Beginners Running Forum - Recent Threads

Half Marathon - HELP!

lana hornigold — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:43:25 GMT

So, I have been training for nearly 9 weeks now, and on Sunday did a 70 minute run. I had to stop twice. Once because I was so thirsty I actually wasnt sure what to do (had no gels or water because I am an idiot) and then again to get water from my house before doing the last 10 minutes haha! All in all though the first 50 minutes felt strong, so I think if i start trying gels then I will find it easier to continue (legs nor lungs felt tired!).

O have my first ever race on the 8th September, ANY advice would be much appreciated. I have no real idea what I am doing, I do not want to hit a set time, I just want to get round really! But having been running well I would hope my time would be ok? I have been doing quite strict training building up distances, I do interval training once a week but over short periods, and I incorporate hill training (Surrey based!). I plan to do a taper week before the race, but am not sure how far/long I should be aiming to increase by each week. According to some programmes, i shouldnt be running for this amount of time until nearer the race, but then I presume it is better to do longer distances from earlier on so I build endurance?

Any advice would be fantastic and probably would boost my confidence a little too! Thanks :)

Race Medals

DanAllen93 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:53:43 GMT

I was browsing through a few photos and found a couple of some race medals I have won, which got me thinking...

What are other Bugs' favourite/ first medals or even medals that have a special meaning to you? :)

I'll get us started:

The medal below was from my first ever race, 10K in Sheffield in February 2013.

The medal below, however, is my favourite one. It is the medal I won when I ran the 10K race in Canada in May 2013 and came 16th! It is also a cool/random design :)

I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys and gals have won :)

How much and how often?

Run-Sophie-Run — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:53:34 GMT

Hello there,

I've been running now for approx 10 weeks and completed my first 5k two weeks ago. At the moment I'm running 30 minutes three times a week (approx 2.8 miles), but I'm not sure how far and how often I should be running now I don't have my training plan to follow? I think I will either do my local Park Run or SRC run on Saturday/Sundays but don't really know what I should be running midweek. Any advice greatly appreciated :)

Thanks,

Sophie.

If you could give one top tip to a beginner bug, what would it be?

LittleMissSmiley — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:45:11 GMT

I gain so much motivation and encouragement from lots of bugs after I've posted a run on BugMiles, and I remember how delighted I was when that began right back when I was a beginner. It made the world of difference when it all felt so hard. Now that the bug site is so busy with a lot of running bugs, I think it's much harder to spot unfamiliar names and encourage brand new bugs.

My top tip to a new bug would be to post their run, and comment that it's their first run or their first BugMile entry. I think they'd be amazed at the response they receive.

What would your top tip for beginners be?

Caroline

First Half Marathon...I did it

memo33 — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:41:16 GMT

I am so chuffed, just completed my first half marathon today, really slow, waiting to hear my final time as even though I was wearing my running watch everyone was cheering me in, and they gave me a wee special announcement cos I did my first 10k last year....well I got a wee bit overwhelmed with all the cheering and forgot to press the stop button on my watch.....doh

Margo

FIRST DAY OF C25K DONE

piney — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:11:21 GMT

Hi all completed my first run of my c25k this morning done jsut over 2 miles combination of walking and running but mostly walking felt good to start even though i was a bit hesitant at first

recovery runs

Trippitaka — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:32:20 GMT

Hi,

I have been training for about 2 months and have included a 'recovery run' at the end of the week, a day after my long run. I usually run about 4 miles at a very easy pace although It feels a bit like it is a 'nothing run' and am not sure what i'm getting out of it? Am i doing it wrong?

I'm in stitches!

Callie Pollard — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:56:52 GMT

Hiya,

I posted a month or so ago about how I couldn't run for more than 2 mins and am now upto half an hour which I never thought was possible!. Support and advice has been amazing so I'm back for more! On my last few runs I've been suffering with a really bad stitch in my left side. It's always in the same place and generally after around 15mins it kicks in. I try and run through it and sometime manage to but on occasions it's so bad I have to walk, or in some cases stop completely for a few seconds. Any ideas what causes it and how I can stop it or get rid of it if it comes on again?

Thanks my fellow bugs!

Callie : )

Embarrased about road running

cezzac — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:20:34 GMT

Ive just started running but at the moment only feel brave enough to run on the treadmill at the gym and have just managed to day my first sub 40 min 5k which I am really pleased with, however I am approx 6 and half stone overweight which I am working on at the moment and have lost 8lb in 2 weeks but the thought of others seeing me run is really putting me off going out into the fresh air.

