Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Try including some sprints, well not sprints but quicker periods with recoverys inbetween when you run distance. I do 10k on a Tuesday and include sprints of 3, 4 and 5 minutes with 4 minute recovery inbetween. It's helping with my speed.

I also find a HRM helps me judge my effort properly.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;13504587 said:
Try including some sprints, well not sprints but quicker periods with recoverys inbetween when you run distance. I do 10k on a Tuesday and include sprints of 3, 4 and 5 minutes with 4 minute recovery inbetween. It's helping with my speed.

I also find a HRM helps me judge my effort properly.
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Same approach here.
 
#Chri5# said:
Cheers guys. Will look to start to work some intervals in.

I've got a HRM - takes me 10 minutes or so get into a "zone" but then I seem to sit around 160 to 170bpm.
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You'd have to look at that in relation to your resting and max heart rates, i.e. what percentage is it of your heart rate reserve. That'll also indicate the zone your are in; recovery,aerobic,anaerobic,threshold.

What you really want to know is whether your hear rate drops over time for the same effort e.g. 6 miles @ 8min/mile pace as this will indicate you are getting fitter.
 
Thanks FB.

From memory I think I've seen my HRM go over 190bpm when really making an effort.

I hadn't considered that whilst the time is staying the same, the amount of effort required is reducing.
 
Did the Brighton Half MArathon at the weekend, managing 1hr55 which is 1 minute quicker then my previous best (which was in my first half, late last year). Since Brighton included some hills, which came as a surprise, and I had to go to the loo after 8 miles, then I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'm hoping to get below 1hr45 by the end of this year which is going to take some work. I think my biggest problem is that I don't have the opportunity to do hill work where I live, but I'm sure I'll sort something out.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;13554084 said:
Did the Brighton Half MArathon at the weekend, managing 1hr55 which is 1 minute quicker then my previous best (which was in my first half, late last year). Since Brighton included some hills, which came as a surprise, and I had to go to the loo after 8 miles, then I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'm hoping to get below 1hr45 by the end of this year which is going to take some work. I think my biggest problem is that I don't have the opportunity to do hill work where I live, but I'm sure I'll sort something out.
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Congrats on the PB :)

Regards hill training don't over estimate what is actually meant by a hill, it doesn't need to be a monster. Notts is hardly hilly but I manage to find enough inclines to make a difference.

Good bit of info here btw: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hilltrain.htm
 
[DOD]Asprilla;13554562 said:
Unfortunately I live close to the river, so there is very little in the way of hills around here, bridges over the river actually offer the best option.
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Well if hills are out get some quality intervals in along with some tempo work and you should see a difference. e.g 1 tempo session a week for 3 weeks, then an interval session the next and so on.

I did a 20 miler today at a relatively comfortable pace, until the last 1.5 miles when I upped the pace a little. came in at 2:15 which bodes well for my plans and aims over the coming months.
 
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Wow, thats quick. At the moment I'm doing one interval session per week and three short tempo sessions, as well as my normal distance run on a weekend. The interval and distance sessions I run with the Mrs, but the tempo is just me running 5.5k from work to the train station.
 
I'd cut down on the tempos during the week and do a couple of your shorter runs at easy pace as you'll need time to recover. I only include one tempo or one interval session a week. All other runs (5 times a week) are at easy pace, but distance increases weeklyf or 4 weeks then I have a drop back week, before starting the cycle again with a bit more mileage and a few seconds off the pace for each run.

Although if your mid week runs are distance limited I can see it posing a problem.
 
Apart from the Sunday run, most of my runs are limited by time, unfortunately. I'm going to be cutting back on the running anyway, probably back to three sessions a week as I want to be getting in the gym and pool more, and increase my cycling.

At the moment I don't know what it's going to look like because I don't know how I'm going to feel after each session, but it's going to be at least one distance, one interval over 10-13km and one tempo over 5.5km. There may be some other gentle runs over the 5.5k as well.
 
Finally kicked myself into gear and starting running regularly again. Managed an hour on Saturday and then two shorter runs tuesday and wednesday. Only did 10k in the hour run last weekend but that was the longest i've run for and I was focussing on time rather than distance and pace so not too fussed. Off out again in a bit for a long (by my standards :p) run and hoping to add another 5-10 mins onto last week's.
 
Typical isn't it? My first half marathon this Sunday and I've now developed a nice bunged up nose :rolleyes:

And just to add insult to injury, I tripped on an un-even path whilst out running on Sunday and hit the deck. I'm now sporting a nice bit of gravel rash on my palm, elbow and hip, and managed to put a hole in my new running jacket. Doh! :D
 
I managed 16 miles on an 18 mile run this weekend, dropped out towards the end because I was feeling my legs somewhat, but thats the furthest I've managed since fracturing my ankle so I'm pretty chuffed with it.

Have a short duathlon coming up in April (10k run/40k bike/10k run), then my target is the Grunty fen half marathon, where I'm hoping to get down to about 1:10.
 
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