The Running Thread

[Cybertronian]

A real shame if it turns out to be true and could take the sport ages to recover from.

[ewenm]

Cybertronian said:

A real shame if it turns out to be true and could take the sport ages to recover from.

Feels similar to the concerns about the (over)use of TUE (therapeutic use exemptions) in cycling.

[ewenm]

Well, nothing new there. It seemed to be a 3-part documentary:
1. Alan Wells
2. EPO
3. Salazar
I guess this is the first time it's been aired in the popular media, but everything alleged has been floating round the athletics world for a long time. Micro-dosing is the current big challenge for WADA.

[Cybertronian]

I can see this being all that Mo Farah gets questioned about during this Sunday's athletics Grand Prix.

I've clued up on the effects of EPO, but was surprised to see the tangible jump in the chap's VO2max from 57 to 63 - as he said, a 7% jump for an amateur athlete is mahoosive.

[ewenm]

Cybertronian said:

I can see this being all that Mo Farah gets questioned about during this Sunday's athletics Grand Prix.

I've clued up on the effects of EPO, but was surprised to see the tangible jump in the chap's VO2max from 57 to 63 - as he said, a 7% jump for an amateur athlete is mahoosive.

Indeed, although I wouldn't expect 7% to be representative for elites. I'd expect diminishing returns for higher VO2Max.

I wonder how many amateurs watched it and are now thinking "I could do that..."

[The jiffle king]

Just about made it to the running club tonight... I say just about as I was 5 mins late and had to run to catch up. I ran with my wife for the first mile and she caught up with a good group and then I set off at tempo pace to catch the rest. I caught what I thought was the front group, but about a mile from the end, they said there was a couple of people ahead so I set off but could not catch them.

In the shop afterwards, there were some giveaways of t-shirts and beer coolers. It was also national running day, so beer and cake was laid on. Loads of people chatted to us and we're going out for food with a couple we met at the weekend, so it's helping get us sociable.

Great experiences.... just need some quicker runners... or I need to start late every week

And yet again the run was 5 miles.... Even my runs to work starting next week are longer than that!!

[krallicious]

I have a question about recovery after a marathon.

How long does it take? I have done some reading and there is everything from 1 day per mile/kilometer to 2 to 3 weeks. I did a recovery run 3 days after the marathon and had a gym session yesterday. The run was OK after the first km but the weight session was terrible. Literally no strengh in my upper body and I only managed half of my usual work out.

I was due to go running this morning but my legs feel dead. Is it just a mental thing because the marathon is done?

I realise the answer could be how long is a piece of string but any inout would be appreciated.

[ED209]

krallicious said:

I have a question about recovery after a marathon.

How long does it take? I have done some reading and there is everything from 1 day per mile/kilometer to 2 to 3 weeks. I did a recovery run 3 days after the marathon and had a gym session yesterday. The run was OK after the first km but the weight session was terrible. Literally no strengh in my upper body and I only managed half of my usual work out.

I was due to go running this morning but my legs feel dead. Is it just a mental thing because the marathon is done?

I realise the answer could be how long is a piece of string but any inout would be appreciated.

I am not sure, I ran Edinburgh on Sunday and my legs have been aching in different places since, yesterday it was my quads that were burning. The do feel a bit better today though.

I tried a 2.5 mile run yesterday all on grass on a quite hilly route, my legs felt tired but i managed a decent pace. Going to try for about 3 miles on the same route shortly.

I have the Blazon Race next tuesday and i really want to dip under 40 mins, i think i was about 40.30-40.40 last year. I am however worried the longer runs might have killed my pace a bit?

Then again last years race was a week after my honeymoon and i wasn't exactly at my best after 2 weeks of eating and drinking, even though we did a few runs on holiday.

[RizzoTheRat]

Amazing what an effect a few weeks of not training has. Thanks to a back injury followed by a holiday I'd only managed a couple of runs in the last month. Decided to try and pace a friend to a time about 5 minutes slower than I should be able to do at last night's Yately 10k and struggled to do it myself. Legs are killing me this morning. Doesn't bode well for Endure 24 next weekend.

[Cybertronian]

krallicious said:

I have a question about recovery after a marathon.

How long does it take? I have done some reading and there is everything from 1 day per mile/kilometer to 2 to 3 weeks. I did a recovery run 3 days after the marathon and had a gym session yesterday. The run was OK after the first km but the weight session was terrible. Literally no strengh in my upper body and I only managed half of my usual work out.

