A journey from fat(ish) to fit.

RonanP77

Ososlo wrote: »

I don't know where you're based but the best in the game are Amphibian King and Runways

You need to get your gait analysed and the above stores can do this for you. If you give your location, someone in your area might be able to give other recommendations for other stores if these aren't convenient for you.

Thanks for that, I'm in Cavan, doubt there are any near here. It'd be worth a trip to Dublin though if it was going to help me out. The Asics were €120 and I'm not rolling in cash these days. At the same time I'd be happier if it was as simple as a new pair of runners.

Ososlo

RonanP77 wrote: »

Thanks for that, I'm in Cavan, doubt there are any near here. It'd be worth a trip to Dublin though if it was going to help me out. The Asics were €120 and I'm not rolling in cash these days. At the same time I'd be happier if it was as simple as a new pair of runners.

Yes I really think that could be part of the reason for your niggles. 120 is a lot of money alright but you'd potentially save a lot on physio bills in the future if you're kitted out properly. You'll find nearly everyone on this forum has had their gait analysed and are wearing shoes that have been specially recommended for them.

RonanP77

Ososlo wrote: »

Yes I really think that could be part of the reason for your niggles. 120 is a lot of money alright but you'd potentially save a lot on physio bills in the future if you're kitted out properly. You'll find nearly everyone on this forum has had their gait analysed and are wearing shoes that have been specially recommended for them.

I guess now that I'm upping my mileage and taking it a little more serious I should get it done anyway. I'll be in Dublin in 2 weeks so I'll get it done then.

Ososlo

RonanP77 wrote: »

I guess now that I'm upping my mileage and taking it a little more serious I should get it done anyway. I'll be in Dublin in 2 weeks so I'll get it done then.

Great stuff. They don't charge you for the analysis btw. I'd have a preference for Amphibian King and would only have had positive experiences there.

Tom Joad

Just catching up with this log Ronan best of luck with it- Good to see a fellow Cavan man here too!!

There are a few places in Cavan offering "Gait Analysis" but in my experience you are far better waiting to go to Amphibian King where you will get better advice and there will be a wider choice.

I know €120 is a lot of more but it's a good investment and you would spend that much on 3 physio visits if you get injured from wearing the wrong footwear.

adrian522

Bring your current shoes with you when you go to AK by the way, they'll have you run bearfoot and then with your current shoes to see if they are the correct type etc before recommending any other type.

RonanP77

Amphibian King it is then. I'll feel like a proper runner after this. I have a Duathlon, a 6k and a 10k to do before then so hopefully won't get too many annoying niggles on those.

On a positive note my legs feel better now than they have in days. It'll probably be a different story in the morning.

ariana`

RonanP77 wrote: »

Amphibian King it is then. I'll feel like a proper runner after this. I have a Duathlon, a 6k and a 10k to do before then so hopefully won't get too many annoying niggles on those.

There's an Amphibian King in Ashtown which would be handy enough for you coming in from the Cavan side it's just off the Navan Rd.

pointer28

+1 on Ashtown Rd

Sound guys to deal with.

RonanP77

ariana` wrote: »

There's an Amphibian King in Ashtown which would be handy enough for you coming in from the Cavan side it's just off the Navan Rd.

That will be handy so, cheers. It'll be nice to get talking to people that know what they're talking about rather than just trying to sell you their most expensive stuff.

RonanP77

Just back from my easy Satirday run. I did a complete double loop of the lake/woods today so bang on 12k in 1:09:38. I was at 10k at 58:01 so even thought it's all about the distance now rather than the pace, it's still nice to cut 4 mins or so off my time.

Up to two weeks ago I would have said my fitness levels were way behind what my body was capable of. Now it's the opposite. I felt capable of at least another few km today, if not another full loop of the lake. My legs are the problem now. I'm not in any pain at all, it's more discomfort and I figure there's no point pushing it so 12k is my Saturday distance for now. At least until I get checked in Amphibian King.

I saw another benifit of running today too, a Hawk or Kestrel flew over me at one point about 6' above my head. I was never that close to one before and was surprised it would come that close to a person. I saw a red Squirrel in the woods a few weeks back too. That's why I always run there instead of the treadmill.

I reckon I'm going to be well fit for this half marathon later in the year. Obviously it's a big jump from 12k to 20k but I have LOADS of energy left after today's run.

ariana`

RonanP77 wrote: »

My legs are the problem now. I'm not in any pain at all, it's more discomfort and I figure there's no point pushing it so 12k is my Saturday distance for now

I'm a bit behind you, i have only reached 8/9k in training. I've done a few 5k races and i'm doing my 1st 10k race in a few wks. I'm aiming for a half in Oct which is possibly a bit too optimistic.

