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....?

Twink - I'd forgotten about bananas - a brillaint pre (and post) run snack.

For getting back into running, I'd really just take it easy and do runs you enjoy. Certainly not 8.5 miles hilly! .

Why not do a few 4-6 mile runs. Do you have a couple of "favourite" routes that you can do almost without thinking?

And don't try to do any strength or pace work until your legs are recovered. So no hills.

Just take it easy and listen to your legs. I know "they" usually try to fib about how much they are capable of - but for the moment, give them the benefit of the doubt. So if they don't want to do hills, don't (got that yet?! )

Anyway, congratulations again - that was a brilliant time for a first marathon.

Hmmm, yes, I don't want to sound dispiriting, but I have a similar problem at the moment. The sore legs took about 10 days to wear off, but a bigger issue is that I'm hugely lethargic at the moment (drove into work rather than cycling this morning because I couldn't be arsed). No doubt post marathon lethargy is to be expected, but
I thought if I did a 10k at the end of May I could try some different trainig (speedwork! eeek!) and perhaps that would give me a mental boost. Doesn't seem to be working, though. Sounds like I should follow your suggestion PB and just go out for a quiet hack around a couple of times a week.

Also I think I'm still losing weight (although I don't have any scales so it's hard to be sure) despite eating like a horse. Led to a Paddington Bear hard stare (tm) from a lady in M&S when I said to DH 'just got to find another sandwich, I need to put some weight on'

Anyone got any suggestions? Should I crosstrain? Do a lighter schedule? Go to bed for a month with huge box of chocolates?

thanks for nice comments twink... it's gone a bit pear shaped as am too hungover to run this a.m. - was our wedding anni yesterday... got a bit overexcited. Bad bad bad!

will get out with friend over next few days tho. Puddle I find it's helpful to scoff a couple of oatcakes or some other carb-type thing before a run.

BTW - I'm not really the best person to give advice, as after all three of my marathons, I went in to a non-running phase. So what I am suggesting is what I should have done, not what I did do!

I still think a few easy runs, over favourite routes, with no pressure, is probably the best way to go.

"Quality Recovery Time" as my positive thinking guru calls it. You need QRT after working up to a peak and achieving a result. Give your body - and mind - time to recover and then start to build up again.

Maybe treat yourself to a whole body massage - you know you deserve it!

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PB thanks - I think I'll change my plans and just have a month of 'run for fun', otherwise it's going to be a source of stress.

Hello Twink, BTW, very good to see you back: I was worried you'd gone into a decline!

If you can churn out a mile without stopping, Cod, you have several options to get yourself further:

1. time your mile. Add an extra minute every couple of runs. By the end of a month you'll probably be up to 1.5 - 2 miles that way.

2. walk 5-10 minutes at the end of your mile then try another 5 minutes of running. Gradually make the walk bit in the middle shorter and the run bit longer. Again a month is about the right period to be looking for an improvement

Key is take it gradually...or your muscles and joints can suffer.

Are you doing a RFL this year?

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Yeah, give the watch thing a go: it's easier to see progress that way.

RFL comment was for you: loads of people seem to be doing it, that's all.

LOL

Just finished 'giraffes can't dance' My problem with aerobics is premature alzheimers, which leads to me forgetting whether to rub my head or pat my tummy next....

Coddy!!!!! Hellooooo!

My first run was a mile route - I did about 300 yards running and walked the rest and it took me about 3 weeks to get all round without stopping. Once the mile was done it wasn't too difficult to keep adding a bit on but thinking about the time not distance. So if you're running for say 10 minutes to do your mile add a few minutes on each week and you'll be up to 30 minutes in no time.

You'll start to find that you can increase quite easily (!?!) because most runners will tell you that those first 10 minutes are tough as it takes a while to warm up and get in to your stride.

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Cod - in asnwer toyour question, yes your body deos remember that it used to be able to do it, so every tiome you start again it is a wee bit easier.

And just as important - your barin remembers it used to be able to do it.

I think it was Gizmo (or was it Twink?) who used a lovely analogy ealrier in this thread. It was something like this: think of it like creating a path through a forest. The first time it is really tough, hacking away at the undergrowth. Even if you then leave it to grow up again, next time round it takes a wee bit less effort to find your way through.

