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....?

Most important thing is to get some good running shoes.

At first, run every other day until you have got into it. it really depends on your fitness how long/far you go. Maybe start with 20 minutes run/walking and then increase the running part). Increase the runs gradually - no more than 10% a time. Aim to do one long walk/run a week - eith a mix of times/distances in between.

Keep a record of what you have done - so that you can see the improvements.

Personally, I never did the run/walk thing - I find it harder to start running again after walking than just keep running, albeit very slowly. But I'm told that is the "proper" way to get started running seriously!

I'm sure someone else will be able to give you the links to some of the Running Forums (Forae?)which will give you more detailed guidance - but that's a start!

Prettybird I went out with my twin dss last night too! Nearly 5 miles I think. Slightly chaotic in that i had to run part of way holding sam's cycling helmet as it kept falling off his head, plus lads (aged 8) not impressed with hilly bits, but they went to bed much earlier than usual and slept like logs!!

I do like running with a (grown up) friend & don't mind solitary running as it's good for head-space, but running with kids on bikes is quite fun I think, if you're in the mood for it and not feeling too kiddied-out.

don't feel like you're gatecrashing angelp, v friendly people on here and some v inspiring & accomplished runners who've kept me from jacking this running lark in!

Finagib at your dss!

My ds didn't like the fact that I kept running ahead of him, and tried to tell me to stop, which of course I "couldn't". But every time I tried to run back towards him (to allow him to "catch" up), he would stop his bike and try to turn around!

So that's why I ended up running around trees and things - only ds also tried to copy me, which defeated the purpose!

You do feel a bit of a ninny don't you, running round trees, looping back on yourself and sometimes jogging on the spot! I was bouncing up and down while trying to jam sam's helmet back on.

Feel really good tho. Was it you prettyb who suggested running more frequently, 4-5 times a week? It's definitely helping.

Yup - 'twas me. Do as I say, not as I do! I used to find aiming to get out 5-6 times a week (when I was training for a marathon, a looooong time ago!) meant that I could be confident about getting out 4-5 times. (... and that was before a dp/dh and a ds! ). SO if you aim to get out 4-5 times, then you really will see an impoirvement as running becoems part of your day to day routine.

I was running backwards and forwards waiting for the green man - 'cos of course I can't let ds cross on a red man even if there is no traffic. I must have looked like I was desparate for the loo!

Yeah I'll do that prettyb, aim higher!

Just been out for 40 mins and found it really TOUGH...

2 weeks till edin 10k and worrying now that i just won't be able to run the whole thing. Will be peed off if I have to walk some of it. But always feel like this as a race looms, get kinda nervy... does anyone else? Then find it tons easier on the actual day? (please say yes!!)

Am gonna aim to run mon, tue, thur and sat this coming week...

hello everyone

I am feeling pretty pleased with myself - have managed to go out every other night since Monday so that makes 4 times this week. I am enjoying it too which I never anticipated this early on! Went out with a friend early this morning for the first time - I have been doing it on my own so far - she was a lot slower than me and wanted to walk more but we did cover more ground chatting! I can already see I can run a bit further than when I started last week and my hips seem to have settled down too.

I love the idea of you all running with your kids tearing along on bikes beside you!

hello. another butter-inner here, looking for advice on increasing my running. I've always done a bit of running, which by my standards means not much at all. So far this year I've managed a two-mile run most weekends. In the week I walk quite a lot - maybe a mile a day, so I'm kind of a bit fit, well, not a total couch potatoe anyway. I have decided it's time to ge a bit more done and teh only way I can do that is to make a commitment. I have spotted teh Kingston running festival - 8 miles in October. Only problem is that's a helluva log way away and most training programmes seem to be for only 8 weeks or so. An thoughts on what I should do? maybe I need to find a 5 or 10k event sometime before October?

Hello hatsoff - butting in is fine, the more the merrier

Have a look at the Race for Life website to see if there is one near you. They are womens only 5k's. Also the Womens Hydro Active Races in London, Birmingham and Liverpool at the beg of Sept are 5 k too. The Runners World website has a search thingy and you can put in your area and the distance you want and it will show loads of races near to you. Sorry - can't get my head around the links at the moment but if you Google, you'll find them.

