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Starting again from the beginning!
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Evening all, mind if I join you?
I haven't been through the whole thread, but the last few pages have made me want to get up and get going again, so I figured if I post something here I can at least be held accountable to my good intentions!
I've 'started' running several times. I ran a 10k race in my final year at uni (2012), the Paris Marathon the year after, and the North Lincs Half the year after that. The problem is, every time I finish the race I basically stop exercising, which does me no good. I'd still like to race occasionally, but stay active the rest of the time.
So what prompted a change? I've just started a new job after 18 months of a 3-hour round commute, and can walk to work instead. If I go for it, I can cover the 2.7 miles in 32 minutes-ish, which seems quick for walking. I've been doing this, as well as trying to eat less rubbish, to get rid of the excess weight I've been carrying since my uni days - I peaked at 15st 10lbs (I'm about 5'11", so that's basically obese), was 15st 4lbs after the Christmas weight fell off, and am now down to 14st 1lb since the start of March. I'm aiming for 12st 9lbs, but secretly I'd love to get under 12st again - that was roughly the weight I was when I started my studies.
Anyway, I've always enjoyed running, and figured it can only help me keep the weight coming off and stay healthy. With that in mind, I started my new 'training' with a 29:07 5k(ish) tonight, and intend to keep going! Speed isn't really of the essence, but I am eyeing up a 10k in September and my old time of 53:30 would be the dream.
I shan't keep rambling, but thank you to all of you for serving as the inspiration for starting again, and good luck over the bank holiday weekend!
Feel free to join in RusskiRob I only jumped on the thread a couple of months ago, but they seem a friendly bunch!! Thats great loosing the weight, i'm having problems in that department. Enjoy the weekend.
Welcome RusskiRob. As Rob says were friendly here and a better inspirational thread you wont find.
4.12 miles for me today.
I'll catch up properly later but I'm about to go for my first little run/walk sesh - so excited but also feeling unaccountably nervous in case something still hurts or I manage to damage another bit! Hopefully not and I'll be back in a while to let you know.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Good luck and I hope weathers better for you JaneyH as its blowing a hoolie here and lashing down with rain !!!!
Thank you all for the warm welcome!
Four miles+ sounds pretty good 330, hopefully I'll be getting there before too long! I hope your session went well JaneyH, the weather has been miserable here so fingers crossed it wasn't too bad and you made it back in one piece!
I ran the same rough 5km as Friday yesterday evening, this time 27.34. Still figuring out what a comfortable pace is and trying not to overdo it each time, but it still feels good to see the time drop
I'm back
Everyone seems to be doing great stuff in the last few days!
JR you are steaming at the moment - I bet you can't wait till the marathon next month now.
B2b how was the parkrun?
330 glad to see you're back to it and going well - how was the decorating?
Robert I think I'm standing at the end of the same long road as you! But we'll get there!
RusskiRob (interesting name - where did that come from?) you are also going great guns. I suspect you will be outstripping all of us before too long looking at what you're managing atm - but I also suspect you have a few years on some of us if you graduated in 2012
Your pace is good - if that doesn't feel too tough you could either keep to the same distance and increase the pace or stick to the pace (just under 9 min/miles) and increase the distance very slightly but not too much - say just another 0.5-1 k. I think the latter might be the better option - get some miles in your legs before trying to add faster stuff. Anyway keep posting as you also provide inspiration for the rest of us.
Well - I did it
First time out for 3 weeks - I did the session exactly as planned - 4 reps of 5 mins run 1 min walk on my flat loop and it felt fabulous to be back out there. I reckon the warm up and stretching was twice as long as the actual run but that's probably a good thing! Plan is to do 2 more sessions of that before increasing next week. Doing it all in minutes but I'm still obsessed with pace and distance!
24 mins 2.11 miles
average pace overall 11.23 min/miles
average pace of running sections 10.87 min/miles
I'm also now a year older than I was last week
Good to hear Janey - I am also obsessed with distance and record every run that why I am desperate for a garmin so I am not restricted to routes I can measure on a map. Benn keeping spreadsheets of my runs for years and before that in the diaries you used to get in RW!!
The decorating was Fab took 5 days but the place is shinning - ma in law really appreciated it and I got so much more satisfaction working at that than I do pushing a pen about in my real job. Oh and happy birthday !!
By the way anyone wanting to enter London, apparently the entry to ballot starts at 9am Tomorrow and closes Friday, that's what someone posted on Facebook although previously it was 12 midinight and closed when 125k enteries were received.
