Running

[imtommygunn]

Lads, I'm new to the running game, and probably coming from a similar position as Bingo was 2 years ago (5'9, carrying a gut, etc etc).

Have been training towards doing a 20km obstacle course at the end of Oct - doing boot camp and gym sessions 4-6 times a week as well as going for runs. Was upping the distance run, but hit a snag at the start of August.

Did a 9km obstacle course, ended up getting fairly wet and cold and was standing around for a while afterward. Got a bad chesty cold from it, and wasn't great. Problem is, I had arranged to do a 12km run the following weekend, and through stubbornness though I could push through it. Managed the 12k in a below average time, but was absolutely fecked after.

Long story short, only getting back to training now - did a 5km last night after work which went OK, though I don't know how much more I could do. Planning on doing 3 x 5km runs/week in the morning and core & upper body training after work 3 times / week with a longer run at the weekends.

Am I dreaming if I'm still planning the 20k in <6 weeks time?

I'm a plodder, and always feel knackered after a couple of kms but can keep going at a steady pace (about 5:30/km). Can't seem to up this at all. Maybe its related to my breathing. I can't breathe through my nose when I'm running as I broke it years ago, so I puff and blow quite a bit

Deeler have you looked at varying your running?
Say knock out 20k some saturday at a slow slow pace, whatever pace you need to get you through. Then the next session look at doing maybe 1k fast, 2-3mins recovery x 3, maybe another session do hill repeats, nothing too steep and maybe only 400m x 10, that'll get your times down

Cheers for that. Have varied it a bit, like when I try the longer runs I start out slow . Thing is though, whether I start out slow or (relatively) fast, I end up levelling out at 5'35 - 5'45 / km. Only difference is whether I get there after 1km or 3! Usually struggle on then up to 6/7 kms.

Will try some of the 1km runs with intervals and see how that goes. Cheers

Try going out at 6.30/km, really slow, keep the heart rate down and just go for longer, knock out two hours at that pace

Bang on...

Breathing is reflectyive of effort levels. If you're breathing hard your effort levels are high. The best way to get fit is to train aerobically which is low effort levels so best way is to slow down.

It seems counter intuitive but train at low effort levels for longer and your fitness will come on much quicker.

[Never beat the deeler]

Thanks for the tips guys... Have to admit I never thought slowing down was the answer!

Was trying to blast my way to quicker times, thinking I needed to lift my lung capacity.

Gonna try a 2 hr on Sat morning

[Asal Mor]

Bang on...

Breathing is reflectyive of effort levels. If you're breathing hard your effort levels are high. The best way to get fit is to train aerobically which is low effort levels so best way is to slow down.

It seems counter intuitive but train at low effort levels for longer and your fitness will come on much quicker.

That's interesting. What about the advantages of sprints compared with long distance running? I find distance running at a leisurely pace more enjoyable, but was always told that sprinting was much more effective for improving fitness.

[imtommygunn]

Sprints wouldn't really wotk your aerobic system so much though asal as you're pretty much working anaerobically so your cardio system isn't getting so much of a workout.

Intervals have benefits for the longer distance running but generally they're thrown into training cycles after the fitness work is done. Intervals have "neuromuscular" benefits. They train your body to work at higher heart rates and they're very good at improving your running economy and helping you deal with lactate.  They're really at the sharpening phase of your training.

The fitter you are from the aerobic stuff the more benefit you will take from the intervals when you start doing them...

I'm talking 5k / 10k training etc here rather than just general fitness mind you. They have their benefits but working in the lower heart rate zones especially when starting out has massive benefits to cardio fitness.

[bamboo]

"Impossible to get a hernia around the belt buckle - it d be down in your balls.

You ve probably got a dose of osteitis pubis ( inflamation of the pubic bone - which is where the buckle rests).
abdominable muscles tie up there like a spider's web. It ll clear up but physio wont do it ant good but at least it s not a hernia and surgery. If it s any consolatin, a lad playing in AI final on Sunday had this sidline him for the guts of a year. You must have been waring the abs in the gym?"

Moysider,

Cheers for that. The symptoms would be pretty similar to what i have so you may have the answer there. Don't fancy sitting around waiting for it to heal though. Might have to play in the AI final meself one day!!

Can't swim so that's out but wonder what could i do to exercise yet minimise the impact on the area?

On the abs issue, can't say i was overdoing the abs work, was doing a bit of core work and some circuit classes but nothing excessive or out of the ordinary.. I remember feeling it the 1st time chasing a stray pass and the most recent bad niggle was over stretching trying to control a ball that came over my shoulder from our buffoon of a centre half.

[Asal Mor]

Sprints wouldn't really wotk your aerobic system so much though asal as you're pretty much working anaerobically so your cardio system isn't getting so much of a workout.

Intervals have benefits for the longer distance running but generally they're thrown into training cycles after the fitness work is done. Intervals have "neuromuscular" benefits. They train your body to work at higher heart rates and they're very good at improving your running economy and helping you deal with lactate.  They're really at the sharpening phase of your training.

The fitter you are from the aerobic stuff the more benefit you will take from the intervals when you start doing them...

I'm talking 5k / 10k training etc here rather than just general fitness mind you. They have their benefits but working in the lower heart rate zones especially when starting out has massive benefits to cardio fitness.

That's good news Tommy. I can run at my own pace(slow) and enjoy it, while still improving my fitness. 

[Milltown Row2]

Sprints wouldn't really wotk your aerobic system so much though asal as you're pretty much working anaerobically so your cardio system isn't getting so much of a workout.

