Starting again from the beginning!

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  • Hi all, glad everyone is keeping up the good work.

    I had a shock with the jump this week. I went from 8 mins run/90 secs walk last week to this week 12 mins run/1min walk, both x3. The jump from 24 mins running to 36 mins running just really caught me out. I did it the first day but have dropped it to x2 instead of x3. I woke up the morning after and felt like i'd been hit by a truck....

    Apart from that everything seems fine. Have slightly changed the plan now so next week is 15 mins x2 with a min break and then after that I should be running for 30 mins non stop. I am determined to do it this time so if I have to repeat a week I will. 

    Grendel and Just Run- good luck with the preparations for the upcoming races. I think I am going to bite the bullet and enter the Ely 10k on New Years Eve. What a way to finish the year with my first race. I just don't want to tempt fate by actually parting with money and not getting to the start line (again).

    Safe running all..

  • Awesome run Just Run - strange how you can go from feeling good to feeling rubbsih just like that - but well done on getting on witrh it - I think that is it in the end you just have to keep going.  BUt the extra mileage will do you no end of good.

    beachball - can imagine making that jump did leave you feeling flat but well done anyway  and good luck with the plans for a non stop 30 - that will be a massive step forward and a brilliant feeling.

    Well managed to combine two 'higher' in inverted commas days - 5 Saturday - and then 6 yesterday - felt fine Saturday but not so good yesterday but got there. Not ready for that jump up to 8 though Just Run.

    Went out this morning into the gale that has been forecast all week - intended only to do 3 anyway but ended up getting home in 3.25 miles so decided to go round the block and and do the 4 miles - strange in some ways a few weeks ago 3 miles was the target now it doesn't seem to be enough - but have decided to go to my book and do the taper part of the 10K schedule for the last 2 weeks so I am tapering properly for it - 

    Oh well Happy Days and good running all. 

  • Keep going Beachball, you will get there. I repeated a couple of weeks and it certainly won’t do you any harm in the long run. Get that race entry in too, it’ll keep you motivated and focused. 

    Thanks Grendel, i know the long runs will really help me, i’ve got a 7 mile tempo run Wednesday with a 9 miler at the weekend!

    Had a nice quick 2 miles after work tonight with the kids in tow on their bikes. Followed that with a lovely roast dinner and then took the boys down to the village football pitch for a run around. Was pleasantly pleased to be running around like a teenager while half the kids there were dropping like flies. I’m sure i’m quicker now than when i was playing 10 years ago.

    Week 2

    Month - 28

    2011 - 220.09

  • 9 miles?! You must be mad, man! But it can only be good image good job on showing the youngsters how it's done too. Glad to hear you've got no niggles either Just Run, despite the increase in training - excellent news.

    Grendel, think you're right about that mentality...might be a generational thing since my Dad's much the same about sport. Think he struggles to understand why I hold back on the runs during the week, and why injuries happen so frequently! Kudos on getting so much packed into the week though, good to see you're still progressing really well.

    Beachball & Thomas, keep at it guys. Both doing great, and beachball don't worry about hitting a bit of a stumbling block, you're doing the right thing I'm sure by cutting back slightly in favour of keeping it comfortable. Just takes time to work your way up the mileage ladder, but you'll be there soon and be the proud owner of a 30 minute run image

    Went out today in the gales for a 4k (22:35), first time running since Thursday so I was a bit rusty. Pacing was all over the place, conditions rough and calves were tight, but my foot held up which was the crucial thing - hope the rest has done it good. I have my target parkrun this weekend, but I'm not at all confident of notching that sub-20 time, as my training hasn't been too grand of late and the conditions could make it borderline impossible! Still...19:42 is my 5k PB, so maybe that'll spur me on.
  • Very widny again this morning but an easy 4mile run with a faster last mile (with the wind) as I am ashamed to say I tried to catch someone who had passed me going the other way - bit of a lack of confidence over the first part of the return trip but I did start to close on him with a faster last mile - another half mile and I might have got him!!!  Oh well

    Aiming for 8 times a quarter mile tomorrow (unless the garmin thingy can be persuaded to put in 400 metres)  - off a minute recovery warm up and warm down - have also found a bit of a slope up on the the sea wall - and is about 200 metres long that I can use for a hill session but won't start that now unitl after my two races and a weeks break.  Am thinking as well of going and standing in the sea after each of the races - should be nice and cold by then as an ice bath (that might not happen though!!) 

