Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

First run in my new pair of vibram trek ascents, awesome shoe for the coastal route.

I've been using the bilkila evos for the same route in the past, now and then it felt a little dodgy underfoot in mud areas. Since i mainly run on paved areas it didn't concern me too much...

This year I thought id try out the treks for when I hit the coastal route. Initial impressions are positive, the grip is spot on and they feel warmer, hah :)
 
Ran my first half marathon for quite sometime this afternoon. Six laps round a race track at Oulton Park, Cheshire.

Came in at 1.28.14 (6.36 per mile) knocking 81 seconds off my current PB (1.29.35).

Happy with the result as really wasn't expecting a PB today and my left hamstring and calf has been playing up the last couple of weeks. Rest day tomorrow.
 
IndigoGorilla said:
Ran my first half marathon for quite sometime this afternoon. Six laps round a race track at Oulton Park, Cheshire.

Came in at 1.28.14 (6.36 per mile) knocking 81 seconds off my current PB (1.29.35).

Happy with the result as really wasn't expecting a PB today and my left hamstring and calf has been playing up the last couple of weeks. Rest day tomorrow.
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I was there for the 10k yesterday.

Came in at 48:03, which was 4:30 faster than my previous fastest 10k, so I was delighted :D
 
HumanShield said:
I was there for the 10k yesterday.

Came in at 48:03, which was 4:30 faster than my previous fastest 10k, so I was delighted :D
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Good work, massive amount of time to knock off a 10K, well done.

Was the 10K three laps of the track?

I didn't find the laps as boring as I thought it would be and it actually helped break the distance up into more manageable chunks as I got towards the end. That said the hill near the Pirelli arch was not fun from laps 4-6 when my legs were getting tired!!
 
IndigoGorilla said:
Good work, massive amount of time to knock off a 10K, well done.

Was the 10K three laps of the track?

I didn't find the laps as boring as I thought it would be and it actually helped break the distance up into more manageable chunks as I got towards the end. That said the hill near the Pirelli arch was not fun from laps 4-6 when my legs were getting tired!!
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Yeah, 3 laps, with the start actually being just after the first corner, finishing in the pit lane.

It wasn't too bad to run, other than as you mentioned, that hill! The dip before the start finish straight also caught me out.

Easy enough to set smaller goals when doing laps I found. Plus it was an excuse to (in my head) make car noises to keep myself entertained, as well as work out racing lines for cars etc
 
Never saw this thread before, dont access this area much so a bit boo on me

A couple of years ago I started couch to 5K, other than a bit of pre skiing exercise I do literally no sport for about 20 years!

I had to stop on week 7 due to a completely unrelated but serious issue with an eye

This week, tonight in fact, I will do the first run in week 9, the first 30 minute run :)
Depending on pace it sees you to around 5k in distance.

I must admit I do feel different, seem to be building fitness now, hopefully it will continue.

We bought a home treadmill and this is where I am running, will do so up until easter when I go skiing, but when I get back I plan to go back onto the roads/fields around me to do about 5k 3 times a week.

The human body is quite amazing, how you can go from couch potato to running for 30 minutes in just 9 weeks just shows how quickly it adapts.
 
Been busy traveling but here are some recent runs:
Thursday 21.1miles, 2:49:55, 8:03 miles, 700ft.
Friday: rest day
Saturday: Big ski tour, 4500ft climb
Sunday: MLR with 9 miles at Marathon pace (7:25) : 16.0mi 2:04:25 7:46/mi
Monday: Easy 9.3mi 1:13:50 7:55/mi
Tuesday Tempo with progressive finish to 7:00 a mile: 13.0mi 1:37:39 7:29/mi
Today, easy regular: 10.5mi 1:26:13 8:11/mi 450ft

I had a few days in Track Town USA, was very nice to be running on pancake flat dedicated running tracks with soft mulch underfoot. I was very happy with my 16m and 13 mile runs, much higher pace when running on the flat compared to the rolling hills back home.

I think I'm on course for a 3:15 marathon.
 
Last week was actually a shorter recovery week for me at 70miles. 309 miles for February though which is reasonable but low by the standard of most other forums I visit.
 
22.1mi 2:55:11 7:55/mi, mostly easy running but a kick over the last 5 miles. Still, I need to watch me speed at times.
 
Back from 'murica, managed 30 miles over the week on a broken hotel treadmill (stops working after about 30-40 minutes) and round the local car parks as was no roads with lights to go down at 5/6am (and one day at the office when a co-worker was heading in early).

All except one run was keeping it slow with heart rates of about 150-155. Also picked up some new running shoes so spent most of these runs also breaking them in and handling a blister and ankle rub (started with new socks which were to short). The one hard run was 6 miles, 1 easy, 2 moderate (about 170bpm), 1 easy, 1 hard (peaked at 185bpm), 1 easy.

Feeling some severe jet lag today so not sure if I'll be getting my long run in today, plus mothers day and first full day back so should probably spend it with my wife and kids!
 
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Was a bit wary about if my marathon target was a bit much, but I've been running a little further than scheduled (just because how the local loops happen to work out) and ran my longest run so far last night. Only ~15k, but I was taking it easy and I wasn't that far off my target M pace so that fills me with a bit more confidence.
 
^^^ Well done on the half, that is a good time.

Friday I went swimming
Saturday 16.6mi 2:17:26 8:16min/mi 152HR, 700ft
Sunday: 14.5mi 2:02:42 8:28/ 147HR, 500ft
 
Shamrock said:
4 weeks until my next race and my legs are feeling pretty rubbish! Since my last race where I held 6:20/mi for 13 miles I've been struggling to hold 7:00/mi for shorter distances.:(

Hopefully it will pass and I'll feel strong again.
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Holding 6:2- for 13miles is going to take some time to recover. I wouldn't worry too much about your current speed,just make sure you enter the next race recovered and refreshed, a decent taper will help.

If you speed work is getting slower then it may be because you are running your easy runs too fast. If you can do a half marathon at 6:20 pace then I would think you want to be doing a lot of running in the 8:-8:50pace but suspect you are frequently trying to get runs in under 7:00 pace.

Run you easy runs real easy, your hard runs hard (be that speed work fast or long runs long). How much speed work are you doing and how much easy running? Do you train with a heart rate monitor?
 
Had a tempo run today:
3 mile warm up at 8:49min/mi, HR 144
6 miles at Lactate Threshold : 6:46mi/mi, HR 173
1.5m cool down (about 8:35 pace)
Total 10.5mi 1:18:36 7:27/mi



just total up last weeks runs and I got a new personal record of 86.1miles.
 
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