Intervals have benefits for the longer distance running but generally they're thrown into training cycles after the fitness work is done. Intervals have "neuromuscular" benefits. They train your body to work at higher heart rates and they're very good at improving your running economy and helping you deal with lactate.  They're really at the sharpening phase of your training.

The fitter you are from the aerobic stuff the more benefit you will take from the intervals when you start doing them...

I'm talking 5k / 10k training etc here rather than just general fitness mind you. They have their benefits but working in the lower heart rate zones especially when starting out has massive benefits to cardio fitness.

That's good news Tommy. I can run at my own pace(slow) and enjoy it, while still improving my fitness. 

Running slow = middle aged women ffs!!

[imtommygunn]

Aerobic zones -it's how you get fit!!

Not slow just not too high an effort level.

Once you get fitter you do the faster stuff!

[haranguerer]

Milltown, what kind of times would you be doing in the pool? Intrigued as would like to get into the tris at some stage, unsure of the swimming standard, and know you've done a few. What would you do 40 lengths in say?

[Milltown Row2]

Milltown, what kind of times would you be doing in the pool? Intrigued as would like to get into the tris at some stage, unsure of the swimming standard, and know you've done a few. What would you do 40 lengths in say?

I am a novice swimmer, basically self taught (my da just threw us in and we had to swim) but was busting to have a go at these tri's. So when I took my kids I just knocked out a lot of lengths and didn't really time them, was capable of 4 lengths rest do another 4 and so on till I was able to get it to 30 lengths (which is the sprint distance .5 miles) I managed to be sitting at 21 minutes and that was my first race time also. In a year of doing more swims I couldn't improve on it till I changed my stroke/breathing.

Right away was able to knock 4 minutes of my time, and it was a daft thing I was doing, I was doing four strokes breathe four strokes breathe, I changed it to 2 two strokes and I was not out of breath, more oxygen coming in. Improved me big time.

I'd say I'd do 40 lengths now in about 21 minutes, the main guys in this would be doing 40 lengths in 12 minutes or less!!

Pool best place to try your first but the madness is in open water, great buzz and I hope you get hooked

[haranguerer]

I'm prob similar MR, which is heartening.

My tuppence worth on some of the qs (for the little it's worth) is that aye, you watch the races or open water, and they breathe in every two, but I've always saw bilateral breathing (both sides) strongly strongly encouraged, so every 3, for training. They say it helps you a lot with keeping your stroke balanced, and also keeping you straight in open water for eg. In the race itself, it doesn't matter, if you've been practicing bilateral even when doing 2 strokes your stroke style should be embedded for the race, apparently.

I was opposite to MR, always swam breast, then self taught front crawl 6 or 7 yrs ago.

FR is a much better workout. Breast can also be hard on the neck. In terms of breathing, it seems to me (for both strokes) the important bit is breathing out, should be blowing all the air out so that only inhaling when out of water. If doing breast, there's a natural up and down motion anyway, accentuate  this and you'll be in and out of the water as you should be (They say for breast stroke a lot of the speed comes from closing out your kick, i.e the last bit of the kick, bring legs together.

What's that about that swimming club MR? I had considered going for a lesson or  to a club or somewhere to identify problems with my stroke, but any lessons seem to be for beginners etc. Where do you swim also? I'm at pec, though I've found I take notions of doing bursts when I'm injured, get all into it then stop when back at the ball. Def doing a tri next yr tho.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm prob similar MR, which is heartening.

My tuppence worth on some of the qs (for the little it's worth) is that aye, you watch the races or open water, and they breathe in every two, but I've always saw bilateral breathing (both sides) strongly strongly encouraged, so every 3, for training. They say it helps you a lot with keeping your stroke balanced, and also keeping you straight in open water for eg. In the race itself, it doesn't matter, if you've been practicing bilateral even when doing 2 strokes your stroke style should be embedded for the race, apparently.

I was opposite to MR, always swam breast, then self taught front crawl 6 or 7 yrs ago.

FR is a much better workout. Breast can also be hard on the neck. In terms of breathing, it seems to me (for both strokes) the important bit is breathing out, should be blowing all the air out so that only inhaling when out of water. If doing breast, there's a natural up and down motion anyway, accentuate  this and you'll be in and out of the water as you should be (They say for breast stroke a lot of the speed comes from closing out your kick, i.e the last bit of the kick, bring legs together.

What's that about that swimming club MR? I had considered going for a lesson or  to a club or somewhere to identify problems with my stroke, but any lessons seem to be for beginners etc. Where do you swim also? I'm at pec, though I've found I take notions of doing bursts when I'm injured, get all into it then stop when back at the ball. Def doing a tri next yr tho.

Swim At DW Sports which has a 20 m pool, but this Belfast Masters thing is at the Grove, I sent them an email and they got back to with a session to attend next week, I'll let ya know how it goes.

[haranguerer]

Cheers. I dont know anyone in a club, and i've no idea what way they work

[Milltown Row2]

Cheers. I dont know anyone in a club, and i've no idea what way they work

Aye me neither and there's no point asking friends unless they are instructors IMO, reading on it and generally go 3 times a week 40 lengths, continuously but would need to take that up to 80/100 a session but will wait to see if I can iron out my faults first. That's the distance you need to be hitting for next season

[laoislad]

I see a 28 year old guy died at the half marathon in the Phoenix Park today.
Very sad news.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-collapses-and-dies-during-dublin-half-marathon-29595938.html