Runners United: the one where we talk about running, life, the universe and everything inbetween

[Pawsnclaws]

New thread everyone!

Rest for me today - just six days to go and I've woken with a sore throat .....

Thanks! I didn't realise I wasn't supposed to be sprinting! I basically run it as fast as I possibly can. So I would be better to run less hard but for a longer distance? I sprint the 200m in about 56 seconds. So should I do time instead and run fast (nOt sprint!) for 2 minutes? How long would recovery jog be then?

I can't fit another run in. I am exercising 5 or 6 days a week as it is. But maybe do intervals one week and hills the next? Plus my 5k.

I am wearing them now. I feel like I have new legs. How come no one told em about these before? My injury feels practically vanished.

They are black, knee length, and dh says he finds me very attractive in them

wiifitmama I would suggest to start with 3 x 2 min intervals with 1 min recovery. You could even drop this to 3 x 1 min with 1 min recovery until you get better at running faster for longer, but deffo not sprinting!

Alternate hill and intervals sounds good. And could you make your 5 k a fartlek? So you play with speed instead of running it at the same pace. Run fast to a lampost, slower to the tree, faster to the postbox etc?

We are living through tough economic times ladies, but may I suggest we each chip in 50p to pay for a therapist for Rhet, and if there's anything left, perhaps also for DrNo's DH?

I change intervals weekly but one week will do pyramids - 0.25 miles, recover 2 mins, 0.5 miles, recover, 0.75 miles, recover, 1 mile, recover, 0.75 mile, recover, 0.5 mile, recover, 0.25 mile, recover. 1 mile warm up, 1 mile cool down. Then maybe next week do 2 mins fast, 2 mins recover x 8 but making sure I don't slow down on the fast interval, my last is as good as first. My interval pace is around 7.00 m/m - faster than a tempo run but not sprinting.

DrNo's plan better to start with though!

rhet your dream is hilarious. Did you tell dp?...or would she think you have truly lost the plot?

So what do compression socks do, DrNo? And please don't say compress How do they affect your performance?

rhet that's so funny! I wonder where I was... hehe!

I entered the Olympic ballot I'd better bloody win a place since I am bitter and twisted about not getting ANY sodding tickets through first or second round application

Shall we all wear compression socks with Mumsnet embroidered on them?

Dr No I think maybe that you and moshi had already finished :)

backward the do compress Don't think they claim to improve performance, just I did not feel my injury at all, my lesg felt all compressed, and tight, and new. I was also wearing my new brooks instead of ASICs so it could be them?

compression socks

I did wear them last night after my run and slept in them. My injuries feels so much better today

hello runners

rhet at dream, was there a specific location?

speaking of cars v people running and on bikes, I was reading this thread on the bus in the way into town yesterday and we were just behind an accident where a car hit a cyclist, the man was wearing a helmet and Hi Viz gear and on cycle lane he seemed dazed but was conscious sitting on the road

about speed was reading that best not to try speed training until you have been running regularly for at least a year, in order to avoid injury

also this months runners world has an article on some Spanish guy who does ultras and is more akin to a mountain goat, amazing!

I should go plod soonish, really tired and sluggish and looking at a really poor time for race oh well maybe there will be a voucher for a bra in it

DrN is he confused? what is his reaction to high boots dare I ask?

Those compression socks are what a lot of athletes wear at races aren't they?

sfx one of the reasons why I won't bike is I fear for my safety. Drivers are pricks sometimes.

Just been out for hill intervals. My friend was not happy! Did warm up for 0.5 mile then 5 x intervals up VERY steep hill, I am dying to know the gradient of it (anyone know how I can find this out) - we did 0.20 miles up it, then recovered downhill and went from doing it in 2m20sec to 1m40sec which was good as we worked hard! 5th one was awful though, however aim to add extra interval on each week. The we jogged back to car.

Will read back and comment but for now, after missing my first run of the campaign on Sunday (a LSR of 20M) due to a cold circulating around the household and catching me, I went for a test run today and was able to put in some easy MP miles coming in between 7:02 and 7:08m/m. I am not entirely convinced that will happen at Abingdon but it felt nice and easy today so I went with it. I am determined not to be dictated to by my Garmin as I like to run by feel and am formulating a plan to just use it together with a pace band to ensure I do not move off target at Abingdon. Feeling much better. The power of a good run.

On another note, we are officially San Francisco-bound! We gave notice to the headmaster of DS's school today. I actually blubbed in his office at the thought of it all. It is such a great school...

On a more cheerful note, we are accepting reservations for the summer of 2012 (perhaps for those unsuccessful in the stoopid ballot for the Olympics) as the house we are renting has a lovely two bedrooms with bathroom in the attic.

rhet isn't it a little early in term to be having mad dreams like that . I love running dreams though, I am a very good runner in them!