So its open for 4 days so potential of 400k or more in ballot
Glad the decorating went so well. Thanks! I'm the wrong side of 50 now but I've decided it's just a number!
JaneyH I am on the wrong side of 50 also the very wrong side
Just a spreadshhet I designed but its served me well for year
That me entered London 2016 ballot
They ask what charity your doing it for and list about 30 asking you to check the one you will run for as they will inform them if you are in
I didn't check any as I want to run it for me - so suppose that's me out !!
ooooo dear im behind with the thread again!!!
Welcome aboard RusskiRob!
JaneyH - Yeah parkrun wasnt bad at all, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to pace my sister quite easily. Just missed a PB for her though (26:32 I think) we came in 26:42. I really wasnt sure I would have the spring back in my legs but it seemed fine. Calf is a little tight but im going to give it a little slow run tonight to try and stretch it out.
330 - so happy you entered!!!
330, that will be me out too then as I ticked no charity for the ballot. That will be my 7th rejection if so.
Well that's run/walk number 2 done - same sesh as last one - run 5 mins walk 1 min x4. Nearly didn't go as I've had a very tight calf since the last one but as it didn't come on till 24 hours after I figured it's DOMS rather than anything more sinister and that if it felt okay when I started it would be okay to run. If I waited to feel not sore every time it would be a fortnight between each session!
Because of the calf I tried hard to keep the pace slower on the runs this time - mind you that wasn't difficult!
24.03 mins 1.99 miles average overall pace 12.04 average run pace 11.63
330 - I do actually have all my sessions for the next 12 weeks on a spreadsheet - nothing spontaneous here!
B2b that sounds good - I'm with you with the tight calf - hoping my session might have run it off but not sure yet.
Has anyone tried heel lifts in shoes? I've ordered some Sorbothone ones to try just to ease the calves till I get more back into it.
JaneyH my physio recommended the heel lifts, they were fine in my normal shoes but I couldn't get used to them in my trainers
Thank you all for the warm welcome, and well done on an impressive long weekend!
Janey - Good work getting going again, and for going out despite the niggles! I'm impressed with your level of planning, sounds like you're in for the long haul and will certainly feel the benefits
330 - Good luck with the London ballot - I'm sure they can't give all the places to charity runners, so you must have a chance!
B2b - Thank you! I'm very impressed you paced a race for someone, I don't think I have the discipline to maintain a speed at all! I hope your recovery run is a good one.
I managed to get my first run in since Saturday after work today, ran the same 5k route in 29:27 so a little slower. I was happy to err on the side of caution as it was so hot, and apparently my body is very picky about the conditions. Next time will probably be a run of my usual walk home from work (2.7 miles), although this is with a backpack on so I don't know how that'll go. After that, I intend to up the mileage slightly (maybe towards 6/7k?) and see what happens.
Something I noticed when out today that worried me slightly was a feeling that something was moving around in my left kneecap. It wasn't painful but definitely noticeable, particularly on in/declines, and I became more conscious of it as the run went on. My left knee has always been fairly weak - no major injuries but on long distances walks I've often had to wear a brace for all or part of the way - so I'm a little concerned. Does anyone have any ideas/advice/reassurance?
Oh, and Janey - the username, rather boringly, comes from the fact I studied Russian at university. Helps to distinguish from the many other Robs out there!
RusskiRob I am most definitely in this for the long haul - I've waited a very long time to get back to running and am so happy I have done. Yes it's a hard call as to whether to ignore the niggles or rest them - runners have a reputation for just hoping it will all go away when they start running! What my OH calls that fine line between clever and stupid! Anyway, I'm glad I did go as *touching wood frantically* things seem okay today so maybe it has loosened things off and enabled me to stretch out a bit.
You are doing really well - caution is good and better than injury in spite of what I've just said above! Building a strong base before you add speed/distance is best and you seem to be doing that. Adding in an extra km every few runs is the way forward. Don't worry about fluctuating pace - it's good to vary it and do some faster, some slower - keep the pace slower the first time you increase the distance. I'm running in minutes for the moment as it will make me do less but I'm doing 2 runs at x mins each week and then the 3rd at slightly longer then the first 2 of the following week at the same then increasing on the 3rd run etc. Mind you it's only week 1 so watch this space!
No ideas about your knee I'm afraid but if at all possible see a sports friendly GP or probably better see a physio. Also try to fit in some simple knee strengthening exercises almost daily - these are very easy and quick - it's also a good site for knees generally
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening-exercises.html
also these
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/c25k/pages/knee-exercises.aspx
I studied Russian at O and A level many moons ago! Wasn't quite brave/good enough to do it at uni though - English was easier! My oldest child graduated in Arabic last year though.
