The Running Thread

[MC Bodge]

andrewparker said:

My biggest improvement in injury prevention came when I took 6 weeks off and did a lot of hip strengthening exercises, mainly with resistance bands. I was prone to IT band problems, which have since never reappeared. I'd also suggest strengthening your core.

I think there may be something in that.

I have been doing some hip/glute stretching and strengthening, although I'm yet to benefit from it.

ITB tightness seemed to be helped by foam rolling.

I have re-inflated my Swiss ball and begun using that.

I was doing some 1 leg squats, which may have contributed to the knee problem as there were some funny noises coming from that area....

[andrewparker]

I'm 34 so it sounds like I'm a similar age to you. I took up running 17 months ago with the aim of competing in a local 10k road race. To be honest I've never found it particularly easy until quite recently. I fell out with it on many occasions, and it was always because of injury or excessive aching. The turnaround for me was what should have been a quite straightforward run, but I pulled up barely 10 strides into it with a sharp pain on the outside of my left knee. At that point I pretty much thought "sod this", but I read a few articles online that underlined the importance of hip strength. This was shortly after Christmas so with the bad weather and dark nights I thought it was an ideal time to put the act of running to one side and dedicate time and effort to strengthening exercises. Since then I've managed to pile on the mileage and comfortably run around 30 miles per week. I'd do more but with two young children it's difficult. I still do two or three 30 minute resistance band/core sessions a week but I'm now at the point where I am frustrated because I seem to have plateaued, and I ran a poor Great North Run, 2.05 (over 20 minutes more than my PB).

So I'd give the strengthening exercises a go, the equipment you need won't cost the earth, and they don't take a huge amount of time.

[MC Bodge]

andrewparker said:

I'm 34 so it sounds like I'm a similar age to you

Yes, I'm only a bit older at 37. I've enjoyed running since my early teens and have never found it unpleasant since, other than injuries.

I pretty much started running again from scratch at the beginning of last year, after a year or so away from it totally(with short periods of running between injuries before that) -although I did start doing competitive sports at the age of 10, and running on my own from about age 15. Since leaving school I've only managed to train for and complete 1x 10K (7 years ago) and 1x Half-marathon (17 years ago!), despite entering various events.

I'll do more of the hip, glute and core exercises and will seek out a suitable time for swimming at one of the local pools.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 9th September 21:27

[bennyboysvuk]

Last night I went out for my short gentle-ish run of 3-4 miles in preparation for my 10k at the weekend and like I always do, got carried away. I ended up pushing myself reasonably hard and running 4.6 miles at 7min/mile pace. Today I feel great, with ever so slightly tender calf muscles, which has made me feel more confident about the weekend.

I still feel like I need to pick my cadence up a bit, but I haven't got the strength to do that just yet with my giraffe like (36inch inside leg) legs. I very roughly counted 160 steps per min on my run last night.

[markh1973]

Ran the Eridge Park 10 mile trail race on Sunday - described by them as proper cross country. So it included bogs, streams, climbing over/under a tree.

Covered the first half in 45 minutes before tripping over a tree root and landing on my face. Blood everywhere (it turns out coming from the inch long gash on the just under my mouth. The other runners were brilliant including the guy who totally compromised his race by looking after me whilst I sat on the ground and then walking the next km and a bit whilst I decided whether to carry on or not.

Apart from the blood pouring from my face I didn't feel too bad so at the 6 mile point decided to carry on and ran (well walked up the steep hills) the remainder. Finished in 1:40:35 looking like complete and utter st. Hands, shorts, vest, number, legs all covered in blood.

Went to A&E and got myself superglued together. Other bits of me took some impact - the muscles in the right side of my chest are very tender. managed to go out for a steady 5km last night - legs feel absolutely fine but running without moving my right arm much was odd.

[Foliage]

andrewparker said:

So I'd give the strengthening exercises a go, the equipment you need won't cost the earth, and they don't take a huge amount of time.

Im the same age as you and I only started running regularly this year, i agree completely with your statement about core work, i get far less aches and pains and feel more confident on my feet after doing a selection of core exercises on a regular basis (I currently do reverse crunch 20reps, reverse toe touch 20reps and 30sec planks x 4sets daily) but ive done tons of different core exercises to see what I find best, my core is solid.

You dont really need any equipment, plenty of simple core exercise routines on youtube. I also do pull ups which work core, back and shoulders.

[E65Ross]

You don't need equipment for decent core work unless you're VERY high end. I've treated high level MMA fighters and improved their core significantly without any equipment.

Sadly, these days, people think core work is largely sit ups, "supermans" etc which are acually bad for you. Sit ups in particular are horrendous for your spine.

[Tycho]

Hi Ross, thanks for the info. Do you have any links to good routines for core training that you'd recommend as there are so many out there. I do Pilates once a week and can definitely feel the benefit but could do with something else a couple of times a week that I can do at home.

