I went on a big training block four or five years ago coming off doing my ankle ligaments at the start of an adventure race (first descent) and keeping going. This was about two months prior to starting the block
I started with lapped runs around 120bpm. Some of my kms were nearly 7 minutes. Within approx a month, I was running sub 5:30 at that HR. We used to do 10ks at that HR and we spent the whole run talking. Which made doing a 10km on a dark road on winter nights with only our head torches for light a lot more enjoyable.
Sure thatās the same as saying that walking to work every day a few km is absolutely no good for you.
For your age you seem to absolutely flog yourself fitness wise flatty. You must be a bit of physical freak and a hardy fucker but most would break down injured if they did half what you do.
The science behind easy running is rock solid and far too detailed to go into here, development of slow twitch fibrres, build aerobic fitness, strengthen bone and tendons,
Youāre at nothing if youāre hammering all your runs,
Itās something Iām shit at doing though, but if it rain for another marathon Iāll be working on it
Thatās fine for you. But for lads that enjoy running as a means of exercise, the advice of ārun easy runs easy and hard runs hardā is sound advice.
I generally go running just to clear my head, last nigtht took 2 mins off my best time this year ( great lad arent i) by keeping an eye on the time and pushing myself.
if I was going out every run to beat that a time, Id dread it. itās a delight to go out without a watch and just plod along, maybe thatās not for everybody.
Take the 10km march challenge, I havenāt run 10km in over a year, but I think Iāll do 4 in March to see what I can get my time down to, 2 easy 2 hard
I was worried about injury and the like but Iām taking on board what is being said here. Going to just run for the joy of it at a handy pace and see where that takes me.
Iāve just signed up for the Cork marathon this morning which is being done vertually this year. I reckon itāll take a lot of mental strength to do a marathon and it not being an event. There are a few of us who are down to do it but itās the event you want to get you through.
So easy running from now on, just for the joy. Couple of hard runs thrown in when needed for lockdown challenges and should be grand.
Itās a nice feeling when you hit the āfinish lineā on a quiet country road with a woman on bike about to send you into the ditch, and then you realise youāve to walk back to the car, which is still 1.5km away.
24.43 @caulifloweredneanderthal. Doesnāt lift me places on the inter board, but it was a much more comfortable run. Lovely morning out so only aim was to ensure it was under 25. Felt it a lot easier than the last run which was slower than this one. Not sure Iāll push on for another fast one over the weekend to try bate @Fran, but will see.
@Fran is laughing at you, so he is. He says you are the weak link, so he does. Make no bones about it youāll be coming in as the underdog, so you will. But by God you wonāt be bate easily. So you wonāt
This is me right now. Getting no enjoyment out of it. Keep hitting a mental wall at 3.5km which ends me - same again this morning. Wouldnāt have broken 23 in any case as just not moving as Iād like to and canāt push myself even though I know Iāve more in the tank.
Back to slower and slightly longer runs for a while to try and rediscover some level of enjoyment out of it. Great running this morning @TheUlteriorMotive
5km is a very very tough distance to repeat and very draining on the body if you are going hard. Personally I wouldnāt even attempt more than two fast 5kms in a month.
