'My first 10,000m outside run – 57:45' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "My first 10,000m outside run – 57:45" Blog.

Please click 'post reply' to discuss below.

Gemold_2

I'm doing my first 10k - 6.2miles? - on Saturday. The most I've ran so far is 5.2 miles. Your blog has just renewed my belief...hope... I can do the extra 1.2miles on the day

I've never been a runner and I am chuffed to bits with how well I'm doing at the moment. I finally feel like a runner! Especially when I feel the rhythm and the pace pick up without trying or realising - and the hills are getting easier! I'm even doing the Liverpool to New Brighton run in June. It goes through the tunnel - all the way down, then flat and then all the way back up to get out on the other side of the river ...eeeek!

Thanks for your blog - pefect timing!!:j

a.carpenter

I've started using an app on my phone to track my activities. Although it's walking rather than running, it's still useful to see where I've been, what my speeds were, how far I've gone, and how many calories I've burnt.

The app is called runtastic, and is available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows 7 phones.

jedimonkey

hahaha fair weather running love it.

Treadmill running is easy to get fast times - no so easy outside when the road isn't being pulled along under you.

I loved having the local countryside all to myself during the bad weather - now its a little sunnier/warmer, everyone is out again

Don't worry about your running times or distances..... just plan out a rough loop of where you are going.... and do some parts really fast, some parts really slow - just what ever you feel like doing - and have more fun running. You will increase your race times better by this kinda speed play.

During a race I stopped to have a look at the view of a river for a while, and everyone was asking if i was OK.... I was just enjoying being out and about.

Well done on getting out more - I hope you inspire more people to consider being a little more active.

Ken68

Marvellous exercise Martin. All those endorphins chasing round the bloodstream.
I did it for a few years did the longer distances then found I had the wrong twitch muscles.
Should have been doing 10k's.

culpepper

For building endurance, try some skipping rope. You will be surprised at how short a period of time you can do it for to begin with even if you run very regularly. (You might manage 5 minutes)
It really helps expand the amount of time you can run for if you do some skipping sessions on non running days and is very quick and portable for when you cant get out for a run.

jazzycatbristol

What runners watch did you use Martin? I struggle with pedometers so that sounds like a good idea.

blades123

Hello,

Great blog. Can anyone direct me to a good website that helps people to start running? In the past i was an active guy such as rowing and circuits but found running to be hard. I'm well built guy (not fat) so there is quite a bit of me to move around and often i would decide not to run as my legs would spend two days recovering. It prob down to not warming up and down correctly so i need some advice with this.

Thanks

MSE_Martin

OK I am going to ask our MoneySaving running guru (our lead techie neil) to answer some questions in here - as its him I ask

twinspeeks

Just to say that we're going to be running Hadrians Wall in the second week of August: comprising of 6 half marathons over 6 consecutive days.

If you fancy joining us, even for maybe just one of the sections, just let me know.

You've got plenty of time to train and I'm sure it will be an experience you'd never forget

popshed

Hi Martin,
I wanted to come on here and thank you for belittling my efforts
I started running just over 2 years ago and have lost a lot of weight and kept it off. I regularly do 10k distances on the streets and was quite pleased with my fastest 10k of around 57 minutes.

Tell a lie, I did *once* manage a 53 minute 10k but that was on a totally straight, totally flat towpath adjacent to the River Dee. I've never used a treadmill, in fact when I tried to get some proper running shoes for the first time last summer, I was unable to use the one in the shop at all, had to resort to jogging about outside while the proprietor assessed me.

Anyway, I'm not sure why you'd bother keeping your own spreadsheets about your running when there are so many good (and free) alternatives. I use all 3 of these simultaneously though as you can't have too much data.

http://nikerunning.nike.com (iPhone - much better now there's Nike+ GPS app, v.good social motivation)
http://runkeeper.com (iPhone & Android - Not as good socially as Nike. Paid version apparently does coaching, not tried it)
http://www.adidas.com/com/miCoach/ (iPhone & coming to Android in May I think. Social motivation poor but coaching is brilliant, lost a further half stone after 8 month stall thanks to interval training in this app)
I also recommend:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com for plotting out your routes in advance.
There's also http://slowgeek.com/ which I think is for those on Android who want to use Nike+ social motivational tools, but not tried it.