The Running Thread Vol 2

[tenohfive]

Jimboka said:

Do any of you guys/girls use head-torches etc in the darker months?
I have a running ‘chest light’ which gives a pretty stable throw & I can run down trails etc using this. Being paranoid I have a head torch backup, just in case.
So tonight I did 7 miles down trails, very exhilarating. Only saw 1 other person/nutter
Made a refreshing change from pounding the streets

I have about 4 to choose from, plus a throwy (300m range) light for when the route finding is a bit trickier and my keyring light in case I forget to bring anything (700 lumens.) If I didn't have something, I wouldn't do much running in winter.

It's just standard winter running for me - the novelty is long worn off, I look forward to being able to see more of the countryside.

[Cybertronian]

Jimboka said:

Do any of you guys/girls use head-torches etc in the darker months?
I have a running ‘chest light’ which gives a pretty stable throw & I can run down trails etc using this. Being paranoid I have a head torch backup, just in case.
So tonight I did 7 miles down trails, very exhilarating. Only saw 1 other person/nutter
Made a refreshing change from pounding the streets

I have a Petzl, which gets a few heckles thrown at me, but very much necessary once I head on to unlit canal towpaths for majority of my evening runs. Very useful for grabbing attention of drivers, ensuring they've seen me when I'm crossing junctions, zebra crossings etc.

[RizzoTheRat]

I'm not a fan of the chest mounted ones as the light bounces about too much, a head torch is a lot more stable as you tend to keep your head level.
If it's properly dark I find my little Petzl Tikka is fine, but if there's other people around with torches to knacker my night vision I sometimes think I could use something more powerful.

[feef]

I asked about this a while back and have since use been using my little Petal LED head-torch. It's fine for pretty much everything I've done. I was half expecting it to slip down or otherwise move about unless the band was uncomfortably tight, but it's actually pretty stable.

On the down side, I've not been out since before xmas mainly due to personal and professional challenges in the last month or so (getting home late and the foul weather hasn't really been motivating either), but should be able to get back to it soon.

[Smitters]

tenohfive said:

It's what, £4 a month at the end of the day. Worth that for live segments alone in my eyes (assuming your GPS supports them - which both my watch, and currently under-utilised bike GPS do.) It holds the basic stats I need day to day, and it's no hardship going into Garmin Connect for more detail.

I don't like the trend towards subscription models that every service seems to be adopting today, but I really do think Strava is the best at what it does. So I can suck up the cost of a sandwich each month if it keeps the platform active and moving forwards.

Incidentally, whilst I've not used it I do like the idea of the posts option - I try to do at least one 'new boundaries,' type run each year, and each has been worthy of a few more lines of text than the activity description. Something to remember some of the finer points or little things. But without boring my non-running friends to death on other social platforms. So I think it's a good idea.

This is literally the first time I've heard something positive about the way the platform is headed. That's cool, because it shows they are serving some of their customer base. For me, it' not worth £4 a month as the premium doesn't add anything I want/need and I'm using my cancellation to make a point. Otherwise companies just develop on whims, which is hardly ever a great idea. I like a lot of what Strava does and stands for, but the single biggest aspect outside recording my own data is seeing what my mates have done, and I can't do that easily anymore.

ETA - hoping for a pain free 15 mins today. Will walk first and after to WU/CD. I hate shinsplints.

[AndStilliRise]

5k race today. I was running flat 20s last year. Think i will be doing a 22 today.

[The jiffle king]

I find I have to wear something on my head (hat or buff) so I don't leave torch marks as I probably have the torch too tight.

Ran a relatively easy 10 last night as on Saturday, I'm helping a couple of people do 10 miles at tempo pace with 2 warm up and 2 cool down. The pace is a bit quick for me, but going to give it a go and see how we get on.

