Running

[Designer1]

How many runs a week do you two do? Sounds like you're focusing on trimming (pun intended) your 10K times - which is fine - but do you do any longer, slower runs?

2 or 3 runs a week. We alternate between two courses, one is around the 7K mark and the other is 12K.

To be honest it's only the last few weeks that we've been taking more notice of the time, I'm still far more concerned with the cardio/fitness aspect of the whole thing. Of course, taking a few minutes off your best times is always a bonus.

[YLN]

Just did a P90x plyo work out for the first time in a long time. Heart rate up to 210. Feelin good

[trimandson]

It's come around quick, but this Sunday is our first race, can't wait...

Come on Fradley, bring the pain!

[trimandson]

Mooney how you get on this morning mate?

[mjmooney]

Mooney how you get on this morning mate?

OK. 22:10 - 2 seconds short of a course PB (well off a distance PB, mind). 64th out of 245 runners. 4th in my age category (55-60).

Bradford 10K next Sunday.

Good luck to you and Si tomorrow. Full report expected here.

[trimandson]

I can't jog flat out for a mile, even going at a silly slow pace, but when I'm playing football I have no issue sprinting/stopping/sprinting again all game.

It'll come. It's just a matter of building up stamina - but it's also a mental thing. Keep up the training regime and look back in six months or a year and you'll be staggered at the rate of improvement.

Dec 16th 2008 ^^

Tomorrow will be almost 6 months to the day I started properly (running with our Si), absolutely buzzing about tomorrow, the sense of achievement already is incredible, but tomorrow will cement it.

Big ups to all that have advised and guided, particularly Mooney for the continual advise, D1 for being good company and a big push in the right direction when we're out and Laura for being kind enough to spend time having her hair and nails done every other Saturday when I'm out.

[trimandson]

Mooney how you get on this morning mate?

OK. 22:10 - 2 seconds short of a course PB (well off a distance PB, mind). 64th out of 245 runners. 4th in my age category (55-60).

Bradford 10K next Sunday.

Good luck to you and Si tomorrow. Full report expected here.

Well done mate, 4th out of the age group, respect for that!

What makes you run a 5k?

[mjmooney]

Mooney how you get on this morning mate?

OK. 22:10 - 2 seconds short of a course PB (well off a distance PB, mind). 64th out of 245 runners. 4th in my age category (55-60).

Bradford 10K next Sunday.

Good luck to you and Si tomorrow. Full report expected here.

Well done mate, 4th out of the age group, respect for that!

What makes you run a 5k?

Good training, but mainly because the Parkrun events are nice little runs - marshalled, measured, timed, results (with a shitload of stats) on the web by lunch the same day - and they're FREE.

There are Parkruns all over the country (and Copenhagen!), but - shamefully - not Birmingham. Nearest one is Coventry.

Got some "serious" 5ks coming up in May, with the John Carr series on three consecutive Wednesdays.

[trimandson]

Ah right, good insight my mate, nice one.

Any tips for Si and I for tomorrow?

[mjmooney]

Ah right, good insight my mate, nice one.

Any tips for Si and I for tomorrow?

Gave you this tip on Facebook yesterday, but you pooh-poohed it!

So, again: DON'T SET OFF TOO FAST. There will be loads of inexperienced runners charging off like a bat out of hell, and it's all to easy to get caught up in the excitement. Next thing you know you're shagged out by 5K. Let 'em go. You'll be overtaking them in the second half of the race (see below).

Set your target finish time and work out what your mile (or km) splits should be - e.g. 5 mins per km for a 50 miute finish, or whatever. Don't exceed it unless you're into the last 2k or so. If you're feeling good then, pull out the stops and go for the line. But remember you'll be pretty tired by then, and the little voices in your head will be telling you to slow down.

The best tactic to shut them up is to pick off those buffoons who started off too fast, one at a time. Close on the runner in front, go past him, steady your pace and look for the next "victim" - psychologically, it helps you and demoralises those you pass.

Above all, hang in there. You've done a load of hard training over the winter, this is where it pays off. You're guaranteed a PB on your first race, but this will be the target to beat in future. When you're a running club member. :winkold:

[trimandson]

I didn't pooh-pooh it!

Do they give you a marker for every 1k then? A PB for us would be an hour, we've done 1.02.48 previously I think, so an hour would be good, every 1k should be done in 6 minutes, that works for me.

I like the thought of picking off the other runners, it didn't even corss my mind that there would be others there! Class, it's gonna be ace man

[mjmooney]

I didn't pooh-pooh it!

Do they give you a marker for every 1k then? A PB for us would be an hour, we've done 1.02.48 previously I think, so an hour would be good, every 1k should be done in 6 minutes, that works for me.

I like the thought of picking off the other runners, it didn't even corss my mind that there would be others there! Class, it's gonna be ace man

It's normal for there to be distance markers up every km, on a lamppost or some such. Very occasionally, fuckwitted organisers will mark up a 10k with mile markers, or a 10 miler with km signs, but that's getting more rare (the B'ham half marathon helpfully had both). Inevitably you'll find yourself "missing" some of them, either because some clearing in the woods has ripped them down, or you just didn't see them. No matter, you'll see enough to give you an idea whether you're on pace or not.

So at six minutes you should be passing the first km marker [*], at 12 mins the 2k one, and so on (the Runners World website has a nice little app that will generate you a "wristband" with your split times that you can print off and wear).

[*] Depending on the size of the field, you may find that the crowds slow you down below target speed on the first km, but don't worry about it, you'll make it up over the next couple of k's. DON'T be tempted to start at the front with the "elites" though - you'll just get in the way of the fast lads and get trampled.

There are opposing schools of thought about checking your watch regularly - some runners say you're better off just going with your instincts, but I think you can slow down or speed up imperceptibly; so until you get a feel for pace (which can take months or years) I'd say check that watch now and then.

If you get it right you should have JUST enough juice left to kick for the line and beat somebody in a sprint to the finish (probably followed by near-collapse, but it's a good feeling!)

[dappadan]

How much weight you lost since you started Trim?

[trimandson]

Not fair off two stones mate, but I packed in drinking too, the eating has been no different, if anything I've eaten more.

Nice one mooney, massive help (as always), just need a watch now!

[trimandson]

506th fastest person in the West Midlands today!

And, very first picture I found....

OH YAH!

[trimandson]

Finished it in 1.05.02, absolutely chuffed to bits, big up yourselves that have helped along the way, I'm buzzing man, buuuuuuzzzing!

[leviramsey]

[rjw63]

Has Tarantino got knee trouble?

[trimandson]

He was hiding the carpet burns.

[Designer1]

Have to say it was a cracking feeling getting over the finish line (not sure if that was my groin though!)

I was surprised how well organised the whole thing was and how many people actually raced (close to a thousand I believe) and as Trim says, after all the hard work we've put in the last 6 months or so getting a decent level of fitness, I still have a nice buzz from finishing my first official race.

Now I just want MORE!!