Runners united: I run, I do running, I am a runner

Back from holiday and been out for a very short run to make sure I hadn't forgotten what to do . Will go out a bit longer tomorrow in a bid to avoid the piles of washing and the fact I have to do the weekly shop.

Was pleased to find my running pack for the half had turned up...makes it all a bit real now

Hi all, sorry not been posting - been to Center Parcs in Lakes for a week - I surprised myself massively, I absolutely loved it! Was great albeit very expensive...

Hired bikes so I now have the cycling bug - was peeved as wanted to get right into it and go off road but not possible with two toddlers in a trailer but good lord, got some cardio in pulling 4 stone of toddlers up hills! Definitely going to look into buying a bike and if anyone has any tips what's a good buy then let me know, it would be a road bike.

Did couple of short slowish runs to keep fitness up but back out as normal tomorrow and LSR planned for Sunday. Can't wait!

Will have a good catch up tonight when kids in bed and see what everyone's been up to.

Hello everyone. Haven't managed to keep up with the thread much this week but looks like lots of good running going on.

I went out for my usual plods on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes. Yesterday's was particularly good. I got my Garmin working after five minutes and did a further 3.06 miles in 30 mins, averaging 9.48 min/mile. In fact, I would describe it as more of a trundle now than a plod. All going in the right direction but there's a pain starting to develop down the front of my left shin. I'm hoping some thorough stretching and crossing of fingers will keep injury at bay.

rainbowinthesky I usually wear either looseish black shorts which don't tend to show the sweat so much or a running skirt in a glorious shade of bright red which has shorts sewn in, the skirt bit covers up any sweaty patches that might develop.

Can I just add to the other advice you got about your knees? When you do your stretching make sure to do an <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=runningtimes.com/rt/images/200405/IT%2520Band%2520stretch%25201.jpg&imgrefurl=runningtimes.com/04may/itb.htm&h=328&w=345&sz=13&tbnid=INfB4Nuzg024yM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=96&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dit%2Bband%2Bstretches%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=it+band+stretches&docid=2s0-ainxFY7Z2M&sa=X&ei=TTFFTo2XKYmGhQfK8LnBBg&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBQ&dur=562" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IT band stretch as well.

Hi all. Just got back from the gym adn ran 5k on a gradient of 1%. Same time of 37.5 minutes as last time but hopefully better overall because of no gradient last time (hopeful smiley).

I have one rather major problem though and dont know if there is anything i can do. I sweat profusely (fine) but I get large wet patches on the crotch area which makes it look like I have had an accident! Is there anything I can do to avoid this?

Signing in again! The good news is that I have done more running than keeping up with the thread; the bad news is not much more!

Well done to all for whatever you're achieving; it's really tricky fitting things in, isn't it? DH is now working 13 or 14 hr days again and staying away a couple of nights a week. This being the holidays, the DDs and I have been visiting grandparents so I have packed my running gear each time and snuck in a quick run but I'm probably only managing twice a week on average.

Having said that, I managed 4 miles the other day. We're on holiday, DH and DDs dropped me off on the seafront and I ran home, which was great (my usual runs are not picturesque) but the last mile was a great big hill so not pleasant. I have promised a friend that I will do a local 10k in the middle of September so am aiming to increase my long run by about half a mile a week - will this kill me?

And one more question. DD1 starts reception in September and DD2 starts pre-school in the mornings. This will leave me with only DD3 (5 months) in the mornings (oh, the freedom!). I am considering investing in a second hand running buggy so I can get out a couple of mornings a week - has anybody run with one? Do you have any advice or recommendations?

Cherry I run in brooks but best to go along to a running shop and see what they suggest for you . Are you happy with the ones you have ? If so search online you may get a good deal (i never do but most people seem to manage it)

On mapmyrun you can put it on a sateleite setting which is quite useful for off roading - you get a photo view

Hope wedding goes ok on your own.

