overpronating

I’ve always been lead to believe i’m a neutral runner. but finally got to see the physio today. No real injury, i’m told i over pronate, more so on my right foot. The problems seem to have started since i got new shoes. The physio she gave me some gel inserts to put into my neutral shoes to try. Nothing they can do physio wise. If things do not work out with these inserts i will have to see the pod man. So see how things go for the next 2 weeks. She even suggested going to a different place to buy my shoes in future. I’ve got to build up the running again and not run 3-4 miles straight away using these inserts. Well thats it, i’ve entered the world of the pronators

LFOTM Hyde Park 5KM – 25th May 2007

Another race report, sorry its been a few days coming.

It was warm very warm depending on your view point. Supposedly it was 25 degrees. Met up with some RW forumites plus a guy from my club, and we went on a warm up. In hindsight i shouldn’t have done this race because i had a few aches in the ankle area, had a few warning signs i suppose on Tuesday at the track. But we aometimes ignore thesae things, its only a little niggle. But anrway had a good warm up and was very keen to start the race and looking forward to some food afterwards.

My splits were

5:24 way too fast

5:45 paying for the fast start

5:50 still paying

5:52 wanting the race to end

5:34 a little quicker but just couldn’t summon up energy to finish

Finished in 28:33. But later on ankle really throbbing and i’ve paid the price, not run since then though it feels slightly better each day

Then had chicken and rice, i’m not usually a rice eater, as i find its often bland tasting not this rice it was delicious, saffron and lemon i believe. The chicken was Harold, so we were told

Intervals- Do you just love them

Well as i’ve decided to follow the Pete Pfitzinger plan to improve my 5km time. It was suggested to me to start it 2 weeks early and repeat the first 2 weeks. So thats what i’ve done. Except i have 2 races this weekend so  just did the interval session, rest of the time just easy running. Mileage will be down on last week but thats ok.

There are 4 types of training listed Basic Speed, VO2 max, Lactate threshold ans Pure Endurance. For 5km training the VO2 type intervals are the no.1 priority. So thats what i started with. I’m still learning about the VO2 max but what i have learnt the intervals have to be long enough, too short and it will be an anaerobic session, too long and you might finish the session but you won’t recover in time for your next session.  The intewrvals will be 600-2000metres depending on your fitness.

I had to do 5 x 800metres (approx 2½miles, the minimum suggested) with 3 minutes recovery @ current 5km pace my pace requires each 800 in 4:32, recovery is supposed to be 50-90% of your hard efforts. I did a mile warm up could have done more i suppose. Here are my times with MHR%’s in brackets

4;32 (81)

4:33 (81)

4:29 (82)

4:21 (85)

4:24 (86)

Guess HR is low or looking positively a lot of scope for improvement. Next week Tempo running

A Matter of Style

Had a blip midweek, felt a bit downhearted looking at photos of me running towards end of race, just race photos of me in general. Looking at pictures of faster runners noticing they pick their feet of the ground more than i do. So after i started reading a bit in Bob Glovers book “The competitive runners handbook” all about running form. I tend to shuffle my feet, from what i’ve read a lot of long distance runners do this to preserve energy. So on Fridays run concentrated a bit more used my arms more tried to pick my feet of the floor more.  The result was a run 30-40 seconds faster than normal.

As for the rest of the week

Thursday 5.36 miles Last 5km race pace was 5:39 (avg) so on todays run along this pathway which i learned was 1.21km or 0.75miles. Nice warm up almost 2 miles then run @ the above 5km pace, only it has a very steep about 80metre incline, managed the outward journey @ 5:47 pace, rest 3 minutes before doing it again the other way 5:37 pace. Nice run overall maybe a bit on the long side but flt ever so good

Friday 3.75 milesTried to focus on my running style. Judging on previous race photo my style looks terrible. I tend to shuffle rather than picking up my feet more. Though i didn’t raise them up that much and used my arms more result was i went 30-40 seconds a mile faster. Not sure how it effected my HR as i left the HRM at home

Saturday 2.87 miles A warm up and warm down with some drills (to improve form) in the park in the middle. 2 sets of High knees, Butt kicks, Skipping and fast feet. Drills that are supposed to help make your feet go faster, which i think that most of us want.

