The Running Thread Vol 2

[cslwannabe]

keo said:

Be fine parkruns a fun run so ideal really. Recovery run do you good.

Ross, fair play!

I stuck on the compression boots for 30mins (not mine) as parkrun is often my main session of the week. Legs felt pretty decent and happy enough with 20:02 at parkrun (new course for me and not a superfast one). Normally I’d be mildly annoyed at just missing out on a sub 20 but I’d have taken that time if offered it beforehand.

Just need a bit of long dry spell now as all my local places I use for interval sessions are still too muddy/slippery so I’ve been using a treadmill for speedwork. Doesn’t look like I’m going to get my wish anytime soon however…

[keo]

Amazing time that csl. I can’t imagine getting anywhere near that.

4 weeks till my 10k for the Dougie Mac charity that looked after my mum. Still chipping away. I’d love to go 48 minutes but anything sub 50 would be a massive pb. Garmin predicts 48:35 at the minute.

[cslwannabe]

Thanks keo. Best of luck with your 10k - think that’s my favourite distance. Great to have a goal in mind and sounds a very worthy cause.

I don’t race much these days, which is why I place more emphasis on parkrun than I used to. Pleased to have my running mojo back though as it left me for a while when I lost my dad about 18M ago. I was still running lots then but mainly for headspace and without any focus. I’m just trying not to slow down too much these days as the birthdays rack up…

[Rosscow]

Well done, CLS! Good run.

I've not done a proper 5km race - I'll do one a week or two after the half.

My Garmin watch is now predicting a 1:27 half for me..... we'll see!

[jasonrobertson86]

Rosscow said:

Well done, CLS! Good run.

I've not done a proper 5km race - I'll do one a week or two after the half.

My Garmin watch is now predicting a 1:27 half for me..... we'll see!

I thought your splits were a touch up on mine (maybe what they used to be). My garmin is predicting 1:35 right now for a half. I did 27km yesterday and cramp came in at the end. Serves me right for doing it after a quickish run on Sat and pushing on first longer run...

[smn159]

Had the cold that's circulating last week and lost 5 days of training so far with Brigthon now less than 4 weeks out. Managed a 10k recovery paced run today which was OK, so hopefully on the mend.

[Rosscow]

jasonrobertson86 said:

I thought your splits were a touch up on mine (maybe what they used to be). My garmin is predicting 1:35 right now for a half. I did 27km yesterday and cramp came in at the end. Serves me right for doing it after a quickish run on Sat and pushing on first longer run...

Well, the Garmin Connect app says this:



But I’ve entered my races this year into the app and uploaded to my watch, and my watch says this for the upcoming half:



Perhaps it looks at previous times from other people and compares fitness levels?

[The jiffle king]

Rosscow,
I'm not sure how the race predictor works but I recently had a 1:21 half on my garmin predictor and ran a 1:19..... even then it still has me at 1:20:50

It also is very ambitious with my 5k at 17:18 which I've not raced but I know I can be no way better than 17:40 at this time

The predictors are generally pretty good but they take time to learn. The more speed sessions you do the lower the time it thinks you can do.
A mate of mine just ran 17:47 for 5k but has a predictor time of 16:38 (His best is 16:52) so it's clear it cannot work everything out well.

I use it as an indicator but you will know in your head what real shape you are in. I find it's possible to run faster in a race as I use race shoes and have tapered a little to give the best possible chance.

[Rosscow]

Yeah I agree and I’m only taking it with a pinch of salt!

Having said that, I am feeling pretty good.

One more week of training hard this week then I’m tapering after a long easy run this Saturday.

[Martyn76]

Looking for some advice from the experienced\sensible runners here,

I due to run the Manchester Marathon (14th April) and training was going well , however for the last 2 weeks I have been suffering from a sore calf and have not been able to run since, just been resting, icing\heat and compression, my question is how far out would you make the decision to not run?

I'm hoping another week of rest, ice, etc will see my leg be ok and then just take it easy with few easy runs, maybe 1 final long run....my target was sub 4 but realise that may be out the window ow and would be happy to just take part.

[smn159]

IME, rather than rest them, you have to progressively reload calf injuries with cross training and then short runs starting at 10 mins then adding 5 mins every other day until you reach 40 mins. A few weeks of rest and then (say) a 5k tends to make them go again.

[Martyn76]

smn159 said:

IME, rather than rest them, you have to progressively reload calf injuries with cross training and then short runs starting at 10 mins then adding 5 mins every other day until you reach 40 mins. A few weeks of rest and then (say) a 5k tends to make them go again.

Hi,

I still have a little pain in my calf hence why I haven't run on it yet, just when I think it's ok it seems to come back, I've had a massage and the guy said he couldn't feel any tears or knots, it's getting a bit annoying tbh, I'll head back to the gym once a week for S&C type stuff and any cardio (bike, ski-thingy, etc), I have started doing a few calf raises (10 max if not too painful)

I hoping that once the pain has gone I can get back on my feet, not ideal but I believe if my leg is good I can at least complete the distance if not at my minimum target time having missed 3 weeks (best case?).

[irish boy]

Another absolute cracking listen and inspirational story, Mary Slocum who goes to Norman’s running classes with us. Her story is incredibly, from losing her her husband in 2017 and joining her first running club the next year and discovering parkrun.

She went on to become world, Irish and Ulster champion at the marathon, and is Irish record holder for f55 and f60 marathon. She also won gold at the half at the world masters in 2022.

