Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

[Martynt74]

Excellent post D.P thank you.

I'm not generally bothered about pace, i've never been a good runner and whilst i managed to increase distance in the past i rarely improved on my 8 and a half minute miles. It never bothered me. Think this just threw me a little as it's quite a lot slower and shows how out of practice i am. I am hoping i'll get back to around 9min/mile soon enough and i'll be happy at that point.

I agree about laps being boring, when i first started i was restricted to a small track (7 laps/mile) for about 12 months and that was all i could run on (other than a treadmill). My best was 91 laps to give the equivalent of a half marathon. That was boring as hell!

It was refreshing to start running outside but the hills did knacker me out. I think the issue i have at the moment is that being limited to a few miles means i have to think about the route so that i'm looping back at a decent point. I did find an excellent loop which worked out around 6 miles back when i was more capable so will be aiming for that again.

 

[D.P.]

Excellent post D.P thank you.

I'm not generally bothered about pace, i've never been a good runner and whilst i managed to increase distance in the past i rarely improved on my 8 and a half minute miles. It never bothered me. Think this just threw me a little as it's quite a lot slower and shows how out of practice i am. I am hoping i'll get back to around 9min/mile soon enough and i'll be happy at that point.

I agree about laps being boring, when i first started i was restricted to a small track (7 laps/mile) for about 12 months and that was all i could run on (other than a treadmill). My best was 91 laps to give the equivalent of a half marathon. That was boring as hell!

It was refreshing to start running outside but the hills did knacker me out. I think the issue i have at the moment is that being limited to a few miles means i have to think about the route so that i'm looping back at a decent point. I did find an excellent loop which worked out around 6 miles back when i was more capable so will be aiming for that again.

Use onthegomap.com to plan a route of the right distance. You can plan something a little short and then just backtrack a little if you feel good. It is also perfectly fine to end yu run when you reach a suitable level of tiredness and simply walk home. Heck, it is even good to break up the run with some walking sections, especially on the hills if need be.

I still often make routes that do various loops around the house so I don;t end up too far from home if I need to stop early. When it is very cold it is also useful to do multiple loops ending at your house so you can slowly strip off layers. And long runs in the summer you can periodically return home to refill water bottles and dunk your head under the garden hose before doing another 4-5mile loop etc. I learned a lesson in my first cycle where I did a20+ mil;e long run as an out-and-back more or less straight run,, hit the turn aorund but 15 minutes latr was too exhausted and handsome rapidly building pain in my knee so wanted to walk home, but was nearly 9 miles out.

 

[Martynt74]

I'll check out that website. I've been trying to avoid too much walking as i'm going before work so any time walking is wasted time i could be sleeping!

 

[Ian_Eb]

hit the turn aorund but 15 minutes latr was too exhausted and handsome

Slightly worrying that you improve after a run

Had a cold this week, so it is the old 'back to the start' thing again next week. Also appear to have worn existing trainers pretty badly so off to look for new ones of those too \o/

 

[uv]

just had a look at that onthegomap.com and it doesn't seem to be any use for off-road - it's missing all the trails that run through my local forest. I use gb.mapometer and ridewithgps, as you can switch between gmaps and OSM to see the off-road sections.

 

[D.P.]

just had a look at that onthegomap.com and it doesn't seem to be any use for off-road - it's missing all the trails that run through my local forest. I use gb.mapometer and ridewithgps, as you can switch between gmaps and OSM to see the off-road sections.

it works better for road running but the advantage of google maps is the follow road type features work well. If I am doing a full on trail run I use hillmap.com to get full topo map, although the topo maps available are mostly in the US.

 

[D.P.]

Slightly worrying that you improve after a run

Had a cold this week, so it is the old 'back to the start' thing again next week. Also appear to have worn existing trainers pretty badly so off to look for new ones of those too \o/

LOL.

I've been fighting a cold for a few weeks, never quiet get bad luckily. Of course this morning it was a little worse when i wanted to do a hard long run, got the wokout done but will see how much my immune system was compromised. Temperatures finally cooled down to about 18*C so I got some quality in my long run. 10 mile progressive 8:55 down to 7:25, then 25x 1 min hard - 1 min easy. Hardpace was 6-6:45 depending on hills., easy 7:0-7:50., 2 miles easy then 1 mile progression down to Lactate Threshold. Overall 21.1 miles at 7:38 pace.This was a good workout because I had already done 50miles this week through some horrendous temperatures, a hard Tempo run Wednesday, a heavy weight session yesterday. This is almost peek week of this cycle. Depending on how the weekend goes i might have a cutback week next and 1 more big week, or next week will be peek. It has been a short cycle and although started well was difficult to feel like I really got to be where i wanted with the weather and recovering form my ultra. Just in the last days things seem to be coming together with my legs - despite high volume and some intensity thy feel stronger than ever and my easy pace is faster than ever at low heart rates, especially when there isn't a heat index of 40*C. I need a couple more hard track sessions, a 7 mile lactate threshold and and another LR with quality, 12-14 miles at goal pace. Doubt I will fit all that in the next couple of weeks though.