Somehow i managed to run 31 miles  things seem back to normal now. Will start my first interval session this week hopefully this will kick start my running and get faster, we can all hope

new shoes

Went and bought myself some new shoes on Monday, not just one pair but 2 pairs could have been 3 but that would be silly now wouldn’t it.

a pair of Asics Nimbus Gel VIII and a Mizuno wave rider 10. I was not going to run on Monday keep it as a rest day but i couldn’t resist could i. well no work today so what excuse could i have for not running so off i went with Mizuno for a short 2.75 miler.

Tuesday morning i went with Asics just to keep things fair and to do proper shoe rotation started logging my runs now on http://www.fetcheveryone.com/ i’ve been a member a long time but just started using it to log my training etc and i can see at a glance how many miles my shoes have done. Tried doing it before using a normally diary but you forget to do a few runs and soon you let it slide

Today i went out long, well long for me currently went and ran 6.93 miles and felt pretty good averaged 75%mhr just wanted to keep it steady and last the distance

Essex PB 5

Bit of delay at the start, not exactly sure what occured there, but anyway we were soon off, remembering “this is just a training run” But what exactly is that in a race situation what does it mean because you hear it all the time i’ve used it others have said it Anyway, off we went down the road up to the roundabout back again past the start head doen the road towards the town centre back again past the start and around the so called picturesque industrial estate, ok i’ve never heard anyone call it picturesque. But i admit this year was the first year i hardly noticed it kept concentrating on the person in front of me but at this stage the person ahead just merely resembled a dot, kept thinking can we catch them yes i had a little company around i was ahead slightly at around 4 miles this man just glided passed us like a gazelle as fresh as a daisy, i’m thinking where did he come from, but someone to chase. I remember from years before that the finish is almost one lap of the athletics track, just beyond the car park. Reached the carpark and here 2 different things someone thought i looked fresh as if i’ve just gone out for a jog, not that i felt it, and the other the finish is at the end of the carpark. So thinking i didn’t have far to run maybe they changed the finish somewhat i made a beeline for the finish, only to find out we did have to do a circuit of the track. I started to feel quite sick (again) and was breathing quite heavily now hoping and praying no-one would overtake me (they didn’t)and what a relief to get round to the finish without decorating the track. Surprised the way i felt my HR only peaked at 91% certainly felt higher. But maybe its because i haven’t done high intensity work yet. Stats and figures mile pace MHR% 9:16 —– 82 9:09 —– 85 9:34 —– 85 9:37 —– 85 9:05 —– 87 Total time 46:44 Starting a new schedule in 3 weeks time going to aim for the Barking Park 5km Bank Holiday Monday

In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle

Ok slight exaggeration, no lions sleeping no lions at all, only living creature i saw was a yappy spaniel. Yesterdays run first did my 3.75 mile route again, did struggle with this one couldn’t even break 11 minute miles felt hard all the way but shall continue they may be short runs at present but trying to keep a routine i’m tempted to start more speed focused work but keeping the reins on until next week. Have decided to focus my 5km aims on the Barking Park 5km held on bank holiday monday and am toying with the idea of following pete pfitzingers 5km plan from his book road racing for serious runners (i think its called) Its 12 weeks long, of course i’ll do other 5kms on the way. Why Barking? Its my pb course so seems ideal. I know the course having done it for a few years now and its a nice sized race, not too big not too small. Plenty of good standard runners too yet ideal for beginners too.