Did 4 1/2 miles today. It was really busy though, especially along the canal, loads of ladies out which was good to see.

Hi guys,

It's getting busy out there isn't it? I've seen loads of people out in the evenings round here and they all look really fit and confident, cruising around at high speed. I find that a bit confusing: where have you all been? And how did you get that fit if you haven't been running ?

Anyway, I'm another one suffering from slight 'aimlessness' in the most literal sense right now. I have a 10k lined up at the end of May, and thought I'd just do a few of those over the summer, rather than spend hours training for anything further. But I'm worried about losing my stamina....what does the panel think? Should I try to find something longer or just give myself a break?

Fionagib, I know what you mean about the pre-race nerves...normally I'm convinced that I'm suffering from some rare form of cold that has sapped all the strength from my legs while giving me no other symptoms whatsoever . Race day sorts it out, though - adrenaline is a marvellous thing, isn't it? FWIW, if you're running 40 minutes at the moment, I'm sure you'll be well able to get round, and if you can get 50 mins in this week, then you can be certain you'll get round!

Hatsoff, welcome. Here is the link to the Runner's World event search, some of which have reader's feedback attached to them. The Forums have an 'event' section, too, where you can get some people's opinions on some races. Worth a try. I think Kingston is very highly rated - certainly a nice course down by the river, I used to run on it a bit when I was living down that way.

Hey Puddle, how are the hills?

Well, managed to get out on Satruday - repeated lat Sunday's run. Tried to run it as a wee bit of a "paece" run - but ended up being more than half a minute slower than last week, at just over 35 minutes. The wee bit of extra distance I had to go while riunning backwards and forwards waiting to cross a road definitely wasn't as long as 30 seconds

But on the positve side - at least that was 3 times I go out last week. And although I didn't go ut yesterday , at least I wasn't stiff. I'll gout tongiht instead - make a real point of leaving work on time and then try to get out for 40 minutes.

Three weeks to go until the Glasgow 10k.

Finagib - you know the answer to your question already. yes the adrenaline on the day helps - and yes, we all get worried in advance of a race.

I owuld desparately like to break an hour. I'm about 10 minute miling at the moment - but I've left getting serious about training a bit late to really work on my speed. And as my charming dh reminded me, I am carrying a wee bit more weight than I did in the past wehn I was running more seriously.

Oh honestly...and your DH is regularly breaking 1 hour for a 10k is he???

I think all boys need compulsory GCSEs in being supportive, with emphasis on the practical skills involved.

Chance maybe that you're brewing up a bit of a virus, Prettybird? Or is it just an 'off day'? I'm told you can put a little edge on your speed over three weeks - in fact I'm trying to something similar at the moment. It seems to involve longish intervals (600-800 meters at speed with 2-4 min recoveries between them) and longer tempo runs (anything up to 4 miles at aerobic threshold, if you're using a HRM) once a week, mixed up with a couple of easy recovery runs. FWIW, I had a bit of a mare on Friday running with DH when I did a 10k run 3 mins slower than my PB, because I tried to do some fast sections in the middle, totally misjudged my pace and blew up. Very, very, b*dy annoying.

Twink will probably have some excellent ideas about speedwork as well.

That was nice of him pb!! Ta for advice and thanks Gizmo, it's a bit pathetic but that's what you need to hear isn't it - that you will get round the blimmin course. 50 mins (maybe 5.5 miles-ish?) seems like the 'magic' distance to aim for, then will feel loads better about races...

Yeah not long till glasgow... and edin is a week on sat or sun (can't remember which). Just wanna run the course in edin, but like you prettyb I'd love to break the hour at glasgow. Am using edin as a bit of a practise as don't think I can go flat out in both (tho my 'flat out' is pretty slothful!).

Looks like it's gonna be too tricky to get out this eve but will def try for 45-50 mins tomorrow am....

Lovely glorious sunny weather here in scotland so no excuse...

just read your post gizmo, you're being hard on yourself! Have never run with my dh. Might be quite fun to try...

To be fair Gizmo - dh could break an hour for a 10k - on no training . His base speed, even when "unfit" is a lot fast than mine.

