C25K encouragement continued

[Jibberoo]

Hi everyone

I've started this thread as I couldn't add any more posts to the other one. Hopefully you all find this thread!!

Hope everyone had enjoyed their day - so bored at home right now I'm glad I have the run to look forward to. Waited till it got dark and I headed out with my new running buddy - my 11yo ds. Yes he ran ahead of me and stopped a few times so I could catch up, but we ran 4.46km in 33mins and I'm so proud of both of us! (And little dog of course who's my faithful running buddy). It was a bit drizzly tonight which was actually quite nice as it wasn't that cold so the rain cooled me off a bit.

I've been thinking of how I can improve my stride length and I wonder if I can use my rest days to do W1r1 and try to do it with much longer strides? Seeing my son running I realise how inefficient my stride is. If I can only learn to open my stride I could run much further in the same time. If I can walk tomorrow I might try that to see if I can.

Hope everyone is enjoying their runs today!

Today we have freezing rain, skating rink outside! Can't get into cars. That is a definite no from me!

Well I've been for W7r3. Still freezing cold but roads not icy and my windscreen is clear so not sure how that works 🤷‍♀️
Anyway only did 22 mins as my route was a bit short and couldn't be bothered to loop back round as I was so close to my house!. It was 2.3 miles tho so I think maybe I'm getting a little bit quicker too

Went out this morning after a 10 day break from running due to the weather. It was freezing with an icy wind. Brrrr. I was so cold I ran too quickly for the first 3km (of the 4.5km route) and I had to walk for a bit to catch my breath. It was hard work. I’m hoping I’ll be able to go out more often and get my fitness back now the weather is due to get warmer this week. Well done to all those running in snow!

@Therearenomore

Thank you fellrunner85 and WhereAreWeNow, this is information I needed! I've got high arches too and I've ordered neutral cushioned shoes so fingers crossed they arrive soon.

Hi fellrunner85 I really enjoy reading your advice!

I bought my shoes a while back from a running shop.
I had my gait analysed and was told it was normal and he flogged me a pair of shoes.
But he didn't say what type they were.
What's the difference between stability shoes and neutral shoes?
How do I know which ones I have?.

Oh forgot to add.
I start W6 tomorrow! I can't believe how quickly this is flying by.

@Blobby10

Oh wow!! I just got back from completing wk 5 run 3!! I ran for a whole 20 minutes!! Me!!! 😁😁😁

Me too! I can't believe I ran 20 minutes either. W6 here I come!!!

Hi @likeamillpond! The main difference between stability shoes and neutral shoes is how built-up they are. Stability shoes have a big thick heel and a thicker sole, whereas neutral shoes have less of a built-up heel so you're closer to the ground. This means that your foot is kept more stable and cushioned in a stability shoe, but the down side is they're heavier and make you run in a much more "clompy" way rather than rolling through your foot and pushing off your toes. This stompy-clomping, unsurprisingly, can cause more problems than it solves, particularly if there's no need for you to have that level of support, as it hinders your natural motion somewhat.

You may also have heard the term "drop." In runner-speak, stability shoes tend to have a greater heel-to-toe drop - ie the heel is significantly higher off the ground than the front of the shoe.

If you know what sort of shoes you have, or post a pic, I'll probably be able to tell you what they are - I've been through a fair amount of shoes in my time!

fellrunner85
They are Mizuno wave equate.
I Don't think they do the equate any more.
They're very comfy on.
I'm wondering if they're good for pavements because they act as good shock absorbers.
Perhaps I should get more neutral ones for off-road?

Is everyone wearing running jackets?

If so is it worth spending money?

I’ve seen ones on decathlon for £15 and other sites sell ones for £50/80/100!

Also - I’m not wearing hi vis but go out at night. I just take a torch and keep it on but it would be nice to have a free hand.

What hi vis is everyone finding sufficient?

I bought a pink fluorescent plus hi viz cycling jacket from Aldi. It's not very breathable but has done the job. I also have a yellow hi viz cycling fleecy thing also from Aldi (bit of a pattern here - the stuff is generally decent (not tried the shoes tbh) and I can sneak running gear into the weekly shop!

Decathlon is generally very good for the price.

I prefer a body light to a head light but either is better than a hand held torch - holding anything adds tension you don't need in your arms

@Onedropbeat

Is everyone wearing running jackets?

If so is it worth spending money?

I’ve seen ones on decathlon for £15 and other sites sell ones for £50/80/100!

Also - I’m not wearing hi vis but go out at night. I just take a torch and keep it on but it would be nice to have a free hand.

What hi vis is everyone finding sufficient?

No, I feel like they boil you alive 😅 You would only need a running jacket for fell running etc, it's favourable to just get wet when only running 5k/10k or whatever. The only jacket I have it's basically a long sleeved top with a full zip. On days when I'm not quite sure how warm/cold I'll be, I'll put this on over a short sleeve running top then tie it round my waist if I'm warm

I have a very thin rain jacket, which I only wear when it's raining hard.
normally I wear bra & tshirt and fleece if below 10 degrees
I like cycling tops as the sleeves are longer and they cover my (long) torso better.

