Fitness for Glasto 2021

[Quark]

2 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Need some tips / advice on using a work lunchtime to run (from the office)

Is it minging not to have a shower? 

I work in my own office so don't need to worry to much about the feral smell after.

I'm only talking at max a 10km but yeah worried it's not socially acceptable to shower straight after...

I know a lot of people who do / did, so I'd say it's a decent option.

Yes it is.

Trouble is that any feral smells will likely build up over time. At some point you'll notice it, by which stage the office will most likely need to be killed with fire.

See above.

[Quark]

Jokes aside, do you not have shower facilities at work? Or is this a time saving thing?

[JoeyT]

2 minutes ago, Quark said:

Jokes aside, do you not have shower facilities at work? Or is this a time saving thing?

Time saving more than anything.

Given that by the time we've got the nipper to bed it's dark I don't have the energy or enthusiasm to go out for a run so trying to find a way I can fit a run in rather than do nothing at all!

[Kalopsia]

I'd shorten the run to give you time to shower, you can also just run a bit harder if you desire to feel that burn. I find showering straight after my post run stretch is really important for my muscles too. 

[Quark]

20 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Time saving more than anything.

Given that by the time we've got the nipper to bed it's dark I don't have the energy or enthusiasm to go out for a run so trying to find a way I can fit a run in rather than do nothing at all!

Yeah fair enough.

I guess at a pinch you could get away with a really good towel down and a student shower to get you through the afternoon. So long as you're fully dried off and not still overheated and sweating I reckon you'd be OK.

One thing I'd be really careful of is your running gear though.  Would need to be clean (obvs) but also avoid any gear that starts to smell as soon as it warms up. We've all got a couple of those older bits of gear that smell fine when they come out of the wash but as soon as you wear them smell like you've been wearing them for a full Glasto weekend!

EDIT

Additional thought - is a run straight after work an option? Maybe shorten lunch a bit and finish a bit earlier so you can fit one in?  I found that once  I got the first dark cold run out of the way it got a lot easier!  At least then you wouldn't be trying to muster energy to run when it's proper late?

Edited January 18, 2021 by Quark

[lessthanwill1]

6 hours ago, gmb1992 said:

Glad to see this thread springing back into life!

I'm week 6 into my marathon training plan (Fingers crossed for Richmond at the end of March 🤞) and I'm really enjoying having the structure of a proper weekly plan.

I'm a bit anxious about whether the race will actually happen, my marathon got cancelled last year and it completely shattered my motivation, virtual runs are not the same, virtual marathons are not fun!

Any way 65km on the plan this week, starting with a nice, easy 5km to tick off this eve 🙂  

I’m also running Richmond Marathon. Someone in my local running group posted the below from the organisers.  Likely to get postponed in mind mind but hope not!

 

[steviewevie]

just had a quicky nosey in here and it appears to be a running thread! I used to do a lot of running...mid life crisis and all that...marathons and stuff, but got injured a few years ago with plantar fasciitis which I'm still working back from. Now running about 40-50mi/wk, not sure I can manage any more...used to run 70+mi/wk in my heyday. Was signed up to last spring's manchester marathon (not sure I would have made it though), which got postponed to the autumn and then postponed till next autumn, so hoping to make it and try and get some sort of good enough time to get a good for age for London, which is a bit easier now I'm such an old fart. Anyway, not sure why I'm telling you all this...but I am...

[Quark]

27 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

just had a quicky nosey in here and it appears to be a running thread! I used to do a lot of running...mid life crisis and all that...marathons and stuff, but got injured a few years ago with plantar fasciitis which I'm still working back from. Now running about 40-50mi/wk, not sure I can manage any more...used to run 70+mi/wk in my heyday. Was signed up to last spring's manchester marathon (not sure I would have made it though), which got postponed to the autumn and then postponed till next autumn, so hoping to make it and try and get some sort of good enough time to get a good for age for London, which is a bit easier now I'm such an old fart. Anyway, not sure why I'm telling you all this...but I am...

It used to be a bit more varied but all the bloody gyms are closed!! 😄

[hodgey123]

Currently run twice a week, 7.5km each. My best time over this distance is 33:24 but haven't been able to get close to this since Christmas, likely down to a a combination of not running that week and possible COVID the week after (had a chesty cough for a few days just after my household's isolation periods all ended so continued my isolation and did not get confirmed positive). Last week I got it down to 34:40 but still need to find over a minute to shave off somewhere!

