Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running
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Soldato
A lot colder out there today than i was expecting. Kind of wish i'd dressed warmed.
Also because it was cold i decided on a route change which took me over some fields on the thinking that itd be frozen and so wouldn't ruin my road trainers. I was wrong
@Dup Great run, glad you got those extra few miles in. Some stunning pictures too! No snow at all over this way, but hoping for some on the moors tomorrow.
How was your fitness? Seemed slow for you, even i could've kept up!
Also because it was cold i decided on a route change which took me over some fields on the thinking that itd be frozen and so wouldn't ruin my road trainers. I was wrong
@Dup Great run, glad you got those extra few miles in. Some stunning pictures too! No snow at all over this way, but hoping for some on the moors tomorrow.
How was your fitness? Seemed slow for you, even i could've kept up!
Soldato
Yeah, the ice wasn't as thick as I'd hoped in places. I had wet feet almost from the outset
We've had loads of snow, usually it's just reserved on higher ground although the next town over didn't have much. Legs were flagging the last 3 miles, my fitness has been awful due to gluttony and just not getting out end of last year. Properly fed up, had to force myself yesterday and just decided to aim big. I was slow due to some wayfinding as some places had strict signs warning you off but the routes were hidden in the snow, plus there's a gun toting nutter who forbids you going near Blacko Tower so I was more careful. Add in ice and takinging photos and it just added the extra to my already slow pace.
Main thing is I really enjoyed it and glad I did it. It's raining here again so it's back to dismal smaller runs, was hoping the snow stick around a while but I can look forward to planning another one this Friday
How's your run gone today?
Does anyone here track weekly ascent as well as distance?
Last year I hit my target of 2020km in 2020, and noticed I'd done that with about 40,000m ascent over the year. Am starting to put a bit more focus on that side of things as really enjoy hitting the hills.
Last year I hit my target of 2020km in 2020, and noticed I'd done that with about 40,000m ascent over the year. Am starting to put a bit more focus on that side of things as really enjoy hitting the hills.
Soldato
Christ. 40,000m is massive! My Strava shows 75,000ft which is about 25,000m with a similar distance to you.
I’ve set a Strava goal for 100,000ft for 2021 to go along with my 1300 miles. It seems after 16 days I’m slightly ahead of target. Wooo go me!
@Dup today’s run was ok but I struggled. My wife was meant to be meeting a friend for a walk which kept being delayed and then cancelled around 1pm so I just headed out then with little enthusiasm. The curse of being down to a single car!
I followed the Rossendale Way for a few miles and was loving it but with the heavy rain it was constant mud so very slippy and a killer on the legs as every step you’re just sticking into the mud and really having to pull your feet up. Especially when running along a 30 degree slope and so your always at risk of slipping.
Was really windy too which made it tough in some sections and I ended up slower than I’d have liked. The positive was the last half mile or so on tarmac back to the car and I was down around 9min/mile which is a usual pace for me so even after a toughish run I felt well recovered quickly and shows fitness isn’t bad, was just the conditions.
Only ended up doing 9 miles when I’d have liked to do 16, but the sun was dropping and I had no torch so cut it well short. Tomorrow I’m aiming for some brutal hill reps on a little stretch I found yesterday.
Main downside is pain in my left foot. I’m not sure if it’s the plantar fascia tendon or just bruising just behind the ball of my foot as it’s an odd feeling. It’s a manageable niggly pain so far so I’m trying to just keep an eye on it and hope it doesn’t get worse.
I’ve set a Strava goal for 100,000ft for 2021 to go along with my 1300 miles. It seems after 16 days I’m slightly ahead of target. Wooo go me!
@Dup today’s run was ok but I struggled. My wife was meant to be meeting a friend for a walk which kept being delayed and then cancelled around 1pm so I just headed out then with little enthusiasm. The curse of being down to a single car!
I followed the Rossendale Way for a few miles and was loving it but with the heavy rain it was constant mud so very slippy and a killer on the legs as every step you’re just sticking into the mud and really having to pull your feet up. Especially when running along a 30 degree slope and so your always at risk of slipping.
Was really windy too which made it tough in some sections and I ended up slower than I’d have liked. The positive was the last half mile or so on tarmac back to the car and I was down around 9min/mile which is a usual pace for me so even after a toughish run I felt well recovered quickly and shows fitness isn’t bad, was just the conditions.
Only ended up doing 9 miles when I’d have liked to do 16, but the sun was dropping and I had no torch so cut it well short. Tomorrow I’m aiming for some brutal hill reps on a little stretch I found yesterday.
Main downside is pain in my left foot. I’m not sure if it’s the plantar fascia tendon or just bruising just behind the ball of my foot as it’s an odd feeling. It’s a manageable niggly pain so far so I’m trying to just keep an eye on it and hope it doesn’t get worse.
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Try running anywhere in Cornwall. You go three foot up/down for every foot forwards... (maybe slight exaggeration)
Soldato
I went out for my fourth run of the year yesterday.
Since getting back into it after not having done any running since June last year, my shins are struggling!
I did manage to do 4KM in 28 minutes though, which I’m happy about
Quickest ever pace for me over 3KM
Since getting back into it after not having done any running since June last year, my shins are struggling!
