anyone like to start a runners' support group thread thingie?

[fionagib]

Inspired by Paula Radcliffe's victory at the new york marathon (but HORRIBLY unfit), I wondered if anyone would like to start running, or keep running, or get even better at running, and support each other here by telling each other how we're getting on, or swap tips, ideas etc?

I did quite a bit of running earlier this year, a few 10k races (and loved it, felt so much better, really proud, with more energy etc) but have let it all go to pot and now have jelly belly & bum, and a running bra that's probably covered with cobwebs somewhere...

Am totally un-athletic, was smoking heavily until 2 weeks ago, and just wanna make a positive change, avoid a winter of blobbiness, and feel really good & fit come spring.

so anyone like to join me....?

Sophable - you could try using Map24, it's a site that has maps and measuring tools etc. It takes a bit to work out how to work it but once you've mastered it, it is a really handy tool. I'd do a link but dashing out now and links take me years. Try a google and if you can't find it I'll post a link later.

Hello all!

To answer your question, Potty1 and Twink, I haven't been hiding under the duvet, but dear G*d I wish I had. A stinking cold (yes it was all above the neck!), two sets of grandparents staying, a three year old's birthday party and trying to get the exchange on our new house sorted over the weekend rather got in the way of running . But I'm back in the saddle (or running shoes) again and shall haul my sorry bottom out of the house tonight.

Good to hear about everyone's plans. Twink, you really, really won't have a problem racking up the next 13 miles, I promise: particularly since you've done labour! It gets a bit painful between 18 - 22 miles but once you've done a couple of long runs in training you kinda know which bits are going to hurt, so there won't be any surprises. And the excitement of the last miles makes up (a bit) for the pain. What are you going to eat? Oh and can you tell me where you get the L/R socks: do they really make a difference?

And for what it's worth, Zippy, it's great coming last because you always get a really big cheer from everyone. I don't think you will, though, because it seems to be a rule of racing that there is always someone slower than you, and quite often it's the guy who's dressed like an elite athlete. This message comes to you from the woman who, in her first marathon, was passed by a man dressed as a Pot Noodle .

Here's map24 . It can be a bit tricky to get the hang of but v. useful when you do.

I was born with a VERY flat left foot...The right one's quite normal!! My 2 year old has exactly the same problem. I'm o.k until I hit the 4 mile mark and then it becoms quite painful. I run in a comfy 'worn in' pair of Air Max but am investing in a new pair this weekend. Can anyone recommend a shoe for a 'severe overpronator' - Not worried about the cost, just want the right ones. Live close to "Running Bear" in Cheshire which is a shop that's been recommended but could do with a bit of info before I get baffled with science!!

Hello Wondermom,

You may find this runners world article of some help, although I think you need to subscribe to get the actual shoe reviews.

Do you just overpronate on one foot? I know some people recommend inserts for keeping feet comfortable on longer runs, but I've never tried them for running so can't say.

Thanks Gizmo May subscribe to Runners World - Looks full of relevant info. Will probably have to try some supportive insoles aswell, just in the left shoe.

"Let's talk about sox..." Not seen the L and R ones around...Sound interesting. Are the twin skin ones worth trying?

Wondermom - I've heard good things about Running Bear (I'm in North Staffs).....thre's also a place in Stoke Sub-4 who offer a biomechanical foot check. A friend of mine went there and said it was very thorough with no pressure to buy. Might be worth the trip?

Thanks for the encouragement Gizmo, unfortunately I seem to have caught your cold (virtual germs !) so have grounded myself tonight in an attempt to stop shivering & sniveling quickly rather than having it linger.

LOL re Pot Noodle, I was determined that Miss Piggy wouldn't pass me at my last half !

I've worn L/R socks since I started & love them, they're made by Falke & Sweatshop stock them. You can quite often get deals on them, esp with Sweatshop flyers, eg buy 2 pairs & get third free. I know £10 seems mad for a pair of socks but they last ages.

Not tried the twin skin ones (Hilly ?) but a few friends run in them.

Wondermom, don't worry about being blinded with science, good running shops know their stuff & will help you pick something which is right for you. A friend of mine wanted to buy a pair of shoes she liked the look of and the shop refused to sell her them as they felt her over-pronation wasn't corrected enough by them. I've got very wide feet so am happiest in New Balance shoes as they do various widths.

I'd guess that the store will have a treadmill to test shoes out but if they don't, I've found that shops will often let you test them at a local gym and as long as you don't get the soles marked, will let you return them if they're not right.

