The FastDay Forum

Greetings Runners ! Hope all is well with everyone ? So here we are, about to enter into the last 1/3 of running season, at least for me the season consists of Spring-Summer-Fall. Winter means mostly moving indoors for alternate forms of cardio. Part of me is looking forward to the change and part of me dreads it. Right now I'm a little beat up, still doing weekly halfs on Sat am, mostly training runs but I do have one more organized run on Oct 4th. I'm not injured but have soreness in the legs that comes and goes with icing and ibuprofen therapy. I sometimes wonder if I have a touch of sciatic pain in my legs or just stressed and tired hamstring/tendonitis. I have a check up with my primary care this week so I can query her opinion. But I guess I'll keep on, keeping on as they say ....

Hi

Time on my 're-measured 5k circuit, 29 mins 59 secs. So roughly 10 minute miles; very pleased as I was doing 8 minutes 30 years ago. Will let you know if I get down to 9. Otherwise, happy racing, runners

Hi

Time on my 're-measured 5k circuit, 29 mins 59 secs. So roughly 10 minute miles; very pleased as I was doing 8 minutes 30 years ago. Will let you know if I get down to 9. Otherwise, happy racing, runners

Hi

Time on my 're-measured 5k circuit, 29 mins 59 secs. So roughly 10 minute miles; very pleased as I was doing 8 minutes 30 years ago. Will let you know if I get down to 9. Otherwise, happy racing, runners

I hope things went well with your doctor, @brougham. Running season is opposite yours in Okinawa: Fall Winter Spring.

So I've had summer off, sort of. I've been trying to exercise indoors, but I never manage more than 30 minutes on a treadmill. I had my first proper road run in ages last night. It felt great. I need to get it in gear, though, with a half-marathon on Oct. 11!

Good luck with your half marathon training @MaryAnn
I did a 10.6 km race on Sunday in the wet sand and sand dunes, good fun, 55 mins but it is a lot tougher than road running! Trying to get some serious training in before my 39km trail race mid September. A little relay race on 7th September but no more races until the trail. Then a half marathon the same weekend as MaryAnn in Rennes.
Don't feel I've progressed at all in the last year so am doing more speed training, I know that endurance isn't a problem for me.
How many sessions a week do you think you need to improve your speed?

I ran today for the first time since June and it was really hard work, I managed 2.5 km and am going to build back up to 5k. Running works for me both in terms of toning and weightloss so I'm determined to get back into it.

Well done all of you, pleased you are keeping up the good work (or returning to it!).

I have had a very creaky couple of weeks with minimal activity following a week which included my longest bike ride for years (54 miles, and hilly) and my fastest (14.6 miles at 18 mph) and my slowest ever parkrun at 26:14 because I had no energy left...
The next parkrun was 24:50, much better but still poor for me, and last week's was 25:38 so very slow again but considering I had abandoned a gentle evening stroll in that week due to hip pain I suppose I should be glad to be able to run at all...

Basically, I need a new left hip and am studying the pros and cons of the various options for replacement. I am being pestered by my old running partner (my current cycling partner, who already has a prosthesis) to go for replacement sooner rather than later but I am worried by the time it takes to recover and losing a whole year or so of decent activity at my age is a large proportion of my active life remaining. Also I hope to be suitable for a refacing (Birmingham hip) operation which will still allow be to climb & hillwalk even if running might not be advised. This is not guaranteed because I am a tallish skinny male on the edge of osteoporosis (apparently). And I would have to convince my health insurance that it is necessary now even though I can still run/climb/bike etc even though it hurts!

Anyway, will get out on the bike tomorrow and meet some other old codgers, some of whom have had the op, and have think about it some more. Sorry for the whinge!

PS MrsPete is running PBs most weekends now - really infuriating, and she will soon be faster than me. She has already nearly reached my best percentage for parkrun...

so sorry to hear about your hip troubles, Pete. If it makes you feel any better, you're still much faster than me!

Sian, I'm glad you've been able to start running again. I don't know what I'd do without it.

Franglaise, 55 mins on sand sounds fast to me. It's not an easy surface to run on. Good luck with your upcoming races.

Was going to PM this but realised that a wider audience (reporting various aches and pains) might benefit.

As a long time runner, walker and cyclist, I found that the book "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Clair Davies to be quite helpful in resolving a wide variety of what might be considered overuse injuries. Certainly much cheaper than surgeries which may or may not resolve the problem.

UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trigger-Point-T ... y+Workbook

CANADA:

http://www.amazon.ca/Trigger-Point-Ther ... nt+therapy

US:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160882 ... PDKIKX0DER


As far as hip, hip flexor mobility is concerned one thing I found to be helpful is to stand with one foot on a 4 cm thick board, the other foot on the floor. You should be able to distribute your weight evenly across both feet with both knees locked. If not, consider adding this as a prerun static stretch. It can take a while but it does increase flexibility.

While I'm here, I've two more 1/2 marathons scheduled: September 1st and again September 20th. Given that I'm about three weeks from the last one, I seem to be a sucker for local treble-week exertions.

Sounds neat. I don't think we have them here in Canada. I am just starting out with this running thing. Have been using the (ZenLab) 10K for PINK Free App I am on Week 9 (goes to 14)
May I pick your brain? The last few times I ran I got very sharp pain in my lower ribs both sides like a cramp but not...I am assuming it is a breathing issue?? Yesterday it happened about 10mins in...I was not breathing that hard. Tried to run through it but it is very uncomfortable. Any thoughts???

Sounds neat. I don't think we have them here in Canada. I am just starting out with this running thing. ...

Welcome to running. I updated the Amazon link to include both Canada and US.

... The last few times I ran I got very sharp pain in my lower ribs both sides like a cramp but not...I am assuming it is a breathing issue?? Yesterday it happened about 10mins in...I was not breathing that hard. Tried to run through it but it is very uncomfortable. Any thoughts???

What you are describing are often called "side cramps" or "side stitch" which is a fairly common occurance with new runners. Try this link:

http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prev ... e-stitches

(The above mentioned book has 5 pages on abdominal area cramps - too much to OCR/copy here.)

HTH

Hi all - another substandard parkrun performance today from self, 25:39, but a decent one from MrsPete at 28:06 although she was still disappointed not to be able to repeat her recent PB performances. The gap between us is closing rapidly...

Just realized that @brian1 has not reported on his parkrun exploits in Oxford, nor have we heard how @Simon Egan is progressing in his bid to get inside 25 minutes - any updates for us guys?

Hanging his head in shame .... admits no parkrun yet. Every week there is something else that needs doing.

Hi Brian, nice to hear from you but sorry to find that life is getting in the way of running...

I have no problem getting to parkrun, merely getting around them at the moment. Hips won't let me do any training other than biking and not even much of that for the last month. Will pursue the possibilities of a resurfacing operation, although not looking forward to missing the best part of a year recovering from it..

Anyway, good luck to you when you do get parkrunning, it is a great way to meet all sorts of new friends/fellow sufferers!