Your muscles and mind now know what they need to do - so it really is just a case of getting them used to it again.

Must have been Twink: no way would I manage an analogy that well written and accurate

this last bit about body having memory worries me as I did my first training run for RFL last night and collapsed after about 5 minutes... I used to be able to run 2 miles very badly ... my body must have alzeihmers as it was just screaming "Unnatural Unnatural" the whole time...

It was my lungs that hurt most -- any of you experienced runners got some tips on how to stop my lungs feeling like I am inhaling razor blades? Also do you think it possible to go from this to 5K in 9 weeks and 3 days?

Mancmum, lungs that hurt that badly means you are running in the anaerobic zone. And no-one - not even Olympic athletes - can do that for long, so don't give yourself a hard time about it!

I'm afraid there's only one cure for this....wait for it...: slow down ! One way to get into it is start from a very brisk walk (where you can feel your heartrate rising) then start to jog very slowly, getting gradually faster until you are breathing heavily and regularly, but not beathing so fast that you can't hold a conversation.

Once you find that pace, you should find it is sustainable and you can gradually start to add minutes and meters to make miles.

Hope that helps....

And yes, I think you will be just fine to do a 5k in 9 weeks time. Distance first, then speed... (says the woman who now suffers from an allergic rash when looking at sprint training schedules)

I was going to mention lungs in my previous post!

They are the one part of your body that does (in my pexreince) choose to forget everything they might once have been capable of.

It's the reason I hate speed training - it hurts.

it's also the reason that I always take things very easy - and slowly - when I start running again, as I hate my lungs hurting.

But in answer to your question - yes, it is possible to get form where you are now to a 5k in 9 weeks.

Go out again - but this time take it slower. Alternate walking if you need to (personally, I prefer never to walk as I find it too difficult to start running again - but I can run veeery slowly if I need to), or just run very slowly.

Try and run very slowly for 5 minutes and then walk back. Tomorrow see if you can do it for 6 minutes. Then see if you can run some of the way back as well. Until you feel better, just take it a minute at a time.

You can do it!

Oops - Gizmo's amd my posts crossed - but we both said basically the same thing - run slower!

THANKS so much for your advice.... makes me feel better that you think I can do the training in 9 weeks... although bit worried about lungs hurting cos I was going so fast... I was slow enough to be over taken my grannies on zimmer frames!! Think I will try the fast walking thing for a couple of nights and get lungs used to working at slightly higher rate than is required for Mumsnet!! Thanks again for your advice...

1 last thing -- do you think I should try running/wlking every day or alternate days?

Hi there mancmum and cod! Great to have you here. I agree with all that's been said - when I started running (and am by no means an expert) I was so unfit, a heavy smoker, a physical wreck - and it was agony. It gets much much easier (and more pleasurable) amazingly quickly.

Yes a 5k is perfectly possible in 9 weeks, I did one last spring and gradualy built up from being able to run about 5 mins, and feeling like I was dying, to being able to run 30 mins which is how long it took me to get round the course.

btw twink is it you who gave up smoking and completely turned yourself around physically? Tell us your story for inspiration!

Hi there mancmum and cod! Great to have you here. I agree with all that's been said - when I started running (and am by no means an expert) I was so unfit, a heavy smoker, a physical wreck - and it was agony. It gets much much easier (and more pleasurable) amazingly quickly.

Yes a 5k is perfectly possible in 9 weeks, I did one last spring and gradualy built up from being able to run about 5 mins, and feeling like I was dying, to being able to run 30 mins which is how long it took me to get round the course.

btw twink is it you who gave up smoking and completely turned yourself around physically? Tell us your story for inspiration!

Alternate days initially - until you feel like you want to go out more often.

Your body actually benefits from the rest days

Don't worry Mancmum, the speed at which you start to go anaerobic will get faster over time as you get fitter. So even without consciously trying to go faster, the more distance you do, and the fitter you get, the faster you will go! The grannies will have no chance!

How often? Depends on your commitments, but I would be inclined to do every other day for about 10 days, then move onto a 2 days run, one day off sort of pattern, if you've got the time.