Thanks potty1 and twink - Very helpful Will go to Running Bear at the weekend and hopefully get sorted out with a proper pair of shoes. Saw my G.P today and have been refered to a Podiatrist, so hopefully will get a biomechanics test on B.U.P.A. Been out for a 3 mile run tonight and concentrated more on my speed than my mileage - Had no problems atall. Hopefully the right shoes will help me build up my distance. Thanks for the advice Will also give the L,R socks a try.

Virtual germs, eh? I knew I shouldn't be sneezing all over my monitor (sorry, that's a disgusting image ). Actually, I wish I had done the same, Twink, as I felt particularly pathetic last night, like a feeble little running robin lost in the hail and wind. I probably looked more like the dong with the luminous nose, however. I haven't got time to go out today, though, so here's hoping Thursday will be better!

Potty, Twink and Gizmo, thanks for the welcome and encouragement

Gizmo - PSML at Pot Noodle suit

Training efforts have ground to a halt here due to very snotty cold (kind of kidding myself that it is below the neck and the merest jog could prove fatal...). Hopefully I'll get back on course with a run/waddle home from work on Friday afternoon.

hiya ladies, not hiding under the duvet but haven't been out as much as i'd like.
trying to lose weight (see Coddy's thread) but finding running really hard. Out on Friday and I struggled to do my 20 min circuit, walked some of it. Think I'm carryign post Christmas weight. sigh....also have been ill so will try to get out tonight!
will report back. well done everyone else.

Okay - I confess that I spend more of my time reading about running than actually doing it but I just got 'Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat (sic) Idiot' in from Amazon and wondered if anyone runs with a Heart rate monitor. The principle (according to this book) is that you alternate 'hard' runs with easy runs at less than 70% of your max. heart rate - which makes you run incredibly slowly but enables you to go for longer ie increase mileage/not get injured/improve dramatically over the long run.

I've had a monitor for a while though never really known what I'm doing with it but though bits of the heart rate training look like a faff, I like the idea of using it to pace myself in races and over long runs etc. Anyone tried this?

Ooh yes. My name is Gizmo and I'm a psycho-nerd. Love it, love it, love the lovely heart rate monitor

As you might have gathered I am rather attached to mine, because it helps me understand what is happening with my body; how long I can maintain a certain effort for, how much I can 'officially' slow down to recover from things without feeling like a failure. Most important of all it stops the blasting off at top speed and blowing up within 15 minutes phenomen.

Having said that, I don't always run with it: I try to make sure I have at least one run a week where I just run, at a relaxed pace, so I can listen to what my body is telling me via other signs (breathing rate, achy legs etc). That seems helpful because as you get fitter, you will be travelling faster for the same heart rate and actually you can often put in a bit more effort, provided your body is comfortable with it.

How do I use it? Let me count the ways:

1. to moderate my effort when setting off and warming down: sometimes it's hard to believe how slow I have to be to ease myself into a run

2. to make sure I am really operating close to my anaerobic threshold (between 70 - 80% MHR) when I'm doing speed work

3. to play the occasional game of 'let's blast this as hard as possible' (which I interpret as 80-95% MHR: that last 5% hurts!) at the end of a run so I can see whether I'm getting any faster over a fixed course, without fearing total collapse.

4. to give me feedback on races so I can pace myself sensibly (obviously along with distance markers and a watch)

I'm following a schedule which uses about six standard elements during the week ('slow run', 'steady run', 'fast' etc) and basically I know my target heart rate zones for all of these and just go out and do it.

Just remember: the heart rate monitor is your friend....

Wow Gizmo! I'm impressed......the closest I get to monitoring my HR is checking my pulse at the end just to confirm I'm not dead!!

Wondermom - sorbothane insoles might help yourfoot. They would both provide some support for your instep on the "flat" foot and protect both feet for potential damage from all the impact.

Alternatively, the podiatriit may prescribe an orthotic insert for your flat foot, which might help the discomfort.

I have the opposite problem - very high insteps that need support - but it may be that they can work with flat feet as well.

As it is a specialist running shop that you are going to, they should be able to adviser you.

Well, we're obviously all busy running bees and haven't had time to post. I got out on Thursday for a mid-length, mid paced run and am trying to pull together the motivation to go out tonight (think I'm going to fail, somehow....). Anyway, as a sort of run avoidence strategy and while DH wrestles with DS over dinner , I thought I would summarise what everyone has got in their diaries and then we can assist in their countdowns....

