Running

[mrjimmy]

I started running nine months ago and have slowly worked my way up to running 1km to 10km which I was well chuffed with. A friend of mine has an entry for the Prague Half Marathon that he can't use and I've said I'll take it. It's in two weeks. I would have said no, but seems like too good an opportunity to turn down. It's sold out (11,500 entrants) and through the streets of a really beautiful city. Most of it is along the river so should be quite flat.

Any idea on a good way to make a quick jump from 10 to 21k or tips in general?

[soulhalshall]

I'm running the Athens half marathon tomorrow morning, a year after I got back into running having been out of it for five or six years. I've managed to make reasonable strides in terms of time and distance without training excessively (I haven't trusted my body to do too much after tendon trouble).

Despite not really trusting my body to train properly, I've tried to put everything in to races and basically using them as training. I have really loved the atmosphere and competition of the races, and have done one more or less every weekend in and around Athens, increasing the distance of them gradually. Given that I wasn't training, that meant some reality checks in the races but those failures I suppose served as training and made me stronger. God, this sounds like an American autobiography. So in answer to the question, I would encourage signing up for other races to push yourself in that atmosphere and run at an intensity which might not come naturally in training. After running 10ks i don't think the half marathon is too bad, it's not oppressively far. In the year since I got back into running I've got my 5k time from 24 to 18mins, 10k from 46 to 40 and half marathon close (but not close enough) to 1.30. The marathon, on the other hand, can't be conquered with my part-time approach, I painfully (pride as much as body) discovered.

Good luck!

[Russ Greaves]

"Any idea on a good way to make a quick jump from 10 to 21k or tips in general?"

Slow down!

[lionel]

Mar 18, 2017 17:27:23 GMT mrjimmy said:

I started running nine months ago and have slowly worked my way up to running 1km to 10km which I was well chuffed with. A friend of mine has an entry for the Prague Half Marathon that he can't use and I've said I'll take it. It's in two weeks. I would have said no, but seems like too good an opportunity to turn down. It's sold out (11,500 entrants) and through the streets of a really beautiful city. Most of it is along the river so should be quite flat.

Any idea on a good way to make a quick jump from 10 to 21k or tips in general?

Very your sessions.
1 Do a 75% effort long run of about 18k. (Way to judge that if you were running with someone you should be able to talk as you run.)
2- A quicker 8-9 run.
3-Do an interval run where you have a timed burst above race pace of about 4 mins followed by 3 mins below race pace. Repeat a few times.
4-Or run up hills!! (Make sure you run down as well!!)


Warm up and warm down.

[sneakyfate]

I've not looked in on this thread for over a year, meant to do so before and after the Cambridge half marathon. That was my first as a 60-year old, so I was quite pleased get round in 1:54:56, trimming 50 seconds off last year's time. This was down to better training that wasn't interrupted by illness, plus being a little more successful in losing a few pounds post-Christmas.

Really sorry to hear of the injury troubles of others, hope you guys get sorted. A few years back I tweaked first one achilles tendon, then the other, not quite sure why it happened. I managed to see a physio before any serious damage was done, three months off running for the first one, just three weeks for the second as I recognised the signs and took action more quickly. I'm grateful to have reached the age I have with nothing more serious.

I've never got back to my pre-injury speed, but then I'm not getting any younger, the main thing is that I do still enjoy being able to rattle of a 10K run comfortably, and be able to occasionally stretch it (albeit less comfortably) to a half marathon. No serious thoughts of trying a full marathon, couldn't possibly find the time to train properly (even if I could find the patience, and my body could stand it). Maybe that could be my first retirement project, before I get too decrepit...

Anyway, running is going to take a back seat to cycling during the Summer months (see the cycling thread), but I'll keep doing parkrun when I can.

[sneakyfate]

Mar 20, 2017 20:49:24 GMT lionel said:

Mar 18, 2017 17:27:23 GMT mrjimmy said:

I started running nine months ago and have slowly worked my way up to running 1km to 10km which I was well chuffed with. A friend of mine has an entry for the Prague Half Marathon that he can't use and I've said I'll take it. It's in two weeks. I would have said no, but seems like too good an opportunity to turn down. It's sold out (11,500 entrants) and through the streets of a really beautiful city. Most of it is along the river so should be quite flat.

Any idea on a good way to make a quick jump from 10 to 21k or tips in general?

