Beardys running log - Ct5k

[Hot Flatus]

Very helpful answers, thankyou everybody, especially Jasmine again.

Interesting to hear about drinking. When I got up to about 11 mile runs, I started to feel that I could do with a drink. It wasn't absolutely necessary but would be nice. Got up to 13.5 miles yesterday, half of it on hilly trail, the rest on flattish trail, and was glad to have a drink.

As a side note, I started off with a bit of a stiff/sore knee, but it seemed to settle down, and I ran with no issues. Woke up with a really sore knee to the point of having to hobble downstairs in some pain. Had a little think about what it might be and tried a deep quad stretch. Instant relief. I reckon my quads had tightened and were pulling my knee cap off its track. Must do some VMO exercises and stretching regularly now, I think.

[Polar Bear]

Just back from a 10km.  After the zone 2/3 session yesterday I set a warning on the Garmin for top of zone 4 and went out deliberately taking it steady.  The stats tell me that I never got within 6bpm of the warning alarm and that my average hr for the run was 15bpm below that figure   also, I was a tad slower but nothing alarmingly so.  In fact, I had expected to be much slower so that was a pleasant surprise.

I feel well exercised but not whacked and I really enjoyed it.  I'm beginning to warm to this hr zone training.

[sojournermike]

Struggled again this week, so nipped out for a late lunch 6 miler. Much better afternoon as a result:)

[mrcharly-YHT]

Another good one this morning.
Knocking quite a lot off my times for my regular loop and I'm able to bound up the steeper hills. Suspect my legs are getting stronger.

[chrisbainbridge]

had my second jab on wednesday so a bit under the weather for 2 days.  Did some Pilates and about to get back into it today.

Both my wife and I have been incredibly tired for the last few days and been in bed for 20:30 which is most unlike us.

[Polar Bear]

I'm hoping that when the jab finally gets around to me it'll be fed up with side effects as they are mostly undramatic and thus pointless.

A couple of our associates have reported varying side effects from nausea and headaches in the 24 to 48 hours after a jab to a sore arm in the vicinity of the jab itself.  Mostly though there has been very little reported.

I'm more concerned about it disrupting my new training regime ...  😉

[Polar Bear]

Finished my first week of the new regime.  Four sessions for the first time as a runner since the early nineties when I was a marathon runner.  First time though that I have done sessions for low level heart rate training and for intervals.  Really quite an enjoyable experience.

I think that I will shuffle the order of my runs next week for more convenience though I will try very hard to stick with the programme.

This morning I did the intervals session.  It is a modest starting point for intervals but one has to start somewhere.  I was recalling as I walked back home on my cool down after the session that I had considered intervals once or twice last summer / autumn but had felt intimidated and nervous about being able to actually do them. 

[Hot Flatus]

10k this morning after two days rest from the half marathon trail run last week. Really noticed various tightnesses. Haven't done yoga since May, so am going to have to get back into a routine with it.

[chrisbainbridge]

40 minutes of running this morning.  Across the fields to warm up then some hill bounding exercise up the hill driving up from the toes.  Really shot the heart rate up! and then after a few repeats headed home doing some stride sessions across the flatter parts before a 5 minute warm down.

Nice fresh air with a good feel in the legs and i will hopefully see some improvements in strength and speed after a few sessions like this.  I now know that when time is short I can do a session like this in 30-40 minutes and get something worthwhile out of it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

What people wear when running: There's a lot of talk about leggings, merino, gloves, coats even. Which is all a huge contrast to what I see here even in the depths of winter. Most people here are running in shorts and t-shirts even when the temperature is sub zero. Obviously there's the urban heat island effect, though that also applies to at least PB and surely others. I think the major difference is just age...

[Polar Bear]

We'll start at shorts and a tee as the defacto running outfit.  When the air temp drops below 5 degrees C a long sleeved top such as a Helly Hanson will appear below the tee.  When the air temperature reaches close to zero or the wind is biting from the north or east in particular then the shorts are ditched for Ronhill tracksters.  I wear thin gloves primarily for protection from windchill when I'm wearing a long sleeved top.   I usually wear a cap but that is for keeping the bright-for-me light from my eyes. 

For early runs in the spring/summer/autumn I will often ditch the cap but keep the shades.  Even when running in long sleeves I will pull them up to my elbows before 3km is completed.  Likewise, it is rare that my thin gloves last beyond 2km but I do tend to put them back on when I finish running and start my cool down walk.

Being a bear with a bear-sized cranium I have to date had a fruitless search for a well-ventilated cap or even a peak for running on warm days that actually fits.  It is quite amazing how small the skulls of mere mortals really are.  I am seriously considering buying a few of the cap that I have which fits properly and having them customised to full mesh upper.

