This is the New Running Thread

[Wallace]

I can't find the old one in Health, and we deserve to be in brand new shiny Sport and exercise anyway

Just managed 2.07 miles in 22 minutes - 11 min/mile which ain't great but it'll do for an unfit middle-aged jogger runner

Probably won't be able to go again till Saturday but will do my best to make sure I don't fall into a slump again!

I rarely get stitch. Used to happen last year when I was also suffering a lot of bowel problems for some reason. I don't think there is any single reason but it's horrible.

Ran about 3.5 miles last night then got a persistent pulling in my left calf so I walked for a while then ran the last .5 mile slowly. I've torn my calf muscle before now and it took ages to heal - so I'm careful.

not been on here for a while as have not been running due to cold/dark! But I have the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km this Sunday....if I manage to do it in the same time I did my last 10k in I will be delighted (just over an hour, booooo wish it had been just under!).

Is anyone else doing it?

I managed 7k this morning, but boy is it getting hot here. I went with a friend and found it very difficult to talk and run at the same time!

Nappy I find if I slow down when going up the hills (they are totally unavoidable here)and set a target for myself to reach before having to stop, moving the target slightly further each time, then they become manageable.

If I feel a stitch coming on I tend to slow right down and take some big breaths and try to relax my shoulders and stomach. It works for me!

Mou, well done on the half marathon distance, how long has it taken you, from saying being able to do 10k, to manage to go the distance so to speak?

What is the etiquette of running with a friend? are you supposed to chat and run?? i like to wear my ipod when running, in fact don't know if i could manage without it! would it be rude to listen to music when running with someone?

Well done mou on half marathon, think thats what i am aiming for

The master, can't imagine running in intense heat, where are you? (don't say if you don't want to) it must make it so much more difficult.

Hatwoman, it's with the running group at the gym. We're all keen to improve our speed so we do various sessions to improve our strength, explosive power etc. It's great fun, once we get started.

I put together a bizarre playlist for the last half marathon I did, and I swear that it was the Sex Pistols who got me my PB, I was belting through the last couple of miles singing along to Frigging in the Rigging It's the only race I've ever done with music.

TheMaster&Marguritas, I built up by a mile a week from 10k to my first half marathon, but every 4th week I cut back on overall mileage and my long run as recommended in quite a few schedules. Once I'd got up to 13 miles, I carried on building up to 15 so I knew that no matter how tough it felt, I would definitely be able to finish.

Good luck for Sunday HarrogateMum, hang on in there and keep focussed through 7&8k when you're starting to feel tired and you've a great chance of breaking the hour. Tell yourself that it's less than 20 minutes or so of pain & hard work and it'll be well worth it at the end!

Ambercat, we used to have a lady who came out with us with her iPod which seemed a bit weird as we're all encouraging each other when we're doing hill reps etc and she was detached from that. I guess if you're both plugged in it'd be fine though.

If I run with my original running partner we chat almost all the time, it's perfect for catching up on the gossip and putting the world to rights. It also means we're not pushing too hard when we should be doing a steady run. Obviously if it's a tempo run, it's the odd snatched sentence and during sprint training it's just groaning

Amber I am in Kenya and we are just starting coming into the dry hot season. I take the dc to school at 7.30 so can't go before then, but even if I go at 8.30 it's heating up!

As for the running and chatting, I sort of 'bumped' into my friend as she was walking and she decided to join me and my ipod. She told me just to carry on with the ipod in, but being so terribly British I just felt it was too rude . The time did pass quite quickly though I have to admit!

Thanks Twink, I will try to add a mile a week to my 10k.

Sorry themaster i see you already put where you are earlier in the thread hats off to you for running in the heat.

Twink, thanks for the tips about building up to half marathon, will be trying that aswell!

I have run with a friend once and we both wore ou ipods for some of it and chatted for the rest but just wondered what was the"norm" as a different friend has asked me to go with her. I find chatting difficult when running but think friend was going much faster than i usually do so that would explain why i could hardly breath never mind chat!!

