My Last Run

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  • Careful with squats Cal.  Can you ask your physio to check your technique?  Shame about the fog spoiling your view of the park for your parkrun.

    Nice intervals yourself JD.  Hope you have had a nice rest day today.

    Nice pre-breakfast 16 Will.  You must have been out early.  

    Training HM for me today in 1:52:10.  Hard work against the NE wind on the way out on a local loop in particular when combined with some hillier bits.  The return leg felt much easier, I took advantage of the tailwind to pick up the pace quite a bit.  
  • My squatting technique is appalling, Hazelnut - I've never been able to do them well because I have very poor dorsiflexion and tend to compensate for that by leaning forward a lot. I do drive my knees out properly at least, but my mechanics are just not designed for squatting.
    PS, you realise your HM training run is faster than my PB (and comfortably so!) :lol:

    Beautiful weather this morning, fresh and sunny. Definitely Spring weather. A great opportunity to do my longest ever training run, which was 22 miles in the end. Started slow and ended up quicker, so the stamina seems fine.
    56 miles for this week. Next week will be less - I'm marshalling on Sunday so I won't be doing a long run that day.
  • Hi guys. This is my first post on these forums. I've been running off and on for about 6 years now, completing 5 half marathons over that period (PB 2:02). I'm now training for the Manchester Marathon in April which will be my first full. 

    This morning I went out and did 17 miles and surprisingly didn't feel too bad at the end of it. The fog was awful though and I had condensation dripping down off my hair and eyebrows for most of the distance which wasn't fun. I even managed to shave almost 4 mins off my  HM PB (1:54).  

    Today was probably the first time where I've felt like I may actually be able to do this. Time to refuel and take a day off now. 
  • Welcome alipat! You'll love Manchester - it's a great race. Fantastic support.
    Watch out you don't do your long runs too fast or you'll knacker yourself. Slow and steady on the longs and then you can do your speed work on another day.
  • Thanks for the tips Cal. My pace was nice and steady today. I'm a lot fitter than I ever was when I did any of my half marathons so it's not particularly surprising to see my PB being chipped away at, but still always nice!
  • Hello there, Alipat! I'm doing Manchester as well - my debut marathon. Glad your training seems to be going well and hope it continues that way.

    I worked yesterday, mainly dissecting owl pellets, so a day off today and what I'm calling a delayed recovery/interval trot. Legs were feeling a bit stiff from the 16 on Saturday,  but soon loosened up after a slow first mile. Second mile I upped to HM pace, then took a slow third before finishing with a just slower than tempo fourth. Beautiful sunshine and I ran along with a bounding Muntjac, whose chestnut flank was gleaming most nicely. Not a bad bit of nature 100 yards from my house, in the middle of town! Literally 1000s of lilac coloured crocuses now taking over the scene as the Snowdrops fade.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • That sounds a bit icky, Will, but probably interesting, eh?
    Glad to see my Egyptian Geese still have all of their babies (7 at the last count). We'll see how long that lasts.
    No running for me today - just a walk and a trip to the physio.
  • A little more than 6 mile recovery run this morning. It's getting light much earlier now! Checked on the pond during my last mile and all 7 goslings are still present and correct.
  • Welcome to Alipat.  Certainly seems you could do quite a bit of damage to your HM PB if you can improve it that much in training already.  Something for you to look at post Manchester maybe.   Good luck for your training.

    Nice mix of paces that Will.  The croci are now starting to flower here as well - still plenty of snowdrops around.  I think I heard an owl yesterday evening coming home from my run. 

    Great long run at the weekend Cal and a good weekly mileage too.  Regarding the HM time - my race PB is quite a bit quicker than that.  What I can't do which you can is constantly keep improving it. Same with the marathon - I hit a one-off result and then take several attempts to better it.  Consistency would be less frustrating sometimes.  I try not to compare myself too much with others - there are plenty faster out there - though I was wistfully looking at some Wokingham HM results on Strava that are considerably beyond what I can do. 

