Results tagged “running” from Birmingham Mail - Road Runner

Since returning from Iraq I have stepped up the aim of building up my speed and have decided not to focus on my long distance endurance.

I ran a PB at the very flat Fradley 10k two weeks ago, in a time of 49.34, but now I'm hungry to get below the 45 minute mark.

I think I'm going to try some fast 5km runs and build in some fartlek training.

Hannah and I are planning to do the Milton Keynes Half Marathon in July and the Birmingham Mail Half Marathon in October.
Both should be a lot of fun but I'm certainly not looking forward to making the transition to the longer distance later in the season.

My next race is the Birmingham Mail 5km Fun Run on May 3. You can find out more info here.
It was a lot of fun last year and I'd recommend it to anybody, no matter what running level.

In the meantime, can anybody recommend a 10km race to keep me going?

After a six month break from training I've entered myself for a 10k race.

And to help me stay motivated four of my colleagues are also going to run it too.
The event of choice is the Fradley 10k which promises to be perfect for running a PB.

It's a flat two-lap course - perfect for the first race of the season.

The only thing that could scupper this gentle opener is the weather, and with the recent cold blast I'm discounting nothing.

Even now the footpaths and parks are caked in ice making training treacherous. I did a 40 minute jog today at Cannon Hill Park and needed to walk every 100 metres or so to ensure I didn't slip on the inch-thick ice.

I'll be looking to do a time of about 55 minutes for Fradley. Although with some of my colleagues who thrashed me in the Brum half marathon last year also taking aprt there will be plenty of motivation to run quickly (and hopefully get my revenge).

My PB is 51.07 but with only minimal t raining leading up to this race I think it will be well out of my reach.

After all the niggling injuries I have written about on this blog, the halfmarathon gave me the ultimate, painful, and incredibly annoying one of all.

Mainly annoying because I don't know what it is and even when I was in unimaginable pain with it in the days after the race I could not find it in myself to be bothered to go to A&E and sit there for three hours to wait to be seen.

My right foot, just in front of my ankle on the top of my foot, ached like hell from about five hours after the race.

I couldn't walk properly for a week and a half and spent that long with everyone at work telling me to goto the doctor because they were sick of me limping around like a sick puppy.

But I knew if I did I would just be told to rest and "see how it goes" so Ileft it, and now it's just plain irritating because I can walk properly for about five minutes, and I start thinking I might be able to start running again, and then I get a twinge and it's all downhill from there.

So I'll be laid up for the next few weeks where running is concerned, but I am determined to get back on the road as soon as I am able and keep doing races.

I'm sure I am not the only one to say a few 10ks wouldn't go amiss after all the junk I have eaten since the half-marathon.

You would think I didn't like my muscles, what with all the hell I put them through. I did the hour and a half run on Sunday and despite the warmth of the day, I didn't find it too bad. But then, after all the pain from last week's football, I went out and did all the same damage to my thighs again, only worse.

I think I pulled a muscle before I even started playing properly, because it was really killing, but I decided I wanted to have a good time and I ignored it. When we finished (we lost 16-15) I limped my way to my car and as I drove home I got such an agonising ache in my thigh every time I moved my right leg that I had to cry out - much to the alarm of the passenger I was delivering back to his car.

But, so help me, I will still do my run tomorrow and I will enjoy it. I've given my legs a good talking to (and a good stretching) and they are to get better and jolly well work to their best advantage. I'm not going to let anything silly like excruciating pain get in the way of my training. Not this late in the day.

I am getting really nervous now. Only three weeks to go and I haven't done as much training as I should do this week because I have been too stiff from playing football on Wednesday evening. I haven't played properly since I was 12, which is probably why.

All the blokes from work go every week to have a game of five-a-side and I have always meant to go with them but have been too intimidated by all the testosterone. But I just decided life is too short and went along to have a go, or rather, was pushed into going to make up the editorial team's numbers. I was the only girl across about eight pitches, but it was still fun and I wasn't too bad. I probably got a bit too into it because for the next two days the fronts of my thighs and my back absolutely killed every time I moved. It was impossible for me to run like that, especially with the back pain.

One thing that I noticed was that I wasn't getting nearly out of breath as the blokes were because of all the running I have been doing over the last 12 weeks or so. But I was in a hell of a lot more pain than them the next day.

This is the annoying thing about different types of exercise - you use whole sets of different muscles to do different things. I do indoor climbing about once a week, running three or four times a week, and I swim, and all of these things have caused different muscles in my limbs to ache the following day.

I have been put down to play football next week, but then it will only be a couple of weeks before the half-marathon, so I might lay off that one so I can concentrate on running without having to worry about all the different dimensions of agony I would be causing myself!

WHEN it comes to the crunch I will always, always, chose beer over running.

