Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Done it. :D Edinburgh Marathon is complete and I'm very happy to be finished in a provisional time of 3:29:15 so just inside the 3:30 mark which was my stretch goal as it were, I'd have been happy with anything under 4:00 for my first marathon. I had the mild annoyance of being pipped on the line for a place but it was my own fault for slowing up before I crossed the second line for the chip counter - it's only the difference between 762 and 763 though :o. I also went out a bit faster than intended so was hanging on a bit for the second half of the race. For all that it's labelled as a flat and fast marathon there seemed to be a lot of short inclines but I never really felt the descents apart from one, I guess that's to be expected though. The conditions were pretty near perfect, a bit overcast for most of the first couple of hours but the sun came out earlier than expected so I've got some minor sunburn, some rather sore knees and a blister on one toe - I'll see how I feel tomorrow but if that's all I suffer with then I'm going to be feeling pretty lucky.

If anyone else was running today I hope you had a good one. I'm going to be trying a few shorter races over the next few months I think but also planning to try and run home from work at least once per week or keep up at least one longish run (~13 miles maybe) per week so I don't completely lose what I've put into training. I'm looking forward to mixing up my training a bit too so I'm not quite so focused on running for a little while.

Itchytrigg: I'll definitely update on the backpack when I get one but it's likely to be a birthday present so it'll be a couple of weeks before I get it.
 
Well done semi-pro waster. Was out running a Marathon myself today. No PB but really happy with my time. Ran 3.13.40 at Liverpool Rock'n'Roll Marathon. Came 80th/2542 so really pleased with the position too. Very sunny and very warm out today but the course was stunning for the most part and really enjoyed it. Considering going back again next year depending on what aims I decide on. :)

Next one is Snowdonia Trail Marathon on 24th July though. This years not over yet. :p
 
Gratz guys!! Semi-pro good time there, 3:30 is what I'm hoping for when I eventually work my way up to going for a full marathon. Surely you deserve an early birthday present considering your efforts today :P

IG....Snowdonia marathon in July? I don't know if that's nuts or genius! Well done on your effort today and all the best for Snowdonia.
 
Yeah, Trail Marathon as well so just a little over 5500ft in elevation. Been told it's a 16 mile route around it, then quickly get to the top via a very steep climb before a very steep descent. Should be interesting. July probably isn't the best time of year for it but it is when it is.

Going back again in October for Snowdonia Road Marathon too.
 
Great races guys, all the training paid off!

I got out for 12 miles in the steam room today, managed to clip 62m for week which is surprising because most runs were easy 6-8m affairs but they add up.
 
Well done IndigoGorilla that's a really good time even if it's not a PB for you, I'd really need to step up the training to get close to that. Have fun (if that's the right word) in Snowdonia, it sounds like it could be brutal, particularly on the downhill.

Cheers Itchytrigg and D.P.

GiraffePencils - so close in finishing times and you weren't far away from 3:30 too. If I'd realised you were so close I'd say I'd have tried to look out for you but at that point I was just so focused on finishing I'm not sure I'd have spotted you. Well done on the run, I don't think I quite appreciated how sunny it was yesterday but I did feel like a couple of degrees colder would have been good and my shoulders are a bit sunburnt today as I don't normally run in a vest top.
 
Just looking back on my run data from Sunday and really pleased that I managed to run a negative split of 2 minutes 52 seconds as well.

Which reminds me of the highlight of the run too, being told by a scouser at mile 21 "calm down, calm down, 5 miles to go, calm down". :D It was my fastest mile so I did take his advise and slowed a little afterwards.
 
Just been taking it a bit easier recently, running for pleasure without headphones or anything. Nice to get back to why I fell in love with running, even if I can't really afford to do a marathon this summer. Also just set a nice course record on a strava segment after deciding to go for it half way through my run ;)

https://www.strava.com/segments/8251235

Think I might try another parkrun this Saturday.
 
I've been getting back into my running again for the first time since i did a half marathon a 6 years ago. Trying to lose a bit of weight. I've managed to lose 14lbs in the last month but changing diet and some HIIT in the evenings. I manage to go out twice during the week. One i go running by myself and so a shorted run with my mrs Started running doing a 6k loop with an average pace of 7:02min/km (had to stop a few times to and I've worked my way to 10k avg 6:31min/km.

