Having just read Kaysdee's thread, I see that my aspirations are too similar for me to be selected but I shall certainly follow her thread with interest.
Hi Moraghan, would be great if you could help this former sub 40 min 10 k runner rediscover his running self 17 years later!! now struggle to go sub 49 mins am mad keen to regain past glories
just need some clear direction as to how to get back there again.
Lincoln Gooner - that's a pretty good angle and a different sort of challenge. Message me with more info and past training and we can get started.
Looking for a couple of women now (story of my life). Ideally one short distance (5k - ish) and another with goals between 10k to HM. It's easier to sort out the more information - indication of recent times at distances, main goals, target distances etc would be good.
Thanks for the interest - had quite a few off line messages, sorry if I haven't replied to them all.
Well I am a woman! I've been running for nearly 2 years and have so far done 3 half marathons (best time 1:57:21) and a 10k (51:23). currently training for a marathon at the end of april and have been following an intermediate training plan from runners world, which has all gone well. I want to concentrate on my shorter distances, would really love to do a sub 45 min 10k in october this year, then run a sub 1:45 for a half marathon.
Looking at long distances but I'm slow, my best marathon was 5.12 in London years ago. Do have a marathon coming up in less than 6 weeks, but also have a marathon in mid July where I'd like to get sub 4.30.
I also do spinning and body pump twice a week. Also trying to lose weight as that will help me get faster. Finally I'm a member of a running club.
The ladies' threads are quiet at the moment as they are all tapering for marathons.
Participation is encouraged and I'm sure the thread owner won't mind if you have questions and you are a similar athlete which I will try to answer.
While most stuff is specific to the athlete I will also post things on here which are relevant to all runners, e.g. warm-ups, race prep etc. Would be good if the runners could check here periodically.
Some of this is going to be elementary, but it's best to document it. Many runners will do a mile of easy running and then attempt to do their workout / race - rumours have it that some people even race without warming up at all.
A mile of easy running is not even sufficient to raise core temperature during winter let alone prepare your body for hard running. A race requires a an easy warm-up of at least 2 miles, followed by strides. Strides are necessary to prepare your body for the harder running without incurring undue fatigue, they also put your body through the full range of running movement reducing the likelihood of ROM related strains. You will find your performance improves just doing those two things.
However, to do this in races means you must also prepare by doing them in training. The goal is to be ready to go with your hard workout / race and to be fit enough that achieving this state doesn't fatigue you.
The bare minimum that I will insist on before hard workouts / races is 2 miles of easy running plus 3 * 20 second strides with 40 second jog recovery. For higher mileage and faster athletes (I only bring speed into it because 2 miles for one athlete may take as long as 3 for another) 3 miles is a minimum.
Exceptions
Race exceptions: Marathon where you will do the bare minimum.
Training exceptions: MP / progressive runs where, because of the gradual developing pace of the workout, strides can be foregone if absolutely necessary.
Additions
Many warm-ups should include the use of drills and dynamic mobility exercises. These are particularly useful for workouts at 3k pace or faster. More on these later and they have to be integrated judiciously.
An Example
I will use myself as an example for a track workout, not because it's ideal, but because it's tried and tested and gives you an idea.
3m easy warm-up, progressive
5 * (50m drills, 50m jog back, 50m strides emphasising the drill technique, 50m walk). Each set is a different drill. (I should be adding some dynamic mobility into this also).
0.5m of jog the turns of the track and striding the straight.
This is a bit left field, but i am training for an 85mile Ultra in August , but i have a fun 10k race against some work colleagues in July. I know they will train hard specifically for this any hints or tips to keep me from being blown away as my training will be BIG mileage around that time.
Assuming it's appropriate to your schedule at the time I would say you'd get the most bang for your buck from some 10k paced sessions. Your work colleagues will probably be shaped like David Brent so you're probably going to be okay anyway!
Will be following the short distance training threads with interest (and Kaysdees too cause she's lovely )
I'd have liked to have taken part to hammer down my 1500m & 3k track times, but I'm a bit committed to doing my club training sessions at the mo so I don't meet the criteria.
I don't know if you are looking for more Trainees but I would like to put myself forward.
I have completed 2 marathons around 5 hours. I am very good at following plans. In fact I love plans.
I have had a long layoff due to potentail inherited heart defect and was told to stop running completely until I received the all clear, which I had a month ago and since then I have been rebuilding my running very slowly.
I have a gamin and 2 bikes - Racing and off road.
I would like to aim for The Abindon Marathon in October.
While I understand that this is a really good offer you have put forward and will benefit anyone who takes you up on it I would just like to say that it's a shame you don't offer the same advice to those of us who are not as experienced or advanced as your criteria demands.
There are certainly some of us novices that would benefit from advice and training help to aid us toward that aim of becoming experienced or advanced. Especially those of us that live in the very rural areas and have little or no access to nearby clubs.
Fair enough. To be honest most novices just need to be focusing on increasing mileage, staying injury free and including strides. Many would benefit from some work on form etc, but very few runners want to hear about that unfortunately.
I've given lots of feedback on this in the past - it's a shame the search functionality on here is so abysmal. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask here or start a new thread.
