Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

DrToffnar said:
Calf muscles feel much better today! Took every opportunity I had yesterday to do some stretches and I think that's helped a lot. The right ones still a little tight, but I think it's good enough for me to go out again tonight :)

Just going to aim for a long jog as apposed straight running for the next few days. I think trying to do everything fast is what's caused the issue, as well as it being bloody freezing when I go out!
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I was out last week in 1 and 2 degree weather, its just rewarding when you complete it and its that cold though!
Yesterday I went out, it was a torrential downpour, today looks nicer though, blue skys and around 4-5 degrees currently :)
 
Daaaavvveee said:
Yesterday I went out, it was a torrential downpour, today looks nicer though, blue skys and around 4-5 degrees currently :)
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Yeah, i had hail hitting my bald head last night which wasn't pleasant!


Daaaavvveee said:
My method is to run until they start needing to be replaced then buy the same pair again :p

Also now, I have 2 pairs of Vapour 3's (1 pair new, other on 420 miles) and a new pair of Nike Ultraglides.

I may try rotating the new Vapours and the Nikes or keep one pair for rain days and 1 for dry days.
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That's not a bad idea, i've got my old Asics pair now, and then i bought some of the Skechers ones because an online delivery for my Adidas Ultraboosts was taking ages and i was in the shop when they offered 50% off.

The Adidas ones feel like they've been knitted so i don't want to try them in the mud/wet! They're brilliant for road use though and insanely comfy/supportive.
 
Marvt74 said:
That's a good sale :)

I got out again last night and felt good (bar some shin pain around the 2nd mile), was a little dissappointed with the pace as i felt i was running quicker than Strava suggested. I definately think the 5-6 mile is the sweet spot for me. I enjoy it much more than short 3-4 mile runs but it doesn't drag on and take ages like a longer run would. Am hoping to go for 8miles on Sunday though to start building up to the half marathon in April.

Someone was saying a while back that it's a good idea to have a few pairs of trainers and rotate. Is this a generally agreed theory? I know it's recommended to make regular shoes last longer but i'd have thought it'd be best to get one pair that work well and then replace when needed. Last night i ended up using an old pair because it was really wet and muddy. I think that lack of support is the cause of the shin pain, so will just bin them i think.
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I have 3 sets road shoes

Asics DynaFlyte's - Lightweight race shoes (useless in the wet so only used when dry)
Brooks Ghost - General Purpose training and long run shoes
Asics Cumulus - My old general purpose shoes, get used at ParkRun as its a little muddy in winter. This will become gardening shoes in the spring.

I have a set for trail shoes as well as all our clubs summer training is on gravel and grass in the New Forest. I need to get myself a lighter set better suited to mud for XC racing. Maybe Inov8 Terraclaw 250's
 
Marvt74 said:
That's a good sale :)

I got out again last night and felt good (bar some shin pain around the 2nd mile), was a little dissappointed with the pace as i felt i was running quicker than Strava suggested. I definately think the 5-6 mile is the sweet spot for me. I enjoy it much more than short 3-4 mile runs but it doesn't drag on and take ages like a longer run would. Am hoping to go for 8miles on Sunday though to start building up to the half marathon in April.

Someone was saying a while back that it's a good idea to have a few pairs of trainers and rotate. Is this a generally agreed theory? I know it's recommended to make regular shoes last longer but i'd have thought it'd be best to get one pair that work well and then replace when needed. Last night i ended up using an old pair because it was really wet and muddy. I think that lack of support is the cause of the shin pain, so will just bin them i think.
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some people had the idea that somehow leaving a running shoe longer between runs increases its life since magically yhe rubber can recover or some such nonsense. There is zero evidence for that.

However, the amount of protection offered by a running shoe greatly decreases by 300-400 miles. It is worth doing longer or faster runs in newer shoes and leave older pairs for shorter easier recovery runs. Moreover, it can make sense to have different running shoes for different types of run. A lighter pair for track work and short races, a high cushion for normal runs, ultra-cushioned for long slow runs or if legs especially tired, pairs with better traction if it is snowy/muddy/wet, trail shoes, newer shoes for longer races (but wear them in a little). I have around 8 pairs in rotation, and a couple more ina cupboard as reaplcements.