Now I've got to that distance (was my target) I'm looking for a bit more inspiration. I use zombies run to try and keep it a bit more interesting. What would you do? Push the distance higher or run quicker?
 
bulletv1 said:
I've been getting back into my running again for the first time since i did a half marathon a 6 years ago. Trying to lose a bit of weight. I've managed to lose 14lbs in the last month but changing diet and some HIIT in the evenings. I manage to go out twice during the week. One i go running by myself and so a shorted run with my mrs Started running doing a 6k loop with an average pace of 7:02min/km (had to stop a few times to and I've worked my way to 10k avg 6:31min/km.

Now I've got to that distance (was my target) I'm looking for a bit more inspiration. I use zombies run to try and keep it a bit more interesting. What would you do? Push the distance higher or run quicker?
Click to expand...

Well done on getting back out, that's the hardest part!

Definitive do t try and run quicker, it will lead to injury bad with actually make you race faster than if you twined slower. Keep most of your runs to an easy conversational pace, that means you can talk to your running partner or friend on the phone without any difficulty. Some experts recommend running fast no more than20% of the time. Doing this will mean you get faster anyway. Then for the rest of the running time you can push yourself hard with you HILT, or just do a time trial over 5km distance or your fav run (2loops of your 6km course etc.)

I would also tend to cut the HIlT stuff for a week every 3-4 weeks to help recovery. HILT is effective but risky with a higher injury risk. I recently learned the hardway that recovery weeks are more import at that hard intervals.


For me by far the most important thing to keep motivated was to sign up for a race, a marathon in particular. For years I would go through phases where I would get motivated to run and stick at it for 6-8 weeks before quitting. The problem was I would run every time hard, try to run further or run faster. Or both and I would slowly start breaking down physically and dreading the next workout. I need also needed a long term goal. Running a marathon seemed insane but it would force me to keep running for months and moreover I would have to follow a proper plan. That's when I realized how many mistakes I made.
 
Soooooooo, 7 weeks before Snowdonia for me yesterday and I go and sprain my ankle 3 miles into a planned 15-16 mile trail/fell run. :(

Been to A&E this morning and been recommended at least 3-4 weeks of rest. Seeing my physio on Tuesday next week to have it assessed again once most of the swelling has hopefully gone down.
 
IndigoGorilla said:
Soooooooo, 7 weeks before Snowdonia for me yesterday and I go and sprain my ankle 3 miles into a planned 15-16 mile trail/fell run. :(

Been to A&E this morning and been recommended at least 3-4 weeks of rest. Seeing my physio on Tuesday next week to have it assessed again once most of the swelling has hopefully gone down.
Click to expand...

Damn! :eek:

Hopefully it's not as bad as feared once swelling goes.
 
Ahh Indigo, that sucks. Hope the appointment tomorrow has a better opinion.

Bad couple of weeks for me, dropped to 22 miles week before which was lower than I wanted for my "cut back" week, last week only got in 6.....this silly muppet managed to slice through the skin of his finger between the index and middle finger just over a week ago requiring butterfly stitches so was being careful to avoid aggravating that.

Planning on a repeat of a local hilly 10k race this Sunday to help make up for it then will be getting myself set for a new training schedule for Windsor half end of Sept, Oxford Half early October and Marlow again early November. (Edit, just realised that will make 4 1/2 races this year, not bad from only 1 last year!)

My goal is to make the schedule to start getting me into Marathon territory, slowly, gradually.....
 
^^^ ouch.

I built up to 62milws with a 12m run but then took a week off with the birth of my son. Got out for 8 miles today, sleep deprivation and heat made for an interesting run.
 
Congrats DP

Yeah I was just getting into running when #2 was born just under 2 years ago now...I think I handled sleep deprivation better than #1 (and #2 was WAY better at getting into a sleep pattern) but still...no sleep and all work/run makes for a something something cheeseburger hold the diaper no I don't want to cuddle your monkey for you what were we talking about ZZZZzzzzzzz :D
 
It's next week I'm seeing my physio, waiting for the swelling to go down so that he can take a better look at it. On the plus side I'm walking on it fairly comfortably but I am getting a sharp pain towards the left of my shin (it's my left ankle by the way). Swelliing hasn't gone down yet but that's to be expected, roation of the ankle is possible and somewhat limited so it's not as bad as I thought it might be when I was hobbling back to civilisation. The one disadvantage of running up in the hills fell/trail running is that you can't exactly get a taxi back home quickly!!!

Still in good spirits though and on the plus side 3-4 weeks off may left my hamstring recover completely to a point where by I can just start again, build my fitness and make some attempt at finishing Snowdonia in a reasonable time.
 
Considering entering the Battersea Park 10K this Saturday. I've never raced a 10K so I'm keen to see what I can do but I really won't be fresh after a week of cycling! Current 10k PB set during a HM is 38:13-ish so in theory I can go faster.
 
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