Author Topic: Cross Training: Running  (Read 399807 times)

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #550 on: 06 May, 2011, 11:12:01 am »
Quote
Help with registration
Registration Page

...

Memorable Phrase

Please enter a word or phrase that we can use to uniquely identify you at our events in addition to your name. Remember this is not a password; it is visible to the volunteers who record your finish position at the events and is used to make sure we credit runs to the right runners. It should be a minimum of 5 letters. Please do not use your name or you local parkrun as a memorable phrase; we will already know this from the other questions.

I expect all will become clear on Saturday!

(I think I might go for RaminphrikeshDidIWin )

Phew found it in an email they sent me - bit of a funny website in that it doesn't seem to let you login to check/alter details.
The lights were red, his brain was small - he hardly felt a thing at all.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #551 on: 06 May, 2011, 10:48:07 pm »
Can you please clarify - do we need to printout and take our "personal barcode" with us?

EDIT: doh! Yes we do - all explained in the (huge) FAQ.

Started registering; bit puzzled by how they will use my "memorable phrase". Will it be like a nickname? Will I be stuck with it?
You usually shouldn't have to use the memorable phrase. I think it's just in case there's a problem scanning your barcode, the phrase confirms who you are (and not someone else of the same name).
If you get the weekly parkrun newsletter it has a link to your profile, which lets your change your memorable phrase etc.

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #552 on: 07 May, 2011, 12:23:35 pm »
Can you please clarify - do we need to printout and take our "personal barcode" with us?

EDIT: doh! Yes we do - all explained in the (huge) FAQ.

Started registering; bit puzzled by how they will use my "memorable phrase". Will it be like a nickname? Will I be stuck with it?
You usually shouldn't have to use the memorable phrase. I think it's just in case there's a problem scanning your barcode, the phrase confirms who you are (and not someone else of the same name).
If you get the weekly parkrun newsletter it has a link to your profile, which lets your change your memorable phrase etc.


Thanks fuaran, all became clear on the day - then it became rather soggy  :thumbsup:

Nik
The lights were red, his brain was small - he hardly felt a thing at all.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #553 on: 07 May, 2011, 06:07:10 pm »
Results are up, Nik. Pretty shocking - took them at least 6 hours.

(And you still dont' appear to have won.)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #554 on: 07 May, 2011, 08:17:14 pm »
Results are up, Nik. Pretty shocking - took them at least 6 hours.

(And you still dont' appear to have won.)

No but I was pleased to note those two lads that beat me are listed as 14 year olds not 9 year olds like I guessed.
The lights were red, his brain was small - he hardly felt a thing at all.

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #555 on: 20 May, 2011, 10:24:24 pm »
There's a post in here somewhere (or on yACF somewhere) about starting running that mentions the recommended rate of increase in distance etc - can anyone point me to it? Search failed.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #556 on: 21 May, 2011, 03:14:49 am »
There's a post in here somewhere (or on yACF somewhere) about starting running that mentions the recommended rate of increase in distance etc - can anyone point me to it? Search failed.
I'm not sure about the post you mean, but the usual advice for running is don't increase your milage by more than 10% each week. That should limit the risk of injury. See for example: The 10-Percent Rule
Though obviously this is a rather general rule, and won't apply for everyone.

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #557 on: 21 May, 2011, 10:10:37 pm »
I am back running again, and my stress fracture appears to be repaired. Did my normal 10km loop this week, kept is steady at 50 minutes. My thighs felt a little off, but with all the swimming and cycling, I am generally fitter.

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #558 on: 25 May, 2011, 06:41:23 pm »
... and after a week of running every other day, I am pretty much back up to speed. It is amazing what being generally much fitter can do. I'd not been running for almost 8 weeks, and yet, with the baseline of training I had put down over winter, and with continuing to swim and cycle during those 8 weeks, it has taken less than a week to get back to where I was. Now, to start the hard work of improving on this...