Just introducing myself, I am a complete and total novice but have worked out that running is the only possible exercise I can fit into the odd times I have, probably will mostly be mid-evenings.

Having lurked on the thread a bit I have overcome my lifelong fear of trainers and been to a Proper Running Shop and got some New Balance shoes. so wish me luck please! I am off to explore some of the get-started links further up.

Hi blithedance, welcome!! 'tis truly inspirational, (and a little mad) on this thread.
Let us know how your progress goes and share your tips as you go along.
Happy running.

Hi Blithedance, welcome to the mad running thread.

If you're a complete newbie, check out the Couch to 5K programme. There are various versions of it, and some podcast downloads to help you with the timescales.

Good luck & look forward to hearing how you get on.

re running and chatting - I go regularly with a groups of 3-4 friends and we always chat. it's always a shortish run (3-4 miles)and we have a rule that we go at the pace of the slowest - in part because we go from teh school gate one morning a week and have always tried to give off an "anyone can join in" vibe. I'm lazy though and I very rarely run too fast to talk.

welcome blithedance. hope you enjoy it...you're right about it being an efficient form of exercise - timewise - no need to go anywhere - walk out of your front door and you;re off. that was the main reason I started.

Cheers. I live in a small village and I can see 2 issues:

1. Everybody will notice me going past and whether I keep it up

2. I have to run along almost every road and back to make up 5km, like the postman.

Hopefully neither of those are show-stoppers .

hi all

welcome blightdance am sure you will enjoy it it is addictive mind

barely did 3 miles today really must see someone about this knee, dread the thought of being made to stop but it really hurt again today

hope everyone is well and running happily

Right am going for a run today. Any one else?

Always get tense when I make this decision, argh.

5 1/2 miles today, found the start really hard going for some reason, did think to myself it would be nice to have someone with me to drive me on but i got into it in the end. Think i will sugest to a friend we go once a week together.

sxfmum, have you seen anyone about your knee before? what about a physio?

blithedance - I'm moving to a small village soon - and I'm a bit unsettled about finding suitable routes - the village itself is probably about half a mile square so I really couldn;t just run in the village, without, tbh, looking like a bit of a loon; footpaths out of the village are great in theory but at this time of year they'll be horribly muddy and way too dark to dark out of daylight hours, and roads out of the village are bendy, lacking in pavements and driven along at 40-50 mph. not good. I'm spoilt for choice where I am at the moment.

sfxmum - it really does sound like you need to see someone. horrible to be told to stop but better than doing long-term damage.

ambercat not yet have been ignoring it hoping it will go away but best find someone pronto, had planned to go to richmod park this saturday for longer run but not looking likely now.
will try and get a recommendation for physio today/ tomorrow

marshaB I get tense if I pay too much attention to the decision so I try to run at the same times/ days so as to be part of the general routine, seems easier that way
enjoy your run

hi blithedance, its definitely addictive!! enjoy yourself!

sxfmum, my sister had terrible problems with her knee when she 1st started running and it all went away when she bought a new pair of trainers! maybe worth trying??!

thanks hatwoman and ambercat will take heed

themaster - i haven't had stitch yet and earlier on in the run when i felt i had to stop (very breathless, had a pounding head and felt dizzy) i slowed down and really concentrated on my breathing and sort of ran through it. i think the hill killed me cos i hadn't expected to be able to run that far without stopping. i'd been saying to myself keep going til you get to the traffic lights, then the shops, then such and such lane and then i was faced with this hill and when i got to the top of it i thought oh i'll have a little walk now i deserve it but its so much easier to really slow down and try to run through it. i find it really hard to start again after i've walked for a bit.

BTM - what do you think is a good time per mile?

thanks sfxmum.

Have been! which is good, can relax now.

Not great run - getting over tonsilitis, overtaken by people running and chatting. Oh well got to build up again.

Need to get to that stage where it feels really really good for whole run... rather than being grateful for red lights for a breather.

I have been overtaken by a man with no legs but I think he was training for the Olympics and there is this old couple it their 60's who are rather speedy
we each do our thing am not competitive