Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Good to see. Took 10 days off running after my last marathon and feel quite good for it. Swam the week after as wanted to at least so something cardio wise.

I usually forget to take complete rest and end up carrying on but have felt the fatigue building up towards the end of the year. Will be taking more care from now on.

Like yourself I've found swimming to be a good sport for cross training.
 
Frustrating 10k today ... was aiming for a chunk off my PB and 39 mins or below and was bang on target at 7k but then got bad cramp just below ribs out of nowhere :( managed to drift in - in lots of pain at 40'16

Annoying as don't normally get cramp and run at that sort of pace in training for longer distances

Just one of those things but annoying
 
First ever yeah :) Half marathon might be on the cards in a month or two but I'll probably concentrate on 10-15k stuff and just try to run a 10k without feeling too knackered. Now I'm recovered from my collarbone break I really want to get back on the triathlon bandwagon.

Next step: re-learn how to swim :o
 
yeah congratulations on your first 10k :) and good luck with the swimming - I find swimming a great cross-trainer for running - its low impact but still very hard aerobically and I find it great for my breathing :)
 
Congrats on the 10K FrenchTart. And good to see you're gettng somewhere with the collarbone too.

Which triathlon you thinking of doing next year? Living in Manchester I'd recommend open water swimming when the season starts again in March at Salford Quays. Two companies run different evenings/weekend days there. Obviously do a bit of pool swimming first though!
 
I haven't got that far in my plans to be honest. A friend was really trying to get me to sign up with her and do the whole training partners thing but I'm best man at a wedding in early April (stag in late March) so I'm not sure how much of my time that will eat up.

Also, she's a way better running and swimmer than me :p I can make my time up with the cycling part but still...
 
I taught myself based on watching a few Youtube videos for pointers and had a friend come along for a few sessions and give a few tips. No doubt I've probably got some poor technique but I have enough fitness to get through the swim part so it doesn't overly bother me at the minute.

Thinking of joining Manchester Triathlon Club next year (I completed London this year) and hoping the coached sessions there will point me in the right direction to improve a lot more.

You've definitely got the right idea in getting lessons first though as it will be easier to pick up new technique before bad habits are developed.
 
I'd recommend coaching too. I tried to teach myself. Although I managed to get from barely swimming 25m frontcrawl to completing an Ironman swim in just over a year, I think coaching would have made the process less frustrating.

Anyway, triathlon thread >>>>> :p
 
I took 40 seconds off my Half Marathon PB at the weekend, despite the gale force wind on the south coast, finished the Gosport Half in 1:35.

I've gone from 1:41>1:36>1:35 since April

I'm booked on the Silverstone Half in March which should be a fast course so hopefully another PB there. I wonder if sub 1:30 is possible in the next 12 months.

Next race is the Victorty5 Miles in Portmouths I'll be trying to go sub 35 there. Its the 70th Anniversary of the race so it's been going on awhile!

I need to attempt a Sub42 10km aswell, I've not tried a fast 10km since March. No sub 20 5km yet either, I've done 20:03 and 20:04, 20:35 at Parkrun on Saturday felt reasonably comfortable so I'm sure it'll come soon!
 
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Damn, shamrock, you are speedy! You will have no problems breaking 3hours if you can train for endurance and set out on a sensible pace. A word of warning, my neighbour I raced the marathon with did a 10k in just under 38 minuted in the spring (has a PR of 36), he tried to go sub-3 by pulling away from me slightly Mile 20 but he crashed and burned and finished 10 minutes slower than me. He had done very little volume leading to the marathon and that made itself known mile 22. Too much glycogen used. Looking forward to your marathon, you have great potential in running
 
At the spur of the moment I signed up to the Squeamish 50 mile ultramarathon next August. I was too late in signing p for the 50-50, which is provably a good thing and my feet will be thankful! 11,000 vertical of technical terrain covered in mud and tree roots
 
Yeah, my biggest weakness is pacing properly. It's the same in cycling, go out too hard and fade towards the end. Not in swimming though, that's just slow all the way.:D

I'm focusing on short distance and speed currently. I'll look to increase volume and distances from early 2017.

I've got a 19mi training run planned for New Year's Day!
 
At these speed over the marathon distance a few seconds a mile makes a huge difference. I know that there was no possible way I could hear run 3 second a Mike faster to get my sub on that day with those conditions. The first 13 Mike's were a walk in the park and I could have easily gone 10seconds a mile faster and felt great, but then the stong headwind hits you in the main climbs and you suddenly realise why you had to pace careful.

Getting speed work done way and then backing away from it and concentratibg on volume and lonher runs is a good strategy.
 
re: breathing during swimming - is there a strategy to apply a similar technique whilst running; the mechanics of swimming with the periodic breathing opportunity feels as though it gives a more efficient control of heart rate/pace/energy-burn, but without that discipline during running or cycling you can take breath when you want .... giving system instability
(yes the environment in the pool is invariant versus run/bike & can also use a hrm/pm - but even so ; maybe listening to music/metronome can help)
 
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