Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

[Blackvault]

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

See I don't get where they pull the abrity 208 figure from. Is that is suppose to be a theoretical max, then I can beat that at 213 for 5 seconds.

Using their formula I get a max of:
(208 - (0.7 * 30)) = 187


With a max of 213
Intensity Zone HR
Zone I
Overdistance, Long-Distance-Slow 151 - 166
Zone II
Endurance, Strength, Body Speeds 167 - 174
Zone III
Endurance, Strength 175 - 182
Zone IV
Intervals, Uphill/Vertical, Race Pace 183 - 197
Zone V
Racing, peaking sprints 198 - 213

Max of 187
Intensity Zone HR
Zone I
Overdistance, Long-Distance-Slow 135 - 148
Zone II
Endurance, Strength, Body Speeds 149 - 154
Zone III
Endurance, Strength 155 - 161
Zone IV
Intervals, Uphill/Vertical, Race Pace 162 - 174
Zone V
Racing, peaking sprints 175 - 187

As you can see the zone do differ significantly.
So a question to the wider audience what should I use for my calculations for my zones? The maximum I've managed to hit in real life (213bpm) or the hypothetical of 187? For reference my resting is 57bpm-ish.

 

[LOAM]

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

Have you tried calf raises? It can be caused by tight calf's pulling your foot. Iirc it's tissue detaching from the shin, my other half suffered with it terribly and calf strengthening fixed it.

 

[JustBen]

I did some yesterday to try helping my back out which is painful about 40%of the day. It's ok if I'm moving but seizes up quick.

I'm off to Petebland sports tomorrow for some more trainees. I've had a bit over a week off from running to let them heal

 

[LOAM]

I didn't really appreciate my legs before running, they are complex beasts fine tuned to the activities you normally do. I suffered horrendous IT band problems when I first started, the burning feeling was unbearable and it stopped me dead for 3 months. Was a mixture of weak quads allowing my knee to collapse right at the end of my stride and the regular flat repatition of running on a treadmill.

If it's not getting better it's worth the £100 for 3 sessions with a physiotherapist IMHO.

 

[jpaul]

what are your recommendations for running in this UK higher heat summer weather 5-6pm, so sun is still there ?
I am usually using artificial close-fit cycling tops, will a cotton t shirt feel cooler, or just become a saturated mess
(I don't really need the tight fitting less air resistant characteristics of a cycle top)

I could not find any good links on increased running energy expenditure during higher heat, but if feels like 20% with muscles less able to disperse heat ..
did anyone look this up?

 

[JustBen]

Got these today :
https://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/buy/brooks-mens-vapor-4_7205.htm
Tried numerous pairs on and spent a chunk of time on the treadmill. My foot doesn't roll now so shall be good to see how I get on running this weekebd

 

[semi-pro waster]

what are your recommendations for running in this UK higher heat summer weather 5-6pm, so sun is still there ?
I am usually using artificial close-fit cycling tops, will a cotton t shirt feel cooler, or just become a saturated mess
(I don't really need the tight fitting less air resistant characteristics of a cycle top)

I could not find any good links on increased running energy expenditure during higher heat, but if feels like 20% with muscles less able to disperse heat ..
did anyone look this up?

Cotton isn't great for running because it doesn't wick away moisture so it's more likely to feel like a saturated mess and this may also make chafing an issue - obviously lots of people wear cotton t-shirts for running and it's fine for them but you're unlikely to find it better for keeping you cooler. If you're running shorter distances the wicking properties probably matter less but a technical running t-shirt might still feel more comfortable. Both Decathlon and Karrimor (Sports Direct) offer cheap running tops so for a few pounds you could try one out, if it doesn't feel better for you then it's no great loss hopefully.

I don't have any good article to link to as such but certainly running in high temperatures increases the amount of effort required to achieve a given pace so you've just got to be sensible and adjust your training accordingly.

 

[jpaul]

a technical running t-shirt might still feel more comfortable

ok thanks i'll stick with artificial then -
'smart' wool products seems to be encoaching in the cycling/walking market, not sure if they are into running yet.

running in high temperatures increases the amount of effort

I should start wearing the hrm and make some comparisons.

