This is getting addictive

HigginsJ

Hi,

Not too sure where to begin here but let's start with a little about me, then my running to date, what I have learnt so far & a few goals that I have set myself.

I am a 33 year old male, 2 kids (2 year old boy & 9 month old daughter), married 3 years. As a much much younger man I was fairly fit, never did any running just playing sports. About 6 years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, had an op 5 years ago after drugs didn't fully do the trick to remove part of my bowel & intestines. Get the occasional flair up & have a few trigger foods (nuts, apples & just recently found out that Rhubard also doesn't like me).

So I haven't had any real exercise in about 8 years & when I started c25k nearly 3 months ago now I was 14 stone 11lbs. Initially I started the c25k to lose a bit of weight. It turns out once you get into it, this running lark is really addictive. I took part in my 1st ever race 2 weeks ago (5k, 26 minutes 10seconds). I typically run 3 to 4 days a week with a day off in between every running day.

I have learnt a few things courtesy of this forum & from my 1st race
- Relax your shoulders & carry your hands a bit lower. I had tension in my shoulders after my runs but since adopting this I don't seem to have this issue any more.
- Don't try to make every run as fast as possible. Honestly this is advice that I am going to try to put into action in the next week so fingers crossed.
- Apparently you keep your number when you finish a race, no need to hand it back somewhere. Wasted a good 20 minutes looking for somewhere obvious to hand it back, then asked an older lady who said " no sweetie you keep the number!!"

After about 6 weeks of c25k I decided to set myself some goals for the rest of the summer

- Run 10k on my own at my own pace
- Run a 5k race (done)
- Run a 10k race
- Run a sub 25 minute 5k
- Run a sub 53 minute 10k

My training at the moment is every 2nd day out going short pace run (either 5 or 6 k at a good pace) and then a long run at a slower pace (adding about .5k each time)

I am aiming to complete the 10k on my own this day next week (ran 8.5k there on Thursday just gone).

I am aiming to run the Bruff 5 mile road race at the start of July (part of the Ballyhoura series) & then my big goal is the 10K in Curragh Chase in August. I found the race there 2 weeks ago to be really rewarding, felt strong throughout.

Long term goal would be the Great Limerick Run next May, not to the front of my mind right now as a marathon seems inconceivable but I'll get there.

I have had a look at some of the training plans out there but not sure which one to commit to yet.

So that's me (oh I am now 13st 10lbs, go running!!)

Will update when I do my runs and if you have any advice for someone just starting out fire away.

annapr

The only time you don't keep your number is if you do parkrun... You hand your number back at the end!

Welcome and good luck with the log and the training. It sounds like you are starting off very sensibly... So you're ahead of most of us already

The Muppet

HigginsJ wrote: »

Hi,

Will update when I do my runs and if you have any advice for someone just starting out fire away.

The best of luck with your goals and congrats on the weight loss , I will be following with interest.

Tips. Vaseline on the eyebrows before running is one of the best tips I got, its a pretty obvious one but it never dawned on me until I saw it on a log here, sweat into the eyes is not nice.

Oh an enjoy your runs.

HigginsJ

2 sessions to log here

11th June
6.0km in 32 minutes 6 seconds?

So the idea was to run the majority at a slow pace and do 2 1k's at a fast pace (relative term here). The splits were

1km: 6:09
2km: 4:39 (in case it needs to be pointed out, this was a fast km for me)
3km: 5:23
4km: 5:36
5km: 4:40 (the 2nd fast km)
6km: 5:20

I didn't mean to run near identical splits for the 2 fast k's, it was done on feel. They were pretty tough. I don't fully get this idea of "speed work" but is the above a relatively good idea or am I better off trying to pick up one of these ones that gets you to do a few 400m's?

13th June
10.03km in 55 minutes 29 seconds.

Had it in the back of my mind that I might try hit 10k if I was feeling strong about the 4km mark (caught the last 30 minutes of the game on the radio while running so win - win). Felt great throughout the run, was faster than what I was targeting (was aiming to come in just under 60 minutes). My fastest km was a 5:13 minute split for the 9k mark, it happened with no real conscious effort to put it in but felt great.

