The Fretboard Running Thread 2023

axisus

djspecialist said:

I was delighted to pick up two new PBs yesterday at the Cambridge Town & Gown: 10k (41:54) and 5k (21:03).

Good times!

Iamnobody

Great times @djspecialist - negative splits on the 10k! 

djspecialist

Iamnobody said:

Great times @djspecialist - negative splits on the 10k! 

Well ... actually the 5k PB was in the first half of the race, after which my pace dropped a bit.  I did manage a 4:01 for the last km, but I don't think that counts as negative splits!

Iamnobody

Don’t let the detail spoil it. You ran the second half quicker! I’m not sure why I’d assumed the 5k time was the first half - could easily have been the second/.   

Teetonetal

Ran my very first 5k today.. was on the beach, sand was very soft  so it was slow! I like running by the sea

Benm39

Running on sand is really hard work, nice going!

Last event this year on Saturday... Five Trails Ultra 50k from Petworth. Not looking for any particular time,  just to get finished but imagine it's going to be around 7hrs as lotta hills..

axisus

Benm39 said:

Running on sand is really hard work, nice going!

Last event this year on Saturday... Five Trails Ultra 50k from Petworth. Not looking for any particular time,  just to get finished but imagine it's going to be around 7hrs as lotta hills..

I'll be honest, I think 'ultra' running is mad. Well, even marathons are mad. At 60 I have bad hips and knees, and I had 15 years off of running with an injury, I think piling up that sort of mileage is crazy, can't do any good in the long run.

djspecialist

axisus said:

Benm39 said:

Running on sand is really hard work, nice going!

Last event this year on Saturday... Five Trails Ultra 50k from Petworth. Not looking for any particular time,  just to get finished but imagine it's going to be around 7hrs as lotta hills..

I'll be honest, I think 'ultra' running is mad. Well, even marathons are mad. At 60 I have bad hips and knees, and I had 15 years off of running with an injury, I think piling up that sort of mileage is crazy, can't do any good in the long run.

Although running is often thought to cause joint problems (especially knees and hips) due to "wear and tear", that doesn't seem to be borne out by the evidence. In fact several studies have shown that running might actually _reduce_ the chances of developing conditions such as osteoarthritis.

(Or perhaps I'm just telling myself this to avoid worrying about it ... !)

Benm39

All the running I do is trail , with only modest sections on hard stuff underfoot... that helps a lot as does the constantly varying terrain underfoot... slower certainly,  but quite different from the routine repetitive foot strike on say tarmac or pavement for 26 miles...

No injuries of any sort so far and whilst I'm only very early into my running,  I've only ever taken part in events that are at least half marathon distance or bigger as that is just what wife and I enjoy.  Never going to be quick given we're both early fifties,  but enjoy building our aerobic base to be able to go longer. 

Benm39

Well that was an epic day out for the inaugural Five Trails Ultra in West Sussex,  lots of mud, puddles, and bastard steep uphills and greasy slidey chalk downhills, interspersed with some very heavy rain and occasional sun.  Finished 42nd out of about 67 doing the Ultra course in a little over 7hrs and 4mins.. got lost a couple of times due to missing signage so actual distance ran was 32.85 miles. Think total ascent for the course is about 1050m so pretty hilly

A grand day out, but looking forward to a few weeks of much less running now .

djspecialist

@Benm39 that sounds like one hell of a run - well done!

26.2

Great work @Benm39! ;

26.2

I’m pretty much done for the year competitively. I finished off with the Thruxton 10K and the Cabbage Patch 10miles after the Richmond Marathon. Going to rest a tight hamstring for a week or two and then start upping the mileage again. 

26.2

djspecialist said:

Iamnobody said:

Great times @djspecialist - negative splits on the 10k! 

Well ... actually the 5k PB was in the first half of the race, after which my pace dropped a bit.  I did manage a 4:01 for the last km, but I don't think that counts as negative splits!

Great times!!! Outstanding!!

BigMonka

Hi running crew, apologies if its been asked before but does anyone have any head torch recommendations for unlit roads/paths please? Is having a rear red light something that runners do? (speaking as mainly a cyclist here!)

djspecialist

BigMonka said:

Hi running crew, apologies if its been asked before but does anyone have any head torch recommendations for unlit roads/paths please? Is having a rear red light something that runners do? (speaking as mainly a cyclist here!)

I use the following on winter mornings / evenings:

A rechargeable Decathlon headtorch. It looks like they no longer sell the model I have, which has the battery pack on the back of the strap. That helps to avoid the front slipping down as you run; an alternative might be one of the ones which have also a strap running front to back across the top of the head.

Mine has adjustable levels - so I can set it low for being seen (in town) or high when I need to see (out on country paths.)

A couple of armbands, something similar to https://provizsports.com/products/classic-led-armband (but mine were way cheaper IIRC and have been going strong for years). The coin cell batteries last for ages.

Iamnobody

I did a trail run earlier this year with a 2km plus section through a canal tunnel and there was a requirement for a head torch. I just picked up a cheap Energiser one. Probably not designed for running.

Two things that I noted from that experience - it felt weird having something strapped to my bonce and the light wasn’t that great - bearing in mind it was a pitch black tunnel. 

So my take on it is get something comfortable and bright! 

Benm39

If you're going to be using it a fair amount, rather than just for emergency use,  then I'd recommend getting something with adjustable light levels as per above.  Also,  a warmer colour temperature c 5400k - 5700k rather than bright white,  as cooler colour temps above 6000k can wash out detail meaning you lose a lot of depth of field... not ideal when you're trying to avoid tripping over uneven ground etc. 

Fenix,  Petzl, and Zebralight, all make excellent headtorches.  A rear red flasher light is useful also,  especially if you're going to be on roads in the dark.

dchwhite

I already had a ledlenser headlight (h7.2), so used that, and it was pretty good. I'm a fairly slow runner, so the fact it's a bit bulky probably didn't hinder me as much as it might someone quicker. I've just ordered an upgrade as it's on offer, as much for longer runtime than anything tbh - I believe (hope!) it has the same spot/ flood focus ring & variable power, as both are insanely useful.

https://www.ultimateoutdoors.com/16079206/ledlenser-mh7-led-head-torch-16079206

I think this one doesn't have a rear battery pack, which means I'll clip in the see sense rear light I clip onto the headband of my cycling headlight.

Lots of offers (on lots of brands, but I like LL so sticking with them) at the above site (think same as Millets, Black's etc) and also https://ledlenser.co.uk/collections/daylight-savings

BigMonka

Thanks all, I’ll check out those head torch suggestions and probably see if anything is on offer!