There is also some evidence that if you rotate between different shoes then you can avoid some imbalances since different shoes iwll provide different support and protections in different areas. Pretty weak evidence but it is clear if you use the same shoe for every run for a long time then swap to a new shoe you might experience different muscle aches for a while.
 
I'm going to point my wife to D.P.'s post and his 8+ pairs of trainers next time she mentions that I've got too many trainers. I tend to have about three pairs on rotation for running not including trail shoes or XC spikes as it allows me to wear them in a bit more gradually and it also means that if one pair is wet/muddy I can let them dry off before putting them back on. With modern shoes it probably doesn't matter much about wearing them in but it keeps me happier.
 
Blighted by a chesty cold that descended on me during a Sunday morning trail riding session, I have cheered myself up by purchasing a pair of Saucony Kinvara 8. These will hopefully be my race shoes ( anyone have them?) with my Salomon sense pro max as my trail shoes and Asics Cumulus 18 on their last 100 miles as pavement slappers, amazed how many pairs some have.
 
Decent trainers massively help with shin splints.


Well remember a few posts back i said my Adidas knitted style trainers were just used for dry/road use? Well last night i tried a new route which left me ankle deep in mud in some places :( That was about the first mile too so my knee hurt a little as i kept sliding in the mud.

After that things eased up though and my pace seemed reasonably decent.

Does anyone know a decent training plan for half marathons? Right now i'd say i average about 3 runs a week which are between 4-6 miles. My plan is to get out this weekend and do around 8 miles.

4-6 miles works well for me as it's under an hour so for general runs that's ideal. My half marathon is about 13 weeks away so loads of time yet. I was thinking of trying to do this

With normal runs being my usual 4-6 miles, with maybe the odd shorter 3-4 mile runs at a faster pace. Probably in that last week i'll keep to about 3 miles for the 2 normal runs.

EuB7ujZ.png

I feel it's unrealistic due to other commitments to believe i'll do more than 3 runs a week, but i'm not expecting this to be a rigid plan
 
Marvt74 said:
Decent trainers massively help with shin splints.


Well remember a few posts back i said my Adidas knitted style trainers were just used for dry/road use? Well last night i tried a new route which left me ankle deep in mud in some places :( That was about the first mile too so my knee hurt a little as i kept sliding in the mud.

After that things eased up though and my pace seemed reasonably decent.

Does anyone know a decent training plan for half marathons? Right now i'd say i average about 3 runs a week which are between 4-6 miles. My plan is to get out this weekend and do around 8 miles.

4-6 miles works well for me as it's under an hour so for general runs that's ideal. My half marathon is about 13 weeks away so loads of time yet. I was thinking of trying to do this

With normal runs being my usual 4-6 miles, with maybe the odd shorter 3-4 mile runs at a faster pace. Probably in that last week i'll keep to about 3 miles for the 2 normal runs.

EuB7ujZ.png

I feel it's unrealistic due to other commitments to believe i'll do more than 3 runs a week, but i'm not expecting this to be a rigid plan
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Bupa have a 3 month half marathon training guide, a quick google should get you it. Not sure how good it is however, but the GF has been doing it and seems to enjoy it
 
Marvt74 said:
Decent trainers massively help with shin splints.


Well remember a few posts back i said my Adidas knitted style trainers were just used for dry/road use? Well last night i tried a new route which left me ankle deep in mud in some places :( That was about the first mile too so my knee hurt a little as i kept sliding in the mud.

After that things eased up though and my pace seemed reasonably decent.

Does anyone know a decent training plan for half marathons? Right now i'd say i average about 3 runs a week which are between 4-6 miles. My plan is to get out this weekend and do around 8 miles.

4-6 miles works well for me as it's under an hour so for general runs that's ideal. My half marathon is about 13 weeks away so loads of time yet. I was thinking of trying to do this

With normal runs being my usual 4-6 miles, with maybe the odd shorter 3-4 mile runs at a faster pace. Probably in that last week i'll keep to about 3 miles for the 2 normal runs.


I feel it's unrealistic due to other commitments to believe i'll do more than 3 runs a week, but i'm not expecting this to be a rigid plan
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Really, the best thing you can do is is try and add more days running a week, and extend some of the mid-week runs. I know you say you can't due to other commitments, which is fine, just realize that a 4th day running and a few more miels where possible will make a massive difference, far more than any other training technique/plan. There is liekly a lot of things you could re-prioritize if running faster was important (e.g., I barely watch TV, frequently go to bed at 9 to get up early, don;t go out to the bars on a Friday night etc.).