 

[King85]

Anyone doing the Birmingham Marathon tomorrow?

Its my first time and I've managed to do something to my knee meaning it feels like someone is putting a knife under my knee cap when I lie down.

I'm terrified it's going to stop me completing it if i'm honest as it'll put all my training to waste.

Any last minute advice?

 

[D.P.]

Anyone doing the Birmingham Marathon tomorrow?

Its my first time and I've managed to do something to my knee meaning it feels like someone is putting a knife under my knee cap when I lie down.

I'm terrified it's going to stop me completing it if i'm honest as it'll put all my training to waste.

Any last minute advice?

TBH, sounds like you have to prepare for a DNF. Don't push through too much pain, you can do serious damage and take a.long time to get back to running.

Best thing might be to rest and sign up.for a new Marathon a few months out

 

[ci_newman]

Is anyone else doing the GSR next weekend? It's my first 10-mile event. I managed a PB of 8:17/mile on a practise run this morning, I'm hoping to be closer to an 8min/mile on the actual race next weekend though!

 

[D.P.]

^^^ Good luck.

Cold caught up with me so taking a rest day or 2. Normally don't mind as it is a chance for legs to recover but given how horrid the weather was presenting any good workouts and wiry Tuesday forecast being amazing next week it is a little frustrating. Plus my legs feel stronger than ever

 

[King85]

TBH, sounds like you have to prepare for a DNF. Don't push through too much pain, you can do serious damage and take a.long time to get back to running.

Best thing might be to rest and sign up.for a new Marathon a few months out

I went for it. Knee felt tight for the first 5 miles then loosened up and felt great. Got to 13 miles and it flared up again, stopped for the loo ast 16 miles and it was stiff and hard to walk with initially. It loosened up and I started to run again until 19 miles when it was too much and I walked the last 7.

Had I not collected sponsorship I would have stopped altogether but I felt obliged to finish. Leg feels awful now

 

[Vonhelmet]

I got out for a bit over 5k this evening, just round the estates near home. I felt quite strong from the start so pushed it a bit and was still feeling good by the time I got home. Average pace was 8:45/mile and I got a PB of 27:20 for a 5k split. Quite pleased with that! I'm going to start looking at building up my distances. 5k is proving quite doable at about 9:00/mile and I want to get up to 10k at some point next year.

Considering I could barely run a few hundred yards at school (20+ years ago!) I'm over the moon at being able to run at all to be honest.

 

[ci_newman]

I got out for a bit over 5k this evening, just round the estates near home. I felt quite strong from the start so pushed it a bit and was still feeling good by the time I got home. Average pace was 8:45/mile and I got a PB of 27:20 for a 5k split. Quite pleased with that! I'm going to start looking at building up my distances. 5k is proving quite doable at about 9:00/mile and I want to get up to 10k at some point next year.

Considering I could barely run a few hundred yards at school (20+ years ago!) I'm over the moon at being able to run at all to be honest.

Well done It's very satisfying when you finally hit a target / goal that you had set yourself!

 

[D.P.]

I went for it. Knee felt tight for the first 5 miles then loosened up and felt great. Got to 13 miles and it flared up again, stopped for the loo ast 16 miles and it was stiff and hard to walk with initially. It loosened up and I started to run again until 19 miles when it was too much and I walked the last 7.

Had I not collected sponsorship I would have stopped altogether but I felt obliged to finish. Leg feels awful now

Hope you recover quickly. I din;t think anyone would have minded sponser you if you stopped due to injury.



Keep the weight off your legs for a week, take pain killers for pain but the science tends to suggest they inhibit recovery and swelling is actually a good natural recovery system. If you still get pain ina week you might want to get some scans done.

 

[D.P.]

I got out for a bit over 5k this evening, just round the estates near home. I felt quite strong from the start so pushed it a bit and was still feeling good by the time I got home. Average pace was 8:45/mile and I got a PB of 27:20 for a 5k split. Quite pleased with that! I'm going to start looking at building up my distances. 5k is proving quite doable at about 9:00/mile and I want to get up to 10k at some point next year.

Considering I could barely run a few hundred yards at school (20+ years ago!) I'm over the moon at being able to run at all to be honest.

