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....

Well, I was determined to make it out of bed this morning, so was off running at 7.40am. Did just under 11 miles I think. Nice to get it done and out of the way for the weekend. Usually my long runs are on a Sunday, but now I have the whole weekend free.

good for you! I'm building up to 10 over the next 3 weeks or so. one of the mums at school is doing FLM - and it's not her first - she keeps asking me to go for a run with her, but am very nervous to. at the moment I', incredibly slow - we're talking 10minutes plus per mile!

hatwoman - I'm at 10 minute plus miles on my long slow runs too. I've been told very firmly that you should run them WAY slower than your intended pace on race day. i.e. 1-1.5 minutes slower I think. So am using that as a good excuse to take it really easy. Apparently running very very slow is the best way to build up your endurance.

Means my weekend runs are going to take forever though!

Hello everyone I have a FLM place too. 3rd time lucky through the ballot and will fundraise for SANDS. I am now up to 10 miles on MY long runs. Has anyone signed up for the runners world training run on 4th March in Richmond Park? I will probably be running in my own 10.30 minute miling group between the 10 mile and 11 mile pacers. Good luck to everyone with your training. While I have done a few marathons before - slowly - I am only able to train 3 times a week now because of work, kids etc. Is anyone else doing a similar schedule? Also I loathe speedwork and avoid at all costs but think I might try and fit some into my training. Any suggestions?

Welcome sarflondon. I'm not signed up for the runners world day. Kind of tempted, but I tend to squeeze in my weekend runs and am resisting asking dp for longer babycare.

I'm hoping to run 4 times per week (maybe 5 if I get really keen). There are some good schedules for 3xweekly runs on Runners World. There was a thread there specifically for that kind of schedule where some people got some very good results.

This is going to be my first ever marathon (running for Asthma, since I'm asthmatic). I did my first half in the autumn at Windsor, and it was hot, hilly and hard. Still can't quite believe I can run 26.2 miles!

Pidge - Hope your weekend run went ok and that you are back to full fitness this week.

sarflondon - Good luck with your FLM training. I'm no expert on training methods, perhaps Runners Wrold might be a good place to look though?

I am off out for a 9 miler tonight, should be fun! At least it is warmer than last Tuesday night when it was freezing, and it then snowed later that night. Am only managing a run twice a week at the moment, with netball in between. I am managing to up the mileage though so that I should be fine for the half marathon I have signed up for - it would just be good to fit a 3rd run in.

Jo - thanks so much for your thoughts. I posted earlier at work, but twice it just ate my message and posted nothing. I was having one of those days - I work in IT and everything was going wrong. Ended up stuck at work missing the kids bedtime, apparently dd2 (nearly 2) was wailing "My mummys gone" after bedtime .

Anyway, on the running front all is groovy. Did 11 miles on Saturday, 4 miles recovery run on Sunday. Last night was club night so 6 miles at 9mm. And today at lunchtime I went out with a work colleague - he turned out to be a bit of a speed merchant, so we did 4.5 miles at sub 8.30mm pace. A change from my usual slow poddle!

How are you getting on with your prep sarflondon?

And hatwoman, how are the long slow runs going for Kingston. I've ruled it out as an option for me as we're away that weekend.

phew! I couldn;t find "sport" and thought I'd lost you! I'm doing fine. still very slow - I don;t think I could run an 8.30 mm if I had a rottweiler chasing me. never mind. I had a lovely run today - 5 miles through Bushey Park and it was one of those runs that makes you really rejoice. naff word I know, but sometimes I really do feel like that. It was a lovely morning with the low winter sun filtering through the mist. I went right past a huge herd of deer. i saw two woodpeckers and my ipod was doing the best shuffling ever. I need to do 7 miles tomorrow - might make it to Richmond Park for a change.

JoPG - I know what you mean about the cold. I've been doing one early morning a week and blimey it's been freezing.

Pidge - shame you can;t do Kingston. One of the mums at dd's school is doing it - but she'll be tonnes faster than me. but it'll be nice to maybe start with her - and if she can bear to wait that long she might see me over the line!

hatwoman - I wondered why my bookmarks weren't working! I was having to go through 'threads I'm on'. So I take it they've removed the 'Sport' section?

Anyway, yup, I think Kingston is at the point where I'm supposed to be tapering, so is a bit long. And the 8 miler a bit short. So maybe another year.

My training is on track. I did 13 miles this morning, setting off at 7.30am! And did solid 10 minute miles pretty much all the way (well, I think I started slower and sped up). Still can't believe quite how far 26 miles is. Gosh.

Hi everyone - did 12 miles this am. Very slow though took just over 2 hours. I am doing Hastings half so trying to build each run around hills.

Hi,

I managed my first run this morning after having my baby in December (6 weeks). I thought I would go for a 20 minute run round the block. DH had other ideas - about 5 miles including a sizeable hill! However he did allow me to walk when I wanted (plus he was getting used to running with a pram which made a difference to him ).

I feel really pleased

Any tips on running with a young baby? Am already planning to feed or express before running, and if running with ds run during his nap times (what age can you start running with them during their awake time?).

Also, is it normal to have weak pf muscles in the early days and to just keep strengthening them or is that a sign that i am over exerting myself?

Advice from people who have started running in the early days greatly appreciated!

Welcome SachaF - 5 miles 6 weeks after birth sounds fantastic. Not sure I can give you much advice as DS is now 4 and I still haven't got back to regular running (as you can see by my name). I do remeber doing my first run at 6 weeks and realising that everything still felt too loose IYSWIM. I seem to remeber that you do need to be careful about taking a baby running too early, something about too much vibration etc?

OK, I am now really to challenge my own nickname. I've entered a half marathon on 29 Apr so here goes with the training. I'm going to have to dig out one of the three runs a week schedules as from experience I just get injured to easily if I up the frequency/milage.
What is annoying is that I do have the time to run when DS is a Kindergarten but my body complains too much (sign of age and years of ignoring previous injuries ). My plan is to run 3 days per week and Nordic Walk 2-3 days as a form of cross training. Yes, LOL, I did say Nordic Walk, luckily it's so normal here that no one stares at you and bursts out laughing.
Shall we re instate the race schedule by way of motivation, can't find everyones races so please feel free to add, amend:

11 Mar - Hastings 1/2M (sarflondon)
1 Apr - Kingston 16M (hatwoman)
1 Apr - ? 1/2M (JoPG)
22 Apr - FLM (Pidge, sarflondon)
29 Apr - Vienna 1/2M (Laspedrunner)

Lapsed runner, thanks.

I have also heard vaguely about it being to rough for newborns. We kept to road running and dh walked the kurbs, hoping that it would then be as smooth as when i go for a walk. the chasis has suspension plus the pram attachment has extra rockability so hopefully it was a fairly smooth ride, but I will quiz my HV today (but am not sure they will know much). Have searched on internet but not found anything - anyone got any links to useful 'running with baby' sites?

SachaF - am very impressed. I could hardly walk for 3 weeks after both my babies, and even at 6 weeks wouldn't have been up to running, or even a slow jog! Well done you. And I think you just have to listen to your own body - it will tell you if you're pushing it. Don't have any advice on running with pushchairs I'm afraid.

Lapsedrunner - wahey - I'm sure having a race to aim for is the best way of making sure you get those runs in. I sense a change of nickname is going to be required! I've read about Nordic Walk - looked pretty comical, I must say. Haven't actually seen anyone doing it round here though.

I did a 3.5 miler yesterday - squeezed in whilst a friend babysat the kids, as dp was away all day. Today is a rest day, then tomorrow, hopefully 7 miles in a very bitty way - 1.5 miles each way to my running club, 2 miles handicap (fast-ish), then 2 miles very slow round the handicap route again!