 

[JustBen]

I ran the furthest I had done for years (at least over 10 years) on Wednesday. Had the afternoon off work so went for a run at a slow pace . Did 7.2 miles in 1 hour 20 which was a good slow pace for me. Near the end my hip was a little achy but I wasn't out of breath or feeling knackered. There was some long hills in the run which I almost used my arms to propel me up the hill, sounds weird but getting my arms moving helped my legs go with them.
I went on the execise bike on Friday and rested at the weekend.
Going to go for the park run this weekend as going to one out of town for a change. What should my week look like in terms of running? Should I do any? Long runs / Short runs?

 

[D.P.]

See I don't get where they pull the abrity 208 figure from. Is that is suppose to be a theoretical max, then I can beat that at 213 for 5 seconds.

Using their formula I get a max of:
(208 - (0.7 * 30)) = 187


With a max of 213
Intensity Zone HR
Zone I
Overdistance, Long-Distance-Slow 151 - 166
Zone II
Endurance, Strength, Body Speeds 167 - 174
Zone III
Endurance, Strength 175 - 182
Zone IV
Intervals, Uphill/Vertical, Race Pace 183 - 197
Zone V
Racing, peaking sprints 198 - 213

Max of 187
Intensity Zone HR
Zone I
Overdistance, Long-Distance-Slow 135 - 148
Zone II
Endurance, Strength, Body Speeds 149 - 154
Zone III
Endurance, Strength 155 - 161
Zone IV
Intervals, Uphill/Vertical, Race Pace 162 - 174
Zone V
Racing, peaking sprints 175 - 187

As you can see the zone do differ significantly.
So a question to the wider audience what should I use for my calculations for my zones? The maximum I've managed to hit in real life (213bpm) or the hypothetical of 187? For reference my resting is 57bpm-ish.

The max you have actually achieved over a reasonable time frame (1 minute) at the end of a good 5k or 10k., plus add 3-5BPM.

Anything that is based on age alone is completely useless. However, your Max HR will decline with age so you will want to look at at races within a year or 2.

 

[D.P.]

what are your recommendations for running in this UK higher heat summer weather 5-6pm, so sun is still there ?
I am usually using artificial close-fit cycling tops, will a cotton t shirt feel cooler, or just become a saturated mess
(I don't really need the tight fitting less air resistant characteristics of a cycle top)

I could not find any good links on increased running energy expenditure during higher heat, but if feels like 20% with muscles less able to disperse heat ..
did anyone look this up?

Try and change your schedule to run at 5 or 6am, get to bed earlier.

Avoid cotton at all costs, any technical t-shirt is fine, or go topless. Cotton not only doesn't breath, it gets very wet very quickly, and it gets very heavy, and will chaff like sandpaper.

You don't burn much more energy when it is hot, but you do have to run much slower. Your body tries to pump more blood to your skin to aid cooling, this leaves less blood for your leg muscles and less oxygen and glucose transport. However, you should be running based on effort and not pace so when it is hotter you run slower to keep balanced.


You really want to avoid over-heating so walking break can become mandatory. I avoid any kind of intervals outside when it is above about 22*C .

Avoiding the strong sun is key. 5am before sunrise, topless, is a magical running time.

 

[D.P.]

I ran the furthest I had done for years (at least over 10 years) on Wednesday. Had the afternoon off work so went for a run at a slow pace . Did 7.2 miles in 1 hour 20 which was a good slow pace for me. Near the end my hip was a little achy but I wasn't out of breath or feeling knackered. There was some long hills in the run which I almost used my arms to propel me up the hill, sounds weird but getting my arms moving helped my legs go with them.
I went on the execise bike on Friday and rested at the weekend.
Going to go for the park run this weekend as going to one out of town for a change. What should my week look like in terms of running? Should I do any? Long runs / Short runs?

If you care about the parkrun time then runs should be short, mostly easy, with some strides at race pace. A few rest days, day before a shakeout run.

 

[djcj]

Went for a jog today for pretty much the first time ever. I'm trying to lose weight and also improve general health and fitness. So I've decided to take up jogging as it's pretty much free. Also bought some kettlebells for non- joggingdays.

Anyway, today at 6am I completed week one/day one of the couch to 5k program. I thought it would be quite easy, but it was quite a struggle towards the end. I underestimated just how unfit I was.

Currently 5'11" and 17.4 st.

I guess everyone needs to start somewhere. I did get quite a sense of achievement when I finished without quitting. I'll be doing day 2 of the c25k on Wednesday morning, hopefully it will be a smidgen easier after today!