He ran the Glasgow half last year on no training (and I mean NO training - I think he has been out once for about 40 minutes in the previous 4 weeks) - and still did something like 1 hour 50.

It is useful for those occasion when we can get someone to look after ds and he comes out with me. he helps pull me along and bring up my base speed.

But of course, he won't be able to do that for the Glasgow Women's 10k! . Fionagib and I are going to have to use each other to get round in a decent time. We are still going to meet up aren't we, Fionagib?!

Yeah, it can be fun, but never use it as an easy outing - you know what boys are like.

Looks like we won't be able to do much together for a while, now though, DH had a funny turn on Saturday and running is off his agenda for a while [sad}

Oh, sticky out tongue emoticon to your DH, PB!!!!

Doncha just hate gene inequality

I like that Gizmo - "gene inequality". It's nthing to do with his own or my respective talents - it's just the fact that he's a bloke.

And again, to give him his due, he was trying to be supportive - just that blokes don't realise that trying to give the excuse of "extra weight" for a slow time is not the right approach .

He's the one that has been suggesting that we farm ds out to someone, so that we can out together for a run - so we'll need to get organised and actually do it.

I am cofnident that if I can get regularly over the next 3 weeks, then I should be able to improve my pace enough to break an hour. It's the "if" in that sentence I need to work on!

Hi Hatsoff. My kind of 'unofficial' aim is to do the race for Life in the summer. If I can do that and run it rather than walk it I will be pleased. Such a lightweight compared to some of you here though! Is 5K 3 miles? Have no idea how far my running route is at the moment.

Gizmo I have taken someone's (your's?!) advice to run downhill and on the flat. My route is downhill first and then flat with the huge hills to walk up home. So am fast walking those as a bit of a cool down.

It's due to pouyr down in the south for the next four days so my commitment is about to be tested. Have no waterproof gear at all to run in!

Puddle -FWIW, I never had any wet weather unning gear. I always found that if you're running, the heart you genrate while you are running is ufficient (but you do need something to change into as soon as you stop).

if it were cool-ish and wet, I would run in a T-shirt and a sweat shirt. If it's warm, a t-shirt is OK - just be careful about the bra you are wearing underneath if you are wearing a light coloured T-shirt, as it will go see though !

I also get cold legs, so tend to run in running tights (in your case, porbably some form of track suit, if you haven't got kitted up yet) until it is reall warm. Once it is hot enough for me to wear shorts, I need to be really careful about remembering to put vaseline between my legs where my thighs rubbed, and I'll need to be even more careful now - (see previous postings about "being heavier" )

I used to feel very virtuous when I started a run while it was raining. (if it starts raining while you are out, that doesn't count in the virtuous stakes! ).

Thanks Prettybird - am I right in thinking 'running tights' are very unsexy? I am in no way ready for shorts yet! Too white and wobbly...

Running tights are not nessarily the most attractive of items of clothing (although once you have lots of wieght due to all that running , they are apparently very sexy!). I've lost the embarassment factor, but if you are worried, you can a) wear shorts over them (which is actually how dh often runs in winter) or b) wear an extra long T-shirt/swaeet shirt which covers your bum.

Also a hint for the "white sausage" syndrome: fake tan! Pure vanity - but it does make you feel better about exposing them! And in summer, when it is very hot, it is nice to feel the sun/warmth on your legs. (and one way to get them a genuine tan!)

Yeah prettyb would def like to meet up at women's 10k. Let's hatch a plan nearer the time... (don't wanna slow you down tho!!)

Look frward to that fionagib From the sound of it, you won't be slowing me down - but even you were (or I you!) - the key to running a fast time is to run the first half slowly, so that you've got plenty left towards the end!

SO one or othe rof us could leave the other one behind after a few miles, if she really were running too slowly!

And there is no better feeling than overtaking people, reeling them in, in the closing stages of a run!

I used to have a rule - no-one overtook me in the second half of a race. It certianly hlepd keep me focussed - and I almost always ran a negative split (when the second half is faster than the first half) or at least two very even halves.

That sounds like a good plan pb. I tend to run slowly & cautiously for first few kms as can't imagine much worse than being one of those poor people you see collapsed and being attended to by medical persons at the roadside.