I haven't attempted a 5km run in a few months and am tempted to try soon, but I largely run for the mental health benefits and to burn more calories allowing me to eat more/treat myself so the shorter distance isn't as good in either regard. I got it down to 21:06 and I have no desire to try and beat it as I felt close to death after that!

[Ryan1984]

7 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Currently run twice a week, 7.5km each. My best time over this distance is 33:24 but haven't been able to get close to this since Christmas, likely down to a a combination of not running that week and possible COVID the week after (had a chesty cough for a few days just after my household's isolation periods all ended so continued my isolation and did not get confirmed positive). Last week I got it down to 34:40 but still need to find over a minute to shave off somewhere!

I haven't attempted a 5km run in a few months and am tempted to try soon, but I largely run for the mental health benefits and to burn more calories allowing me to eat more/treat myself so the shorter distance isn't as good in either regard. I got it down to 21:06 and I have no desire to try and beat it as I felt close to death after that!

My PB is 22.04 (just before my wedding so was in good shape) and it really annoys me that I have never been able to get to 22.00!

35.33 for my 7.5k yesterday and that almost killed me as well!

[hodgey123]

Just now, Ryan1984 said:

My PB is 22.04 (just before my wedding so was in good shape) and it really annoys me that I have never been able to get to 22.00!

35.33 for my 7.5k yesterday and that almost killed me as well!

I don't even have any advice really to offer on the 5k front, I was simply running at pretty much full capacity every time I tried to better it rather than any specific techniques etc. I think the only way I have improved both is just relentlessly sticking to the twice a week routine and just busting a gut every time to beat the previous time. I would love to know if anyone had any more scientific tips/advice to get the times down!

[squirrelarmy]

1 minute ago, Ryan1984 said:

My PB is 22.04 (just before my wedding so was in good shape) and it really annoys me that I have never been able to get to 22.00!

35.33 for my 7.5k yesterday and that almost killed me as well!

You don’t have to carry your wife while running in this country although I do believe it is a custom in some countries. 

[hodgey123]

2 minutes ago, Ryan1984 said:

My PB is 22.04 (just before my wedding so was in good shape) and it really annoys me that I have never been able to get to 22.00!

35.33 for my 7.5k yesterday and that almost killed me as well!

Also, have you run a 5k on a treadmill? That is a good ego boost as I have managed to do a 5k in 19:54 on there but it is obviously harder to do it on the road.

[Quark]

1 hour ago, hodgey123 said:

I don't even have any advice really to offer on the 5k front, I was simply running at pretty much full capacity every time I tried to better it rather than any specific techniques etc. I think the only way I have improved both is just relentlessly sticking to the twice a week routine and just busting a gut every time to beat the previous time. I would love to know if anyone had any more scientific tips/advice to get the times down!

The only tips I have are:

1. Mix up distance, pace and elevation. Incorporate stuff like fartlek, intervals, sprints and hills. That was a solid tip I was given for my half marathon training by Scally.

2. If you've got a GPS watch, set yourself a training threshold so it buzzes if you drop below a certain pace. That helps keep me honest.

1 hour ago, hodgey123 said:

Also, have you run a 5k on a treadmill? That is a good ego boost as I have managed to do a 5k in 19:54 on there but it is obviously harder to do it on the road.

I find treadmill running so much harder than on the road! I would guess because I rarely use a treadmill, and it's really different muscle work to road running.

As part of training I used to use treadmill for the cooper test over 12 mins, and came close to throwing up on a moving belt soooo many times :D

[hodgey123]

2 hours ago, Quark said:

The only tips I have are:

1. Mix up distance, pace and elevation. Incorporate stuff like fartlek, intervals, sprints and hills. That was a solid tip I was given for my half marathon training by Scally.

2. If you've got a GPS watch, set yourself a training threshold so it buzzes if you drop below a certain pace. That helps keep me honest.

I find treadmill running so much harder than on the road! I would guess because I rarely use a treadmill, and it's really different muscle work to road running.

As part of training I used to use treadmill for the cooper test over 12 mins, and came close to throwing up on a moving belt soooo many times 😄

Good advice, will bear that in mind. Find it harder now with no access to gyms as can't do the HIIT work I was doing on the treadmill but will definitely use the other tips.

