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Strengthing my legs
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Hi,
I am not sure this is the right place to post this - but here goes anyway!!!!!
My main problem is the strength in my legs.....i ran! 10k on Thursday in 67mins (not great but kinda starting out!) my breathing was good - yes i was hot and bothered but its my leg strength that lets me down! Any hints and tips to help with this?
FYI - i train 3 times a week - 1 speed/strengh run a week / 1 short run 3/4 miles and 1 longer run prob 6 miles. I also include 2 x 10min exercise/core per week (squats/weights and sit ups).
Any advice would be grateful..... thanks.
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Comments
I have the same problem, my average 10k time is very close to yours, i feel its my leg strength that's letting me down as well. I have started a program at the gym that also includes squats and core exercises but mine takes about 40 min to complete. To early to see any improvement yet.
Will keep you posted.
Good luck with improving your 10k times.
Thanks Eeyore and Ink Blot. Its good to know i am not doing anything wrong and just need to be a little more patient (not my best trait!)
Eeyore keep me informed on how you get on as any little thing that helps i would love to know.
wow good luck with the 1/2 marathon eeyore......have you anything big planned next year like the london marathon????
Hoping for a place in FLM next year, have entered ballot, fingers crossed , will know in October if I am in or not.
3 words for ya...
HIlls Hills Hills and er some more hills.....just run on hills......yeh it hurts but when you return to race on flat land...your a winner.
Hills.
I don't think that the problem is leg strength as such. Adding exercises to increase your strength will help a little but I agree with Ink Blot in that the best way to improve is to run more!
If your longest run per week is only 6 miles then they are going to hurt for anything over that. If you can increase your long run to as much as 10 miles then 10k will be a walk in the park.
Mike
Mike, I agree on increased mileage, my 10k runs became easier once I started my half marathon training but now my legs ache on my long runs 9 to 12 miles !
Agree with Haggis: hills! Also, soft, undulating, ground where possible.
Also agree with Mikey T: gradually increase that long run.
Ensure that you don't neglect flexibility work, also.
Also with Haggis on this - HILLS
Also plyometrics.
Eveyone keeps saying hills - I live in Central London where it's flat as a pancake! Tower Bridge is about as hilly as it gets, I know they always desribe it as an incline in the Marathon!! I guess that means to do hill training I'll have to use the treadmill - but that's sp boring! Anything more than 30 mins on it would kill me!
Go out and find some stairs/steps. There must be a few buildings around that have some.
Or jog, cycle, or get the tube or bus to the nearest hill.
Beanie im an ex londoner use the tube stations when its quiet. there are loads of long drawn out stairways in london, your lying im not avin it.....i used to live there, we dont mean mountains, we mean hills, big difference.
Haggis.
in reality though, if it takes me an hour to get to the hill, and an hour back, it doesn't leave a whole lot of time to train! I might be able to do it occasionally, but not every week.
Looks like it'll be treadmill for my hills!
If you are near Tower Bridge, then try Greenwich Park rather than Primrose hill. Much nearer - about 20mins from London Bridge tube.
Luckily i live in Norfolk - which is supposedly flat - its lies it has some cracking hills.....hill training it is.
Thanks to all of you for your advice.....so in the next few months i will run more and look at running more miles and to also find some lovely hills ( to be honest i hate hills but love a challenge!)
I have had a real rotten week of it.....and in that lost a bit of confidence.....i just feel like an elephant whose shins ache! Oh well no pain no gain and all that!