[cerb4.5lee]

bennyboysvuk said:

Last night I went out for my short gentle-ish run of 3-4 miles in preparation for my 10k at the weekend and like I always do, got carried away. I ended up pushing myself reasonably hard and running 4.6 miles at 7min/mile pace. Today I feel great, with ever so slightly tender calf muscles, which has made me feel more confident about the weekend.

That's very good going and I don't think I would call a 7min/mile pace gentle! if I run 4 miles my pace is usually around 8.36/mile pace but I am currently running longer distances so its around 9.19/mile pace and whenever I am out running I always think about you lot on here that run such a good pace.

Wishing you all the best for the 10k.

[E65Ross]

Tycho said:

Hi Ross, thanks for the info. Do you have any links to good routines for core training that you'd recommend as there are so many out there. I do Pilates once a week and can definitely feel the benefit but could do with something else a couple of times a week that I can do at home.

PM me and when I get the chance over the next few days I'll email you some "main" ones. Most of the stuff I use for patients are given by Stuart McGill, probably the best spinal rehabilitation guru in the world. They're relatively quick, start off easy but can be made harder. Most of them are "tracks" ... i.e. start easy and progress harder and harder.

Only issue is that one in particular is VERY hard to describe by text and images so the reader does it correctly. It looks simple, but really isn't. I'll see if I can come up with a way....maybe a video clip or something but I won't promise. It'll likely be the weekend before I can get back to you properly.

I had a good session this morning and progress seems to be on my side. Few weeks ago (3 or 4, can't recall) I did 2miles warm up, 3 miles at roughly LT pace, 3mins rest then 1.5 miles roughly LT pace, 3mins rest and 4x200m off 30secs rest and I managed something likr 6:20/miles for the 1st 3 mile effort, then 6:14 for the next 1.5 miles.

This morning I did 2 mile warm up, 3.2 miles at an average of 6:12/mile, 2mins rest (so marginally longer effort and 1min less recovery) and then 1.6 miles (at a 5:54/mile average) then 4x200m off 30secs rest; after my warm down I did 9.1 miles in total.

Slowly but surely getting there. Hope I can get back to my former ability....crazy to think I did a 5k at 5:22 or 5:23/mile average.....2 years ago now!!

Relatively easy week in terms of speed this week as it's purely LT work and a few 200m reps really. Next week starts picking back up again but I'm really finding these LT sessions helping. Looking at our schedule in about 5-6 weeks we have 1x4 "triangles" where each triangle is a 1.6mile loop....so 6.4 miles at LT, a 3min rest, then 2 more laps continuous, so 9.6 miles at LT, then some 200m reps!!! That's going to be a gutsy session!!!

[Tycho]

E65Ross said:

PM me and when I get the chance over the next few days I'll email you some "main" ones. Most of the stuff I use for patients are given by Stuart McGill, probably the best spinal rehabilitation guru in the world. They're relatively quick, start off easy but can be made harder. Most of them are "tracks" ... i.e. start easy and progress harder and harder.

Only issue is that one in particular is VERY hard to describe by text and images so the reader does it correctly. It looks simple, but really isn't. I'll see if I can come up with a way....maybe a video clip or something but I won't promise. It'll likely be the weekend before I can get back to you properly.

I had a good session this morning and progress seems to be on my side. Few weeks ago (3 or 4, can't recall) I did 2miles warm up, 3 miles at roughly LT pace, 3mins rest then 1.5 miles roughly LT pace, 3mins rest and 4x200m off 30secs rest and I managed something likr 6:20/miles for the 1st 3 mile effort, then 6:14 for the next 1.5 miles.

This morning I did 2 mile warm up, 3.2 miles at an average of 6:12/mile, 2mins rest (so marginally longer effort and 1min less recovery) and then 1.6 miles (at a 5:54/mile average) then 4x200m off 30secs rest; after my warm down I did 9.1 miles in total.

Slowly but surely getting there. Hope I can get back to my former ability....crazy to think I did a 5k at 5:22 or 5:23/mile average.....2 years ago now!!

Relatively easy week in terms of speed this week as it's purely LT work and a few 200m reps really. Next week starts picking back up again but I'm really finding these LT sessions helping. Looking at our schedule in about 5-6 weeks we have 1x4 "triangles" where each triangle is a 1.6mile loop....so 6.4 miles at LT, a 3min rest, then 2 more laps continuous, so 9.6 miles at LT, then some 200m reps!!! That's going to be a gutsy session!!!

PM sent. 5:22/mile is insane! It is good to see you making progress and keeping positive after any setbacks though.

[cerb4.5lee]

Tycho said:

5:22/mile is insane! It is good to see you making progress and keeping positive after any setbacks though.

Agree and Ross you are just a flying machine and you deserve much credit to be where you are when you consider what you have gone through and 5:22/mile is just nuts!

