A Running Question
Discussion
Hi everyone 
I am looking for some advice about running times and realistic goals. I'll begin the story, 18 months ago whilst running a half marathon I had a sharp pain in my right knee, which stupidly i ignored. This pain then became a major problem over the last 4 miles and i ended up being driven home. I later found out that I had tares in my medial ligament and lateral ligament. To cut a long story short it has taken me 18 months to get back to a decent fitness level and to have no pain.
Before the injury i was training to do a sub 40 min 10k and then hopefully onto a 1:25 half marathon. My PB's for 10k pre injury was 41.25 and 1.32.10 for a half marathon. I would like to push for this again but i am not sure if pushing my self too far before is what caused the injury. How realistic is this as a goal? Is there anyone on here who has done this?
Any advice would be great.
Apologies for the essay
I am looking for some advice about running times and realistic goals. I'll begin the story, 18 months ago whilst running a half marathon I had a sharp pain in my right knee, which stupidly i ignored. This pain then became a major problem over the last 4 miles and i ended up being driven home. I later found out that I had tares in my medial ligament and lateral ligament. To cut a long story short it has taken me 18 months to get back to a decent fitness level and to have no pain.
Before the injury i was training to do a sub 40 min 10k and then hopefully onto a 1:25 half marathon. My PB's for 10k pre injury was 41.25 and 1.32.10 for a half marathon. I would like to push for this again but i am not sure if pushing my self too far before is what caused the injury. How realistic is this as a goal? Is there anyone on here who has done this?
Any advice would be great.
Apologies for the essay
greggers said:
Has everything fully recovered now, what sort of times/distances are you running at the moment.
Everything is fully recovered and I have been given the go ahead from my physio to start pushing it and giving 100% again. I am running 5 - 10 miles atm regularly and focusing on the 10k aspect of things. My last timed run was 5 miles at 34.12 i stupidly didn't time my last 10k practice.Edit: I forgot to mention a 7min/mile is quite comfortable.
Edited by Fergie87 on Friday 24th June 16:00
Edited by Fergie87 on Friday 24th June 16:03
Not sure what specific advice you're after, so have a read of the generic stuff below and I'll try to answer any other questions.
Can your body handle stepping up the training? Only you can answer that but there are ways to mitigate the risks of further injury.
Firstly, make sure you've got a decent pair(s) of running shoes that work well for your gait and be aware that your footstrike may have changed after your injury - get checked out by a specialist running shop and replace shoes after 500 miles or so.
Secondly, try to avoid doing all your miles on road. Even gravel paths offer slightly less impact than tarmac/pavement but ideally you should find some offroad routes and/or grass to run on. Playing fields are good for this but I do many of my miles along the footpaths and bridleways rather than the roads around here. One thing to remember with this is that you will run a bit slower but the aerobic effort will remain high.
Thirdly, consider booking a sports massage every few weeks to get any minor niggles sorted out and to act as an early warning of any more serious problems developing. If the physio suggests any extra exercises to focus on strengthening specific muscles, do what they say! (I'm rubbish at this!
).
What sort of training to do? All depends on how much time you can devote to it. For me, the core of a training week should be one intervals session, one tempo run and one long run with other steady/easy runs interspersed around them. Interval pace should be at or above target race pace, tempo pace should be the pace you can maintain for 10 miles or so, long run pace slower but for longer obviously.
However my top training tip is to join your local running/athletics club. That will give you access to qualified coaches and like-minded people to run with. It's amazing how much easier doing 5 x 1 mile intervals is when you've got others suffering around you too
HTH
Ewen (67:33 Half, 30:50 10k, returning from achilles injury (and new fatherhood!))
Edit: Link to The Running Thread
Can your body handle stepping up the training? Only you can answer that but there are ways to mitigate the risks of further injury.
Firstly, make sure you've got a decent pair(s) of running shoes that work well for your gait and be aware that your footstrike may have changed after your injury - get checked out by a specialist running shop and replace shoes after 500 miles or so.
Secondly, try to avoid doing all your miles on road. Even gravel paths offer slightly less impact than tarmac/pavement but ideally you should find some offroad routes and/or grass to run on. Playing fields are good for this but I do many of my miles along the footpaths and bridleways rather than the roads around here. One thing to remember with this is that you will run a bit slower but the aerobic effort will remain high.
Thirdly, consider booking a sports massage every few weeks to get any minor niggles sorted out and to act as an early warning of any more serious problems developing. If the physio suggests any extra exercises to focus on strengthening specific muscles, do what they say! (I'm rubbish at this!
