Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running

Underboss
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just be careful, i did (think it was my 2nd ever run before decent shoes) i did something like 7 miles, afterwards my knees were shot! they were hurting for weeks, if you feel anything in your knees STOP and let them rest up before going again
 
Soldato
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5k in 38 minutes is decent for your first time and the fact you’re capable of doing that distance shows you have a good level of stamina. When I started I probably couldn’t run 1k. I hated cross country at school and it wasn’t until I was about 29 that I started running.
 
Soldato
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just be careful, i did (think it was my 2nd ever run before decent shoes) i did something like 7 miles, afterwards my knees were shot! they were hurting for weeks, if you feel anything in your knees STOP and let them rest up before going again

Yeah i've had surgery on my left knee after tearing the cartilage up playing football. Luckily it had good bloodflow and they were able to reattach it! So very wary of my knees, especially being the mass that I am :p

5k in 38 minutes is decent for your first time and the fact you’re capable of doing that distance shows you have a good level of stamina. When I started I probably couldn’t run 1k. I hated cross country at school and it wasn’t until I was about 29 that I started running.

I've got back into mountain biking in the past 8 weeks after doing no exercise for too long and really been smashing it, doing 50km+ a week, so don't think I could have done this at the start of the year! :o
 
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Finished the first relay leg of the Belfast City Marathon this morning. The section was 11.1km/6.9mi and started at Stormont where are government usually sits. It was the first time I've started with such a big crowd and I found it frustrating at times, having to constantly check to make sure I'm not blocking anyone only to get blocked yourself. I started around the 5-hour marathon pace section and quickly caught to the back of the 4:30hr pacers, and got stuck behind them for a bit. Managed to get past them and eventually caught and past the 4:15hr.

I'm well happy with the performance as I managed to improve my 10km time to 54:46!
https://www.strava.com/activities/2342992194

Another 10km in two weeks around the Lagan towpath and I'm thinking of doing the Belfast Half in September.
 
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A good weekend in Southampton. On the way down Saturday morning I stopped off and did Mountbatten School parkrun and then today ran Southampton Marathon. Finished in a time of 4:01:20 which am really happy with as it was a much more challenging course than Manchester where I did 3:57:55 just 4 weeks ago.
 
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A good weekend in Southampton. On the way down Saturday morning I stopped off and did Mountbatten School parkrun and then today ran Southampton Marathon. Finished in a time of 4:01:20 which am really happy with as it was a much more challenging course than Manchester where I did 3:57:55 just 4 weeks ago.

Two marathons in a month, kudos! How did you feel going into another one so soon after Manchester?
 
Soldato
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A good weekend in Southampton. On the way down Saturday morning I stopped off and did Mountbatten School parkrun and then today ran Southampton Marathon. Finished in a time of 4:01:20 which am really happy with as it was a much more challenging course than Manchester where I did 3:57:55 just 4 weeks ago.
Good work, and great times you must be well
Chuffed?
 
Soldato
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HELP

No idea what happend today
when for a normal run after work and i felt like i hit a major sugar deficiency
and i had to stop and walk back to the car


(why cant my PC spell happend?)
I normally eat something an hour or so before I run nothing too big just a banana or handful of peanuts etc, was you hungover or no had breakfast?
 
Underboss
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I normally eat something an hour or so before I run nothing too big just a banana or handful of peanuts etc, was you hungover or no had breakfast?

i run after work, i ate lunch from 1-2, finish work at 3 then go for a run, so not quite sure


i dont drink (well very rarely)
Always have a big bowl (around 100 grams or more) of porridge with a banana
 
Underboss
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now that you said about food, today i decided to do packed lunch, all i had was ham

so didn't eat enough today, the 4 ham sandwiches for lunch is what done it, i would normally buy food everyday, but today was the start of packed lunch..
need to change that !
 
Soldato
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Is the London marathon still open to enter by anyway? if not what other marathon do people recommend?

I have been running for the last four years and reguarly run about 8-10 miles three times a week. I have run two personal half marathons in the last 6 days with a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and back in March I run 104 miles for the month. I have never entered any kind of event I dont know why but I think its now time to enter one I think I would love a test of a full marathon.

I dont stick to a strict diet pretty much eat what I want it work for me and have a bowl of shreddies before any long distance run taking in water along the route. I think if im honest my biggest fear of a full marathon is needing a number two on route as my bowl movement dosnt always happen come the morning. I have had it before on less of runs where havnt gone to the toilet and I was literally running for the toilet come the end haha whats the tips to combat this?

My only concern currently is my right knee is twinging and clicking known again I was able to run second half marathon on it no pain but I think I need to rest up.
 
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Two marathons in a month, kudos! How did you feel going into another one so soon after Manchester?

Felt surprisingly good, no injury or niggles and have also lost a few lbs in weight since training for Manchester so was probably as good a time as any to do another Marathon.

Wasn’t expecting to do quite so well but yeah very happy.
 
Associate
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A good weekend in Southampton. On the way down Saturday morning I stopped off and did Mountbatten School parkrun and then today ran Southampton Marathon. Finished in a time of 4:01:20 which am really happy with as it was a much more challenging course than Manchester where I did 3:57:55 just 4 weeks ago.

Well done! It's definitely not a PB course, the weather was really good. I probably saw you finish, I was watching everyone coming in around the 4hour mark. I didn't think there were so many supporters out on the course this year, I think it started earlier in the morning and it was the bank holiday as well. I ran the first half with my wife (2:05), She did really well and finished in 4:17 not looking in the slightest bit tired.
 
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Is the London marathon still open to enter by anyway? if not what other marathon do people recommend?

No, it has closed in terms of the ballot entry (info) - typically it's open for one week only and in a change to the past few years the ballot entry opened on the day of this year's race and closed one week later so you've missed it for 2020. However there are other options if you really want to run the London Marathon in particular e.g. 1) a charity place (fundraising requirements vary but £1,500 is about the minimum I think I've seen with many asking for £2,000), 2) Good For Age - open 7-16 August 2019, you've got to have run a certain time or better in a recent marathon (this is sub 3 hours for men aged 18-39 at the moment and realistically there's more runners who can do this than places so they often reduce the times yet further), 3) if you're a member of a registered athletics club they usually get allocated places based on the numbers of registered members but may have their own requirements you've got to meet in order to be eligible for a place and 4) keep an eye out for competition places - sports companies sometimes have competitions to win a place, I think Lucozade did last year, maybe New Balance and a few more so look out for them.

In terms of other marathons it depends what time of year, where/how far you're willing to travel, how big an event you want to take part in (e.g. small field which can be fun but usually far fewer spectators and you might end up running alone for a lot of it or large field which tends to mean lots of people around you and spectators) what kind of conditions you want (e.g. flat/fast, hilly, scenic, fun. I've personally only run the Edinburgh (end of May) and Brighton marathons (mid-April) and both are good in their way, I know quite a few people who've run London and Manchester marathons - both are meant to be amazing experiences but Manchester bills itself as the flattest major marathon so should be faster all other things being equal.
 
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