Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

I'm trying to shift some weight and get fitter. Put some effort into running this year with the odd week off here and there for various reasons. I am about 5'10 and weigh 88KG which I feel is to heavy, I certainly look unfit compared to my teenage/twenties (I'm 31). For the last couple of weeks I've been trying myproteins VLCD meal replacement shakes which I have to replace breakfast and dinner and then having a normal evening meal. I've found I feel a bit healthier but the weight just doesn't seem to shift. Is this likely the muscle building due to running?
I've run the furthest this week for a little over 4 years. I did 4.7 miles in 49.51minutes which by all means isn't a good speed but I kept my cadence pretty much within a 10 range so the speed was consistent. Where's best to go from here is keep slowly upping the distance or should I be running less distance at a higher speed? I'd love to be able to get into some half marathons next year so I know i'll need to up the distance at some point. For weight loss is it just a case of carry on what i'm doing and it'll eventually come off?
 
always4lora said:
I'm trying to shift some weight and get fitter. Put some effort into running this year with the odd week off here and there for various reasons. I am about 5'10 and weigh 88KG which I feel is to heavy, I certainly look unfit compared to my teenage/twenties (I'm 31). For the last couple of weeks I've been trying myproteins VLCD meal replacement shakes which I have to replace breakfast and dinner and then having a normal evening meal. I've found I feel a bit healthier but the weight just doesn't seem to shift. Is this likely the muscle building due to running?
I've run the furthest this week for a little over 4 years. I did 4.7 miles in 49.51minutes which by all means isn't a good speed but I kept my cadence pretty much within a 10 range so the speed was consistent. Where's best to go from here is keep slowly upping the distance or should I be running less distance at a higher speed? I'd love to be able to get into some half marathons next year so I know i'll need to up the distance at some point. For weight loss is it just a case of carry on what i'm doing and it'll eventually come off?
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Increase the distance, keep the seed down. TO get faster at running you want to increase the amount of running at an easy pace. Over time your pace will naturally increase.

For the time being, ignore paces and just focusing on breathing. You should be able to breathe easily, have a full conversation with someone. Take your phone with you running and call a friend up.

As you increase the amount you run it is important to have recovery weeks. Sop build volume over 3 weeks and cut back the 4th.


I lost 20kg running in 6 months. A year of dieting and I lost about 2-3kg.
 
I'd just keep trying to up the distance and eventually then when you want to do shorter runs your speed will naturally be a little faster. You could always mix it up and do some 5 mile slower runs and some 3 mile faster runs.

It's up to you though as to what you enjoy doing. I've found that my favoured distance is around the 6 mile mark which is about an hour so similar pace to you. If i do 3 miles it feels like nothing as it only takes around 30 minutes and i've barely warmed up. If i go for 10 miles it's getting closer to 2 hours and i get bored.

For weight loss your biggest issue is probably diet. I've not lost anything since i've been running for the last 6 months, but then i know i stuff my face a lot. Try recording your meals rather than using shakes using MyFitnessPal. Eventually it'll come off.

Also note that your shape means more than weight. How do your clothes feel?
 
Clothes are tight around the waist. I remember going from a 32 waist to a 34 and feeling disgusted and now i'm in 36 waist. Never had problems with my back until the last year which I doubt is helped by the additional few stone put in a couple of years. I enjoy the long runs, mentally I'm rubbish though I really have to push myself past the first mile then I'm ok then only the last like 500meters of the run my minds trying to get me to stop. Once I get past those mental bits I'm fine. When I got in last night I was in alright condition. Felt I could have gone further if anything. The main reason for going to these meal replacement shakes is I have that instead of going to the food cabin at work a few times a week and getting a full meal (everything usually fried) then get home and have another full meal. I am now having one meal a day and am drinking loads of water compared to what I used to drink.
 