I did manage to do 4KM in 28 minutes though, which I’m happy about
Quickest ever pace for me over 3KM
Soldato
131,000 ft over ~1k miles. That can't be right! My stats from 2021 are such a disappointment, 684.3 mi and 40,440 ft. 105 of those miles was that Lakeland week long challenge
- I really need to up my game this year and fill in the gaps in my consistency. Gets boring without raced to work towards but just getting out this house is enough excuse at the moment.Is Strava Premium worth it above just supporting the platform as it is?
Sounds like you had a struggle but that's part of hitting the trails. The second a foot gets wet I just go with it and get stuck in but the wind is what kills the fun and makes it a chore. It can rain/slow/thunder & lightning and I'm care-free but the wind can do one. That's what killed off my Yorkshire Three attempt, I was so wet the wind was just freezing me at the summit of Whernside and killed my energy trying to make progress. Without it, it would have been a breeze. Plan to go back in the spring if we're not restricted. I can see them from here but not quite ethical driving over there given the restrictions at the moment.
Main thing is you still had your fitness on the return leg and it was just an off day, mountains aren't going anywhere as they say (I taske it hard when I don't complete what I set out to do). Foot issue sounds odd, have you tried a run in some cushioned road shoes to compare with your trail shoes to see if that helps? Tendon would likely fee lthe same and bruising less so, but I'm just guessing.
I went out for my fourth run of the year yesterday.
Since getting back into it after not having done any running since June last year, my shins are struggling!
I did manage to do 4KM in 28 minutes though, which I’m happy about
Quickest ever pace for me over 3KM
Nice one on getting back on it
Make sure to stick to a comfortable pace if you've got some discomfort. You might find you end up making it worse which can put you off running killing your motivation. I find it's est to save the quicker pace till after you've got some slower run in during the week. Well I say that, I rarely put the effort in as I run during my dinner breaks.
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Soldato
I find compression socks help my calves too, so they must do something!
I ended up not going out on Sunday (or yesterday), just keep resting my foot, it also seems to have moved over to my right foot a little too, really unsure what it can be. I use cushioned trainers for the roads and they're the same. Will see how it goes today.
@Dup, i mainly took up Strava Premium because i liked the monthly graphs they introduced into the free version and then moved behind the paywall. It wasn't much but i always found it really useful, however the main thing for me now is the routing. They've put a lot of work into it, so now i can click on routes. It knows where i am and offers me suggestions for distance, flat/hilly and terrain. I enter the criteria and it'll auto-create a route for me based on my criteria. It's very handy when you're away from home and aren't sure where to run.
They usually have a few months free trial so i'd give it a go. I always prefer they've now streamlined it away from all the individual packs and just have a single premium package. If they ever put the price up i think i'd struggle to justify it, but for ~£4 a month i can cope.
There are cheaper ways too i think, which involve messing around with VPN's, i've not tried it though. This shows as expired but not sure if something similar would still work.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/st...n-for-ps1658-via-brazilian-vpn-server-3571380
I ended up not going out on Sunday (or yesterday), just keep resting my foot, it also seems to have moved over to my right foot a little too, really unsure what it can be. I use cushioned trainers for the roads and they're the same. Will see how it goes today.
@Dup, i mainly took up Strava Premium because i liked the monthly graphs they introduced into the free version and then moved behind the paywall. It wasn't much but i always found it really useful, however the main thing for me now is the routing. They've put a lot of work into it, so now i can click on routes. It knows where i am and offers me suggestions for distance, flat/hilly and terrain. I enter the criteria and it'll auto-create a route for me based on my criteria. It's very handy when you're away from home and aren't sure where to run.
They usually have a few months free trial so i'd give it a go. I always prefer they've now streamlined it away from all the individual packs and just have a single premium package. If they ever put the price up i think i'd struggle to justify it, but for ~£4 a month i can cope.
There are cheaper ways too i think, which involve messing around with VPN's, i've not tried it though. This shows as expired but not sure if something similar would still work.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/st...n-for-ps1658-via-brazilian-vpn-server-3571380
Associate
GPS isn't always great at vertical ascent. My current watch has a pressure sensor in it and that is supposed to help a lot with the vertical figures. However, it is utter rubbish. My local 10K that i tend to default to keeps showing over 220M of ascent. If i let Strava (and Garmin Connect) calculate the ascent it comes out to slightly less than half that (94m seems to come up often)
So, can I use this as an excuse for getting a new watch?
(Not that i necessarily need one, but more for research purposes you understand )
So, can I use this as an excuse for getting a new watch?
(Not that i necessarily need one, but more for research purposes you understand )
Soldato
Haha i'm not sure that alone counts! My watch also has a pressure sensor and Garmin disables GPS based ascent. I assume it's more accurate but like you i don't really have a clue.
I suppose other than calculating it using an OS type map there's no way to know!
I suppose other than calculating it using an OS type map there's no way to know!
Associate
If you look at the activity in Garmin connect, on the right hand side there is a picture of the watch. Underneath that, it shows "Elev Corrections" if you have a barometer, it shows disabled by default. Change it to "Enabled" and you will get a new altitude figure based on the map data rather than what the watch claims.