But like you my body was starting to ache a little. I went to see a physcial therapist last week and my IT band on both sides is tight, as are my hamstrings & quads. He's helping to loosen them out with manipulation and also show me stretches to do after runs to keep them loosened out. It was 40quid for the 1hr visit but i felt it was money well spent.

Also, i'm not sure if it's been said it too you but i think (some of the experts on here might correct me) that it's a good idea to have a step back week every 4/5wks where you reduce your mileage, typically take it off your lsr, to give your body a chance to recover.

RonanP77

ariana` wrote: »

But like you my body was starting to ache a little. I went to see a physcial therapist last week and my IT band on both sides is tight, as are my hamstrings & quads. He's helping to loosen them out with manipulation and also show me stretches to do after runs to keep them loosened out. It was 40quid for the 1hr visit but i felt it was money well spent.

Also, i'm not sure if it's been said it too you but i think (some of the experts on here might correct me) that it's a good idea to have a step back week every 4/5wks where you reduce your mileage, typically take it off your lsr, to give your body a chance to recover.

That might be worth a try, I definitely need to know more about stretches.

Everybody is going on about lsr, I don't understand any of the lingo yet. What does it mean?

Best of luck in your 10k, my first is in 10 days.

ariana`

RonanP77 wrote: »

Everybody is going on about lsr, I don't understand any of the lingo yet. What does it mean?

Best of luck in your 10k, my first is in 10 days.

lsr = long slow run.

thanks, best of luck with yours too, sounds like you're well ready

SamforMayo

If you have a look at the DCM 2014 marathon thread that Ososlo started she has lots of useful info on different types of runs/ paces etc. You would be aiming to include an Lsr every week extending it in distance each week by no more than a mile and take a step back week every 4 weeks.

RonanP77

Another week over, it was a little disrupted as regards training, next week will be too.

Sunday; 51k cycle.
Monday; Rest.
Tuesday; 6k easy.
Wednesday; Rest.
Thursday; Rest- skipped my run to rest for Friday.
Friday; Duathlon- 2.5k run - 15.6k cycle - 2.5k run.
Saturday; Rest - skipped today's long run to recover from yesterday.

I have a 6k on Monday which will be faster than my normal race pace. It's for work and I'm sticking with a mate that runs 10sec or so faster than me /km.

Then I have my first official 10k next Sunday, it should be tough enough, I'll have to concentrate on running my own race rather than matching those around me.

SamforMayo

RonanP77 wrote: »

Another week over, it was a little disrupted as regards training, next week will be too.

Sunday; 51k cycle.
Monday; Rest.
Tuesday; 6k easy.
Wednesday; Rest.
Thursday; Rest- skipped my run to rest for Friday.
Friday; Duathlon- 2.5k run - 15.6k cycle - 2.5k run.
Saturday; Rest - skipped today's long run to recover from yesterday.

I have a 6k on Monday which will be faster than my normal race pace. It's for work and I'm sticking with a mate that runs 10sec or so faster than me /km.

Then I have my first official 10k next Sunday, it should be tough enough, I'll have to concentrate on running my own race rather than matching those around me.

Any idea of what your aiming for in the 10 km? If you have it straight in your own head it will be easier to resist the temptation of going out too fast.

RonanP77

I've only done 10k in training twice so fitness levels are still pretty low. I take it very slow at that distance so I'll be delighted with anything below 58mins.

I'll have RunKeeper going to keep me informed and if I'm feeling good I can step the pace up a little after about 6k.

SamforMayo

Sounds like a good plan, best of luck with it.

RonanP77

Ran a charity 6k in Kingscourt, it was organised by work so kind if had to do it. It was a good event and the turnout wa pretty good too, 151 I think.

I finished in 28:50 or just under. It wasn't chipped but they checked the times as we crossed the line. It was an alright time, I finished 11th. The last km was uphill and I just couldn't handle it, I slowed way back and lost one position.

At the 5k mark I was at 22:21 which is a record for me. My record before that was 24 minutes.

ariana`

RonanP77 wrote: »

I've only done 10k in training twice so fitness levels are still pretty low. I take it very slow at that distance so I'll be delighted with anything below 58mins.

I have no clue how accurate this calculator is (yet!) but i'm using it to give myself a time to aim for in my 1st 10k based on my most recent 5k time. Only time will tell

http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/race-times-predictor

RonanP77

I went for my 6k easy run yesterday evening and it ended up as a 2.6k struggle. Very stiff and sore from running way too fast on Monday. It was the first time I ran a km in under 4 minutes and I'm paying for it now. Having done the Duathlon at the start if the weekend too, my body just wasn't able for it all. I'm just not quite as fit as I thought yet.