Hi again all

dp has the day off today - yay! But now doing nights all weekend - boo! Looks like I'll be a solo guest to the wedding tomorrow

I have 2 questions for you all

1 what are your favourite brands of running trainers? I've got a pair of brookes but need to replace as they're quite worn

2 if you don't have a garmin, how do you measure your run lengths? I use google maps but it's not great as I often run on paths and across fields

also for all those with running dcs there are quite a few Kids triathlons about, and there is usually a kids race at some of the big ones - it's not too serious, looks like fun. Ds will be entered when he can ride a bike!

beginners thoroughly recommended - really cute movie - more of a rom com with an extra storyline (which was brilliant) than I'd realised. really enjoyed it. Off for a gentle 11k in the park this morning. Happy hols and happy running!

Welcome rainbow! Nothing to add to the great advice you'vehad here. Although I remember having twingey knees when I started but it went away (and then lots of other twinges appeared).

10K in the gym this morning with speed intervals. Was OK and my last run before hols.... Really hoping to keep going over the hols although checked it out on maps and it looks v. rural (am not confident of running in rural settings) and looking at the way the roads bend (in Italy - surely the romans sorted that out ???) I am assuming B-I-G HILLS. Eek. That'll besure to make me lose my pasta.

Frizzy hair doesn't bother me so much when I run - I am more concerned with the illimunous pink face I am usually sporting.

For those not on facebook - I had notification today that my nomination fo rmy Mum to be one of the people to carry the olympic torch has gone through to the next stage. I only entered her because I joked I was going to. Oops. She's entering into the spirit of it though.

the beginners - gay dad movie with christopher plummer and ewan mcgregor. Might be shit. Who cares?

What you going to see?

I was thinking of something a bit cooler than a shower cap Maybe if Nike did showercaps..........

Seriously, we can put men on the moon, so I should be able to run in the rain and keep non frizzy hair. I am working on a prototype as I type. We'll all be wearing one this time next year. It's the future.

I did notice on Tues at running club that none of the other ladies seem to spit. I get embarrassed about spitting when in the company of people I don't know. Then I think to much about swallowing it. Maybe I have some medical condition where I produce excess phlem........

Dr No - a shower cap? lol. My mental image of you gets more and more bizarre - hawking, spitting, speedy woman with dog...and floral shower cap. Ho, ho. ho. Raining here too.

DP and I going to the movies tonight. Yay.

rainbow get yourself onto The Runners World website and download a beginners 10k training plan and sign up for a race. It sounds like you have the bug!

Ds on a day out with a friend today so dh picked me up from work (he has the summer hols off and we did a 6 muddy and wet 6 miler through the woods with the dog. Loved it. Although my hair gets all frizzy in this drizzle and running in a baseball cap doesn't cut it. I am thinking about inventing something us women can wear over our hair to protect the frizz, who's with me?

Wow, thankyou all for the really helpful messages. I have to say I do really enjoy running and I feel physically good all the time now (I have never been fit in my life!).
Ds (15) has been running for a few months now as well and goes mainly outside. I agree about it being a fantastic example.

Running in the New Forest until Thursday next week and seeing my paces suffer as the terrain is all shingly and undulating/hilly! Had a good session yesterday doing HMP intervals by perceived effort and was pleased to get them about right. I sometimes wonder whether I rely too much on my Garmin and am going to make an effort to run by feel a bit more as I feel I glance at my watch a bit too often when racing which makes me anxious and less relaxed when racing. The whole point of running is to get into the zone and the Garmin, while it's useful, does prevent that rather.

Pleased to see some Mojo returning for DrNo (and indeed, rhet). And plenty of decent running being put in, despite the looting and rioting (sciencebint) and to show our DCs a good example of what it means to live healthily (sfx). My DS is showing promise as a runner and is a keen cyclist so I am wondering about introducing him to the delights of duathlons. That will be enough to set the precedent for my DDs to want to follow. They are already asking about running with me ("can I manage 3 miles yet, mummy?") and are out horse-riding in the New Forest while I tap this on my iPhone. My cunning plan to have a sporty active family is taking shape... DH even joined me on my 4M run with the dog this morning (in the RAIN) as I assured him it was meant to be an easy paced run. And he admitted feeling the better for it.