    Anyway: 8 miles yesterday with strides.  Another lovely early evening - I met 3 other runners which is a good number for around here.  Left hip is a bit grumbly at the moment - not really when running but constantly aches a bit when sitting and lying on it - need to keep an eye on it.   Won't be overdoing the speedwork this week as I am racing on Sunday. 
  • I don't think there's much point comparing ourselves to others, Hazel - unless you're an elite, there are always going to be people faster. I know I'm not genetically blessed as far as running is concerned, but I work to improve what I've got and I'm doing a decent job at that. At some point I'll get close to my potential and it will get harder to make improvements, but I think there's more in the tank for now. My main challenge is to improve whilst not breaking myself!
    As for hips, I have to be careful with mine as that TFL knocked me out for Autumn '17 and I don't want a repeat of that. I think sitting makes them tight, which doesn't help. I try to walk a bit more now on rest days.
  • So I went out first thing this morning for a steady 5 miles just as the sun was coming up. I felt perfectly fine until right at the end, just as I was turning back into my street, I had some sudden sharp pains down the outside of my left foot. It almost felt like foot was having a bit of a spasm. I didn't think too much of it at the time but the pain has gotten worse as the morning has progressed and it's rather painful to walk on at the moment. 

    I'm really hoping that it's nothing serious and that a few days rest will do the trick. I knew things were going too well!
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    I thought I'd jump in on the thread. I'm Ian, I've been running for around 2 years, but only with any intent beyond getting a bit fitter for around 3 months. I've lost around 15kg in the last two years. I'm 49 for a few more weeks. PB for Parkrun is about 25:49 and I've run 53:21 for 10k when training. I'm running the Lea Valley half in a few weeks, which is a big step up. My goal is around 2:05.00. (Is there an intro thread I should have used?)

    For context my penultimate run was Sunday, 14.5k at easy pace (5:55/k) around Regent's Park, which is a warm up from home. First time I've ran there.

    My last run (today) was a botched attempt at running a nice even 6.5k at about 6m/k pace. I ran near home which is a lot hillier and it felt harder than I expected, but not terrible. K splits were not as wayward as I feared when GAP was used. This is the normal route I ran and where I managed the 10k time.

    Anyway, nice to virtually meet you all. Enjoyed reading a few back posts.
  • alipat, try rolling your foot on a ball (or a water bottle) and also roll out your calves including the sides of your legs. You probably have some tightness there. If it isn't better after a day or two, get yourself to a sports physio. Most GPs will say rest and take ibuprofen, which isn't massively helpful.

    Welcome, enrvuk. That's a good weight loss. I'm in London too, although south of the river. Your times are decent for someone relatively new to running - you should see plenty of improvement. Just don't make the mistake of racing your training runs. Most runs should be at an easy/steady pace, with one or two speed specific runs a week. (I actually don't do a lot of speedwork myself - I tend to use parkrun for that). Good luck with your half.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Thanks for the welcome, encouragement and good advice Cal. I am just getting my head around the idea of needing to train slow to run fast. I've read quite a bit of the science around it while bored at work, but it's still hard to get it to sink in when I run.

    The 14.5k, seemed nice and easy and reviewing the HR confirmed it. Today was tougher. I'll try and run a bit slower still tomorrow and see how it goes!
  • Thanks for the advice Cal. I will certainly give that a go tonight. Thankfully my job mainly involves me sitting at a desk so I haven't had to be on my feet too much throughout the day. Fingers crossed everything will fine after a good night's sleep.

    Welcome enrvuk. Half marathon is a great distance and your target time certainly sounds doable! Good luck with it!
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Thanks alipat. I've also signed up for the Bournemouth half in October, hopefully I'll be aiming for sub 2 hours then. Fingers crossed for your sore foot!
  • Hello there enrvuk and welcome to the chat. It's good to have some new feet on the forum :)

    Hop your sore foot clears up, alipat.

    Best find in the owl pellet dissection was a mole skull, Cal - wicked set of teeth they have.