     Just Run I can't get my head ropund the idea of a 7 mile tempo run - sounds awful and the 9 Sunday too - getting pretty serious about it all eh?  

    And Mooonlight 5K PB of 19.42 is a serious time at local level - who knows what you can get down to so good luck with the Park Run - we have nothing like that round our way.

    Oh well work calls - Happy running everyone

  • I decided to go back to the club tonight instead of doing my 5 miles. We did easy-paced mile laps up and down a hill. I did 4, so with the warm-up/cool-down it would've came in about 5.5 I think. I had my Garmin ready to go for the session but when I went to press start , it had lost its signal and it wouldn't pick it up on the run.

    I enjoyed it and will go back on Thursday so I'll just rearrange my plans for this week, ditch the planned weekly mileage increase and go for around 18 again.
  • Thanks Grendel, although I always feel slow when I train with my university club! I'll do my best at the parkrun, but not feeling as confident as I did at the previous two. It's a shame you've not got one near to you, hopefully one'll be set up soon. Best of luck with the 8 x 400, sounds like a killer!

    Glad your club session went well Thomas, nice one.

    6k over hilly trail today and I was terrified of damaging foot, legs, you name it. Survived with no major scares though, but as soon as I'm through this parkrun on the weekend I'm definitely taking a week off, or at least scaling it back significantly - especially as I resume at my club at the start of October. Helping my grandparents move house tomorrow, so I reckon my back will be feeling it the next day...not getting any younger! image
  • Well done for getting out to the club Thomas, be a little bit careful as last time you ended up missing a few days so probably best to err on the side of caution in what type of sessions you do with them.

    And well done Moonlight, living by the sea all my running is pretty much done on the flat - (although the wind has made it difficult the last few days!!

    Well the 8 times quarter mile session did not go quite as planned, I set it all up on the garmin thingy last night fine - went to turn it on this morning, nothing at all - I plugged it into the mains to see if I had left it turned on and nothing. SO I ended up doing 8 times 2 minutes off a minute recovery with a mile(ish) warm up and half warm down - did 2 with the wind behind me, then 4 into the wind then 2 with the wind behind me - was glad to get it over and done with - but need now to resolve the garmin thingy problem.  

  • Grendel - yeah, I took it easy last night, it was a hill that I take in a couple of times a week in my training runs anyway and I made sure the session wasn't any harder than a training run. No niggles or anything today so I'll just play it by ear and see how Thursday goes. I asked what the session was likely to be but it's a different coach I think. Whatever it is, I won't be pushing hard. If I feel it's too much then I'll just go once a week for a while.

    My Garmin (110) sometimes dies completely, usually when taking it off charge. I find that just putting it back on to charge brings it back to life,I always have to try multiple times though.
  • Moonlight, i think all runners have to be a little mad to do what we do. I have to admit to being a little leggy after todays run and my left hamstring was a little tight for the last mile but 20 minutes after my run i feel fine. Well done on getting out in the wind, glad to hear your foot is feeling ok. That’s some pb you have, if that doesn’t inspire you, nothing will! Hope the back holds up with the house move!

    Good luck with the ice baths Grendel , its got to be worth a try in the sea, will certainly aid recovery. Hope you sort your garmin out, not meaning to be rude but you do turn the gps off between runs? I used to leave mine running constantly, runs the battery down in no time at all. And yes, getting very serious lol

    Thomas, glad you enjoyed the club session, must really help having others there to spur you on. Some of my long runs do get a bit lonely when the legs are getting heavy.

    Well, the 7 mile tempo run is done! Splits: 10:33, 9:23, 9:26, 9:27, 9:25, 9:16, 10:40

     Can’t believe i was dreading it today at work. It was actually quite comfortable. During the 5th tempo mile i even considered running the warm down mile at the same pace but my legs started to get heavy so decided to just ease down which was probably a sensible thing to do, no need to push any further than necessary. Kept the pace very even throughout and although i’m not getting carried away as it was a very flat run i know with my wife next to me a week Sunday and 650 other runners sweeping us along we should crack 60 minutes very comfortably. 2 mile easy run coming up Friday with the wife after work and then the big 9 miler on Saturday morning.

