Keep Fit Club - ALL exercise types!

[charlesr]

yeah a bit - at slow speeds I walk more flat footed than heel first now, but that might be more due to using flatter shoes.

[charlesr]

4miles at race pace today. Have no recollection of ever doing runs this short Just over a week to go. Feeling confident.

[Taka]

Question.. those of you that have changed the way you run to mid-strike (or whatever it is!) do you find that it's changed your regular walking gait?

Strangely, no. I run with a mid-foot strike or on my toes these days, whilst my walk is still very much a heel strike. I think this would be different if I walked barefoot or wore low drop shoes more often, but most have a fairly substantial heel. Has it changed yours?

[Mr M0by]

Hey, Mr M0by, are you going to do anything differently (in training) to get to 2h50 than you did to get to 3h06?

To be honest I should achieve it almost by default now. For the 3hrs6m at Abingdon (Oct'13) I was only training 3 or 4 times a week & covering as little as 20 miles & rarely hitting more than 30 apart from a few weeks that had involved a 15-20 mile Sunday run. I trained for the 3.5 months leading up to the race but hadn't done any running in the 15 months prior to that. My Colchester Parkrun PB at the time was 18:37 & my Half PB was a low 1hr28m.

This time around, I've been running again since January & joined a club in April. I'm training much more (often competitively) & a lot of it is speed/endurance based, the like of which I'd never have attempted previously. My parkrun PB has now improved by over a minute to 17:32 & my Half PB by 9 minutes (on a hilly course) to 1hr19m. In the last fortnight alone, I've covered just short of 80 miles, much of it at sub 6 min/mile pace & I intend to keep that as my benchmark all the way through to April now.

At Abingdon I walked for around three quarters of a mile of the final 3 miles when my legs gave up on me & whilst I achieved my target of 3:10, it cost me a "Good For Age" 3:05 so time on my feet is the one area that I'm most conscious of working on, even if that means banking one or two 3hr runs, with no focus on pace at all. Considering all of that and I don't mean to sound arrogant when I say it but anything over 3hrs will be a disaster.

[Taka]

Gives hope to the rest of us, M0by, that you're still improving when already at a high level!

[charlesr]

Bah, the rain has been a bit relentless. Not strong - just lots overnight. Trails are swamped near me, so assume same in Portsmouth. And more due for 3 days this week. I'm guessing I'll be adjusting my target down from sub3 to PB (sub3:14). Beyond excited though. 5 days to go.

[k0pp0]

Strangely, no. I run with a mid-foot strike or on my toes these days, whilst my walk is still very much a heel strike. I think this would be different if I walked barefoot or wore low drop shoes more often, but most have a fairly substantial heel. Has it changed yours?

Hah - no - I don't run :-)

However I'm interested in these things for some reason. From a martial arts point of view (especially Ninjutsu) there's a lot of emphasis on different walking/running techniques, and I was wondering what happens for regular runners.

I think if I wasn't in IT I'd be in kinesiology/physio therapy/shiatsu etc.

[charlesr]

I would have thought Ninjas have to run forefoot style for noise management. But avoid swinging their arms to minimise movement detection.

[k0pp0]

Depends on terrain, and the effect you want to create when making footprints amongst other things. There's some mental ways of running in a group as well.

I suppose although most of it is of zero value nowadays, disguising your tracks or making it look as though there's more of you than there is/that you are injured might have something for modern warfare.

[charlesr]

What about being able to disappear in a puff of smoke or appear from a small tuft of grass, or fly through the air disguised as a pillow case (hazy ninja film memories)?

[k0pp0]

Smoke cloud as an avoidance tactic - yes. Burying/camoflage - Yes. Floating in on a massive pillowcase.. Negatory.

I've tried one of those 3. Guess which..

[charlesr]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198684/ <<< That one I think

[k0pp0]

Seeing that makes me want to go and watch a load of 80's ninja films. Also known as 'training'

[Mr M0by]

Bah, the rain has been a bit relentless. Not strong - just lots overnight. Trails are swamped near me, so assume same in Portsmouth. And more due for 3 days this week. I'm guessing I'll be adjusting my target down from sub3 to PB (sub3:14). Beyond excited though. 5 days to go.

You'd be tapering down now anyway, wouldn't you?

[charlesr]

Yeah, have been since start of last week. 4x400m today. 3 miles tomorrow, 2 days rest, 2 miles on Saturday (while scoping out the terrain for shoe and pace decisions). Then race on Sunday at 8:30. A little disappointed the weather didn't hold up. The trails were so dry last week. But in terms of racing, it'll be the same for everyone else, so my position shouldn't be affected.