Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

physichull said:
Ok, so after my 5km race on Friday I came, how can I put this, "somewhere near the back", I now have caught the bug.

Spurred on by the determination to do better than my total humiliation, (considering the lack of training, it wasn't too bad!) I now wish to start proper training for a marathon.

I've found this schedule online which I think will suit my needs:

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/marathon-training-schedule.html

Can anyone give me any advice on nutrition, because I aren't the the healthiest of eaters but am not overweight, just really unfit! What basic ground rules can anyone give me from their experience?

Also, does anyone suffer from exercise induced asthma and have any tips aas to how to keep it at bay for running, I've got my inhalar (although i realise this is a health-related question and shouldn't really be asked here, but if there is anything I could perhaps ask my doctor about?).
Click to expand...
Haha :p

Nutrition: good clean carbohydrate (pasta, rice, potatoes, etc), protein (meat, fish, cheese, milk, yoghurt, pulses etc), vitamins (fruit and veg) and try and keep the fat down before a race i.e. no large donner kebab the night before. Otherwise, it doesn't seem to matter what you eat because you burn it off. You will need to eat more, but just try and stick to good food and not pizzas and processed junk because you will need the vitamins.

Re the asthma, are you 100% sure it's the asthma you're getting and not just extremely out of breath and gasping for air as a result? I think it will probably get better as you get fitter, but do continue to carry you inhaler as my colleague does :)

Edit:

Oh and in my news I lumped myself a bit of ITB-related knee injury on Saturday. I've not been running as much recently and went on a new 5k Parkrun course. I should have taken it easy but went at it and in the last few hundred metres felt my knee pulling a bit. Sure enough, yesterday it was very tight, so I'm going to have to rest up for a bit. I'm icing and massaging and generally shuffling around making sure I don't load up that leg.
 
Last edited:
Definately asthma, diagnosed as a kid and I used to get it whenever, but ever since I turned about 15-16 I hardly get it. In fact, I can't remember the last time it was, I've sort of "grown out of it" for all intents and purposes (apart from exercising). But yes, you are probably right in another respect in that a lot of it is due to how unfit I am!

Thank you for the advice on food, its going to be tough to keep to! One of my mates who runs marathons says that the only reason he runs is so that he can keep eating fatty foods! :)
 
physichull said:
Ok, so after my 5km race on Friday I came, how can I put this, "somewhere near the back", I now have caught the bug.

Spurred on by the determination to do better than my total humiliation, (considering the lack of training, it wasn't too bad!) I now wish to start proper training for a marathon.

I've found this schedule online which I think will suit my needs:

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/marathon-training-schedule.html

Can anyone give me any advice on nutrition, because I aren't the the healthiest of eaters but am not overweight, just really unfit! What basic ground rules can anyone give me from their experience?

Also, does anyone suffer from exercise induced asthma and have any tips aas to how to keep it at bay for running, I've got my inhalar (although i realise this is a health-related question and shouldn't really be asked here, but if there is anything I could perhaps ask my doctor about?).
Click to expand...

:) congratulations - where you finish doesn't really matter - I just like running with lots of others - its fun when you're used to running on your own

I can't get my body in gear yet this year - I'm training for the Chelmsford Great Baddow run at the moment (10 miles) - and running 3 or so 11-14km runs a week (on top of 4 gym sessions a week!) - last year I managed to do the race at an average pace of 4'50 - currently I just cannot get my runs quicker than an average of between 5'15 and 5'20 :( grrr

7-8 weeks to go though :)
 
I still don't run more than a couple of miles when I go out, so would it be best to wait till I can comfortably do 5km without ruining my legs before going to get a gait analysis. At least give it a month to develop a proper running stride? Or would you guys think that I should go sooner rather than later?

Also, I don't really want to be "conned" as it were, into buying trainers that I don't really need.
 
physichull said:
I still don't run more than a couple of miles when I go out, so would it be best to wait till I can comfortably do 5km without ruining my legs before going to get a gait analysis. At least give it a month to develop a proper running stride? Or would you guys think that I should go sooner rather than later?

Also, I don't really want to be "conned" as it were, into buying trainers that I don't really need.
Click to expand...

do it as soon as possible IMO - it makes a genuine difference

most shops allow you to pay for the gait analysis (normally a tenner or so) and buy elsewhere
 
Sounds like a stupid question, but, is it a good idea to run, even if you can still feel that your calfs twinge when you stretch them etc? Or is it best to wait until the pain goes away, or should I just man up and expect pain?
 
Last edited:
In general, you shouldn't really exercise through pain. It probably depends on what you're actually feeling though. If it's a sort of soreness from quick increases exercise intensity, duration or ocurance then it can be ok. I wouldn't want to say much more than that though. You're probably best giving yourself some rest and then taking it really easy and working up pace or distance very gradually and if you still have trouble, talking to a professional I would think?
 
Its not like pain that you can feel when you are just sat down, not like a constant pain (what I would consider an injury). It's more like if I massage my legs then I feel feel sore in the calfs. If I stretch my calfs they will feel stiff and sore etc...

I don't really know how to describe it. Like a twinge, I guess....

Also, as for the running shoes, I'm still not sure what my running style should be. I used to be a real heel striker and this often seemed to cause shin pain, so recently I have switched to running on the front of my feet. Naturally, this has ruined my calf muscles, but then again, I am just a beginner runner, who doesn't run further than 3-5km, but so far, no shin pain. So would it be best to keep plodding on trying to run on the front of my feet for now, until (hopefully) my calf pains go away and then go for a gait, or should I revert to my old running style and go for a gait now to hopefully erradicate the shin pain problem?

Confusions!!!
 
Last edited:
amazing what a difference slightly cooler weather makes :)

I've been struggling last 5 weeks to get any faster than an average of 5'14 or so - on runs of average 11-13km

tonight - 15km @ 5'01 pace - well pleased - although shattered now - lol- total time 1hr 15

aiming to see if I can complete the 10 miler in 6weeks time @ 4'50 pace to beat last years result - but looking possible but difficult atm
 
^^ lol :)

I can manage distances in miles - but I struggle with miles/minute etc numbers

tell you what - just had our shopping delivered for the week and it gets expensive eating heathily - on top of normal meals etc I have for breakfast a fruit smoothie (fruit (fresh and frozen)+ rolled oats, whey and "greens") and post-workout something similar but without the oats. Smoothies normally consist of a small amount of pure fruit juice (200ml of pink grapefruit juice + 500ml of water then the above)

last week I got through

1 pack of rolled oats
1kg of Whey
3 packs of Bananas
2 packs of Apples
2 packs of frozen rasperberries
3 packs of Spinach (raw)
1 pack of Kale (raw)

as I said it starts getting expensive - feeling good though
 
4 friends did a half marathon in reading this weekend. Not to be out done ive signed up for the Royal parks half marathon in October. BRING IT ON!

Never run before but going to give it some beans :)
 
MisChief said:
I've always wondered why I get stitches, I've asked so many people and no one really knows why... I've just read this from an article on running:



Don't know how true this is, but I'm going to test this theory out on my next run anyway :D
Click to expand...

That is odd. I've always wondered why sometimes when I run I get stitches, then others I don't. I never really thought to time my breathing with my footfalls when I run. I'll give it a bash when I do 5km tonight and see what happens.
 
I'm back on the running now! Got myself some trainers that are more suited to my gait and i'm doing the sort of distances that inured me (quite badly!) two months ago, but faster and without any issues so far. Fingers crossed!

Last night i racked up 3.02 miles (4.86km) in 23mins and 50 seconds. Whilst a lot of you guys would decimate that, it's good for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom