Keep Fit Club - ALL exercise types!

[fishbowlhead]

Thanks for the feedback, will have a shop around and see as I doubt its a good think if you damage your feet with the wrong footwear.

For your first pair you might be better off going to a specialist running shop, getting your gait measured and getting the appropriate footware from there, plus you can try stuff on and see what you like best for your fit.

[charlesr]

you can run in anything. But as a beginner you shouldn't because you won't be aware of anything that's injuring you. The correct pair of trainers will get you through the initial learning phase with minimum chance of injury

[Adrock]

Anybody worn minimalist style trainers? I've recently read about barefoot running and all the amazing benefits its supposed to bring. A couple of years ago I bought a pair of runnings shoes and goes a terrible bad back whenever I ran in them and just about any runnning shoes I tried gave me the same problem.

Having lost 2 stone and kept it off over Christmas I'm looking to move onto the next level. I regularly play football and cycle a bit so I'm relatively fit but running is something I want to get into.

[Taka]

I have a pair of Nike Free Run which is considered as their entry level minimalist shoes. They're OK for shorter distances and speedwork, but you really need to ease yourself into them slowly because they will work the calf muscles. I also find a good, tight fit is necessary in mine to prevent too much movement In the shoe due to the exaggerated forefoot landing.

Charles will back me up on this - think of minimalist running shoes as another tool amongst others to get the job done. Depending on your overall goals, you may also want a pair of regular support shoes for longer distances for example.

[charlesr]

The idea of minimal is to let you foot move naturally whether you run heel strike or barefoot style. I can happily run barefoot style in my normal trainers.

As Taka said, it takes a long time to transition. Start with walking actually barefoot around the house! Read a guide. It took me 3 months.

[Taka]

Nailed my 18 miler today, so I'm really on the road to the London Marathon now.

Found a hydration plan that's worked well for the last few long runs where I get an energy drink down me an hour before I run, top up with a few mouthfuls before I head out the door and carry 2 ISOgels for whilst I'm out there. Couldn't do this in warmer weather though where I'd have to carry a bottle with me.

Keeping my eye on my Autumn half marathon options with the current shortlist being Royal Parks Half in London, Cardiff Half, Nike Run to the Beat in London, and my home race of the Great Birmingham Run. Hoping to get into Royal Parks and will do Great Birmingham Run since I live a few hundred metres from the start line.

[charlesr]

Consider that in the race, you will be running faster, so you may struggle with the gels while breathing heavily etc. I slowed down while enjoying them for 30 seconds and then got back on the pace.

I do 2.5 miles loops with water at my door.

How did 18 miles feel?

I didn't fracture my back (got it xrayed today), but I'll have to take it easy for a few weeks while I recover.

[Taka]

18 felt good. Psychologically, the final mile felt harder just as mile 17 did last week.

I'm looking forward to the Bath half as race prep just to see where I'm at as a benchmark.

Good to hear there's no major injury, Charles. Take it easy still!

[Taka]

So, has anybody let the snow stop their athletic pursuits this weekend? Went to Parkrun where only 75 out of a usual 300+ field turned up. The top flight runners are still top flight, even in the snow running faster than I can in the dry. Having no trail shoes made it an interesting experience, dialling it back each mile back by a minute for my own safety.

Went out for 9 miles earlier along the canals which was superb and I really felt alive by the end of the sesh. Felt like the training montage scene out of Rocky IV at times - all that was missing were some KGB agents and "Hearts On Fire" playing in the background. DRAGO!

[JazzFunk]

A rather dull xmas prezzie to my mum from my bro n' his wife has actually turned out to be one of my favourite pieces of keep-fit equipment EVER....

Gentlemen, I give you the miomare 69340 'Bathroom Glass Cabinet', still in its f*ckin' flatpack:



Christ, it's not REALLY heavy but spent a few nights throwing this about (in its flatpack) and already bits of me are starting to look like Sl?ine!

[charlesr]

So, has anybody let the snow stop their athletic pursuits this weekend?

I got some Inov-8 Terroc 345 Goretex. Running in the snow was awesome.

[Adam Stone]

The stairs are officially mine now. I can now sprint up the stairs and then run around the same route, and sprint up them again! I'm so chuffed!

I thought i would start timing myself properly and set some personal running goals - so past couple of sessions I took times. I didn't go crazy, just wanted to see what happened.

Yesterday I did a chilled 10k in 43 minutes - which i was a bit annoyed with.

So thought today i'll push harder and did a 5k in 17mins - absolutely no idea if that's any good? Definitely was sweating!

Ideally i want to do 10k in 35ishminutes, so that's my goal next!

[Taka]

A 5k in 17 minutes is superb for a non-club runner, and very, very good for a club runner. Just for reference, at today's Cardiff Parkrun, you'd have been in the top 6 finishers, with 1st place coming in at 16:45. Big pat on the back for you, Adam!

I managed to PB again after almost 2 months without, coming back in with 20:26, almost 30 seconds faster than before. Bloody hardwork today and thankfully, there were plenty of folks around my pace to follow.

Found out a good running buddy of mine from down South will also be running the Bath Half so three of us will be chasing a sub 1:40 finish. I have a plan, based on my successful strategy I used at the Great Brum Run:

Mile 1 - 3: 8 min miles
Mile 4 - 6: 7:45 min miles
Mile 7 - 9: 7:30 min miles
Mile 10 - 12: 7:15 min miles
Mile 13: 7 min mile
Total of 1:38:30

Anything below 1:40 woiuld be great and 1:38:30 would be complete A-game territory.

[PeteJ]

I wonder how close rowing machines are to running outside .

I can do 5k on rowing in 20 minutes (2 minute 500m split av) . Does running = rowing?

Ps - two more bronze medals today #chuffed

[Taka]

I wonder how close rowing machines are to running outside .

I can do 5k on rowing in 20 minutes (2 minute 500m split av) . Does running = rowing?

Ps - two more bronze medals today #chuffed

Well done with the medals, Pete. We need photos!

Your question about running versus rowing had me thinking and I had a look online for thoughts. It seems a lot of people that actively participate in both seem to annecdotally perform better at rowing, many saying they seem to be able to knuckle down and concentrate more whilst rowing.

Maybe you could be our guinea pig and start training for a 5k to see where you stack up with both!