I was due to go running this morning but my legs feel dead. Is it just a mental thing because the marathon is done?

I realise the answer could be how long is a piece of string but any inout would be appreciated.

I've always found the 1 day per mile raced recommendation a little on the extreme side, and have previously subscribed to 2 - 3 weeks of light running before hitting hard training again. How long or short the recovery lasts also depends a lot on how well trained you were going into the race.

One tip I would suggest is to base your return to training completely on feel, rather than hitting particular paces because you'll most likely have lost some fitness/sharpness from the longer recovery period.

[KTF]

krallicious said:

I have a question about recovery after a marathon.

How long does it take? I have done some reading and there is everything from 1 day per mile/kilometer to 2 to 3 weeks. I did a recovery run 3 days after the marathon and had a gym session yesterday. The run was OK after the first km but the weight session was terrible. Literally no strengh in my upper body and I only managed half of my usual work out.

I was due to go running this morning but my legs feel dead. Is it just a mental thing because the marathon is done?

I realise the answer could be how long is a piece of string but any inout would be appreciated.

I lasted 2 days after London when I went out for a 6 miler at a pace that was a bit on the quick side and ached for a few days longer afterwards.

In reality I should have left it a day or so longer and gone out after my legs had stopped aching but it was habit more than anything that made me go out.

I would say give it 3 days or so and see how your legs are. It takes about 2 weeks before any of your pace starts to drop off so there is no need to rush out and pull something that makes you need more time off to recover.

[krallicious]

Thanks for the input.

I'm off to the gym again tomorrow so I will see how that goes. I have a massage booked for this evening too. I have pencilled in a run for the weekend so I will see how that goes.

I am going to try and help my GF train for her first 10k which is in the 3rd week of June. She has been running for around 4 weeks now so have a gentle trot around with her will probably not be a bad thing to do.

[Smitters]

ewenm said:

Interesting things

Top read that.

I must admit, I use running as a tool for relaxation more than anything else. I genuinely find it fun, so I get really grumpy when I can't run. I do over do it though, pushing myself too hard as the fitness gains come and inevitably pinging a calf or something. As I get older I get better at managing my Labrador puppy like enthusiasm for burning it up, though having the last ten days off and some painful physio tells me I need to work harder!

Anyway, I've been lurking due to time off, but I'm planning a gentle five km or so tonight as my first run back, before an easy longer run on Saturday. Fingers crossed the physio and rest has worked.

[CalNaughtonJnr]

I have been a keen runner for a couple of years (albeit not a particularly quick one) and I'm now looking for a way to improve my pace. My O/H has just started the couch to 5k programme and it got me thinking if I might be able to use it to my benefit - I believe Week 1 is 60sec running 90sec walking for about 20-25mins and then it keeps doubling up week after week. Could this work or can anyone suggest alternatives?

[KTF]

Is anyone doing Endure 24 next Sunday?

I did it last year and have been roped into doing it again after someone else from our club dropped out. Have not quite worked out if I am looking forward to doing it or not yet though... If it stays dry I will probably enjoy it more than last year but if it rains again then thats it off my calendar for good.

[RizzoTheRat]

Yep, going to go on the Friday to get the tents up as we've got 4 teams so want to try and get us all pitched together. My first time and I'm no way prepared for it Some who ran it last year referred to parts of the route as a "river of custard" but apparently the year before was baking.

[KTF]

Yes, last year after all the rain, one of the hills looked like this:



And the rest of the course wasn't much better:





They have changed the route slightly this year after the land owner was very annoyed with the damage caused, but it looks like the hill of slurry is still in it. The weather looks like it is going to be warm and sunny so far so fingers crossed.

We (team of 8) will be running 1 lap during the day and probably 2 at night so we get a bit more sleep than last year.

[RizzoTheRat]

Hopefully Cliff won't get his van stuck on the course this year either

I'm in the slow team so probably only 3 laps for me, looking forward to doing a night one though as I've never run crosscountry at night.

[KTF]

The night time run was probably the best as you have really no idea what you are running through I would advise buying a half decent head torch if you want any hope of seeing where you are going and not a cheapo one from Sports Direct like I tried to use

[ewenm]

KTF said:

The night time run was probably the best as you have really no idea what you are running through I would advise buying a half decent head torch if you want any hope of seeing where you are going and not a cheapo one from Sports Direct like I tried to use

I've done offroad night running with an Alpkit Gamma head torch - great value and good illumination.