Is it ok to only do treadmill at the moment or am I doing my running progress a disservice by not running outdoors?

Right back to basics!

Middy64 — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:35:39 GMT

Hi All,

I'm new here, hello. I've dusted off my trainers after a long time away from exercise and thought I would join you all for moral support and advice. I am currently doing a c25k, to build up slowly. Since I last did some run/walking I have purchased a Garmin watch (very basic model) and discovered that perhaps my walking intervals are done at too fast a pace( i.e power walked), thus not recovering fully, and also, then feel I have to run at a faster pace.....any advice on this would be welcome....my intention is to do without the walking completely....eventually!

Thanks :)

Just signed up for the Bournemouth Marathon...

Cattfield — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:55:05 GMT

...in October this year!! I comfortably run 5k on the treadmill at the gym but haven't tried to go further or ran outdoors for a long time. But I feel I need something to aim for so, armed with my Bupa marathon schedule for beginners, I have 17 weeks to get marathon ready! Has anyone else trained in similar timescales, I'd love to hear about your experience and any tips you might have.

Should I use a knee support

Clair24 — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:33:01 GMT

Hi everyone.

i've just started the Couch to 5k programme and am really enjoying it. Only 2 weeks in though and my left knee is a bit tender. This knee has always been a bit sensitive but I've found that making sure I keep my leg straight, rather than turned to the side slightly when driving etc keeps it feeling ok.

i'm really keen to get to the end of the 5k programme but I know if my knee plays up that I won't as I have a bit of a phobia about knee pain and it makes me really queasy. My question is do you think wearing a knee support would be beneficial or not?

Thanks in advance for any guidance

new member

piney — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:26:39 GMT

hi all just like to say hello i am planning a return to running for fitness after a trying a year ago just buying a pair of trainers off internet and jumping on the treadmill and going at it i broke my fibula without knowing until a week later when pain got worse which i originally thought was shin splints so this time i am doing it properly i am having my gait checked tomorrow in cardiff and buying a new pair of shoes and then doing the c25k to get back into it slowly and hopefully have no problems any further advice of people on here would be much appreciated ps i ma a 40 year old male

Help needed for newby please :)

mandarella — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:41:37 GMT

Hi All

I've only just joined this site as I eventually want to run a marathon but need a starting point.

I only run once a week on treadmill to help my weight loss and iv lost 3 and half stone since august 2012 now weight 12 st 3. I am still trying to lose weight aswel.

However I want to start running to give myself a new challenge and something to work towards.

Can anyone help as to whereI should start?

Should I do a 5k first?

Or should I try fun runs etc?

Also am I ok to take part in these kind of runs or are they just for athletes?

Any help/advice at all would be brill

Thank you

Mandy

Ow!

chilkers — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:30:58 GMT

Hi folks

ive just started running I'm 44 and sticking to the 10k training program for beginners. I'm getting bad pain at the back of my legs behind my knees after ive run not during, anyone know what it is and what I can do to stop it

eeekkk - just registered for my first 10Km race :s

k9clc — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:19:53 GMT

Just registered for my first 10Km race and its in 4 weeks time.

Hoping it's long enough for me to prepare for it!

C25K... How am I going to do this??

purpleberry — Mon, 27 May 2013 15:42:50 GMT

I'm on my first week of the C25K and I've just been reading what's to come... I have no idea how I'm going to manage the length of runs in just a couple of weeks! In 5 weeks I'm meant to be able to run for 20 minutes... I don't think that's going to happen!

1st ever 10K am i mad!! As long as i'm not last ;)

Angela Bradshaw — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 18:57:13 GMT

Started a running club through my gym. Running outdoors once a week and the rest on treadmill. I've really caught the bug and I'm enjoying it. So much so I've signed up for a 10k in Edinburgh. Its 5 weeks today am I mad!!??

Sorry if I sound stupid!!

Wiggy123 — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:22:52 GMT

Hi all.

Sorry if this sounds daft but iv been looking at the beginner half marathon training plan and I don't get it!

I don't get what it means by tempo run and recovery run and tempo run.can anyone shed any light?

thanks in advance

Really want to run a marathon.........advice please..????

EJB1979 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:59:40 GMT

Hi everyone, I really want to run a marathon, I like a challenge however running has never been my 'thing' until last year when I signed up for the London moonwalk. Having managed to walk the 26.2 miles I'd like to see if I could run it, I have absolutely no aim for a particular time would just like to finish.

ive started short runs, obviously I can walk for miles! But have actually only run for 2 without having to walk! I've joined the gym with the intention of using treadmill/bike/rower and aim to also swim twice a week, although 10 lengths is about my max at the moment!