Soldato
Ah, i rarely use the Connect website to look at runs so hadn't noticed that (or at least hadn't paid attention to it)
I see what you mean though. My watch reported 450m for this run and with Corrections it comes to 300m
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/6116951032
I'm gonna stick with my watch because it makes it look like i've done more
Would be interesting to know which is correct though. I assume anything barometric would be affected by weather? I suppose the only way would be to run an event and see which match up with the course stats?
I see what you mean though. My watch reported 450m for this run and with Corrections it comes to 300m
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/6116951032
I'm gonna stick with my watch because it makes it look like i've done more
Would be interesting to know which is correct though. I assume anything barometric would be affected by weather? I suppose the only way would be to run an event and see which match up with the course stats?
Associate
Indeed. Watch measured 240 or something like that. Connect says 120 and Strava said 96M on that run.
I still just have my phone on me so imagine that's midly accurate.
Speaking of watches, what exactly can a running watch offer apart from the basics like GPS, HR and altitude? Can you preset them with desired times to have reminders if you lag behind on the pace, etc? Imagine like most tech watches they are also as good as their software.
I'm still poor so not sure I can justify one for the amount I run, seen Garming Forerunner pop up for around £130 which is probably the max I would spend on one.
Speaking of watches, what exactly can a running watch offer apart from the basics like GPS, HR and altitude? Can you preset them with desired times to have reminders if you lag behind on the pace, etc? Imagine like most tech watches they are also as good as their software.
I'm still poor so not sure I can justify one for the amount I run, seen Garming Forerunner pop up for around £130 which is probably the max I would spend on one.
Soldato
I'll hold my hand up and admit i don't use mine for a lot of the things it's capable of. However i'm not a fan of running with my phone, especially with how big phones are these days and i'm actively trying to minimize that by having an old phone before they exploded in size! So i like that i can record runs and listen to music without carrying that.
My Garmin does have pacing strategies which you can set up. So if you're doing a marathon you can enter timings for each split and it'll tell you where you are in relation to the plan. It's quite good in that you can enter your expected pace and then adjust depending on positive/negative splits.
You can also set up training workouts, so can have prompts to sprint for intervals, take rest periods etc.
I also sometimes set alerts for certain HR/Pace ranges. If i want an easy Zone 2 run, i can set up HR alerts for when my HR falls outside a predefined range.
One of the biggest benefits for me is the mapping, i like creating routes and then having my watch prompt me where i'm going.
Other things i guess are being able to just glance down at your wrist to see pace/distance etc rather than having to take your phone out of your pocket.
When paddleboarding, then it will also give me stroke rates which i suppose a phone wouldn't pick up.
Out of the above, i'm not sure what my Fenix 6X Pro does that something like the Forerunner range wouldn't do. I just got carried away
I suppose the other thing is battery life, my iphone would probably die on some of my longer runs if i was asking it to constantly track GPS. My watch will last for ages.
Then there's the other benefits in that "it's a watch and tells the time", and other smart watch things like tracks steps, give phone notifications etc
That's not worded very well and more a case of me jotting down thoughts. I don't think i'd want to be without a watch for exercise now having used one, but i accept others may have different opinions.
My Garmin does have pacing strategies which you can set up. So if you're doing a marathon you can enter timings for each split and it'll tell you where you are in relation to the plan. It's quite good in that you can enter your expected pace and then adjust depending on positive/negative splits.
You can also set up training workouts, so can have prompts to sprint for intervals, take rest periods etc.
I also sometimes set alerts for certain HR/Pace ranges. If i want an easy Zone 2 run, i can set up HR alerts for when my HR falls outside a predefined range.
One of the biggest benefits for me is the mapping, i like creating routes and then having my watch prompt me where i'm going.
Other things i guess are being able to just glance down at your wrist to see pace/distance etc rather than having to take your phone out of your pocket.
When paddleboarding, then it will also give me stroke rates which i suppose a phone wouldn't pick up.
Out of the above, i'm not sure what my Fenix 6X Pro does that something like the Forerunner range wouldn't do. I just got carried away
I suppose the other thing is battery life, my iphone would probably die on some of my longer runs if i was asking it to constantly track GPS. My watch will last for ages.
Then there's the other benefits in that "it's a watch and tells the time", and other smart watch things like tracks steps, give phone notifications etc
That's not worded very well and more a case of me jotting down thoughts. I don't think i'd want to be without a watch for exercise now having used one, but i accept others may have different opinions.
Yeah I'm not questioning their existence just see if they can do much in my use case. In fact I even have a Galaxy Active lying around that I hated right away and didn't use for more than 2 days
Think for now since most of my runs are not longer than 10km and mostly civilised routes, getting one is probably an overkill. Although I suppose I could also use it on my hikes once they let us all out but just continue using what I have, maybe consider it if this HR chest strap ever dies.
Think for now since most of my runs are not longer than 10km and mostly civilised routes, getting one is probably an overkill. Although I suppose I could also use it on my hikes once they let us all out but just continue using what I have, maybe consider it if this HR chest strap ever dies.