Running thread

Citizen Green said:
I’ve been really into the running since last September and tend to stick to 5k which I can do in about 24:20 at my PB, I’m at a stage where I want to build to 10k and then on from there.

Slowed my 5k right down to 29mins today and felt I could carry on easily, is this the best way to go about it?

I’m also hammering the HIIT sessions to vary my cardio but strangely I don’t feel any fitter running since doing it, which I did expect to for some reason. I’m definitely fitter in relation to the HIIT as I’m doing the advanced sessions after starting on basic.

I guess my end game is to continue to trim up, I want to get to around 13% body fat & am about 15% currently, I read on here the best way was to do this was fasted runs at a pace where you can still talk, is this correct?
Click to expand...

Hill sprints mate.

Absolutely demolish body fat those bastards.
 
Could anyone explain how hill sprints work please? What gradient is needed? How far or long do you sprint for?

On my regular run, I go for half a k on the flat, then there's a steady climb of 25 metres in the next half k. Once I've laboured up that, I'm half dead. The thought of sprinting up it doesn't exactly fill me with excitement, but on the other hand, if it helped me shift a few pounds, I might be able to increase my speed slightly.
 
Paladin said:
I don't think we have all your particulars, so it's hard to offer advice.

From my own experience, I was running 5ks, then I entered the Cheshire 10k. I didn't really do any extra training, just went along and ran the 10k in 57 minutes. It wasn't that much harder than the 5k, and I was relatively fresh after it. This was around a year ago, after I'd been running for about 4 months. I was 57 at the time, weighing 13.5 stones.
Click to expand...
I am far from being an expert as I have only done one organised event / run but it somehow felt easier running in an enormous group of people.

It's a good experience
 
Paladin said:
Could anyone explain how hill sprints work please? What gradient is needed? How far or long do you sprint for?

On my regular run, I go for half a k on the flat, then there's a steady climb of 25 metres in the next half k. Once I've laboured up that, I'm half dead. The thought of sprinting up it doesn't exactly fill me with excitement, but on the other hand, if it helped me shift a few pounds, I might be able to increase my speed slightly.
Click to expand...
It's a slight misnomer as they're not really sprints as such; you'd typically be running in the region of 90% perceived effort. Basically run at not-quite-full-pelt up a hill, jog down slowly to recover and repeat.

There's no rule book on incline, distance etc, but you would of course build up gradually over time, as with all types of running and, indeed, all types of exercise. So, at first, you would do fewer repeats at a shallower gradient over a shorter distance. Those three factors would gradually change over time: quantity of repeats, incline and distance.

Contrary to popular thought, HIIT sessions like this aren't really that good at burning fat. That is, each one individual session will burn a high proportion of fat while you're doing it (which isn't for very long) and there is also what's known as 'the afterburn effect' where you continue to burn calories for a time afterwards due to the raised metabolism.

The problem is that you would only do HIIT sessions like this - typically - once per fortnight, or - at most - weekly. If you do it more frequently than that, then either you're doing it wrong or you are inevitably going to damage yourself (injury or burnout) which will affect the rest of your aerobic exercise on other days (and that's where fat is really burnt). Even in the latter case, one workout per week like this isn't going to cause any significant weight loss.

Hill HIIT sessions are worth doing - infrequently - as they are great for speed and strength, but I wouldn't be under the illusion that it's a short cut to fat loss.
 
Stuuuuuu said:
It's a slight misnomer as they're not really sprints as such; you'd typically be running in the region of 90% perceived effort. Basically run at not-quite-full-pelt up a hill, jog down slowly to recover and repeat.

There's no rule book on incline, distance etc, but you would of course build up gradually over time, as with all types of running and, indeed, all types of exercise. So, at first, you would do fewer repeats at a shallower gradient over a shorter distance. Those three factors would gradually change over time: quantity of repeats, incline and distance.

Contrary to popular thought, HIIT sessions like this aren't really that good at burning fat. That is, each one individual session will burn a high proportion of fat while you're doing it (which isn't for very long) and there is also what's known as 'the afterburn effect' where you continue to burn calories for a time afterwards due to the raised metabolism.

The problem is that you would only do HIIT sessions like this - typically - once per fortnight, or - at most - weekly. If you do it more frequently than that, then either you're doing it wrong or you are inevitably going to damage yourself (injury or burnout) which will affect the rest of your aerobic exercise on other days (and that's where fat is really burnt). Even in the latter case, one workout per week like this isn't going to cause any significant weight loss.

Hill HIIT sessions are worth doing - infrequently - as they are great for speed and strength, but I wouldn't be under the illusion that it's a short cut to fat loss.
Click to expand...

I do hill sprints 3x a week and my fitness has gone through the roof.

No burn out at all, just feeling great.

And in my case, long slow runs do very little for me in terms of fat burning.

The hills have absolutely battered it.
 
After doing very little running for so long, I ran just over 80k in two weeks according to my runtastic app and then my knees decided they weren’t playing ball.

So for the last week I’ve not done any runs as it felt like constant toothache in the front of both knees but this morning they both feel painless again.

How long should I give them before running again or am I good to go? It was the only thing keeping my somewhat sane. Also my Pegasus Turbos have now arrived and they are the bounciest things I’ve ever worn and I’m desperate to get some miles into them.
 
Last edited:
SWP's back said:
After doing very little running for so long, I ran just over 80k in two weeks according to my runtastic app and then my knees decided they weren’t playing ball.

So for the last week I’ve not done any runs as it felt like constant toothache in the front of both knees but this morning they both feel painless again.

How long should I give them before running again or am I good to go? It was the only thing keeping my somewhat sane. Also my Pegasus Turbos have now arrived and they are the bounciest things I’ve ever worn and I’m desperate to get some miles into them.
Click to expand...
I always find any pain in my knees is when I’ve cut down the running, the more frequently I’m out the less I feel! I’d keep at it but just vary the speed and distance.
As for the new shoes, I can’t wear anything with too much cushioning, I need to almost feel the surface under my feet for some reason, only had some minor injuries and they seem to have been when wearing a more cushioned shoe.
 
Haha. I know where your at! I staggered through our garden gate, and collapsed into a garden bench the other day, after I completed my 14 mile run. My wife said she thought I was going to die!
 
inchy14 said:
Did a outdoor stair session today. 90 stairs a go.

1 mile warm up run to stairs.
5 x sprinting up 1 step at a time.
5 x sprinting up 2 steps at a time.
3 x jumping up 3 steps at a time.
1 mile cool down.

Legs were like jelly after the final set of jumps, thought I was going to puke!!
Click to expand...

Where was this mate?

I fancy giving that a blast.
 
Still have sore ribs since flipping off a skateboard last week...probably broke a rib or two. Ran last night and was a bit sore on impact but lovely running in the evening at the moment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top