ginge123 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 So, I should probably start visiting this thread a bit more since I've entered London Marathon for next year for a charity that my girlfriend has fundraised for previously. I have little to no experience with running so I've almost certainly made a terrible decision. I started my training this morning and it was pretty bad but it was more down to preparation than anything else. I'm purely doing it for the experience and for the charitable side of things. I'm under no illusions that I'm going to even make a decent time but it's just one of those things to cross off my bucket list. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I loved the Inverness Half this year, ICTChris. I had no idea where I was most of the time but I don't know if that was a help or hindrance. Good luck in Aviemore, Reina - you're in great form, I'm sure you'll smash it! It's all around the part of town that I grew up in and my parents and brother still live in so I'll be right at home. My goals for next year are - Inverness half - Black Rock 5 (always mean to enter this, always forget) - Great Scottish Run half Will see about squeezing a 10k or something in around the summer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorge Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Main goal here is the D33 Ultra in March, TBH I've got a very busy year looming with college/work/etc and so will probably have to be really picky about races. Will probably be back at Loch Ness for redemption/vengeance too. Did my first double digit run since GNR yesterday, 11 gentle miles to a friend's pub and back. All good and ready for winter cross training and the headtorch high vis season now.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 No sub 2 for me, but I did PB. Bit annoyed with myself - first half was bang on, I passed the 10k mark in 56 mins but it all went tits up in the second half, despite it being downhill. My left knee pinged (IT band?) at about 8 miles and I never really recovered. My hamstrings were biting and I had to stop and stretch them out otherwise they'd have cramped up. Nevermind, back to the drawing board. I'll get it next year. Mentally I'm not strong enough. Something to work on. Knee sore today so going to take it easy for a few weeks, do a bit of cycling and then get back to running club and work on bringing my 10k time down. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morrison Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice one, Reina. PB's a PB, and good attitude. Here's to a speedy recovery. For anyone interested, Alloa half opened for entries a few days ago. I'm going to have a go at that instead of Inverness next March and also fancy doing the Forfar multi-terrain half in February, which seems to be a tough trail and cross-country route. Do you know when/if Alloa tends to sell out? Weary with Loch Katrine entries filling up so quick I might need a Plan B. That's a cracking time for Kirkcaldy, by the way. So, I should probably start visiting this thread a bit more since I've entered London Marathon for next year for a charity that my girlfriend has fundraised for previously. I have little to no experience with running so I've almost certainly made a terrible decision. I started my training this morning and it was pretty bad but it was more down to preparation than anything else. I'm purely doing it for the experience and for the charitable side of things. I'm under no illusions that I'm going to even make a decent time but it's just one of those things to cross off my bucket list. Hello, ginge. What did you do to kick off your training? What sort of level of fitness do you have as a starting point? Feel free to ask any number of questions, and between us we'll be sure to chuck in our tuppence-worth. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginge123 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Hello, ginge. What did you do to kick off your training? What sort of level of fitness do you have as a starting point? Feel free to ask any number of questions, and between us we'll be sure to chuck in our tuppence-worth. I've been doing 5km runs so far, I've done 3 since Sunday. I'm fairly unfit at the moment, I used to play a lot of fives but that's died down so I'm not where I would like to be. I've felt better than I actually expected tbh, but that's not saying much. I do have one question, does anyone have any tips for getting a steady running pace? My km's a really wildly different. I did my first and fifth km's in about 5:30 but my middle 3 were closer 6:30, 7:00 & 6:40. I was keeping an eye on my pace while I was running and it was all over the place from, at one point, about 3:30 to 7:00 on the 6:30 laps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I've been doing 5km runs so far, I've done 3 since Sunday. I'm fairly unfit at the moment, I used to play a lot of fives but that's died down so I'm not where I would like to be. I've felt better than I actually expected tbh, but that's not saying much. I do have one question, does anyone have any tips for getting a steady running pace? My km's a really wildly different. I did my first and fifth km's in about 5:30 but my middle 3 were closer 6:30, 7:00 & 6:40. I was keeping an eye on my pace while I was running and it was all over the place from, at one point, about 3:30 to 7:00 on the 6:30 laps. I'm the same although the swings aren't quite as pronounced. Usually for 5km's, I'll often set off like the clappers and then get progressively slower until the last km when I'll bomb the last few hundred metres, then collapse in a heap. Since I listen to music anyway, I use Runkeeper and set it to tell me my time every 1/2km. This way, I can ensure I keep to a steady pace. I'm sure there are other ways of doing it though! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginge123 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'm the same although the swings aren't quite as pronounced. Usually for 5km's, I'll often set off like the clappers and then get progressively slower until the last km when I'll bomb the last few hundred metres, then collapse in a heap. Since I listen to music anyway, I use Runkeeper and set it to tell me my time every 1/2km. This way, I can ensure I keep to a steady pace. I'm sure there are other ways of doing it though! Have you tried endomondo as a run tracker? If you have, how did it compare to Runkeeper? I'm not totally convinced about endomondo yet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghead ranter Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Have you tried endomondo as a run tracker? If you have, how did it compare to Runkeeper? I'm not totally convinced about endomondo yet. I use it, though I'm not totally convinced by its' accuracy. Although, as I'm not an international, or even regional, class athlete, that doesn't matter to me. I've used it for nearly 4 years now, and its' time and distance is pretty reliable, my issue is only on a pedantic level, that if you compare the ascent and descent figures, my house tends to either rise or sink by a good few feet every time I'm out running (IIRC the biggest difference was a 46 foot rise while I was out, no wonder I was knackered when I got home). I have heard people complain about it cutting out while they're out, but that has only ever happened to me twice in 4 years. I always time myself on my watch when I'm out too, just in case I expend all that energy without being able to look at the stats afterwards. I friend of mine who represented Scotland at the Commonwealth games uses it and recommended it to me, that's good enough for me. ET re pace - I'm kinda like Cardinal Richelieu, I can hold a pace for 3-6 miles (depending on how fit I am at the time), and then I gradually decline performancewise. From when I used to listen to music while running, I found Green Day's American Idiot album suited my pace, so I now sing 'Holiday' in my head when I set off, that gets my legs running at my favoured pace. As an aside, when my headphones broke once, I did a couple of runs before I got a chance to buy another pair, and noticed that my pace increased, so I've never run with music on since. Edited October 16, 2015 by Boghead ranter 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Never used Edomondo, as I'm pretty happy with Runkeeper. Bogheard Ranter is right though - while it's usually pretty accurate for distance, its elevation is sometimes way off. Strangely, my girlfriend also uses Runkeeper and did a run recently where was nearly a minute / km faster. On closer inspection, it appeared that her entire run she was zig-zagging all over the place. Her phone is a bit of a shiter though, so that might explain it. Never had Runkeeper turn off or do anything untoward. Couldn't imagine running without music. Maybe it's just a boredom thing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghead ranter Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Couldn't imagine running without music. Maybe it's just a boredom thing. It is monumentally boring, especially on long, out of town runs where the only sound you hear is the slapping of your feet and your lungs rasping/struggling. Not the most motivational. (Maybe just the way I run though). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabGaz Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Couldn't imagine running without music. Maybe it's just a boredom thing. I do all my runs without music and don't mind it at all. Saying that, a lot of my longer runs are out on country roads with no pavements so I have to listen out for traffic on blind corners. I found that when I used my ipod I couldn't really control my tempo and would run to the speed of the music so my pacing would be all over the shop.For monitoring my pace I use a Garmin 110 (with hrm) and i'll upload all my data to Strava. Edited October 16, 2015 by ArabGaz 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginge123 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I don't think I could run without music, I need something to concentrate on when I'm struggling. I should maybe give it a go to see if it helps my pacing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I sometimes run with music, but tend not to on the country roads. I think consistent pacing comes with experience and knowing your body. I've become much more consistent the longer I've been running for and I can usually tell what sort of pace I'm running at without looking at my Garmin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghead ranter Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I can usually tell what sort of pace I'm running at without looking at my Garmin. So can I - slowly! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Do any of you use a heart rate monitor with your training? My new Garmin has one and I've been reading bits and pieces. Looks interesting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 So can I - slowly! Oh me too, compared to the speedsters on here! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabGaz Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Do any of you use a heart rate monitor with your training? My new Garmin has one and I've been reading bits and pieces. Looks interesting. Yeah, I use mine all the time. I try to run to a low, steady heart rate (140 - 150 bpm) for my long runs rather than, for example, going out and trying to run consistent 8 minute miles. I find that when my heart rate stays within that certain bpm target, my pace becomes very consistent. I'll also find it to be a good indicator of my fitness level because if you're on form you can run at a faster pace whilst still keeping your heart rate in your target zone. I'm sure there are purists out there who would rather run on feel but frankly, I need all the help I can get!! I'd say it's well worth a go though to see how you get on with it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BishyTON Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) I have just got a Garmin FR225 and so am joining the heart rate club (it has optical hrm - so no irritating chest strap). It seems like it takes a short time to get used to your heartbeat as it had me over 200 bpm on my first run with it (which was at just faster than easy pace). It seems to be right now though! I always race and do my fast paced training runs with music. Long runs are a 50-50 and I never use it for intervals. I find my performance tends to be better with the music when pushing the pace. If you are training for a marathon then most of your running should be at an easier pace as you need to do a lot of miles. However, it is beneficial to do the occasional 5k/10k race just to get yourself used to running in a field (there is a skill to that). Also longer intervals are useful as well if you want to improve your pace (say 6 x 1 mile at a fast pace with 2 mins recovery in between). Edited October 16, 2015 by BishyTON 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I think I need to add out and back runs to my training - try to get back quicker than I went out. I faded a lot in the second half of the race on Sunday. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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