 Todays run, decided to go off road today didn’t feel great this morning so tried somewhere different, although i’ve run this route before a lot of it was overgrown i needed something to cut back the undergrowth, sadly no Tarzan. i just did 3.53 miles at around 10½ minute miles which strangely was a faster pace than yesterdays run on the roads, takes me to 17 miles for the week, what i’ve done for the last 2 weeks, and still got 2 days to go, with a 5 miler on Sunday. I enjoyed the run apart from the dog and i like dogs but this one was barking at me off lead and i couldn’t see a human in sight. After a few minutes saw a woman i said aloud is that your dog? no apology though she managed to control the dog and get him/her back.  Some people just make you mad?

What is a long run?

Well it is your longest run of the week doesn’t matter whether it is 3 miles or 30. Yes there are some people who will do 30. For me yesterday was my long run a fantastic 6.59 miles but awful windy conditions, but lickily i went when i did a few hours later it totally tipped down. Not that i don’t like running in the rain, but wind and rain together is not pretty believe me i have done it. It did feel slow 1:10:58 that is 10:46 pace but i need to get the longer runs in.

Today was a shorter easier run with some strides thrown in 3.75 miles in 39:14 thats more like it was fun getting legs to go faster, concentrating on running style, i do know that my legs do not stretch out too far and they stay beneath my centre of gravity which is how they should.

I’ve sent of for an entry in 2 races today one at the end of June and one in October, both 10kms not done a 10km in a long time it might be as way back in Jan 06 but i’ll check that one out

Carry on running

Ok its been a few days but have been doing stuff. Thursday i went to the gym again. Started of 20 minutes warm up on the treadmill, before i moved over to the rower had a 500metre blast in about 3 minutes i’m hopelessly slow on the rower, then i carried on with another 2000 metres.

I moved on the weights, mainly the lat pull down and a chest press some of the machines were being upholstered so couldn’t use them. Theres a piece of apparatus by the wall which works on resistance and you can practically do any exercise on it, i did a few crunches boy did i feel it, that was hard work but my core certainly needs a good workout. Then i returned to my nemesis the stairmaster did 10 minutes on there, i’m determined not to let this thing beat me and i know it will make me stronger. Someone i spoke to said it helped his tennis gives him that explosive strength you need in tennis to dart around the court i’m hoping it will maybe help in sprint finishes when i want to finish ahead of that person in front of me. After that i cooled down on the bike for 10 minutes

 Friday was a recovery run 3.75 miles but didn’t feel as stiff as i did on tuesday when i started running, can’t wait to go back to the gym and do some more.

Saturday only planned on doing 3ish miles planned on doing a one mile time trial planning on doing this on a regular basis see how better i can become. But what time should i go for. The 5km race i did last week i did at 9:05 pace so really wanted something faster than that even though this was a solo effort with no marshalls or crowd support. I punched my 5km time in Mcmillans calculator and a mile race i should be capable of doing one in 8:08 (though i know i can and have run faster) so something in between. Managed the mile in 8:30 After a 1.87 mile warm up (2.4 mile cooldown) it was quite cold today so glad i did a longer warm up than planned (5.27 miles altogether)

So quite happy with time  will repeat every 1-2 weeks

Strides strides and more strides

Well this is week 4 of my so called comeback and still far too early to even begin speedwork, but considering my aims this year is the August bank holiday 5k in Barking park my fav race of the year I’ve done every year since 2003 so its tradition. Then onto the Southend 10k beginning of October good chance of a pb but its a gamble as its weather permitting if its windy it can scupper your chances. So probably won’t do what i’d call real speedwork till the beginning of July.

So this week i’m introducing strides i did 6 lots today in 19 or 20 seconds on the local park where they have a little football pitch alas not a full size one i reckon around 60 metres so i ran goalpost to goalpost 6 times jog back recovery so felt good not an all out sprint but enjoyable nonethe less. Later on i will add some fartlek now thats real fun but 4.7 miles today so that will do. Still achy a bit from Mondays gym session but much better than yesterday. Was going to go to the gym today but will wait till tomorrow.