The Running thread

[AV82EC]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68643341

That should be SPOTY tied up right there. Jasmin Paris becoming the first woman to finish the frankly, utterly insane Barkley Marathons. Jon, ever had the urge to write an application?!

Jon hates Ultramarathons,

Must admit bought a tear to the eye. This is an immense achievement. I love that moment just after she touched the yellow gate where she’s just slumped in a heap on the ground, taking in the moment and you can see she is utterly done. The mental and physical resolve to do this is something I can’t imagine. I attempted to do a 100k ultra last year and had to stop at 80k (like the big pussy I am) To do this which is not only running the distance and navigation but 2 times the height of Everest in height gain is insane.

[Risso]

Yes, it's insane (as are you, 80K, fucking hell!). I can't get my head round the mental toughness required to run an ultra, and then something like that with all the added dificulties. She did it with roughly 90 seconds to spare, how fucking sick would you be if you'd come in a minute after.

[Risso]

Just looking back on this thread:

Like Risso as someone in middle age just the other side of 50 I started doing Couch to 5k on 1 Jan.  After 3 months of solid slog did a 5k in 26:35 yesterday. Quite chuffed and I’m amazed at the change in my outlook and general state of mind. I’ve never been the greatest of Runners/joggers, I prefer biking, but really enjoying it. Next challenge is to try and get to 25:00 and carry on the gradual weight loss.

Oh and well done Risso.

Well done you, that's a great time, and one I don't think I'll ever get anywhere near!

How on earth do you go from that, ie starting C25K, to an 80K ultra in 3 years?!

I have got my 5K time below that though, amazing where proper training will get you. Down to just over 23:30 now, once our half marathon is out of the way going to try to get sub 22:00 over the next few months.

And a question for Jon if he's around, my daughter has started to get shin splints. I've got her some compression socks, but I saw in the past you recommend magnesium gel and KT tape. I guess the gel you just rub in, but where do you put the KT tape?

[Jon Crofts]

My one and only ultra was 100km. Frankly I’d rather shit into my hand and clap than do another one although bizarrely the Barkley does fascinate me in a weird way, no map, books to tear pages from, route reversals. Hmmm maybe one day.


Who am I kidding. Fuck that.

[Jon Crofts]

Just looking back on this thread:

Like Risso as someone in middle age just the other side of 50 I started doing Couch to 5k on 1 Jan.  After 3 months of solid slog did a 5k in 26:35 yesterday. Quite chuffed and I’m amazed at the change in my outlook and general state of mind. I’ve never been the greatest of Runners/joggers, I prefer biking, but really enjoying it. Next challenge is to try and get to 25:00 and carry on the gradual weight loss.

Oh and well done Risso.

Well done you, that's a great time, and one I don't think I'll ever get anywhere near!

How on earth do you go from that, ie starting C25K, to an 80K ultra in 3 years?!

I have got my 5K time below that though, amazing where proper training will get you. Down to just over 23:30 now, once our half marathon is out of the way going to try to get sub 22:00 over the next few months.

And a question for Jon if he's around, my daughter has started to get shin splints. I've got her some compression socks, but I saw in the past you recommend magnesium gel and KT tape. I guess the gel you just rub in, but where do you put the KT tape?

I’ll message you re KT taping and shin splints.

[Risso]

Cheers mate.

[Risso]

In other insane women's ultra news, my friend Sarah from the IOM retained her British 100K title today, in 7hrs 3 mins. She knocked 20 minutes of the women's record that had stood for 30 years when she won it last year. In one of the recent London marathons, she came second out of the non elite athletes. Not bad for a vet from the arse end of the Isle of Man!

[Somniloquism]

In other IOM new, not exactly always running but...

[AV82EC]

In other IOM new, not exactly always running but...

You've got to love a bit of Geowizard (trespassing aside). His 4 attempts at Straight line Wales efforts are some of the best content on YouTube. In fact if I recall his hilarious (?) straight line across Norway where he nearly died in that swamp is up there as well.

[Risso]

In other IOM new, not exactly always running but...

I saw that last week, very good. Loved the bloke in Laxey with the really strong Manx accent firstly threatening to call the police, and then telling him which way to go. Of all the pubs they could have ended up in though, they chose Jaks, bloody hell. Like doing a challenge across the Peak District and ending up in a 'Spoons.

[AV82EC]

Just looking back on this thread:

Like Risso as someone in middle age just the other side of 50 I started doing Couch to 5k on 1 Jan.  After 3 months of solid slog did a 5k in 26:35 yesterday. Quite chuffed and I’m amazed at the change in my outlook and general state of mind. I’ve never been the greatest of Runners/joggers, I prefer biking, but really enjoying it. Next challenge is to try and get to 25:00 and carry on the gradual weight loss.

Oh and well done Risso.

Well done you, that's a great time, and one I don't think I'll ever get anywhere near!

How on earth do you go from that, ie starting C25K, to an 80K ultra in 3 years?!

I have got my 5K time below that though, amazing where proper training will get you. Down to just over 23:30 now, once our half marathon is out of the way going to try to get sub 22:00 over the next few months.

And a question for Jon if he's around, my daughter has started to get shin splints. I've got her some compression socks, but I saw in the past you recommend magnesium gel and KT tape. I guess the gel you just rub in, but where do you put the KT tape?

C25k was Jan to Mar 2020 then from Apr 2020 to Sep 2022 I did consistent training for Sprint Duathlons (online programmes 5-6 days training per week plus S & C) and did about 4 events over that timeline which included injuries, time out for life stuff  and end of season breaks. Over that period I got my 5k PB down to 22:13 and had my Cycling FTP up to near 300W or 3W per kg which for a bloke averaging 95 to 100kg and in his 50s wasn't too bad. So i already had a very good level of base fitness admittedly for Sprint Dua which is only 7.5k of running and a 20k bike.

In September 2022 I decided to take a year out from Cycling and focus on running as had watched numerous fitness and running content creators on YouTube and decided that trying an Ultra in 2023 was the goal. I hate the thought of longer distance road running so city centre Marathons was out so I decided that Trail running was for me (I love being out in the hills/mountains anyway) and entered a few events, 33k and 50k, that fitted in with my training and preparation for my 100k Ultra goal in September.     

I was going to do the Thames Path 100k but that was the day after my Nephews wedding so had to transfer events to South Downs 100k. I was on an a structured 40 odd week training programme from about December through to my event in September which gradually built my mileage and elevation, though in hindsight I was probably short on both to complete the 100k. I also fortunately have a fiancee who was happy doing "crew" duties for me every Sunday for multiple hours while I slogged up and down the Gritstone and Sandstone Trails in Cheshire. I managed to do the 80k(50miles) in about 15 hours which was quite slow but the heat on the day was about 25 degrees so it meant I had to slow down otherwise I'd have probably stopped at 50km. The biggest thing I learnt at 6 foot and 95kg is I'm probably too big to do long distance stuff in anything like a reasonable time and if i do one in the future its for the taking part bit as I think I'm much more suited to shorter distance stuff. That said if i lost another 5 to 10kg I'd be much quicker but there's only so much wine and cheese a man can forgo in the pursuit of fitness.     

If you can create the time for it, I'd recommend it, an average training week would be 1 track sprint intervals session, 1 hill sprint session, 1 medium length 1 to 2 hour slow and easy run in the week with a 30 min to 1h 15min slow and easy run on a Saturday with main training day being Sunday where I'd ramp up from a start position of 2 hours on hilly terrain in January to about 8 hours in July with elevation gains to match. Its a big commitment but I loved it and running both the Gritstone and Sandstone Trails end to end as part of my training was fantastic.   

I'm back to doing Duathlons now though but will return to the Ultra's at some point. I'm retiring in a month or so and that will really help with fitting it all in as well.

[Risso]

I've got too much in the way of family life to be able to commit to the training to do ultras. Got the half marathon done on Sunday, absolutely loved it. There's something about running in a big group with a large crowd that just made the miles fall away really easily, got to about 14K without feeling the slightest bit tired.

[AV82EC]

I've got too much in the way of family life to be able to commit to the training to do ultras. Got the half marathon done on Sunday, absolutely loved it. There's something about running in a big group with a large crowd that just made the miles fall away really easily, got to about 14K without feeling the slightest bit tired.

Excellent stuff Risso, and yeah I know what you mean re Ultra training and the time commitment esp with a young family.

[Duncan Shaw]

Thanks for the tips/suggestions, I've done the parkrun in the past and will join in again once I'm up to 5K.
I dived back onto C25K at week 5 and it has been perfect, just the right spot to not be daunted again and now half way through week 6, so confident it it will drag me along to be doing 5K again.

How's the running going Duncan?

Sorry, I haven't been back on this thread for ages!  It's going OK, got back up to 5k no probs, but I'm still not as committed as I should be, but back up to doing at least 1 5K a week and 2 every other week or so.  Had a holiday in Florida a few weeks ago and did a nice couple of 5ks in the warm then as well.  I haven't gone back and done a park run yet though.  This week I'm definitely going to get back up to 3 x 5ks and then stick to it - I'm away with work a fair bit at the mo, so now the evenings are lighter the after work runs are easier to fit in.  Crowne Plaza at the NEC tomorrow night so will run round the lake a few times.  Times a bit slow still, 28.5 mins ish, but I should be able to start nibbling at that as I go out more regularly.

[Duncan Shaw]

And well done on your half marathon Risso!