[AbzGuyGTI]

Jimboka said:

Do any of you guys/girls use head-torches etc in the darker months?
I have a running ‘chest light’ which gives a pretty stable throw & I can run down trails etc using this. Being paranoid I have a head torch backup, just in case.
So tonight I did 7 miles down trails, very exhilarating. Only saw 1 other person/nutter
Made a refreshing change from pounding the streets

I train in the hills/trails most nights so pitch black and i use the LED Lenser Hr7.2. I have just bought the Petzl Reactik+ which isn't as bulky but should be just a bright..!

[johnwilliams77]

User of petzl nao - cost £100 but previously I wasn’t long in spending same on beer
Money well spent

[Flibble]

I have a Coast HL7, cost about 30 quid, plenty bright. Not the lightest due to using 3 AAA batteries, but fine when worn over a hat.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks all, i’ll look at getting a head torch as well. My DIY head torch is a bit bulky!
I found the chest light pretty good TBH, didn’t jiggle about too much. Also a red light on the back.
Certainly opens up some good training options this time of year

[TiminYorkshire]

I find this Decathlon own brand one pretty good, rechargeable, fine for running (on pavements/tracks I use half power). I've been using it since Christmas:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/onnight-710-trail-head...

[MelbourneWoody]

Can anyone give me any tip for getting used to running in heat? the days are really starting to consistently be warm here 30+

I bought an awesome lightweight breathable hat but still struggle in the sun.

I'm able some days to get out early whilst its cooler but I don't want to miss many days due to the heat?

[The jiffle king]

MelbourneWoody said:

Can anyone give me any tip for getting used to running in heat? the days are really starting to consistently be warm here 30+

I wrote a few things last summer as I have lived in Barcelona and Atlanta so very used to hot weather running. What I share you will already know but here goes:
- accept that it will be tougher so slow down a little
- hydrate thought the day and even more than you think
- Take 500ml on the run with you
- properly hydrate after the run with an isotonic drink
- wear sun cream.....
- look for cooler places to run like woods.... and watch out for snakes
- take your phone and some cash
- build up slowly in the bad heat e.g. 2 miles 1 day then over 6 weeks build up to 8 miles
- break the run up if you can into 2 parts with hydration in the middle
- use salt tablets if needed

[MelbourneWoody]

The jiffle king said:

I wrote a few things last summer as I have lived in Barcelona and Atlanta so very used to hot weather running. What I share you will already know but here goes:
- accept that it will be tougher so slow down a little
- hydrate thought the day and even more than you think
- Take 500ml on the run with you
- properly hydrate after the run with an isotonic drink
- wear sun cream.....
- look for cooler places to run like woods.... and watch out for snakes
- take your phone and some cash
- build up slowly in the bad heat e.g. 2 miles 1 day then over 6 weeks build up to 8 miles
- break the run up if you can into 2 parts with hydration in the middle
- use salt tablets if needed

Great tips, an maybe some obvious ones that I had over looked. I"ve been a massive fan of sports drinks but I may pick up some salt tablets. It 39 degrees here today, that just waaay to hot for me.

[egor110]

TiminYorkshire said:

I find this Decathlon own brand one pretty good, rechargeable, fine for running (on pavements/tracks I use half power). I've been using it since Christmas:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/onnight-710-trail-head...

that's what i use on the quantocks/exmoor and it seems to work fine

[keo]

Been for my first run for a long time tonight. Only did 5 miles and was very slow but I enjoyed it and hopefuly I will get back into running.

[egor110]

keo said:

Been for my first run for a long time tonight. Only did 5 miles and was very slow but I enjoyed it and hopefuly I will get back into running.

Stuff looks different at night , we run a 10k every thursday on exmoor we do the same section probably twice a week in daylight and at night we think we're running straight up to a trig point and when we check we're either further to the left or the right than we thought.

I think the key to night runs is to chill out and not push it , just enjoy the fact it's something a bit different but your still running .

[zygalski]

Ok...
Against the traffic or with the traffic?

[Cybertronian]

zygalski said:

Ok...
Against the traffic or with the traffic?

When running on country lanes, I try to run against traffic as I'm more likely to see the car first than they are to see me. Exception to this is if the road bends to the right, then I'll switch to running with traffic as I can no longer see cars coming towards me.