     Week 9

    Month - 35

    2011 - 227.09

  • To be honest Just Run I thought at first that I had left it on overnight as the last thing I did was toset it up for the interval session but - when I got it re-booted I charged it and it was almost fully charged - so am waiting for garmin to email back -  I can use it if I do the re-boot thing so not a complete disaster but a pain that needs sorting. (espeically as i only bought it in May.

    well done on the tempo run it doesn't seem so onerous at that sort of pace - is that a bit over 'race' pace - you see I always assumed a tempo run was an eyeballs out effort but on relfection may be confused with  a threshold run which is eyeball out.

  • Oh well Garmin still not working -  have put a call in and been told to try something else and then call back -

    This Morning did 4.3 miles according to map my run at about 8:43 pace so happy with that - will pay for it tomorrow I've no doubt!! 

  • Have now sent Garmin thingy back - to Garmin to be repaired
  • Grendel - I hope you're not without it too long.

    Just Run - Well done on your tempo run, enjoy your 9 miler too !


    Moonlight - Good luck on your Parkrun.


    Club session tonight was 400m with 90 sec recovery x 10. I ran them fairly hard but not flat out. Enjoyed it, will definitely be trying to get myself along at least once a week.

    Rest tomorrow (well, a gym session) then 4 Saturday and 5 Sunday. That'll be about 17 for the week, down on last week but that's fine considering the 2 club sessions.
  • Thanks Thomas, and well done on getting through that session, bit of a vicious one.

    Just Run, I definitely agree - I think people who aren't runners genuinely don't understand the mindset of it all, until they become runners themselves! Even so, your 7 mile tempo is pretty steep, but you seem to be running very well! Hope that your 9 miler goes well on the weekend, too...

    Grendel, sorry to hear about your Garmin, here's to hoping that their service is decent and they get it turned around sharpish.

    5k easy for me today, last one before the weekend - the run itself was good, a tad nippy at 5:28/km but comfortable enough over the trails. I was a bit worried when I saw that one of my veins on my foot was swelling up after the run (sorry if anyone's squeamish), probably relating back to my nerve damage; it may well be what's causing the pain in my foot. That x-ray really can't come soon enough, as this needs to be resolved! Anyways...shall report back on the weekend. Best of luck with the running all image
  • Good Session there Thomas - club running does really bring you along - even if it is not a speed session but just running with the others - in my previous existence as a runner, my biggest improvement wasn't through speed sessions, it was by running with others twice a week in steady runs that got faster and faster - as someone always wanted to pick the pace up -

    Good luck with the 9 miler Sunday Just Run and hope the xrays can show what the problem is and someone can give you an indication as to how to resolve it Mooonlight.

    They said Garmin would be about 10 working days - which is a pity as that makes it pretty much the day after the 10K - am not sure whether I intended to use it for the race but decision now made!!!

    This morning was back to using estimated distance and time - but it is what I have always done in past so there you go. Will check on map my run but did approx 4.12 this morning in 38.13 minutes so OK - did a different run this morning as the wind had changed direction!!!  Also with the high-winds of the past week, the amount of sand that had been blown onto and over sea wall meant I might as well have been running on the beach in places!!! Quite difficult - but all helps the cause so plugged on.

    Now two weeks this  Sunday to the first of my races - the 10K, so I  will be looking to cut back a bit over the next two weeks (after Sunday) which will probably mean a rest day or two!!! each week -

    Happy days - have a great weekend all Happy Running

  •  Thanks for all the encouragement guys..

    I now officially have my first 10k to look forward to. The Ely 10k on New years eve image

    This week has been much more comfortable with just the 2x 12mins with a min walk. Up to 15mins x2 next week.

    Grendel- I hope you get the Garmin sorted quickly.

    Moonlight- I hope that foot settles down soon. Good luck with the parkrun tomorrow. I'm sure an easy week wont do any harm at all. I had never even heard of parkrun until I heard people mention them on here. I have a couple within 30 mins drive of me so am going to pencil one in for mid/late October. They sound great fun.

    Just run- well done on the 7 mile tempo run. 9 miler tomorrow?? That is impressive mate.

    I also downloaded a great little app for my blackberry called Endomondo that I also read about on here. Does anyone else use it? Considering it is free i thought it was very good. Only problem was i found myself trying to go faster as I realised how slow I actually am...I must not get hung up on pace though. Plenty of time for all that later I guess..

    Have a good weekend folks..