    I continued my efforts to break free from my slow pace slump last night with 5.5 miles around town. Managed a half decent average of 9:22 mi/mi which felt like it did me some good. Chilly after such a warm day. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of my Asics. They feel heavy and rigid with not as much cushioning as I like, so will be sticking to my beloved Sauconys in future, and will need to get a new pair for Manchester! 

    Woken up by a Robin this morning, which was an excellent alarm cluck.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Welcome,enrvuk and alipat.There's always great advice and tips from fellow posters.

    You seem to have your mojo back, Will.Great 16 miler.

    Fantastic running,Hazlenut,your're very consistent.Is it your HM Sunday?Have to agree with Cal,about comparing ourselves to others,we all have different abilities.I haven't had a PB for many years but I'm not too fussed now.Saying that I'll get a PB when I do my first mara in October!Hope your hip clears up for Sunday as well.

    6 miles yesterday evening.Lots of pipistrelle bats out,never seen them out so early.




  • It is always nice to see some new faces (and feet).  Welcome also to envruk.  Your HM goal seems sensible.  Some good advice from Cal.  Getting the pacing right on the slower runs is something I am not good at, I often run too fast.  I think Cal recently mentioned talking to yourself out loud to keep the pace down.

    Hope that the foot is just a temporary niggle alipat, is it feeling a bit better?

    How many miles have you done in the Asics so far Will?  Sometimes it takes a bit to get used to a pair of shoes but if they don't feel good after a few outings then maybe they really don't suit you.

    My HM is in May JD, this weekend I have a 10k.  It is supposed to be a flat fast course.  It will be interesting to see how race fit I am at the moment. 
     
    A bit over 9 miles yesterday evening - a couple on my own then met up with two members of my Tuesday group for the standard hilly round at a more sensible pace than last week.  A lovely clear evening again - we just caught the last red glow of the sunset.  The local farmers have been pretty busy applying smelly things to the fields so I assume it will rain soon though.
    Hip seems to be ok - less grumbly today. 
  • I did a 10 this morning, very easy pace. My legs are still tired - stride was rather short which is a good indicator. My cadence doesn't change much (it's generally 172-174 for an easy run) so I know if my splits are slow, it's because my stride is short. Achilles was grumpy too. I guess I've laid a lot on it lately.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Thanks all for the welcome, it's really appreciated. This morning I warmed up by running over Primrose Hill to Regent's Park, but again my pacing over the 6.5k was very erratic. It was a lovely morning with a little haze to start with. There were plenty of cyclists and other runners around.

    Thanks for the suggestion, Cal and Hazelnut, I may try talking to myself as I run. If this is my last post, you can assume I have been sectioned.

    Sounds like a lot of you run in some lovely places, in the city you don't have so much flora and fauna, not to mention the particulates we're breathing in, so I'm envious!
  • Unfortunately the foot feels no better today. It's looking like this week is going to be a write off which is annoying. The plan was to do 18 miles on Sunday but that is seeming unlikely at the minute. 
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Sorry to hear about your foot,alipat,very annoying when you get niggles.

    enrvuk,it took me ages to slow down my runs,I used to race every run.Even now I need to remind myself to slow down.Must be nice running in the London parks though.I used to use Wimbledon common when visiting my sister in law,made a nice change.

    Just a short 4.45 miles run last night,legs felt heavy.Most probably go to a gym class tonight.

  • Does your watch measure your stride length Cal?  Some do I think. 

    Having done it in the past I don't envy you living in the city Envruk, I am very happy to be in a village setting with fields / woods around.  It also has disadvantages though.  

    alipat - would also get myself off to a physio soon if it doesn't improve fast. 

    8 miles yesterday with a bit of progression - starting off at about recovery pace and building to a few seconds per mile slower than MP. 

    Rest day today - will try to get out on my bike in a bit as it is supposed to be the last decent day for a few days (grrr -  Sunday will be windy for my 10k race..)
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Good luck for Sunday,Hazelnut.
  • So the foot is feeling slightly better today. I'm not limping around and I'm able to put a bit more pressure on it. I know I need to try and resist giving it a run out tomorrow though. I'll probably just hold off until Sunday now and see how it is. If it's not better by the end of the weekend then it'll be a trip to the physio first thing next week. 
  • Hope you have a good race on Sunday, Hazelnut . 60km on my Asics and I'm still not keen - they're not a pleasure to run in like my nice, soft Sauconys.