I wear a light rain jacket - no point in hi vis when I'm running on the pavement - same with lights. I would use both if I was running somewhere with no pavement!

I've been wearing mine a lot this year, but we're in Scotland and have had stupid amounts of snow and temperatures around zero. I wear the jacket for steady runs but carry it for intervals unless I'm staying very close to home if it's around 2 degrees or below.

@likeamillpond Oooh! Well. Those Equates aren't stability shoes, but they're pretty cushioned for a neutral shoe. I think you were sold a good option there- not so built up they hamper your gait, but plenty of comfort and cushioning for the sort of running you're doing.

As for more neutral ones for off-road; it really depends on whether you're running on light trail (road shoes probably fine for that); on muddy trails (trail shoes required) or in full-on bog (fell shoes!)
I don't think you can beat the inov8 RocLite for trails. Super comfy; good on everything from roads to proper mud; and usually on sale too

I have a thicker jacket that I've been wearing recently in the sub zero temperatures. Normally I just wear a very thin hi viz rain jacket. I live in the middle of nowhere, and no paths so always run on the road hence the hi viz. I think the cheaper one would be fine tbh @onedrop none of my running gear is expensive I only spend more on running shoes as I think they're most important.
Talking of which, I have no arch to my feet at all and unsurprisingly overpronate. I've had some very clumpy running shoes in the past and agree they're very supportive but not very flexible! I currently have saucony guides and they seem a bit better, lighter and the soles are not so thick.@likeamillpond I think your mizunos are support shoes as I had a similar pair previously

Is everyone wearing running jackets?

No! Unless you spend stupid money on fully breathable Gore-Tex, jackets are more trouble than they're worth. You end up wetter than you would in the rain, as you boil in the bag on the inside.

I regularly run long distances on the fells (out for 3hrs plus) and I think I've only worn my running jacket 3 or 4 times this year - in either torrential rain or heavy snow. Ifully believe a jacket is more trouble than it's worth if you're going to be out for less than an hour or so, whatever the conditions.
A long sleeved top, gloves, buff and a hat is far more comfortable IME.

@fellrunner85

I definitely wouldn't wear a jacket for a full out run but it's nice for warm up/cool down, plus the time spent walking to somewhere either not slippery or with enough snow coverage for yaktrax. Until recently I would have used the less optimal conditions as an excuse/reason not to run, so I'm glad I'm getting out in snow.

I really like running in summer rain, not so convinced by winter hail and sleet unless the wind is behind me!

[quote fellrunner85]@likeamillpond Oooh! Well. Those Equates aren't stability shoes, but they're pretty cushioned for a neutral shoe. I think you were sold a good option there- not so built up they hamper your gait, but plenty of comfort and cushioning for the sort of running you're doing.

As for more neutral ones for off-road; it really depends on whether you're running on light trail (road shoes probably fine for that); on muddy trails (trail shoes required) or in full-on bog (fell shoes!)
I don't think you can beat the inov8 RocLite for trails. Super comfy; good on everything from roads to proper mud; and usually on sale too [/quote]
Thanks.Again!

I did w7 r1 this morning and it felt surprisingly good. It's about 12 degrees warmer here than it was when I last ran on Saturday so it was a bit of a surprise how hot I got! I've been running in 2 layers (a thin top with another, thicker long sleeved running top on top) but I had to stop to peel the top layer and my gloves off because I was boiling.

My knees and ankles are feeling much better but I've got a bunion which is starting to rub and feel sore. Do any of you have any advice about running with bunions ?

Just got back from W2R1 and wanted to say I’m finding the thread really useful and interesting. Thank you!

I have been using my phone up until now for tracking distance.
Today was the first time I used a fitness watch.

The difference in distance between the two is massive.

My typical route which is 5km on the dot by my phone turns out to be less than 4km by my fitness watch tracker

So I extended my run to try and get to 5k

I have a lot more data with the watch and it took me 42 minutes , with an ever age of 9 minutes per km

W5R1 done. Still daunted by the thought of R3 but encouraged by so many of you completing it

I have been using my phone up until now for tracking distance. Today was the first time I used a fitness watch. The difference in distance between the two is massive

Yes - watches are far more accurate than phones when it comes to GPS. It makes sense really; watches are specifically designed to track activity so have a powerful and accurate GPS, whereas with phones it's more of an add-on function, so it tends to be nowhere near as effective.

The reason is, GPS watches continually track your run by linking directly to satellites. Whereas phones only link intermittently via wi fi hot spots or transmitters, meaning there'll be far more "gaps" along the way.

So really I am not doing half as good as I thought and actually I need to speed up considerably if I want to get to a 5k anywhere close to 30-35 min time

I wanted to push for a 10k as my goal for the year but realising how little I’ve actually been covering has made me realise that a 5k distance is still a lot