Given your timetable, 2 things I recommend. Don't do you 14 mile LR 2 weeks before race day, keep it to 3 weeks minimum, 4 weeks wouldn't be bad. Don't do a Parkrun 1 week before, again keep that to 2-3 weeks back at least. Use that 5K to provide a pace estimate.

Some other minor tweaks, perhaps try and get a few of those 6 mile runs to 8-9 when you don;t have a LR that week, e.g. so you might get an 8/10 or 8/8, instead of 6/12. Some of the shorter runs you could do hill repeats or some gentle fartleks, but no need for any dedicated intervals (too risky). On the Long runs, if your goal is 12 but you feel amazing push that to 13.1, just so psychologically you know you've got it in the bag. Converely if, you are really suffering by mile 10, don;t push on and risk injury or over exhaustion.

In the last week don't run unless you are bursting with energy. There is nothing to gain fitness wise, but your legs can stiffen up if you go cold turkey. 3 miles might be fine, but don;t be afraid to do nothing or just 1-2 miles. Sleep is your biggest priority in the last week.
 
Cheers D.P. That's a fantastic post.

If i'm honest i probably could run more. I'm just lazy :p I do sometimes do 4 in a week but 3 is more common.

I thought a parkrun a week before would be a good way to get used to a public run as it would've been a while since i've last done one. Especially given the short distance, but happy to leave it out based on advice.

Good call about trying to extend my midweek runs. I've found i cope much better by going for a run around 8-9pm as opposed to 6am before work. So with no time limits (other than a later bedtime) i can easily extend from 60 mins to 90 mins.
 
Marvt74 said:
Does anyone know a decent training plan for half marathons? Right now i'd say i average about 3 runs a week which are between 4-6 miles. My plan is to get out this weekend and do around 8 miles.

4-6 miles works well for me as it's under an hour so for general runs that's ideal. My half marathon is about 13 weeks away so loads of time yet. I was thinking of trying to do this

With normal runs being my usual 4-6 miles, with maybe the odd shorter 3-4 mile runs at a faster pace. Probably in that last week i'll keep to about 3 miles for the 2 normal runs.

I feel it's unrealistic due to other commitments to believe i'll do more than 3 runs a week, but i'm not expecting this to be a rigid plan
Click to expand...

For my last full marathon I averaged between 3 and 4 runs a week. Some of the plans that Runners World and others list want you out 5 or 6 times a week (which might include one cross-training session eg bike or swim). However, if work / family / etc don't allow that sort of time, then it's something of a pointless plan to follow and you'll probably feel down about not getting the targetted levels done.

My marathon runs included one night of hills (both longer, steady efforts and shorter, intense sprints). I started at 6 long and 10 short intervals, peaking at 20 long and 10 short before tapering down. The other two regular runs would be a faster run of up to 9 or 10 miles and then a long, slow trundle at a weekend (peak at 20 mile).

Worked for me - half marathon PB a month before the marathon, then a big marathon PB.
 
Haven't been out since Monday (aside from a brief jog on Wednesday evening that was just not happening...).

Legs are feeling a little better each day but still INCREDIBLY stiff and sore at times. Was reading up about DOMS yesterday and I'm fairly sure it's that as what I'm feeling isn't really specific to one area.

Going out tomorrow regardless how they feel.
 
I really haven't wanted to chance the ice over the last few days. So now I haven't been out since last Sunday. Starting to make me feel lazy now.
 
It was snowing a good bit this morning, so I felt like now would be a good time to go for a run before the rain and ice set in later. 1.6 miles into the run, my phone completely shuts off, so only received partial data for Strava :(.

Just had to do a manual upload with the full route but my time / avg won't be accurate.

Also ended up with a blister on my foot, first time since I starting running. I think the socks I was wearing didn't help, they are supposed to be sports socks from Aldi but last time I used them, by the time I got home it felt like there was a cut on the underneath of my big toe, yet no other socks have given me any issues.

So now I'm going to buy some proper running socks for next time, anyone recommend any or any to avoid?
 
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