Moshi so glad to hear that the decision making process has ended, hope that in itself makes you feel happier. And of course, the very good running...

DrNo I saw the compression wear in the running shop (and PR sings high praises of it too). Does look interesting, and great if it helps with your injury (and makes you fly! brilliant times!)

I've been taking all your advice and did some hill training this morning. God it's hard! Calves, Bum, Lungs all burning... I hope this is going to help me weekend after next. Beautiful run tho, mostly through deciduous woods so was all autumny, crunching through leaves and little squirrels scurrying about. And me wheezing like a little pit pony...

DrN I can see my DH agreeing about the compression socks actually. But then his fantasy girl would be a 1970s Jenny Agutter (no I'm not making that up .....).

fanny you can check height gain on an OS map. Figures are given in metres, and you can check the gain either by looking at the contours (usually 10m + or - per orange line), or a bit easier there are little black numbers with dots next to them which are elevation figures in metres - you have to look quite closely to find them. Says the woman obsessively checking currently doing this for Chester!

OK, have had a read back and cannot stop chortling at rhet's dream! Rock on! There's no stopping us, running mums ("moms"?!!) when we are on fire. Am also delighted to see such great splits DrNo - you have come on so much considering you are relatively new to this running lark. Who knows how far you can go?

Compression clothing is most useful post-race/hard session to deal with the lactate and aid recovery for the next run. I am not convinced of their effectiveness during a workout but many like to wear those socks during a race so not everyone can be wrong. I think it suggests you have to run at the pointy end of the field though if you choose to wear them and look pro and prefer not to have the additional pressure of my socks dictating where I am in the race

fanny to get a gradient you divide the change in height by the change in horizontal distance: so if you climb 1 metre over 10 metres the gradient will be .1; if you climb 10 meters in one metre, the gradient will be 10. The higher the number, the steeper the climb. One of my hills is about 700m long and has about 30m of climb; the other is 350 long and has 25m of climb. Going to run these ones on my Sunday runs from now on.

slf don't know about early - nearly 1/3 of the way through, which is alarming as dd2 is due the saturday that term ends...yikes

sfxmum not really, sort of urban industrial, with one of those inflatable race finish thingies...

think I am not going to go for a pb on 10k as running mate has cellulitis and might need to walk somewhat.

did some intervals this morning, but not very structured, so next week will do 2:1 - wiifitmama I think we are at about the same point with this. I reckon that I can manage around 400m in 2 minutes, maybe a bit more. Would gradually hope to cover more ground and gradually increase the length of the running while leaving recovery at about 1 min. I have a stretch mapped out which allows about 5 mins warm-up to get there, and then it's about 600m long. I needed the Garmin bleeps!

My problem is that it takes me a good 15 minutes to warm up, I only had 30 mins this morning, by the end I was running 4:10 m/km pace (just under 7m/m) for 400m intervals, but really struggled at the start.

All systems go then Moshi ! When are you off?

fanny I think you can check gradients on mapmyrun.com but not sure how reliable they are?

Ah yes you can also look at mapmyrun, though it will probably only have fairly big routes like the GNR or marathon on there.

Just a thought - when I met that amazing marathon runner a few months back (remember, works full time, single parent to two, runs .... 140 miles per week!) she said the best hill training is to take on the same hill up and down 3-5 times at the end of your run. Presumably to get the "benefit" of doing it on tired legs?

Exactly, paws. In fact that rule goes for all your training, eg if you are HM training or marathon training etc you tag on the efforts at HM pace or MP at the end of a training run so you are forcing your legs to hit pace despite feeling tired. We all know the rookies who whizz off at the start of a race only to flag badly midway through and barely finish. Well the idea is you train yourself to sustain the required pace to hit target and familiarise yourself with the perceived effort so it doesn't come as a shock on race day. Samantha Amend is a phenomenal runner but I also suspect a very tough woman mentally too to do what she does at the level she does juggling what she does. Another thing to consider is the evidence that says we don't hit a wall but it is more of a psychological wall we hit with no real physical difference other than tired. So the trick is to have mental tricks in hand to push through the tough patches eg have a mantra like Lance (rather f*@king gorgeous) Armstrong with his (cue Texan accent or wherever it is he is from) Quittin' Is Forever, Pain Is Temporary line.

futurity - the noo year (did that sound American folks? )

Yes Moshi agreed about looking liek a shit hot runner if you wear compression socks to a race. I wore mine under long tights last night so no one knew I had them on (despite dh insisiting I shold wear them with my tightes, shortest shorts )

Otherwise I would look like 'all the gear no idea'

So when is the San Fran move happenning and can you take teh dog?!