Usually don't run on consecutive days but thinking of doing 5k tomorrow at a properly slow pace (above 6 minute average) just to recover from 10 km tonight.

Chartsengrafs

HigginsJ wrote: »

They were pretty tough. I don't fully get this idea of "speed work" but is the above a relatively good idea or am I better off trying to pick up one of these ones that gets you to do a few 400m's?

The short answer to this is that what you did is closer to an endurance session, or perhaps a variation of a tempo session.
Broadly speaking, speed sessions would involve 300s, 400s etc with very slow jogging in between, and perhaps doing 8 reps of this. I'm not saying this is what you should do, or that you're ready for it, but that's more what a 'speed' session might look like.

To be honest, if you keep up the 3/4 days a week as you suggest, even with no speedwork that 26 minute 5k will come right down. I'd maybe give it a little more time, keep running easy, build your base. You've already lost plenty of weight and that'll help no end.

HigginsJ

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

The short answer to this is that what you did is closer to an endurance session, or perhaps a variation of a tempo session.
Broadly speaking, speed sessions would involve 300s, 400s etc with very slow jogging in between, and perhaps doing 8 reps of this. I'm not saying this is what you should do, or that you're ready for it, but that's more what a 'speed' session might look like.

To be honest, if you keep up the 3/4 days a week as you suggest, even with no speedwork that 26 minute 5k will come right down. I'd maybe give it a little more time, keep running easy, build your base. You've already lost plenty of weight and that'll help no end.

Thanks for the advice, happy enough with what I am doing at the moment, liked the "endurance/tempo" session that you call it so might try to throw a few of those in as well as building the base if they are not a bad idea.

Chartsengrafs

I was just going to say that what you did there was maybe no harm, but I would maybe change it a bit. Considering 10km is your current long run, maybe keep it easy for the duration as just keeping going for that long is a workout in itself.

A bit of steady/tempo could take the form of 2km easy, then maybe 1 or 2km harder, then 2km easy (so maybe part of a shorter run). But that doesn't have to be done now. Provided you're not running too hard on the 'steadier' bit it shouldn't do any harm. Don't worry about the pace of the harder bits either, some days you'll find 4:40 pace really hard and other days 4:30 might feel easy!

jake1970

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

To be honest, if you keep up the 3/4 days a week as you suggest, even with no speedwork that 26 minute 5k will come right down. I'd maybe give it a little more time, keep running easy, build your base. You've already lost plenty of weight and that'll help no end.

+1 to this.

Best of luck with your running and your goals.

HigginsJ

14th June

5.01km in 31 minutes 55 seconds.

Felt great after the 10k yesterday so tried a recovery run this morning. Aimed to keep it over 6 minutes per km and ran between 6:14 & 6:30 so was fairly consistent throughout the 5km.

HigginsJ

2 workouts to log here

16th of June

5.02km in 29 minutes 20 seconds.

Had intended to do about 6km and throw in some tempo type work but just didn't have it in me. Had been a very long day at work and was really tempted to just bin the run but decided to just go and get it done. Didn't enjoy it but more miles in the legs

18th of June

10.34km in 58 minutes. Tried a new route tonight, was unsure of the distance it would be but knew it would top the 10km. Felt great and ran at a solid pace throughout. The 1st km was 6 minutes 15 with the rest run between 5 minutes 26 & 39 seconds.

So the next race I am going to compete in is the next in the Ballyhoura series, the Bruff 5 mile road race. Going to mix some 5k & 8k runs with some tempo work thrown in. My last work out before the race will be an easy 5km on Tuesday the 28th so working back from there to continue my training. Will focus on the Curragh Chase 10k after that then.

HigginsJ

So 4 runs to log here

20th June

5.54km in 31 minutes 30 seconds

21st June

5.04km in 27 minutes 44 seconds

Both of these runs were pure torture. I reckon running 10km twice in the space of 5 days took out more than I thought. Have a 10km race in August so going to focus on one long run per week from here on out with the rest being basically shorter recovery runs

24th of June

6.54km in 35 minutes

25th of June

8.12km in 44 minutes 56 seconds

Both of these felt much better than the shorter runs earlier in the week, the 2 day rest did the trick.