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #559 on: 06 June, 2011, 02:34:04 pm »
Did a local 8k race this weekend for a bit of fun. It's really too short a distance for me, considering the emphasis of my training is on endurance. Anyway, my time was 32.23 and I came 24th out of 512. Pretty good, considering.

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #560 on: 08 June, 2011, 09:18:00 am »
Nice times there FM

On Monday night I cracked out a 5.25k loop in 27m26s which I was pretty pleased with.

I'm still really struggling with the blisterception (a blister in a blister in a blister ::-) ) on the underneath of my right foot, on the edge of the arch just behind the ball of my foot - right where I land. The bloody skin is just not toughening up and it's really starting to piss me off as it is adding extra time to my runs, makes me run awkwardly every now and then and isn't much fun to have.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #561 on: 08 June, 2011, 05:46:38 pm »
blisterception

That is a condition I wish I'd never heard of! I will be paranoid about it happening to me now...

I hope it gets better, Jacomus.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #562 on: 08 June, 2011, 06:53:45 pm »
The inaugural Abingdon Parkrun 5k is going to be held at 9am Saturday 7th May so I'm planning to give it a go (provided I'm not totally crippled by next weekends Brevet Cymru).

From what I can gather Parkruns are free, timed, 5 kilometre running events that seem to be such a great idea they are springing up all over the place. They are 'all comers' events but it's polite to let the organisers know if you expect to take more than 50 minutes.

Already loads in London and more local to me in Reading, Swindon and Milton Keynes (not that I've done any of these). It's sort of a local volunteers supported by strong national umbrella organisation set-up (bit like audax). You have to register (for free) on the Parkrun website and get your barcode which works for any location.

Did my first one on Saturday. (thanks to Nik & other helpers!). Numbers were down to 30-odd, but I gather there were competing events locally that day.

I trudged round in about 29min (5km-ish). This is my longest run without knee twinges in months. Kept my pace right down - at that heart rate I can cycle for at least 24hours! (Quite a useful exercise, as that is 4hour marathon pace.) So something to base future exertions on, as my knee (hopefully) becomes more reliable with more mileage.

although I expected to be near last, I wasn't prepared for how fast the pack pulled away from me. Running pathetically slowly feels a lot slower than cycling pathetically slowly.

A really nice event - like a time trial without all the kit envy! (Although we did have a nerdy chat about 'barefoot' running technology in the caff).
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #563 on: 10 June, 2011, 11:34:24 am »
This running lark is pretty fun, though I have hit a problem - how should I be landing my feet?

There is a lot of stuff out there promoting landing on the ball/middle of the foot, which is what I tend to do. However, there is also a lot of stuff saying land on the heel and roll your foot through the step.

Has anyone got any advice?
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #564 on: 10 June, 2011, 11:54:44 am »
There was quite a lot of discussion about this way back in the thread:
Cross Training: Running

You could also google some of:
POSE
barefoot
forefoot
minimalist shoes

... with running. Set aside a few days to digest!
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #565 on: 10 June, 2011, 01:55:41 pm »
This running lark is pretty fun, though I have hit a problem - how should I be landing my feet?

There is a lot of stuff out there promoting landing on the ball/middle of the foot, which is what I tend to do. However, there is also a lot of stuff saying land on the heel and roll your foot through the step.

The emerging standard seems to be to go mid-foot. The previous generation of trainers were designed for lazy, inefficient back-foot running, and there are extremists at the other end who believe we should all be fore-foot running, but most people seem to find that the mid-foot style works - it does for me. I deliberately run fore-foot sometimes for training purposes, and cyclists should be able to do this more easily than runners, actually. The thing is, that it is a result of a combination of personal physiolgy, practice and training. If you really want to get it right, you should have your gait assessed by a qualified coach or trainer, and go from there.

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #566 on: 13 June, 2011, 04:13:48 pm »
This running lark is pretty fun, though I have hit a problem - how should I be landing my feet?

There is a lot of stuff out there promoting landing on the ball/middle of the foot, which is what I tend to do. However, there is also a lot of stuff saying land on the heel and roll your foot through the step.