Moraghan, this might be a very stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyway. How exactly should you do strides correctly? I hear them mentioned all the time but I've never been 100% on exactly what is meant by them. I've always assumed it just meant to increase your stride length for a short period, could you elaborate or am I just being dense?
In the context here - that of ways of maintaining leg turnover for distance runners - they are simply fast, relaxed runs over about 70 - 100m. Your stride length will increase, but as a result of running faster not because you are consciously trying to increase the length of your stride.
I think of them as short reps where you go as fast as is comfortable without using leg / arm drive, without straining and without incurring oxygen debt / lactic etc. They key is to stay relaxed at all times and not to do the next stride until recovered from the previous.
Ah so sort of like a relaxed interval then. You learn something new every day. I'll give it a go sometime. I never bothered before (although reading what you said, I do sort of stride occasionally during a run but not in an organised way).
Fair enough. To be honest most novices just need to be focusing on increasing mileage, staying injury free and including strides. Many would benefit from some work on form etc, but very few runners want to hear about that unfortunately.
I've given lots of feedback on this in the past - it's a shame the search functionality on here is so abysmal. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask here or start a new thread.
Yep, that would certainly sound like me lol. I'm struggling to increase my pace at the moment.I only started running a few weeks ago and although I started off on 10 1/2 minute miles they seem to have increased to 12 minutes as my mileage increases. Yesterday I went for a run and just did 2 miles as I have shin pain but I decided to run them as fast as I could. I managed 8 min 30 each but it killed me to do it and I was coughing for ages after. lol.
If you only started running a few weeks ago, concentrate on building distance and avoiding getting injured as Moraghan said above. Trying to run fast is a sure fire way to pull something if you haven't accustomed your body to running properly yet, trust me I've done that already.
I would certainly be interested in this. You've got more than enough people for now, but I'd like to be considered for future training.
I'm a 1:33 HM and a 42-minute 10k runner. I'm currently base building up to 55-60mpw at the moment, with a goal of sub-1:30 at my next HM on September 5th, and hope to go under 1:54 at the Scottish Kilomaton on October 3rd. A sub-40 10k is also on the table, but I don't have a specific time goal for that yet. I have some summer 10k's and 5k's that I'm planning to use as benchmarks, but I'm not taking them too seriously.
I think my main problem is routine - before I started base training I was doing the same hard workouts week in, week out - I reckon I would benefit from some summer periodization to hit the key aspects of 10K & HM running.
Thanks Moraghan - I'm thinking of 3 or 4 weeks of VO2 max intervals for 10K improvement, then longer intervals at 10K pace & HM pace development for lactic threshold.
Comments
Nice one!
Have sent you a pm.
When i put it down on screen it looks like a pretty amateurish way of going about my running actually!
However, that should hopefully mean it's easy to get some good gains!
Having just read Kaysdee's thread, I see that my aspirations are too similar for me to be selected but I shall certainly follow her thread with interest.
Hi Moraghan, would be great if you could help this former sub 40 min 10 k runner rediscover his running self 17 years later!! now struggle to go sub 49 mins am mad keen to regain past glories
just need some clear direction as to how to get back there again.
Lincoln Gooner - that's a pretty good angle and a different sort of challenge. Message me with more info and past training and we can get started.
Looking for a couple of women now (story of my life). Ideally one short distance (5k - ish) and another with goals between 10k to HM. It's easier to sort out the more information - indication of recent times at distances, main goals, target distances etc would be good.
Thanks for the interest - had quite a few off line messages, sorry if I haven't replied to them all.
I'm nearly out of wonka bars!
Me woman to
Looking at long distances but I'm slow, my best marathon was 5.12 in London years ago. Do have a marathon coming up in less than 6 weeks, but also have a marathon in mid July where I'd like to get sub 4.30.
I also do spinning and body pump twice a week. Also trying to lose weight as that will help me get faster. Finally I'm a member of a running club.
Caterpillar girl - correct. I hope you'll be a regular in that thread!
Tired Legs - already have a female marathoner, sorry!
jax1331 - assuming you fit the other criteria you're in. Send me an message with more complete information and recent training history.
The other short distance female slot has also been taken so we're full up now! I'll post a list of threads here when all up and running.
Here's a summary of the threads with PBs:
Midland Runner (1:13 HM), male, currently training for a half marathon.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4&UTN=156284&V=6&SP=
Stevie G (1:19 HM), male, currently training for 5k thru to 10m.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4&UTN=156312&V=6&SP=
Pammie (24:23 5k), female, will be training for mile through to 5k.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4&UTN=156381&V=6&SP=
Kaysdee (1:41 HM), female, marathons (tons of them)
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4&UTN=156302&V=6&SP=
Jax1331 (51:32 10k), female, will be training for 10k to half marathon
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4&UTN=156470&V=6&SP=
The ladies' threads are quiet at the moment as they are all tapering for marathons.
Participation is encouraged and I'm sure the thread owner won't mind if you have questions and you are a similar athlete which I will try to answer.
While most stuff is specific to the athlete I will also post things on here which are relevant to all runners, e.g. warm-ups, race prep etc. Would be good if the runners could check here periodically.