    Cal, I saw you had a sentence in this month's RW mag. Fame.

    Wishing you a painless foot, Alipat. Frustrating times.

    JD1 , I'm sharing your heavy legs - it's been a high mileage week. Hoping they lighten up for you.

    Some iconic locations for your runs, enrvuk. Lucky you.

    i have the opposite problem to some of you, in that running slowly comes naturally to me and I'm having to try to up my pace in some training runs. I was successful in this on Wednesday, with a half decent 4 miles that felt like it did my lungs some good. Two toenails now ready to drop.

    Last night was supposed to be 7 miles, but the legs were feeling like beams of iron coated in lead and so I finished after 5 miles. I don't want to screw up and get injured now, so am very aware of how much I can push this aging body! A 20 miler planned for Saturday, so resting and rolling till then. Happy running all!
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Hazelnut, it does. Not sure how accurately but I guess it figures it out somehow.

    Will - ooh, so I do. I hadn't even got it out of the shrinkwrap before you said that. I guess I must have responded to a survey or something.
    Ugh at the toenails. Never happened to me, touch wood.

    Alipat - I hope it's nothing serious. Good luck with the physio.

    After a rest day yesterday I did a straightforward 6 miles. Achilles grumpy as per usual but normal easy pace has returned after a slow run on Wednesday.
    I saw a heron on the pond and also my Egyptians, though I couldn't see their babies. This worried me a little so I did a little detour back up there on the way to Sainsbury's and saw the geese still sitting there. Walked right up to them and noticed a fluffy bottom poking out from under the mum's wings (well, I assume it was mum, I don't really know the habits of Egyptian geese). Then all seven waddled out, still cute and spotty. I think this is a record for them in terms of keeping them all alive this long. The demise of one of the swans has definitely helped, although the evil one is still there (I saw him chasing one of the Canada geese the other day). Apparently, when his mate was still alive (the one that died recently was another male - the female hasn't been around for a few years) he actually killed one of his own offspring after it refused to leave the pond. That bird is an a*hole.
  • Will ClennellWill Clennell ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Swans can be real gangsters. Good work from the Egyptians; I just worry that this extra hot weather will cock things up once it turns cold again. Birds having their chicks too early could all end up going horribly wrong. Bats and insects too. All coming out of hibernation far too soon.

    I felt like hibernating this morning but got up and out before 6am. Getting the longie done ahead of the rest of the weekend is working nicely for me. I was back home and finished by 9.30am. It ended up being my longest run ever -  a tad over 21 miles. And it certainly felt it. Really tough at times, on legs that were not at their freshest. I had to dig deep on several occasions to keep going, but it was all character building! Reassuring that today I felt strong(ish) from 18 miles to the end and also that my last mile was my quickest by some way. It bloody hurt, but that's what it takes, I suppose. 3hrs 40 mins for the 21, which is fine by me. I'm conscious that my body will need a good recovery period after this little jog, so am planning a good rest of probably 4 days to allow me to reboot, this being my first marathon and me being a relative beginner. Must not push too hard and cock things up at this stage.

    I saw a lovely but sadly very dead Badger and an even deader Hedgehog.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    That's bad news about your foot AP, if it's improving perhaps it's just bruising. Let's hope so. Good luck for your race Hazel, weather doesn't look great, I am off to watch my sister and bro-in law in the Dartford 1/2. Great effort Will, that's really impressive, especially as your upped the pace at the end.

    I managed to drag my good mate and his wife to Hampstead Parkrun. Having planned it we drank a bit less than usual at dinner and were all ready for bed at 2:30am. I was very pleased with my time 27:47. It's not the easiest course and for the last 2.5km I finally felt warmed up. Aiming to run my longest run tomorrow morning.
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