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[Extra Terrestrial]

Just done 8 miles this morning but by heck, it wasn't half ****ing chilly when I started running by the river!

I also must be the one of the few people in this thread who hasn't taken these energy or protein drinks - water all the way for me.

[Ish]

I don't really take energy drinks but I find protein invaluable. It really speeds my recovery time between sessions.

Just left my car at my mates 7 miles away. Big step up from 4 miles (my last "continuous" run) to 7 but I'll just take my time and walk a bit if I have to. Though I think that if I don't try and race any nubile young ladies I'll be fine.

[rumbletum]

Though I think that if I don't try and race any nubile young ladies I'll be fine.

Running just behind nubile young ladies has got me through many a race

[Ish]

Trouble is I always want to overtake them and see if the front is as good as the rear

[Commander Marklar]

Thats one of the reasons. One of my friends took place in the original scientific tests into sports drinks years ago when she was a student at Loughborough Uni. They took very fit people monitored their exercise and diet for a month then tested them to destruction! put them on a treadmill with a mask to monitor the oxygen levels they put out and a thermometer up her bum to monitor internal temerature then she had to run at a constant pace for an hour then it was turned up till she was at her threshold then to see how long she could hold on, she was given drink A every 15mins. Then she spent another month with exactly the same diet and exercise and repeated the exercise again this time with drink B. Drinkl A and B being either sports drink or water. She got 16% improvement with sports drink over water.

Sports drinks dont dilute your salts either, they replace them so can have benefit in preventing cramps. I saw more people than you would expect at the marathon this year getting cramp and thats probably why they were taking in too much water.

Sports drinks are also better as the taste doesnt quench your thirst so you will drink more than if you were just drinking water.

You can make your own (if you can be bothered) theres a good link at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/hea...ss/4289704.stm I did it once then just went to the shop the next time!

Good information there. The only thing I'd just sort of warn people about is to either train with one or the other, water or 'sports drink'. Don't mix 'em, you'll just confuse your digestive system and give yourself tummy ache or what have you. E.g. if you train with water, drinking Lucozade on the day of a run will mess you up.

YMMV of course and everyone is different. I find sports drinks great for recovery, I tend to avoid them during exercise.

[rumbletum]

I'd disagree with you there, you should have no problem training with water and a sports drink, your digestive system won't get confused. If I'm doing a long run I'll drink water approx every mile, then a gel/sports drink every 3 miles or so. For shorter runs, water is more than adequate.

What I would say, is don't race with anything you havent tried in training, if you always train with water, don't wait until race day to experiment with sprorts drinks/gels etc.

[Ish]

Well I managed my run. Yay.

[Spagoli]

.... I would say, is don't race with anything you havent tried in training, if you always train with water, don't wait until race day to experiment with sprorts drinks/gels etc.

Good advice, race day isnt the time to experiment.

I've got a friend who's done a 2hr 26 marathon and that was on only water and on limited stops at 5 10 15 and 20 miles. The thing to remember is that since science sports drinks have come out marathon times (in the UK) have arguably got worse while companies such as Lucozaed have arguably got richer, what benefit do they do? Well IMHO they are def a help (as per earlier post) but they will not make a bad runner good only marginally affecting your performance like any sports equipment its no replacement for training and hard work.

I did a nice steady 9 last night with 3mile tempo in the middle at 19 mins. Am trying a diff training plan, stuff the long miles, going for 10k time and oing to go for lots of short but high quality training see what happens, its an 11 day training pattern so going to give it a month the see what happens. I've a proper 5k course to use. Also going to eat sensibly. No snacks porridge for breakfast then small lunch and the tea, no snacks crisps choc etc and at most 1/4 bottle wine a night, am sure i'll drop 1/2 stone quickly which should add to imrpovement in time. When last did course did 3miles in 18min50 so thats the bench mark. Hoping to get down to 18 quickly then eventually 17 in the hope of cracking off a decent 10k this year.

Interestingly my mate who did the 2.26 marathon did the first 10k of it in 31m55 which really puts my planned one off 10k target of 40m working to 37m to shame :-(

[Extra Terrestrial]

Well done indeed Spagoli!

Nevermind your mates time(s) too much - just focus on your abilities and targets for the time being: you will probably surprise yourself in the not too distance future and start - slowly - closing the gap.

[Ish]

Did the gym today but a bit of a bad meal diet wise: pie.

Caught sight of myself in a mirror in the pool afterwards - far far too porky for my liking. Still I think its only a matter of time now as I seemed to have got back into the exercise habit.

[Eps]

Just found out the place I'm at with work for the next two months -- a converted army base -- still has the original 1.5 mile long obstacle-course circuit, free for the use of staff! That's my exercise sorted for the next two months!

[Rossco]

Not gymed it since Friday, and my bike had a minor hydraulic brake problem, the stopper burst and all the fluid leaked out. So thats getting fixed, and with all this uni work I've not done anything for a good few days.

So it's time to hit the gym now while I have a few spare hours!

[Swallow]

Gut is still getting me down a bit, though it has noticeably shrunk since I've actually started doing some cardio and midsection work >.<

Not long till summer and shirts off, chaps!

[Roost]

Calfs are feeling supertight, went for a run on Saturday and not really done anything since, feeling rather painful going up the stairs

[Swallow]

In saying that, I've just had a Chinese for lunch.

Comfort eating ftl