 

[Admiral Huddy]

It's now been just over 7 months since my PCL/knee stabilisation surgery and Sunday I completed my first 10 mile run for 18 months in 1hour, 20mins. Happily, no problems other than a bit stiff and my hamstrings ached but my knee itself feels so much stronger than it has for years. Moreover, I have much more confidence than I had before. The physio still has me working hard in the gym, strengthening the supporting muscles 3 times a week. I'm still not 100% there.. I still feel a slight degradation whilst leg curling.. it's not as smooth as the good knee..but I'm working on this. There were times when i thought I'd never be able to run again so naturally, I'm well Happy.

edit.. My warm up is a lot different too what it used to be - concentrating on static strength (i.e. holding lunges, squats for 20 seconds) rather than actual stretching.

 

[ic1male]

Went for a jog today for pretty much the first time ever. I'm trying to lose weight and also improve general health and fitness. So I've decided to take up jogging as it's pretty much free. Also bought some kettlebells for non- joggingdays.

Anyway, today at 6am I completed week one/day one of the couch to 5k program. I thought it would be quite easy, but it was quite a struggle towards the end. I underestimated just how unfit I was.

Currently 5'11" and 17.4 st.

I guess everyone needs to start somewhere. I did get quite a sense of achievement when I finished without quitting. I'll be doing day 2 of the c25k on Wednesday morning, hopefully it will be a smidgen easier after today!

Congrats on your achievement!

You're exactly the same as me - height and weight. I just did week 2, run 1 this morning and caved in 30 seconds from the end of the last run interval. I shouldn't have chosen the road with a little bit of incline and I might have made it! I'm gonna have to look at getting new trainers. These cheapo pair I'm wearing are going to give me shin splints, I can feel it.

 

[ic1male]

I went to the gym today on the elliptical/cross-trainer and felt fantastic after 30 minutes of a moderate pace. I think I could have kept going for another 30 minutes. As there is little to no impact doing that machine, I'm wondering if my weight is impeding my running on the road. I'll see how I get on with the rest of week 2 and maybe week 3 and re-evaluate. I might be better off sticking to the gym and getting rid of the small kid on my back first and then trying C25K again in a few months.

 

[The Darkness]

It's now been just over 7 months since my PCL/knee stabilisation surgery and Sunday I completed my first 10 mile run for 18 months in 1hour, 20mins. Happily, no problems other than a bit stiff and my hamstrings ached but my knee itself feels so much stronger than it has for years. Moreover, I have much more confidence than I had before. The physio still has me working hard in the gym, strengthening the supporting muscles 3 times a week. I'm still not 100% there.. I still feel a slight degradation whilst leg curling.. it's not as smooth as the good knee..but I'm working on this. There were times when i thought I'd never be able to run again so naturally, I'm well Happy.

edit.. My warm up is a lot different too what it used to be - concentrating on static strength (i.e. holding lunges, squats for 20 seconds) rather than actual stretching.

Very happy for you. When you get that feeling that you'll be ok to run again after months of rehab it's an incredible high. I remind myself of that feeling when I struggle to get out of bed for an early run, great motivation!

 

[djcj]

I went to the gym today on the elliptical/cross-trainer and felt fantastic after 30 minutes of a moderate pace. I think I could have kept going for another 30 minutes. As there is little to no impact doing that machine, I'm wondering if my weight is impeding my running on the road. I'll see how I get on with the rest of week 2 and maybe week 3 and re-evaluate. I might be better off sticking to the gym and getting rid of the small kid on my back first and then trying C25K again in a few months.

I'm feeling quite despondent already too. Just got back from day 2 of week one, and I had to quit half way through. I had searing pain in both knees and my lower back. I tried to battle through it, but couldn't carry on.

I did do a kettlebell work out last night for the first time. I'm not sure if I pushed myself too hard in that, or if Monday's jog is catching up on me.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

Very happy for you. When you get that feeling that you'll be ok to run again after months of rehab it's an incredible high. I remind myself of that feeling when I struggle to get out of bed for an early run, great motivation!

Thank you. It is incredible high and quite an emotional feeling, particularly when sport has been quite an important part of life.

 

[Andr3w]

Due to an injury I haven't run since November . My runs are only around 5-10k normally.

Last week I tried my first run, ran 5km in 26.57. Yesterday I ran 5km again in 26.07. However, I think i've managed to injure my knees (unrelated injury). They're both very sore to touch on the inside of my knees (where they would meet if you push your knees together) and my calf/hamstrings are tight as hell!

I'm thinking I ran too far, too soon, after having 9 months off