).What sort of training to do? All depends on how much time you can devote to it. For me, the core of a training week should be one intervals session, one tempo run and one long run with other steady/easy runs interspersed around them. Interval pace should be at or above target race pace, tempo pace should be the pace you can maintain for 10 miles or so, long run pace slower but for longer obviously.
However my top training tip is to join your local running/athletics club. That will give you access to qualified coaches and like-minded people to run with. It's amazing how much easier doing 5 x 1 mile intervals is when you've got others suffering around you too
HTH
Ewen (67:33 Half, 30:50 10k, returning from achilles injury (and new fatherhood!))
Edit: Link to The Running Thread
Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 28th June 08:40
ewenm said:
Not sure what specific advice you're after, so have a read of the generic stuff below and I'll try to answer any other questions.
Can your body handle stepping up the training? Only you can answer that but there are ways to mitigate the risks of further injury.
Firstly, make sure you've got a decent pair(s) of running shoes that work well for your gait and be aware that your footstrike may have changed after your injury - get checked out by a specialist running shop and replace shoes after 500 miles or so.
Secondly, try to avoid doing all your miles on road. Even gravel paths offer slightly less impact than tarmac/pavement but ideally you should find some offroad routes and/or grass to run on. Playing fields are good for this but I do many of my miles along the footpaths and bridleways rather than the roads around here. One thing to remember with this is that you will run a bit slower but the aerobic effort will remain high.
Thirdly, consider booking a sports massage every few weeks to get any minor niggles sorted out and to act as an early warning of any more serious problems developing. If the physio suggests any extra exercises to focus on strengthening specific muscles, do what they say! (I'm rubbish at this!).
What sort of training to do? All depends on how much time you can devote to it. For me, the core of a training week should be one intervals session, one tempo run and one long run with other steady/easy runs interspersed around them. Interval pace should be at or above target race pace, tempo pace should be the pace you can maintain for 10 miles or so, long run pace slower but for longer obviously.
However my top training tip is to join your local running/athletics club. That will give you access to qualified coaches and like-minded people to run with. It's amazing how much easier doing 5 x 1 mile intervals is when you've got others suffering around you too
HTH
Ewen (67:33 Half, 30:50 10k, returning from achilles injury (and new fatherhood!))
Edit: Link to The Running Thread
Thanks a lot for the advice its pretty much was what I was after, just a general overview on improving after an injury. I was looking at joining my local running club but unfortunately they meet while I am working.Can your body handle stepping up the training? Only you can answer that but there are ways to mitigate the risks of further injury.
Firstly, make sure you've got a decent pair(s) of running shoes that work well for your gait and be aware that your footstrike may have changed after your injury - get checked out by a specialist running shop and replace shoes after 500 miles or so.
Secondly, try to avoid doing all your miles on road. Even gravel paths offer slightly less impact than tarmac/pavement but ideally you should find some offroad routes and/or grass to run on. Playing fields are good for this but I do many of my miles along the footpaths and bridleways rather than the roads around here. One thing to remember with this is that you will run a bit slower but the aerobic effort will remain high.
Thirdly, consider booking a sports massage every few weeks to get any minor niggles sorted out and to act as an early warning of any more serious problems developing. If the physio suggests any extra exercises to focus on strengthening specific muscles, do what they say! (I'm rubbish at this!
).What sort of training to do? All depends on how much time you can devote to it. For me, the core of a training week should be one intervals session, one tempo run and one long run with other steady/easy runs interspersed around them. Interval pace should be at or above target race pace, tempo pace should be the pace you can maintain for 10 miles or so, long run pace slower but for longer obviously.
However my top training tip is to join your local running/athletics club. That will give you access to qualified coaches and like-minded people to run with. It's amazing how much easier doing 5 x 1 mile intervals is when you've got others suffering around you too
HTH
Ewen (67:33 Half, 30:50 10k, returning from achilles injury (and new fatherhood!))
Edit: Link to The Running Thread
Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 28th June 08:40
The times at the bottom of your post are remarkable. I mean I feel like my world is ending when I try an keep a consistant 6.30min/mile.
How long have you been running for and was you naturally quick?
Cheers
Adam
Fergie87 said:
How long have you been running for and was you naturally quick?
