Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Question: What do you running veterans do come the winter time? I live in the countryside and I leave for work it's pitch-black and I go home and it's pitch black. How do you's get around it? Do you migrate to a gym and treadmill it during these bleak times?

I'm just curious as where I run isn't street-lit and I don't really want to injury myself in the cold and dark if possible. I ask as since doing all my pre-GNR running I've quite gotten in to it and would like to keep it up especially since i've signed up for another run already.

TIA :)
 
I will be running through my first Winter this year. I have a short route (4 miles loop max) which has street lighting but no idea what will happen when I extend the range a bit. My work has a gym in it with treadmills but TBH I used them last week and didn't enjoy them as much as I do running outside....

Equipment wise I should be sorted as I have high vis base layers and, eventually, a high viz jacket. I guess by the time I have ran to the limits of the street lighting, my eyes will have adjusted and I can see where I am going.

If I am struggling, I can always use the cyclepath which runs for circa 15-20 miles in each direction of me. Although this will be pitch black as well (living in the sticks), at least I won't need to worry about traffic.
 
Head torch! I always run with one in the winter. Even if streets are lit, cars fail to spot you if they're pulling out of drives etc. so head torch helps there too. Generally run outside whatever the weather, dressing for the occassion.
 
I've been using a head torch for years. I live in a rural area and large chunks of my route are unlit so the head torch is essential. As per the previous poster even in lighted areas it is good for making yourself visible. You do look a bit of nob in one though....
 
Might be worth a cheeky punt then. Where I currently run is not actually on the run but runs alongside it and there is only one point at which cars would cross it which is a rairty in it's self. Will have to start looking in to winter clothing then it looks like!
 
BenjiSayers said:
Question: What do you running veterans do come the winter time? I live in the countryside and I leave for work it's pitch-black and I go home and it's pitch black. How do you's get around it? Do you migrate to a gym and treadmill it during these bleak times?

I'm just curious as where I run isn't street-lit and I don't really want to injury myself in the cold and dark if possible. I ask as since doing all my pre-GNR running I've quite gotten in to it and would like to keep it up especially since i've signed up for another run already.

TIA :)
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I just bought a Petzl head torch, it's plenty bright enough to run along tracks in the pitch dark. :)
 
Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for the info in this thread, it's been useful since I started running mid May.

Yesterday I ran in the Mablethorpe half marathon, with a time of 2:00:17. My training had gone well, especially the last two weeks, and I was hoping for around 2:10. With the hot weather I adjusted my target to try and get sub 2:15.

The heat wasn't a problem in the end, I didn't feel bad at all running. My week of preparation food/drink wise seems to have paid off.

The half marathon was great fun and I plan to do several more next year. I would recommend the Mablethorpe run too, very friendly, well organised, and pretty much flat so good for first timers.

I have to say that i'm delighted with my time, to nearly smash 2 hours is a big achievement for me. I have been raising money for breast cancer research and estimate that the final total will be around £150, so i'm very happy with that too.

So thanks again for the info :D
 
Tk7 said:
Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for the info in this thread, it's been useful since I started running mid May.

Yesterday I ran in the Mablethorpe half marathon, with a time of 2:00:17. My training had gone well, especially the last two weeks, and I was hoping for around 2:10. With the hot weather I adjusted my target to try and get sub 2:15.

The heat wasn't a problem in the end, I didn't feel bad at all running. My week of preparation food/drink wise seems to have paid off.

The half marathon was great fun and I plan to do several more next year. I would recommend the Mablethorpe run too, very friendly, well organised, and pretty much flat so good for first timers.

I have to say that i'm delighted with my time, to nearly smash 2 hours is a big achievement for me. I have been raising money for breast cancer research and estimate that the final total will be around £150, so i'm very happy with that too.

So thanks again for the info :D
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Congrats all round. Glad to see your first hasn't put you off :)
 
firstborn said:
Congrats all round. Glad to see your first hasn't put you off :)
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Hehe yeah, i'm itching to do more to be honest. I've got a couple of weeks off running as i'm away with work next week, but looking forward to getting back out there.

Obviously now i'll be running into and over winter, so i'm just deciding how to go about it. I've got a well lit roughly 5k route that i've ran plenty of times, and I might just hammer this out 3-4 times a week, work on my pace a bit over that distance.
 
I don't change my routine through winter, just wear more clothes and a head torch!

You only need one pace routine per week really (interval or hard tempo), another moderate tempo and a couple of easy runs (one longer one) is all you need. Then just gradually increase distance/speed of the various elements.
 
Got a damn pain in my right knee now.... Was there at the start of the run and all the way through, albeit it actually lessened slightly as I warmed up. Kind on the right "corner" of the kneecap. Can still feel it a wee bit just now (3 hours later) although it's just a niggle...

Not sure if it's Runners Knee or just aggravating an injury whereby I gave the knee a knock on a night out (:o) as it feels like the actual bone (I feel it when I press on the kneecap) as opposed to tendon/ligament pain but who knows.

I have a LSR (9 miles) planned for Sat. Not sure if it's a bad idea to run through it. As I said, it doesn't get any worse when I ran tonight (3 miles)....

Decisions...
 
I'll see how it goes on the Sat morning. If it starts to niggle then I will stop and just abandon the LSR and do week 4 again (hal higdon). PITA as my left knee is solid, it's just my right knee :(
 
My approach would be to do the LSR but a little slower, making sure you have suitable points where you can cut it short if it aggravates. Knee pain can be due to many reasons and I get the odd niggle which generally goes after a weeks rest if needs be. But if it persists best to get some advice, which will be; do this and that exercise to restore bio-mechanical balance; or stretch this; or you need 3 sessions of rubbing to sort you out at a cost of £45 a session :p

As an aside, my full on routines are based on hal higdon plans and they've worked for me in the past where I've been able to follow them without major disruption i.e. several weeks off for one reason and another.
 
Cheers FB. I know you do a fair bit of running so I was hoping for some experienced points of view. I am on week 4 of the plan and find myself enjoying it more and more so it would really pee me off if I had to stop even for a week.

My LSR is on Sat this week as I am out on Sat night so don't want to run on Sun after it. I contemplated abandoning the LSR and carrying on from Tues next week which would give me 4 rest days. I will see how I feel tomorrow morning...
 
So I decided to MTFU and go for the planned run this morning. Got back about 30 mins ago after pounding out 9 miles on the country roads near me.

Run went well. A bit weird as the niggling knee pain was there from about 0.5 mile in but I ignored it until, about 6 miles in, I noticed it had actually disappeared. No idea when it went away as I just put it out my head so that was a bit weird as I thought the best case scenario was that the pain would not get any worse but would at least still be there so for it to vanish completely was puzzling :confused:

It came back after I stopped and sat down for a bit which I was expecting as the "seizing up" of joints etc always starts when I stop running even if I walk for a bit after (totally normal) but it's now totally gone :confused:

Of course, running in light drizzle and a slight chill with just a base layer on didn't leave me totally unscathed and my nipples are now stinging like buggery :o :D


On a side note: I seem to be getting the hang of pacing myself better. I used to set off way to quick and pay for it towards the end but I ran that 9 miles and, when I stopped at the end, I wasn't even out of breath and could have went for another few miles no problem.... I reckon circa 8 min/mile is my "go-to" pace... I will keep an eye on it and see how it goes as the miles rack up...

http://runkeeper.com/user/runningfromthelaw/activity/56249164
 
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