Ops, must remember to check spelling before I post!

Lapsed runner -the Vienna half marathon sounds wonderful. Injury and work means I can only run too 3 times a week and need to leave a day between runs. I spent so much time injured last year, having physio and getting patched up for races, I don;t want to repeat the experience and jeopardise my chances of continuing to run.

Sacha F I salute you. I didn't run until my youngest ds was 3 months. Everything felt horribly jiggly. I would speak/email some running mums for advice rather than rely on the HV - apologies to any HVs. Mine told me that running would jeopardise my milk supply but it didn't and I fully breastfed him for well over 14 mths. I think I got some useful info on running after childbirth on the American Runners World site. you do need to make sure that you eat enough. The combination of running and feeding made me lose weight too fast. Unfortunately I have since made up for this!!

Does anyone have any good tips on how to lose weight and run at the same time. Lack of consistent running last year meant that I have put on nearly a stone. I can really feel this excess weight when I am running but it is not shifting even though my mileage is now up to 24 miles per week. I have tried ww but couldn't make the points work with running. All suggestions gratefully received.

Bumping for becks

Saggars - you'll get going again sometime.

Becks - come in and join us - we're very friendly!

I had a nice night out with my club last night - a very funny way of running 7.5-8 miles - I did 1.5 miles there, 0.5m warm up, 2m handicap race at 7.30min miles, 2 miles slow, then 1.5 miles home. With varying lengths of pauses in between those sections.

Then a glorious 40 minutes slow along the Thames today at lunchtime with a work colleague, enjoying the sunshine and the escape from my office.

So running ladies, how soon after giving birth do you think I could start jogging/running again. I didn't run whilst pregnant and did limited running before than - maximum 3.5 miles but am keen to start again and rejoin the running club that i only managed to go to about twice! Pidge running along the Thames sounds wonderful.

The baby is maybe too young to take out running in a pram at 6 weeks. Maybe wait until 12 weeks when s/he has more neck strength and control to withstand any movements, just from a development point of view really.

becks - yup the Thames was lovely. Particularly compared to my office!

I'm not much help on the running front soon after baby. I didn't start until dd2 was 6 months old, but only because it didn't occur to me before then that I could combine activity and babies and breastfeeding. But I met a friend training for a marathon and was shamed into sticking my trainers on. That was a year and a half ago.

The most obvious, but not necessarily helpful answer, is listen to your body, go out for a really slow, short potter, or combine walk and run (not trivial when it's this cold, I know).

Looking forward to hearing how you get on.

Personally I'm just hoping the snow melts so I don't have to ice-skate my 15 miler this weekend!

Ok, managed 3 x 35min runs and one Nordic Walk so far this week. DS is on half term which means I have to run before DH goes to work. Or rather after DH has does his run with the dog 06:15-07:00 and before he goes to work at 07:45.

Aiming to increas a little next week as DS will be back at Kindergarten, roll on Monday

Great stuff lapsedrunner. That's very impressive.

I did 30mins today after dropping dd1 at school, as my parents are here to look after dd2, normally I have to go out at 7am too.

Building up for tomorrow's big effort when I will hopefully be out for 2 1/2 hours. Gulp.

Hi there everyone,

I'm very impressed lapsedrunner - 3 early mornings. I can only face one of those a week.

I was meant to do 8 miles today, but, because I did it straight from dropping dds at school, with all the usual morning rush, I didn;t have time to work out my route so had to guess a bit - turned out to be the best part of 10. I was incredibly slow. I am SO knackered now. My legs are really aching. I quite enjoyed it and felt ok doing it but the thought of doing 16 does seem quite scarey - given how I'm feeling now. And I'm beginning to see how longer distances are not just a case of doing more - I feel quite ground down, and bits of me are twinging - although I remember saying that the first time I did more than 4 miles. so maybe it is just a case of getting used to it.

Pidge - how far are you going tomorrow? hope it goes well.