I started running at secondary school aged 11 (I was a runty young teenager, so no good for the rugby team) and have been competing at various levels for 23 years now.Naturally quick? Not really in athletics terms - anything below 1500m has always been too fast for me, but naturally suited to longer distances definitely, being a thin streak of nothing
ewenm said:
Fergie87 said:
How long have you been running for and was you naturally quick?
I started running at secondary school aged 11 (I was a runty young teenager, so no good for the rugby team) and have been competing at various levels for 23 years now.Naturally quick? Not really in athletics terms - anything below 1500m has always been too fast for me, but naturally suited to longer distances definitely, being a thin streak of nothing
I have always been naturally thin and definately built for running. I hated it when I was younger though and despite being good at it I would have to be forced to do it. Despite the bad memories of cross country I now love it. I want to be able to make it to my dads standards when he was my age(23) which is 16min(5k) 33min(10k) and just over 1h10(half). HOw realistic do you think this is for an average person?
Sorry about the lots of questions
Realistic if you're prepared to put the work in, 16min for 5k needs hard work as well as natural talent (that it sounds like you have).
For those goals, I'd aim for the 5k target first, so getting the legs used to the speed and then build the endurance pace for the other targets. Those targets also make me recommend even more strongly that you find others to train with as you're getting into decent club athlete territory. Where are you based? What hours do you work?
For those goals, I'd aim for the 5k target first, so getting the legs used to the speed and then build the endurance pace for the other targets. Those targets also make me recommend even more strongly that you find others to train with as you're getting into decent club athlete territory. Where are you based? What hours do you work?
ewenm said:
Realistic if you're prepared to put the work in, 16min for 5k needs hard work as well as natural talent (that it sounds like you have).
For those goals, I'd aim for the 5k target first, so getting the legs used to the speed and then build the endurance pace for the other targets. Those targets also make me recommend even more strongly that you find others to train with as you're getting into decent club athlete territory. Where are you based? What hours do you work?
Im based in Gravesend, Kent and unfortunately work a lot of hours mon-fri 6am-6pm usually, sometimes more if needed. I would love to join the club I just don't want to be one of these part time unreliable members. For those goals, I'd aim for the 5k target first, so getting the legs used to the speed and then build the endurance pace for the other targets. Those targets also make me recommend even more strongly that you find others to train with as you're getting into decent club athlete territory. Where are you based? What hours do you work?
So ideally I should be looking to get my times down in 5k and then work at the endurance to mirror the performance in 10k.
Fergie87 said:
Im based in Gravesend, Kent and unfortunately work a lot of hours mon-fri 6am-6pm usually, sometimes more if needed. I would love to join the club I just don't want to be one of these part time unreliable members.
So ideally I should be looking to get my times down in 5k and then work at the endurance to mirror the performance in 10k.
You won't be able to run a 33min 10k without being able to run 16min 5k and it's generally easier to build to running at 3:12 per km for 5k than it is to 3:18 per km for 10k. The endurance side of it will take longer to build up than the speed so you start both at the same time but will see the 5k results sooner (probably! So ideally I should be looking to get my times down in 5k and then work at the endurance to mirror the performance in 10k.
). Obviously you'll need to build up to that sort of pace in the reps anyway.Just once a week at the club to do a speed session with them would be good (and don't worry, they won't be offended that you don't turn up to every club night). I find I get the most benefit from doing my fastest work with others and can get the tempo/steady/easy/long stuff done on my own.
ewenm said:
You won't be able to run a 33min 10k without being able to run 16min 5k and it's generally easier to build to running at 3:12 per km for 5k than it is to 3:18 per km for 10k. The endurance side of it will take longer to build up than the speed so you start both at the same time but will see the 5k results sooner (probably! ). Obviously you'll need to build up to that sort of pace in the reps anyway.
Just once a week at the club to do a speed session with them would be good (and don't worry, they won't be offended that you don't turn up to every club night). I find I get the most benefit from doing my fastest work with others and can get the tempo/steady/easy/long stuff done on my own.
Everytime i look at the times i just think how much my legs ache to get under 4 min/k, how the hell are my legs going to go that fast ). Obviously you'll need to build up to that sort of pace in the reps anyway.Just once a week at the club to do a speed session with them would be good (and don't worry, they won't be offended that you don't turn up to every club night). I find I get the most benefit from doing my fastest work with others and can get the tempo/steady/easy/long stuff done on my own.
Joking aside that seems like the way forward I am going to go to my local club on thursday and hopefully utilise their experience.
Thanks for your help.
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