Very your sessions.
1 Do a 75% effort long run of about 18k. (Way to judge that if you were running with someone you should be able to talk as you run.)
2- A quicker 8-9 run.
3-Do an interval run where you have a timed burst above race pace of about 4 mins followed by 3 mins below race pace. Repeat a few times.
4-Or run up hills!! (Make sure you run down as well!!)


Warm up and warm down.

I would go along with this advice too, it's pretty much what I have to do whenever I enter a half marathon, as my max distance is otherwise normally 10-11K. My maximum distance prior to the Cambridge HM was 19km - I did this twice - once in four separate chunks with rests in between (one "chunk" was actually a slow Cambridge parkrun!), and once more-or-less non-stop, both well below the pace I actually did on the day.

[Russ Greaves]

Went for my first decent run for a long while this evening and realised how enjoyable it can be when you're not racing against a set time or trying to get a PB.

It was warm, the sun was hanging low over the river and there was barely another soul around for most of my route.

I probably won't go for another month now...

[mrjimmy]

I ran and finished the Prague Half marathon yesterday. Thanks for all the advice, especially Lionel. I ran 15k two weeks before race day then some varied 5k runs in the week. I planned a 10k run the Sunday before the race, but got lost in the forest and ended up doing 18. Then I got a cold which cancelled the rest of the week's training.

I was still under the weather yesterday and wasn't sure I'd get around. The first 5km was pretty rough. Runners were streaming past me, I was going really slow, my heart rate was high and I was sweating. I latched on to the group running 2hr 30 pace and got through the next few k's with them.

Around 8 or 9k, the cold seemed to disappear and I felt full of energy. I really enjoyed it from here on in and each 5k sector was faster than the one before it. Finished in 2hr 22 and looking forward to trying another one.

[sneakyfate]

Nice one Mr. Jimmy! Funny how you go through good and bad patches during a race, but coming up to the finish almost invariably is the best bit

[lionel]

Apr 2, 2017 16:07:07 GMT mrjimmy said:

I ran and finished the Prague Half marathon yesterday. Thanks for all the advice, especially Lionel. I ran 15k two weeks before race day then some varied 5k runs in the week. I planned a 10k run the Sunday before the race, but got lost in the forest and ended up doing 18. Then I got a cold which cancelled the rest of the week's training.

I was still under the weather yesterday and wasn't sure I'd get around. The first 5km was pretty rough. Runners were streaming past me, I was going really slow, my heart rate was high and I was sweating. I latched on to the group running 2hr 30 pace and got through the next few k's with them.

Around 8 or 9k, the cold seemed to disappear and I felt full of energy. I really enjoyed it from here on in and each 5k sector was faster than the one before it. Finished in 2hr 22 and looking forward to trying another one.

Good work, probably a good medal as well!
There is only one point in the race where you are facing 13.1 miles! Once you settle in the race, there is always (most of the time) a fun part of the race.

[shubs]

Have been out twice this week, for the first time in about 4 months. Really short both times, about 2 and a half miles. Must say I enjoyed it, but it was all put into sharp perspective yesterday when my 9 year old came out with me. She is a county cross country runner and I really struggled to hang on. A very humbling experience when you know that old age has definitely caught up with you!

[sneakyfate]

Apr 12, 2017 14:34:03 GMT shubs said:

Have been out twice this week, for the first time in about 4 months. Really short both times, about 2 and a half miles. Must say I enjoyed it, but it was all put into sharp perspective yesterday when my 9 year old came out with me. She is a county cross country runner and I really struggled to hang on. A very humbling experience when you know that old age has definitely caught up with you!

I felt the same way when my son first beat me at parkrun, though to be fair he was a lot older than 9! He's also out of training at the moment, so for now I'm faster again

[sneakyfate]

And nothing wrong with 2.5 miles when getting back into it - don't try too much too soon and you'll keep enjoying it!

[Actually Valid Username]

Got out and did a parkrun today for the first time in ages. 28 minutes. Didn't absolutely kill myself but dear lord is it bruising on the ego. 21 year old me getting overtaken by a 50 year old with a pram is not a good look. Hopefully can work on getting a more respectable time, running + swimming a bit in the week then watching my parkrun times plummet(hopefully)

[shubs]

Apr 15, 2017 19:15:09 GMT Actually Valid Username said:

Got out and did a parkrun today for the first time in ages. 28 minutes. Didn't absolutely kill myself but dear lord is it bruising on the ego. 21 year old me getting overtaken by a 50 year old with a pram is not a good look. Hopefully can work on getting a more respectable time, running + swimming a bit in the week then watching my parkrun times plummet(hopefully)

Very good on yer for getting out and doing it-that's what it's all about.