DFW running club mark 2!! ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

RichOneday_2

Hope everyone is feeling better this morning!!

it sounds like a huge bucket of endorphins is needed all round.

Have a good day, everyone!

pinkneonmartini

Hi guys just wanted to drop by and say a big thank you for the welcomes and the advice! :beer:

I followed it, and went to the gym and stuck to walking at 5km/hr, i'm managing comfortably to cover 1km in 10 mins, so even if i walk the 10k my time should be under 2 hours! which is brilliant coz i was worried i wouldn't finish it at all. :rolleyes:

Also cut down the ciggies, quite drastically, from 15-20 a day to 5-7, i know their still there, but as i'm don't actually want to give up it's very hard. I'm one of those freaks who enjoys smoking, lol, so i'm working off only having one when i NEED one, not just because i've got a brew on the go, or because someone else is nipping out for one. And it seems to be working, i was in the gym for over an hour and didn't really feel out of puff once :j

Just a quick question though, race day is creeping up on me faster than i thought, and i'm just wondering when i should start running?

Everything i've read seems to suggest giving it 4-6 weeks of just walking, to build a "core" but with 12 weeks to go, that would only give me 6-8 weeks of running, will this be enough to prepare for the big day?

I think i'm starting to get the bug already, i really wanna do well, and just this week my goal has started to change from just finishing, to finishing with a respectable time even if i have to walk some of it. :j

becky_rtw

Hi Pink,

Glad to hear you're getting into walking

I'm not sure on your question because if you are overweight and a smoker your joints are very at risk of injury when you start running - smoking reduces your bone density and then the extra weight means more pressure of your joints...

However, there's nothing like a looming deadline to focus the mind onto running eh!

If it were me I'd use this 10k race as a 'marker' and aim to get round and then find another later in the year to really 'give have a go at' - so continue with the walking for as long as possible to really give you a chance to build some muscle and bone density and then switch to running and accept that you might not get your best possible time on this outing...

I did that for my 10 mile race in Jan and now I've got a half marathon on Sunday that I'm going to go all out on...I think you'll be pretty amazed at the progress you can make in 8 weeks anyway

But perhaps others have better suggestions - RichOneDay is the usual guru around here We can work on a plan for you this weekend if you want...

beer_tins

Hi pink,

Like becky said, maybe rich has some advice, but I would say "gently does it". You said you had a knee injury, but I assume this wasn't from running? Keep up the walking. Make sure you cover 10km in a single walk from time to time, it gives you confidence you can cover the distance, get's you legs used to the distance and (as already said) burns the same number of calories as running 10km, and a higher % of fat than running.

If you haven't had any problem with your joints as a result from doing running or other sports, I would think it's probably OK to start with some jogging soon (but wait for rich's opinion too). When you do, start at a low pace, just faster than walking distance and start with low distances. E.g. maybe jog for 0.5km and then walk the rest. Even if you feel you can go longer, stop running and walk. Then see how you feel the next day. If you're fine and not sore, start building from there. If you feel niggles in your knees or ankles, stop immediately.

We're not doctors, so want to err on the side of caution! If you're not sure, ask a medical professional. Whatever you do though, remember that a patient build-up is required to get you where you want to be injury free.

P.S. 12 weeks is plenty of time to get to a stage of completing the race. I wouldn't worry about running all the way, set yourself realistic milestones and take pleasure in achieving them. You can always build on what you've done and tackle another 10K to improve your time in future.

beer_tins

Pink, RE the ciggies, I enjoyed smoking, so stopping was difficult for me too. Get yourself over to the "stop smoking" thread if you need motivation on that. A lot of people swear by Allen Carr's book, though I didn't read it myself. It's almost a kind of self-hypnosis, in that it aims to change your relationship to cigarettes. It encourages you to keep smoking while you're reading the book, so there's no harm in reading it even if you're not entirely sure about stopping. I believe there is a part where you smoke your "last" cigarette while you're reading and it talks about what is happening to your body as you're reading it i.e. what toxins you're taking in, how the carbon monoxide is starving you of oxygen (to give you the smoker's rush) etc. a lot of people stub out there last "Allen Carr" ciggie before finishing it.

Once you do decide to stop, never talk about "giving up", that implies it is a sacrifice you are making. Saying you have "stopped" means it is something positive that you have done for yourself and helps you put yourself in the right mindset.

I do know that it's something you've got to do when you're ready, though. Feeling that you "ought to" isn't enough to motivate you. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. But if you want to you will. Sorry about the rambling post and tell me to butt out (no pun intended) if you want.

Ukevas

evenin...... 6.8m @ 1h 05m

least im consistent lol

sallyx

no running for me today...making sure I am truely better before I attempt anymore..and my achilles are killing today which is very strange?

evab_2

Evening all, 3 miles for me this evening, felt tough in places but good in general.

Have a good rest Sally

becky_rtw

Oooo well done evab!

Sally not sure on Achilles - I'll get Rich to pop on the thread in a bit when hes back from his run...only thing I can think of is that they were a bit sore anyway but by stopping you've bought it out - sort of how you always get a cold the minute you go holiday type thing...

Anyway I could be talking nonsense...

sallyx

thanks Becky..think the calf/achilles were all related to bad legs last night. Just very achy and tender. Hoping to get back out there tomorrow for a run