So when my mates invited me out for a few drinks in Brindley Place there was no contest.
But man oh man did I regret it when I forced my self to run just over 10 miles the next day.

It hurt. Really really really hurt. All I could think about was stopping and having a really long drink of orange squash. But then that made me feel ill which made me want to stop even more.

But there is a debate here. Is it worth doing a run when you have a hangover?

Some say it flushes some of the toxins out of your body as the blood pumps round you system. But others argue the value of training while dehydrated is actually very very minimal. What do you think?

Personally, I wouldn't do it again. But I might try a shorter faster run so the torture doesn't last so long.

Apologies for the lack of posts in the last two weeks. Paul and I have been on holiday in Mallorca for the last eight days, and only just got back this afternoon.

Before that, we both had an utterly manic week. Paul was doing hostile environment training in Germany to prepare himself for reporting from Iraq in October (I'll let him tell you all about that), while I was running around like a headless chicken sorting out all our travel arrangements for the day he got back. A little more than 18 hours after Paul touched down at 11.30pm on September 19, we were jetting off to Mallorca. And in the gap, we had to drive from Stansted up to Brum to drop of his camera equipment at the Mail office, and get as much sleep as we could before driving back down the Gatwick to catch the plane. It doesn't sound like it needs much organising but it does.

So, after all that, I have not run a single step for a week and a half. Shameful I know, but I decided I needed a holiday more than I wanted to achieve my target time, and I refused to run myself down more than I was feeling already by that point. We both took what we felt were well-deserved rests for the week.

But I will be back into it from Tuesday. It will be interesting to see what a week and a half off has done to my speed. Three weeks left before the race, so I hope not too much damage!

Birmingham Mail reporter and triathlete extrordinaire, Jane Tyler, reveals how her half marathon training is progressing.
And it isn't without a bit of rough and tumble!

MY half marathon training has come to a sudden and very painful halt when I fell off my bike during a triathlon on Sunday.

Up until that point I was feeling quite smug as my fellow half marathoners were dropping like flies, due to aches and pains brought on by over-training.
Not me, I thought, triathlon is the way to do it. I figured that by cross-training in three disciplines I'd be spreading the risk of injury.

But as I sit here with an extremely painful and bruised knee, arm and shoulder, I am questioning my wisdom.

It doesn't help that my injured colleagues are now recovered and sending me daily emails, bragging about their 10-mile runs, PBs and just generally succeeding and reaching all their training targets.

But I figure that a week or two off at this stage with six weeks to go isn't the end of the world and won't do me any harm.

Despite my tumble, I would recommend triathlon to anyone. Not only do you achieve an extremely high level of fitness, you also never get bored as you're constantly switching between running, swimming and cycling.

I joined BRAT - Birmingham Running and Triathlon Club - a year ago and the coaching I receive there has been superb.

I did the Wombourne Sprint Triathlon on Sunday which involves a 400 metre (16 lengths of a 25m pool), 20k bike and 5k run. With just over a mile to go on the bike I skidded on the rain-sodden slippery road and was catapulted off my bike, landing on a grass verge with the bike on top of me.

Worse still, because one of my feet was still clipped into the pedal I couldn't up end myself without help from a marshall and policeman. Amazingly despite being covered in mud and grass, and with a bleeding aching knee, I got back on my bike and carried on to finish the race - even doing a PB in the run.

So give triathlon a go - it isn't that dangerous, honest!

After much whinging about injuries (much of which was on this blog) we both ran the Lichfield 10k race on Sunday.

I left it until the eleventh hour to make the decision if I was going to race or not as I had a painful shin injury that had been playing up all week.

In the end the temptation of racing against 1,000 other runners was too much and both Hannah and I were on the start line at 10.30am.

And it was all worth it as we both recorded personal best times. Hannah knocked a startling 4 mins and 51 seconds off her pb finishing in a time of 57min 14 sec.

I finished in 51 min 10 sec - 2 minutes and 11 seconds faster than my last pb.

Full results can be found here

But I'm now finding out that there is a lot more to running then going as fast as you can. I was aiming for a negative split this time round whcih meant I would run the second half of the race slightly faster than the first.

This sounds easy but I found it tough. I was running too quickly for the first 3km and had to concentrate on slowing myself down to my planned target time of 26 minutes for 5km.

My plan was then to do a 24 minute second 5km and finish in under 50 minutes. But I didn't take into account the big hills at 5km and 7km which left me needing to do my last 3km in 14 minutes - much quicker than I am capable at the moment.

But it was a real test of what I had left in the tank near the end of the race. I picked the pace up considerably for the last 3km, over-taking about a dozen runners as I closed in on my 50 minute target time. At one stage I even thought i was going to make it.

