Runner's thread, 3rd time around !

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Hopefully you'll have found your way here.

Here's a new race list list, feel free to add to it:

Playtex Moonwalk: 20 May, JoPG, Posey
British 10K: 2nd July, Crunchie, Titchy
RFL Newbury: 2nd July, Twink, Mini Twink, Twink's mum
RFL July: Dingle

Too late for me tonight but I'll post some 5k & 10k training ideas here soon.

I did a race in snowdonia once and the last trek took us over the summit of snowdon!!
Some great mountain bkining around code y brenan (appologies for terrible spelling)
MBR and redbull trails apparently have been done up again.

poles take 33% of your weight of your knees for down hill stuff. COuld also reccommend a good way of strapping if you are interested.

I agree (sorry, going back a bit) another race might be the answer. The next thing I'm entered for is Race for Life and I'm not taking it seriously. I've found a promising-looking 10k next month where DS1 can do the fun run. But I'm sitting here with the form and not exactly feeling enthusiasm coursing through my veins

OK Dannie I'll set you a challange, How fast do you go? We could have a virtual race, I do my 10k and you do yours, whoever wins (honesty needed) gets a small token prize from the other! What do you think?

And I will send both Crunchie and Dannie a bar of iron-rich chocolate

Crunchie, that's a great idea! My last 10k time was 56 minutes something, but I was training for the half marathon and way fitter than I'll be on 23 July.
DH points out that my next race is probably the mums' race at school sports day on Saturday. The humiliation may be enough to get me out training again!

Can I ask you experienced runners a question? Ive been running about 5 years now, but I've gone and sprained my ankle. Its strange coz I didnt actually go over on it or anything, it was like creeping cramp in the back of the ankle after about 45 mins of running. This was 4 weeks ago and I tried to run again last week, but had to give up in agony after 2 miles.

Question is.... does anyone know how long its likely to take to get better enough to run on?? And, am I making it worse by testing it out every week or so?

Any advice/tips would be much appreciated as my motivation is slipping away the longer I sit at home watching telly and knocking back lager!

Popping my head in to ask some advice.

I used to run for about 20 mins 3 times a week. have done 2 RFL in about 28 mins. Haven't run for a while and have lost my fitness.

What's the best way to get vack into it, ideally would love to build up to 50 mins running.

Thanks guys.

If you've run before Northerner, you'll probably be surprised how soon you get back into it.

I'd been running 5ks for ages and have moved up to 10k over the last few months. For me I just decided to run an out and back course, ran for my usual 30 minutes, walked for a couple and then ran/walked back. It only took a couple of weeks to be running out for 30, walk for 2 and run all the way back.

The Runners World site has some 10k (at my speed that's a little over an hour) run/walk programmes.

Themoon66 - is it your ankle or your achilles? No advice really except rest/ice/ibuprofen. If it is your achilles it can take some time to settle. I wear a gel insole which seems to help mine. Do you need new shoes? Are you running on the roads?

themoon66, if its been bad for 4 weeks maybe you should get a doctor to see it. Could it be your achilles? What are your running shoes like? if they dont give you enough cushioning it could be pain from the impact.

Northerner - start with a walk run walk run and build up slowly. Good luck and welcome back to running!

Hi all, been a bit quiet this week cos am annoyed that I have not been out running. I have somehow pulled a muscle in my chest (at least I think that's what I have done cos I can't exactly remember any specific event that caused it) and at the moment it hurts even to breathe. Tried to play football in the garden with DS1 and that was really painful, so I think that rest is the answer. Such a shame cos the evenings are lovely at the moment. Am signed up for a half marathon in July so need to get back to it soon.

Hope everyone else is having better luck.

Saggar - Your hike sounds lovely. Good scenery always helps, I think.

Saga and Leo - thanks for the replies. I had a doctor look at it the day after I did it and he didn't think it was my Achilles, but more where the bottom of the calf muscle is attached.

My shoes are fine I think... I had them properly fitted at a running specialist shop and are fairly highly cushioned (New Balance).

I'm actually now thinking of getting off to a private sports physiotherapist or something to try and solve this problem, its just the cost that's putting me off. There are months and months to wait to see NHS phyiso in this area.

Its even more annoying given that we are now in the time of year where there is a 10k race every weekend I could be doing (love races).

I had some New Balance shoes that I didn't get along with as they were too high at the back aggravating my achilles. Hope you get it sorted very soon.

Hope you feel better soon too Jo.

I am very pleased I stumbled across this thread! I have been training for the RFL (last week) but my already weak knee just wasn't up to it. So even though I had become fit enough to run it, my knee was too sore. I had resigned myself to not running even though I was enjoying it so much. But having seen this thread I am not going to give up, and I'm off to see my GP..

Crunchie, I'm entering a 10k on 15 July as well cos it's at Port Lympne wild animal park and the family will enjoy it. So I have five weeks to get up to speed!
Milkbar, obviously I don't know what's wrong with your knee, but my osteopath has been very good with knee pain. I had damage from an old injury that he was able to fix, and he also pointed out that part of the problem was that I was running badly! He's a bit £££, but worth it (he's also French & dinky )

Dannie my last 10k time was 4 years ago and I did about 52:30 I think (can't quite remember) So now I am aiming for 55 mins. How about, as I am a tiny bit faster than you, we introduce a handicap system of my time plus 3 mins. Eg if you are less than 3 mins slower than me you win, and if I am more than 3 mins faster than you I win!! Also you will have an incentive as I could post my time here 2 weeks before your race.

And just think MI will be sending us chocolate :) And that girl's got taste she only eats Green and Blacks

Are you on????? Will this get your arse out there in the sunshine ???

the moon, sound lke you are possibley pronating or supinating when you are running, this is a direct cause of leg and knee pain as well as shin splints and even achilies tendonitis. If this is the case I would have a properly sports trained podietrist assess your gait and get you fitted for orthotic insoles. These can be a bit pricey but they are definately worth it and much nmore effective that the shop one day training for assessing gait etc.

I can't believe the distances you all run! Wow, not sure if I could even walk those distances! Finally bought some running shoes today and I'm planning to do half an hour every second day, starting tomorrow.

Just wondering: Do you take water with you when you run?

you should take water sandy your body absorbes fluid best when you take little sips and often. Like when you are watering a plant if you flood it the water just passes straight trough but if you give it little dribbles it soaks it up. I run with a back pack that has a water bladder in it. some people have very cool botlles that have a handle in the middle. you can get bum bags and the like with water bladders too
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Crunchie, that's kind, but I'd feel a bit of a fraud. IIRC my 56+ mins should have been faster but I made a slow start and got discouraged cos I had a new stopwatch and I could see how slow I was going. The Runner's World calculator claims that based on my time for my last race (10 miles), I should be able to do 55.32. I know all this requires me to be fit, but if I start making any more allowances for myself I'll never do anything .

Chapsmum... its funny you should say about the pronation thing. Last year I had a very painful left knee which I put down to being an over-pronator (i'm also very flat-footed).

Some one earlier down the thread said she ran with gel insoles, so I might see about trying them.

gell insoles can sometimes be couterproductive, sounds strange but you actually want a rigid insole that will cup your foot in such a way that you run on the natural cusioning of the foot.

this is all the more important if you are flat footed or suffer from bunions as you can actully run away the natural foot cusion. You may want to even consider a foot arch support, you can make your own but really would consider taking advice from a sports trained podiatrist.

chapsmum - thanks for that advice. I will have a look on the runnerworld website and in the back of the magazine to see if there is anyone locally I can consult.

I know a few in ireland if that can help??
am in glasow ut also know of people in perth