Fabulous lady and a great story. Running rules podcast, number 58 on the list.

[smn159]

Martyn76 said:

smn159 said:

IME, rather than rest them, you have to progressively reload calf injuries with cross training and then short runs starting at 10 mins then adding 5 mins every other day until you reach 40 mins. A few weeks of rest and then (say) a 5k tends to make them go again.

Hi,

I still have a little pain in my calf hence why I haven't run on it yet, just when I think it's ok it seems to come back, I've had a massage and the guy said he couldn't feel any tears or knots, it's getting a bit annoying tbh, I'll head back to the gym once a week for S&C type stuff and any cardio (bike, ski-thingy, etc), I have started doing a few calf raises (10 max if not too painful)

I hoping that once the pain has gone I can get back on my feet, not ideal but I believe if my leg is good I can at least complete the distance if not at my minimum target time having missed 3 weeks (best case?).

If you're having pain still after taking 2 weeks out you're probably overdoing it. If calf raises are painful then they'\re likely doing damage (pain means sharp pain, not a dull ache) You need to be pain free during everyday activities, including stairs before attempting to run - and you need to be patient when you do start running again, which means very short runs starting at 10 mins, then add 5 mins every other day for a couple off weeks.

Get down to a running physio and get it assessed properly - if it's a significant tear you can easily make it worse if you're not careful

[RabidGranny]

Just did a nice 15km over lunch.

[Converse2020]

Would appreciate some advice on a niggling painful leg that’s not going away.

I thought it was a slight groin strain that was easing but whilst lifting my leg is painful the actual ache is more in the middle of my thigh muscle. It feels like a dead leg and the issue is hasn’t really got better / worse in last 10-14 days.

When I start a run (on the road) my right leg feels a bit wooden but within a minute or so it’s fine and there is no real pain and I can run 5k just fine and at my usual pace.

The last two days I’ve run on a running machine and the leg hasn’t eased as much when I’ve started running but these last few days I’ve walked less and it feels like less walking is making it stiffer and actually more movement helps- aside from it not ultimately going away.

So. Any ideas / ideas on what I’ve done or can do to resolve it ?
Thanks in advance

[Rosscow]

Track last night and we did the 'Cooper Run' - 12 minutes, run as far as you can as hard as you can. I managed 3270m.

Apparently that is excellent for a near 42 year old male. And my VO2 max calculation from said run is 61.82 ml/kg/min, which is superior.

Pretty happy with that, I guess!

[The jiffle king]

Converse2020 said:

Would appreciate some advice on a niggling painful leg that’s not going away.

I thought it was a slight groin strain that was easing but whilst lifting my leg is painful the actual ache is more in the middle of my thigh muscle. It feels like a dead leg and the issue is hasn’t really got better / worse in last 10-14 days.

When I start a run (on the road) my right leg feels a bit wooden but within a minute or so it’s fine and there is no real pain and I can run 5k just fine and at my usual pace.

The last two days I’ve run on a running machine and the leg hasn’t eased as much when I’ve started running but these last few days I’ve walked less and it feels like less walking is making it stiffer and actually more movement helps- aside from it not ultimately going away.

So. Any ideas / ideas on what I’ve done or can do to resolve it ?
Thanks in advance

I've come across most things in the past 15 years but nothing like what you describe. Have you had a massage to try and loosen it? Are you tight in your back/Neck?

I'm no doctor and web diagnosis is not easy but this feels like a case for seeing a physio and if that does not work, a doctor

[ajap1979]

ajap1979 said:

ajap1979 said:

Went away for our yearly Feb holiday in Tenerife and have came down with Bronchitis, which I’m gutted about. Would normally run everyday in the lovely heat.

An update on my woes. Had to go back to the doctors today and have been prescribed another seven days of antibiotics. I've gone from running 40 miles a week to feeling breathless just walking the dog. It's almost ironic because the promise I made at the start of the year was not to get injured, yet I neglected to listen to my body when I clearly wasn't 100%, and I've ended up with an illness that could erase all the progress I made late last year and into January. Consider me frustrated.

First run in exactly a month today. I've still be suffering from discomfort and pains in my chest, along with an irritating dry cough, not to mention getting out of breath quite easily. Anyway, I think I just decided that enough was enough, and that I may as well try and effect some positive change with some gentle exercise. Fingers crossed now that I don't regret it!

[Rosscow]

ajap1979 said:

ajap1979 said:

ajap1979 said:

Went away for our yearly Feb holiday in Tenerife and have came down with Bronchitis, which I’m gutted about. Would normally run everyday in the lovely heat.

An update on my woes. Had to go back to the doctors today and have been prescribed another seven days of antibiotics. I've gone from running 40 miles a week to feeling breathless just walking the dog. It's almost ironic because the promise I made at the start of the year was not to get injured, yet I neglected to listen to my body when I clearly wasn't 100%, and I've ended up with an illness that could erase all the progress I made late last year and into January. Consider me frustrated.

First run in exactly a month today. I've still be suffering from discomfort and pains in my chest, along with an irritating dry cough, not to mention getting out of breath quite easily. Anyway, I think I just decided that enough was enough, and that I may as well try and effect some positive change with some gentle exercise. Fingers crossed now that I don't regret it!

So frustrating! Hopefully there's some light at the end of the tunnel. Some dry, warm weather and sunshine would help!