Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running
- Thread starter platypus
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So I did go out today. Really happy with the steady pacing from today's run; https://www.strava.com/activities/1405669967.
Also I only had one short break, somewhere around the 3.5 mile mark.
Also I only had one short break, somewhere around the 3.5 mile mark.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1407302125
Had a little worrying moment on my run though. On way along canal, I see a women and her dog walking up ahead, the owner walking just a little in front of her dog. Now this dog was pretty big (I'm not an expert but it could have been a german shepherd), it was pottering around and I always feel a little nervous going past dogs as I just don't trust them.
So this dog stops and looks my way, sees me approaching and just bolts straight at me, coming up really close to me barking like a mad man. I was worried enough I put up my arm and hand up as a guard in case it actually did lunge at me. We started going round in circles as the dog circled me, so I was always facing the dog. The dog was doing that lunging motion but didn't actually go to bite. It didn't feel playful and it didn't feel aggressive like it wanted to attack or bite me, felt more like the dog was being aggressively protective.
The owner ran back and got her dog under control and was very apologetic about the whole thing. I wasn't bothered so much but I can see how it could have ended badly should that someone have been frightened of dogs.
Another note on today, so I had a good run yesterday and I went out again today. Each time I was to stop for second (had to be careful due to being extremely muddy and large puddles) my knee caps literally felt like they was going to collapse. Running helped that go away and I managed to run home. Anyone else had this? Did I leave it too early to go running again or do I need to strengthen that area?
Last note for this post, why does MapMyRun give me a different millage to Strava? I usually plan any new routes on MapMyRun first but I don't know which is more accurate.
Yesterdays Run:
MapMyRun: 6.46 miles
Strava: 7.10 miles
Today's Run:
MapMyRun: 4.54 miles
Strava: 5.80 miles
Had a little worrying moment on my run though. On way along canal, I see a women and her dog walking up ahead, the owner walking just a little in front of her dog. Now this dog was pretty big (I'm not an expert but it could have been a german shepherd), it was pottering around and I always feel a little nervous going past dogs as I just don't trust them.
So this dog stops and looks my way, sees me approaching and just bolts straight at me, coming up really close to me barking like a mad man. I was worried enough I put up my arm and hand up as a guard in case it actually did lunge at me. We started going round in circles as the dog circled me, so I was always facing the dog. The dog was doing that lunging motion but didn't actually go to bite. It didn't feel playful and it didn't feel aggressive like it wanted to attack or bite me, felt more like the dog was being aggressively protective.
The owner ran back and got her dog under control and was very apologetic about the whole thing. I wasn't bothered so much but I can see how it could have ended badly should that someone have been frightened of dogs.
Another note on today, so I had a good run yesterday and I went out again today. Each time I was to stop for second (had to be careful due to being extremely muddy and large puddles) my knee caps literally felt like they was going to collapse. Running helped that go away and I managed to run home. Anyone else had this? Did I leave it too early to go running again or do I need to strengthen that area?
Last note for this post, why does MapMyRun give me a different millage to Strava? I usually plan any new routes on MapMyRun first but I don't know which is more accurate.
Yesterdays Run:
MapMyRun: 6.46 miles
Strava: 7.10 miles
Today's Run:
MapMyRun: 4.54 miles
Strava: 5.80 miles
L
I've had plenty of dog issues. Just the last week I had a "playful" bite. Dogs on long leashes stretching across the road, owners shouting at me not to run past their dogs , dogs charging out of their garden and chasing me down the sleep.
Looking at your Strava link, the GPS is incredibly noisy and inaccurate, zig zaging everywhere. While not perfect it should keep close to the roads and most dead on. What device are you using? As even the cheapest GPS watches should do better, and most honest should be good as well.
I've had plenty of dog issues. Just the last week I had a "playful" bite. Dogs on long leashes stretching across the road, owners shouting at me not to run past their dogs , dogs charging out of their garden and chasing me down the sleep.
Samsung Note 4, I don't know if it's just the phones GPS getting worse as it's aging. I am having eMMC issues with the phone and have to use an app to keep it communicating so it doesn't shut down. So it's on its last legs now and I don't know how much longer it'll have left. Looking at some of my other previous runs, it seems to have coped better with the GPS, so maybe just a bad day?