Keep on keeping on running friends. It's the way forwards (literally and metaphorically!)

must have x-posted with moshi - good advice there. I have that sore outside of the knee thingy sometimes although I'm not a particularly large-hipped woman (not small-hipped, either, though!). It doesn't bother me too much though, more a twinge - that's the other thing that is so hard to judge, what's a twinge and what's a twinge waiting to turn into an injury? So I don't know if I ramped up volume and (ha, ha, ha) speed, whether that knee might turn nasty on me. I seem to be doing the writing I should be doing for work on the the thread. OK. I'm going now :o

DrNo she is most strange. It's all about control . But yes, another thread...

welcome rainbow - I think you should scale back your distance slightly - if you are running 4 x week (every other day) that was 12k, you've increased that to 20k, i.e. nearly doubling your distance. The runner's rule of thumb is no more than 10% per week, and not every week (and bear in mind that most of these running 'rules' are formulated with very good or elite, male, athletes in mind, who are also young and at a point in their lives where their bodies - assuming they already have some talent for running - are very forgiving).

The odd feeling in your knees might simply be your body adjusting (although it sounds like inflammation to me), but if it's not actually painful and isn't stopping you running, then I'd keep going, but with a more graduated approach to increasing mileage. We wouldn't want to lose you!

just did a killer hill interval thingy at the gym, mostly due to my incompetence with the buttons. I had been messing around with 800s, and then thought that I couldn't be arsed with fiddling with the speed all the time, so ended up running 6% hills at race pace.... It was ok, actually, despite the fact that I am still digestively challenged....

And yes adjust the incline to 1-1.5% to account for the relative ease of treadmill running or else outdoor running will feel like running in treacle!

Welcome to the thread rainbow. Treadmill running is easier on the joints as the impact is much less than outdoors and especially on Tarmac but if you plan on getting into racing or even trying outdoor running, then get out there and accustom yourself to the outdoor terrain.

Getting too used to treadmill running can make your ankles weaker and more susceptible to sprains and make it harder to acclimatise to the impact of Tarmac and increase the likelihood of shin splints. Running is a balancing act of training to improve and not overtrain and injure yourself. Aches from the former are good but pains from the latter less so! The trick is working out what your pain is.

I think a physio is best placed to identify the cause of any problem although not necessarily a viable option for everyone. So the general advice is to get gait checked (which you have done) and then seek the advice of someone suitably qualified eg a trainer in your gym who is good at assessing running gait, a running school or physio specialising in running. Everyone will have a different angle on it depending on their particular expertise (eg podiatrist, chiropractor, physio etc). After a while you will work out what it is that you are inclined to suffer from (eg is it your biomechanics meaning your knee turns in slightly making the outer side sore which is common in women with our wider hips) and adjust your gait accordingly.

Sorry for the essay!

I have pushed myself this last week although still every other day so my body can recover. I have upped from 3k to 5k.

Thanks for the quick replies. I have been running on the treadmill on and off since around easter but only seriously in the last few weeks. I recently had my gait done and have asics which have made a big difference as I had started to get pain in my shins which I dont anymore.
The pain in my knees isnt really a pain and I dont feel it whilst running. It's more of a soft awareness of them which I have been feeling for the last few days. I did do some running outside this past week but am back to the gym now. I prefer the treadmill tbh.
I run on no gradient. Is it worthwhile putting it up to 1%?

rainbow welcome

How long have you been running for? Pain in the knee is very common it's called runners knee...) and I think for anyone new to the sport a certain amount of aches and pains are par for the course. Some are simply biomechanic issues that sort themselves out as your body gets fitter and stronger. Only you can decide whether or not to continue running. It may be a case of too much, too soon. Have you increased your distance or your speed too quickly? In the early days as you are getting better it is easy to go to far or too fast without letting your body fully recover.

Make sure you have proper shoes with adequate support. Treadmill running is better for you actually than road running. Good luck!

rainbow have you had you gait analysed? it is worth making sure you have the right kind of shoes
also does it improve if you ice it after running?

btw hi and welcome