Does anyone have any advice for running off the bike?
Vietnam 70.3 last Sunday, ran a 2:06 half marathon which just isn't good enough.
I rode a 2:34 56 miler which was pushing on but 5bpm lower than my target HR. I had more in the bank knowing the run was going to be brutal, 35ºC and 80+% humidity was always going to be a test, within 500m I had cramp in both quads and a left hammie. I managed to walk them off and they never came back but I struggled so bad to get any decent rhythm.
 
NoNameNoNumber said:
Does anyone have any advice for running off the bike?
Vietnam 70.3 last Sunday, ran a 2:06 half marathon which just isn't good enough.
I rode a 2:34 56 miler which was pushing on but 5bpm lower than my target HR. I had more in the bank knowing the run was going to be brutal, 35ºC and 80+% humidity was always going to be a test, within 500m I had cramp in both quads and a left hammie. I managed to walk them off and they never came back but I struggled so bad to get any decent rhythm.
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With the heat and humidity hard to know exactly what you would have achieved in an open half. And a lot would depend how hydrated you were and able to keep your body cool. You might not have felt too bad but the main signs of dehydration, and of overheating, are simply fatigue and inability to work so hard.

Otherwise the main thing is going tp be practice. My IM friends will frequently run a few miles after a bike session just to train that transition. This isn't even a brick session per se because the run can be very short.
Other things would be cycling at a higher cadence (just like running, a higher cadence with less force is what works the best, and coincidentally around 180pm. then there is also things like bike fit and frame geometry. I don;t know much about bikes but dedicated tri bikes supposedly work your muscles slightly different cycling so running is slightly easier.

Could eb electrolytes but that is mostly a myth sprad by the sports drink makers. Electrolytes are important but they don't tend to impact chances of cramping.
 
Bike was comfortable. Average cadence was 85rpm, run cadence 148 but i think that includes the time i was stood still. Far from redlining and managed to keep cool, all of the hydration was electrolytes. I think I took around 4l on the bike but its hard to know for sure as the bottles weren't full nor of the same strength. 5 carb gels went in.

The last 5km the heat really got me, felt like it was turned up a notch and I struggled just to keep moving. By this point it was nearing 12noon and very little shade. Its a strange world, mentally being so positive about the run but the realisation your feet just aren't moving :D

Yeah essentially the saddle is really far forward over the cranks, knee more over the pedal spindle makes it more quad dominant saving the hammies and glutes for the run. I do most of my bricks in the gym, 45-90 minutes spinning followed usually by a 3-5km brick on the dreadmill. Set to 12.5km/hr and 1% incline...

Essentially I guess it's a matter of doing more :)

Thanks as usual!
 
Probably just the heat, not much you can do about that.My pace dropped off a little at my Geneva marathon as I was just over heating. I had plenty of energy left in the tank, pulled out some 5:25/mile over the last third of a mile.
 
So... Toes :)

It's 1 month since I did the marathon and my big toenail is still red/black. It looks to me like it will come off at some point. The other toes are much better but when I went out this morning it felt like they were getting banged on the end. I have had the show size checked multiple times and am happy with them size wise. What I am thinking at the moment is that my foot is moving around too much in the shoe (Only happens on the right foot. Left is fine) Does anyone else ever suffer from this kind of thing and what do you reckon is the best way to minimise the impact (pun intended :-) )?
 
New 10K PR 39:50 :D:D:D

Basically ran a flat 4 minute kilometer for 10K and sprinted at the end. Resisted the urge to go off quicker, resisted the sound of people on my shoulder and the few that crept past and after 4K reeled them all in and more, really enjoyed cruising past lots of runners. Finished 52 of 1710.

Also means I must have run a sub 20 5K somewhere.

Next up I have two cross country 10k and then another fast road 10k in middle of June. More stamina required before I attempt to get under 90 minutes for a half.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1583745130
 
I went out today for a run, managed 6 miles in the end, 8:22 pace in total. (It is going up a big hill) The heat was just too much, i need to start carrying water with me!
 