I am taking part in the Bruff 5 miler that is part of the Ballyhoura series next Froday evening so will do 2 5km easy runs (today & Tuesday). Will update after Tuesday with my thoughts for the race Friday night.

HigginsJ

26th of June

5.08km in 28 minutes 54 seconds

28th of June

5.40km in 29 minutes 52 seconds

So that is that in terms of prep for the race Friday night, going to rest Wednesday & Thursday. Was counting up the distance covered since the 5km race in Doneraile on the 3rd of June and was pretty amazed to see that I have done just over 95km between then and now.

Bought a new pair of shoes at the weekend and wore them for these 2 runs but thinking I will revert to my older pair for the race until I get a chance to run a bit longer in the new ones.

Signed up for the 10km in Curraghchase on the 21st of August this morning. Going to Spain on holidays for a week at the start of August so will stick in the trainers and try to get 1 or 2 runs in.

So the final thing to do is give my thoughts about the race on Friday. Honestly think a 42 minute something is bare minimum but targeting a 41 minute something so running 5 minutes 10 seconds to 5 minutes 15 seconds average per KM (that's around an 8 minute 20 second average mile).

annapr

Good luck with the 5 miler on Friday!

HigginsJ

annapr wrote: »

Good luck with the 5 miler on Friday!

Thank you

FutureGuy

Best of luck tonight! :-)

Maximus Alexander

The mistake I made when I ran my first 5 mile a few weeks ago was to go out too fast. Ran it like a 5k for the first 3 miles and lost lots of time in the last 2. So mind that pace is what I'm saying. Good luck

HigginsJ

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

The mistake I made when I ran my first 5 mile a few weeks ago was to go out too fast. Ran it like a 5k for the first 3 miles and lost lots of time in the last 2. So mind that pace is what I'm saying. Good luck

Thanks, yea going to do my best to pace it as best I can.

My fear approaching races at the moment is definitely blowing up and having nothing to finish so will likely be on the cautious side, I'm sure it takes some time to get the pacing of races down really.

HigginsJ

A miserable day cleared up into a lovely evening (well for about 2 hours around the race anyway).

So my time, yea I ran 39 minutes 39 seconds :D:D:D

That's right, sub 5 minute per km or sub 8 minute per mile if your prefer

The following were my per km splits from my Map My Run tracker

1km - 4:55
2km - 4:54
3km - 4:59
4km - 4:48
5km - 4:52
6km - 4:50
7km - 4:50
8km - 4:41
(There was 8.17km - 4:45)

Delighted with the pace although the last 2km was tough going but getting a very good feel of the effort I am putting in.

What went right tonight, well everything really, I even gambled and used my new UA running shoes and they felt great.

What I have learnt from the Doneraile 5km to now (I.e. the last month), well I think I am going to put some effort into trading intervals at race pace a bit more over the coming weeks.

My next race is already signed up and paid, that's the Curragh Chase 10km on the 21st of August. My next run is going to be a very slow and gentle 6km on Sunday, oh I also ran 1.6km to warm up tonight which if you told me 3 months ago is a warm up I'd have died!!

FutureGuy

HigginsJ wrote: »

A miserable day cleared up into a lovely evening (well for about 2 hours around the race anyway).

So my time, yea I ran 39 minutes 39 seconds :D:D:D

That's right, sub 5 minute per km or sub 8 minute per mile if your prefer

The following were my per km splits from my Map My Run tracker

1km - 4:55
2km - 4:54
3km - 4:59
4km - 4:48
5km - 4:52
6km - 4:50
7km - 4:50
8km - 4:41
(There was 8.17km - 4:45)

Delighted with the pace although the last 2km was tough going but getting a very good feel of the effort I am putting in.

What went right tonight, well everything really, I even gambled and used my new UA running shoes and they felt great.