[boyse7en]

Did last long training run before marathon on Sunday. OK at 16 miles, went bad very rapidly after that (chafing, cramps)

Got to mile 20 and I've pulled something in my foot, can't put weight on my left foot. Hurts underneath on the opposite side from the arch. Guess I've pulled a ligament or similar.
Only two weeks til marathon so hoping that it recovers in time

[andrewparker]

E65Ross said:

You don't need equipment for decent core work unless you're VERY high end. I've treated high level MMA fighters and improved their core significantly without any equipment.

Sadly, these days, people think core work is largely sit ups, "supermans" etc which are acually bad for you. Sit ups in particular are horrendous for your spine.

Yeah, to be fair the equipment I was referring to was for hip strengthening, namely resistance bands, which I have found very extremely beneficial.

[bennyboysvuk]

cerb4.5lee said:

That's very good going and I don't think I would call a 7min/mile pace gentle! if I run 4 miles my pace is usually around 8.36/mile pace but I am currently running longer distances so its around 9.19/mile pace and whenever I am out running I always think about you lot on here that run such a good pace.

Wishing you all the best for the 10k.

Thanks Lee. I wouldn't call 7min/mile pace gentle by my standards either. My intention was to run a lot gentler than that, but my competitive nature caused me to press on a bit.

I'm always impressed by how quickly some people can run too and I'm in awe of people at my running club running 10k in around 36 mins. I've always run without thinking about it and I'm aware that others in the club have concentrated on technique for years. Like everything else, I think it comes down to training/practice.

Ross's 5:22 per mile pace is just bonkers though!

[E65Ross]

bennyboysvuk said:

cerb4.5lee said:

That's very good going and I don't think I would call a 7min/mile pace gentle! if I run 4 miles my pace is usually around 8.36/mile pace but I am currently running longer distances so its around 9.19/mile pace and whenever I am out running I always think about you lot on here that run such a good pace.

Wishing you all the best for the 10k.

Thanks Lee. I wouldn't call 7min/mile pace gentle by my standards either. My intention was to run a lot gentler than that, but my competitive nature caused me to press on a bit.

I'm always impressed by how quickly some people can run too and I'm in awe of people at my running club running 10k in around 36 mins. I've always run without thinking about it and I'm aware that others in the club have concentrated on technique for years. Like everything else, I think it comes down to training/practice.

Ross's 5:22 per mile pace is just bonkers though!

That was 2 years ago sadly! A few weeks later I ran a 10 mile race in 59:06 which I went off too conservatively, could have gone quicker! Then ran a half marathon in 1:18; but that was too far for me really, I was training for 5 and 10k really. Would love to get back to that and think with 9 months hard training I can do that.

[MC Bodge]

E65Ross said:

You don't need equipment for decent core work unless you're VERY high end. I've treated high level MMA fighters and improved their core significantly without any equipment.

Sadly, these days, people think core work is largely sit ups, "supermans" etc which are acually bad for you. Sit ups in particular are horrendous for your spine.

What would you recommend? I have been using a fitness ball for balance and core exercises.

I tried MMA. I really enjoyed the wrestling aspects, but as you might expect, injuries ended that very quickly.....

[Cybertronian]

Wasn't intending to enter this year's Great Birmingham Run but found out I've won a competition for a free place worth £34! Will most likely still be recovering from the Cardiff Half (autumn A-race) so will run it for fun or pace slower friends round.

[MC Bodge]

E65Ross said:

You don't need equipment for decent core work unless you're VERY high end. I've treated high level MMA fighters and improved their core significantly without any equipment.

Sadly, these days, people think core work is largely sit ups, "supermans" etc which are acually bad for you. Sit ups in particular are horrendous for your spine.

Earlier this evening I joined my wife in following an, er, um, Pilates video. It was all very relaxing and pleasant and not like anything I've done before.

Some of the exercises were similar to the ones I've been doing and I was encouraged that I was able to cope with the more advanced variations of the (apparently fairly basic) exercises in the session, although I'm sure that I was not displaying good 'pilates form' and would presumably improve with practice.

Assuming that my 'core strength' isn't too bad to begin with, it does beg the question,
"why do I still have so many problems with my running?!"

[E65Ross]

MC Bodge said:

Assuming that my 'core strength' isn't too bad to begin with, it does beg the question,
"why do I still have so many problems with my running?!"

There are many, many other reasons for injuries other than core strength,

Ever had a proper foot and gait analysis? I'm talking about someone who genuinely knows what they're doing, rather than most of the running shop people out there. Biomechanist podiatrist, for example, may be a worthwhile visit. Secondly....and I hate to say it, maybe you just aren't built for running.

Whilst our bodies can adapt, we're still ultimately what our parents made us and genetics do play a large role. It might be that your hip angles, knee joints etc etc just aren't a suitable candidate for running.....but without getting assessed it's impossible to say.

Where in the UK are you?

Anyway, I'm catching an early night now, I'm getting up early to do a circa 5 mile run before work.