Then my heart sank. "Just 400m to go" the sign read. And the rest was up hill all the way to the finish line. Gutted.

So, a few tips for anyone wanting to learn from the experience of someone whose career running totals two races.

1. In the weeks leading up to the race, time how quickly you are running and work out a race-pace for the big day. This will really help keep you going during the tough middle section of the race.
2. Try planning a negative split where your second half of the race is slightly faster than the first.
3. Don't be put off by people over-taking you at the start of the race - chances are you will catch them up later if you stick to your own rhythm.
4. Set yourself personal goals in the race. Try picking someone out who is in front of you and aim to catch them up within the next 1,000 metres/ 5 minutes.
5. Relax and enjoy it

Paul has decided his shin injury is too painful to risk running a race on it, and is gutted that he can't take part in the Lichfield 10K. So I will be running the race alone.

I say that, but as you can imagine with two people as different in height and stature as Paul and I, I am used to him racing off ahead so it won't be too different from usual.

I haven't done any running since Wednesday, purely because I have been so busy, but now I actually have some time on my hands, it is bucketing down with rain as I speak. Probably everyone who is reading this will know what I mean, as yesterday and today have been totally miserable weather-wise.

Having said that, I am not rain-shy, I have been out running in the rain several times - I actually prefer it to running in the heat. But I can't and won't go out when it is raining so much that I would be squelching rather than running. I can't see how going out with every piece of clothing on me waterlogged would really do me any good, so I will be sitting today out as well, and hoping that not running for three days will not put me at a disadvantage for tomorrow's race.

My aim is to do the course in under one hour, which I am pretty confident of doing, but I'll see what the weather is like before I make any outlandish predictions...

I finally managed to do nine miles in ninety minutes! I have been having a go at it every Sunday for the last three weeks and went from 10.4 minutes a mile to 10.3...and then up to 10.4. Very frustrating.

But this week I mapped out my exact nine-mile route on walkjogrun.co.uk and figured out exactly what time targets I had at various points on my route before I went out. I managed to beat all of them by a minute to a minute and a half, a lead I demolished in the last 20 minutes because I was so shattered, rolling in at 89 minutes and 50 seconds. Get in!!

The only problem, like Paul, was the effect the wet weather had on my clothing, which it turn had a very painful effect on my skin. I started running in shorts a few weeks ago, which did wonders for the flexibility of my legs, not to mention keeping me cool. But in the rain doing a long run, it felt like a tiny person was trying to saw my right leg off from the inside of my thigh.

It hurt. A lot. And the pain only got worse as the chafing broke the skin and the nasty little person kept sawing away at my raw flesh. It didn't start bleeding though, thankfully, but it sure as hell felt like it was about to. Now my leg looks like someone has attacked it with sandpaper. Lovely.

After I had recovered I went straight down to the shop and bought a big tub of Vaseline. My next mission is to try to find a way of carrying the tub with me, just in case, because I absolutely refuse to suffer that again.

I returned home from my 10-mile run shattered, exhausted and... bleeding.

Panting for every breath of air going I struggled to undestand Hannah as she waited for me on the steps of my house.

"Are you bleeding? What's that on your top," she said.

As I looked down I saw a red splurge across my running vest and it seemed to have originated from my nipple.
Now, it all started to add up. I had been wondering why so many people at Cannon Hill Park had been giving me curious looks.

And it explained why one family covered their children's eyes as I jogged past. Not a pleasant sight for anyone, let alone an innocent family out for a quiet Sunday afternoon stroll in the park.

A bleeding nipple. Not exactly the coolest fashion statement around.

Well, now I have vaseline so I hope that's going to sort the problem. The last thing I want is for my nipple (the left one if you're interetested) to start leaking while I'm at work.

However, a brief bit of investigative journalism - 'Nipplegate' if you will - soon cleared up why the problem started this particular week, after 10 weeks of blood-free locomoting.

A new polyester running top had got wet and heavy in the rain and the cooler air temperature had caused my nipple to become erect thereby exacerbating the problem.

Could I have forseen this tragedy? Probably.
Will it happen again? Not on your nelly - the good people of Cannon Hill Park deserve better.

But there's a lesson everyone can learn from that little fable. Wear sensible comfortable running clothes and lubricate with vaseline where necessary.

This week I hit the wall in training.

On Sunday I was supposed to do a 90 minute run but struggled to do 45 minutes. Then I tried to do it again yesterday and only got to an hour before I had to stop.

I've done three 90 minute runs since I've started training and although they've been tough I've never even contemplated giving up. But now, for some reaason, I just can't do it.

I've got three theories why this is:
1. I'm fatigued after 10 weeks of training and need a couple of days off
2. I'm not stretching properly
3. Stress of work is taking its toll

I'm going to do my normal training until Sunday and see how I get on then for a long run. Watch this space to see if I get over this 'wall' this is becoming quite an obstacle in my training.

