Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Went for a short run to see if my shin splints are better which it seems it is.
Tried keeping my legs moving faster and my stride shorter.
Did 1.3 mile at 167 cadence with an average speed of 6.3mph. So my cadence was more and the speed was a tadge slower than previous runs. It was also more tiring but that may just be the heat. One thing I did notice is that I'm not as heavy footed so you could hear a kind of pitta patta on the pavement instead of a thud. I wasn't expecting to go and get to 180 in a run I'm happy with the 15 or so increase. I've worked out how to change the fields on my garmin so I can see my cadence whilst running. With any luck it's cooler tomorrow and I'll get a few miles in at a slower pace
 
I've been doing Park Run again since the middle of June and just dipped under 23 minutes, which is a PB for me.

Has anyone found a decent training plan for getting times down further? I've not been able to do anything during the week lately so improvements have only come from doing Park Run itself.
 
Well, for the first time I'm actually ruined from running.

2:40 moving time for yesterday's half marathon (Pendle Festival). The hills were insane, 2000ft all in. Might as well have been a tarmacked trail half and the heat was just unbearable. I have no idea how I finished but I managed to cramp up twice, ran around it till the end however hopped most of the last 100m as it made itself known fully and putting weight on was a no-no.

Then today, I did the Burnley 10k in 55:33. I have no idea how after yesterday. Considering my PB is 48 or something I'm pretty chuffed with that.

I've not trained really, adult life and other excuses so I'm pretty chuffed I made it round either let alone consecutive. I'm gonna book Nottingham 10k and Bury 10k as come late September early October our baby is due and I'll have even more excuses. Been a while since my last events so had fun this weekend which is the main thing.

Although she'll be wanting to get back out running once he's arrived so we may be able to take turns or get the 12 year old to babysit.
 
roadie said:
I've been doing Park Run again since the middle of June and just dipped under 23 minutes, which is a PB for me.

Has anyone found a decent training plan for getting times down further? I've not been able to do anything during the week lately so improvements have only come from doing Park Run itself.
Click to expand...

A sub23 doing just ParkRun once a week is pretty good going

I'd try and fit in an easy 12-16km run once a week (Slower than 5:30 pace) If you've not been that far before try 8-10km. Also try km reps at a bit faster than Parkrun pace with 90-second recovery try and do 6 at about 4:25-4:30 per km (22:30 pace). Hill repeats would be good as well run up an incident for about 90 seconds, jog back down slowly to recover, repeat 8-12 times.

Build up slowly thought!
 
Last edited:
always4lora said:
Best way to increase it?
Click to expand...

Personally I grabbed my sons metronome, stuck it on 170 (I started around 166) and ran some easy-moderate miles in time. After a couple of weeks upped it to 175, and finally 180. I stopped using the metronome and just have it displayed on the watch now. Now I'm between 180 and 185 although if I get tired I find it drops a little.

D.P. said:
I've been very happy with Garmin. I started with a 610, then 920, then 935.
Click to expand...

I've owned many running watches. The 935 is by far my favourite - incredible battery life, great RHR measurement, structured workouts.
 
roadie said:
I've been doing Park Run again since the middle of June and just dipped under 23 minutes, which is a PB for me.

Has anyone found a decent training plan for getting times down further? I've not been able to do anything during the week lately so improvements have only come from doing Park Run itself.
Click to expand...


Just increase the amount you are running. No real need for a plan or any workouts, just increase run volume keeping everything nice and easy except for the parkruns. Start off with about 3 days a week running and increase form there. Most of your runs should end up longer than the 5K, and make 1 run a week be substantially longer than the rest. As you build up volume have some cut back weeks.

After 6 months or so of increasing volume then you could look at adding some easier intervals, but even then the most gains will simply come from increasing run volume, especially if you do regular parkruns there is little need for much else.
 
always4lora said:
Went for a short run to see if my shin splints are better which it seems it is.
Tried keeping my legs moving faster and my stride shorter.
Did 1.3 mile at 167 cadence with an average speed of 6.3mph. So my cadence was more and the speed was a tadge slower than previous runs. It was also more tiring but that may just be the heat. One thing I did notice is that I'm not as heavy footed so you could hear a kind of pitta patta on the pavement instead of a thud. I wasn't expecting to go and get to 180 in a run I'm happy with the 15 or so increase. I've worked out how to change the fields on my garmin so I can see my cadence whilst running. With any luck it's cooler tomorrow and I'll get a few miles in at a slower pace
Click to expand...


The footstep sound is a good indicator, if you are lighter on your feet there is less sound and less injury risk to joints.

