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Original poster

Dusting off the trainers

204 replies

SharingMichelle · 24/04/2016 16:39

A support thread for anyone trying to get back into running or starting for the first time. Would love to have a bit of company.

I used to run quite a bit, though nothing impressive (managed a 1/2 marathon at my peak). Then I did far too much too soon after having my 3rd baby, and buggered my knees. Have not run for about 3 years.

Am just getting back to it now. Gently does it. Am terrified of hurting myself again. Have been seeing a PT with the goal of getting strong enough in all the right places to run regularly again.

Went for my first run on Friday. Aiming for 10 mins (PT instruction) but really enjoyed it and ran for 20. Didn't get very far though!!

2nd run was yesterday. 15 minutes, pitiful distance, lots of hills.

Looking forward to running again on Tues.

OP posts:
Fraggled · 15/05/2016 21:50

Went out and did a slow 5k this evening. Promised I'd rest but couldn't help myself, it was such a nice evening!

Original poster
SharingMichelle · 16/05/2016 09:14

Hmm. My shins are starting to hurt.

Pt has recommended i cut the distance right down and do 45 second sprints up the hill by my house then walk down, repeat 5 or 6 times.

That sounds a whole lot less fun than a nice long run on the beach.

OP posts:
Lambzig · 16/05/2016 20:55

Did a quick half hour early this morning. I envy people who can run together, but it's definitely solo, no music for me.

DaughterDrowningInJunk · 16/05/2016 21:03

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CointreauVersial · 16/05/2016 23:46

Wow, well done, Daughter! I'm sure the speed can be built up later. But make sure you get the odd day off!

Bad news about the shins, Sharing. Hopefully cutting back the distance for a while will sort them out.

Well, I'm polishing my halo after going for a run this evening. I should have been running tomorrow morning, but it's the first day of GCSEs and we need to be up and out super early, so I thought a run might be pushing it. Anyway, I managed Week 5 Run 2 (I think....it's the one with two 8-minute runs). It actually felt easier than the three 5-minute ones I did the other day, even though I had to slow down massively at one point so I could keep going.

BIWI · 17/05/2016 11:19

Sharing if it's shin pain, make sure that you're doing stretches properly after your run. This is where I went wrong, and it was awful. And if you can, as much as you can, run on softer surfaces rather than hard, paved surfaces.

80Kgirl · 17/05/2016 11:31

I am so glad to find this thread. So many posters are doing so well!

I am in week 1 of C25K, tomorrow is run number 3. So all the comments and advice are great for me.

I am running around a lake on a flat, earthen path. I hope that will be gentler on my feet and knees.

CointreauVersial · 17/05/2016 13:13

80Kgirl - that sounds like the perfect place to run. When I was first doing C25K we went on holiday to France, and there was a lake there which was almost exactly 2.5km around. It was lovely and shady too.

Original poster
SharingMichelle · 17/05/2016 13:32

What sort of shin stretches BIWI? I'm very good at the right stretches for my knee pain, but the shin pain is new.

Well done to all you Wonderwomen zooming all over the place.

Yesterday I ran (sprinted) 5 X up the steep hill near my house. It's only 150m, but I was wrecked by the 5th time. PT says this kind of cardio is much better for me. It was nowhere near as much fun or as satisfying as a lovely long run.

OP posts:
DaughterDrowningInJunk · 17/05/2016 13:42

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rainbowinfusedspaceunicorn · 17/05/2016 20:42

Hope running a bit less distance helps with your shins Sharing.

4K sounds pretty far to me Daughter Grin

Well done Cointreau!

80Kgirl welcome Smile

I did 3.2k today and was out for 20 minutes. Loving it!

Fraggled · 17/05/2016 21:19

I did a class yesterday (Clubbercise - was so much fun) but went running today. 5k in 34 minutes which is the fastest I've managed so far. I'm not really bothered about speed but still nice to see improvements here and there :)

Well done everyone, great to see us all getting out there!

ClashCityRocker · 17/05/2016 21:27

Hello everyone!

I have resolved to get back into running - so much so I've signed up for a 10k in August....which I would love to complete without walking any, which may be on the optimistic side but nontheless.

I did quite well before Christmas happened and I never got back into it - was getting up to 7k jogging all the way.

First run tonight - I have a 5k route mapped out earlier and jogged as much as I could, walking when I felt I needed. My calf muscles feel really sore but the rest of me is ok.

DaughterDrowningInJunk · 17/05/2016 21:37

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rainbowinfusedspaceunicorn · 19/05/2016 21:01

Anyone else been out tonight? Nice to go out without it being ridiculously hot, I didn't pick the best week to start running last week!

Didn't manage quite as far as last time, only just over 3k, still happy with that though and I did know I was tired beforehand. I love the sense of accomplishment afterwards, I never got that being made to do cross country at school (which was the last time I did any running) but I really do get it now!

80Kgirl · 19/05/2016 21:36

After just doing the first 2 runs of the first week of the NHS's C25K, my knees were sore! I rested an extra day and ran today finishing off "week 1." Strangely my knees felt better after the run. Very odd.

I don't feel cardio-vascularly challenged, but my joins are already protesting. I am overweight, but not obese. I have a lot of hyper-mobility so that may be why. I'd like to keep going, besides my knees/feet, it feels great! And it is so nice to be outside too.

CointreauVersial · 19/05/2016 22:46

I shall be up early tomorrow for my next run....can't remember which one, but it might be the 20 minute run. Ah well, I've done it before, I can do it again.

80kgirl - I can't remember - have you got decent running shoes? Ones that suit your particular gait? If not, definitely worth looking into before you run into injuries.

80Kgirl · 20/05/2016 08:09

I am just researching shoes right now Cointreau! I think shoes for over-pronators might be a good idea in my case.

Original poster
SharingMichelle · 20/05/2016 09:13

Woody - where did you go? Did shin splints get the better of you?

Well now I seem to be suffering with the same. It's very very painful and makes running all but impossible.

I've been doing interval training instead which is great for weight loss, but utterly horrible and not at all the same as going for a nice long run. Even this makes my shins sore the next day. They ache even when I'm just sitting.

This morning in an effort to keep up the exercise but rest my shins I went swimming instead. I'm hopeful I can rest, and just run once or twice a week. But if that doesn't work it looks like I might be bowing out and starting a 'dusting off the swimming cozzie' thread instead.

OP posts:
CointreauVersial · 20/05/2016 13:32

Boooo to sore shins. What a pain (literally).

The only running injury I've picked up in the last six years was an illio-tibial band problem (down the side of the knee), caused by always running the same circular route on a cambered pavement (so one leg was constantly a little lower than the other one!). It took a good few weeks to get better, and I had to learn to run a reverse route every now and then, and run in the road on the really sloped bits.

I'm lucky I don't pronate much, so have "neutral" shoes. 80Kgirl - see if you can find a running shop that will do gait analysis on a treadmill, so you can get exactly the right shoes. It sounds scary, but really it isn't - certainly the shop I went to were really helpful, and not fussed that I was only an unfit Week3 C25K-er, with no plans to run any marathons. The first shoes I bought cost £80, but thereafter I was able to pick up the same model on eBay for a lot less.

Anyway, did my 20 minutes non-stop this morning. Twas fine!

80Kgirl · 20/05/2016 18:20

Thanks for the tip Cointreau. I started week 2 today. It was fine, I jammed my orthotics into my running shoes and it seemed to help.

ClashCityRocker · 20/05/2016 18:42

Eek what's pronating?

I should get myself down to a sports shop to get some proper running trainers. The ones I've got are supposed to be running trainers, but in my naivety I just bought them because, well, I wanted to run and they said 'running' on them.

They do feel a bit uncomfortable when I run, a bit too tight I think. Also, the soles of my feet get quite sore after running, especially in the instep.

Going out tomorrow, got a 5k route mapped out and am hoping to run more of it this time.

Love the post run feeling - even the ache in my calves!

I've been trying to do more walking in the hope it will strengthen my calf muscles....

CointreauVersial · 21/05/2016 15:59

ClashCityRocker - "When standing, pronation occurs as the foot rolls inwards and the arch of the foot flattens, hense the term often used to describe someone who over pronates as having 'flat feet'. Pronation is a normal part of the gait cycle which helps to provide shock absorption at the foot."

If you over-pronate and your feet roll inwards it puts a lot of strain on the knees, so the best running shoes are ones with lots of arch support to stop this happening (or you can use orthotics).

Even though I don't have flat feet it was amazing what a difference a good pair of shoes made. I'd started C25K in a ropy old pair of tennis shoes which slopped everywhere, so my new runners felt like springs!

Anyway, hope you made it out today. Day off for me.

Lambzig · 21/05/2016 18:03

Did 9k again this morning in an hour. Bit disappointed I didn't improve my distance, but it was raining really hard, so quite impressed I made it at all.

Shoes do make a huge difference. I overprinted quite a lot and have wide feet (so attractive), so need shoes with a lot of support. I got new ones a couple of weeks ago (went in my lunch hour at work, so had the indignity of running on a treadmill in a tight shift dress) and it's definitely worth having your gait analysed as I had moved from a severe overpronater to moderate since having children and needed different shoes to my old ones.

They video you running in some very flexible shoes and then find you some to try, then video you running in the new ones to check they put you in the right position. It makes a big difference and I think you really know when you have the right pair on.