Well done.


Increasing distance is a combination of mental strength and just pacing. Slow down to 9:0 a mile and go out for 8K, you will find it isn't really any harder than your 5K at 9:00 a mile. Your body is designed to run a long way at a moderate pace, which is why it is possible that people do 100 mile runs etc. We just don;t tend to practicelong distance runniing in our western lives so even runnign a few miles can feel daunting.

 

[King85]

Hope you recover quickly. I din;t think anyone would have minded sponser you if you stopped due to injury.



Keep the weight off your legs for a week, take pain killers for pain but the science tends to suggest they inhibit recovery and swelling is actually a good natural recovery system. If you still get pain ina week you might want to get some scans done.

Thanks D.P that's my plan. Take it easy and see how it feels.

 

[valve90210]

I've been really enjoying my running of late and gradually increasing my distances as I want to get up to half marathon distance. I was away a couple of weekends ago and went for a long run with the intention of doing the full distance but stopped a little short at 19km when my phone died on me so I couldn't track it and didn't want to not have it tracked!

In what I think is (hopefully) unrelated to my longer run, I'm now having a bit of an issue with my right foot, toes three and four are feeling a bit tingly and like I have something stuck between them or like my sock is rucked up. From what I've read it could be a nerve issue caused by a swollen nerve between my metatarsals so I'm off to the doctor this evening to get it looked at. I'm not asking for medical advice but am wondereign if anyone else has experienced this or similar and how long it might have taken to get over it?

I'm guessing I'm going to have to lay off the running until it's better which is rather depressing.

 

[D.P.]

I've been really enjoying my running of late and gradually increasing my distances as I want to get up to half marathon distance. I was away a couple of weekends ago and went for a long run with the intention of doing the full distance but stopped a little short at 19km when my phone died on me so I couldn't track it and didn't want to not have it tracked!

In what I think is (hopefully) unrelated to my longer run, I'm now having a bit of an issue with my right foot, toes three and four are feeling a bit tingly and like I have something stuck between them or like my sock is rucked up. From what I've read it could be a nerve issue caused by a swollen nerve between my metatarsals so I'm off to the doctor this evening to get it looked at. I'm not asking for medical advice but am wondereign if anyone else has experienced this or similar and how long it might have taken to get over it?

I'm guessing I'm going to have to lay off the running until it's better which is rather depressing.

It is probably Morton's neuroma. You willprobably want to take a few days off and they go out for a short and very easy test run, even if you feel good keep the run short and very slow. See how it feels the next morning. It might no be gone completely but you hope to see a reduction in the symptoms. As long as that is the case then do some infrequent running, short and easy while your foot heals for a bit, after a week or so you can start to increase volume very slowly, always paying attention.

You might also want to check out your runnign shoes, might be time for a replacement. Get somethign with lots of cushioning and a wide toe box, Some of the Altra model would be well suited.


These kinds of injuries tend to come about by either increasing volume too quickly (but not the volume itself), too much intensity, bad running form, adding too much intensity too quickly. You gin a lot of CV fitness very quickly runnign which lets you run further and faster, but the muscular-skeletal system takes far longer to adapt, building strong bones, ligament, tendons etc. Running need some patience, slowly increasing volume, slowing introducing just a little intensity, rest and recovery. I don;t knwo what yout training is like but until you get relatively advanced I would skip any kind of structured intense running like intervals, and amke sure your runs are at an easy conversational pace. Use fartleks and hill repeats as occasional intensity. Even at an advanced stage, easy runnign is what gains the most adaptions and performance, the high intensity stuff is like icing ona cake. It can also be benefitial to do some core and leg stengthinging whle running, pstil squats leg press, donkey kicks, clam shells etc.

 

[firstborn]

I've been really enjoying my running of late and gradually increasing my distances as I want to get up to half marathon distance. I was away a couple of weekends ago and went for a long run with the intention of doing the full distance but stopped a little short at 19km when my phone died on me so I couldn't track it and didn't want to not have it tracked!

In what I think is (hopefully) unrelated to my longer run, I'm now having a bit of an issue with my right foot, toes three and four are feeling a bit tingly and like I have something stuck between them or like my sock is rucked up. From what I've read it could be a nerve issue caused by a swollen nerve between my metatarsals so I'm off to the doctor this evening to get it looked at. I'm not asking for medical advice but am wondereign if anyone else has experienced this or similar and how long it might have taken to get over it?

I'm guessing I'm going to have to lay off the running until it's better which is rather depressing.

Re-lace your shoes so the laces don't cross over for the middle couple of eyelets - google lacing for high instep - then go for a run.