I have a running shell-like jacket but I never wear it.  I generally either xon't run in the rain or just live with getting wet.

My running garb has not changed since the eighties when I was in my twenties and training through the winter for marathons.  Age seems to have made little difference save for the size of the garments worn.   

[chrisbainbridge]

I am amazed at how little people wear.  Since i lost weight in the summer i am very cold sensitive.  This morning, 2degC, I was out in a beanie, autumn cycling base layer, a lightweight windstopper top, buff and gloves with compression shorts, 3/4 leggings and merino socks.

If I had been doing 10k I would have taken off the beanie and buff halfway round and the gloves for short periods but then put them back on again.

[Polar Bear]

Ah well Chris, when I was doing my first low hr run on Thursday I anticipated feeling cold and dressed with long sleeves beneath a tee and tracksters but if I'd have been doing a normal intensity session I would have worn shorts and a tee given that it was warm enough.

I didn't overheat at all.

[Cudzoziemiec]

One thing I have is an ear warmer or headband. Think Borg and McEnroe. It's even got flo you bits for that 80s vibe. But instead of being a simple band, it has extensions over the ears. I was wearing it today, though not the whole time. With it my ears and forehead get warm and sweaty but not overhot; without it, on days like today (about 4 or 5C) I get inflamed lymph nodes below the ears.

[Davef]

On a cold day I will set off with gloves on, after 2 miles my hands will get hot and I will take gloves off and hands will stay warm for rest of run.

However, same temperature, if I set off with no gloves hands will be cold all run.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Went a bit slower this morning, for a little further.
Hummocky country, very tiring on the legs and lungs.

Really need to build up stamina again. I could go cycling, but time pressures make that difficult.

[Polar Bear]

In the "thinking about it" zone preparing for stretches prior to getting out there.  It's quite a bright and cloudy day with a bit of a nip in the air.  10km planned.

[Polar Bear]

Another good 10km kept in the aerobic only zone. 

I am finding this hr training quite satisfying at the moment.

[chrisbainbridge]

25km and my legs are shredded!  The first half was off road, across fields, farm tracks and drying rutted mud. Also more hills than my usual runs

I had forgotten how much harder grass is when not trampled down and compacted.  The rutted mud was a constant mixture of sideways steps and forward with up down into the tractor and animal imprints, then the new grass was just at the bouncy springy stage but nobody had walked on most of it for a while so the paths were not visible.

I loved it, now!  Despite all this I had my fastest half marathon and it was my joint longest run.

[chrisbainbridge]

managed to force myself out for 2.5km!  1km warmup then sprint intervals and back home for breakfast.

[sojournermike]

Sorry intervals and before breakfast is just wrong Chris - unless breakfast is brunch of course

Did 8 miles last night - nice and steady apart from the mile where the young chap whose route coincided with mine found he’d got himself in far to deep;) Hey Ho, old habits die hard

[Polar Bear]

How did you enjoy the fasted running Chris.  I prefer early starts myself.

It rained most of yesterday meaning that I didn't go out.  The rain has stopped now but the wind is blowing quite a gale.  I have intervals to do in a while.  Same session as last week.  Not expecting any immediate gains as it's way too early to see any tangibles yet imo.

[chrisbainbridge]

Hi PB, Virtually all my runs are fasted.  Certainly anything in the morning before work is.  We will have a warm decaff coffee with whole milk and one square of Lindt dark sea salt at about 09:30 and then in the morning I have 2 large nespressos whilst dressing and then straight out.

My cycle commuting was always the same so i think I am used to it.

Partly also I believe it is a result of the keto training.  What I have noticed is that if I am eating more carbs my legs feel more painful after a long run so there may be an inflammation benefit from keto but that is on a sample size of 1 and several repeated experiments.

No run today as it was blowing a gale, raining and I had an ethics proposal to complete for a student before work. 

Mike, i could not be bothered to do a full run and just running the shortest 2.5 without something felt like cheating!!  I also know I need to do the speed and hill work now if I want to improve at all.

[Polar Bear]

I enjoy the fasted early run too and always did back in the day when I was training for marathons.  It just worked for me.  Similarly I used to cycle or run commute before breakfast on a regular basis for a couple of decades so perhaps the body adapts?  I have no idea.

Time for my dynamic stretching now.  This is week 2 of the new regime and will be only my second Intervals session ever.  Not looking forward to the wind effect but equally not wanting to wimp out.

[chrisbainbridge]

Do you have a dynamic stretching program?  I am using a mix of an online Pilates stretching class which I find a bit quick and my own stretching from my in person Pilates.

My pilates instructor is ex ballerina and her introduction to Pilates stretching was " start your glute stretch, I will be back in 5 minutes!".  She says she then realised the difference between normal and Pilates!