What about my job? That's the thought that has been going through everybody's head in editorial over the last few days.

Running has barely crossed my mind.

For me, a reporter on the Mail who joined the company 18 months ago as a trainee, it is my first experience of job cuts. It's horrible, it's embarrassing, and it's damn right frightening.

But I am in no way feeling disillusioned. I knew when I joined this marvellous trade of journalism that things were changing quickly, the 'golden era' of reporting (whenever that was) was well behind us, and that my job would rarely be safe.

But I still fought tooth and nail to join the company so I could write about a city I love (although I'm only from Studley) and work with other journalists who have more pride in their work then anyone else I know in any other profession.

Now, I can't help but feel that our passion for the job is exploited. I'm not sure who to blame but when you see reporters, photographers and production staff scrambling for jobs they have put their heart and soul into for years, it makes you sick.

I desperately want to stay at the company, I want to do video journalism, write a blog, break exclusives, take photographs and write headlines. But I don't want to do this at the expense of highly trained, extremely experienced professionals who are at the top of their game. And also my friends.

It looks like a Jack of all trades will ultimately replace the specialist. And there's no saying that I will be one of those Jacks.

But will quality suffer, will we continue to haemorrhage readers, will we come through the recession, will we be worked to death with all the extra responsibilities, will those who survive the cuts get paid what they deserve for the extra work they take on?

I'm hoping for the best. I will adapt as necessary. But as long as I am a reporter I will always have that nagging doubt - what about my job?

After six weeks of training, injuries, and spending at various sports shops, we finally ran our first 10k race.

We both made it round in one piece but it was more than a little of an eye opener - especially for one of us!

No, its not a club for annoying adolescents - its Birmingham Running and Triathlon Club

And after five weeks of training on my own I thought I would give it a go.

I joined them on one of their 'gentler' sessions at Birmingham University - and boy was it tough.
We did a 10 minute jog to warm up followed by some interval training that saw us running at a 5km race-pace for a short distance.
We then slowed down for a short distance before doing fast laps of the small lake (or rather pond)with some short one/two min rest periods slotted in.
In total, including warm up and cool down, the whole thing last about an hour.

Many of the runners are extremely good and compete at a high level.
However, if you are a beginner like me, and would like to do some social running, then Brat club is also ideal as the coaches and runners are all very friendly.

I hope to go again next week. But I'll see how I do in my first ever 10km race in Tenbury on Sunday.
More on that later.

I've just been totting up how much this running lark is costing me...and this is just after four weeks!

New running shoes = £45
New MP3 player = £35
New shorts = £5
New running vests = £10
Race fee = £22
10km warm up race fee = £6
New headphones = £20
Total = £136

Finishing the 13.1 miles in one piece.... Priceless

Today marked the end of our fourth week of training... and to celebrate we ran for 90 minutes non stop!

Hannah managed 7.91 miles at an average of 11.3 minutes per mile.
This was the same as running at 5.2 miles per hour.
From our very basic calculations this means Hannah would be able to run the half marathon in 2 hours and 28 minutes if she did it tomorrow.

Paul ran 10.26 miles at an average of 8.7 minutes per mile.
This was the same as running 6.8 miles per hour.
His projected half marathon time, if he ran it tomorrow, is 1 hour and 54 minutes.

How did we work all this out? Go to www.walkjogrun.co.uk and create your own running route near where you live by using the map. It's easy and gives you loads of interesting stats.

If you are considering training while on holiday in a sunny seaside resort this summer then I advise you to learn from my painful mistake.

Yes, running in the sun is hot work.
Yes, a dip in the sea straight afterwards sounds like a great idea.

But no, not under any circumstances is it clever to do your training in swimming shorts.

Why? Because an hour of synthetic waterproof material rubbing against bare human flesh is a recipe for the worst chafing imaginable to man.

The cool sea water soothes this temporarily, but as soon as you try and walk the pain begins.

Be brave, ignore this advice, but waddling on the beach is not a good look -believe me, I've been there.

We've been away in Wales this week and thought it would be a good idea to continue our training by running along the picturesque Pembrokeshire coast.

It turns out this was not the brightest idea we have ever had.

After our first 55 minute run on Whitesands beach we both got sunburnt on every patch of bare skin the sun could get its rays on.
Face, neck, arms, shoulders, back of knees, calves - the whole lot.

This isn't a major problem unless, like us, you are staying in a tiny cut-price tent where there is no room to swing a cat.
After three nights of tip-toeing around each others' burnt patches we finally came to the end of our tether and came home.

But not before the crows had attacked our tent... but that's another story.