Training tips required...

Hi all,

I first looked at this forum last night and have since found myself reading thread after thread and have been amazed by the support and help runners offer one another...so I am wondering if anyone would have any advice/tips for me!!

I have been ‘running’ for about 6 years now, although I would say I have never taken training as seriously as I could have done. For a variety of reasons apart from in the last 3/4 months over the majority of those 6 years I would only be running 1-3 times a week. I have carried out 6 half marathons and a couple of 10kms so I am far from active on the competitive circuit. During summer of 2010 I organised for myself, brother and Uncle to run/walk between Bristol and Weymouth for charity...and the 65 miles was a very testing experience but one that on the whole I enjoyed.

Now that I am not at Uni, cut back on the amount of football I’m playing my aim for 2011 is to see what exactly I am capable of in regards to running. My half marathon official PB is 1:31:07 (Bath 2010) and on New Year’s day I ran a Marathon on my own using my micoach in 3:12:47...I just wondered if anyone could give me advice in the definite do’s in order to improve upon these times in, in regards to training and types of runs to do (aiming to run 5/6 times a week), nutrition and injury prevention...

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

Happy New Year to all!

Hi runjogcrawl,

Probably the best thing you can do is join a running club, training with other people and having people to chase is a good way to improve. It will also give you more opportunites to race, which will make you quicker.

speed training is a great way to improve, theres plenty of different speed training sessions you can find on this site to help, but doing it with a club is the best way to do it.

 increase your running steadily, keep a log of your training so you can control how much you are doing, maybe run 3 times a week for a couple of weeks and then move to 4 for a couple of weeks etc. also only do a 1 or 2 hard runs a week and make the rest easy/ recovery runs

theres some good running books you can buy that are full of info

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniels-Running-Formula-programs-marathon/dp/0736054928/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294171226&sr=8-1

check this one out, will tell you everything you need to know

hope that helps

Thanks for all that Shaun, appreciate it.

 I have been contemplating a running club for a while now but after your recommendation will do some research tomorrow and hopefully be involved with one soon. Speed work is something that I do feel I need to add in order to improve as I dont really mix it up enough!

 Cheers for the link as well, birthday coming up so will add that to the wish list!

RJC - I was going to recommend the Jack Daniels book above. With the paucity of running training you have done, to run those HM and full mara times is really impressive. I'm probably twice as old as you are and can run faster, but I need to put in a hell of a lot of training to do that. So I'm quietly envious as I pursued so many sports when I was youger, that I never excelled at any one.

In a decent running club with some good coaching and a lot of determination on your part, you could become seriously good.

Read the JD book and get to understand the physiology of running training. It will make you far more effective at improving in the future and avoiding injury. Then you'll be able to understand what this means. Your VDOT value is 49.

Good luck.

And I'll offer one other bit of key advice for starters. Get a gait analysis done at a specialist running store that has an outstanding reputation in your area. Then you can be sure you have running shoes which are suited to your body and running style, which will let you train harder, run faster and avoid injuries.

Thanks Tricky, I'm hoping that all my previous running although not extensive will have provided me with a decent foundation in which to build upon. I have got concerns about my left knee and im hoping its just related to the shoes that I have been wearing (for a while) so going to go to easyrunner in Bristol in the next couple of days to get myself a new pair. Also intending to sign up to Madrid marathon to test myself over that distance competitively....and apparently in fairly testing conditions for a first time marathon!

The book also sounds like a must have so will order that now...cant wait for birthday and make sure I understand what an earth VDOT is...as I havent got a clue. Just out of interest what are your PB's and what does your current training schedule look like...?

 Thanks again

just because you asked.... but don't tell anyone else.....

...I did 2:58:46 in Amsterdam marathon, Oct.10. I'm 43yo. I use the 70mpw training schedule in the P&D book - Advanced Marathoning. I'm running Paris, Berlin and hopefully New York later this year, so think I can press down on that time (domestic and work responsibilities permitting).

70 miles a week is a phenomenal amount of miles, how an earth do you fit all that in!! At the moment I aim to hit between 40-50 but would like to try and edge that up to the 50-60 bracket I think.

Fantastic time you have achieved as well, I would love to go under 3 hours which is why I know I will have to change and adapt what I do and when I do it in order to have a chance of doing that!

Good luck with everything you have lined up and thanks for the advice.

runjogcrawl wrote (see)

70 miles a week is a phenomenal amount of miles, how an earth do you fit all that in!! 

 

I dont do anywhere near that but 70 miles at 8:00 min miles is only 9 hours 20 over a week.

I know people who drive to the gym, get changed, spend an hour working out  then drive home again and it takes 2 hours for that.

RJC - I mostly get up early and go running before work. It helps I have a colleague who is also very well motivated and disciplined, so although neither of us enjoys getting up at the crack of dawn, we don't want to let each other down. I can then fit in 2 hours worth of training if I need to, before starting work. If it's a shorter run, I might do it at lunchtime (have showers here at the office).

Recovery run on Saturdays I combine with dog walking. Long run on Sundays, I'll often get wife or kids to cycle with me (so I'm not neglecting them completely). Peak training is about 10.5 hrs/ week. It's tough to fit in, but my wife runs too and is generally supportive, but I have to make sure I'm very attentive to her needs and taking care for the family the rest of the time. As a rule, I avoid running in the evenings so my face is seen at home.

It took several years to build up to this level of training, and speed. The consistent and regular approach is always the most sustainable and profitable IMO. Good luck.

Sounds like I am going to have to get to bed earlier, get up earlier and run before work on a couple of occasions before work. I was speaking to a friend the other day and he recommended what he called a 'cappillary run' where in the morning you go for a 30-60min really comfortable run, and then in the evening you do your training session...so I guess if I can manage this twice a week along with what I normally do I should be able to wrack up some key miles!

 Thanks again guys!!