Have you taught yourself to run distance?

I bought my first pair of "proper" running shoes yesterday.

Before I went out, I had a quick go at the wet foot test. This showed the impact area from my foot was a narrow band on the outside of each foot which linked the heal and forefoot. Which suggests I underpronate and need cushioning shoes.

I visited a local independant sports shop (ie not JD Sports or similar high street chain). I tried on a few pairs for fit (Asics, Adidas, Nike etc), then used their in house treadmill to test out a couple of pairs at speed.

Ended up with a pair of Nike Air Zoom Volmero. Typically, they were the most expensive pair of all the shoes I tried but you only get one pair of feet. First test will be the 7km route I did a couple of weeks ago, maybe tomorrow night, if not probably Monday night.

The lady in the shop showed me a neat little trick using the last set of lace holes on the shoe which pulls the heal in a bit tighter and makes sure it won't move.

Eight weeks to the first Adventure Race of the season, let's see how I get on.
 
Anyone know of any good trainer shops in the Birmingham/Cov/Leics/Notts area? I went to some cheapo sports shop and found some Adidas trainers, which were light and had nice cushioned soles. Didn't have them in my size. Went to JJB and their selection consisted of Reebok classics and other leisurewear trainers. I've seen some really nice New Balance ones on the net, but I have to try them on first, and nowhere I know of sells New Balance.

I don't have a big budget, so I need to get something for a decent price that fits nicely.

Suggestions??

Cheers :)
 
Right, thanks to all this I'm changing my routine from tomorrow, I'm going from cycle-cross trainer-situps-rowing to running-situps-running-weights

anyone see any issues with that?

The running is going to consist of brisk walks with running and week on week try and up the amount of running and lower the walking and I'm off to find some new trainers but seeing as I work in farnborough I'm not holding out much hope although I get around with work so if anyone knows of good shops in city centres just shout them out, I can probably find a reason to be there.
 
lol.. just done a google for running shops in southampton which is where I live and there's one in crawling distance from my house.

Anyone ever tried "up and running"?
 
matt100 said:
lol.. just done a google for running shops in southampton which is where I live and there's one in crawling distance from my house.

Anyone ever tried "up and running"?
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Haven't tried them but have heard good comments from others who have used some of the other stores around the country. Guess it comes down to who the staff are - but most are staffed by runners I believe. You should be able to tell the difference between them and a typical JJB sales scrote - apologies to anyone who works at JJB :D
 
matt100 said:
lol.. just done a google for running shops in southampton which is where I live and there's one in crawling distance from my house.

Anyone ever tried "up and running"?
Click to expand...


Got an up and running here in Manchester and they've been great with me int he past.

For the people with blisters, get your shoes checked first, bad fitting shoes tend to be the main course of blisters for me, followed by old trainers that I refuse to bin off (I should stop running in them). However I still get blisters on long runs, and that seems to be due to the socks, the missus introduced me to x-socks, which apart from being the most comfy socks ever, also stop me getting blisters.
 
Just back from my first outing in my new Nikes. No blisters tonight :D

Two seconds under thirty minutes for approx 4.5km which means 9km/hr pace. Last run in my old trainers (now related to gardening!) was 5.8km in 40 minutes so similar pace which is pleasing. It was so cold out there tonight, my face was stinging when I got in, so I've just put on some after sun lotion :D
 
Out of interest, what is considered a decent time limit for approximately 5km?

Ive been really working hard on the CV recently after so long concentrating on weights.

I've been doing 5km in 30 minutes recently (on a treadmill mind). Just need a sort of 'goal' time that 5km can be achieved in.
 
5k can be done under 15 minutes, but I sugest aiming for a more reachable goal (you can always set a new goal when you achieve it). If you're doing 5km in 30 minutes, maybe aim to get that down to 25 minutes over a few months. With runing its generally best not to push too fast, as injuries really aren't fun (same as any sport). If you can do 5k, try increasing the distance whilst keeping the pace the same, add maybe 10 % a week, this will build up your endurance. Once you've build up the endurance (or whilst doing it) add in some speed work, such as run all out for 2 minutes, then recover for 2 minutes (or if you are on a trendmill try 400 metres fast, 200 to recover) multiple times. Increase the number of times you repeat it, my speed work is 8 lots of 800 metres, but when I started it was 5 lots of 200. Once you can reguaraly run 10k start to push more on the 5k runs, overtime your speed will increase.
 
Cheers, the speed work would probably help my footy out quite a bit.

Blimey 15 minutes lol. Still I guess I just need to keep pushing at it, I was so unfit when I first started about 6 weeks ago, 15 minutes on the treadmill at a fairly slow pace and I was knackered.

Ta again for the advice!
 
PAz said:
Out of interest, what is considered a decent time limit for approximately 5km?

Ive been really working hard on the CV recently after so long concentrating on weights.

I've been doing 5km in 30 minutes recently (on a treadmill mind). Just need a sort of 'goal' time that 5km can be achieved in.
Click to expand...
25 minutes is a good time, indicative of good general fitness. Start pushing lower than that and you're getting into very good times if your just generally keeping fit. (in my opinion)
 
bit unfair of me to say under 15 minutes, thats getting seriously quick, 25 is good, I'd class 20 as doable for most determined, but not necessarily talented runners, I've managed it. I think a large part of thats stuborness as my 10k times don't scale well, i was getting that down to 50 minutes when aiming for 45 when I broke my foot in 3 places last year. I wouldn't let the doctors pin my foot, as I have dupuytren's contracture. However I didn't let it mend fully and rushed back, got ITBS, then my bones came apart again, and then I pulled my hamstring running for a bus. I've learned to treat injuries a lot more seriously than I did when I was younger. Getting my endurance back now (only been running 6 weeks, after 7 months out) and can finally run 12k in one go, but time for 10 is back up at 57 minutes :(
 
lol... I did 2km in 15 minutes today???

I was doing what I'd planned though starting walking at 5.5kph then going up to 10kph run and going back down to 5.5kph when it was getting tough.

I enjoyed it though which I'm sure is the main thing!
 
Breathing slowly is important. you breath too fast and you will over exert yourself and become breathless.

I also find it harder to run than anything else, I can bike XC for miles, hours on end, yet running is a lot harder. I will point out that running does damage the skeleton, so other forms of exercise are better.
 
matt100 said:
I enjoyed it though which I'm sure is the main thing!
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Definitely, but be warned it can get addictive, especially when you start to push yourself futher and faster, before you know it you go crazy, like firstborn, and decide that running through a desert is a good idea.
 
I doubt I'd ever go that far!

I do see myself getting into running though, even when I was at school it was just understood by everyone I could do sprints but not distances so to overturn something I've had in my head as a fact for over 15 years will be pretty cool.

Besides, I could cross train for ages, row, cycle etc but I've never felt worked like I was today with 2 runs and weights so it's definitely the way to go. I even felt less like I was stamping :p I guess its because my heart was in it!

I'm halfway to losing the stone I said I wanted to at the start of Jan, the easy bit was stopping drinking & eating crap.. now I'm going to have to work the rest of it off!
 
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