Runners Rehomed

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Here we are in Sports, I've been so lax about keeping up with anything outside our little thread that I'd no idea it was here - but have just spotted a cycling thread, so will be later to bed than planned....

in Surrey...

I know, must try and somehow find a running partner.... we are moving house in 6 weeks, so a treadmill is a definite no-no, at least for now!

God yes, dont get one now. ours is gym standard, weighs about 165kgs or something. We got it shipped from germany, but they failed to tell us until the night before that it needed 6 people to lift it, there was only one driver no mate, and not even a tail lift on the truck. And delivery was between 7am and 6pm on a Friday; like we were going to just happen to have 6 friends available for an entire working day!
And its so big that after we made it up, and connected all the electronics, we realised it wont fit back out of the room! So that put paid to plans of moving it to the kitchen once we'd waterproofed the back door!

OMG - but well worth the hassle!

Hello. looks like a nice thread here. I have posted elsewhere for advice on running belts - how to carry water - tend to need water after about 5 miles I find. suggestions really welcome. also how often shoudl running shoes be replaced - really.

What about those bacpacks/camelpacks, with a water bladder in? Never tried one myself though. I just carry a bottle in my hand. Holding it also gives me something to focus on when i'm struggling.

On long runs I have been organised and done a water drop beforehand. You can focus on the next water stop and it breaks the run down into manageable chunks. Don't normally bother for anything less than about 12 miles though, unless it is really hot.

I prob couldn't do 3 miles withut water these days. I've had terrible thirst ever since I first got pg with ds1. Its never abated, and I drink about 8-10 litres of water a day. So running makes it worse!

I am still around Been finding fitting in runs tricky, but have been trying to do 2 hours a week, not always managing it though. I should go now actually rather than MN!!

Grr - just typed a post then the blimmin PC crashed.

Short version....welcome RainbowBear, I run with a bottle over 3 miles, can't seem to sort out my hydration and am usually thirsty whilst desperate for the loo! Shoes - I change mine about once a year nut it depends on your mileage. Mine need doing as my achilles is complaining a bit. Just back from the Hydro Active 5k this morning and it has the frozen peas on it at the moment.

Dinny - is there a Womens Running Network near you? You might find some like-minded running mates through them.

well, I've just managed 20 min jog. A pathetic 2.56km, which puts me back at the pace I was before training seriously, in April 2001. But at least i've done it. i've only done 20 min+ twice since having ds2. and the biggest achievement today is getting dh to take both boys to the park to give me the time[ grin]. Might try and do more tonight when they're in bed.

thanks for the tip, saggarsmaker but none near me...maybe time to try and start one!

is running in dark ok with personal alarm?

Depends if you get too tired to defend yourself Seriously, only you know your area, but I've lived all sides of London and have only ever felt unsafe once.

A friend of mine has joined a kind of mums running co-op; 2 look after kids in the park while others run, then they swop. But no one wants to do it here!

I get the eebie-jeebies as it's so dark here (not many streetlights). Probably fine, got to try not freak myself out!

I think I'd be more freaked if I wasn't at home alone with just the kids so much at night. That used to scare me, esp when ds1 started seeing a man in his room all the time. Outside is probably less scary!!

So how do you know when shoes need replacing - is it tangible? Do you carry bottle of water in hand or use a belt? I am crap at getting the water/ need the loo ratio right. Doesn't help having a not great pelvic floor either! It was so much easier pre kids - early morning runs, etc etc!!

i carry a bottle.
And I hardly ever replace my shoes; just seem to be lucky that they dont wear out! I have just got new ones though, as my feet are a bit bigger after this pregnancy, so my old favourites were getting a bit tight

RainbowBear, I just replaced my shoes because they had started to come apart slightly at the toe and it was affecting the fit, so that was fairly obvious. I think I read in Runners World that terribly serious runners are supposed to replace them every 500 miles, so you can work out how long that would take you. Ages in my case

Yes, you should aim to replace running shoes every 500 miles, so depending on how serious you are they should last a while.

My advice would be to get fitted for shoes in a proper running shops - JJB or similar just doesn't cut it! In some stores they will analyse your gait and recommend appropriate shoes for you. I'd recommend SweatShop, Run & Become or Runners Need for those in London.

Re. water, unless it's very hot I generally don't carry anything for distances under 12 miles. When I'm marathon training I carry Lucozade Sport in the foil pouches as this is what's provided at the London Marathon and it's good to practise refuelling with what's on offer to see whether it agrees with you. Fortunately it works well for me and since my first marathon my policy has been 2-3 good gulps of Lucozade Sport religiously every two miles - and I have never "hit the wall".