What I have learnt from the Doneraile 5km to now (I.e. the last month), well I think I am going to put some effort into trading intervals at race pace a bit more over the coming weeks.

My next race is already signed up and paid, that's the Curragh Chase 10km on the 21st of August. My next run is going to be a very slow and gentle 6km on Sunday, oh I also ran 1.6km to warm up tonight which if you told me 3 months ago is a warm up I'd have died!!

Absolutely amazing work! I finished in 39:21 so we were almost on top of each other

HigginsJ

FutureGuy wrote: »

Absolutely amazing work! Now that I think of it, were we actually speaking in the last 500m about the sub 40 min (there was a woman with you?) I finished in 39:21 so we were almost on top of each other

Definitely not me, was trying not to die in the last 500m to be honest. I see you are going doing the Curragh Chase 10km so really need to keep an eye out for you at that. That is going to be a tough course.

FutureGuy

HigginsJ wrote: »

Definitely not me, was trying not to die in the last 500m to be honest. I see you are going doing the Curragh Chase 10km so really need to keep an eye out for you at that. That is going to be a tough course.

Yeah I immediately realized he was an older gentleman after I posted. You must be ecstatic!

I plan on incorporating hill work starting next week so I am more prepared for Curraghchase. Yep, we can meet and have a chat. Well done again!

The Muppet

Congratulations HigginsJ that's a great run . You're flying .

You would have a new 5k pb in that run and your 10k goal looks on too.

Great times considering how long you're running .

HigginsJ

The Muppet wrote: »

Congratulations HigginsJ that's a great run . You're flying .

You would have a new 5k pb in that run and your 10k goal looks on too.

Great times considering how long you're running .

Thank you, yea I'm absolutely delighted with the times. I will admit that I am feeling it today, I really don't think I had anymore to give last night. Glad I had no plans to try a recovery run today as I wouldn't have been up to it.

The 10k goal does look on alright but the Curragh Chase course looks tough so I'll earn it if I get it. As well as working on a bit of tempo stuff this month I want to log about 120km in training to build on the June training.

The Muppet

Just be careful building the milage they say you should not increase it any more than 10% per week . The best if luck with your 10k goal

HigginsJ

The Muppet wrote: »

Just be careful building the milage they say you should not increase it any more than 10% per week . The best if luck with your 10k goal

Thanks, will keep that in mind.

3rd of July

6.40km in 38 minutes 11 seconds

Was kinda fearful of how the legs would be today as felt pretty stiff & tired overall. The first 2km was a bit of a struggle but warmed into the run nicely & was comfortable from there on, could have done a bit more distance but didn't want to push it.

In relation to prepping for the 10km race, what sort of distance should I be doing on my long runs. I have a run planned for next weekend, not sure on the distance but it will easily exceed 10km. Doing this regardless of advice but after that what should I stick to?

HigginsJ

3 runs to log here.

5th of July

8.35km in 47 minutes 14 seconds (5:39 average)

Not sure what I was doing here, ran the 3rd and 4th km at 5:10 & 5:22. Really shouldn't have pushed this hard only a few days after the race. Felt pain in one of my shins when walking that evening and all the following day. Rested it up as much as possible.

6.05km in 40 minutes 40 seconds (6:43 average)

The pain seemed to have resided so headed out but was as sensible as possible. No repeat of the shin pain so hopefully was just something small.

13.15km in 1 hour 16 minutes 57 seconds (5:51 average)

Could not have been happier with this run. Broke the 1 hour barrier for the 1st time. The last 1.5km was really tough as there is a 40 metre elevation gain.

HigginsJ

3 more runs to log here

11th July

5.0km in 25:51 (5:10 average)

Ran the last 3km (which includes a long 30m climb over the final km) in 14:17 which was a good effort. Want to build in a few more of these endurance type sessions over the next couple of weeks.


14th of July

7.07km in 38:37 (5:28 average)

July evenings are lovely aren't they with driving rain & huge puddles on the road. Ran the last 3km with severely waterlogged shoes which was fun Had intended to run a bit slower but was too bloody wet to look at my phone.