Race / Hard Effort Warm-Up
Some of this is going to be elementary, but it's best to document it. Many runners will do a mile of easy running and then attempt to do their workout / race - rumours have it that some people even race without warming up at all.
A mile of easy running is not even sufficient to raise core temperature during winter let alone prepare your body for hard running. A race requires a an easy warm-up of at least 2 miles, followed by strides. Strides are necessary to prepare your body for the harder running without incurring undue fatigue, they also put your body through the full range of running movement reducing the likelihood of ROM related strains. You will find your performance improves just doing those two things.
However, to do this in races means you must also prepare by doing them in training. The goal is to be ready to go with your hard workout / race and to be fit enough that achieving this state doesn't fatigue you.
The bare minimum that I will insist on before hard workouts / races is 2 miles of easy running plus 3 * 20 second strides with 40 second jog recovery. For higher mileage and faster athletes (I only bring speed into it because 2 miles for one athlete may take as long as 3 for another) 3 miles is a minimum.
Exceptions
Race exceptions: Marathon where you will do the bare minimum.
Training exceptions: MP / progressive runs where, because of the gradual developing pace of the workout, strides can be foregone if absolutely necessary.
Additions
Many warm-ups should include the use of drills and dynamic mobility exercises. These are particularly useful for workouts at 3k pace or faster. More on these later and they have to be integrated judiciously.
An Example
I will use myself as an example for a track workout, not because it's ideal, but because it's tried and tested and gives you an idea.
3m easy warm-up, progressive
5 * (50m drills, 50m jog back, 50m strides emphasising the drill technique, 50m walk). Each set is a different drill. (I should be adding some dynamic mobility into this also).
0.5m of jog the turns of the track and striding the straight.
Start workout......
This is a bit left field, but i am training for an 85mile Ultra in August , but i have a fun 10k race against some work colleagues in July. I know they will train hard specifically for this any hints or tips to keep me from being blown away as my training will be BIG mileage around that time.
Best of luck with your coaching.
How long's a piece of string?
Assuming it's appropriate to your schedule at the time I would say you'd get the most bang for your buck from some 10k paced sessions. Your work colleagues will probably be shaped like David Brent so you're probably going to be okay anyway!
Will be following the short distance training threads with interest (and Kaysdees too cause she's lovely )
I'd have liked to have taken part to hammer down my 1500m & 3k track times, but I'm a bit committed to doing my club training sessions at the mo so I don't meet the criteria.
best of luck with the project though Moraghan!
I don't know if you are looking for more Trainees but I would like to put myself forward.
I have completed 2 marathons around 5 hours. I am very good at following plans. In fact I love plans.
I have had a long layoff due to potentail inherited heart defect and was told to stop running completely until I received the all clear, which I had a month ago and since then I have been rebuilding my running very slowly.
I have a gamin and 2 bikes - Racing and off road.
I would like to aim for The Abindon Marathon in October.
More detailed info can be supplied off line
Carl
Hi Carl
All the free spaces are gone, sorry. Hope the comeback goes well.
While I understand that this is a really good offer you have put forward and will benefit anyone who takes you up on it I would just like to say that it's a shame you don't offer the same advice to those of us who are not as experienced or advanced as your criteria demands.
There are certainly some of us novices that would benefit from advice and training help to aid us toward that aim of becoming experienced or advanced. Especially those of us that live in the very rural areas and have little or no access to nearby clubs.
Just a thought.
Linda
Fair enough. To be honest most novices just need to be focusing on increasing mileage, staying injury free and including strides. Many would benefit from some work on form etc, but very few runners want to hear about that unfortunately.
I've given lots of feedback on this in the past - it's a shame the search functionality on here is so abysmal. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask here or start a new thread.
In the context here - that of ways of maintaining leg turnover for distance runners - they are simply fast, relaxed runs over about 70 - 100m. Your stride length will increase, but as a result of running faster not because you are consciously trying to increase the length of your stride.
I think of them as short reps where you go as fast as is comfortable without using leg / arm drive, without straining and without incurring oxygen debt / lactic etc. They key is to stay relaxed at all times and not to do the next stride until recovered from the previous.
Ah so sort of like a relaxed interval then. You learn something new every day. I'll give it a go sometime. I never bothered before (although reading what you said, I do sort of stride occasionally during a run but not in an organised way).
Cheers for that
I'm a 1:33 HM and a 42-minute 10k runner. I'm currently base building up to 55-60mpw at the moment, with a goal of sub-1:30 at my next HM on September 5th, and hope to go under 1:54 at the Scottish Kilomaton on October 3rd. A sub-40 10k is also on the table, but I don't have a specific time goal for that yet. I have some summer 10k's and 5k's that I'm planning to use as benchmarks, but I'm not taking them too seriously.
I think my main problem is routine - before I started base training I was doing the same hard workouts week in, week out - I reckon I would benefit from some summer periodization to hit the key aspects of 10K & HM running.
Anyway, just getting my foot in the door.
You can PM me for more information, but alas, the free spots are taken!
The Duckinator - I like the way you are approaching your target, best of luck.