Adam, my pace was between 10 - 11 min miles. I was concentrating on increasing distance rather than paying much attention to my pace. Most runs were on tarmac.
I realise with only a couple of runs per week and such a low mileage base that I am limiting my progress but that suits my current lifestyle and personal aims.
I have a similar issue if I'm not careful when I eat/drink before a run. I tend to only run on an empty stomach or at most a breakfast bar otherwise I feel sick. If I drink a glass of water immediately before running it plays havoc with my system. I've recently found sipping water pre run and stopping half an hour before the run helps. If I feel dehydrated I take water with me and sip it occasionally. I also avoid meat day before a long run.
I've spent the past few months training for a half marathon which I completed in 2 hours 22 mins. Not the fastest time in the world but achieved my aim of running all of the way. I'd like to utilise my current fitness base to improve my speed, particularly over the 10k distance. My half marathon training consisted of 10 - 15 miles per week in 2 sessions. Longest run was 12 miles pre race. Whilst I would love to run more than twice a week, I am injury prone (week ankles) and find training more frequently results in months on the bench.
Can anyone suggest a suitable training strategy to increase my speed without getting injured. I was thinking of 1 long run per week (6 - 10 miles varying distance each week) and 1 either fartlek or tempo session (alternating weeks). I haven't previously done any speed work so was wondering what sort of session I should start with and how to build up as my training improves.
I week or so ago I developed a pain in my foot (whilst walking rather than running). It basically felt like a bruise on my heel or as if I was standing on something. It isn't too severe but def worse first thing. It appears to move too, sometimes in my heel, sometimes on one side of the arch of my foot. I wondered if I'd damaged a nerve as the pain moves.
I went for a short run a few days ago and running didn't seem to make it any better or worse. Its pretty mild so seems trivial to bother a physio with but wondered if: - anyone knew what it might be - whether or not I should continue running as I would hate a minor niggle to turn in to an injury.
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