Can we talk about running?

[pubrunner]

Different problem for me. Gut pains whilst running after Xmas. It’s meant next to no running or cycling.
Went to the Doc and she sent me to the local walk in centre for a scan. They found a ‘defect’, small hernia. Strangely on the opposite side to where most of the pain was, but they said there may be one there too, just they can’t see it.

I've every sympathy for you.

I had a hernia op., about 10 years ago. At the time, I was really 'going well' with regard to my running - I was getting placed in (admittedly minor) fell races and regularly running around 17 minutes for 5K.

After the hernia op (which was done by the 'old-fashioned method - non-keyhole), it took me months before I was back running, and I've never regained that level of fitness - partly due to the birth of my son and such calls on my time.

Best of luck and hopefully, you'll be back running soon.

 

[rich p]

I've every sympathy for you.

I had a hernia op., about 10 years ago. At the time, I was really 'going well' with regard to my running - I was getting placed in (admittedly minor) fell races and regularly running around 17 minutes for 5K.

After the hernia op (which was done by the 'old-fashioned method - non-keyhole), it took me months before I was back running, and I've never regained that level of fitness - partly due to the birth of my son and such calls on my time.

Best of luck and hopefully, you'll be back running soon.

Was it a C Section then , Pubby?

 

[pubrunner]

Was it a C Section then , Pubby ?

Indeed it was . . . . . . . and not only did my running go downhill, but my capacity for real ale & guinness also diminished.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Well, I'm back in Tokyo now until the end of next April. I went out for my first track training session with the Namban Rengo running club last night, down at the Oda Field next to Tange Kenzo's still marvellous 1964 Olympic stadia - in my view, still the best Olympics venues ever built. There's nothing like running alongside great Olympic architecture to get you going! The Oda Field was originally the practice arena for those Olympics. What's amazing is that it is still entirely public and free (including showers and lockers).

There were a lot of clubs out training, inclduing the Tokyo University sprint team and a competitive walking club, but it still all functioned okay - probably because Tokyo people are so used to doing the best with very crowded spaces. And our club is big too: around 50 people turned out last night. We split into A and B groups, with A being people who aim at 4-minute kilometres or better. I had been intending to join the B group as I am still a long way from fully fit, but then I thought what's the point of aiming low? I should start as I mean to go on. So I joined the A group for 6 x 1000m intervals followed by an intense abs workout. Phew! I kept up fine as it happened and was in the middle of the group, and I felt good today on the morning after.

I like the training schedule a lot. Next week is 3 x 1200, 2 x 1000, then a 400. Week 3 is: 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 800, 600. Week 4 is 12 x 400 (ow, ow, ow... this will hurt most because I am certainly not a sprinter), and the the last Wednesday of the month is a 5km time trial.

Anyway, every Wednesday evening in Tokyo, this is what I'll be doing. I am also running a 5km road loop four mornings a week, increased to either 7.5 or 10km on Saturday and a fast 25-50km riveride bike ride on the Sunday (on my Brompton!). Added together, I should be back to racing fitness - and hopefully race weight - by the autumn, and probably better than I was before.

As a reward, I also checked out my first craft beer bar in Tokyo afterwards, but that's another story... (see the Beer thread in the Café).

 

[Arsen Gere]

I'm not the fastest runner but can do a respectable 19 min 5k and around 40 min 10k. But at a standard distance tri recently I won the vet 50 swim, the v50 bike section and was beaten by 8 minutes on the run ! The fastest run split was done by a vet 50. These some of these old blokes can really shift.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I jogged 13k in an hour yesterday and felt very relaxed, and was doing successive 3.45 kilometres in training on Wednesday, so I think I am getting fitness back much quicker than anticipated - certainly dropping the weight fast too.

 

[rich p]

That's good going FM.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

That's good going FM.

Cheers, rich. I guess we'll find out how fast I'm really going in the 5k time trial at the end of the month... I am not looking foward to the 12 x 400s tomorrow night, though. I don't know how it will be paced - same medium-fast speed every time or moderate alternating with fast...

 

[rich p]

Cheers, rich. I guess we'll find out how fast I'm really going in the 5k time trial at the end of the month... I am not looking foward to the 12 x 400s tomorrow night, though. I don't know how it will be paced - same medium-fast speed every time or moderate alternating with fast...

God, you're bringing it all back in a not so nice way!
I used to do the track session with Btn & Hove AC once a week. It was always about the same total distance but varied seasonally in the mix of short and long intervals. I hated the 100s and 200s sessions with a vengeance. The winter, 400, 600, 800 mix were more my style. Whatever, they always ended with a mile 'race' where I used to make my gums bleed. Seems nuts to me now!
Are you building up to a tri or is running the end result? My running was purely for racing - I was a crap swimmer and I hadn't discovered cycling.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Are you building up to a tri or is running the end result? My running was purely for racing - I was a crap swimmer and I hadn't discovered cycling.

This year, I am only aiming to do a few 10ks, half-marathons and 'ekiden' - road relays, which are very popular in Japan. I am probably not doing any tri's. Too much hassle in terms of the organisation plus I don't have my tri bike here. However, next year, I will certainly be doing tri again, and hopefully as a much better runner. But I need to start swimming again too...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

400s are hard. We were aiming for 80 second 400s, with about the same time in between each lap. Of course everyone went off faster in the first two (I did 79 and 76!) and from then on it was 81s and then 83s, until the last of the twelve when I finally dipped under 80 again. Bear in mind that this is also in Tokyo which is still near 30 degrees and 70% humidity in the evening... I think I can probably run consistent sub-80 laps if I keep this up. Next week is the 5k TT... I am aiming for as near to 18 minutes as I can get, but I will be happy with under 19.

 

[rich p]

I reckon you'll do 17.56

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I reckon you'll do 17.56

That would mean running consistent (or at least averaged) 86 second laps. I'd be astounded if I managed that.

 

[Crackle]

I reckon you'll do 17.56

I could do 16.64

 

[rich p]

That would mean running consistent (or at least averaged) 86 second laps. I'd be astounded if I managed that.

Your training times sound similar to mine, back in the day, and I used to do 36-37 min 10Ks with a best of 34.53. Maybe stamina will play a part and that sort of heat but for 5km, maybe! I'm thinking positive!