Forum Keep-Fit Club - Sign up now!

[markpsych]

It's my lower reading that's high...not sure what the implications are between having the higher or the lower reading up?

That's a good point though. There is a small gym at one of the bases I frequent.

[recipher]

Get a bike.

Running will strengthen your knees, not weaken them, as long as you take it steady at first and build up your distance.

Go hillwalking, or go for long (brisk) walks.

Exercise at least every other day, and for at least 30 minutes. Make sure you get your heart rate up - there's no point in just pootling about.

Dodge the gym. Don't get expensive home exercise equipment. Most likely, it'll get abandoned at some point and your membership will be unused.

Running and cycling can generally be done straight from your door, with a minimum of fuss and preparation.

Find some event or other - running race, mass participation cycling event, etc. to prepare for and it'll give you a reason to exercise beyond just "get fitter" or "lower bp".

Start TODAY.

Good luck.

(it doesn't make a difference which reading is higher, it has the same implications)

[Spagoli]

Running's out cause my knees are f_ _ked!....

I'd agree with Recipher, running will assist it. OK maybe not 150miles a week on the road but off road running should be fine (may be best to see proper phsio first), its the changing in the terrain and ups and downs that give all the benefit without the bone crunchuing pounding of the roads. Depends where you live but up my neck of the woods Cannock Chase is perfect there is an amazing 12mile run up there. Anywhere where you have fells or downs or even just the odd hill would be perfect.

[rumbletum]

IDepends where you live but up my neck of the woods Cannock Chase is perfect there is an amazing 12mile run up there. Anywhere where you have fells or downs or even just the odd hill would be perfect.

Is this a marked out route, or just something you've found yourself?

[Paradigm]

So the GNR draws closer and I did an 11 mile run yesterday morning (5.30 before work!). Managed that in about 1hr 40min I think, so I might be able to crack 2 hours? Who knows. I haven't really set myself a target, I'll just be glad to finish!

Anyway, if anyone would like to donate could they go to:

http://www.justgiving.com/paradiggum

Anything and everything is welcome, I'm running for Diabetes UK!

Thanks for all your support over the months, gents.

[recipher]

You should be well under 2 hours. No problems.

[Paradigm]

In a hilarious fit of irony I now have a cold. I hope to God this clears up really, really quickly. It isn't too bad but hopefully it won't linger...

And under 2 hours is fast to me! I can forsee some kind of masochistic "I must improve" attitude though after doing this...!

[recipher]

As long as it doesn't go to your chest, it won't affect you much.

Under 2 hours is good, no doubt. I'm thinking you can get under 2 hours based on your 11 mile time, which is around 9 minute miles. You'll generally be a bit faster in a race (adrenaline, running with others around you, etc) but the GNR can be slow to start with so many people running.

I'm sure you'll surprise yourself.

[Spagoli]

Is this a marked out route, or just something you've found yourself?

Its just a big old loop starting at castle ring car park, running down the hill then going in a big old circle passing through beau desert golf club. Its a lovely place and well worth the time exploring.

I've just read Ultrmarathonman, good book if you like inspiring sporting/running type books. By Dean Karnazes, an ultra marathon runner who gets back into running with the aim of doing a 100miles in one go and ends challenging himself until he does 226.2 miles in one go FFS Puts my bitching about aching ankles and not enough time into perspective. He starts off having been asked the question, why he runs by a pizza delivery guy he calls out while running down the road in the middle of the night, and goes from saying he runs to see how far he can go until at the end he concludes that "I run because it always takes me where I want to go" like I say great book.

Right better get my shoes back on.

[rumbletum]

Hmm, I might give that a go, sure beats running up and down to Junction 10.

I've read Ultramarathonman too, agree with you, an excellent read.

[Paradigm]

Just out on a limb but I booked a room for the GNR I no longer need... however the company I booked it with are arses and claim it's non cancellable. I wasn't told this when I booked, obviously, but I don't have a legal leg to stand on.

That in mind, if anyone knows someone desperate for one night on the race night get in touch.

[Dazzla]

In amongst all this running and gym work I'm gonna throw in Pilates

I've been pretty much paralysed twice in the past 6/7 weeks and it's apparently down to an irritated spinal nerve. Pilates and core work have been recommended! So, anyone try it?

[RLench]

My mum does Pilates twice a week and she loves it. She doesn't have any back problems but it is very good for that. Someone in her class has a very bad neck and he says Pilates has made a big difference to him. He's got a lot more mobility and strength in his neck and it's because of the exercises he does through Pilates

I've been out of the gym for almost two weeks because of a really bad chest infection/man flu. So this week I'm back to hitting the gym four times a week. I've decided to spice things up a bit and I went to two classes tonight (one immediately after the other). The gym has started a class for boxing. It's nothing too advanced but it teaches balance, coordination, controlled breathing etc and it's a good form of self defence. The instructor is a former boxer and the person I trained with tonight is a former amateur boxer who has been training for 20 years...so I got a load of help and benefit from tonight as it was my first time

Then immediately afterwards was an hour of circuit training. This was so difficult but I managed it. I've felt sore all night but that just means it's working, right? I will definitely be going back to both classes (free, as they're covered by my membership costs). I can't remember the last time I had a workout like this in the gym so I need to change something there. I think I've become too accustomed to my routine and I need to ramp up the difficulty a bit.

[Paradigm]

To be honest I had a pretty disappointing day, nothing seemed to go right for me.

I had a cold last week and although it cleared up, by the time I got running my nose was basically blocked and as soon as I'd blown it (on my vest, attractively - not as attractive as the woman squatting at the start though) it was blocked again. Not exactly helpful when all your training has been concentrating on your breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth. So that was really hard. Couldn't hear myself think sometimes, which again isn't how I've really trained.

