Think I last posted in here about a year ago. Finally seem to be on it. Have been running and dieting for 3 or 4 months and started getting SERIUZ about 6 weeks ago. Running 3 times a week for 30 mins, not stopping anymore, feeling fit and i've dropped just under 1.5 stone since start of year.
equinox_code "I need girls cornered and on their own"
Daddio, what was your typical week for your sub-20 5k?
I've lost a bit of time after focusing on longer, slower runs, so I wondered how far in excess of 5k you ran. I seem to do better when I keep to the distance and just vary my splits; mostly negative, occasionally positive, or else intervals.
But every sub-20 local runner I know goes up to HMs.
I'm pretty consistently sub-20 now, but the breakthrough did come in the months following my first marathon (actually it was over a year after, I've just checked, but I did do a 20:01 parkrun a month after the marathon).
Generally, if I'm not training for a specific event my typical week is:
Mon: Rest
Tues: Running Club session, usually interval training or hill work. This is coupled with a slow, steady run to and from the club, so I total in the region of 8-9 miles on a Tuesday.
Weds: Rest
Thurs: Either T25 or a 3/4 mile at a reasonable tempo (preferably neg splits)
Friday: Football (5-a-side for an hour or 11s for 70 mins usually)
Saturday: parkrun where possible, but I probably only average about 1 a month these days
Sunday: Long and slow, usually 8-9 miles if I have time. I run with an audio book these days to try and encourage running slower.
I'm considering looking at training specifically for 5k though to try and get well under 19 (current pb is 18:58), but I think my weight is too much of a factor so I'd probably need to keep up some of the longer runs anyway.
Here's an excerpt from my club's 400m interval training guidance:
Session: 400m Repetition Running Variety: Pace reps and strides. Intensity: Reps are fast, but not necessarily “hard” because they are short and are followed by relatively long recovery. Recoveries are long enough so that each run feels no more difficult than the previous one. The purpose of Repetitions is to improve speed and efficiency and you cannot get faster or more efficient if you are not running relaxed. If it takes 3 minutes recovery between Rep 400s, then that is what is needed. Reducing rest time between individual reps does not make for a better session, in fact it probably makes for a worse session because the short rests will increase the stress by moving the body into the lactate energy system leading to reduced speed and poor economy Think of Repetitions as similar to current 1500 or mile race pace. Purpose: To improve your running speed and economy.
Cheers, mate. That's some heavy mileage by my standards. The fastest guy on my Facebook ran a 19:15 as a V40, and he enters races up to HMs. He's a big fan of hill sprints.
I live right next to a hill (about 1.2 miles up the Mendips), and I've been trying to make it to the top without stopping. That means 11-minute-plus miles for me, and I can't do it yet. But I got a bit sidetracked by this and my tempo speed's suffered for it. Because it's slow-twitch-only for the legs, and although my heartrate's elevated throughout, the duration's only around 10 minutes at most (for my first go).
If you can get to the top in reasonable shape, you can loop back to the start in 10k or so.
It gets steeper as it goes until you reach a gliding airfield on top. I sometimes do 60m sprints near the bottom, but it's like I'm not fast enough to get the benefits.
My tempo route's 2.2 miles, and I usually do one or two 150m reps after (flat). Those take me about 25 seconds (with fresh legs, I've no idea).
Dads, do you have any running-app recommendations? Free or cheap, and one that runs in airplane mode to avoid using credit. Nike+ seems to fit.
Ideally, I'd love one that allows me to set intervals and tells me my time at the end of each. Average speed'd be even better, so that I could set mine to 400m and hear my average over the previous 400 at the end of each. Through headphones, too, 'cause there are lots of people where I run!
I've not been to the gym for a year now. Fat all back and eating terribly. Honestly reducing my overeating/grazing tendencies is much harder than giving up smoking(now about 8 or 9 years off the fags). One of the problems starting again is the gym. The gym I'm a member of is full of grade A tossers. Makes going there a very unpleasant experience. I stay home though and Im caught up with the kids. But my strength I gained from all the lifting is now totally gone and its clear even the wife misses the more in shape me.
Its the getting started though thats the hard part for me Once Im on though I tend to be fine, lifting fasting,eating better. Need to build real motivation now!
It is tough to either get up super early, or of an evening to go training. I have to weigh up doing this or spending at least some time with the kids during the week.
I bought iSmoothRun in the end, and it does indeed have quarter-mile intervals. I've set mine to tell me my overall time, average minutes-per-mile over the previous quarter, and my overall MPM average. You can set it to lower your music (my choice), or pause it while the woman speaks, and you can adjust the speed of her voice. It's great.
It also has a ghost mode, which I've set to tell me how many seconds ahead or behind I am every three minutes. The only problem with it is that it doesn't switch to accelerometers if I start a run with no GPS signal. It's strange, that, because it does switch over if the GPS was working. The solution's to begin a run and just wait for a minute or so until the GPS kicks in, then delete that ‘run’ and start an actual one.
My only complaint is that there's no option for your average speed, only time. So I've had to learn minutes-per-mile for average-speed ballparks.
On the wagon again after spiralling up to 21 stone (again). Wifey has had enough of her heft as well and has forced me to go to Slimming World with her. She is nowhere near as out of shape as I am though.
It's weird. All these big people sitting around talking about food. Like an AA meeting swapping cocktail recipes. The "consultant" is no stranger to a knife and fork either. Bless her.
Anyhow this eating plan seems pretty easy to stick too. It has no gimmicks - boils down to reducing sugar and shit processed food and making meals from scratch which means some planning is required. Attending weekly for a weigh in concentrates the mind I suppose. And of course Wifey insisted we paid for 12 weeks membership up front. Fuck sake.
5lbs off the first week though. Not feeling hungry and actually feeling physically better. So I won't knock it just yet - let's see. If I can get a another stone off for Christmas and get through it without putting any weight on (which I have done before while not being on any scheme and eating and drinking a fair old bit) then I'll be more than happy.
That’s key, I’m currently trying to sort myself out on that front too. Trying out cutting out carbs, wife has been reading Mark sisson’s stuff about keto resetting and stuff. Will see how it goes.
I'm not doing too bad considering the country I live in, but am definitely not eating as good as I was in NL. Lots of good stuff too easily available, and this is the first time I'm actually cooking. So I need to do the planning and everything. Looks like I'm either over planning it or won't do anything at all, still looking for that balance after 3/4 year.