If I'm not running distances over 12 miles and I want to carry water, I use a large Run-Aid bottle (the sort that looks like a doughnut with a hole through the middle which makes it easy to hold/grip). I have tiny hands and can still run with this quite well. I don't really like carrying anything when I run but sometimes needs must. Personally I don't like fuel belts or anything that bounces around my waist.

If you don't like carrying water/drinks, another possible solution is to run loops of the same circuit, and put bottles of water at the start of each circuit so you can have a drink as you pass each time.

Thanks all, yes I think 500 miles may take me a bit of time to clock up! love the idea of lucozade sport pouches though at the moment can't see myself doing distances where hitting the wall could be a danger! Have just moved from treadmills to the real outside and find it so much harder. This is a good thread though, might inspire me to keep pushing myself..

I managed to fit in 20 mins; bit better than yesterday, but still depressingly slow. i feel like i'll never get back up to normal, let alone any good.

Well I need to build up my times again, I have been doing loads of 20 min runs, today I did 27:45, tomorrow I plan an extra 2 or 3 mins, then keep upping it to 40 mins. However if I start a new job I think 30 mins 3 times a week will be all I will be able to do.

Have decided that, at 15 weeks, it's time for me to reduce my running a little bit. Until now I've managed to maintain my usual 5 runs per week, although I stopped doing long runs as soon as I found out I was pregnant due to the risk of overheating (I used to run 10-12 miles on a Sunday when I wasn't training for anything specific; obviously more when marathon training).

Apart from during the heatwave, I've managed to keep to 5 runs per week, varying between 3 and 6 miles (usually longer rather than shorter though). Have just started to find that three consecutive days of running is leaving me feeling quite tired, so have decided to try for 6 miles 4 times per week. I ran 6 last night and was fine, and I think this will be OK again on Wednesday with today as a rest day. I can manage two days of consecutive running but think going for a third might be too much, and I don't want to reduce to very short runs just yet.

Just hate cutting back though as I was running 35-40 miles a week regularly before getting pregnant!

CurrantBun - I'm just impressed you can run anywhere!! I spent the first 3 months of both my pregnancies either throwing up, or lying down trying not to throw up, or generally complaining about how ghastly it all was! Mind you I was still cycling to work at 8 months last time round.

If you're missing the running, why not try to do something like swimming where you're better supported. I read something about Paula Radcliffe doing some kind of running in water thing, so you'd be in good company!

I've got my club handicap night tonight - which is a 2 mile race. So I'm going to run there and back to try and fit in some extra miles, as well as doing the race, which will sort of function as my speed work for the week. So far I've done the handicap about 4-5 times and set a PB each time (oh the joys of being a beginner!) so am going to see if I can crack my time again tonight.

Good luck for tonight, Pidge! I look forward to hearing about your new PB tomorrow.

I've been lucky in that I only had nausea from weeks 7-9, which coincided with the July heatwave when I didn't feel much like running anyway, and if I did get out, it was just 3 miles or so. I actually threw up several times when I was out running, but in general running made me feel better so I just made sure I ran through the park or somewhere I wouldn't have to throw up on the pavement or in someone's front garden! I didn't suffer with fatigue at all so that didn't hamper my running.

It has also been a big help in dealing with pregnancy constipation! This is probably TMI but a common infliction amongst runners is 'runners' trots' - basically the motion of running can bring on the urgent need for a No. 2. When it happens you get little warning and need to find somewhere to go a.s.a.p. I am very used to going behind trees, bushes, the local church hall, local pubs (ask first if it's OK to use the loo as I got an ear-bashing from a landlady once for 'treating the place like a public lavatory' - which I wouldn't have to do if there were any public lavatories these days, but that's another issue). For long runs and races I always take Imodium just in case. Since being pregnant I'm actually glad that running helps things along as I have been horribly constipated a few times!

If I get to the point that running becomes too uncomfortable, I'll probably join a gym and use an elliptical trainer. I loathe swimming with almost as much passion as I love running, and pregnancy has given me acne all over my back and shoulders so there's no way I'm putting on a swimming cossie!

You are lucky! i got the sickness at the end both times, but still felt too knackered to run at the start, then too big, and then got to the sick bit...
I did swimmming; not a big fan, but btter than nothing. And you do feel so much lighter in water

no run last night due to getting back from legoland very late, and none tonight as dh is working late. unleess I can inspire myself at 10pmish. Might have to.