The running thread!

[flymo]

Originally Posted by hovis

how important is it to get shoes from a propper shop?

I nearly talked myself into visiting a running shop and having my gait analysed on a machine. After much reading though I found that a) most shops have a basic treadmill and camera and no real medical knowledge of what they were looking at. b) the only real way of finding out properly was with a specialist and some serious equipment.

On the basis that the vast majority of people have a 'normal' running style and gait I didnt bother.

building up distance?
i have only been running for over a week, and im running about 5 times a week, either 3 or 5 miles at the moment, eventuly i want to build up to ½ marathon distance, which looks frightening on google, i was thinking of just adding a mile on every 2-3 weeks ?

I bought a good book from Hal Higdon, a runners world editor in the US, he also has a free website with detailed training programmes on it for beginners through to experts. He has run something like 400 marathons!

The basic programme consists of 16 weeks for a marathon programme and starts off pretty simple, which is nice

You have important rest days, three short runs in the week and one long run every weekend. The long run works on the principle that you run at a certain distance for 2 weeks, then the third week is a 'step-back' week where you do not run as far. The fourth week you increase again. So, 10 miles, 10 miles, then 8 miles, then 11 miles, then 11 miles then 9 say. It seems to work quite well and gives you time to recover and push for the next longer distance.

water or "specailist drinks"?
its my belief that the lucozade hydo and other simerler drinks are a bit of a scam, water is just as good, although i am only running for 1 hour max, at the moment

My sister is a nutritionist and I asked her about this. There is real benefit to using the energy drinks but the effect is negligable at short distances or short exercise time.

The main benefit apparently is that they replace the sugars and minerals required by your muscles to efficiently use for energy. At longer distances as your body consumes these then it will turn to fat for its fuel which is less efficient and more difficult to convert to energy. In a marathon, when a runner gets close to depleting this glycose they become lethargic and it gets painful to use the muscles for a period of time. This is often called 'the wall'.

I used my energy drinks at shorter distance partly to get used to using them and also just to get used to carrying the bottle with me. Now my distances are getting longer ( around 2 hours running ) I can feel the difference in the latter stages. I found that it helps to drink one completely before I start running and then carry one along too.

Originally Posted by hovis

i dont like running in tracksuit bottoms? i dont know why, i much prefere shorts, so hopfuly the tights will be ok.

I hate running in anything other than shorts, I have tried tights (skins & Reebok). Never really got on with them as they heated my legs up.

I use the skins now after a run as the compression helps with recovery.

I do own a pair of Ron Hill tracksters, which are marginally less ghey, but only use these in arctic weather, the rest of the time I run in a pair of Nike compression under shorts, for keeping the danglies in place and to stop my fat thighs rubbing, with a pair of 5" Adidas Shorts over.

Not tried suspenders yet........do they do them on wiggle?

I used to used SIS Go gels, and wash them down with the water.

Your body should carry enough glycogen to get you to 18 miles (The wall), so prior to that you should be consuming gels or food etc. to replace what you are using in order to not hit the wall.

Flymo is right - about 85% of the population have some form of over-pronation, so this could well be seen as normal - not to be confused with Neutral.

For both Neutral and Over-Pronation you will need a different type of shoe (or if you suppinate). Even a basic gait analysis from somewhere like Sweatshop, will explain it to a basic degree and show you how each shoe will help you. I genuinely think that it is worth doing.

There are some guides online as to telling which type of gait you have, try:

http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/pronation.htm
http://www.nbwebexpress.com/achieve_...nning_gait.asp

i have normal feet

i got a new pair of saucony off the net 5 months ago, as they were on offer, but am still using my other saucony, as they are quite new.

but i will go to run and become http://www.runandbecome.com/cardiff.html for advice, although the prices seem twice as much as they are on the net

Originally Posted by hovis

i have normal feet

i got a new pair of saucony off the net 5 months ago, as they were on offer, but am still using my other saucony, as they are quite new.

but i will go to run and become http://www.runandbecome.com/cardiff.html for advice, although the prices seem twice as much as they are on the net

gutted.......... i was looking foward to the 5 mile run this morning, but its hammering down, so it looks like 5 miles on the treadmill

Go for a run in the rain - it's the best way to run!!!

Run and Become have a great reputation, take their advice, make your excuses and buy from the net....

I want some new shoes, all my pairs are coming to the end of their lives and starting to look very jaded.

I have always used Kayano's apart from a couple of other shoes, fancy something different just not sure what?

Originally Posted by krhall

Go for a run in the rain - it's the best way to run!!!

its not just raining its bouncing down, im waiting for it to slow down a bit, but i think its in for the day

Originally Posted by krhall

make your excuses and buy from the net....

such as?