Re treadmills, I see what you mean but equally I feel it pushes me much harder - much like you say with the GPS rate as you can't exactly slack off a set pace on the treadmill!

[gmb1992]

16 hours ago, lessthanwill1 said:

I’m also running Richmond Marathon. Someone in my local running group posted the below from the organisers.  Likely to get postponed in mind mind but hope not!

 

Thanks for that, I was thinking things were a bit quiet but was taking it as a positive.

Hopefully if they have to postpone it's only a couple of months. 

[steviewevie]

11 hours ago, hodgey123 said:

Good advice, will bear that in mind. Find it harder now with no access to gyms as can't do the HIIT work I was doing on the treadmill but will definitely use the other tips.

Re treadmills, I see what you mean but equally I feel it pushes me much harder - much like you say with the GPS rate as you can't exactly slack off a set pace on the treadmill!

get a training plan...I used to follow the pfitzinger ones...but there's loads out there.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LPICJ82/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Fastest parkrun I managed was 17:35...that's when I was doing a lot of training for marathons, which involves a lot of miles, plus intervals, tempo runs etc.

[JoeyT]

13 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

get a training plan...I used to follow the pfitzinger ones...but there's loads out there.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LPICJ82/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Fastest parkrun I managed was 17:35...that's when I was doing a lot of training for marathons, which involves a lot of miles, plus intervals, tempo runs etc.

That's an incredible time for a 5km!

[steviewevie]

13 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

That's an incredible time for a 5km!

yeah, I got pretty good...managed a 2:45 marathon too...I was never much of a runner when I was young but just got into it in my late 30s and through my 40s and did a lot of running, trained hard and was always lucky with injuries until plantar fasciitis got me in the end. So, top tip...back off the training if you have a niggle coming on, stretch loads etc. I never joined a running club, but some find it a really good way to do some proper training and racing.

[Beerqueen]

I have done a bit of running in the past but in winter it is definitely not appealing as I live in a village with few options of routes.  I aim to start again when the lighter evenings come but in the meantime have to do something to address my weight gain over the last year so dusted off my wii and restarted that - running a bit on the spot and also a cardio boxing game which is quite hard work.

And yesterday I found an online jive class with Oti Mabusi.  Let's just say my admiration for Bill Bailey had gone up.  I am determined to crack the jive though!

[hodgey123]

Unbelievable given I have consistently run twice a week since April but tonight is looking like my first run in the rain. Any tips for clothing/general approach?

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Unbelievable given I have consistently run twice a week since April but tonight is looking like my first run in the rain. Any tips for clothing/general approach?

lube your bits

[Quark]

2 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Unbelievable given I have consistently run twice a week since April but tonight is looking like my first run in the rain. Any tips for clothing/general approach?

You're going to get wet anyway, so don't dress to stay dry if that makes sense?  Chances are you're going to overheat and sweat anyway if you dress to keep all the rain out! I've got a lightweight runnign jacket that keeps the worst out, but it's breathable so I don't sweat to bits.

Don't go for anything that'll hold water, like cotton-heavy gear.

Personally if I'm out in the rain, I try and get the first couple of puddles out of the way early. Again, feet are going to get wet, and the more I try and avoid puddles the more it breaks my running rhythm and stride pattern. Once I've done the first one and got wet, it's not going to get any worse. 

I use a castelli cycling headband this time of year. Aside from keeping ears warm and wicking sweat away, it stops rain run off down my forehead and into my eyes.

[st dan]

4 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Unbelievable given I have consistently run twice a week since April but tonight is looking like my first run in the rain. Any tips for clothing/general approach?

My top tip would be - don’t ‘overlayer’ when running in the rain. Often the temperature is several degrees warmer than usual, and the first instinct is to layer up in the rain.  
I would suggest just your normal running top and a lightweight water resistant jacket if you have one - oh and shorts .. always shorts!!

[pilton digger]

7 minutes ago, hodgey123 said:

Unbelievable given I have consistently run twice a week since April but tonight is looking like my first run in the rain. Any tips for clothing/general approach?

 I find a peaked running cap (use a cheapo Asics lightweight one) keeps the rain out of my eyes.  Don't overheat by wearing loads, it is only rain and you won't melt.  Main thing - enjoy the run. I love running in the rain.