Ian_Eb said:
So... Toes :)

It's 1 month since I did the marathon and my big toenail is still red/black. It looks to me like it will come off at some point. The other toes are much better but when I went out this morning it felt like they were getting banged on the end. I have had the show size checked multiple times and am happy with them size wise. What I am thinking at the moment is that my foot is moving around too much in the shoe (Only happens on the right foot. Left is fine) Does anyone else ever suffer from this kind of thing and what do you reckon is the best way to minimise the impact (pun intended :) )?
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My toe nails are blackened deformed stumps that I hack away at with a dremel. Enjoy the time after a nail has fallen off before another gnarly talon grows back.

Some shoes have a lower toe box than other and this can cause rubbing. The only solution I have heard of that I have yet to try is to get a knife and cut the end of the shoe open. This is OK unless you run on dirt/gravel/mud frequently enough which is my problem.
 
BlastRadius said:
New 10K PR 39:50 :D:D:D

Basically ran a flat 4 minute kilometer for 10K and sprinted at the end. Resisted the urge to go off quicker, resisted the sound of people on my shoulder and the few that crept past and after 4K reeled them all in and more, really enjoyed cruising past lots of runners. Finished 52 of 1710.

Also means I must have run a sub 20 5K somewhere.

Next up I have two cross country 10k and then another fast road 10k in middle of June. More stamina required before I attempt to get under 90 minutes for a half.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1583745130
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Great pacing.
 
Daaaavvveee said:
I went out today for a run, managed 6 miles in the end, 8:22 pace in total. (It is going up a big hill) The heat was just too much, i need to start carrying water with me!
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When it is hot it is even mor eimportant to slow down, run by effort and HR and ignore pace. Don't be afraid to add nice walking breaks to let your body cool down.
One thing I am very glad I wont have to suffer through is a US east -coast summer. Gets warm here in Switzerland but the mornings are cooler and not as humid.
 
D.P. said:
When it is hot it is even mor eimportant to slow down, run by effort and HR and ignore pace. Don't be afraid to add nice walking breaks to let your body cool down.
One thing I am very glad I wont have to suffer through is a US east -coast summer. Gets warm here in Switzerland but the mornings are cooler and not as humid.
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That is slowed down :P Not really too keen on walking when running at all, specially the first one of the week :)
 
Daaaavvveee said:
That is slowed down :p Not really too keen on walking when running at all, specially the first one of the week :)
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8:22 is pretty fast with a hill, that is more or less my easy pace when it is not too hot ( and my easy pace is on the fast side for a 37min 10k runner), but regardless it is all all relative. If it is hot enough, or the hill steep enough, or you are fatigued enough, etc. that your effort level and heart rate are raised significantly then it is too fast. If you slow down enough you can avoid walking if you keep cool enough, although when you get to a big enough hill walking is pretty inevitable. I've been doing lots of walking with my recent runs, but then I did do 16000 feet ascent last week :p. makes a nice change. Walking isn't cheating, and does;t disrupt the training benefits of the running so it is mostly just a mental issue. Only time to really avoid a walk is at the end of a long run, when pushing through the mental barriers is part of the training.
 
D.P. said:
8:22 is pretty fast with a hill, that is more or less my easy pace when it is not too hot ( and my easy pace is on the fast side for a 37min 10k runner), but regardless it is all all relative. If it is hot enough, or the hill steep enough, or you are fatigued enough, etc. that your effort level and heart rate are raised significantly then it is too fast. If you slow down enough you can avoid walking if you keep cool enough, although when you get to a big enough hill walking is pretty inevitable. I've been doing lots of walking with my recent runs, but then I did do 16000 feet ascent last week :p. makes a nice change. Walking isn't cheating, and does;t disrupt the training benefits of the running so it is mostly just a mental issue. Only time to really avoid a walk is at the end of a long run, when pushing through the mental barriers is part of the training.
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See that's my issue, I know I can manage the 2 hills I normally do at lunchtimes without stopping and I hate giving up. Normally have a pause when I conquer the beast, then go back down it :D
 
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