Running Thread

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Just getting belatedly trying to get fit. Been losing weight doing Joe Wicks for seniors and am now starting the couch to 5k recommended by a neighbour who I don't think has yet started. A bit unfair ?. Question is has anyone done it. I know Mad Cyril was thinking about it. By the way the health kick was triggered by high blood pressure now under control. I have not run for years after playing football did my knees but I was surprised that I could eventually run on the spot with Joe Wicks which I couldn't do at the beginning. Advice welcome.

Hi recommend couch to 5 k follow it and you will be fine, I did it now onto half marathon and I’m 61
Take the days rest in between as they tell you when first starting

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Hi recommend couch to 5 k follow it and you will be fine, I did it now onto half marathon and I’m 61
Take the days rest in between as they tell you when first starting

Thanks. Blimey a half marathon. I'm impressed. I'll just be happy to finish the course. 68 next birthday in June and one of the objectives is to see the grandchildren and who knows great grandchildren growing up. So no heroics.

 

[londonblue]

I'm taking most of my advice from the NHS website which I think is brilliant. I think half the population would blanch at the advice especially on weight. Doctors must pull their hair out at some of their patients. I used their BMI calculator and am no means fat. But I wasn't too far away from obese.

Years ago when worked in Canary Wharf I worked with a girl who joined the office gym around the same time as me. The first thing they did was measure her body fat percentage. She was tiny. really small and thin, but was told she was obese!

She was so angry she basically refused to go back, on the basis that they obviously didn't know what they were talking about. But, I think they were right! Every lunchtime she would eat the most unhealthy thing she could find and finish it off with at least 2 desserts full of cream and sugar. She also never exercised. So she may have been small, but I suspect she had pretty much no muscle and was all fat.

Size isn't always a good indicator of obesity.

The BMI calculation doesn't always work either. Body builders, for example, have really bad BMI scores since it measures weight against height. It doesn't take into account what the weight is made up of and their scores are skewed because they have an excessive amount of muscle (i.e. weight) for their height. For the general population it might be relatively good, but it doesn't work in all circumstances.

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

I had my at first light run along the seafront this morning whilst still very quite but far too cold for the time of year. Prefer to mix my distances up from just a mile to occasionally four and this time was walking to start (get my steps up to 10k a day) at Chalkwell before running two miles back to Southend. Since starting to measure my running on Garmin watch just under a year ago I have run this distance twenty six times today was the second quickest only beaten by an occasion I had a very strong tail wind. The reason was almost as soon as I started a lad probably about thirty years
younger than me over took me but at a pace I was able to match from about twenty yards behind for most of the way highlighting the benefit of a pacemaker and maybe that we could all go at least a bit quicker sometimes.

 

[Flinty]

Years ago when worked in Canary Wharf I worked with a girl who joined the office gym around the same time as me. The first thing they did was measure her body fat percentage. She was tiny. really small and thin, but was told she was obese!

She was so angry she basically refused to go back, on the basis that they obviously didn't know what they were talking about. But, I think they were right! Every lunchtime she would eat the most unhealthy thing she could find and finish it off with at least 2 deserts full of cream and sugar. She also never exercised. So she may have been small, but I suspect she had pretty much no muscle and was all fat.

Size isn't always a good indicator of obesity.

The BMI calculation doesn't always work either. Body builders, for example, have really bad BMI scores since it measures weight against height. It doesn't take into account what the weight is made up of and their scores are skewed because they have an excessive amount of muscle (i.e. weight) for their height. For the general population it might be relatively good, but it doesn't work in all circumstances.

i believe a good analogy used is rugby players, who are all under BMI obese. Its handy enough for mr or mrs average in the street but if you regularly take part in sport and train the chances are that your BMI will be high due to muscle weight

 

[Mad Cyril]

The BMI calculation doesn't always work either. Body builders, for example, have really bad BMI scores since it measures weight against height. It doesn't take into account what the weight is made up of and their scores are skewed because they have an excessive amount of muscle (i.e. weight) for their height.

I suspect a lot of overweight men comfort themselves with this argument

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Mad Cyril is right and the NHS site does comment on this. They say waist size is as important as BMI which I guess blows a lot of people out of the water. They say

Regardless of your height or body mass index (BMI), you should try to lose weight if your waist is:

• 94cm (37in) or more for men
• 80cm (31.5in) or more for women

You're at very high risk of some serious health conditions and should see a GP if your waist is:

• 102cm (40in) or more for men
• 88cm (34.5in) or more for women

This is because your risk of getting some health problems is affected by where you store your body fat, as well as by your weight.