The emerging standard seems to be to go mid-foot. The previous generation of trainers were designed for lazy, inefficient back-foot running, and there are extremists at the other end who believe we should all be fore-foot running, but most people seem to find that the mid-foot style works - it does for me. I deliberately run fore-foot sometimes for training purposes, and cyclists should be able to do this more easily than runners, actually. The thing is, that it is a result of a combination of personal physiolgy, practice and training. If you really want to get it right, you should have your gait assessed by a qualified coach or trainer, and go from there.

I am thinking of booking into a gait analysis session as a Runners Need has just opened close to where I work.

I've thought more about how I'm landing and practised a 5k run landing on my heels. It didn't work very well - I could feel a quick surge of pressure under my kneecap on every strike, that went away to be replaced by the pressure surge being felt in my calves and thighs when I reverted to my normal mid-foot plant.

I've decided that since a short stride mid-foot plant is what I do without thinking and doesn't leave me with sore knees, I'm probably onto a winner and should't change anything.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #567 on: 13 June, 2011, 04:31:21 pm »
This running lark is pretty fun, though I have hit a problem - how should I be landing my feet?

There is a lot of stuff out there promoting landing on the ball/middle of the foot, which is what I tend to do. However, there is also a lot of stuff saying land on the heel and roll your foot through the step.

The emerging standard seems to be to go mid-foot. The previous generation of trainers were designed for lazy, inefficient back-foot running, and there are extremists at the other end who believe we should all be fore-foot running, but most people seem to find that the mid-foot style works - it does for me. I deliberately run fore-foot sometimes for training purposes, and cyclists should be able to do this more easily than runners, actually. The thing is, that it is a result of a combination of personal physiolgy, practice and training. If you really want to get it right, you should have your gait assessed by a qualified coach or trainer, and go from there.

I am thinking of booking into a gait analysis session as a Runners Need has just opened close to where I work.

I've thought more about how I'm landing and practised a 5k run landing on my heels. It didn't work very well - I could feel a quick surge of pressure under my kneecap on every strike, that went away to be replaced by the pressure surge being felt in my calves and thighs when I reverted to my normal mid-foot plant.

I've decided that since a short stride mid-foot plant is what I do without thinking and doesn't leave me with sore knees, I'm probably onto a winner and should't change anything.

Good thinking.  Over-striding, which is encouraged by heelfoot strike, gives increased risk of shin splints, highly undesirable, and a shorter stride tends to encourage a faster cadence which is said to be more efficient (~180 spm seems about optimum).

Good running!
"What a long, strange trip it's been", Truckin'

Flying_Monkey

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #568 on: 26 June, 2011, 11:18:07 pm »
Hmm. Well I got 18 hours into my non-stop triathlon, but after 3 two-hour running sessions my knees couldn't take anymore, even though I had been running very, very slowly. I guess it was a combination of running on concrete pavements and the fact that my knees just aren't capable of taking that kind of punishment any more because of all those years of football and judo. This means I am really going to have to give up on any ideas of marathons or Ironman. The swimming, on the other hand, was great. But that's for another thread...

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #569 on: 03 July, 2011, 10:33:37 pm »
Hmm. Well I got 18 hours into my non-stop triathlon, but after 3 two-hour running sessions my knees couldn't take anymore, even though I had been running very, very slowly. I guess it was a combination of running on concrete pavements and the fact that my knees just aren't capable of taking that kind of punishment any more because of all those years of football and judo. This means I am really going to have to give up on any ideas of marathons or Ironman. The swimming, on the other hand, was great. But that's for another thread...

Impressive achievement nonetheless, well done.

Right - I've just been out for my first run in the best part of 2 decades. Even prior to that I've done very little since leaving school, where I was a crap cross country runner - obligatory for those averse to rugby or hockey.
Why?
- I feel the need to be able to burn some calories more conveniently or predictably than I can on the bike.
- I feel the need just to check that I can still actually run.
- I might, just might, do a bike / ru duathlon thing with a colleague from work. The minimum run distance is 5km; 10 km is   totally unchartered territory for me.

