort wise.
 
I got given these as a birthday present and I love them. I run on pavement but in some completely unlit areas and it does me very well. I almost never run with it on max brightness because it is super bright. Usually have it on 1 or 2 of max 3. The little red light is also useful at the back and detachable to hang on your bag or something instead

upandrunning.co.uk

Silva Smini Headtorch in 3 colours

The perfect balance between weight and brightness, let the light experience begin with the Smini. Weighing only 53 grams, it's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The headlamp boasts 250 lumens, a double light beam Silva intelligent light, and features a red light that helps preserve...
upandrunning.co.uk upandrunning.co.uk
 
moppy89 said:
Anybody running Manchester Marathon next year? I'm about to start my training block soon and getting somewhat nervous!
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First marathon?

I've done it every year since 2019. It's a great atmosphere, there's support all the way round and the weather is generally great, if anything it's usually warm as far as April goes. It can be cold in the morning before you get moving but you soon get over that.

There's a few subtle long hills and the odd obvious climb but overall it's pretty flat and easy going on the elevation front.

The biggest hurdle is your mind. It gets get boring despite the ruckus going on around most sections because it's just big flat wide roads so you tend to focus on whatever ache or niggle you're trying to ignore.

Fuelling wise, this year I took a gel every 30ish mins, the first time I've really bothered to fuel properly in a race. I came in with a 20 min PB so clearly that was a good part of it.

For training, if you're just looking to finish and not too concerned for time then just keep up the volume, don't go too fast but if the plan does have speed work in there it's worth doing. Just don't over do it, conditioning is everything. I did 2 slow ultras before Manchester last year which I think helped me massively.

Next year I'm doing the Three Peaks race the week after :o
 
Yeah, first marathon. Started C25K this year, got the bug and did a HM in September, finished sub 2 hours and aiming for a sub 4/stretch 3.45 goal.:eek:
 
Managed to run 5x week for the HM block and felt like I left a lot out there because I was too scared to go faster. Would like to push myself a lot more this time. But winter weather running + finally also fitting in some S&C work might restrict how much running I actually get done
 
moppy89 said:
Anybody running Manchester Marathon next year? I'm about to start my training block soon and getting somewhat nervous!
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It's my target marathon for hopefully a massive PB in 2027 (Shooting for a BQ).
What has your weekly milage / km looked like over the past few months, thoughts on what you're going to do plan wise? You're 24 weeks out so very much in the base phase i'd say so it's all about building up your milage without too much specificity as it pertains to marathon running at this point.
 
Averaging between 20-25mpw, but that's dropped off a cliff over last 2 weeks with some Achilles issues and physio has advised no running for a week :(

Undecided on plan ATM. Would like to run Pfitz 18/55 but not sure I have the base for it and dont want to injure myself. I would also like to start lifting again with Stronglifts 5x5 and not sure ifill be able to recover from doing both concurrently.
Regardless of plan, I'll aim to find one that has 4x weekly runs, 1 long, 1 recovery, 1 tempo and 1 interval. Hopefully can do weights on rest days as I'll be starting with and empty bar and intensity should be fairly low to begin with
 
I’d be focusing on just getting your weekly mileage back up via easy running for the next 6 weeks at a minimum - maybe even longer, you might be better served by a 16 or 12 week plan if it’s going to take time to get the mileage back up

I ran 18/55 but extended the long runs by a couple of KM for the last 2 and the odd bonus run here and there. I done it on the back of a 1:38 HM where I ran his HM 12 week plan to give you a feel of where my base was (peaked at 76km on that). I did injure myself slightly at the HM so had to take a full 2 weeks off before the ramping up again peaking at 102km during the marathon block.

Drop stronglifts, some weight lifting is recommended but it needs to be in tune with the goal of marathon, not squatting 3 times a week plus deadlifts. That is in no way supportive of a good marathon - focus on seated and standing calf raises, some single leg work like split squats, weighted step ups, and core work.
 
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That's me (in my eyes at least) fully recovered from the Marathon and now building towards my new goals - namely, Boston qualification.

No Marathons this year, but multiple 5, 10 and HM events - Aim is to adopt a threshold focused training methodology to hopefully over the span of 12 - 14 months bring my threshold pace down to sub 4:00/km in pursuit of the sub 2:55 Marathon Time I will need for Boston
 
Out of nowhere I got a half marathon PB yesterday. I ran 1:29:30 back in 2019, and since then have never gone under 1:30 again always hovering 1:30-1:32 region. I've not been specifically training for a half.

But yesterday everything went right, It was the best I've run in 10 years of running. I didn't set out to go fast, it just happened. It sounds odd but it felt easy I didn't have to go deep mentally. If I'm being critical I could have run harder in the last 3km as in my head I knew I was getting a PB by that point.

My time was 1:27:06 2mins15 faster than my previous PB.
 
Nice job, that's rapid and quite amazing that you got such an improved PB without digging too deep!

Have you just increased your volume a lot recently? Or changed your training?
 
moppy89 said:
Nice job, that's rapid and quite amazing that you got such an improved PB without digging too deep!

Have you just increased your volume a lot recently? Or changed your training?
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No really, been fairly constant at 40-50km a week. I have had a pretty good block of training over the last 8 to 10 weeks I suppose, but not massively different to what I normally do.
 
Sub 1:30 is mega and must feel really promising for a sub 3 marathon.

I've not done a competitive half since I started running (aside from the local Hendon Brook race but that's 2200ft and more like 13.5). I did 1:35 on my way to a 3:20 Manchester Marathon this year but I reckon there's more on the table if I'm only doing a half.

I've consistently done ~40 miles a week for the last 7 weeks ~6k elevation. The most consistent I've ever been and well up on all stats vs last year and any other year. Might have done nearly 2k miles by new year.
 
All about that constant mileage stacked over time - I’m doing my best to think in terms of months and years rather than race by race as part of that
 
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