I've been wanting to save up to buy something like a Garmin 235 but just haven't the money for it yet, so it'll have to wait.
I need to prepare for runs better. Last night i went out almost immediately after having a big bowl of spaghetti carbonara and a can of pepsi. That's the third run in a row i've gone out pretty soon after eating.
Am going to aim for around a 10 miler at the weekend, i've plotted a decent route so lets hope i stick to it!
Am going to aim for around a 10 miler at the weekend, i've plotted a decent route so lets hope i stick to it!
worth waiting a few minuets so the phone gets a better GPS lock before you start running.
Look at refurbished garmin watches, they have the same warranty as new.
Well my dissappointing running continues. Went out yesterday with the intention of doing around 11 miles. However my legs were just completely dead. We'd gone for a walk on Saturday with the dogs and it was insanely muddy so must've affected me a lot more than i realised.
Ended up stopping about every mile just to stretch off a bit and then cut the run short to around 6miles. Also cheated myself a bit as i paused my watch whenever i stopped as wanted to get a feel for how long it would take assuming i didn't stop.
Ended up stopping about every mile just to stretch off a bit and then cut the run short to around 6miles. Also cheated myself a bit as i paused my watch whenever i stopped as wanted to get a feel for how long it would take assuming i didn't stop.
Probably better to do that than risk injuring yourself.
My longest run ever last night. I just wish it would (a) Stop Raining (b) Stop being cold (c) Stop being dark
Managed 26km in 3hr 2min so that kind of puts me around 5hr point for the Marathon (9 Weeks to go now)
Think my run last night had more elevation gain than the entire marathon does though. One of the perils of living here is that there isn't really anywhere that you can go that is flat all the way! I am told that hills are my friend but they are that sort of friend who you fall out with on the night and then forgive them in the morning
My longest run ever last night. I just wish it would (a) Stop Raining (b) Stop being cold (c) Stop being dark
Managed 26km in 3hr 2min so that kind of puts me around 5hr point for the Marathon (9 Weeks to go now)
Think my run last night had more elevation gain than the entire marathon does though. One of the perils of living here is that there isn't really anywhere that you can go that is flat all the way! I am told that hills are my friend but they are that sort of friend who you fall out with on the night and then forgive them in the morning
Sorry, it happens Marvt74
I also had a depressing few runs recently. Lactate Threshold run ion Wednesday, pace was 20secondss slower than last October. My long run on Friday I grinded out to 19 miles but felt like twice the distance. Decided I needed a cutback week, so didn't run this week and only 4 days last week (I normally run 6-7). Went to do some track work today, legs strangely stiff but improved a little during 3 mile warmup. Got on the track and I just have no speed or endurance. Paces for 800m were 10-15 seconds slower than October, moreover I was complete done after 4 intervals, then dropped back to some 200-300m repeats. Hopefully just a result of stiff legs rather than actual fitness. The last few months have not been good training wise but I still managed OK volume.
I also had a depressing few runs recently. Lactate Threshold run ion Wednesday, pace was 20secondss slower than last October. My long run on Friday I grinded out to 19 miles but felt like twice the distance. Decided I needed a cutback week, so didn't run this week and only 4 days last week (I normally run 6-7). Went to do some track work today, legs strangely stiff but improved a little during 3 mile warmup. Got on the track and I just have no speed or endurance. Paces for 800m were 10-15 seconds slower than October, moreover I was complete done after 4 intervals, then dropped back to some 200-300m repeats. Hopefully just a result of stiff legs rather than actual fitness. The last few months have not been good training wise but I still managed OK volume.
Haha D.P, your posts just make the rest of us mortals feel worse. Must be terrible to only be able to grind out 19 miles 
Sounds very similar to where i live. I'll sometimes head down to the canal and run along there for a flat run, but it gets boring running in one direction then turning round and doing the same thing backwards. I prefer to try and do a loop
Think my run last night had more elevation gain than the entire marathon does though. One of the perils of living here is that there isn't really anywhere that you can go that is flat all the way! I am told that hills are my friend but they are that sort of friend who you fall out with on the night and then forgive them in the morning
Sounds very similar to where i live. I'll sometimes head down to the canal and run along there for a flat run, but it gets boring running in one direction then turning round and doing the same thing backwards. I prefer to try and do a loop
Probably better to do that than risk injuring yourself.