Robert thanks for the response about heel lifts - I'll have to see I think. My physio thought it would be a good idea too but I'm not sure. I'm hoping they will arrive today so I can walk around in them before trying to run with them tomorrow.
Long time since I last posted in this thread but I have to come back to where it all started and say thanks for the advice I picked up way back when I was struggling to run 3-4k, that was at the end of July 2014 and I'm pleased to say that with a bit of dedication and lots of good advice I completed my first marathon on Monday in a reasonable 4h45m. To be honest I had the time of my life, Monday was without doubt one of the best days of my life and this running lark has changed my life in so many positive ways!
My diary is currently empty for the first time since last August, but I can't wait until marathon number 2 already
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Well done PM! Very happy to have been part of your story
PM Well done !!!!
I presume it was MK?
RusskiRob - Lol !! if it happens it happens !! I had a running buddy and he had the same symptoms, in the end he had keyhole surgery to clear out small bits of bone that were floating around the knee cap. Also sometimes the knee cap can come out of place and doesn't move up and down its "tracks" - I had this and my physio gave me knee strengthening exercises which worked wonders. But as JaneyH says get to a sports doc or physio specialising in running injuries
JaneyH - Brilliant news for you, you obviously have great determination and I wish you all the luck in the world. I haven't had many injuries to be honest, there was the knee thing, a bakers cyst and piriformis syndrome (not all at once obviously!!) and its so frustrating coming back but better slowly than rushing back causing another injury
4 miles Tuesday and Wednesday this week but will have to step up soon got the Great Scottish Run in October. Getting lower back pain (comes on after run) shoes defo need replacing
Keep on running and posting all love to read peoples stories and progress !!
May - 12.17
2015 - 157.65
ok guys, heading away for some "warm weather training" Sri Lanka is calling, two weeks all inc, but the hotel has a gym and a 9 hole golf course, it all counts, right? see you on the other side.
Enjoy Sri Lanka, sounds very nice
Thanks! Yes 330, it was MK, looking at Amsterdam in October for my second one
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Recovery run today, felt like a shuffle more than a run but it was actually a minute per mile quicker than my starting pace on Monday. It did like running through treacle though, very heavy legs but they should be back to normal by next week!
I live in Scotland now but worked in MK at the BT building. Bit of a soulless place isn't it - lots of roundabouts !!
Amsterdamn - very adventurous have heard its a good one though. Good luck with it all and keep posting your training be interesting to see how you go prepering for a marathon 5 months after doing one
Looks like a lot of good stuff happening since I last popped in, good work team!
Janey - Thank you for the links and the advice, the temptation to overdo things early is definitely something I need to resist! Good to come across a fellow Russian speaker too, although I dare say we'd both be a little rusty now...
PompeyMatt - Welcome back to the thread, and congratulations on your marathon! That's an amazing achievement and it's great to see you're already going again - restarting is always one of my biggest challenges. Let us know how you're getting on, Amsterdam sounds interesting...
330 - Thanks for the advice - it probably is something I should get looked at if it persists. Just a new sensation so didn't want to either overreact or ignore something serious.
Robert - Enjoy Sri Lanka! There are pangs of jealousy I must admit, but it sounds like a great place for a break.
I ran home from work last night (2.7 miles in just over 23 minutes) and have a bit of time this evening so am aiming to put in 6/7k and stretch my legs a bit. I had no knee issues yesterday so fingers crossed that'll stay the case - it's one worry I could do without!
Hello all - sorry got a bit too far behind to respond to everyone individually but some great and inspiring stuff going on
I am currently feeling very sorry for myself - did my 3rd run/walk yesterday and felt so good that I didn't walk the first bit and just ran - well I am now regretting that as not much further on my foot began to play up again. I tried to run on a bit and finished the session with the walks back in - probably stupid to keep running at all tbh. Could hardly walk on it again last night - saw the physio today and he is still convinced - having thoroughly manipulated it etc - that it is completely down to the calf muscles being so tight. Had a very tough sports massage which hopefully will help and basically no running for the moment until we get the muscles stronger and more flexible and not pulling on the tendons in the foot.
So I'm back to square one yet again
but I am not going to be defeated - with time and patience (not good at that but going to have to be) I will be able to do this. Planning to keep coming on here as it keeps me going reading everyone's posts and having people to moan to!
Hope you all have a great weekend - and that you have an amazing holiday Robert.