First up is Stringbean with a 10K Feb 6th
Then Beetroot, Bath half marathon, 20th March
Wondermum, Wilmslow half marathon, end March
Me, Paris Marathon, April 10th
Twink, London Marathon, April 17th
Zippy, 10k beginning May
Fionagib, 10k May 15th
Clary, RFL May

Longer term there seem to be plenty of people interested in doing some 10ks over the summer, as well as the Great North Run and/or an autumn marathon as well. So maybe we could have a mumsnet pasta party?

Good job the nights are getting longer for all that training, eh?

Doctor, doctor, we have a thread arrest in curtain 3!

Doctor Gizmo rushes in with thread defibrillator, or more accurately, a nice long moan.

So I went out on Sunday morning and all the portents were good: nice sunny morning but not too hot, I was well rested and ready to go. I even got a quick massage off a friend of mine who is doing a sports massage course.

Two hours later I ended up walking home with a knee that was giving me 'don't Fk with me, missus, stop now!' messages. This is the first time I have had such pain and it might be a one off but it might be something more serious and what will I do then? I was really looking forward to Paris, had hoped for a PB and it was the first race DH and I were going to run together (not that I would see him unless I took binoculars, mind) and now it's all looking a bit dodgy and I want to have a tantrum (we need a kicking and screaming emoticon).

This should be a lesson to me: slippery mud is bad. Running a race pace 10k on slippery mud is bad and mad. Then trying to run an extra 10k afterwards is mad, bad and just asking for trouble.

OK, I've eaten humble pie: now can the Gods of running just let me off one more time? Please????

Eeek! Gizmo - first off, how's the knee this evening? Hopefully it's just a bit over done and will come good with some rest. Also thanks for all the heart rate monitor info - it was really useful. I did an under 70% 'run' home from work on Friday and nearly died from embarrassment at the speed I had to go at to keep my heart rate down (and I'm normally veeerrrrrry slow so it takes a lot to embarrass me). At one point I was actually over taken by an elderly lady on crutches . Went out again on Sunday and allowed myself up to 85% so was able to trot along at my usual blistering 14 minute mile pace .

Zippy, don't knock it, one day we will be those old ladies on crutches. Some of the so-and-so's are pretty nippy, I can tell you, especially when they get that pendulum swing thing going .

Fortunately it seems I won't be joining the middle aged lady on crutches club quite yet, unless I do something really stupid this week, like, go out for a run or something.... I think that I have just tweaked one of the ligaments just below the knee. Since these control rotation of the lower leg and since violent rotation of the lower leg is exactly what happens when you try to run fast on mud, this seems like a fair conclusion. This is quite good news, because provided I'm sensible it should sort itself out in a week or so.

So I shall just have to live vicariously and do some envious lurking here

On a more serious note, zippy, I know HR controlled runs can feel slow, but as you build up your distance and add in some speed work, you'll find you're much faster for each heart rate zone. It just seems to naturally build up over the months and is really satisfying. Personally, I quite like running at around 85% - it's steady state for me - but there is definitely a time limit for how long I can maintain that before I have to give myself a mile at a lower level. So one of the things I'm playing with now is trying to stretch that zone further and further, because it would be ideal to do most of the marathon at that rate. Sorry, are you still awake out there????

Anyway, where is everyone else? Please don't tell me people actually work during the day rather than using their valuable time to keep up to date on Mumsnet?

Helloooooooo......I'm here, champing at the bit to get out but dd isn't well, dh works shifts and it's just not fitting together. Hopefully will be able to pick up on Thursday, fingers crossed.

Gizmo - hope the knee starts to feel better soon.

Hooray, hooray, there are people out there, but "boo, boo" I have to go into a meeting. See you later folks!

I used to like running, but alas, I am waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too big and would feel far too self concious. I'll stick to my cross trainer at the minute.

I'm still here but the thread had fallen out of my 72 hour list so I've had to search for you !!!

Gizmo, sorry to hear about your knee, sounds like you're being grown-up & sensible though ;)

I'm cutting, pasting & updating Gizmo's race list, please feel free to add to it too:

First up is Stringbean with a 10K Feb 6th
Twink, Bramley 10m, Feb 20th
Twink, Reading Half Marathon, 6th March
Then Beetroot, Bath half marathon, 20th March
Wondermum, Wilmslow half marathon, end March
Me, Paris Marathon, April 10th
Twink, London Marathon, April 17th
Zippy, 10k beginning May
Fionagib, 10k May 15th
Clary, RFL May
Twink, RFL 10th July

How are the rest of you doing ?