16th of July

8.90km in 49:33 (5:34 average)

Time restraints meant I couldn't get in my planned log run but nearly 9km will do. Intend to have one very early start this week to try and get a 12-15km run.

HigginsJ

I didn't manage (was too tired/lazy) to get out of bed early to do a long run this week. I do think it is the best course of action so the plan is to do a short run in the morning, getting up about quarter to 6 so as to ease into the idea of early morning running.

I have 3 runs to log here.

18th July

6.30km in 39 minutes 27 seconds (6:16 average)

After 3 straight runs that all had relatively fast km splits at some point it was good to take it handy.

21st July

10.50km in 58 minutes (5:32 average)

1st run over 10km since the 9th of July. This is why I feel getting into the habit of early morning runs will benefit me as it will counteract any work/life related distractions and keep me on track.

24th July

11.02km in 1 hour 2 minutes & 7 seconds (5:39 average)

Good to get a 2nd run over 10km in the space of a few days, pace was prob on the higher than ideal side but not too concerned.

Going to Spain for a week on the 2nd of August so so hoping to get maybe 2 more runs over 10km between now and then and then 2 short (5km runs) the week I'm in Spain will keep me ticking over.

HigginsJ

26th July

7.03km in 43 minutes 3 seconds (6:07 average)

Set the alarm for 5.15 am and rolled out of bed at 5.25am. Absolutely delighted to get this done. Took things easy for my 1st early morning run, felt great throughout. Will go again in the morning as have a wedding Thursday so might not get anything done Thursday or Friday.

This run put me over 200 miles for the year which is great, also well on track to hit my 120Km goal for the month of July

HigginsJ

Didn't get the planned run in Wednesday. The wedding Thursday was great but a very late night & work Saturday morning. Have also developed a cold this week. Now the excuses are out there here are the 2 runs I logged to finish July:

29th July

6.95 km in 40 minutes 50 seconds (5:52 average)

Didn't feel too bad all things considered Friday evening, got a slight stitch in my side around 4km but breathing technique eased it off to allow me finish up the run.

30th of July

14.61km on 1 hour 23 minutes & 28 seconds (5:44 average)

I listed the excuses earlier so I could talk about the utter balls I made of this run. Things started off nice and sensible as the 1st 5km were all done over 5:40 per km. I lost the run of myself over the next few km and had 5:15, 5:19 & 5:10 thrown in. By the time I hit the last 3.6km I was shot, they were all over 6:13 but they were utter struggles. Prob too much with all the above factors considered but some lessons learnt.

On the plus side achieved the July goal of over 120km :rolleyes:

Heading off to Spain for a week tomorrow & have plans at home for 2nd week of holidays so the August mileage will not be great. The goal is 90km but with the race on the 21st that might be tough to achieve. I plan 2 runs (Thursday & Sunday) while in Spain to maintain fitness, but they will only be 5-6km each.

HigginsJ

3 runs to log here.

5th August

4.57km in 30 minutes 4 seconds (6:35 average)

8th August

6.2km in 34 minutes 37 seconds (5:30 average)

So these were my 2 holiday runs, both done about 7am and it was still 22c which was crazy. Happy to have got them done as I didn't want to go over a full week with no runs. Took 2 separate routes but alot of the running was on pavement with small slabs which were very hard and uncomfortable, not something you would want to train on long term I reckon.

10th August

10.4km in 53 minutes 57 seconds (5:11 average)

Was pretty tired and withered from the flight back yesterday so didn't get out last night. Went out to do 10km today with no real ideas that I would run fast, more a suffer and see if I had lost much with a week of Ice-Cream and soft drinks!! Didn't look at the time until about 4.8km in and was at just over 25 minutes at that point so put in a concious effort to finish out the 10km in under 53 minutes. Managed to finish the 10km in 51:55 which I am delighted with. Not sure if I am allowed count training runs as personal bests but if so then extra happy!! I had set a goal at the beginning for a sub 53 minute 10km and today broke that so know what I will be aiming to do in the Curragh Chase 10k in just over a weeks time.