My 1st official 10k is this Sunday and I don't want to be struggling at it so Thursdays 6k run this week will be a short cycle instead. I'll get back in track next week hopefully.

RonanP77

This week was a complete write off a regards training. The only thing I did since Tuesday was a very short cycle into town to collect my car from the garage. I did plenty of walking at the Zoo yesterday if that counts.

Just back from my 1st official 10k, my target was 58 minutes but I smashed that and finished in 52. Delighted with that. I know I won't be fit to walk tomorrow because my knee has been sore all week and it's very sore now. I have an ice pack on it.

I went to Amphibian King yesterday and got fitted for a new pair if Brooks runners. I probably should have worn them on a few shorter runs before wearing them on the 10k but too late to change that now.

I got protein shakes and tablets in Holland and Barrett yesterday and a foam roller so hopefully I won't get as many injuries from now on and I'll recover faster.

SamforMayo

Fantastic result, well done

RonanP77

I had a shirty few months, I hurt my ankle and couldn't run at all. I was still cycling a bit and did the odd walk but I figured a complete break from running was needed to help it heal. It seems to have worked for me.

I did the Cavan Kayakarun on Saturday, the full times aren't up yet but I have a good idea of my overall time and it was about 10 mins better than my target time. It was a tough event, the hills on the run are horrible, especially the last one. I took it slow, set a steady pace and ran it all without a problem. The kayak was great fun, I was delighted because I passed 4 people on the lake. The bike was tough for me again, it was 3 weeks or more since I had cycled so I didn't have great preparation. It was the first event where I really really thought I would throw up at the finish line.

It was brilliantly organised and I loved every minute of it, I can't wait to do it again next year and knock about 5 minutes off my time. I got into a bit of a personal battle with a guy toward the end of the run when he got pissed at me for passing him on the big hill. We kept it going right to the end of the cycle and I only finished about 5 seconds ahead of him. That kind of thing makes it more enjoyable for me.

RonanP77

I haven't been on much because I haven't been running much. I did Hell and Back in Bray a month ago, found it easy enough but very enjoyable. It's taken over from the Kayakarun as my favourite event. The next day I got up and my left ankle and right calf were injured AGAIN.

I had my 1st short test run Friday and all was good so ran a nice slow 5k Sunday. My ankle injury flared up again towards the end of it. The same injury has been at me all year and even resting for a month at a time doesn't seem to be sorting it out. My new plan is plenty of time on the foam roller every day from now on along with some core strengthening exercises.

RonanP77

I had another short test run Friday and there was no real reaction to it. I'm giving it another full week just to be sure so my next run will be my first Parkrun event on Saturday morning.

I had a good night's sleep on Saturday and that seems to have given me a little boost, it's been 3 or 4 weeks since my last full nights sleep.

Things seem to be coming together for me now so I'm gaining confidence that I'll have a successful winter of running and I'll be stronger than ever for next year's events.

LionelNashe

Best of luck, but is 5k not a bit far to run after just 1 short run a week before, and an ankle injury? There's a lot of advice out there that says increase the speed or distance just by 10% per week. You have the lung power to go out and do 5k without much buildup, but are you giving your joints/tendons/ligaments pr whatever time to adapt to the repetitive stress of running?

RonanP77

LionelNashe wrote: »

Best of luck, but is 5k not a bit far to run after just 1 short run a week before, and an ankle injury? There's a lot of advice out there that says increase the speed or distance just by 10% per week. You have the lung power to go out and do 5k without much buildup, but are you giving your joints/tendons/ligaments pr whatever time to adapt to the repetitive stress of running?

I honestly never considered that, 5k just seems like such a short run now that it never crossed my mind. The 1st official Parkrun isn't until Saturday week so I guess I could do the 3.65k loop of the lake this Saturday and leave the 5k until then. I should probably leave it a good while before running 10k again.

RonanP77

I went for a bit of a walk during the week and had no ill effects so ran the 5k parkrun today, it went well, I took it nice and handy 24:57, two minutes slower than I'm capable of. I've book in for swmming lessons starting next week so that should be a boost to fitness levels and it's non impact so hopefully no injuries. The physio is definitely getting a call this week if I have any tenderness in any of the old injuries, that should sort me out completely. I'll do a short run again mid week and for a while I'll leave it at 4k mideek, swimming wednesday and 5k saturdays.

IF (and it's a big IF) I do get sorted shortly and get back to running 10k in the next 6 or 8 weeks, I'll be aiming for a half marathon earlyish next year and then start training for DCM 2015. At the minute it seems like I'm a million miles from that but I know if I get injury free I'll be able for it.