Overall a faster cadence is more efficient so you should find it easier, or you can run faster for the same effort. A longer stride typically means a higher vertical osculation, you have to go upwards more to increase air-time. That increased vertical force upwards and then landing is wasted energy, when you land the energy is absorbed by joints which increases the injury risk. Ideally you could skate across the ground without any bobbing up and down, but that is impossible running.
 
It's likely just me being unfit, I'm about 2 stone heavier than I should be. I went for a few miles today, cadence was 169 so happy with that. Going to just keep plodding along and hopefully it will be more natural
 
3.4 miles today. Was easy running until my shins started to get a little tender. Guess they are not fully recovered but at least I wasn't tired at rhe end My pace was good at 11min miles compared to my park run of 9 min miles so I paced it better and my cadence was average of 165 I suspect it was a little higher until my shins but hey ho not to be keeled over getting my breath back at the end is nice. Will give it a few days and do some cardio on the bike to give my shins a bit more time to recover. Little bit of pain but much more positive
 
Got back into running over the last couple of months and recently done a few races with some decent performances so I'm happy.

I've been reading posts about training runs being slower but is there a limit to this? I frequently run with my other half at her pace, which is around 10 min miles but in races I've been running at around 7 min miles. I've been doing around 30-35 miles a week for the last 10 or so weeks.
 
daveski said:
Got back into running over the last couple of months and recently done a few races with some decent performances so I'm happy.

I've been reading posts about training runs being slower but is there a limit to this? I frequently run with my other half at her pace, which is around 10 min miles but in races I've been running at around 7 min miles. I've been doing around 30-35 miles a week for the last 10 or so weeks.
Click to expand...

Not really. if 7min/mile is your 5K race time then 10min/mile is good for most of your running, that should be about what you are aiming for anyway, something in the 9:30 to 10. The first ile can be slower, like 10:30, then pick i up to maybe 9:50, then the last mile you see about 8:50-9:10/mile.

Once you have built up some good aerobic base in a few months you could start adding intervals (400,800m,1200m) that are run faster than your race pace. The only value in running at race pace is to get psychologically adapted of the difficulty and get used to the feed back to so you get better at accurate pacing. If you are racing 5-10Ks somewhat regularly then there would be no need to do this in training.


If you get a Hear rate strap then basing the paces on HR will help, keeping most running in Zone 2. This way your pace will naturally adapt to training fatigue, heat, hills, and over the long term you should see your elf go slightly faster at equal heart rates.
 
Cheers.

I haven't done any interval training recently but my new club have a track session on Monday which I'm planning on going to.

Managed a 20:45 5k on a fast course and 44:30 on a not so fast 10k course so in a fairly decent place even if miles off previous PBs.
 
daveski said:
Cheers.

I haven't done any interval training recently but my new club have a track session on Monday which I'm planning on going to.

Managed a 20:45 5k on a fast course and 44:30 on a not so fast 10k course so in a fairly decent place even if miles off previous PBs.
Click to expand...


They are good times regardless. TBH, the secret to getting faster is just running more. You just have to build up volume slowly and maker sure you are recovering sufficiently. Small amounts of interval work help, but they are far less effective than most people think, and their effectiveness is directly related to the run volume in any case
 
I haven't got any races coming up for a while so just want to make sure I'm making progress.

Since I've been back running I've just been running, not really paying attention to how far or fast and now I feel pretty good I want to build on it!
 
Ian_Eb said:
Will take a look and see what comes out of that formula.
Click to expand...
Did you check out your zones using that formula Ian?

I'm thinking of redoing mine as my MHR isn't 180 but 213 so I'm working on a value that is too low for my Z2. Has it helped you to target your effort to the HR Zone ?
 
It came up with

Z1 - 128
Z2 - 128 - 141
Z3 - 141 - 155
Z4 - 155 - 168
Z5 - 168 +

Trouble is that with kids finishing school and so on, I have been on t once with those settings. Getting rid of them to grandparents next week so hoping to get out and about when the weather isn't making me think of beer and bbq more than running :-)
 
Ian_Eb said:
It came up with

Z1 - 128
Z2 - 128 - 141
Z3 - 141 - 155
Z4 - 155 - 168
Z5 - 168 +

Trouble is that with kids finishing school and so on, I have been on t once with those settings. Getting rid of them to grandparents next week so hoping to get out and about when the weather isn't making me think of beer and bbq more than running :)
Click to expand...

Yeah real life does get in way doesn't, particularly when the weather is this good. What was your Max HR to calculate those values? 168? Have you not hit higher during your runs?
 
I think max came from the formula linked on that page. (208 - (0.7 x age)) = MAXHR

(208 - (0.7 * 48)) = 175

Then i think i added 5 because i had been able to maintain 175 without thinking I was going to die :-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom