Wednesday 7 May 2014

It's the Pace that Kills..

Running is relatively easy. Most people who have a general level of fitness can start to train and very quickly be running 5k, 10k, or even longer runs.
How quickly they complete those runs is another matter entirely. The difference in a 5k run taking 30 mins. and taking 15mins is all down to Pace.

I have been running for many years and when I was younger, keeping a steady 6 minute mile was quite easy. Fast forward to today and that pace has dropped to 9.30-10 mins. per mile. Quite simply, I cannot run at the same pace as I used to.

In some of the bigger races, especially marathons, you will often see three or more runners who are only in the race to ensure that the same pace is kept throughout the various miles. This helps the elite runners to judge their run and enables them to put in very fast times.

The way different runners can handle various ranges of pace comes down to a mixture of factors. One is natural ability and others are the amount of training done, the amount of oxygen they are able to consume and the level of fitness achieved. All these things, when they are at optimum level in the body will give runners the ability to run at fast pace which is something every runner wants to do.

Saturday 3 May 2014

Parkruns are Popular..

Went to observe my local parkrun this morning and to take some photos as well. It is well attended with around 200 folks taking part. It invites all types of runners from the fast to the slow - some cover the 5k course in around 17mins. while others take around 35mins. It does not really matter because everyone has a good time and for many it is just a case of seeing if they can better their Personal Best time.
What surprised me was that there was someone running with their dog tagging along and a man pushing a double buggy all the way round - he finished in a reasonable time too..
There is a nasty little hill around the 2 mile mark, it is not long but quite steep and it was interesting to hear the breathing patterns of the folks as they passed. The first guy breezed up it whereas the next few were labouring a bit, but they were the leaders and would all finish in good times.
It is important to get into an easy breathing cycle - try too hard and it becomes a real effort and can put extra strain on your lungs. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit and have posted some pics. below of the event.







Thursday 1 May 2014

Here We Go Again..

Since writing my last post in January I have been forced through ill health to stop running. However, in the last couple of weeks I have managed to make a start again....
My first target is to get up to 5k and then take it from there. I have had a few runs of 1 mile and 2 miles and everything seems ok just now. As I get up to 3 miles I will see how my body copes. When you have been a runner for any length of time having to stop does not sit well with you. This is different from injury and is quite perplexing when nobody can pin down what causes the enforced rest. I acknowledge that I am no spring chicken, but I expect to be able to run 5k or 10 without too much effort considering the experience I have had.
Time will tell....

Saturday 25 January 2014

Injury Layoff

There is nothing more frustrating in your running than a forced layoff because of injury. I am getting more mature by the day - 60+ yrs old now, but I still want to run. I was doing well in the latter half of last year and was looking forward to completing my first 5k park run at my local town. These park run events have become really popular and a typical Saturday morning race will see 200 or more taking part. However, as I approached the time for my debut, I found that I felt really tired after each training run and every effort was really difficult. This caused me to evaluate where I was at and I decided to take a break for a while to allow my body to get back to normal. It is now over three months since I ran and I find that I am getting increasingly frustrated in my layoff, not being able to get out and run. In my case it is something that is not a direct injury and many find that they have to stop because of various things like pulled muscles, shin splints, achillies problems etc.
Whatever has caused your injury and subsequent layoff,  you have to try and remain focused and remember that in 9 times out of 10 people will recover and get back to running in a relatively short time. To keep positive and focused will help a great deal and help you to recover and get back to running as soon as possible.