My longest run ever last night. I just wish it would (a) Stop Raining (b) Stop being cold (c) Stop being dark
Managed 26km in 3hr 2min so that kind of puts me around 5hr point for the Marathon (9 Weeks to go now)
Think my run last night had more elevation gain than the entire marathon does though. One of the perils of living here is that there isn't really anywhere that you can go that is flat all the way! I am told that hills are my friend but they are that sort of friend who you fall out with on the night and then forgive them in the morning
Well done.
Hills are a mixed bag. Running on the flat is boring, and tends to work the same muscles. Running hills can develop power without the impact forces of intervals, except you have to run back down them which causes DOMS. Screws up your paces though, takes longer to recover, and is more tiring so you will cover a lower distance.
When I lived in Virginian I would cover 3-4000ft over 80 miles in a week, here I cover nearly twice that. I think it is slowing down my flat running pace, legs feel strong but just don;t get the turnover.
@D.P.
Also meant to ask you, i'd spotted you'd posted in the cycling forum too. How do you find cycling compliments your running? I've just bought a turbo trainer to give me a bit more flexibility on training when it's miserable and i can't be bothered going for a run.
Wondering what would be best to try and do, long rides at a moderate pace or try and do more of a Tabata style training of high intensity followed by a break.
Also meant to ask you, i'd spotted you'd posted in the cycling forum too. How do you find cycling compliments your running? I've just bought a turbo trainer to give me a bit more flexibility on training when it's miserable and i can't be bothered going for a run.
Wondering what would be best to try and do, long rides at a moderate pace or try and do more of a Tabata style training of high intensity followed by a break.
Haha D.P, your posts just make the rest of us mortals feel worse. Must be terrible to only be able to grind out 19 miles
Sounds very similar to where i live. I'll sometimes head down to the canal and run along there for a flat run, but it gets boring running in one direction then turning round and doing the same thing backwards. I prefer to try and do a loop
It is all relative. You shouldn't compare yourself to others, only to your yourself in the past.
Last Marathon cycle I was doing 22 mile runs, 12+ miles at marathon pace (6:40-45 ish) and feeling strong the whole way. Friday I felt like taking the bus home by mile 12 while runnign much slower. also 2 weeks ago I did nearly 22miles and 2200ft of climbing, snow and ice and mud, felt much easier until mile 20
TBH, I didn't really get on with cycling and found I rather keep running volume up. I think it is important to realize any kind of cross training is only a compliment, not a replacement to running. So if you cycle instead of your morning run then you will only degrade run performance. If you still do your run and then do a n hour intervals on the trainer in thr evening, then you can gain performance, as long as you avoid overt-training and can recover properly.
Now I live in a place with much better cycle paths I will definitely get the bike out more in the summer. Cycling might benefit my ultrmarathon training more since I can do things like cycle 1-2 hours to the mountains, burning a load of glycogen, then do a long mountain run, and cycle 2 hours home.
What I would do on a trainer is do hard intervals. Not the Tabata style though, something in the 3 to 8 minute range. HIIT is just not actually that effective long term as a training protocol. Anyway some higher intensity stuff on a bike can have a bigger advantage for running. Since when run training you can only do a limited amount of high speed work due to injury risks and recovery times, you can compliment the CV training with more intervals on a bike.
The long slow stuff wont make so much sense. 3 hours on a bike is very different to 3 hours running.
Great post.
My aim is for it to purely complement my running and still get out for 3-4 runs a week. It'd just be nice to have something a little different. I had looked at rowing machines too as i used to really enjoy interval training on them, but i figured a bike/trainer would give me more options in summer months to get outside too.
My aim is for it to purely complement my running and still get out for 3-4 runs a week. It'd just be nice to have something a little different. I had looked at rowing machines too as i used to really enjoy interval training on them, but i figured a bike/trainer would give me more options in summer months to get outside too.