  • Grendel, garmin are excellent, i sent my old forerunner 50 back over 12 months after i bought it as it kept having to be paired with the footpod and wouldn’t link to my pc. I asked if they could fix it for a fee as the guarantee was out and i was a little disappointed that such a brand name should falter so soon after purchase. Most electrical items should last 5 years, anything after that is a bonus. They simply sent me a new F50, very good of them.

     My tempo run might not seem onorous to you but when you spend 20 years smoking and stuffing your face and still weigh in at 90kg its not so easy i can assure you! I always think it takes as much effort for me to run a 54 minute 10k as it does the winner to run a 30 minute race.

    Well done on the club sessions Thomas, they should pay real dividends for you long term.  What sort of stuff do you concentrate on at the gym? I really need to do some proper resistance training and once my 10k race is out of the way next week i will attempt to draw up a new schedule with strength/resistance training incorporated.

    Moonlight, hope your foot isn’t giving you too much grief. Lets hope the x-ray can reveal the problem and you can do something about it. All the best with you weekend run.

    Beachball, well done on getting that race entry in, now you’ll really have something to focus on. Glad to hear this week was comfortable, you must be improving. Don’t have a smart phone so never heard of the app but good luck with it. Dont worry about your pace too much, Just Run (lol).

    Just finished my easy 2 miler with the wife along the canal. 2 x 10:30m/m, we were having a conversation the whole way so know we were running easy. Not sure which day will be easier for my long run at the weekend as we’re very busy but my confidence is so high now it doesn’t bother me when i go. I used to plan my run times, meals etc but now i pretty much just go.

    All the best with your weekend runs everyone..

    Week 11

    Month - 37

    2011 - 229.09

  • Just Run, I work on upper body / core then quads, hip adductors etc. I also use the elliptical trainer for 25 minutes a couple of times a week, as well as my warm-ups.

    I could do with maybe getting a personal trainer to guide me in the right direction as I'm not really sure I'm making the best of it . I'm definitely getting somewhere though because I can see I am slightly more toned.


    Forgot to mention on my last post, those 400m intervals were coming in at around 90 seconds so that works out at 6 minute miles. I couldn't have held that pace for much longer, but at least I know what that feels like now.....tough!
  • Beachball: Thank you, the easy week will definitely help me recharge, and hopefully eliminate the foot problem as well. The parkruns definitely are great fun, I'm always struck by the atmosphere every time I attend one, and everyone there is very supportive - runners included! Very well done on your week, amazing to think that you're already up to 15 mins continuous running image and the Ely 10k should be a nice motivating goal too!

    (I've also heard of Endomondo, a few of my friends use it and apparently it's pretty good...as you say, particularly considering it's free.)

    The parkrun today wasn't too brilliant, nice conditions but knew inside the first km that I just didn't have a really fast run in my legs. Saw the 21 minute pacer rocket off at the start and never saw him again! Think the fact that I slept very poorly last night didn't help, and the foot injury might be making me subconsciously tentative and unwilling to push the pace - whatever the reasons, it just didn't quite happen. 21:57 which was fairly 'comfortable' for race pace, but I'm still slightly disappointed as I'd intended on a big time. Even so, never mind - a week off now will hopefully sort me out! I'm also contemplating entering the Manuden 5k Fun Run on 2nd Oct, as it's just down the road.

    And also, can I just say that I've been reading back through this thread and it's incredible to see how far people have come since the injury-riddled beginnings. You're all a continual inspiration to me; if I'm even running half as well as all of you a few years down the line, I'd be very proud.
  • Still good effort Moonlight, well done. I'm sure you'll nail it the next time.


    5 miles this morning in about 47 minutes which is quite slow for me. It was the earliest I've ever got up to run, 6am. Maybe I'm not as much of a morning person as I thought, haha. My left calf was a little tight from Thursday's club session but it soon loosened up and it's been fine all day.

    3 or 4 miles tomorrow morning depending on how I feel when I try to get up at 6am again.

  • Looks like everybody is putting in some decent efforts. image

    9 miles this morning, went out in horrendous conditions this morning but it seems the worse the weather the better i run sometimes, it certainly motivates me when the heavens open. Decided to take the hilly route today and i breezed through until about 7 miles and i started to feel a little leggy. However, it didn't last long and i suddenly got a second wind, like i'd swallowed a whole box of energy gels? No idea where this sudden boost came from but i picked the pace up over the last mile, hitting between 8 and 8:30m/m pace over the last half mile. It felt strangely comfortable, although the finish line was very welcome! My first 20 mile week in quite some time, very, very pleased!