Carrying too much fat around your middle (waist) can make it more likely for you to get conditions such as:

• heart disease
• type 2 diabetes
• cancer
• stroke

 

[Ted]

Had a spare hour today so thought I’d go for a run. I live near Barking(daft decision i know) so I thought I’d take the opportunity to visit one of next seasons rivals a little early

Took an 11km road trip to Dagenham and Redbridge’s victor road, proudly wearing my Southend away strip with not a West Ham top to be seen. Like to think I’ve reclaimed an old corner of Essex not that anyone in Essex would actually want to claim Barking and Dagenham ?

Anyway, its my first run in several months so pretty impressed to get 11km out ??

 

[Supernaut]

Signed up for the virtual Southend half marathon today. Shame they're not able to hold an actual road race, but it's better than nothing and Havens still get the money so all good. I'm aiming to best the 1 hour 57 I ran in 2019.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I have been cycling 20 miles a day commuting to work and my running times took a dip but last nights run felt great and I managed a comfortable 6k in 30 mins.

Just joined Benfleet Running Club as well so hoping to improve.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Well done Cyril. I'm on week 4 of C25k and am ****ed

 

[Mad Cyril]

Well done Cyril. I'm on week 4 of C25k and am ****ed

I found the earliest weeks the hardest.

Buying some new shoes from Runners Edge made a huge difference.

I still find the first ten minutes quite tough at times.

I have read this is when your body switches from anaerobic to aerobic mode. Anaerobic mode is when your body uses energy without oxygen and is for short high intensity bursts such as sprints. Aerobic mode is when your body uses oxygen to burn energy and is sustainable for long periods. After about 20 mins I feel that I could probably run for another hour if I had to.

 

[Supernaut]

I found the earliest weeks the hardest.

Buying some new shoes from Runners Edge made a huge difference.

I agree - I ran for 6 months in some cheap neutral Puma shoes without knowing that I needed something a lot more supportive. I really progressed when I got my first decent pair of shoes, also from Runner's Edge.

 

[londonblue]

I found the earliest weeks the hardest.

Buying some new shoes from Runners Edge made a huge difference.

I still find the first ten minutes quite tough at times.

I have read this is when your body switches from anaerobic to aerobic mode. Anaerobic mode is when your body uses energy without oxygen and is for short high intensity bursts such as sprints. Aerobic mode is when your body uses oxygen to burn energy and is sustainable for long periods. After about 20 mins I feel that I could probably run for another hour if I had to.

I used to find that when I ran on a treadmill my heart rate would spike in the 1st couple of minutes of a run and then settle down. I found that a 5 minute warm up would stop that happening.

I think that only really happened on a treadmill too because I (and this is a guess by the way) would start the machine at the average pace of my previous run rather than start a bit slower and build up.

I suppose it might also have something to do with only really paying attention on a treadmill where I could see my heart rate as opposed to outdoors when I'd actually have to have a look at my watch...i.e. it happened outdoors too but I didn't notice.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Just had my ASICS gel excite 7 delivered. Didn't cost too much. Let's see if they make a difference. At the moment I'm in slow hobble mode.

 

[KrustyTheKray]

I agree - I ran for 6 months in some cheap neutral Puma shoes without knowing that I needed something a lot more supportive. I really progressed when I got my first decent pair of shoes, also from Runner's Edge.

Is that the shop in Leigh? I went there for a gait analysis and found their help really useful

 

[Supernaut]

Is that the shop in Leigh? I went there for a gait analysis and found their help really useful

No - they're on the London Road near the town centre, just before big Sainsbury's. The one in Leigh is Run Active on Rectory Grove.

 

[Streaky]

For anyone else based in Hullbridge a new running club set up in a few weeks time (17th May) at Hullbridge Sports FC.

 

[Flinty]

1st race yesterday for god knows how long ! 10k over at Hylands Park, such a shame that the weather was appalling which meant most were hiding in cars before the start. It was a rolling start with runners going off every 20 seconds, so a bit like a time trial....do miss the calvary charge at the start though ....despite the weather and not much chance of any socially distanced socialising..it was good to be back ...hopefully the start of normality for sporting activities

 

[Mad Cyril]

Took a week off due to sore achilles tendon after first cross country run.