I was also really nervous. Really really nervous. If there was any adrenaline I didn't feel it. I felt every mile of that course, some moreso than others. It was warmer than I'd hoped and the sun was out from the start and really hitting me as I spent time on the start line. I don't have much experience running in any kind of heat (unfortunately) so it wasn't exactly ideal. As a measure of how warm it was, I drank 2 1/2 litres around the course and didn't need to go to the loo until 1 1/2 hours after I'd finished, and it was yellow/green.

Then at about 8 miles I started to get cramp in the bottom of my quads and it slowly worked upwards. I did the first 8 miles in, roughly, 1hr 10min, so I was going well at that point. Then I had to slow down and ultimately stop to stretch because if I'd continued my muscles would have completely seized. Repeat a few times, with one being particularly bad. Didn't want to end up like the people on the ground being treated by St. John's so all thoughts of setting a good time went out the window, and I just wanted to finish. What was particularly soul-destroying was that I hadn't long gone past a Lucozade stand and had to wait for ages to get some carbs into me.

Support was alright but it was a bit mixed. I'm not sure of the ratio of leerers to cheerers, there were quite a few people there who seemed to be pointing and laughing rather than supporting, which was a bit ****. What was also a bit **** was that due to the sheer number of people I found it exceptionally hard to keep a steady rhythm going, as you were constantly weaving in and out, or having people cut in front of you without an audible warning.

On the plus side I met up with a girl who was running at my pace and also having a few troubles. We were encouraging each other and ran the last 5 miles together, albeit practically crawling around! She also needed the loo and, seeing as my time was out the window, I waited for her and we continued running, stopped a bit and then ran the last 1 1/2 miles (including the nasty uphill bit) all the way to the finish, complimented by a wonderful Red Arrows display which was definitely the highlight of the day for me.

So all in all I suppose that sounds pretty negative, which it was. I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. On the one hand I'm really glad I did it, glad I finished (end time about 2hr 20 I think), and considering how bad my cramp was I ****ing know I can do it in a decent time with the right preparation. So with that in mind I can take a lot of positives out of it, because it just makes me want to do another 1/2 marathon to get it right. So, things I need to work on:

- Reason for cramp. I was exceptionally nervous on the day and don't think I ate enough in the morning (when I'm nervous I can't tell how hungry I am). By about the third mile I was really hungry. I thought I ate OK in the days leading up to the race but I must need to absolutely gorge myself on pasta/rice/similar to make sure.

- I also wonder how the sustained uphill sections made me work. I didn't have any problems with my calves or hamstrings, just my quads. So was it that that did it? On my training runs I have some severe uphill sections but nothing quite like the sustained 1 1/2 mile gradient you experience about 3 miles into the race. So I need some advice on how to go about training for that thing and work out a proper training regime.

- I also think that because I wasn't working with visual markers it was perhaps demoralising to see I'd only got so far. I couldn't break it up into chunks and think "if I get to there I'll have done..."

- I think I'll have to try a quieter run in regards to pacing issues. It was busier than I'd have liked, I think.

- In regards to breathing, not having a cold would have been great, of course, but maybe I need to look into getting an MP3 player so that I can be absorbed into my own world rather than be distracted by others, and importantly hear how I'm breathing. Further to this I think I should also see if there's any way of improving my breathing intake or sucking more air in.

So yeah, lots to consider, and hopefully I'll get some good advice on here. Like I say, I'm glad I did it and I raised money for charity so it's all good.

Anyone who does a full marathon now earns my total respect, as do the people I ran with. It must be an enormous commitment to get to that level. I want to see how my next 1/2 marathon goes but I'd really like to do a full one.

[Spagoli]

Well done you got round and survived, dont forget that its some achievement. The disappointment is probably just post race blues. I had the same after the London marathon last year, I had such high expectations and felt totally flat after for ages. Best way to blow that out is get something else to train for, soon as I did I felt better.

Nothing goes right for the majority of people, I have never ever heard the people on the start line say "yep trainings gone well and I feel fine" everyones got some detail/tale of woe, including me.

In answer to your other points running with a colds not ideal but its not the end of it, its difficult to get enough air in through your nose when you are fit, I always breath with an open mouth, means I swallow flies but also means I dont suffer from oxygen deprivation everyone I know breathes through tehir mouth

Runners pee everywhere women included, some do it while running hence grey shorts are not that popular.

I'm always nervous too even though I have no chance of winning, its what turns into the determinnation to finish

Drinking is important but......be careful I wouldnt really drink on a half, maybe one drink if i felt bad only if I needed it. The more you drink the more you dilute the salts in your body and the more prone you are to cramps. Races provide loads of drinks part of the marketing and resassurance for the less exp, also partly insurance but IMHO you dont need 90% of them.

The first 8miles shows you were going well, maybe just need to do train more at 15mile runs build the endurance. Your food intake was probably ok you only really need to carb load if you are going over 18miles so if anything you may just have been a little bloated

Support is always a tough one its great at the start but if you rely on it (I tend to) when its gone its worse that said if you cheer and clap them wave etc you normally get a response, although you could say that if you have time to worry about it you are going to slow

All the feedback I have had from mates that have done this is that its a bit like the London Marathon, its really a carnival first and a race second. Dont waste energy running round people its hard to hold back but it really is pointless, better to resign yourself to a slower start and faster finish.

Hills need hill rep training but once you build up a bit you'll find them OK, best advice I got is keep the effort steady not the speed which means you slow down but get to push on again at the top, feels great to push past all those that race up the hill.

I would def try a smaller local run, a 10k or another half would give you a much better idea of what a race really is like. Ive done big and small races and sometimes the smaller ones are just unbeatable.

Dont forget well done theres loads of peopel that would love to do that time