Clearly I am in no shape at the moment, BUT, do you think I could be by April? I've put in for the VLM but don't really stand a chance, and am thinking about the Brighton one.

i am female, 33, work shifts and have 4 children, so my training is not going to be able to follow a proper plan, will have to be a training plan over 10 days with room for manoeuvre over weekends when kids are around. ( not old enough to be left and husband works opposite shift!)

any tips would be really appreciated....only a couple days left to enter for Brighton if I do go for it! (God knows how ill get there or where ill stay but would worry about that later!!)

thank you :)

Mindfulness in relation to better running and health.

Kevin Kennedy — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 17:10:20 GMT

About mindfulness.

Meditation is the art of paying attention, of listening to your heart. Rather than withdrawing from the world, meditation can help you enjoy it more fully, effectively and peacefully. Mindfulness offers:

A way of affecting and nurturing deep states of relaxation and of reducing stress - The practice of mindfulness brings a deep stillness that is profoundly relaxing and healing.
An ability to be more responsive and less reactive to a wide range of situations - Often we react without any awareness of the larger range of possibilities.
The development of mindfulness brings an inner quietude resulting in a felt-sense of "spaciousness" - of body-mind equanimity in the face of stimuli that, in turn, allows a person room to step back and choose a considered response.
A capacity to be present, to be fully awake to life - Relationships become richer, connections more powerful as we actually listen and learn to speak from our direct experience.
A method for increasing concentration and focus through the practice of mindfulness in daily life - By bringing attention to the habits of the mind and body, we become better equipped to direct the mind.
A capacity to enhance creativity through the deliberate cultivation of a spacious, non-striving awareness - Only when we are present and open to unforeseen possibilities can we be creative. Quite literally, there is little possibility of creativity when we are habitually dwelling in conditioned attitudes and modes of thinking.

Mindful meditation is like a puppy.

...meditation is very much like training a puppy.
You put the puppy down and say, "Stay."
Does the puppy listen?
It gets up and it runs away.
You sit the puppy back down again. "Stay."
And the puppy runs away over and over again.
Sometimes the puppy jumps up, runs over, and
pees in the corner or makes some other mess.
Our minds are much the same as the puppy,
only they create even bigger messes.
In training the mind, or the puppy,
we have to start over and over again.

A sitting mindfulness meditation practice.

The mindfulness meditation technique is a simple meditation procedure that can create a deep state of relaxation in your mind and body. As the mind quiets down, but remains awake, you will experience deeper, more silent levels of awareness. Try the following:

Start by sitting or laying down comfortably in a quiet place where you will have a minimum amount of disturbance. Select a quiet time and place.
Close your eyes gently and begin by bringing a full, present attention to whatever you feel within you and around you.
Let your mind be spacious and your heart be kind and soft.
Breathe normally, naturally, and gently allow your awareness to be on your breathing. Simply observe your breath, trying not to control it or alter it in any conscious way.
As you observe your breath, you may notice that it changes of its own accord. It may vary in speed, rhythm or depth; and there may even be occasion when your breath seems to stop for a time. Whatever happens to your breathing, innocently observe it without trying to cause or initiate any changes.
As you sit, feel the sensations of your body. Then notice what sounds and feelings, thoughts and expectations are present. Allow them all to come and go, to rise and fall like the waves of the ocean. Be aware of the waves and rest seated in the midst of them.
Allow yourself to become more and more still.
You may find that at times your attention drifts away from your breath and you are thinking about other things or listening to noises outside. Whenever you notice that you're not observing your breath, gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
If during the meditation, you notice that you are focusing on some feeling or mood or expectation, treat this as you would any other thought and gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
Allow yourself to become more and more still.
In the centre of all these waves, feel your breathing, your life-breath. Let your attention feel the in-and-out breathing wherever you notice it, as coolness or tingling in the nose or throat, as a rising and falling of your chest or abdomen. Relax and softly rest your attention on each breath, feeling the movement in a steady easy way.
Let the breath breathe itself in any rhythm, long or short, soft or deep. As you feel each breath, concentrate and settle into movement. Let all other sounds and sensations, thoughts and feelings continue to come and go like waves in the background.
After a few breaths, your attention may be carried away by one of the waves of thoughts or memories, by body sensations or sounds. Whenever you notice you have been carried away for a time, acknowledge the wave that has done so by softly giving it a name such as "planning," "remembering," "itching," "restless." Then let it pass and gently return to the breath.
Some waves will take a long time to pass, others will be short. Certain thoughts or feelings will be painful, others will be pleasurable. Whatever they are, let them be.
At some sittings you will be able to return to your breath easily. At other times in your meditation you will mostly be aware of body sensations or of plans or thoughts.
Either way is fine. No matter what you experience, be aware of it, let it come and go, and rest at ease in the midst of it all.