So - 2.5 km according to gmapspedometer, no hills but gentle rises / fall, in 15:46 - but that includes walking to the end of the street. And getting in and out of the flat. Still, it's 10 minutes a mile  :-[

Felt ok - definitely could have run further. Felt that my breathing wasn't keeping up with me after 500 m or so, but I suggested to myself that if I slowed down a bit this might improve, and it did. So it was a sort of jog, really, at a pace that I could maintain, while I tried to remind myself or learn what sort of posture works well, how to place my feet etc. Mild "stitch" about half way that went away and returned a bit towards the end when I picked up the pace a little.

Pains: lower part of calf muscle on both sides feels pretty tired; top part of shins on the outsides.

So - increase the distance or increase the pace?
And can someone suggest a few not too time-consuming post run stretches?

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #570 on: 04 July, 2011, 11:28:02 am »
Hmm. Well I got 18 hours into my non-stop triathlon, but after 3 two-hour running sessions my knees couldn't take anymore, even though I had been running very, very slowly. I guess it was a combination of running on concrete pavements and the fact that my knees just aren't capable of taking that kind of punishment any more because of all those years of football and judo. This means I am really going to have to give up on any ideas of marathons or Ironman. The swimming, on the other hand, was great. But that's for another thread...

Impressive achievement nonetheless, well done.

Right - I've just been out for my first run in the best part of 2 decades. Even prior to that I've done very little since leaving school, where I was a crap cross country runner - obligatory for those averse to rugby or hockey.
Why?
- I feel the need to be able to burn some calories more conveniently or predictably than I can on the bike.
- I feel the need just to check that I can still actually run.
- I might, just might, do a bike / ru duathlon thing with a colleague from work. The minimum run distance is 5km; 10 km is   totally unchartered territory for me.

So - 2.5 km according to gmapspedometer, no hills but gentle rises / fall, in 15:46 - but that includes walking to the end of the street. And getting in and out of the flat. Still, it's 10 minutes a mile  :-[

Felt ok - definitely could have run further. Felt that my breathing wasn't keeping up with me after 500 m or so, but I suggested to myself that if I slowed down a bit this might improve, and it did. So it was a sort of jog, really, at a pace that I could maintain, while I tried to remind myself or learn what sort of posture works well, how to place my feet etc. Mild "stitch" about half way that went away and returned a bit towards the end when I picked up the pace a little.

Pains: lower part of calf muscle on both sides feels pretty tired; top part of shins on the outsides.

So - increase the distance or increase the pace?
And can someone suggest a few not too time-consuming post run stretches?

Neither!!

Stick to the same run for a good 2 weeks and forget about the pace, it will slowly rise all by itself.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #571 on: 04 July, 2011, 02:32:09 pm »
Neither!!

Stick to the same run for a good 2 weeks and forget about the pace, it will slowly rise all by itself.

Seems reasonable - since posting the above I've had a quick scan of programmes on t'web and there are lots of dire warnings about avoiding doing too much too soon and allowing the bones and joints to adapt.

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #572 on: 04 July, 2011, 02:35:59 pm »
Top tip for avoiding bone and joint grief = run on grass while you build up your strength - it's a lot easier on the joints than running on roads.

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #573 on: 04 July, 2011, 03:06:52 pm »
Top tip for avoiding bone and joint grief = run on grass while you build up your strength - it's a lot easier on the joints than running on roads.

Having read the same thing, when I re-started running, I actually found the opposite was true.

I found the uneven footing and effort of stabilising my feet running on grass in the park was much more wearing on the ankles and uncomfortable on the knees than running on the smooth flat tarmac of the path round park.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Re: Cross Training: Running
« Reply #574 on: 04 July, 2011, 03:11:55 pm »
Granted - it takes well maintained turf - think footy or cricket pitch, or the grass in the centre of an athletics track.

Hareing across Richmond Park is probably not easy on the joints.