    Week 20

    Month - 46

    2011 - 238.09

  • 3 miles this morning in about 27 minutes. It felt like a struggle again so either I'm coming down with this cold that seems to be doing the rounds or it was just too early for me again. I didn't sleep well last night at all which wouldn't have helped matters. I woke up about every half hour and had some sleep paralysis in to the bargain. I only get that when I'm very tired so I maybe just need a good nights sleep.

    Anyway, it's been about 17 miles this week with no niggles or tightness left anywhere. I would like to get my mileage up but will have to be extra careful.

    I'll just do one club session next week since I'm doing Parkrun.
  • Thomas- I cant imagine getting up at 6am to run. I'm really not a morning person either. That said the Parkrun's start at 9am and i'm not even sure how I will handle that.image

    Just run-  Well done on the 9 miler and the 20 mile week. 

    Went out earlier for my first 15min run with a minute recovery . I think I went off too quickly for the first 15 as I really didn't have much left in the tank near the end.  Still managed to get home though and it all goes down to experience.

  • Well done on the early runs Thomas, i’m coming down with a cold of sorts myself, stinking headaches and a sore throat, just in time for this Sundays race. Nice mileage again, and great to hear you’re niggle free too.

    Beachball, fantastic!  Thats 30 minutes running with just a one minute walk break. Thats great progress from where you started.

    What do you people who run in the morning eat prior to going out, if at all? I used to go around 6am when i worked shifts and went on a banana and a small glass of orange juice.

    Nice easy 2 miles after work today. Had a little accident on my bike after work, went straight into the back of a stationary car! Oops! Got a lovely blood blister on the end of my finger and a hole in my knee, but worst of all decided to put my waterproof trousers on for the journey home and have torn a great hole in them.....not good when i paid £40 for them only 12 months ago. Not pleased!

    Week 2

    Month - 48

    2011 - 240.09

  • Well done Beachball. You're doing well.


    Just Run - If I'm up early to get a run in before work, I either have half a banana or half a slice of toast with Nutella and a glass of water. Then after the run I'll have my usual breakfast of granola, toast with more Nutella / peanut butter, apple / banana and a couple of cups of green tea. I love wholemeal toast with peanut butter and banana, it's a breakfast favourite of mine. I know I don't need anything to eat before I run but I think it's a physcological thing. Either way, it works for me.

    Ouch, was there any damage to the car?


    Club session tonight was good. 4 x 1400 with 90 sec recovery then 4 x 200 with a decent recovery. I'll give the club a miss on Thursday and do an easy run instead since I have Parkrun on Saturday.

    Feeling good, looking forward to the Parkrun.
  • 4 x 1400?! image Good work either way, do you find that you enjoy the speed sessions quite a lot, Thomas? I always struggled personally with the actual running, prefer the longer stuff...but enjoyed the atmosphere.

    Interesting to read about the early morning food, as I suspect that cereal probably isn't a good one. Can you get away with running on nothing? I think I might need to start experimenting, toast + banana sounds like a winner though.

    Well done Beachball, and hope you're okay Just Run - commiserations on the waterproofs, but at least you're relatively unscathed!
  • You're probably thinking 1400 is a bit of a wierd distance but they were not on a track. It was a route round a local park that's been measured at 1400.

    Yeah, I have enjoyed them. I look forward to getting my mileage up and doing longer runs though, but that will be a bit longer coming now. It's all new to me so I guess I will find out in time what's best for me.
  • Looking back over the last few days, well done everyone and comiserations to Just Run on his trousers -

    As far as eating before going out at that time, I don't have anything which may effect what I am doing slightly - but I am pretty much up and out in 10 minutes having toasted waffles for junior - But always have a big bowl of cereal straight after shower - it seems to work for me, but it is not something I would recommend - I think you just have to experiment.

    After a few easier days - I did 12 times a minute this morning - off a minute recovery - but it was difficult as it was still dark at the start and I couldn't always see my watch - so found a couple of times that I had done closer to 2 minutes - which shortened the recovery quite a bit!!!

    Happy Running all

  • 4.88 miles in 42:50 today. Legs were pretty tight before but I think a run and good stretch has sorted them out, feel pretty loose now. Gym session later, total rest tomorrow and Parkrun Saturday.

    I'm off work this week so I'm well rested but work does keep me on my feet most of the day so is good for getting rid of tightness the day after a run.

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