After you have sat for twenty or thirty minutes in this way, open your eyes and look around you before you get up. Then as you move try to allow the same spirit of awareness to go with you into the activities of your day.

Mindful techniques are known to reduce stress, used to centre on cravings for food or even illegal drug cravings or alcohol cravings. How useful would these techniques be for centring on the 'here and now' of a running sensation be this a stitch in our sides, old niggles out actual breathing the way we currently feel. The beauty of mindfulness is that it allows us to centre of what we are dealing with in the present as compared to worrying about how far we have to run.. how far is the finish line etc.

How useful would mindfulness be for correcting techniques for foot strike etc?

Mini running mindfulness exercise.

This is a brief exercise of mindfulness running of five or six breaths to be practised five times per run. It can be practised at any part of the run.

Step out of automatic pilot and become aware of how you are running right now, where you are (what can you see, feel, smell?) and what you are thinking?
Become aware of your breathing for about half a dozen breaths.
Expand your awareness to your whole body and then to your environment, if you wish.
Be systematically partial- centre in turn on your toes, foot, ankles how are they feeling, work up your body.

Best wishes

Kevin Kennedy

Pug owner of Ollie aged ten months and Poppy three months.

Hypnotherapist.

Another new runner

carlhood1983 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:58:10 GMT

Let me tell you all a little about myself. I am almost 30, and tipped the scales at about 20 stone in April. I watched my friend run the marathon, and was truly inspired to get off my backside. I started the c25k at the end of April. When I started, the 1 min jogging, 1 min walking was hard. I mean, it's never going to be easy to drag that sort of weight around. I looked forward in the app, and thought, "Christ! I'll never be able to run for 10 minutes". I ran with the app until week 7, the 25 minute run. That was last week. I decided to push it a bit, and today, I ran 5k. I timed it myself, and ran it in 35 minutes. I know that's not a great time, but I'm feeling frickin' awesome about it! I've dropped a stone and a half in about 8 weeks, and I'm hoping it'll get easier as I lose more weight. My knees were hurting until this week. I just took it easy, and carried on. I really didn't think I'd be able to do what I did today. In a couple of weeks, I'll start the 10k training. I'm enjoying feeling like I'm doing some hard work. Hope this'll inspire someone, the same way I was inspired.

New Runner!

sonibones — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:10:40 GMT

Hi all,

Well I've finally started something that I've wanted to do for a long time!

A little history - I've never been a sporty person. I did play tennis in school about 20-odd years ago. I'm now 36 and in the past 10 years I've had heart surgery for SVT (crazy heart rate issues!) and in the last 2 years I've had metal bolts inserted into the sinus tarsi area of my feet to correct flat feet. So OBVIOUSLY I thought it would be a great time to start running!!!!! HAHAHA!!!

I went and had my gait analysed. Turns out I needed neutral shoes with my prescription orthotics. I didn't want to damage my feet - I've spent too much money on them!!!! (I was living in the US when I had all my surgeries.....no NHS!)

I just finished week one of the NHS C25K. I'm really enjoying it even though the weather has been dubious. I'm really looking forward to week two. Hope I can keep the excitement and energy going. Anyway I just wanted to share with you guys. Everyone here seems to be so supportive and I think that really helps - especially at the beginning!!!

Can anyone recommend a good training plan app?

Wiggy123 — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:48:50 GMT

Hi there. Iv signed up to do my first half marathon in October.

Iv never run a thing before! and I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good training app for my phone? so iv got it to hand. The sort of thing that says Monday run 10 miles tues run 5 miles weds run 11 miles, That kind of thing?

thanks in advance.

sprained ankle

jambo74 — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:32:20 GMT

good morning fellow bugs,

Sprained my ankle on Sunday unfortunately but hey ho, anyway all is healing well and swelling going down been keeping up with the rice treatments!

Luckily for me I think its been quite a mild sprain, need to watch out in future for uneven patches of tarmac. Worse thing for me is ive just come back from injury which has taken a while for me to get back running, then get back running for a couple of months then BANG.

Itching to get back out there especially when weather is this nice ;)

speak soon bugs and enjoy!